Witch Hazel Magic: Centered & Lighthearted

Plus: Details about our Wisdom Circle on Zoom 2/28

Detail, from Two of Earth / Witch Hazel from the Herbcrafter’s Tarot. Art by JPC.

Dear One,

As I write this, it’s mid-morning but the landscape around me is socked in by thick fog. They say we’re getting more snow soon. I don’t know about you, but I am restless and longing for spring.

In my little garden, the daffodils are blooming, the chives are happy, and so is the sweetgrass. I love seeing those fresh green shoots reaching upwards. I went in search of witch hazel this morning but the bush near my building isn’t in bloom. I’m not sure if it’s late or if it bloomed back in January and I missed it.

I took this photo of the Witch Hazel bush next to my building last year. I love the way the blossoms curl into spirals! And I love the way the shadows are cast on the wall of the building too.

Witch Hazel is on my mind. It’s the plant we chose for the Two of Earth in the Herbcrafter’s Tarot. It’s one of my favorites, partly because it’s so cheery and partly because of its admonition to find ways to lighten up a bleak landscape. “Like witch hazel blossoms that brighten a monochromatic winter landscape,” Latisha Guthrie writes in the HCT handbook, “adding levity to your tasks will lighten your load.”