Green witches feel a deep connection to the earth, in touch with plants, animals, rocks, and water. Learning to work with the energy and wisdom of the earth is an exciting process. The green witch learns to use the power of nature to heal, protect, and harmonize.
I consider myself an eclectic pagan however I do feel my strongest pull on a green path. I spent 29 years living off-grid, teaching science, and selling organic produce in summer. I’ve spent the past ten years as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. This past year I relocated from a very rural to an urban environment and am learning all about being green in the city!
What is Green Witchcraft?
Traditionally a green witch is someone who works with plants such as trees and herbs for her/his craft. Today a green witch is more defined by their relationship with the natural world.
A green witch has a relationship with the natural world - animals, plants, and rocks - and is passionate about their protection. Many green witches are active environmentalists.
They work with the elements and connect with Druids and Shamans to learn from them. The earth is intimately connected with the moon so the green witch is in tune with lunar cycles.
The modern green witch uses understands the healing power of plants and uses spells to bring harmony to the world.
Anyone can incorporate “Green” practices into their path and magical life.
A Green Witch:
Is a Naturalist
Is a Healer
Draws Upon Earth’s Energy
Calls on Nature for Guidance
Respects Living Things
Getting out and enjoying nature is so important. Photo by Ame Vanorio
Are Green Witches Wiccans?
Sometimes. Green witches are pagans and Wiccans are pagans. A green witch may identify as a Wiccan, a Norse, or a Celt to name just a few.
There are many types of pagans.
What makes a green witch a green witch is his or her affinity with nature and natural energy.
In her book, The Green Witch, Arin Murphy-Hiscock uses the term “living the path” instead of practicing witchcraft. This is because being a green witch is not just about magic. It is about a life choice and a way of participating in the natural realm.
Communicating With Spirits
As green witches, we want to respect and honor the various spirits that we interact with.
Who Are The Genius Loci?
The genius loci are protective spirits of a location such as a home, a forest, or a river.
Ancient Romans often dedicated altars to a specific genius locus. In Southeast Asia, an outdoor shrine is often built to honor the protective spirits of the place.
Today you often hear the term applied to architecture and landscaping design.
The Fae
The Fae such as elves and fairies, often live in natural places such as among trees, waterways, and rock outcroppings. Dryads are fae that lives in the trees.
Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open and you will find them.
Spirit Animals
Green witches are often very connected with one or more animal guardians. They may come to you in a dream, meditating, or when you are out in nature.
You may connect with them because you have common traits or because they have a lesson to teach you.
Read our article 167 ANIMAL SPIRIT GUIDES AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU
Celebrating Life
The green witch celebrates life in the cycles of the moon, the seasons, and the agricultural calendar.
Dancing, playing music, creating, are all part of the green way.
“Prayer of the Green Witch
Lord and Lady
Spirits of Nature,
Elements around me,
Bless me as I move through the world today”
Just getting started. Get some field guides to help you identify plants, animals, and nature in your area! Photo by Ame Vanorio
Steps To Become A Green Witch
If you are new to paganism or witchcraft and want to become a green witch you can follow these steps to get started.
Study Identify Hike
Study and learn to identify plants, animals, rocks, or other natural objects in your local. Take long walks around your neighborhood and out in nature. Even if you live in an urban area there are plenty of places to connect with nature.
Invest in one or two guidebooks to help you get started.
If you are interested in birds the Sibley Guide to Birds comes in an east and west USA version.
I also like the guides written by zoologist James Kavanagh which you can get for a variety of US states and different countries. I like them because they are laminated pamphlets that are easy, light resources to carry around with you.
Grow
Growing plants is a fabulous way to connect with nature. You can grow houseplants, herbs, even vegetables inside or on a balcony.
If you are not familiar with organic gardening you will want to learn how to grow your plants without harmful chemicals.
Create an Altar Space
An altar space can be inside or outside or definitely one of each! Altars are deeply personal and reflect the gods and goddesses you choose to honor, animals you connect with, and plants for healing power.
You can read our article Altars: A Beginners Guide to help you think about ideas.
Your altar is a place to put all your treasures and embrace natural magic.
Keep A Journal
Have some kind of book where you can write down things you learn, questions you have, and spells to try. This can be a journal or sketchbook, Book of Shadows, or grimoire. What you call it is not important. That you use it is important.
The video below is from my farm channel. Sprouts are a great thing for an urban green witch to grow for some nutritional energy!
Check out my YouTube channel
Tools of the Green Witch
Hands - using the sense of touch
Journal or a sketch pad- write down your thoughts and observations or draw them
Jars and baskets for collecting plants
Cup - to hold the element water
Mortar and pestle for combining and blending
Paper lunch bags and cotton sacks to carry home treasures
Knife or pruners for harvesting
First Aid Kit because its important to be safe when you are out in nature
Backpack to carry your supplies when you are out in nature
Be Sustainable and Thankful
A green witch understands the importance of sustainability. Be aware of what plants and animals in your region are endangered and do not attempt to disturb them.
Never gather a single species that has no others nearby.
Don’t remove wildlife from the wild. They have a home and a tank or cage is a pitiful and cruel replacement. Sit quietly and enjoy spending time in their home.
If you have an affinity for healing animals you may want to consider becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Read my article on how to get into wildlife rehab.
Author, Ame Vanorio, with one of her rehab squirrels.
Advanced Green Witch Skills
You have a basic knowledge of what plants grow in the woods near your home and you have an herb garden growing in your kitchen. You have connected with the horse who is helping to guide you on this incredible journey.
Now you want to continue your journey and learn more skills.
Foraging
Foraging wild plants is an important skill and takes some knowledge so you properly identify the plants. This skill not only helps you to make herbal remedies but it allows you to be self-reliant.
Are you looking to make tea from plants you forage in the woods? Read Foraging for Wild Tea to learn how to make several sustainable teas from nature.
Foraging mushrooms is also an advanced skill and definitely requires a class or mentor so you know which ones are safe.
Moon Manifestation
Learning the lunar cycles helps put you in the ebb and flow of life’s cycles. Certain moons have different energies depending on their placement in relationship to the earth and sun during that month. Planning to do rituals and spells during these times can help you harness that energy for a positive outcome.
Learn the different phases of the moon and what rituals work best in the various moon phases.
Crystals
We have several blogs on crystals that are very popular because crystals are a powerful entry into working with earth energy.
Pagans use crystals to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual balance by interacting with your chakras. Chakras are energy centers in your body.
Crystals can be used as a meditation tool, to make crystal grids, or to spruce up décor. Crystals have many different uses and are chosen according to their properties. The most common uses are to promote healing, positive energy, abundance, and protection.
Crystals are powerful tools, which can be used by anyone in a variety of ways. They do not have one specific purpose and can be used for almost anything.
Learn more about being a green witch
Making Herbal Salves
Herbal salves promote healing and can be made from various plants. Not only are they fun to make you can save money making salves for chapped lips, lotions, or wound healing ointments. And when you gather or grow many of the ingredients it costs less!
Do you consider yourself to be a green witch? Let me know in the comments!
Our Founder, Ame is a lifelong pagan, an environmental educator, and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Ame writes about honoring nature, animal spirit guides, crystals, and holidays. She also does our social media pages. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
As pagans, witches, and shamans, we connect with animals in many ways, both living and in the spirit world. We connect with animals through our heredity and family structures. We also have close relationships with our pets and even the wildlife we observe in our backyards.