back to the garden

The longer I’m a witch, the less need I have for the formal casting of circles or raising of cones. Every inch of this planet is sacred space, and each second we’re involved in casting some spell. The trick is remembering this, and that’s where Buddhism and Witchcraft meet. The more I’m mindful, the more I’m amazed at the magic involved in mundane life. Rose told me often; “the mundane before magic”. I’m beginning to feel there’s absolutely no difference between the two.

I set out to my place in the country with the intent on diminishing the rat population, getting the composting toilet working properly, and planting trees. Clearing out the vermin infesting the house, dealing with my shit, and planting trees that will bear fruit, these are all so called “mundane” tasks that are fraught with the power of changing consciousness at will, and are each the most potent of spells. You don’t really need to be anointing candles with oils to be make things move in your life. Cleaning the house, weeding, or planting seeds with magical intent are just as effective.

My coven, Wind Hags, along with our partners, bought these 40 acres in the wilds of Sonoma about 11 years ago. Part of a big land association formed as a result of hippies heading to the country in the early 70’s, it was perfect for a group endeavor. Having been an old commune of sorts, it came with several ramshackle cabins and the standard Northern Californian Yurt. About two years after we purchased it, Wind Hags had dissolved and the rest of us had bought Starhawk out. She bought a place of her own down the road and everything has remained almost as it was over the years. It’s as if not only the structures on the land, but the very structures of our relationships have not been altered or improved on much, just become more weather-beaten and eroded by time. A big shift in energies happened this year, with Patti and Karl moving to Portland. The installation of a packrat in the cookhouse and the encroachment of thistles and brambles call for yet another shift. This is magic I’m interested in.

I went up this weekend with the intent of approaching the land with a new sense of responsibility, a new commitment. Another couple went with me, new friends who are unique in that they are a bridge between the Reclaiming and RAN communities. Nancy is on the board at RAN and has taken magical classes with me, and is one of those people who when I met, I thought “Oh, there you are! I know you!”. The amazing thing is I felt the same way when I met her partner. They have a farm in Cortez and are much more familiar and experienced with the magic of gardening and country living than I. They made me think a lot about dead and living soil, and showed me clearly that I have a lot to learn about digging holes, and tending to that which feeds me.

My old coven sister and her partner, both of them my initiators into Feri, came up on Sunday. It was a delight to see them and hang out together, something we haven’t done in years. Nancy has set her intent on more magical training, and it was clear that meeting the two of them is part of the spell she is involved in. She's going into Reclaiming with eyes wide open, being privy to seeing it though the sight of those who both helped form it, and have left it. For me, reconnecting with them, enjoying each other’s company and planning out how to tend to the land together, this was part and parcel of the magic I’ve embarked on.

Three new trees are now planted and two rats are dead, with more to follow. I freed the drawer of composted shit and the composting toilet is now working well. Driving home, amazingly, Joni’s song came on the radio. We are stardust, billion year old carbon. I’m paying attention, and working on getting back to the garden.