I am honored to have been invited to this year’s Viridis Genii Symposium as a presenter and workshop host! The virtual event took place September 23rd – 25th 2022. I am glad we made it work despite the 9 hour time difference. I shared nearly all my knowledge on plants and creating art with them and introduced my way of combining ritual magic with phytography. It was wonderful to receive such positive feedback both on my presentation and workshop.
The publication accompanying the annual event features also my essay on Phytography (introducing the term), my encounter with the guardian of the witch hazel and two illustrations by me. The book can be ordered here: https://viridisgenii.com/product/viridis-genii-series-7-vol-2/
Creating Magical Images of Plants – Combining Phytography and Ritual Magic
1 hour lecture + 3 hour workshop included the following topics:
- methods of ritual magic, sympathetic magic and planetary magic
- indepth information on plant pigments
- short history of nature printing
- alternative photography processes feat. work by Malin Fabbri and Kristina Feldhammer
- Datura wrightii flower at Pinwheel Cave California
- examples of phytographs created with coffee and plants
- workshop guides through the ritual creation of your own magical plant paper talismans
- question & answer on anything plant/ritual related
Workshop materials provided to attendents include:
- ritually harvested, pressed flowers and plants
- absorbent paper
- signed print of the witch hazel seal
Phytographs created during the 3 hour Workshop:
- Magnolia, hour of Venus
- Fennel, hour of Mercury
- California Poppy, hour of Mercury + Moon
- Blue Lotus, hour of Moon
- Witch Hazel, hour of Saturn
My gratitude goes to the organizers Catamara and Marcus as well as the team of people that made it all possible, especially Kim, Katrink and Prof. Porterfield. Huge thanks also to the people that attended and took part in the workshops, especially David!
I am looking forward to the next point in time when the portals open for communing with the genii of the plant kingdom.
Wiebke Rost 
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