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The Green Vessel

When harvesting plant materia, or when using plant materia in any ritual, preparations, and so on, a portion of such materia (as small as a pinch or as large as a handful) should be placed aside for future offerings back to the Land, and to HaShem. This materia is stored in a specilly anointed container called The Green Vessel.

This vessel should be large enough to hold materia equal to the average use of the practitioner over the course of at least 3 months. Preferably an unsealed earthenware container should be used- though there is nothing against sealed earthenware, or metal (never plastic, however). Furthermore, it should be in posession of a matching lid with which it can be sealed; a vessel without a lid should not be used.

To dedicate the Green Vessel to its purpose, the Vessel should first be energetically cleansed according to tradition so as to remove the stagnant energy of all past purposes from it. Then it should be washed in a tea made from Rosemary and Mugwort, and passed through the smoke of an incense of the same herbs. And finally, annointed with a Holy Oil made of Frankincense, Myrrh, Saffron, and Olive Oil. Afterwards the following should be recited over it:

Oh Adonai; you by whose power the world was made, the mountains and seas afixed, and the sunrise and sunset afixed ... These offerings, I set aside for you. We praise you and sing the glory of your name. And through this offering we acknowledge the prosperity of our harvest, made possible only through your blessing.

Oh Verdant and Rustic hosts; you by whose Spirit the natural world holds and gives sway ... These offerings, I set aside for you. We glorify your names. And through this offering we ask that your bodies continue to yield their blessed produce.

Its dedication complete, the Green Vessel should be kept on one's Medicine Altar, covered by a veil. It should only be uncovered when placing materia into the vessel- or when removing materia from the vessel for offerings at the following points:

  • Tekufat Nisan (Spring); Land Offering
  • Tekufat Tammuz (Summer); Celestial Offering
  • Tekufat Tishrei (Autumn); Land Offering
  • Tekufat Tevet (Winter); Celestial Offering

Main Sources