Plant Magick by Jessica Hundley is a visible journey by way of our relationship with vegetation and flowers, from its historic roots to modern-day witchcraft
The miraculous symbiosis current between humankind and plantkind has existed all through the historical past of our cohabitation of the planet. Described by scholar, ecologist, and writer Pam Montgomery as an “trade of breath”, all of the oxygen we breathe is produced by life-giving vegetation and timber from the oceans and land who, in flip, take within the carbon dioxide we expel.
Plant Magick: The Library of Esoterica by Jessica Hundley [published by Taschen] is a visible and literary compendium, tracing the richly symbolic historical past of vegetation, flowers, and timber in artwork, mythology, faith, and literature. The e book highlights their shifting connotations… generally obscene, sensual, potent, threatening, redemptive, transcendental, deathly, or therapeutic. They communicate of the perpetually cyclical nature of life… of start, demise, decay, and rebirth.
However they’re not merely emblematic. Crops possess potent properties linked with mystical, psychedelic experiences and therapeutic. Works created by artists experiencing increased states of consciousness have existed by way of generations of indigenous artwork in addition to being important parts of therapeutic, witchcraft, and ceremonies of latest life and the top of life.
As a part of the Library of Esoterica collection, Plant Magick examines the lengthy historical past of our fertile relationship with vegetation. Under, we communicate to writer Hundley about historic rituals, female energy, and surreal visions, and rather more.
SYMBOLISM
“People have been associating components of nature with deeply symbolic meanings for 1000’s of years… Eve consuming the apple from the Tree of Data, Persephone’s pomegranate or the lotus representing the method of attaining enlightenment, rising up from mud by way of water into air. Not solely vegetation however cacti and fungi, all are represented in symbolism inside our earliest mythologies and spiritual practices. We additionally usually discover parallels between our personal lives inside the cycle of progress and of the seasons – root to stalk to bloom to decay and demise, spinning again into rebirth.
“Whereas vegetation and mushrooms are definitely lovely, there are additionally many species which might be toxic and poisonous to people. And there are specific vegetation whose ritual ingestion is believed in some cultures to supply the expertise of the demise of the ego or deeper explorations of the shadow self. The poppy in historic Egyptian mythology symbolised regeneration, but in addition was related to life after demise – and it was a flower usually utilized in funeral bouquets. At the moment, the poppy continues to be a logo of remembrance of those that have handed, symbolically utilized in memorials in each the UK and US.”
PSYCHEDELIA
“Almost all psychedelic experiences are immediately associated to the ingestion of varied plant medicines, cacti, or fungi. Ergot fungi, as an illustration, is without doubt one of the main parts in LSD. The visions and patterns related to the ingestion of peyote, San Pedro cactus, or ayahuasca are simply a number of the plant drugs rituals which have resulted in generations of indigenous artwork – visionary works executed in mediums similar to weavings, clay, and jewelry. Then there are all of the unbelievable modern artists who credit score psychedelic plant medicines as a main inspiration – individuals like Alex Gray, Luis Tamani, and Mariela de la Paz.
“These artists [mentioned above] fantastically categorical the heightened states of consciousness discovered throughout plant drugs rituals. I additionally love the traditional Nineteen Sixties and Seventies psychedelic artwork of the late Rick Griffin and the fashionable work from artists similar to Alphachanneling and Arrington de Dionyso.”
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PACIFICISM
“The time period ‘flower energy’ was first coined by the nice American beat poet and activist Allen Ginsberg. It’s such a potent phrase, connoting the ability of nonviolent protest, peaceable radicalism, and revolution. This iconic picture by Boston [above] was taken in 1967 on the March on the Pentagon protesting the battle in Vietnam. The {photograph} was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize that very same yr.”
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WITCHCRAFT
“There are such a lot of photographs within the e book that conjure up the longstanding relationship between vegetation and magic. The traditional stone mushroom totems of Central and South America are so highly effective. The chapter on timber has a lot resonant imagery – timber tackle notably resonant symbolism in Druid and Norse pagan magical traditions.
“Among the many modern works, some fantastic examples might be discovered within the ‘plant spell’ assemblages by LA artist William Lemon III and within the efficiency and sculptural artwork of Lucien Shapiro and Guadalupe Maravilla – each of whom incorporate dried flower and plant matter into their work inside varied mediums.”
“Herbalism and inexperienced witchery are inherently part of virtually all witchcraft practices. Inside most pagan traditions you’ll discover a deep relationship to vegetation and herbs, that are seen as potent healers, in addition to ceremonies centred round nature, the place the earth herself is a goddess, the supply of generative energy and sweetness. Though they don’t essentially determine themselves as ‘witches’, artists like Megan Boyd, Elena Stonaker, Lani Trock, and Ariana Papademetropoulos definitely embrace a distinctly female energy inside their creative depictions of vegetation and flowers.”
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RITUALS
“We now have been integrating vegetation and flowers into rites of passage rituals, marriage, and demise ceremonies throughout cultures for so long as historical past has been recorded, and probably longer nonetheless! The e book celebrates this symbiotic relationship and explores the way in which we embrace vegetation as not solely signifiers of life transitions however as strategies for increasing consciousness.
“The intent of the entire Library of Esoterica collection is to have a good time traditions that encourage self-exploration and the deepening of our connections to each the world round us and to one another. With Plant Magick we have a good time a relationship to nature that’s shared globally – with out affiliation with a specific dogma – and our interplay with vegetation, flowers, cacti, fungi, a type of worship that’s practised all around the world.”
SURREALISM
“The surrealists artists are featured in each quantity of the Library of Esoterica, partly as a result of they usually discover esoteric ideas of their work. In Plant Magick, the surreal works play with dreamscapes, with dimension and scope, as in Dalí’s ‘Meditative Rose’ [the cover image], or within the Rene Magritte works.
“We’ve centered notably on the work of the feminine surrealists, the circle of ladies who pushed the boundaries of the shape in their very own distinctly female means. In Plant Magick, that is illustrated fantastically within the work by Remedios Varo and the fantastic {photograph} of painter and theatrical designer Leonor Fini captured at a celebration together with her cloth flower piece worn as a masks.”
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HEALING
“Interacting with nature in any and all methods – tending a plant, strolling by way of a forest, caring for a backyard – all of those experiences might be meditative and therapeutic. The hope is that, by cultivating a deeper reference to vegetation – whether or not it’s watering a houseplant in your windowsill or exploring a park or nature protect – the extra deeply we’ll be capable of take care of ourselves and our planet.”
Have a look by way of the gallery above for a better take a look at a number of the art work featured Plant Magick.
Plant Magick: The Library of Esoterica by Jessica Hundley is revealed by Taschen and available now.
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