In my previous post I wrote about how plants can benefit from our understanding of nature spirits and how we can learn by observing them and listening to them. Those of us who understand and work with these spirits have our own way of doing so. It’s something that’s come naturally to me since I was a little child and it’s very simple. To explain the process to you I have inserted a small excerpt from this subject in The Home Herbalist full course:

“Many people don’t understand that everything existing in our universe has energy; even stones or rocks that just seem to be sitting there contain energy because solids are made up of atoms, which are constantly moving so therefore solids are in fact liquid.

If we open our hearts and minds we can ‘feel’ the energy of nature all around us.  In this way we can communicate with plants and animals so we have a better understanding of their needs and desires.  The way we can communicate with plants or herbs is through the Nature spirits, known as Devas.  They are souls who are appointed to any living thing, even the soil, and live on a higher frequency than the physical plane where we live. These spirits look after the energies needed for health and growth and by allowing ourselves to communicate with them they will be able to convey to us what our herbs require to have health, vitality and abundance.  Have you ever ‘felt’ that a plant was unhappy, hungry or thirsty? If so then the plant’s Deva has conveyed those feelings to you through energy.

Choose a time when it’s quiet without too much noise – during the evening when the full moon has risen is a good time but any quiet time will do.  Stand beside a tree, place your hand on its trunk and look up into its canopy.  Take a deep breath, exhale, and close your eyes for a moment.  What do you feel?  Do you feel happy, sad, hungry, thirsty, weary, or worried?  Usually what you feel at that moment is what the tree, plant or animal is feeling.  After some practice you will be able to pick up on their feelings at any time and you will be able to connect with them at any time of the day.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and, if you’re so inclined, begin connecting with these helpful and gentle spirits.

Here are some interesting and traditional uses from promoting sleep to attracting elves and fairies.

To help promote sleep make a tea made from any of the following herbs agrimony, hops, lime tree (leaves and flowers), chamomile, lavender and passionflower (leaves of (Passiflora incarnata).  Drink about half an hour before bedtime.  A few drops of lavender oil sprinkled on the pillow or on a tissue and placed on the pillow near your face works wonders.

For prosperity burn in the flame of a candle the following herbs: allspice, bergamot, cloves, dill seeds and nutmeg.

For protection and to ward off negativity sprinkle any or all of these herbs around the house: angelica, anise, cloves, hyssop, marjoram, pepper and parsley or add them to meals.  Burning sandalwood incense around the house works very well.  It can also be used for purification and as a spirit offering.

It is said that apples attract unicorns, and love if shared with the one you love.  They also attract good health and are buried in the garden at Samhain (All Hallows Eve -October 31 in the northern hemisphere and May 5 in the southern hemisphere), to provide food for the departing spirits.

To prevent nightmares place betony or rosemary in a sachet under your pillow.

Onions have many magical and healing uses.  They have been used successfully in the past to prevent colds as well as treat them.  It is said that those who eat an onion a day will never get a cold.  Cutting an onion in to quarters and placing one of them in every room of the house will protect the residents from catching a cold.   Should someone already have a cold then place onions in their room to prevent the cold from spreading to other members of the household.

Use a sachet of mugwort to treat headaches by placing it on the head where the pain is worst or if you have enough of the herb make a pillow from it.  Another treatment is to wear garlands made from pennyroyal or violets and wear on the head.  To cool the pain of headache, bind cucumber peel to the forehead.

If you need rain in your area try burning ferns outside and if it’s protection you seek burn the fronds indoors in a ceramic container.

To attract elves and fairies use elm, lavender and rosemary; use hazel nuts strung on a chord and hung in the house to attract the help of plant fairies.

Bananas are used for prosperity and fertility while oranges are used for good fortune and the peels for love.

To enhance psychic abilities try the following burn acacia, bay leaves, cinnamon, lavender, mace, and star anise.  To see fairies pick marigold leaves in full sun, mix with water and rub over the eyelids.