Land Spirits and You @rosa-nitida

When getting started in your craft, it is often tempting to latch on and painstakingly emulate the first thing you get your little baby witch paws on that has even the slightest hint of resonation and promise. On one hand, structure is important. On the other, it is equally crucial to move beyond this stage once you have a solid procedural grasp. There are enough LARPers in the world, you don’t need to be doing it with your magic (looking at you Gemma Gary stans: there’s no Bucca outside of Cornwall. Sorry, not sorry.)

The first and most valuable lesson that needs to be learned when beginning your journey is this: You need to familiarize yourself with the land and resources around you: they will be your strongest and most ready allies, should you let them. Not only does this encourage sustainability and local ecological awareness, you will be able to better form bonds with plants and animals you have ready access to than those from far-flung regions or even other countries. There are no substitutes, there are no shortcuts.

“Well Rose,” you may be asking yourself, “how do I start to build a relationship with the land? I live in an apartment/at home with my parents/in the city”. Have I got the best news for you! It doesn’t matter! You too can cultivate a bond with the land you live on. The first step to any new relationship is familiarization. What does the local folklore look like? Are any major spirits named? (Keep your mitts off of indigenous folklore to implement unless you belong to your local tribe(s).) What role does the environment play in it? Get yourself a solid field guide or three: my go-tos include an all encompassing ecological guide, a guide specifically for wild flowers, and a guide specifically for mushrooms. It also doesn’t hurt to have a regional edible foraging guide. Research the wildlife migration patterns and breeding seasons to develop appropriate discernment around animal-based happenings (no, seeing a ton of blue jays in Massachusetts in August isn’t a sign. It’s just molting season and jays are leaving the nest).

Now that you’ve familiarized with your area, it’s time to put this knowledge into practice and take an active role in maintaining the well-being of the land. It can be as easy as picking up litter off of the ground. Make offerings to it (biodegradable and that will not harm the wildlife. That means no glitter, no glass, no plastic, no metal. Certain foods like chocolate and alliums can harm creatures that may consume them. Be mindful.) Call your local town offices if you find invasive species and ensure you do your best not to spread them. For the love of everything unholy, if you encounter giant hogweed, do not attempt to deal with it yourself. You will get hurt, and you will regret it.

So. You’ve introduced yourself and started being neighborly. Now what? It’s time to seek permissions (from the spirits themselves of course) and start using plants and fungi you ethically harvest in your spell work. Take appropriate safety precautions, and this is the part where you fuck around and find out. Remember that when in doubt: You practice magic, divine on that shit. Those poke berries really are Saturnine, huh? Bet you could use that mullein for some spirit work and necromancy. Who woulda thunk that red clover relieves stomach ailments? Blue jays are supposed to take secrets to the Devil on Fridays? I’m sure there’s a use for that.

Go forth, find your footing, and make your craft your own.