The Green Soujourn

In many traditions, the procuring of magical plant material from the wild is a rite unto itself, which sometimes reaches its apotheosis in a plant pilgrimage. Rites of ritual harvesting are a necessity for harvesting from the wild, and are rendered here as The Protocols of the Green Sojourn.

The first of the Laws of the Green Sojourner is the Protocol of Purity, which demands cleanliness of body, mind, tools, and intent prior to stepping foot in the wild. Every foray into wilderness is Exile. This hallow’d act entails a magical separation from the common, profane world and an entry into Earth Self-hallow’d; it also specifically mirrors the perpetual stance of the sorcerer as Opposer. Thus awareness of this state of separateness should be cultivated and held at one’s center.

Before sojourning, clarity of intent should first be formulated. Let the Verdant Magician be well-educated and cunning of craft regarding the species being sought: let all of Arte discern keenly the status of the plant: know if it be endangered or overharvested; an aggressive introduced species or a precious native one. Knowing the Land is essential. If unfamiliar with the environs, let the land first be scouted, noting impressions received from the Genii Loci, plant communities, and apparent human impact. The Magician’s Design should be humbly spoken to the local sprites, followed by an honest read of the place: any work of Green Sorcery can be thwarted by offended Land-Spirits. As much as one may desire to harvest from a vigorous patch of Nettles, the Arte will be profaned if ill omens go unheeded and the Tabu of the Wildwood is violated.

As much as the aforementioned considerations of Purity of Intent, cleansing of the Sorcerer’s very corpus should commence prior to the Green Sojourn: The Protocol of Purity demands Immaculation, both of the body and the Tools of Arte. For the physium, let a ritual bath be undertaken, as well as a fast. Physically cleanse all regalia by fumigating with smoldering tree-resin or an incense compounded from the plants growing in the locale to be wandered. The Mind may be purified and attenuated by observing that most noble of virtues, Silence. Traditional herb-gathering methods prescribe certain taboos prior to gathering plants, such as avoidance of sexual activity or alcohol. Both of these prohibitions are of incalculable value, chiefly for the homeostasis of the Aethyric Body as a precondition for the Arte Magical, as well as a gesture of devotion and respect. In addition, supplication of one’s Grand Famulus prior to The Work is well advised.

Finally, the Protocol of Purity demands that the land, and thereby the plants taken from it, be pure. As a general rule, the further removed from the influence of mankind the better, but of course there are exceptions to this, as some Herbs prefer haunts close to the habitation of humans, or graveyards, or ‘mid the ruinous settlements of men long dead. Avoid picking plants by heavily- traffick’d roadsides; many Herbs will absorb some of the corrupt principles of these besmirched byways; shun as well ditches fouled by agricultural venoms. Paradoxically, plants virtuous in accumulating healthful minerals from the earth, such as Nettle, which also store poisons.

The second protocol, The Protocol of Presence, is a magical obligation of pure and total focus when gathering Herbs, in the Garden as in the Wild. When sojourning into Wasteland and Thicket, the Man of Arte must become as the Wild: elsewise one is an intruder. This requires consideration of the magical goal, namely the Herbs being sought, but also the locus in which they dwell: in this moment, the Sojourner enters Hallowed Ground, stepping into a mansion of many beings. The Sojourn can be interrupted or tainted by the presence of obnoxious and loud persons; avoid them at all costs.

Third is the Protocol of Hailing. Prior to harvesting the Herb, let the Green Sorcerer announce his intent in a respectful way to the individual. A greeting and prayer of request to the plant is largely a matter of the sorcerer’s own choosing. There are numerous examples of this from varying magical traditions. From the ancient Graeco-Aegyptians we learn of a curious rite of herb-gathering. It begins with the herbalist purifying his body. He then sprinkles natron for purification and circumambulates the plant three times, fumigating the herb with pine resin. The Wortcunner then burns the best Kyphi incense, prays, pours a libation of milk, and pulls up the plant while invoking the name “of the daimon to whom the herb is being dedicated and calling upon him to be more effective for the use for which it is being acquired”. The plant is then addressed with the solemn incantation. Following the incantation, the Herbalist fills the hole vacated by the plant with seven seeds each of wheat end barley, mixed with honey, then with earth.

There is much to be gain’d by tailoring each Hailing individually to suit the plant. Considerations of the character of the Genius, the nature of the magics for which the Herb is intended, and some form of gratitude are paramount.

The Fourth Protocol of the Green Sojourn is The Protocol of Appropriate Harvest. A clean cut, made with a sharp knife, is far more respectful of the plant than simply tearing off a leaf or a branch. Indiscriminate ripping of parts creates jagged wounds, rendering an Ally susceptible to infections. To assure both hygiene and quality of plant material, clean the blade after each use with strong alcohol.

For cutting, the Tool of Our Arte is the working knife, sometimes called the Knife of the White Hilt, its handle inscribed with the sigils and talismans of the Green Sorcerer’s famuli, having, in some traditions, a crescent blade. Better than any knife or sickle, however, is a good hand pruner, duly consecrated to The Work. Such tools are crafted by horticulturists with the health of the plant in mind, and fashioned to cause minimal damage, rather than subjecting an Herb or Tree to the clumsy cuts of a knife. Some traditional Wortcunners recommend avoidance of iron blades for this purpose, as iron is thought to offend the plant.

This Tabu of old has some credence, especially as relates to smaller, dainty plants with delicate stems or blossoms such as Violet or Forget-Me-Not. For such worts, iron and steel are perhaps excessive in terms of their metallic potencies. However, the vast majority of horticultural hand-pruners are made with steel. It should be remembered that stainless steel, in order to render it incorruptible, contains appreciable amounts of Nickel, Chromium, Vanadium, or Titanium.

Appropriate harvesting for trees is especially important. If taking bark in any significant quantity, attempt to locate a newly-fallen tree, perhaps felled by a recent storm. If such cannot be found, remove bark in small quantities from younger lateral branches. Girdling, that is to say, circumscribing the trunk with a cut, can kill a tree. Leaves from trees should be gather’d in early to late spring, as their Virtues change with the advent of Summer, and they begin producing Bitter Principles to ward off insects. When harvesting branches for wands, avoid cutting branches arising from the dominant trunk; instead, take branches from lateral leaders.

When all plant materials have been gather’d, let them be wrapp’d in silk and put into a bag specially encharmed for carrying freshly-gather’d Herbs. By no means allow the material gather’d to touch the ground, as its sorcerous Virtue escapes downward into the earth and renders the material unsuitable for use in our Arte.

The Fifth Protocol, that of Numbers, governs the amount of material taken. Never harvest an Herb if it is a single individual standing alone. Look for large, well-established populations, and gather variously-aged individuals. Leave the largest and most healthy plant; petitioning this individual directly for specific needs before proceeding to gather, being alert for ill signs.