�Dawn: A time of transforming negatives, attracting hope, and inspiring renewal. If you're looking for a fresh start in any situation, this is an excellent time to work your magick.
�Early Morning: From a practical standpoint, this is a good time to harvest flowers before the heat of the day withers them or lessens their aroma. Spiritually, it's a good time to focus on gently increasing physical energy or improving mental keenness.
�Noon: The sun's most powerful time of the day. This is a good hour to direct your magick toward the element of fire (working with fire-aligned plants), shining a light on anything that needs a fresh perspective, and physical health.
�Dusk: As the sun sets, it creates a gentle balance between light and dark. Dusk is like a waning moon: it marks the types of endings that lead to new beginnings. So if you're planning to leave a job or relationship, and want to make sure this is a wisely considered action, dusk is a good time to harvest your spell components or work your magick.
�Midnight: Though you cannot see the sun in the sky at this hour, it is shining somewhere in the world. Keep that in the back of your mind as you work your spells. Midnight is the witching hour, when the veil between the worlds and dimensions grows thin. It's also a time that hovers on the edge of the old and new day, It is both today and tomorrow! So, work your green magick at midnight when you want to build a better day, when you're planning astral travel, or to improve your rapport with spirits or devas.
Seasonal Symbolism for the Green Witch
�Spring: The themes for this season are fertility, hope, inspiration, growth, and renewal. In particular, consider using new grass, tree blossoms, or an early budding flower in your green magick to represent the season of rebirth.
�Summer: The themes for this season are prosperity, energy, health, abundance, socialization, and playfulness. In particular, consider using fresh sunflowers, daisies, and fire-associated herbs like rosemary in your summertime green magick.
�Fall: The themes for this season are in-gathering (manifestation), protection (especially health), frugality, and harvesting the fruits of your labors with thankfulness. In particular, consider using any traditional harvest plant in your magick (like apples or corn).
�Winter: The themes for this season are rest, home and family, tradition, and safeguarding your resources in both literal and figurative terms. In particular, consider using dried flowers and plant parts to honor the season, or perhaps berries to symbolize spring's forthcoming abundance.
Giving back to the Earth
Remember to give something back to the Earth that has so generously provided for and sustained our magick. Exactly what constitutes this "something" is up to you. Here are some possibilities:
�Create and execute monthly spells and rituals that focus energy towards re-greening the Earth.
�Place a crystal or other natural token at the base of a plant when you harvest its petals, leaves, and roots.
�Prepare organic, magickally enhanced fertilizers for the soil where you live (even if you're not gardening this is a great gift for the planet). One good approach is to compost (this neatly recycles too). When you have enough organic matter charge the mixture with an incantation before adding it to the soil. The only caution here is to check local ordinances about the type of container you will need for composting legally.
�Sow a seed to replace any plants that you harvest fully (root and all). Note that you can do this even if you're buying the entire plant somewhere-just go to a field and scatter seeds to the wind, or plant some in the ground at a local park.
�Say a prayer for the plant or commune with its spirit before you harvest any part of it. This is one way of respectfully requesting permission from the nature spirits to harvest what you need.
�Recycle anything you can, so the extra flowers and plants need not be wasted. For example, if you've used flower oils in your candles, save the wax remnants, melt them together, and re-create new candles. The wax should have retained some of the original aroma, so less flower oil will be needed in a new batch. Another good hint for kitchen witches is to freeze vegetable ends and pieces to make soup stock rather than harvesting fresh vegetables. Then, when you're done with these, recycle them even further by using them as a great base for your magickal garden's compost.
Gardening by the Moon
�Moon in Aries: plant only garlic and onions.
�Moon in Taurus: plant potatoes or leafy vegetables.
�Moon in Gemini: weed and cultivate. Do not plant or transplant.
�Moon in Cancer: graft, transplant, sow, or force budding. This is a very productive sign.
�Moon in Leo: focus on ridding your garden of unwanted insects or weeds.
�Moon in Virgo: fairly barren. Don't do any extensive gardening during this sign other than basic maintenance.
�Moon in Libra: sow flowers, root crops, vines, and lettuce.
�Moon in Scorpio: excellent for promoting plant growth, so fertilize now.
�Moon in Sagittarius: productive for onions.
�Moon in Capricorn: plant tubers and root crops only.
�Moon in Aquarius: cultivate and turn the soil.
�Moon in Pisces: excellent for flora requiring good root growth.
�First Quarter: plant leafy annuals with above-ground yields like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, and lettuce.
�Second Quarter: plant rounded flowers and plants like cantaloupe, eggplant, peas, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
�Third Quarter: sow bulbs, root crops, beets, garlic, carrots, and anything else that has an underground yield. Also, fruit bushes seem to do well when planted during this phase.
�Fourth Quarter: Turn the soil, weed, and eliminate pests. This is most effective when combined with the moon signs of Leo, Virgo, and Gemini. If you're harvesting during this moon phase, try to time it for the signs of Aquarius, Aries, Gemini, Leo, or Sagittarius.
Magickal Associations for Days of the Week
�Monday: a fruitful day especially for lunar-oriented plants.
�Tuesday: a high energy day that will boost the energies in flowers or plants that improve physical vitality or mental keenness.
�Wednesday: a creative day, good for spiritually-centered flowers and plants.
�Thursday: another high-energy day, suited to flora that augments devotion or tenacity.
�Friday: an emotionally warm day. Suited to plants that are used in love and fertility magick.
�Saturday: sow, harvest, or tend plants on this day that augment transformation, manifestation, and/or comprehension.
�Sunday: the perfect day to work with solar-oriented flowers and plants.
Magickal Associations for the Months
�January: bless the soil in which you'll be sowing protective plants.
�February: charge the soil in which you'll be growing health related plants, or those that motivate positive energy.
�March: focus on plants and flowers associated with success and victory, or those under the dominion of Mars.
�April: work with lucky flowers and plants this month for a little serendipity.
�May: all plants do well during this month as energy is directed towards progress and growth.
�June: Fridays in June double the loving, warm energies on relationship flowers and plants.
�July: combine your Sunday efforts with this month to geometrically increase the energy for leadership and self-awareness.
�August: work with plants and flowers that accentuate peace and harmony.
�September: a perfect month for working closely with your magickal herbs and flowers.
�October: consider transforming any of your flowers and plants into something else during this month (like oils, incense, potpourri). This is the month of useful changes!
�November: work with flora that's associated with psychic energies.
�December: work with plants that have magickal correspondences with wisdom, prudence, and spiritual awareness.
(Source: A Floral Grimoire)
