The Magickal Cottage

Every morning, as I sip my coffee, I make a point of pulling a couple of tarot cards. Last Saturday I winced as I dealt myself the Ace of Wands Reversed

and the Tower.

Of course no card is really bad, but these cards seemed to indicate there would be challenges ahead! I had no idea what the cards were referring to, but by day’s end they made sense to me.

I had planned to do some witchy house cleaning, maybe light some candles and bake something. Create some hygge, as they say in Norway. But as I was returning from our morning walk, my fire sign self took over! For what seemed like the millionth time I noticed a bushy plant that seemed to dominate the front garden…in a bad way. And for the millionth time I wished it were moved to our back slope where it could spread to its heart’s content.

The plant I am referring to is dietes, or fortnight lily. Let me tell you, this is one tough plant! In this case it was also a very tenacious one.

I looked up fortnight lily’s magickal properties and came up with nothing, but I would assign it survival and strength….and stubbornness. Ok, ok, it does have pretty white or yellow flowers.

I decided to muster some determination and went for my shovel and pitchfork. As usual, it refused to budge. But today I wasn’t going to surrender. Hey, maybe this plant was loaning me some of its own qualities?

Long story short, I started to develop a strategy and the plant was coaxed loose. I noticed it seemed easier when I explained to the plant spirit that I would find it a better more spacious place to grow. This plant is very easy to transplant. Very easy. Any piece of a root left behind will start to grow again. I have no doubt it will thrive on our back slope.

I piled the plantlets into plastic pots, used a pick ax to dig out more bulblets and carted everything down the back hill.

Then for the fun part! There was a fun part. I placed a small birdbath and statue of a cat in the space where the monster plant had been. Around the statuary I planted sweet alyssum (protective against glamour spells and hexes), dianthus (for the moon goddess, Diana) and blue salvia (for protection, purification and divination).

What do you think? The plants should spread and fill in well in the coming weeks.

I thought back on the morning’s tarot cards. Interesting that the wand reversed suddenly suggested a hard to deal with plant! And the Tower card showed how I cleared out the old to make way for the new! In this case a large unruly plant was replaced with some lovely, daintier blooms.

As I like to remind myself, magick is everywhere. You just have to be open to noticing it!

Garden Blessings,

Sarina