Magick for Protecting Wild Lands from Destruction and Development

Magick to Save Forests and Fields from Senseless Development:

The land where I live was once a sacred forest to the Narragansett Indians.  Now, because South Kingstown is a “high vibe” place to live, these forests are being cut to build McMansions, condo-complexes and mini-marts, destroying the habitats of thousands of wild creatures who have just as much of a right to live peacefully on planet earth as human beings do, and who play a quiet yet essential role in human thriving. This, as well as the resulting increase in pollution that happens wherever human beings dwell (from everything to exhaust emissions to lawn chemicals to straight-up trash), puts strain on the eco-system and "lowers the vibe” - all in the name of profit for some rich man somewhere….

After a forest-glen close to my house which was home to a family of deer was cut down to build an ugly and needless single family house, I vowed to use my magick to prevent as much future destruction of natural habitat as I am able.

When I see a “for sale” sign on a natural landscape, I gather my magickal supplies and enter the forest with a plan to defeat the intentions of those who seek to develop the land for profit or whatever their reasons. (In this lifetime, I’m on the side of the faeries).

 Here’s what I do and what has worked well:

I find an old growth tree – a thick tree of any species.  I wrap my arms around the tree and give it a loving hug.  While in my embrace, I whisper to the tree that it is in danger of being sold and cut down.  I ask the tree to use its roots and branches to warn all the other trees of this threat.  I tell the tree how much I love her, how truly sacred she is to me.

Then I connect with my own roots, feeling the energy of my body run down my legs and out into the ground all the way to the magma core of the Earth and back up again.  I acknowledge the infinite starry sky above me and its light coming down through my crown chakra, so the light of space and the fire of the Earth meet in my body at my solar plexus.

Next I build a small altar at the base of the tree.  I offer incense, light a candle (a tea- light in a clean glass yogurt container makes a fantastic safe and portable candle), offer a seashell and a clipping from a seasonal magickal plant (such as yarrow or St. John’s wort or lavender or rose petals – or if it is Winter, some dried herbs).

I sit in mediation for a few minutes, again connecting into the core of the Earth and infinite Space, creating a charge at my solar plexus.  Then I call upon 3 native animal spirits – I always use hawk, stag and fox, because these are animals I see frequently in and out of the forests around my home – however choose three animals common to your region. 

In my mind’s eye, I visualize these three creatures thriving in their natural habitat.

I explain to the animals that the forest is in danger of being cut down and how that will destroy their precious habitat.  I ask the animal spirits to protect the forest from destruction.  I tell them how much I love them and how I love the forest.  I tell them my prayer for them and the forest to thrive long into the future and that their magick be celebrated and honored by generations to come.

Then I thank them.  I leave my offering altar and bid farewell to the tree and all the trees and I leave the forest.

So far, none of the forests where I have performed this ritual have sold or been cut.  Instead they have been taken off the real estate market.

This is what eco-activism means to me.

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In order to protect this land from being bulldozed and developed into luxury homes we do not need, I performed a ritual of protection for the trees in the usual manner that I do.

I selected an old-growth tree centrally located in the forest. I hug the tree and warn it of the impending danger of destruction. I ask the tree to send a message through its roots to all the other trees that the land is for sale and they are in danger.

Before I begin, I do the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. (See my previous section on Energy Magick & Protection Spells for detailed instructions).

I call upon the spirits of Hawk, Stag, Fox and Hare to be watchers and protect the land from harm.

Then I build an altar at the base of the tree I've selected in the middle of the forest. I include each of these elements:

For the candle, I use a beeswax birthday candle inside a washed-out glass yogurt jar, which serves as a "hurricane" or lantern to protect the flame. The candle is slim and burns through quickly.

I arrange the altar and sprinkle Moon~water around it to created sacred space. I light the candle and the incense. (The incense is a powdered "protection" incense from a local shop called the Veiled Crow).

I chant the Lotus Sutra from Tibetan Buddhism which is "Om Mani Padme Hum" translating to "The jewel is in the lotus".

I carry the burning incense around the trees in the pine grove and then sit and meditate while chanting until the candle burns out.

Am I trespassing on this land? Yes! ~ by man's laws.

Do I forge through unruly briars and under-brush? Yes I do! It's inconvenient but so worth it.

Do I get funny looks from passers-by? Sometimes. Honestly most don't even notice me or see me.

Do I risk pissing somebody off? The question is: Do I care? The answer is NO!

This is what I do every time I see a "for sale" sign on woodlands in my area. So far, none of the forests have been cut down. They've been taken off the real estate market.

There is one exception, a lot of woods right around the corner from my house. It's now a plain looking house on bare, flat land with no residents. I was deep in a guided meditation journey with Emily Blefeld in her Empowered Empath course in Fall 2021 when those woods were being bulldozed. I knew the land was at risk, but I hadn't done anything to protect it. I am reminded every day of the agony I went through for not protecting those trees, and the house, cursed again and again by me, sits empty.

I declare 2023 the Year of the Faerie Queen's Revenge!