The Magickal Cottage

 

 

One thing I love about living in California is that I can grow my own food all year long.  Nature is magickal and will add it’s special energy to the things you grow yourself! I also never need to wonder if my fruits and veggies are really organic!

 The winter garden has been planted and we are looking forward to lettuce, kale, spinach, peas, chard, bok choy and beets!

Isn’t this lettuce gorgeous?? I love the light green with the red “freckles”!

 

Spinach and chinese peas have sprouted!

These little Johnny Jump Ups should last all the way through next spring!

To improve the energy going to the front door and slow it down a bit, I added a garden arch to create a magickal portal. This will soften the energy and keep it from hitting the front door with such a hard force, and also create a magickal portal to filter what goes into the house. I have planted bower vine on either side which should grow nicely up and over the arch to enhance the energy even further.

I have widened the magickal veggie garden and created a special area for salad greens. I think salad greens are so pretty and intend to combine them with flowers and herbs. There’s no reason a veggie garden can’t be beautiful!

 

 

 

 

The fairy area around the jacaranda tree is a wonderful place to sit and meditate and cool off! I love my garden flag sold by Mickey Mueller on Etsy and the fairy statues made by Campania

http://campaniainternational.com/index.php?page=mythical

 

Of course, a good garden starts with healthy soil. I have a small composter where I put kitchen and garden waste to make wonderful, natural compost. I’m sure the elementals approve of this kind of plant food!

 

 

I also raise earth worms for their wonderful castings and feed my plants with that as well. Here is a picture of my Worm Factory. I feed the worms with kitchen waste: peelings, old bread, coffee grounds, etc.

 

I cover them  up with damp newspaper. Every few days I check to make sure the newspaper is still moist.

 

 

I put the lid back on the Worm Factory, and leave the little fellows to do their thing. Easy!

 

This ferny little plant with tiny white daisy -like flowers is chamomile. It makes a very relaxing tea! Witchipedia tells us:

Chamomile is associated with the sun, Leo and the element of water. It helps cleanse and invigorate the throat chakra (5th). It is associated with various Sun Gods, including Ra, Cernunnos, Lugh and others.

It is used in spells for money, peace, love, tranquility and purification.

An infusion used to wash thresholds (doors and windows) will help keep unwanted energies or entities from passing through. Sprinkle powdered chamomile flowers around your self or home to remove spells cast against you and to prevent fires and lightening strikes. You may also use herbal water, if you prefer.

Use it in a ritual bath before performing spells for any of these purposes. Just a simple chamomile bath while visualizing will increase your attractiveness to the opposite sex. Also, use it in a bath as part of a spelli to release a loved one, or to release feelings of pain, loss or anger.

Washing your hands in chamomile water before gambling will increase your luck.

Add to sachets for luck or money. Or place pressed chamomile flowers in your wallet to attract money to it.

Use in meditation incense.

 

 

I love feverfew! It isn’t blooming in this photo, but it also has cute little white flowers. If I get a headache, I chew on a leaf and the headache disappears. No kidding! Witchipedia says:

Feverfew is masculine in nature and is associated with the planet Venus and the element of water.

Feverfew is often use in mojo bags. Alone or combined with hyssop and rosemary in a bag it is used to prevent general accidents. To prevent accidents while traveling, put it in a bag with comfrey root and a St Christopher medal and put it in your glovebox, rear view mirror or carry on bag. Likewise, using feverfew as a bath tea will help break hexes designed to make you more accident prone.

Growing this plant around the outside of your home is said to prevent illness from entering.

Binding the flowers to the wrist is said to assist in drawing out pain as well.

 

If you live in semi tropical zone you can grow hibiscus. The flowers are very rich in vitamin C. According to http://herbalriot.tumblr.com/post/64670674390/magickal-uses-of-hibiscus:

This lusty flower incites passion — use it to attract love or lust, or for prophetic dreams . Attracting love and lust, divination, and dreams. Carry in a sachet or burn as incense to attract love. These flowers have been used throughout centuries as an aphrodisiac. Egyptian women are banned from drinking tea made with this herb because it is said to induce lusty feelings. Use this herb for spells dealing with love or lust, or put the petals into a sachet to bring on passion and love.

Hibiscus is also used in incense mixtures for divination and clairvoyance. Hibiscus flowers aid divination when placed in a wooden bowl containing water, and the result is scryed. 

 

Who could not like a rose? I’m sure they are one of my plant totems, since I love them so! Roses are all about love. But did you know that rose petals can be added to herbal spells to speed up your results?

 

 

Johnny Jump Ups or heartsease is another favorite here in the Magickal Garden. As it’s name implies, it is good for easing a broken heart. Just looking at it cheers me up! I can see how it got its name.

 

 

 

They say that red geraniums planted in front of your house are good magickal protection. They look great in a window box with white and blue flowers like allysum and lobelia. Mine are in a southern position so they are growing with portulaca, since it can take the intense heat on that side of the house.

 

 

Borage has tiny little blue, star-like flowers, and I love the way it grows almost anywhere. A tea of borage will enhance your psychic powers, and the herb can be added to money and business spells. Wear borage flowers to increase your courage and confidence.

 

 

Lovely lavender, what can I say? It smells so heavenly! The bees think it is the best! Lavender is cleansing, calming and purifiying. Sleep with it in a dream pillow near your bed to relax you and bring a peacful night’s sleep.  Witchipedia also tells us:

Lavender is masculine in action and associated with Mercury, the element of air and the astrological sign Virgo.
It may be used as an asperging herb (to sprinkle water for purification purposes) and dried lavender sticks or wands can be burnt like incense.
It is also useful in spells to sharpen the mind, to encourage or strengthen pure love and to encourage fertility.

 

 

Artemesia or Wormwood is an old time witchy plant. I love it’s grey leaves that add some nice contrast in a flower garden. Witchipedia has this to say about wormwood:

Wormwood is associated with the planet mars and the element of fire or air.

Macerate wormwood and soak in wine for several days, then strain. Use this wine to induce visions, aid in astral projection, and divination. OR place several tablespoons of dried wormwood leaves and flowers in a jar, cover with light olive oil and seal. Let this steep for several weeks in a cool place, strain and use as an anointing oil for yourself or your divination tools. (See cautions on Healing With Wormwood).

Wormwood flowers and leaves can be added to magical sachets for protection against accidents. Hang these in your car or carry them on your person.

Wormwood may also be used in spells to send harmful magic back on its sender and for spells for vengeance.

Combined with mugwort and burned, wormwood is useful for calling up spirits. Make sure the area is well ventilated as the smoke can be very irritating to the eyes and throat and is toxic if inhaled. It is also said to be useful in banishing spirits.

Wormwood may also be used in love magic, as this old charm indicates:

‘On St. Luke’s Day, take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little Wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder; then sift it through a fine piece of lawn, and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of virgin honey, and vinegar. Anoint yourself with this when you go to bed, saying the following lines three times, and you will dream of your partner “that is to be”:

“St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me,
In dreams let me my true-love see.” ‘
~ An old love charm

 

 

My English grandma always used to sing the praises of yarrow. She felt yarrow tea was good for just about anything! I like the kind with the yellow flowers you see growing here. It adds a nice pop of color wherever you need it. Witchipedia says about yarrow:

Yarrow is associated with Aphrodite, Hermes, the Horned God and the hero Achilles. It is ruled by Venus and the element water and is associated with the seventh chakra.

Yarrow is used for divination and love spells and in spells for contacting or seeking out a specific person.

The stalks are traditionally used for casting the I Ching and the flowers can be added to dream pillows to encourage prophetic dreams. Rubbing your eyelids with yarrow is said to enhance psychic abilities. It can be used in incense or oil to cleanse the aura, and for divination. Yarrow tea can also be drunk prior to divination, and to help the mind focus on a specific issue, or avoid distractions. Especially useful for psychic communication with a loved one and, when in times of strife, can help you and your loved one see things from each others’ point of view.

Hanging a bunch of yarrow over the bed on the wedding night is supposed to ensure lasting love for seven years. Adding it to the bouquet or garlands worn by the bride or groom serves the same affect.

Back in the day, hanging a bunch of yarrow over a cradle was said to protect a baby from witches trying to steal its soul.

It is used also as a charm for pregnant woman; keep it on the right side to have an easy labor.

Yarrow strewn across a threshold will prevent unhelpful spirits from entering.

Yarrow can be used in sachets for love, courage, communication and psychic abilities.

 

 

These fennel plants are way overgrown, I know, but they are another favorite bee flower; and the bees are in need of our care! Fennel can also be a host for butterfly caterpillars, so who am I to deny them? Besides, growing fennel near your home will ward off evil!

 

 

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Create a fairy garden

https://sites.google.com/site/thewitchscottagegarden/home/the-fairy-garden

 

 

 

                          Prayer Flags

Click on the link if you would like a prayer flag made specially for you.

  https://sites.google.com/site/angelicintuitions/home/angel-wings-prayer-flags

Magickal Fountain

The Garden at Crow Hollow

 

                  

Angels Grove in Texas pre-2013

The Magickal Cottage

Be sure to visit my website: The Witch’s Cottage Garden

https://sites.google.com/site/thewitchscottagegarden/home

Angels Grove

The first lilac

He thinks he’s invisible!

Fairies in the garden!

     

The herb garden