Spring Foraging for Spell Craft & Magic

Spring is prime season for witchy foraging. 

Delicate, pastel-colored flowers push their way through the soft earth.  Birds begin to chortle in the honeyed morning light.  Lime-green shoots of bright grass dart up to the sky.

All the delights of spring, from cool weather to blossoming beauty, make for energizing nature walks.

Use this time to collect, store and wildcraft natural ingredients for your magical practice.

Here are some common items to look for.

Wild Garlic & Onions

Wild onions are at their peak in flavor and aroma during early-to-mid spring.

If you have a lawn, you likely have wild onions somewhere. 

Here is a Youtube video on how to identify and harvest wild onions

Foragers argue all the time about the difference between wild onions and wild garlic.

Magically speaking, it doesn’t matter.  You can use both pretty much the same way you’d use any garlic in witchcraft.

But wild ajo and onion produce an aroma and flavor many times more powerful than the store bought varieties.  Plus, taking the time to collect it yourself imparts your intention and energy on it.

And it’s free!

Moss

Look for moss in woodland and shaded areas.

Live moss makes a lovely addition to spring gift baskets, altars and fairy gardens.

Place it in a shallow dish, spritz it with water and leave it near some window light until you need to use it.

Bird Feathers

As the birds become more active during the early spring months, soft feathers descend on footpaths and at the base of trees.

Use foraged bird feathers to symbolize the Element of Air in your spell bags, on the altar, when calling the Quarters or during wind magic.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers transform any dull, brown winter field into a dazzling natural landscape, alive with butterflies, bees and birds.

I adore the first appearance of wildflowers in the spring.  I dry them, press them, hang them in the windows and fill every vase in my house with them.

A treasure of the season, wildflowers materialize in many a written spell.  Foraging for them is a beautiful way to spend your nature walk and there are many uses for freshly spring wildflowers in witchcraft.

Agua de lluvia

Spring rains cleanse the earth of winter woes and encourage little sprouts to wake up to the warm weather.

Next time you find yourself indoors on a rainy day, stick a bucket outside and collect some rainwater for your next batch of moon water.  

Or, add it to your baños rituales for cleansing, renewal and new beginnings.

Tender Branches

Gently trim back early spring growth on trees.  Look for growth less than the thickness of a slim pencil.

Bend these tender, flexible branches to make your own base for spring wreaths, diy decorative bird nests and baskets for your spring altar.

Dientes de león

To the delight of every foraging witch (and frustration of every traditional gardener), dandelions begin to show their sleepy heads in spring.

Collect every part of the dandelion for use in spells and magic.

Dry the roots and add them in spell bags for divination tea.

Use the yellow flowers to banish depression or as a sun symbol in daylight magic.

Una vez que el diente de león produces seeds, blow on them as part of a wishing spell or to welcome the woodland spirits.

Henbit

This delicate wildflower tends to gather in lawns and low-growing wastelands this time of year.

Pretty enough to ignore as a lawn weed, let it grow and then gather henbit in bloom to use for its many magical qualities.

Add it to beauty spells, floral salads and wildflower bouquets.  

Wild Violets

Wild violets radiate the lovely, soft purple color of Easter eggs and spring dresses.

Magically, wild violets symbolize woodland spirits, joy, abundance and innocence.  

Harvest them in pesticide-free areas for fairy cakes or dry them to add to sachets, Beltane ritual blends and even ritual bath salts.

Your turn!  What spring items do you like to forage for your spells, rituals and magic?