A Herbal Witches top 10 wish list!

Witches love stuff that you can find in nature, especially herbal witches, me that is… I also love items that has been passed down through generations. I love to hold them and let them tell me their tale. But just like the Magpies I love some shiny new things too. If you are just starting out on your witchy journey these items may come in very handy:

1. Flower press

Yes heavy books work too but a flower press is so very handy. Dried flattened flowers are lovely to use as embellishments, in your Grimoire, to produce meaningful cards or decorations and so many other things. There are older versions of presses that are fantastic but they are hard to come by. This version is brilliant and will be with you for a long time. Don’t forget to get some blotting paper to put between your flowers.

2. Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine

The Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram a classic and a “must have” for all herbal medicine lovers. This book makes you think outside the box and leads you to new discoveries every time you look at it. This book is especially good if you feel a bit stuck and is looking for direction. Also perfect for referencing your work. If you like the practice of open book and want to learn more about herbal medicine this is perfect. Just randomly open a book and let your eyes find the paragraph that is relevant. Give the Universe a chance to tell you what you need to know.

3. The Wild Flower Key

This is something you cannot live without as a Herbal Witch. There are a selection of books with painted pictures, photos and more or less detailed descriptions. Google may be a fantastic asset but when it comes to assessing plants you will need a key. I prefer the painted pictures as they show the specifics without a background, a thorough description is also a good thing. Some of our common herbs can easily be confused with poisonous lookalikes so please be careful. The Wild Flower Key is a tried and tested book and provides solid good descriptions and is beautifully illustrated.

4. Pruning Shears

When foraging you will need a good pair of shears, something that makes a clean cut and something that cuts both flowers and small twigs. It should feel natural in your hand and be portable. This is your best friend when you are out and about searching for the perfect herb for a spell or clearing your garden space. I love Fiskars products, they are reliable yet light. This is a perfect companion to your more ceremonial shears and knives.

5. Witches’ Kitchen Oracle Cards

These cards are absolutely beautiful. The deck is made by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia Kate Peters with illustrations by Richard Crookes. Each card represents a herb that is widely used by herbalists and hedgerow witches alike. They are richly illustrated and there is something new popping up every time you see each card. These cards are a perfect companion when you work with your grimoire and also works beautifully as a daily guidance deck. A guidebook is included. Please have a look at our YouTube video featuring these cards.

6. Grimoire

This is an essential! A grimoire can be a journal or a folder where you collect data about different plants, other natural things and of course your practice. We have made a downloadable PDF that can be printed. This makes it easier to fill in the information that you may need in the future. It also keeps all your information in order so that you can easily find it when you need it. To keep a journal of your work is an enjoyable process and it also shows how far you have come with your practice.

7. Food Dehydrator

This Magic Mill dehydrator has a practical size with 7 trays, a timer and a variable heat setting. It works perfectly for both herbs and more dense fruits. When drying herbs you do not want a too hot setting as this will affect your result. When you choose dehydrator please do not go for a too small one. You can use your fan assisted oven for dehydration, just swich the heat off and preferably leave the door slightly ajar. The downside is that this method will cost more in electric.

8. Glass Jars

Large glass jars with tight lids are perfect to store dried herbs in. They are also brilliant for tincture making, oil macerating etc etc. You will need different sizes. If you know of a chip shop or restaurant nearby you can always ask if they have some used ones. However I love these with a clip lid, they have a traditional look and gives off the right feel. There is only one problem! Most jars come only in clear glass and herbs like a bit of privacy so they need to be painted to be right. Brown and green hues are traditional but you may want to try blue as it is said that the colour blue will enhance your life (Hopopono blue bottle).

9. More Glass Jars

Amber glass jars for all your lotions and potions. Make batches of calendula cream for hard working hands and baby bottoms. Perfect as gifts and easy to do. It gives a sense of achievement to make your own creams, why not give it a go! Use amber glass jars for all creams. These jars can also be used for candles. Available in different sizes and colours. Add some nice labels or write straight on the jar with glass pens or paint markers.

10. Spell Candles

No witches setup is complete without candles. There are lots of different ones to choose from. I personally love the natural beeswax ones and try to hold a stash of different colour ones. The more often you set intentions and do spells the better results you will get. It can feel a bit hard to get started but once you have all your things handy it is so much easier. Try different colour and see what difference it makes. If you burn a lot of candles do consider a big pack of them. Candles can also be used to seal spell jars. I use air dry clay to make candle holders, it is very easy to make them. I feel the more you can make by hand out of natural materials the more of your own energy you are putting into the spells and other work.

11. Crystals

However much I love herbs and what they stand for and can do for me, I am also a great lover of some crystals. They are great to have around both as decor and as active ingredients in your spellwork. If you are just starting out, a set of crystals can be a good idea. Eventually you will find your clear favourites and you will also get preferences to rough or smooth stones and the different uses.

The list can be made much much longer, but this is a good start. I wish you a happy summer with lots of exciting foraging expeditions.

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