Via Hedera - Bramble in August

When summertime is here so is the power of the lush blackberry bush (also called the bramble). Mother of waysides, father of highways and byways, caretaker of lands and feeder of people – we hail the high summer call to its sweet and thorny guidance, its constancy, its inherent sweetness. Blackberries, fruitful and swift to grow, long to linger, hard to kill! This is the magic they bring us come summer. Bramble is not a fickle plant spirit. They are enduring, grasping, and persistent. In your circles, spells, rites, and magic work, turn to this hearty and intrusive spiritual force to grow a thicket of protection around yourself and your work, to sweeten a guarded love, and to inspire endurance. Create a vessel for these spirits to dwell in. A cotton, linen, wool, hemp, or silk bag, a woven basket, etc., will suffice and are a biodegradable option. Do you remember that the devil of the crossroads, graves and hilltops are said to cast this herb, spitting upon it, tramping it, and honouring it from Michaelmas to Hallowtide, so take the sunny days of August to bless your home with this vigilant spirit that is favourable to Venus the sphere of romance and kindness. Let the scent of its baked petals and the prick of its wisdom guard you and guide your soul. 

A Bramble Spirit Vessel

Take a length of a natural fabric, such as linen or cotton. 5 inches wide by 10 inches long. Fold this in half and sew the left and right edges shut to form a simple square bag. Steep the bag in 3 cups of warm water mixed with 2 teaspoons of potassium alum. Lightly simmer 2 1/2 cups of water and one cup of freshly harvested mashed blackberries with 1 teaspoon full of freshly squeeze lemon juice. Place some mixture in a glass bowl and steep for 1 to 3 hours. Rinse the bag in cold water a few times and dry it in the shade overnight. To prepare the contents for the bag, harvest blackberry materials while singing a bittersweet song. Dry a healthy leaf, a prominent thorn, an unblemished flower, and a young ripening blackberry. Powder these components when they’re fully dried and place them in the vessel. Anoint the vessel in noonday sunlight, holding it with both hands, and feed it kind, strong, and encouraging words. Feed it well. Carry the vessel with you in your work, and pray to the bramble spirits to cast thorns when you need them. They can be used to sweeten life when you seek growth, and can treat all that affects you. Call to the spirits when you are lonely and vulnerable, that they may come for you and protect you.  By Via Hedera from Llewellyn’s Witchcraft Calendar 2025