Tell us a bit about yourself and the ways in which you work with plants:
Hi! I am an artist, writer and practicing witch. My current offerings are in the realm of divination, speaking with spirits, godds, and allies to support our personal and collective healing. I consider plants to be spirit allies that can support us all on our paths of discovery, and often plants will reveal themselves to me in dreams and in divination as healing allies for myself and my clients. Plants weave their way into magical charms, spells, and talismans as well as my kitchen magic.
Why did you want to sign up for Herbal Mystery School?
I've always felt a kinship with plants, ever since I had a magical encounter with Columbines as a child. Aware of their innate power and intelligence, I had been seeking ways to connect deeper with the plant realm, to weave them into the fabric of my life. Herbal Mystery School provided a container to dance with the plants in creative and medicinal ways that really made my heart sing.
How do you define mystery?
Mystery is the sacred substance that holds us all in inextricable connection. As a practitioner of divination, honoring the Mystery is an integral part of my practice. When we honor the Mystery, we awaken to the wisdom of all things, particularly those things we cannot comprehend with our rational minds. The realm of Mystery is the territory of spirit work and divination.
Can you speak on how a certain plant from our time in HMS is now woven into your life?
Mugwort made a deep impression on me during my time in the HMS circle. My work with mugwort was initiated by a Full Moon the evening before our HMS circle met. At the time I was developing a devotional relationship with Artemis, but it wasn't until that weekend that I learned of mugwort's association with them, and with the Moon. Leaving our circle that weekend I received the message from mugwort, "Artemis is calling..." These synchronicities affirm the joys of working with the Mystery; that plant kin and spirits are constantly communicating with us. It's up to us to remember how to listen and engage with them. Mugwort has become an ally in my Moon practices and dreamwork - and I'm sure the relationship will continue to evolve!
Did you notice any changes in your plant practices after HMS?
The process of meeting with and getting to know one plant over the course of a month, as we do in HMS, transformed the way I work with plants. My approach to working with plants has slowed down, has developed more space for listening, for deeper research, and space that invites ancestral and intuitive insights to inform my relationship with each plant. When I am prompted to work with a new plant ally, I typically try to find a way to spend time in its presence, to grow it in my garden, to sit with the energy of the living plant. There is a way in which HMS opens up spaciousness and creativity to connect with plants outside of the manufactured urgency of our capitalist world. It's a beautiful thing!
Is there one plant from the HMS year that feels close to your heart right now?
The hawthorn berries are ripe in my bioregion, and I am delighting in seeing their bright red clusters, spending time under these fruiting trees, and taking hawthorn essence. Hawthorn is heart medicine for me, particularly supporting my ancestral practices at this time, which inevitably (for me) stirs up grief to process.
Are there any plants from HMS that you have circled back to for more mystery study or practice:
One of the greatest treasures of HMS is that you are initiated into rich relationships with all of the plants you work with. They become your friends, your challengers, and surely - if you're open to it - will contact you in moments when their guidance and medicine will be beneficial for you. I keep returning to the plants we worked with all those years ago, and continue to learn more about their spirits and their gifts.
What song would DJ Mugwort play at your Herbal Nightclub?
"Cloudbusting" by Kate Bush
How to find Casey in the wild:
