What is Plant Spirit Sorcery?
In the top 10 list of questions I get asked, one of the most frequent is are you a witch? This is actually one of my favorite questions because it opens the door for some really fun discussion! While I won’t be getting into the why I’m not a witch topic here, I’ll be using this question to explore something very important in my work- what is plant spirit sorcery? Let’s get into it!
First things first- sorcery is magic. But, there’s one main thing that separates what we usually think of magic in the context of witchcraft, spells, charms, and the like from what happens in the magic of sorcery, and that one main thing is relationship. While standard forms of magic focus on the magician or ritualist raising their own power, charging it, and releasing it toward a specific goal, sorcery is all about the power generated through being in deep, personal connection to non-human spirits. Let’s unpack.
First, sorcery is the common thread of magic that runs through all animist traditions across time and space. In fact, from the anthropological perspective, sorcery can sometimes be used interchangeably with terms from specific cultures like Shaman and Priest and Wise Person. Ultimately, if a tradition or culture is not fiercely animistic in their perspective and experiences of the world, sorcery is impossible. Conversely, someone can absolutely perform effective, operative magic and not be an animist. The reason for this is that we cannot ally ourselves to aiding spirits if we don’t believe spirits exist. If there is no person in the ancestor, animal, plant, or deity- to whom are we petitioning to aid our work? Standard magic relies only on the power of the individual, so no matter what you think or experience of the non-human world, you can do your thing- and maybe even be successful at it!
As you may have gleaned by now, sorcery is rooted in deep personal connections to non-human spirits who aid us in performing acts of magic that work to create more harmony in the world; personal, community, global, or cosmic, as it may be.
When we add the plant spirit qualifier to our exploration of sorcery, we come to an organic definition that shows us this is a path of magical working that is based on our hard-won relationships with the plants. Again, if one does not accept or experience the plants as persons, then the whole thing falls apart and they’re not doing sorcery. Actually, if you flip open any common book on witchcraft, spells, or magic, you are sure to find many that include plant materials with no mention of the actual spirit of the plant at all. That’s right- using plant materia for the inherent ‘magical power’ it possesses without any real connection to the person of the plant and the full array of virtues they’re capable of sharing in the work. My opinion: how boring!
When we enter into the ancient pathways of the sorcerous artes, our work becomes less about isolated acts of magical operations (you know, casting spells and all that) and more about the profound spiritual experiencing of cultivating working relationships with non-human, other-then-human, and more-than-human persons. The process that takes us to the end goal of being able to do sorcery often changes us, our lives, and our perspectives in ways which end up negating the need for any specific operative magics. Our closeness with these allies taps us into perspectives, influences, virtues, and abilities that go beyond the usual human toolbox and so rather than doing magic our lives end up simply being magical. Get it?
So when folks see me doing a lot of hanging out with plants and no flashy magic shows, they often wonder what it is I’m actually doing. I’m working hard to attain the great goal of the plant spirit path- dual citizenship. I’m connecting to my plant spirit allies, old and new, and to the green realm as a whole. I’m working with the great deities of my tradition. I’m honoring the herbwise ancestors of blood and tradition and place. I’m making connections, learning, being guided, stewarding and serving, and trying to just be aware that I’m part of it all.
However you do herb magic, plant spirit work, green sorcery, or whatever else you want to call it- here’s my invitation (read: challenge) to you… before you ask something of any spirits, put some time and energy in. Be the person they want to help rather than someone who has to haggle, negotiate, or coerce. rather than being the hollywood style sorcerer who traps spirits and forces them to do your bidding- put the work in to your own sacred grove of plant spirit allies who become so close yo you they don’t have to be asked because they’re always one step ahead of you and watching out for your greatest good. And then, my friend, you’ll be doing plant spirit sorcery the way it’s been done since the beginningless beginning.
