Celestial occult herbalism is a mainstay of my spiritual and magical praxis, one that connects and grounds me back into the earth, the very dirt made from the bones of countless ancestors both human and more-than-human.
Hellebores were my first and continue to be my ever-present plant familiars. Which is mighty handy, considering they are considered under the guidance and nature of fixed star Algol–the dreaded severed head of Medusa (whose name means Protectress). She is a primordial and feral protective mother, a celestial entity that embodies the vital cycles of life and death, creation and destruction. I have a close relationship with Algol, as I have both an angular exact conjunction as well as several parans with the star.
As I am a celestial and necromantic folk witch, much of my work deals with the dead or soon-to-be-dead. It’s no coincidence that these beautiful flowers have come to be my constant companions, as they provide protection while I do this vital work that exists in the liminal space between the human and more-than-human, the living and the dead.
Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been providing magical support and care for several clients whose family members are transitioning into the Otherworld. I’ve also been casting protection and safety nets for my beloveds in Ukraine.
In the process of this work, my familiar Matilda, a gorgeous Hellebore that lives above where I sleep, was besieged by aphids. There’s no logical way this could have happened, as she has not had contact with the outdoors. I’ve also been very slowly recovering from an injury that has prevented me from any regular galavanting into the weedy wild around my home . Also, did I mention that it snowed last week?
As I contemplated what may be happening, I realized it was likely I was under spiritual attack. Sounds kookie, I’m sure. But this is not the first time that a plant familiar has absorbed spiritual and/or magical attacks for me (two of them directly confirmed by the attackers), and the current timing lined up with the magical work that I’m presently doing.
After performing divination to confirm my hunch, it was clear that some of the ancestors of the people I am helping, were not too pleased. This happens. Not all of our ancestors are well or kind, and some have an agenda that counters your preferences. Some have their own spiritual baggage and trauma (both that they have experienced and that they have been the perpetrators of) that they carry into the Otherworld.
When I looked at the transiting astrology of the moment I became aware of Matilda’s aphid infestation, I had to laugh a bit. Mars had just overcame Venus in Capricorn. Mars often represents attacks and pests, especially pests munching on flowers (Venus). Mercury the psychopomp had zipped into Aquarius, my natal 4th House (the house of ancestors, heritage, the land, the dead), and had just passed over my natal Sun (the ruler of my Midheaven, the point of vocation). So the indicators for both the pestilence and the fact that a few of my client’s ancestors were the cause, was very on-the-nose.
(Believe it or not, the crossover of medical and agricultural astrology is pretty significant, and it’s totally effective to cast what is essentially a decumbiture chart–a chart for the moment you notice the beginning of an illness or injury–but do it for your plants. It gives you a pretty good lay of the land.)
I immediately checked the transiting Moon–it was Waning (preferred Moon phase for weeding, pruning, pest control) in Virgo (a sign that is classically good for getting rid of pestilence, but not for pruning). The damage that was done to Matilda from the aphids looked like it may need some pruning, but it’s a good idea to wait until it’s in a sign that is favored for that activity. Until the Moon was in the appropriate sign, I needed to just stem the tide of aphids.
While the Moon was still in Virgo, I began with a natural pesticide, spraying it liberally. Libra and Scorpio are both fairly “fertile” signs, so I skipped spraying on those days and instead gently washed Matilda with soap and water to dislodge aphid eggs and honeydew that they create. When the Moon was in Sagittarius (considered a sign that is more “barren” than it is “fertile” in astrological gardening) I sprayed her again. This did kill some aphids and slow down their ability to successfully mate. (If I had diatomaceous earth on hand, that might have done the job nice and quick, but alas I did not.)
Finally, when the Moon was a Waning Crescent in Capricorn, it was time to get more serious. This is an excellent time for serious battle with pests, and Capricorn being my 3rd House I called upon the local land spirits to help me with evicting the unwelcomed aphids from Matilda. On the practical front this meant a much more intense soap wash, taking the top layer of soil out of the pot (where aphid eggs were likely to have dropped), and then spraying liberally with the insecticide. At that point I utilized a little bit of Algol materia (I made my own, but you can find trustworthy and great celestial magic materia at Sphere and Sundry) to evict any unwanted spirit attachments, invoking Mother Algol and asking that she help me rid my plant familiar from attack and attempted possession.
Connecting Matilda with her guardian star directly seemed to have cleared up her ability to reach out to me directly. That night Matilda came to me in a dream and told me that several of her leaves had early-stage sooty mold thanks to the aphids, and that they had transmitted a plant disease from outside. I would need to prune those leaves off, completely clean her roots of the old soil, dunk her upside down in a cold soap bath for several minutes, rinse thoroughly, and then repot her.
I waited until the Moon moved into Aquarius (a sign specifically good for ridding plants of pests) in the final Waning Crescent phase (an excellent time for anything you wish to degenerate, and for pruning). The Moon was also fast moving, which is excellent for making a quick job of pest extermination and for pruning that will lead to steady growth.
A Waning Moon was believed to be the time to harvest so it kept longer, because the Moon governs tides of generation and corruption. When she is Waxing to Full, Luna makes all plants more “juicy” by drawing moisture to the surface (generating more life, more sap, more sugar)–which means fruit and vegetables may bruise or rot easily. When she is Waning, moisture diminishes in a plant–which means they’re likely to keep for longer (slowing things in an act of degeneration). Mind you, these are generalities; there are many more factors to consider! I just want to make this easy to understand for all readers.
Pruning is encouraged during a Waning Moon, so the plant is less likely to lose a bunch of sap and nutrients, and it’s more likely to “clot” whatever wound you make to it. Anything you want to “die” such as weeds or pests are best settled at this time, as it’s considered the Moon’s phase of degeneration.
As I started to rinse out the roots I noticed something else–Matilda was also beginning to become root-bound in her pot… for the second time in 4 months!
When I first found Matilda in my local farm co-op, she was dropping with large foliage and 3 tiny flower buds just pushing out of the soil. Upon examination at home, I discovered she was DOUBLE root-bound around the entire pot. Seems that the original gardener went a little over-the-top with nitrogen heavy fertilizer.
I waited until a Waning Moon in Leo, and then cut over ⅓ of the roots. I did this with a Waning Moon in Leo as it’s good for killing unwanted root growth, and I needed Matilda to slow down her growth so she would fit in the pot I had.
Fast forward to present day, and here she was starting to become root-bound again! The Waning Crescent Moon in Aquarius was co-present with Mercury and Saturn. Mercury is good for cultivation, and Saturn ensures hardiness (though it will definitely cause slower growth). These conditions were exactly what I wanted for this operation. In the next 30 days Matilda will begin to seed and then go dormant–I want her roots to grow slowly so that she can remain in her pot until next season.
I trimmed off ⅓ of Matilda’s foliage that was damaged or infected by the aphids, and ⅓ of her roots that were beginning to wrap around the pot. Then I gave her an upside down (sure to keep the roots out of it) 10 minute cold soap bath and then thoroughly rinsed her, top-to-bottom.
Before repotting, I mixed Matilda’s potting soil with garlic powder (an herb of Mars!) to naturally ward off future pests, a bit of seaweed fertilizer that would encourage more flowering and seeding, as well as a few drops of Venus in Pisces (from Sphere and Sundry) and Algol materia.
Venus in Pisces will soothe and heal Matilda while encouraging her fertility, and Algol should strengthen and protect Matilda from any ill attacks as I continue my necromantic client work and occasionally encounter unfriendly spirits.
Two of Matilda’s flowers snapped off in the process of this triage. Algol is a binary-eclipsing star system, which is why the ancients called her the blinking demon. I’ll be preserving these beautiful soldiers in glycerin, to be placed on my altar to the Great Mother.
May the Great Mother protect all of those who face invasion and attempted possession by others, especially those beloveds abroad.
Everyday of your life you are bombarded with messages of not being enough, not having enough, not doing enough. Even the people you love can accidentally send the evil eye your way, and then there’s the people who purposefully wish you harm. Is it any wonder that life feels hard when you’re this exhausted and struggling? But that’s not the life you were meant to live. You were meant to live a vibrant, safe, and sovereign life of wonder and love.
To call back all of your energy and fortify your spiritual immune system, my partner Damien and I created the single night workshop Archeus: Powerful Protection Magic, and purposefully made it as accessibly priced as possible. We all deserve a wonderful life, and it begins with Spiritual Hygiene.
Live Class will take place on May 7! Recording and bonuses are included!
