Sustainable Witchcraft: Protecting Mother Earth

by Sarah Esmae Wolfe

Since we, as witches — especially green witches — are keepers of the earth, it is important to take Her health into consideration when doing spells. Nearly everything we use in our spell work and our craft is a gift from her, especially when working with plants, so it is essential to respect her and give back.

Contrary to popular belief, living a green lifestyle does not need to be expensive. In fact, because it is mostly using the things you already have, it can actually save you money. Here are a few ways you can be more environmentally conscious about the way you practice your witchcraft.

Reuse Glass Jars

Unfortunately, where I live they stopped taking glass for recycling, so I have been saving and cleaning a lot of glass jars! You can do so many things with jars in witchcraft, such as jar spells, or use them to store homemade creams and salves — even foraged or homegrown herbs in your apothecary. Your herb collection doesn't need to be aesthetic, just functional!

Shop Ethically

Another thing to be aware of is where you buy your crystals and herbs. Not everything that comes from the earth is sourced ethically and some herbs are in danger of being over harvested! When you buy from The Witch's Guide shop, you can be assured everything is either handmade, homegrown, or ethically sourced. If you are using animal products in your craft, also make sure they are ethically obtained.

Green Your Property

Stop spraying your yard! While this doesn't directly connect with witchcraft, it prevents plant life from growing and harms the ecosystem and the bees, too. If the bees cannot pollinate, we won’t have access to all the wonderful plants and herbs we use in spells. If you live somewhere with yard space and especially if you have a garden, consider starting a compost pile!

Consider Natural Materials

When using bags in spells, use reusable sachets for mojo bags instead of single-use plastic. I have even seen some people use the cardboard from the inside of toilet paper rolls as a biodegradable container to bury spells! If you make poppets, make sure they are a natural material and be conscious of how you dispose of them. I also burn petition papers when I'm finished with them, making them into an easily biodegradable material.

Look into what your candles are made out of and consider switching to a natural wax, such as soy like our Herbal Alchemy candles. When burning a candle for a spell, make sure all the wax gets used up and if you frequently have leftover wax, melt it together to make another candle. Wax does not break down naturally so never throw it away or bury it.

Save Your Ashes

Did you know you can use leftover ashes from burned herbs and incense in your craft? Ashes still hold strong protective powers from the plants they once were, but now also carry the powers of transformation, as they have been through the fire and experienced death and rebirth. You can give yourself a transformation ceremony and anoint your skin with these ashes. Plus, using every part of the sacred plants gifted to us is a great way to show respect to Mother Earth by conserving her resources.

Ashes are created as a result of joining earth, fire, and air, and can be used to replace any or all of these elements, or something entirely different, especially depending on the properties the plant once held. With a bit of moon water added to these ashes, you can use the paste to paint sigils. This makes for a powerful sigil charge because it contains all of the elements.

Ashes are full of nutrients and can be added to your garden soil. Sprinkle around the property or line your front door like you would with salt for protection. I usually mix it with salt with a mortar and pestle to strengthen the protective powers. You can also use in place of graveyard dirt or bone meal in a spell since these items may be difficult or unethical to acquire.

Repurpose Eggshells

Eggshells are most associated with protection, thinking of them being a protective shield around the egg. You can use them in protection rituals and spell jars and spell bags related to protection.

Some folklore says that throwing eggshells on your roof will protect you from another witch's hexes! You can also use them in fertility spells as the egg itself is a symbol of life and rebirth. If you garden, crushed eggshells make great fertilizer for plants, adding calcium to the soil. Tomatoes love it!

Ground eggshells can also be an alternative to salt. Using salt outside can harm the soil, and since eggshells are also protective, you can use it to cast a circle during an outdoor ritual or to line your property for boundary protection.

Check out our eggshell powder in the shop for purification and protection.

In what ways do you practice sustainable witchcraft? Share with us in the comments below.

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