How To Be a Plant Witch
How to be a Plant Witch is where you learn the art of plant spirit witchcraft with herbal studies for the medicinal and magical use of plants! Being a plant witch is all about working with plant magic.
I consider myself to be a green witch, but my specialty is plant witchcraft. Today, I am going to teach you all about how to be a plant witch.
Being a plant witch is more than just a branch of witchcraft, as many a green witch is called to work with plants. It is a specialty and a calling! You’ll feel compelled towards it.
Being a plant witch means working with plant spirits. The witch will build a strong relationship with the plants they work with. These plant allies will be used in magical workings, healing remedies, and as household friends and confidants.
This is called symbiosis, where we benefit from the plant, and the plant benefits from working with us. There is a symbiotic relationship between the plant spirit and the plant witch. This relationship is mutually exclusive and involves a certain level of trust and loyalty building.
To be a plant witch, there’s no special class you have to take or license you have to work towards. Rather, you can call yourself a plant witch if you feel called to work with plants. The very fact that you are here learning about plant witchery gives you a clue to your interest.
Plant witches are often kitchen, hearth, hedge, or green witches who specialize in plant workings. If you feel called to learn herbalism, open a plant shop, or want to learn more about the magic of plants, then you are in, my friend!
There’s nothing more you need to do other than grow, evolve, and adapt! Just like your plant allies would. The more you learn, the more you grow in plant witchery!
How to Be a Plant Witch
To be a plant witch, you’ll want to start learning about plants individually. This means working directly with the plant. If you don’t already, you may want to decorate your space with houseplants and consider growing a garden.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could be a windowsill garden or a terrarium filled with plant life. Even a small backyard garden can be a magical place for plants to grow.
This also gives you a place in which to do spell workings. You’ll be doing everything from garden spells to terrarium and zen garden spells. Potted plant spells are an absolute must, of course!
Being a plant witch doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Everything can be done on a budget. I buy many of my gardening supplies and seeds from the dollar store and Five Below here in the United States.
To be a plant witch, you need to incorporate them into your life and get to know them better. I always recommend starting with one or two plants you feel compelled to work with. There’s always a plant that wants to work with you!
Don’t overthink it, and if you get stuck on where to start, I recommend starting with sweet rosemary herb. Rosemary is one of the sweetest, most versatile plants out there, and she generally enjoys working with people. If you need an easy plant to start working with, rosemary is your girl!
Be sure to always follow your intuition when it comes to plant spirits. I can’t tell you how many times I'd dream of plants and end up driving to the store to get them. This has happened with valerian root, stinging nettles, and chamomile. Follow your plant intuition wherever it takes you!
To be a plant witch at heart, one must be intuitive, open, and receptive. This might mean leaning more into the moon's workings!
I think there’s something special about plant spirit witchcraft. Working with plants has taught me patience, kindness, and understanding. It takes patience to grow things!
You are not only growing plant life but also growing your practice! It takes a special kind of person to build a plant-based practice. It takes a plant witch!
Plant Spirits and Moon Phases
Part of working with plant spirits requires working with intuition! To develop a deeper understanding of this, you might like to work with the moon's phases. The moon is feminine, mysterious, intuitive, open, and receptive.
New Moon - The new moon phase is the perfect time to plant a seed or the seeds of intention. It’s the optimal time to garden with seedlings, saplings, and plant pups like aloe vera. The new moon is a wonderful moon for new beginnings and fresh starts!
Waxing Moon - The waxing crescent moon is an increasing moon! This is where you’ll begin to see some of your spells come to life. With plant spirit workings, you’ll benefit from increasing the time you spend with your spells. This can be taking care of the plant and visualizing the plant getting nourishment. This is the ideal time for money magick!
Full Moon- The full moon phase is the culmination of everything! This is a powerful time for big spells, such as potted plant spells for love, money, beauty, and more. This is also a powerful time to let go of all that no longer serves you. For this reason, you might burn herbs on a charcoal disc in your tiny cauldron.
Baneful Moon- The waning crescent moon is a moon for protection, home defense, banishing, binding, and healing things! This is probably my favorite moon phase. Working with a poisonous plant garden could be beneficial at this time.
Plant Wisdom
To practice plant witchcraft, one must learn plant wisdom. Plant wisdom is more than just learning the magical and medicinal properties of plants. Plant wisdom deep dives into the psyche of the plant spirit!
When I work with a plant, I always know it has something to teach me and something to say! Some plants speak more audibly than others, but all plants have a voice. It’s important to listen to what they have to say.
All plant life speaks from the heart. Even poisonous plants, which have the potential to heal or kill, hold no true malice in their hearts.
How can I hear what a plant has to say? Again, a lot of this comes down to intuition. Plant allies will speak to you through intuition, symbolism, colors, and music. It will be different for every plant witch and every plant spirit.
Typically, as a magical person, you will probably already have some innate psychic skills and divination abilities you are currently working with. These can come in handy when you are working with a plant ally.
To gain plant wisdom, you’ll want to keep notes of the plant. Keep track of any signs, symbolism, dreams, and magic that occur when you work with each plant. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of the wisdom the plant is trying to share with you.
To get a true sense of a plant's spirit and essence, I recommend creating plant spirit playlists for each profile! With a musical playlist that reminds you of your plant ally, you’ll be able to get a feel for the plant.
Music can create visual cues and denote feelings of warmth or sadness, depending on the plant spirit you are currently working with. Plant spirit playlists bring the plant to life!
Another thing I highly recommend is drinking some plant wisdom tea. I made plant wisdom tea with the holy trinity of botanical witchcraft. The holy trinity is Goddess Hekate, Goddess Circe (daughter), and Goddess Madea (daughter). If you want to gain plant clarity and wisdom, these are the three plant goddesses you are going to want to work with!
Plant Wisdom Tea Ritual
Use a coal disc and burn thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, and a bay leaf in a tiny cauldron. Thyme connects with the nature spirits and plant spirits. Rosemary is a time-travel herb that connects with the magic of ancestors. Lemongrass can be used for increasing psychic powers, intuition, and divination. This will assist you with looking into the future, as well as looking back. Bay leaves can be used for wisdom and to increase witchcraft practices.
Put your intention into each herb as you burn it. Say, “I have the wisdom of a plant. I have plant wisdom.”
Add a circle of black tourmaline, green aventurine, aquamarine, fluorite, and acorns around your cauldron. Black tourmaline cleanses; green aventurine brings adventure and luck; fluorite helps with focus and concentration; and aquamarine connects us with the element of water and aquatic plants. Acorns denote wisdom, longevity, and groundedness.
Add an oracle card of wisdom from any oracle card deck that resonates with you and place it around your cauldron with the gemstones and acorns. Keep repeating your intention. Repetition is key!
Write a petition with your intention and thank the triple goddesses of plant spirit witchcraft! This means giving thanks to Hekate, Circe, and Madea with all of your heart. I always say, “By the power of three, thank you for plant wisdom, blessed be!”
Leave the cauldron, crystals, acorns, petition, and oracle card of wisdom as a flat-lay overnight for at least 24 hours. You’ll begin to see plant wisdom everywhere! It will come to you through dreams and intuition.
Leave an offering of Plant Wisdom Tea for the triple goddesses of plant witchcraft!
Plant Wisdom Tea Offering + Libation
First, boil the water and set your intention for plant wisdom. Meanwhile, combine lavender, chamomile, and mint tea in the teacup of your choice. Pour the boiling water over the tea herbs while thinking of your intention. Steep!
Once the plant wisdom tea has steeped, you’ll want to add three packets of sugar, one for each goddess. I use sugar in the raw for mine. As you add each packet, thank the goddess the sugar is for!
Stir in the milk of your choice, as you thank the triple goddesses!
Hekate: “Goddess Hekate, thank you, mother, of the hedge for your plant wisdom.”
Circe: “Goddess Circe, an enchanting water nymph and collector of mushrooms, plants, and trees. Thank you for your plant wisdom.”
Madea:“Goddess Madea, goddess of poisonous plants and mushrooms, and all dark things. Thank you for your plant wisdom.”
Leave the offering of plant wisdom tea libation overnight! The next day, drink some of the tea, as the triple goddesses of plant witchcraft share their wisdom with you. By drinking from their cup, you are drinking in their wisdom.
The Plant Spirit Holy Trinity (Hekate, Circe, Medea)
Just like there is a holy trinity in Christianity, there is a holy trinity in plant witchery. That holy trinity is Hekate, Circe, and Medea.
My plant spirit practice is deepening, becoming stronger and more verdant. This has naturally led me to the three witches of Greek Mythology who work with mushrooms, plants, herbs, and animal life.
I believe they only come into your life when you are ready. I have worked with both Goddess Hekate and Goddess Circe for many years. Medea is a new and wonderful addition to my plant witchcraft practice!
Goddess Hekate - She represents the mother of herbal witchcraft. When she comes into the picture, she can guide you through the darkness, haunt your dreams with plant monographs, and guide you through the hedge where the source of all plants can be found.
Goddess Circe - She represents the nymphs who live near water. I often feel her presence when I’m near waterways and plants that grow near water, such as elderberries and yarrow. Goddess Circe has an almost childlike, ethereal energy about her and is quite lovely to look at. She denotes the expertise of shapeshifting and glamour magic, much like the fae does.
Goddess Medea - She represents the darkness and poisonous plants and mushrooms. She is quite skilled and gifted when it comes to working with dangerous things, as these kinds of botanicals can both heal and kill equally. She denotes the deepening of a plant spirit practice.
I recommend reading Entering Hekate’s Garden: The Magic, Medicine, and Mystery of Plant Spirit Witchcraft by Cyndi Brannen. This book taught me how to go deeper into the lower realms of my practice.
How to Work With Plant Spirits
To be a plant witch, one must learn how to work with plant spirits. This means working with the plant itself. This could be a houseplant, a terrarium, or a plant in the garden.
One must spend time with the plant and get to know it. This requires a great deal of patience and intuition-building. Being a plant witch means crafting spells with plants, mushrooms, crystals, and animal life.
Working with plant familiars can be beneficial and rewarding, especially as you begin to discover which plants are agreeable (plants that are willing to work with you) and disagreeable (those that make you earn their trust. It’s also important to note that some plants may never wish to work with you, and that’s okay. Try not to take it personally!
Agreeable Plants - These are plants that favor humans and tend to enjoy the mutually beneficial relationship of the plant witch. I’m going to list a few plants I know are beginner-friendly. Use your intuition to keep building relationships with plants that you feel called to. Feel free to go beyond the list!
Aloe- The aloe vera plant is a sweet, gentle plant with the energy of a rose quartz crystal. Aloe is good-natured and easy to work with! Aloe vera can be used for heart healing, soothing jangled nerves, good luck, and warding off negative energies.
Basil - I find it ridiculously user-friendly and easy to navigate! Basil can be used for beauty spells, money magick, and attraction spells. It also tastes great in many pasta dishes!
Bay- Working with Bay Leaves is for wish fulfillment and is fairly easy to love and work with! They can be used for kitchen witchcraft, burning wishes, and for victory and success. If you can conquer bay, you can conquer anything!
Cinnamon - a powerful spice I recommend for any witch! This could end up being one of the most powerful agreeable herbs in your arsenal. When you work with cinnamon, it means business! Cinnamon can be used for money magic and for speeding up any spell.
Cloves- If you want to learn how to cleanse, protect, and exorcise your demons, then you might like to turn to cloves! Cloves can be burned or ground. They can be used for business spells, success, and for money magick! I find cloves to be very beginner-friendly and intrinsically powerful!
Pothos - The golden pothos plant is a winding vine of easy growth and abundance! Pothos is a great plant for the baby witch and everything in between. It is easy to grow and care for. It can be used in spells for hearty health, protection magic, and healing.
Rosemary - The sweetest, most agreeable herb one could ever hope to work with! In my experience, rosemary herb is an everyday, mundane herb that can be found in the kitchen. It can be used for memory retention, sweet blessings, and cleansing! Rosemary is a time travel herb.
Sage - Promotes wisdom and good luck! I find that Sage loves working with anyone seeking plant wisdom. It is a friendly, balanced plant with an old soul. This plant loves working with humans, from ancestors to the current human race. Sage is also kitchen-friendly and can be used for cleansing!
Thyme- I find thyme herb to be another friendly herb that can be used for kitchen witchery! Thyme is one of those herbs that is easy to work with and beginner-friendly! It can be used for beauty, balancing hormones, courage, strength, protection, and for communication with the fae.
Valerian- Valerian root loves human interaction! Valerian root can be used for quality sleep, communication, love magic, and protection and defense magic. It grows where humans go!
Disagreeable Herbs - These are herbs that make you work for their affection. You have to work on building trust and loyalty with these kinds of plants. Some disagreeable herbs will never work with you. I do think it’s important to note that if you stick it out with some of these types of herbs, the payoff is huge!
For disagreeable herbs, I won’t point out which plants fit the bill. It will be different for every witch, no matter their experience level. When you encounter a difficult plant spirit, you’ll know it! I tend to see disagreeable herbs as a challenge to be overcome, with a great deal of patience and kindness toward the plant.
If you get hung up on a certain plant, wondering why it refuses to love you, don’t take it personally. You can always thank the plant for what it has taught you and move on. You can always try again later if you aren’t ready to give up. It’s important to breathe, take a break, and step away for a bit. Then, come back and revisit the herb that is giving you trouble.
If you should ever gain mastery of the plant, be sure to give it an extra dose of love and gratitude! Learn to love it for its shadow side and integrate its lightworker side. Mastering a difficult plant can be the greatest feeling in the world! Own it.
Plant Witchcraft Spellcasting 101
There are many different ways to cast spells using plant magic! Here, I’ll cover some of the common ways that I use plants for spellcrafting. Herbal craft is an art form, and it’s important to allow yourself to be as creative and as inventive as you want to be. After all, witchcraft is personal, and each witch brands their craft differently. Feel free to experiment and try new ideas that push the envelope in your plant craft!
Potted Plant Spells - I use houseplants in many of my spells as a green witchcraft practitioner. I keep them in and around the home. Everything from the pot, the soil, water, the plant, and even sunshine can be used to incorporate a solid spell with grounding energy.
Garden Magic Spells - I recommend that all plant witches start a beginner garden! This can be a windowsill garden or one you tend outside, with lush landscapes and statuary. For garden spells, there will be natural fibers used, such as tea bags, that can be used to tie and bury a spell in the garden. You can even place a plant, statue, or gemstone on top of the burial site.
Terrarium Spells- You can also build a spell by building a terrarium with living plants and creatures that feed your lush terrarium landscape. This is a spell that keeps on giving and opens options to more exotic plants like pitcher plants, Venus flytraps, and more!
Zen Garden Spell - This is another great spellbuilder that creates beauty in the home! For this kind of spell, you’ll be able to use natural elements such as sand, rocks, crystals, seashells, and moon cactus.
Nature in an Envelope Spells - These are container spells that can be constructed using an envelope. It can be filled with botanicals, seashells, tiny gemstones, oracle cards, saint cards, tarot cards, and more!
Flower Arrangement and Bouquet Spells - These spells are creative, fun to work with, and involve a great deal of plant magic. You can make flower arrangements, bouquets, and other living flower spells using this method.
Wearable Nature Accessories - This can include anything from a real mushroom necklace to living flower barrettes and flower crowns, just to name a few. Wearable nature spells can be incorporated into your wardrobe for everyday, mundane magic!
Plant Spirit Offerings
Working with plant spirits means creating a mutually beneficial relationship. Just as you would with deity worship, you will want to leave some kind of offering. But, of course, be sure to gain permission from the plant itself before plucking! Be sure to never take more than you need.
A prayer for the plant to always be rich, nourished, and abundant as it grows wildly. This can be a magic prayer to the nature spirits or the deity of your choice. It can even be a prayer to the plant.
Tiny gemstones that are ethically sourced
Natural herb tea bundles that can be left in Mother Nature
Naturally shed feathers, bones, casings, and antlers
Incense (This is mainly for houseplants that you can keep an eye on!) Practice fire safety.
Honey, agave nectar, or anything sweet for the pollinators
Coins are always a good choice, especially when performing money magick!
Signs You Might Be a Plant Witch
You are here reading this!
Random plants call out to you everywhere you go
Houseplants are like pet plants for you! You consider yourself a plant parent.
Gardening brings you a zen-like attitude
You feel a deep kinship with plant spirits
Plant wisdom holds a special place in your heart
You have a deep love and enjoyment of plants!
Natural remedies come easily for you
Plants are incorporated into your wardrobe and accessories
You are highly proficient in botanical studies
Plants make you happy! They add something to your life.
Being a plant witch can often come in the form of branching out. Most plant witches come from green, hedge, kitchen, and hearth witchcraft. There is a lot of overlap. If you feel called to plant witchery and you don’t have a background in any of these, please don’t let it stop you from following your plant intuition! Thanks for reading, friends. xoxo
