Thank you for visiting my website! Szandor’s Phytomancy began from a simple passion: crafting small terrariums. After accumulating an abundance of thrifted jars, I realized others might also find joy in creating these miniature ecosystems. Thus, SP was born. Our humble beginnings featured kits assembled with lo-fi materials—plastic sandwich bags for substrate, gallon-sized bags as gift wrap, and assorted containers for plants. We’ve come a long way since those early days!
A core mission of this venture is to share the therapeutic benefits of terrarium building and plant care. Personally, engaging with plants and maintaining a houseplant collection has significantly improved my mental health, offering peace in my ongoing battle against depression. This isn’t just anecdotal; studies have shown that interacting with indoor plants can reduce stress and enhance overall well-being .*
Beyond the personal, I find immense joy in constructing terrariums of all sizes, from tiny jars to expansive vivariums designed for exotic pets. After years of exploration, I’ve discovered that arranging natural elements within containers is my artistic medium.
One of my aspirations is to create a large-scale vivarium for public display, sharing this art form with a broader audience.
What is Phytomancy?
“Phytomancy” combines the Greek words “phyto” (plant) and “mancy” (divination), translating to “divination by means of plants.” In the context of this project, it’s a fictional school of magic centered around plants. This business also serves as an outlet for my creative writing, with each terrarium accompanied by its own lore. Szandor’s unique brand of phytomancy involves crafting terrariums as mana batteries—each containing magical elements like decay, earth, water, and plant life, attuned to harvest specific energies for future use. The exact applications of this magic system are still evolving.
A note: while I go by Szandor here, my real name is Jeff. Szandor is a fictional persona I adopt for this project, inspired by my middle name and a flair for the dramatic, much like magicians such as Harry Houdini. Coincidentally, both of us are Hungarian-American, a detail that enriches Szandor’s backstory.
This blog serves as a space for both fiction and learning. If you’re interested in tutorials, stories, or simply exploring the world of terrariums, I invite you to follow along. I hope you find inspiration and knowledge here!
*I did not find anything specifically about terrariums (that weren’t from a specific smart terrarium enclosure vendor), but here are some studies about plants and mental health.
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