I’ grew up In New Orleans, In tbe swamps and Is safe to say that I’m a Swamp Witch.
I know what you’re thinking, what in the name of Gaia is a Swamp Witch? Well, it is actually fairly self-explanatory. A Swamp Witch is a witch who feels the most at home when working with the energies of swamps, bogs, and marshes. Now, most people have a very clear image in their head about what a swamp looks like – a dark wetland with deep, murky water, eerie trees, mysterious noises and eyes that seem to follow you no matter where you go in the swamp. While that is an apt description if we are setting the scene for a horror movie, it is not what Swamp Witches are all about.
Swamp Witches work with the energies of animals like frogs and toads, dragonflies, mosquitoes, alligators, and other such creatures. They work with plants like cattails, lily and lotus, ferns, cypress trees, moss and more. Swamp Witches blend the elements of water and earth seamlessly in their workings making sure that they are grounded in what they do while still allowing themselves to go with the flow.
Being a Swamp Witch opens you up to many different energies as well. Not only do you have the energies of the creatures and plants of the water, but you also have earth and even air. Birds and insects remind us to be free and allow ourselves to go through the necessary metamorphosys that will transform us into our best selves. The creatures of the water, like the frog and the crocodile, are about fertility, abundance, wisdom and playfulness. These animals remind us that learning experiences are all around us if we just open our eyes, as well as not letting our sense of wonder fall to the wayside as we grow up and move through our everyday lives.
The creatures of the earth, like the muskrat, are all about adaptability and learning to overcome challenges. Swamp witches are very adaptable within their magical workings. A Swamp witch can work with pretty much anything they can get their hands on. Cattails, moss, mud, a picture of a dragonfly – a Swamp witch can work some pretty powerful magic with just those items.
Now in terms of what kind of magic Swamp Witches work, it is really up to the individual witch. If you are more comfortable with Conjure type work than go for it. If sigils and High Magick type work is more your speed that’s fine, too. The only requirement to being a Swamp Witch is that you feel at home when using the elements of the swamp.
Whenever I am going to be doing work in which I invoke the powers of the swamp, I wear as much green, blue and brown as possible. I really like to wear jewelry that has stones or images that are reminiscent of swampy energy – my peridot frog earrings work exceedingly well when doing swamp based magic – I also like to wear flowing clothes because the flowiness reminds me of the water in a swamp.
Let’s talk about what an altar for a swamp witch might look like. If you have a backyard in which you can have a water feature, like a fountain or small pond with a waterfall, that’s awesome. With this, you can plant some lotus flowers and lily pads and allow some moss to grow on the rocks around it. If this is not an option for you, like you live in an apartment or you just don’t have the space in the yard, an indoor altar will work just fine.
An indoor altar does not need to be extravagant, if all you have available to you is a shelf, that is fine. All that is really needed is some water, a few candles, and some items that remind you of the swamp. If music and sound resonate with you, get one of those little frog shaped guiros and keep it on the altar as your way of setting sacred space. If you have a chance to go to an actual swamp, maybe you can take a little bit of the native moss home, carefully and respectfully of course. As with any type of magic, your altar space is personal and should be set up however you like it, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it.
The last thing I would like to say is this: the only requirements for being a Swamp Witch are the following.
Feel at home with the energies of the swamp, regardless of where you are from.
Working with the energies of the swamp in your magic.
Being respectful of the animals and plants of the swamp when privileged enough to be around such beings.
