Goddess & Wiccan Gardens: Blessing & Protection

“Gardening is not a rational act.”
-Margaret Atwood

The ground on which we walk is truly sacred, especially when we approach it with a mindful, worshipful attitude. Goddess gardening encourages this gentle approach toward our window boxes and plots of land so that our plants (and our lives) might be fuller in every way. But beyond the way we think or behave while we’re gardening, what else can be done to bless and protect our efforts?

The ancients left us clues to this when they erected stones along the Earth’s energy lines (lay Lines) and around power vortexes. The sacred stone not only marked an important spot but also augmented it. These monuments not only adorned the land, but they brought people from near and far like a guiding beacon. Believe it or not, your Witches’ garden can be like that.

How? Here are some approaches. None take a tremendous amount of time, but each is designed to bless, energize, and sanctify the work of your hands.

The Magic of Sacred Stones

Do what the ancients did. Don’t just toss aside those stones you dig up when working the land. Put them at the four corners of the garden to represent the watchtowers. Transplant them to the corners of your property to watch over and protect 24-7. Use them as plant supports or decorative touches. Because these pieces of the earth have been in your land for some time, they’re already attuned to that region. This, in turn, helps them augment your magick. An alternative here is bringing stones sacred to the Goddess for whom you planted this space and placing them mindfully in the ground.

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Asperging for Cleansing Magical Space

Take a mixture of spring water and lemon juice (which as cleansing properties) and sprinkle it counterclockwise around the garden to banish unwanted energy. Then mix spring water with rose water. Reverse the process, sprinkling it clockwise to attract positive energy. You can add words of power if you wish. Minimally, however, make sure you keep your mind fixed on your goal. Imagine pure, white light saturating the soil as you move.

Smudging for Cleansing Your Magical Garden

Think of Smudging like the fire version of Asperging. Native Americans use sage, cedar, and lavender bound together in a thick wand to purify and bless an area. This bundle is ignited and moved through the air either by walking the space or dispersing the smoke using a feather. This works very nicely for your garden too.

Smudge sticks are frequently available at New Age store and herb shops. If you can’t find one, you can burn some dry culinary spices instead. Ginger, onion peel, dried orange rind, and bay are all good for cleansing and energizing. To safely burn a blend like this you’ll need a fireproof container filled with soil or sand and some self-lighting charcoal or another fire source. Place a couple of pinches at a time as you move around the planned garden space and let the smoke rise through the air with your prayers.

Using Words to Increase the Magical Effects of Your Garden

Magicians and goddess-worshipers alike recognize the power of language. Whether they are simply thoughts with the purpose or spoken out loud, words carry energy. Adding prayer or incantations to any metaphysical process can increase their overall effect. Additionally, hearing your goals out loud as you work engages your senses and helps you focus more fully on them, which also improves the results.

There are really no “carved in stone” prayers and incantations for Witch garden blessings. This article provides examples, but please be aware that as long as your words come from your heart and are supported by the will, you’re doing just fine.

Prayer: Stand in front of the garden space with your hand facing downward to channel energy to the land and say something such as:

“Goddess of Earth and all goodness, I come to you.
Hear my prayer. Today I have started a garden with hands and heart-
A garden in which I want your energy to grow.

Let the land and my spirit flourish
with the magick created here.
So mote it be.”

Note that if you’re making a specifically themed garden, you can insert the name of the presiding goddess and change the wording to better reflect that theme.

Incantation: This incantation is for blessing the land and begins at the Eastern point of the garden. Consider enacting this at dawn just as the sun’s rays reach the land. Say:

“Kissed by the rays of a rising sun
by my will, this spell’s begun.
When given to a waiting earth
the seeds of magick shall give birth.
With the goddess to guide
here my magick abides.”

Repeat this incantation three times to stress the connection between body, mind, and spirit.

Laying on of Hands for Magically Healing the Earth

Traditionally under the dominion of healers, the laying on of hands represents a transfer of sacred energy. Now you, as a Goddess gardener, are also a healer of the Earth, even if it is only your little-potted plant!

It’s very simple to give the Earth positive energy just by sitting down, putting your hands on the soil (palm downward), and focusing your intentions. Many people find it helpful to visualize a blue-white light pouring into their third eye Chakra and down through their hands into the earth. You will notice the palms of your hands feeling itchy or hot, which indicates you’re doing it right. If you want, combine this process with a prayer or incantation to improve the results.

Beating the Bounds: Dancing Round Your Garden to Honor the Spirits

This idea comes to us from Rome, where once a year people would walk their land, decorate the borders, and offer prayers as they moved. The decorations, and sometimes leaping dances, acted as an offering and incantation to the spirits of nature so that crops would grow tall.

Seed Blessings: More Garden Magic

In many areas, including China and Rome, a priest or priestess would proceed to make offerings to the gods (or in our case the Goddess) so the land and seeds would be blessed. Traditionally this was followed by making nine furrows in the earth and sowing at least one symbolic seed for abundance.

If you find that none of these approaches feels right to you, don’t fret. They’re not necessary. Any altar (as a “high place”) is created or reached more by attitude than altitude! So long as you work gently and reverently with your garden with a purpose, determination and focus-you can achieve the same kinds of results.

Adapted from “Gardening with the Goddess,” by Patricia Telesco. All rights reserved.