Green Witchcraft

 I've been seeing a lot of videos on Instagram recently of young women hoping to become the witch who lives deep in the forest and scares people away. That's a very specific thing to relate to, but everyone has their own goals in life. But, this is called Green Witchcraft and there's a couple different communities you can join online of course. One of the groups, Naturally Modern Life, claims to develop practices that flow with everyday life to live with the seasons and the moon. They say that they draw energy from the Earth and the untamed things.

This website has a checklist of things to check if you are a green witch or not: 

"You might be a green witch if:

  • You love making your own ritual tools from found objects in nature and often planning for the energies contained within them.
  • You are an animal and/or environmental activist.
  • You consider the source of objects and bring awareness regarding ethically sourced minerals, endangered herbs, and other such environmental impacts.
  • You work with Animal Guides and Plant Spirits.
  • You love spending time hiking, or in parks and gardens.
  • You feel nature’s cycles and rhythms and can see the life, death, and rebirth in them.
  • Y ask permission from any plants or animals you wish to partner with. Saying thank you, then leaving offerings when harvesting herbs or calling upon Animal Spirits.
  • You have a deep reverence for Nature and the forest feels is your sacred temple.

The modern green witch may struggle to connect to the earlier knowledge of the wild. The green witch can now serve as a bridge between the old ways and the new by honoring the Earth’s energy as it exists in the world today."

Mission magazine

Green witchcraft is most associated with current environmental movements, but I'm still curious where the line is between being an environmentalist and being a green witch. Many leaders of green witchcraft have been utilizing #witchtok to spread awareness about themselves and their beliefs. However, this also poses a threat to the witch community who see this outreach as a form of commercialization. There is a line between using social media to spread awareness to a cause and be an activist, and claiming to be a part of a community that you're not. The green witches don't want people profiting off them, but want to encourage people to spread awareness about environmental news. 

Historically, green witchcraft comes from cunning folk, midwives, and other healers. Through time, each culture has had their own form of a green witch as medicine was still in the early stages. Now, green witchcraft is spreading to new types such as hedge witchery, kitchen witchery, and hearth witchery. Some green witches hold religious ideals around their witch practices as well. I wonder if this is because the black and white mindset of religion is fading and people are looking for a new outlet to explain the universe. 

Letters to Lilith

Green witchcraft is continuously involving and it intertwined with nature and various environmental movements. I would be curious to learn about where the lines are drawn between witchcraft and modern environmentalism. 

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