Wiccan Reads--The Way of the Green Witch

Finding inspiration is just a step away to my bookshelf. I purchased this lovely book by Arin Murphy-Hiscock about three years ago.  The Way of the Green Witch, Rituals, Spells, and Practices to Bring You Back to Nature (Provenance Press, Adams Media, Avon, Massachusetts, 2006) has been a real boon for me over the last few days. I am attempting to bring order, serenity and smooth-flowing energy into our home.  It is a large undertaking; there are other people living here, some are neat, some are not. And I have "stuff" everywhere.

What is a Green Witch? In Arin Murphy-Hiscock's introduction she writes: The way of the green witch is the path of the naturalist, the herbalist, the wisewoman, and the healer. (p.ix) This practice is usually solitary, highly individualized and free form. The green witch uses "natural elements to improved the well-being of the physical body, the spirit and soul, and the environment." (p. x) This is a difficult task in today's world. The urban life, the cities, industry, the chaos that is found everywhere; these elements hardly make for a peaceful naturalist's way of life. But there are many ways to live in harmony with this environment, and it all begins in the witch's own home.

The author writes in a simple, easy to follow style, not cobbling us with massive narratives of jargon and deep, philosophical ramblings, as is the case with some pagan books I have waded through. She is concise without being dry, and it is a pleasurable, informative, inspirational read.

Chapter titles include: Elements of the Green Witch Path, Listening to the Earth, The Four Seasons, Twigs, Leaves, Stars and Stones, Crafting Green Witch Magic, The Garden of the Green Witch, The Green Witch in the Kitchen; and several more chapters. I pretty much read three quarters of this book the other evening. I was in my glider rocker, the fire was crackling away in the fireplace and as I read, I realized this book had so much to offer me in regards to creating the environment I so desperately want in my home. I truly felt connected to this Green Witch's words and ideas. Although the Green Witch's path is not the Wiccan path, there are many similarities and common goals of both paths.

Included in this book are tips on cleansing and purification of the home, using the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) in a more personal way, creating shrines and altars and lessons to help you become attuned with your neighborhood, town, and other environments...this and so much more have really given me such a boost and enthusiasm for creating the atmosphere I want.

I expect to be referring to this book quite often over the next few weeks and am so happy that I came across it as I was re-organizing my shelves.

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