The Witch's Garden: Growing Your Own Magical Herbs

# The Witch's Garden

Growing your own magical herbs is one of the most powerful acts in herbal practice. An herb you have planted, tended, and harvested with your own hands carries your personal energy.

## Essential Herbs to Grow

### In Pots (balcony/windowsill)

- **Basil** (Mars) — Protection, prosperity. Easy to grow.

- **Rosemary** (Sun) — Purification, memory. Hardy.

- **Mint** (Mercury) — Communication, healing. Invasive — keep it in a pot!

- **Lavender** (Mercury) — Peace, love, sleep. Loves sunlight.

- **Sage** (Jupiter) — Purification, wisdom. Indispensable.

### In the Ground

- **Rose** (Venus) — Absolute love. Queen of the magical garden.

- **Chamomile** (Sun) — Peace, healing, abundance. Grows anywhere.

- **St. John's Wort** (Sun) — Banishes darkness. Harvest on June 24th.

- **Verbena** (Venus) — Protection, love, divination. Sacred to the Druids.

- **Mugwort** (Moon) — Dreams, divination. Grows like a weed.

## Magical Harvesting

### When to Harvest

- **Leaves**: in the morning after the dew, during a waxing moon

- **Flowers**: in full bloom, at noon (maximum solar energy)

- **Roots**: during a waning moon, in autumn

- **Seeds**: when they are dry on the plant

### How to Harvest

- Thank the plant before cutting

- Use a clean knife (some practitioners use a bone or copper knife)

- Never take more than 1/3 of the plant

- Leave an offering (water, honey, a strand of hair)

## Drying

- Hang bundles upside down in a dry, dark place

- 1–2 weeks depending on the herb

- Store in glass jars away from light

- Label with the harvest date and lunar phase