Craft of the Wise

“The Green Witch is a natural witch, a hereditary witch, a kitchen witch, a cottage witch, a hedge witch, and generally, a solitary witch. This witch does not fear nature and the woods but finds both comforting and homey. The Green Witch has a sense of belonging and connection with the Earth and the universe” -Ann Moura, Green Witchcraft II Tools of the trade. Photo by Alina Vilchenko .  Green Witch Defined The path of the green witch refers to s omeone who incorporates a variety of herbs, plants, and flowers into their everyday pagan lifestyle to utilize their culinary, healing, and magical properties. Green witches focus on healing the entire patient and improving their overall quality of life, not just curing their disease symptoms. Green witches look to heal a person’s body, mind, and soul, which results in an overall improvement in their quality of life. Green witches may employ techniques such as herbal medicine, plant magic, chants, rituals, spells, and divination to enhan...

Bromelain Common Names:  bromelain,  pineapple enzyme Latin Names:  (pineapple plant)  Ananas comosus Pineapple plants.  Image by  senjakelabu29  from  Pixabay

Black Cohosh   Common Names:  black cohosh ,   black snakeroot,   macrotys,   bugbane,   bugwort,   rattleroot,   rattleweed Latin Names:  Actaea racemosa ,   Cimicifuga racemosa Black cohosh photo by Chris F

Bilberry Common Names:  bilberry , European bilberry, whortleberry, huckleberry Latin Names:  Vaccinium myrtillus Ripe berries on bilberry plant.  Photo by Dzenina Lukac .

Astragalus Common Names:  astragale, astragale à feuilles de réglisse, beg kei, milk vetch Latin Names:  Astragalus membranaceus Astragalus plant in bloom.

Aloe Vera Common Names:  aloe Latin Names:  Aloe vera ,  Aloe africana ,  Aloe arborescens ,  Aloe barbadensis Pexels aloe vera photo by Cintia Siqueira .

Acai Common Names:  acai (pronounced AH-sigh-EE), acai berry, acai palm Latin Names:  Euterpe oleracea ,  Euterpe badiocarpa Acai berry plant - photo by Saidis

Behind every broomstick and cauldron lies a story steeped in old plant lore. The folklore and historical uses of plants are popular areas of study with many herbalists, gardeners, Wiccans, and witches. Folklore focuses on the legends and myths associated with various plants as opposed to the scientific knowledge associated with the fields of study such as botany and horticulture. Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay

Note: This article originally appeared in Llewellyn's 2016 Magical Almanac. As of 12/31/2018, the copyright has reverted back to me. I have added additional new content at the end and am reprinting the expanded version here on Craft of the Wise.  Image by  Karl Egger  from  Pixabay

In recent years, researchers and addiction specialists have come to recognize the value of  music therapy  in the treatment of substance problems. This form of treatment is often grouped together with a range of non-medication-based options known as sound therapies, creative arts therapies or holistic therapies. One of the most promising options in this developing field of  health and wellness  is drum therapy. When it forms part of a larger course of drug or alcohol treatment, drumming can provide a powerful incentive for people in recovery. Music Therapy Basics Music can have a positive or negative impact on people with substance problems. Outside of a treatment setting, it sometimes serves as a reinforcement for existing patterns of substance abuse [i] . In fact, many people with drug or alcohol abuse/addiction report an increase in their substance cravings when listening to certain types of music. Factors that help explain this reaction include: The association o...