Do you believe in magic? When we were kids, it was so easy—almost natural—for us to believe in magic. There was a certain charm to casting spells, making potions, or even wishing on a random star on a starry night. For many of us, as we grew older and we found ourselves in different unexpected directions, we started to let go of our belief in magic. Fortunately, our plants are the best bridge to reconnecting us with this magic, with ourselves, with our curiosity, and even with things yet to be known, and here’s Rachael of Infinite Succulent to tell us more about plant magic.

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [01:19] Have you been to the kindest and plantiest corner of the internet?
• [02:49] What this episode is about
• [06:29] Who is Rachael and what does she do?
• [07:44] Maria shares a heartwarming story about Rachael
• [09:11] Rachael’s academic background, her professional journey, and how she ultimately became the nature connector she is today
• [16:09] How Rachael got started with energy work
• [18:18] What Rachael’s new book is about
• [18:50] How does Rachael define magic?
• [21:36] On the divine timing and trusting the universe to take you where you need to go
• [24:32] Why has connecting with nature never been more important than today?
• [27:33] How can plants help us move energy more intentionally? 
• [30:16] What do negative ions in plants do for our health?
• [31:41] Where to get the best seeds for your 2023 garden
• [32:36] How to combat the low humidity in your home
• [34:37] Why biophilia is becoming a necessity, especially in workplaces
• [36:40] On green witchcraft and connecting with nature through different ways
• [39:22] Why connecting with plants is an inherent trait and experience in all of us
• [43:33] On worshipping nature, religions, and finding spirituality in nature
• [46:25] Different ways to connect with plant magic
• [50:57] How do we know which plants have which energies?
• [53:12] On connecting with the moon and our emotions
• [57:36] Rachael’s magical experience that resulted from her ritual on abundance
• [01:00:34] How plants teach us to be more open to new information and ideas
• [01:03:05] Maria’s current definition of magic
• [01:04:33] Where to find Rachael and her book online
• [01:05:39] What is sacred reciprocity? What is true magic?
• [01:07:12] Maria’s reflections on magic, plant magic, and spirituality

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The Magic of Plants

Who is Rachael

Rachael Cohen is a spiritual life coach, a nature connector, an author, an energy worker, and an intuitive medium. Rachael’s mission is ‘to help people reconnect to nature and reconnect to their soul through their relationship with nature.’

 

What is Magic?

While Rachael believes that magic is intimate and personal, her definition is a spark of divine life force. This spark is the energy we can find in everything: from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the plants we care for to the mundane things we use in our daily lives, and all those things vibrate in different frequencies.

Once we understand these energy frequencies, we can use them to create magic. That is, to move these energy frequencies intentionally. The transformation of the energy we feel then creates the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual experiences we gain from this life.

Meanwhile, for Maria, magic is connection. Magic is when we reconnect with nature, our intuition and inner being, the people around us, and with a greater force, whatever form we see it as.

 

How Plants Create Magic

Plants contain and are magic themselves in many different ways. Just by taking raw materials from the earth like water, sunlight, and soil, they can grow, thrive, and transform these raw materials into the food we eat, medicines we take, clothes we wear, and many other things.

There is also the magic of the many complex and internal processes that occur in our plants. The exchange and flow of energy throughout the whole plant from the leaf to the tiniest roots, similar to the blood and energy that flows through every one of us, reminds us of the one life that we all share.

 

Tips for Creating Plant Magic

Tapping into plant magic can look different for everyone. It can be having dedicated time for your plants in the morning, going for a nature walk or forest bathing, even diving into green witchcraft, or maybe it’s as simple and focused as taking care of one plant on your work desk.

For anyone curious about plant magic, Rachael recommends the following rituals to get started with this profound and enriching experience to plant parenthood:

• Being intentional with your plant placement

After taking care of your plants’ basic needs—light, water, soil—consider where you place them in your home or in your office. As Rachael describes, our plants have different energies and different things they represent, like motivation, focus, openness, and receptiveness, so it matters where you put them.

• Make fresh teas

Making something straight from our gardens is one of the most rewarding experiences as plant parents. This ritual is focused on intentions: thanking your garden for the harvest and thanking your plants for the specific energies and healing properties they will bring as you make tea out of them.

Rachael recommends either dry or fresh tea of your choice as long as there is intentionality in what you’re doing, like kitchen magic!

 

Sacred Reciprocity

With all things that we do and experience, Rachael advocates the belief of sacred reciprocity: that we must give as much as we take.

For our plants and for nature, there should be a return for all the magic that they bring to us, and the biggest way we can give back is to take care of our plants and the environment, especially during this time of crucial climate action. There is already so much we can do just by being mindful!

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Everyday Plant Magic: Change Your Life Through the Magical Energy of Nature, book by Rachael Cohen
• Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share, book  by Rachael Cohen
• The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, book by Julia Cameron
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, book by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More, book by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
• Braiding Sweetgrass, book by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Moon Book
• BAGR Episode 60: Live Taping! DIY Succulent Crowns With Infinite Succulent

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

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