Midsommar witch's ladder

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Note: This article was originally published by @gritchenwitch on Instagram. To learn about me and my practice, including more info on folk witchcraft, mountain magic, knot work, and hearthcraft, please visit gritchenwitch.com or join my Patreon at patreon.com/gritchenwitch.

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Here’s my new witch’s ladder inspired by the movie Midsommar.🌞

I was recently talking with a friend about how cool it is when plants and flowers play a role in horror movies. Usually, this goes hand in hand with my connection to the woods (The Ritual, The Blair Witch Project, The VVitch) but I fell in love with Midsommar because of the flowers.

While plants play a central role in pagan traditions throughout the film (spell work, symbology, oneiromancy) they’re also active characters. They creep in unnatural ways when the humans are high, arrange themselves in images to communicate, and flourish and spread over the course of Florence Pugh’s journey, ending with her wearing a colossal May Queen coronation gown made entirely of wildflowers.

I loved the willow branches I used for my last ladder so much that I recycled them. I removed the dried flowers and cleansed the branches with smoke, then weaved fresh flowers throughout. I’m looking forward to seeing how it dries by Midsummer.🌼