Witches and other Magical Beings speak about having allies in the plant world. Feeling the urge to petition for an ally during this time where I am quick to tumble into stress and anxiety, I took myself to Thimble Farms here on Salt Spring Island. I ran my fingers over flowers and herbs, stuck my nose into their pots, and fantasized about what kind of a garden I would have if I had the land.
A tall, yummy English Mint called to me, along with a pot of Artemisia that I could not put down. I recalled the silvery Artemisia I planted in my first-ever garden, the one I created out of the dead ground. Every raised bed was double-dug. ‘Amend the soil!’ became my battle cry. I blushed alone when I discovered I had planted my first clumps of asparagus upside down. The entire family suffered when I acquired a wicked case of poison ivy during a hormonal, brush-clearing episode.
At Thimble Farms potted fruit trees were beginning to bloom. Lush Hellebores begged me to pause and admire their beauty. I did. Who can resist Chocolate Hellebores? Not me.
In preparation for today’s editing, I sat my new pot of Artemisia beside me and consulted my go-to herbalist, Susun Weed. Here’s a little of what she has to say:
Artemis is Apollo’s sister and Queen of the witches. She is the goddess of the moon, the herbalist, the midwife, the birthing woman, and the hunter. Artemis is an untamed wild woman who runs free with the deer and the hounds. She is the woman who runs with the wolves…The silver light of Artemis’s moon shines from the leaves of her plants, making them appear to be lightly frosted or to glow subtly.
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