The Plantable Spell

Spring is a great time for new beginnings, and the planting of new intentions, which is a great time for that kind of literal spellwork. The idea for this spell comes from seed paper. I actually came by the ones I am using as a party favor from a first birthday party, adding a fantastic level of extra symbolism for new beginnings. I grabbed one of each color as soon as I knew exactly how I would use them. 

To find your own seed paper, I would recommend ordering it online. A quick google search will come up with all kinds of places you can buy it. Some of them will tell you what seeds they use, some of them allow you to select specific seeds, and some of them will surprise you. If you are feeling extra crafty and want to use a particular kind of seed for your particular purpose, you can easily find a few tutorials on making your own seed paper. Or you can skip the seed paper altogether and simply plant a piece of paper in the pot with the seeds you want to use. Be sure to consider light, water, and other care instructions for the seeds you choose, and how they will fit into your home and life. The other essential supplies you will need for this are a flower pot, potting soil, water, and a pen or marker.

Now that we know what we are going to need, before even purchasing it, you need to start where you would with any kind of spellwork you do: Intent. What are you planting? What do you want to see grow within your life? What is the purpose of your spellwork? If you start thinking of that first, and start your research with that in mind, you can use it to add to the work in various little ways. For example, if you are doing a spell to make more money from your job, get a green flower pot, draw symbols and sigils representing the specifics of what you want on the pot, get some dirt from your job, as well as the bank, and see if you can get seeds for a plant that represents the kind of job you have, or wealth, money, or prosperity. There are a million little ways you can add to the energy of your spell if you plan it out ahead of time. 

Before you start writing on your seed paper, cut it down to a size that will fit in the pot you are using. More than one layer of paper will be too many seeds, so cut it down smaller than the container. If you really want to get fancy, cut it in a shape representing your intent. Now, what are you going to write on your seed paper? That truly depends on what you want to grow. Work out a short phrase or some symbols that represent your intent. Continuing our example from above, a money sign on one side and a symbol representing the kind of job you have on the other side would be a good plan here. It is really up to you how you want to put your intent into the paper. Personally, I am a fan of sigils and symbols since the paper is small. 

While you are writing on your paper, focus on your intent. Fill the seeds in the paper with the energy you want to bring into your life. You can do this at your altar or in sacred space. You can chant while you are doing this to raise energy, or say a poem or a few words that work with your spell. Again, the key here is to do what works best for you to focus your energy into the seed paper. This is also a good time to charge the soil and pot with energy for nourishing your seeds to grow well. It is also a good idea to charge everything under the full moon before you do this if that energy works with your intent. Just be mindful of weather as wet paper is tough to write on, or even damp paper from a particularly humid night. Trust me, the marker doesn’t like to cooperate.

The last step is to finally plant your seed paper. Bury it under about ¼ inch of soil in your flower pot and water it well, so the soil feels damp to the touch after soaking through. If you are using regular paper and separate seeds, bury the paper deeper in the pot so it doesn’t get in the way of new, sprouting seeds. If you had a chant or something you said while you were charging your paper, repeat it whenever you water your plant according to the care instructions. This is also a great time to use moon water or water charged with stones that match your intent. You can also decorate the edges or corners of the pot with a couple of those stones if you feel so inclined. Just be sure they are not ones that will react poorly when wet. I would suggest keeping the pot indoors near a sunny window until the weather is consistently warm. 

This is an endlessly flexible spell that is perfect for springtime. It is also remarkably fun to be able to get your hands a little dirty with your magic. The only real requirement is that you plant something you want to see grow so get creative with how you work this.  Have fun planting your intentions and watching them sprout before your eyes!

Originally published in The Center Spiral, Spring 2018 issue