Shadow Garden
Hello.
I am thinking of starting a shadow garden come May Eve, or thereabout. Have any of you folks planted one, and if so, how has it worked for you?
Blessings bright and dark,
/|\
Hello.
I am thinking of starting a shadow garden come May Eve, or thereabout. Have any of you folks planted one, and if so, how has it worked for you?
Blessings bright and dark,
/|\
Merry Meet Cinaed! I hope I
Merry Meet Cinaed!
I hope I don't sound like a dolt - first with wondering what galdering my runes means, now with wondering what a shadow garden is? I've never heard the term before. I plant an herb garden every year, and a regular veggie garden. Can you please broaden my horizons? I would love to give this a go, come planting season.
Thanks!
Hello! Basically, galdering
Hello!
Basically, galdering runes is "anointing" with sound. It starts by taking up a rune, and if you don't know the rune, learn its mythos and its associations/correspondences. Then, holding the rune and focusing energy (charging,) chant/sing the rune's name and attributes until you feel it recognizes its identity.
Now, as to shadow gardens: The Old World witch was inextricably entwined with plants and nature. The Green was actually seen as direct connections with the "otherworld." Each plant had significant attributes that harbored specific spirits, which in turn corresponded to certain rituals and desired outcomes (spell casting.) Different plants also correspond to the different sabbats, celebrations, etc. At each sabbat, start a plant that fits that sabbat, until after a year all eight plants have been started. Then, at the next sabbat, use a part of that plant in your rite, and dispose of leftover cakes & ale, etc. in that plot of garden. After another year has passed, the garden has been fully enchanted with the appropriate spirits/energy to enhance your ensuing rituals. (ref: "Old World Witchcraft" by Raven Grimassi)
Blessings bright and dark
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Re: runes. It should have
Re: runes. It should have been spelled "galdr." Here's a link for further info...
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/galdr.html
Merry Meet, and thanks for
Merry Meet, and thanks for the info!
Actually, in my rune book Cassandra Eason talks about as you mark/etch/make your runes, say a chant with the rune's name, or just chant it's name over and over, maybe along with it's attributes. She never mentioned the word galdr, though, but I'm assuming it's the same thing? I actually did this with a few of them, but honestly when I got into making them, I was so involved with carving the symbol correctly (and tediously!) that I forgot to chant. I did focus my entire being into the etching though (which I tend to do with any craft projects I make, as I did when I made my wand). Do you think this counts?
The shadow garden sounds wonderful, and I will definitely look into doing that. My only question is, here in the NH, how can I start certain plants, say at Samhain, Yule, and Imbolc? It gets pretty freezing here in Western Maryland, and we usually have snow on the ground from January on through March (although this Winter has been very mild so far). Just wondering how to make it happen. Maybe I could start plants indoors for those Sabbats that are cold, then transplant them during growing season?
Thanks again - appreciate it!
Blessings,
I am in the Colorado
I am in the Colorado mountains, so I know what you mean. I think I'll look at all the plant correspondences, and try to pick appropriate indigenous plants. We have an abundance of yarrow, yucca, sage, and a commercial greenhouse that can get most anything. Like you, I'll have to start them indoors, and maybe even keep them indoors if I can't build a makeshift greenhouse. But, the idea of a shadow garden is intriguing!
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Shadow Garden
Hi there Cinaed,
Sounds creative and alive. Love it. Very early hours of the morning here, Sentences brief : )
Just sowed Borage seed 10 weeks back. Now have Borage tincture on the go. Love the idea of starting growing and then using in appropriate cycle. I live in Tasmania, challenging weather here too. Mostly rain and wind not as much cold as yourself and Catmom. Love to keep in touch with you on this one : ) Blessed Be
Ok... here are a couple of
Ok... here are a couple of plants that might be started for Beltane: Cinquefoil and Daisies. There are others, of course, but an almond tree might be more than I could handle. ;-)
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Shadow Garden
Hi there : ) have just found a suggested list in Scott Cunningham's Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. His suggestions are regarding herbs for the Sabbats, here it is .........
Samhain: Crysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle, pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin and corn.
This year I have already planted ....... by chance quite a few of these, so for my Shadow garden, I will go out next full moon and bless and consecrate those I intend to use at the next Sabbat cycle. I"ll do that for any others I have too......... possibly moving them all to one area ......... possibly not ......... I love the land, but there is always a few jobs that need doing, and I have to prioritise what time I have : ) Wormwood is a medicinal for chickens.
Beltane: Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St John's Wort, Woodruff, all flowers.
St John's Wort is probably the one I will go with from here as it would be great to make a tincture to beat those winter blues. I just love when one "thing" has multiple purposes, I believe that is a Permaculture principle too.
Will list some more over the coming days. Would it be alright to plant an almond tree in a pot rather like a bonsai do you think? I like that idea : )
Well, I may just have to get
Well, I may just have to get over my bias against Mr. Cunningham, and look through his book. ;)
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Shadow Garden
: ) I could just type the list? ......
Lugnasadh
All grains, grapes, heather, blackberries, sloe, crab apples and pears
Mabon
Hazel, corn, aspen, acorns, oak sprigs, autumn leaves, wheat stalks, cypress cones, pine cones, and harvest gleanings.
Samhain -
Chrysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle, pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin and corn.
Yule
Holly, listletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, jumiper, rosemary, pine. Place offerings of apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons, and whole cinnamonsticks on the Yule tree.
Imbolc
Snowdrop, rowan, the first flowers of the year.
Ostara
Daffodil, woodruff?, violet, gorse, olive, peony, iris, narcissus, all spring flowers.
Beltane:
Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St John's Wort, woodruff all flowers.
Midsummer:
Mugwort, vervain, chamomile, rose, liliy, oak, lavender, ivy, yarrow, fern, older, wild thyme, daisy and carnation
I did write about "consecrating" the plants I have already ..... now I think it may be better to try what I have read in several places about "bonding" with the plants and asking them to tell of their attributes, and what they want to used for? .... the act of planting the shadow garden is the consecrating .... do you think?
BB
Thank you! :-) /|\
Thank you! :-)
/|\
shadow garden
You're very welcome : )
BB
Cuplepper's Herbal - Shadow Garden
(This carries on from the Shadow Garden thread.
Just had a thought as I sipped my steaming hot cup of tea ....... my sister bought me a book by NIcholas Culpepper.
The introduction tells us that Culpepper was studying medicine in the 1600's, but after his wife-to-be was killed in a thunderstorm, he began an apprenticeship with a London apothecary... The introduction goes on to say that Culpepper was more or less disgusted by the doctors of the time, and I suppose apothecary's too, who made treatment for illness so expensive that the ordinary folk could not afford it. Therefore when Culpepper treated people, his medicines were approriately priced, and not only that, he told his patients, where to find the plants in the countryside, how to identify them correctly, and how to use them.......... I just really like this man.
The book Colour Herbal, has Culpepper's information for each plant, and makes for a great read. I like the fact that the astrological info is there, which I am sure will prove useful in ritual or ritual preparation? Here are his instructions for Sage....
Firstly a colour drawing of Sage is given..,......
Sage (Common Garden)
Good for the liver and to breed blood
Where to find it: A common herb in the kitchen garden.
Flowering time: Early to late summer.
Astrology: Jupiter claims it.
Medicinal Virtues:
A decoction of the leaves and branches provokes the urine, brings down women's courses and expels the dead child.
It stays bleeding of wounds, and can be used to cleanse foul ulcers or sores. Three spoonfuls of the juice taken fasting, with a little honey stops the casting of blood in those with consumtion .......
and so it continues, with the last paragraph on each herb being that of modern uses...... and the majority of the old uses match those of the new ....... perhaps some of the other older uses haven't been researched yet?
Please note anyone who is pregnant should NOT take Sage as a medicinal.
Title: Culpepper's Colour Herbal
Illustrated by Michael Stringer
Edited by David Potterton
Forward by EJ Shellard
Foulsham press
ISBN 0-572-03282-X
BB : )
Very cool!
Very cool!