A Might-do List for Yule

Yule, known as the Winter Solstice, Mōdraniht (or Mother’s Night), Alban Arthur, marks the longest night of the year. The Solstices are probably some of the oldest holy days celebrated by our species and monuments from around the ancient world were built to align with the sun on these sacred days. It’s a time to gather together in the warmth of each other’s good company and remember that we are interdependent with all life and death on earth. Continuing a project started at Lughnasadh, here’s a list of nine things that you might-do (or not) for Yule and the deepest dark of the year.

Extend the season for less pressure and more cheer. The winter holidays in many parts of the world are times for family reunions, harkening back to our ancestral impulse to gather together with kith and kin to make it through the season. It can be a lot of pressure to try and host everyone on one single day - so don’t. In my household, our Yule season comes to life slowly, really beginning to grow bright starting on the first of three Thursdays from Christmas (aka Knocking Night). For me an extended season of celebration helps me feel that I’ll time for company and time for cozying up under the blankets, the moon hound at my feet, a good book in my hands, and a cup of tea chortling beside me.

Tell stories aloud. Whether reading from your favorite book or making up a story from scratch, the long nights are ripe for the harvesting of stories. We are wired for storytelling and listening to a story is a unique sort of magick that can’t be replicated by solo reading or watching movies. Bonus points for telling a story only by candlelight. 

image via @galina88

Make your own decorations. You don’t have to make all of your decorations, but there is something very sweet (and very Pagan) when it comes to creating your own decorations from items from nature. Homemade decorations made from earth-centered materials help bring us closer to the world rather than separate us from it.  Whether making pomanders, cutting out citrus stars to string about a tree, creating recycled paper chains, or bringing in evergreen boughs to decorate a room, festooning our house can take on the same spirit as dressing an altar.

Celebrate what you already have. From decorations that you’ve bringing out for years to using the same holiday recipe that’s been handed down through generations, practice gratefulness for what you already have in your life - and ones that are specific for the season. Of course, you can expand your gratefulness to all areas of your life, but it can be really helpful to get grateful about the particularities of your life that make the winter joyful - it can act as a buffer against the “must-have!” pressures of the culture at large.

If you buy new, buy small. I recently wrote about the profoundly positive impact shopping small can have on small business owners like myself. If you are going to purchase new items this year, support your locally owned businesses. Second choice would be to support your global network of small business creators. I can’t tell you how many times I am filled with gratefulness (and relief) when an order comes in at the right time and I am able to pay a bill, buy groceries, and continue to run my business. I try and support little and local more often than big and corporate and it pleases me greatly knowing that so many folks are participating  in this powerful spell of interdependence and resilience.

image by @anniespratt

Make sun-shaped foods. As the sun wanes until its weakest point at the Winter Solstice, practicing a bit of sympathetic magick can not only help remind the big gaseous star in the sky that we like it very much, thank you, but also bring cheer to those of us waiting again for warmer days. Cakes and bread can all be shaped into little suns and shared at the festival tables and golden colored drinks can warm us up from the inside out.

Create your own candles. I like to make candles during the Yule season to use for the rest of the year, blessing them at the fire festival of Imbolc. Candlemaking can be a time to meditate on the ways that each of us are a candle in the dark - when we gather together our illumination and warmth grows - and how we care for and tend to the needs of our brightness and the brightness of others throughout the year.

Honor the Wild Hunt. Depending on your cultural orientation, there are many myths surrounding the Wild Hunt and ways of understanding Their work and purpose. One of the important functions of the Wild Hunt for me is that They are the wild-hearted crew which never forgets the names of the forgotten dead and those who have died too soon. In my personal cosmology They are the protectors and seekers of the Queer and Trans dead, bringing them home to peace on billowing clouds of stardust and cackles. They come to land on earth on Yule, after a season of sweeping over the land finding all the lost souls that They love so fiercely, bringing the Beloved and Forgotten Dead to the feasting table for the twelve long nights of Yule, moving on again at the end of December. Set a place at the table for Them, place candles in the windows, and wish swift passage to a place of rest and joy for those departed. In the long passages of dark it is good to remember that there exists a great many Someones who’ll never forget who we are.

image via @frostroomhead

Sing Together. It doesn’t have to be fancy, you don’t have to worry about being in tune, and it requires nothing but your presence and few simple songs, but singing with others is so good for us. Singing is an endorphin-releasing practice and when we sing together we are practicing feeling good with one another. It isn’t a coincidence that so many of our movements for change have been held together with song (here’s a really dramatic and inspiring example) and so many moments of passage in our lives are marked by song (i.e. singing at birthday parties). Songs are a great way to pass on knowledge (modern Pagans do it all the time with our vast collection of ritual chants) and to be sweet and silly with others. There are so many songs for the Yule season that there is surely one that you can find joy singing with others as you sip a hot beverage and light candles for the glittering Hunt.

I’ve written a lot about winter and staying well - from building your winter apothecary to healing and magickal practices of the season. I’ve made a tarot spread for the season and shared a tea or two as well.

However your Yule season unfolds I hope that it brings you closer to the source of love in your life in the many ways that it manifests. That your merry and bright is enduring and ephemeral, sustaining and also open to the magick of a passing flash.

Witchcraft + Weeds : Healing + Magickal Practices for Winter

The days grow shorter and the longest night of the year spreads its cloak of stars across the land. Known by many names including the Winter Solstice, Yule, Midwinter, Alban Arthan, it’s a time of cold, the steady burn of the hearthfire, and gathering together with friends and family.

Even the cities can take on a strange and peaceful silence during the winter (especially after a fresh snowfall). The woods are dark, branches stripped of their leaves, and most animals are hibernating or have moved south to warmer climates. The sharp icy air tingles with the magick of a thousand candles and twinkling lights. I find myself under blankets, sipping hot teas and cocoas, while lost in a good book (it's probably on witchcraft). Now is a quiet time in the apothecary - herbs have already been harvested and charmed into remedies during the fall and, except for the occasional custom blend for a new cold or deep need to create another herbal coffee, there is blissfully less to do.

The Winter Solstice marks the turn of the wheel from the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius to the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn. The frenzy of preparation and transition during the fall settles into the soft energy of winter (especially after the winter holidays have passed). Spend time outdoors enjoying the refreshing chill in the air, but be sure to balance it with warm downtime indoors. Read that book you’ve been putting off. Drink warming teas and add warming spices to your food. Do those things which make you feel cozy.

Weeds

Body System Focus: Kidneys, Bladder, + Liver
or Strengthen + Settle Into Your Flow

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of winter is the transformation of the dryness of earth into the coldness of water. Our bodies are moving from the busyness of gathering our resources in the fall to the settling depths of winter’s dark. It’s time to move from the hurry, hurry, get it done of fall into the slow down and have another cup of tea of winter. Continuing the magick of fall with warming stews and root vegetables. Heating and warming herbs are a must to help us keep our internal fires well taken care of as well as herbs that support the immune system. The plant allies of winter are immunomodulating and sometimes immunostimulating. They are often diuretic in nature, supporting liver and kidney health. If the magick of winter is difficult to connect to, check out the healing ways of Capricorn to help you find a spark of joy.

Weeds are scarce during winter, but the ones that remain are often roots, trees or connected to trees. Evergreens are persistent allies during the winter season and they’re scent alone can have an uplifting and invigorating affect on the body. Autumn's retreat from the summer is complete and the time of the Oldest Ones has arrived with their bare rattling bones and stone teeth. Enjoying foraged weeds as food and medicine is an amazing way to connect with the season and practice self-care. If you want to learn more about the healing properties of weeds, I highly recommend checking out The Wise Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival by Katrina Blair.

Pine (Pinus spp.) : Evergreens like Pine offer some of the only color in far northern climates, keeping their green wrapped around them throughout the year. The needles of the tree are a rich source of vitamin C and make a enjoyable tea. Pine also supports healthy circulation and is a great preventative and restorative remedy from winter illnesses like laryngitis, bronchitis, and the ‘flu. It helps to protect cells from damage - an excellent ally in preventative care against cancer. I collect chunks of the recently fallen sap and add it to honey to create a antiviral, analgesic, and expectorant syrup for coughs and colds. Add the needles to baths for pain-relief and to soften tight muscles. Incorporate Pine into your practice if your health is impacted by feelings of guilt and failure - the tree teaches us how resilient by showing us what is no longer necessary to carry.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) : Chaga is a mushroom that grows on trees such as the Birch. It has recorded use in traditional Chinese medicine since the first century and is a prized medicine in many far northern habitats where it can be found growing wild. I was first introduced to Chaga while living in Maine where I would make crockpots of Chaga hot cocoa at the cafe I worked at (it was amazing stuff). Like many mushrooms, Chaga helps to regulate the immune system - a common need during the winter when colds are passed around like gifts. Chaga has been used in cancer care as it inhibits the growth of tumors and its rich antioxidant content. It’s a hepatoprotective mushroom, acting as a guardian of the liver. I love incorporating it into chai blends and herbal coffees as it lends an earthy and grounding taste.  

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos spp.) : Known also as Bearberry, Uva Ursi is an evergreen shrub with extensive use in both European and American Indian medicine. Where Pine is warming, Uva Ursi is cooling, reducing inflammation and toxin-supporting heat. It’s a classic remedy in traditional western herbalism for kidney complaints including urinary tract infections, urethritis, bladder and kidney stones, kidney infections, pulmonary edema, and more. Uva Ursi also helps with the imbalances to the skin brought about by kidney problems including acne, rashes, and dandruff (use both topically and externally). Uva Ursi is powerful medicine and should only be used for a week at a time with week-long breaks in-between. 

Oregon Grape Root (Mahonia aquifolium or nervosa, Berberis aquifolium or nervosa) : Similar to Uva Ursi, Oregan Grape is another evergreen shrub with antimicrobial and diuretic gifts that support the liver. The root is powerfully cleansing, sweeping through the body and clearing out excess heat. It opens the blood vessels helping to lower blood pressure. It dries up wet, damp, mucusy coughs and assists with general debility. Oregon Grape is a powerful ally when it comes to staph and other infections. The herb is also a great winter bitter, stimulating a sluggish digestive system and supporting a healthy appetite. Like Uva Ursi, skin problems caused by a sluggish liver and digestion are alleviated with Oregon Grape. 

Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) : Roasted Dandelion Root is an essential part of my cozy winter practice. The root supports liver health, gently detoxifying the overtaxed organ. It is wonderfully useful for skin complaints like acne and eczema both as an internal and external treatment. I incorporate the roasted root into chai blends and herbal coffees (both of which, you may have surmised at this point, are very popular in my house during the winter) and it brings a rich coffee-like flavor to the brew. If you’re someone who suffers from heartburn and excess acidity, try adding some Dandelion bitters into your routine before and after meals. Dandelion Flower Essence can be useful for folks who struggle with the dark of long winter nights, feeling hopeless and forlorn. The essence helps to bring brightness and levity to dark places.

Elm (Ulmus Procera) Flower Essence : Elm Flower Essence is for the doers and great sacrificers who do what needs doing, but at the end of the day they are left utterly exhausted. Folks who are best served by Elm are ones that struggle to take time off because so much of their self-worth is tied up in feeling useful to others. Elm teaches us how to find self-worth from within by taking much needed time off. The tree shows us different ways of connecting and communicating with people that doesn’t rely on us wearing ourselves thin. Elm is also useful for anyone who needs to take a break and put their busy lives and what they think must absolutely get done this very second into perspective.

Witchcraft

Winter is a time of both gathering in (as was begun in Autumn) and gathering together. Spend time working on your grimoire or book of shadows by candlelight. Gather together with covenmates, family, friends, and those you love the most for good food and celebrating. Spend time gazing into the dark curve of the night’s mirror and discover what you find gazing back. Open up to the wonder of the season and connect with your inner child who has never lost touch with their magickal thinking. Take a moment to step out of the busyness of the year - whether pleasurable or stressful - and find yourself connecting to your purpose. For to follow the wheel of the year is to honor the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, learning from all three overlapping and entangled phases. Sometimes it’s hard to discover what we feel the purpose of life is until it feels too late. So perform some meditative magick and imagine that you’re about to step through life into death. What would want to know that you had spent your life doing? I have found such a practice to be life-affirming, purpose-aligning, and interwoven with the energies of winter. To help you continue to dive into the world of winter magick, I offer you three forms of winter magick that I practice to help me settle into the power of the darkest part of the year.

3 Paths of Winter Magick

Settling In : We settle in to the season of slowness and dark. Rituals include long-term spells and charms completed over a series of days and weeks; house protection charms and first foot rituals; bringing warmth and nature indoors including candles, evergreen boughs, berries and citrus; divination for goal setting with an emphasis on timing; spells to protect your time; homecoming and soul-loss rituals; body-centered practices to help you come home to your self; pay attention to your need for quiet, calmness, and time spent alone or only with the closest of companions (including our animal friends). 

Settling In Meditation : Beginning in a position that is comfortable for you, notice where there is tension in your body. Then turn your attention to your feet. Create tension in your feet by tightening your foot muscles and curling your toes - hold this for a few seconds and then release the tension (if you have trouble releasing the tension try saying out loud any of the following words: release, soften, open, trust). Then create tension in your lower legs, holding it for a few moments and then releasing. Follow through to your upper legs, bottom, belly, chest, hands, arms, neck and head. Take a deep breath and observe how your body feels different than when you began.

Connecting Cosmically : We listen to the depths within us so that we may remember and connect to our starry origins. Rituals revolve around connecting to the cosmic dance of dark and light; standing in stillness with the sun on the night of the solstice; rising up singing with the dawn; incorporating astrological correspondences and magickal techniques into your workings; studying the night sky and your birth chart; being caught up in your smallness; finding rapture in your never ending expanse.

Connecting Cosmically Meditation : If you’re able perform this meditation under a night sky please do. Spend some time centering yourself through your breath. Listen to the stars in the sky and in the earth beneath you. Listen to the stars in your blood. With every in-breath call the stars towards you. With every out-breath, glow brighter. In with stars. Out and bright with your glow. Repeat this simple cycle for however long you desire. Be sure to end your meditation with a firm grounding and centering, perhaps choosing to eat salty food to help you return fully to your body.

Wishing Well : We welcome in the magick of being awestruck and enchanted through wishing ourselves and others well. Rituals include any and all activities which delight your inner child; performing spells to help you find your joy; connecting with the house and land spirits from a place of joviality and play; creating a ritual that your tween/teen witch self would be proud of; giving sacred gifts and hosting giveaways; rituals of wishing others good fortune as well as community blessings for health and longevity; inviting in the possibility that you are not and have never been broken; remembering to pay attention to the beauty of the world - beauty is always seeking you, so try and let it find you. 

Wishing Well Meditation : Start your meditation by focusing on the statement, “I am enchanted by…” and give space for thoughts, memories, and visions to arise eventually completing the sentence (i.e. I am enchanted by snow flurries dancing along windowsills). Dwell for a time in the feeling of enchantment and of being awestruck. Reflect on the following statement, “I enchant the lives of others by…” In other words, how to move others deeply and help evoke from them a joyful awe of the beauty of the world. 

Sacred Cocoon Oracle

Talisman of Sacred Time

Set aside some time when you'll be uninterrupted (this is the first act of magick for our spell). Make yourself some hot cocoa, get comfortable, and grab a journal or your book of shadows to record the messages you’ll be receiving. The following ritual is part divinatory and part craft. You’ll be creating a talisman to protect your time as sacred in order to help you make choices in your life that align you with your purpose. In other words, instead of spending another weekend shopping mindlessly or scrolling the internet aimlessly, choosing to spend your time caught up in that project you’ve been wanting to do but putting off. Or choosing to lie down, read a book, and go to bed early instead of working another 6 hours into the dusk of morning.

You will need a small pouch of black fabric, some dried Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), a piece of paper and pen, and a tarot deck (or oracle, runes, ogham feda or similar divinatory system).

Begin with divination. Three cards are cast, one for each part of yourself offering a message regarding how to align with time in a sacred manner (i.e. how to spend your time, what to do less of, etc.):

• A message from your past self.

• A message from your present self.

• A message from your future self.

Record any notes and observations that you want to remember. From each card find one word of power. For example, your future self may advise with the word, “explore” while your past self reminds you to “reconcile” and your present self speaks “be.” Write these three words on a piece of paper that can be folded small enough to fit into your talisman pouch.

Keeping the cards out before you, begin to assemble your talisman. Touch the empty pouch to your past, future, and present card, saying:

What was, what shall be, what is.

Repeat this twice more. Then following the same order, say three times through:

Is sacred, is sacred, is sacred.

Finally, fold up your paper and place it in the pouch. Add to it three pinches of Thyme. Thyme is an herb that helps us to bend and shape the current of time running through all of the worlds. Speak the three words of power as you touch each card again with your pouch. Using our example, you would say three times through:

Reconcile. Explore. Be.

Tie up the talisman and seal the spell with a “So mote it be!”

Carry the talisman with you, either wearing it around your neck, slipping it in your pocket, a bra, or other space where it shall be kept close. Speak your words of power to it when you feel time slipping away to regain your footing or when you are spending your time in a way that pleases you to ensorcel it with purpose.

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Tell me about your favorite magickal and healing practices for winter in the comments below. Check out my recipes and herbs for the winter season as well as a tarot season to help you connect to the energies of the darkest point of the year.

Blessed winter!

Winter Warmer : A Gentle Adaptogenic Bitters Brew

I was trading for a tarot deck (something which I love to do) and needed to come up with an herbal remedy as part of the deal. Looking at my tincture cabinet a glowing yellow extract sang out - use me! It was my batch of fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) alcohol extract and from there I created a warming winter potion that has become one of my favorite seasonal remedies.

The winter time can be full of all sorts of enchantment. There's merriment to be had, good food to eat, dark skies to cuddle under, hot drinks to be drunk. And there's also family (for better or for worse), way too much emphasis on consumerism (rather than true giving), and it can be really, really cold (which can be hard on our sweet humxn bodies). 

What I like about my Winter Warmer blend is that it brings heat to the body while also helping out our nervous system and supporting our digestive health. One remedy, many uses - just how I like them. With only a few ingredients, it's easy to make, but the key is to use fresh Ginger to get that delicious spicy bite (don't worry though - I've adjusted the recipe if you only have dried Ginger on hand).

Image by Ian Schneider

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) is a warming stimulant most often used in traditional western herbalism to energize a sluggish circulatory system. It assists with indigestion by waking up our internal digestive fires and clearing out stagnation. I like adding Ginger into blends where I want to break up some tension (hello family during the winter holidays) and find that the herb works well with other classic nervines like Milky Oat.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa) is my most favorite nervine. I love Milky Oat. I love standing in fields of it during the spring. I love it's milky green color when prepared fresh as a tea or as a tincture. I love the way that it feels like an infusion of cozy vibes straight to the nervous system. Milky Oat is one of those food-type herbs that is best taken over an extended period of time to really gain benefits from use. And beyond just working on the physical nervous system, it works on our energetic nerves, too, helping to retrain the ways we choose to take on or let go of stress. A beautiful ally all year round! Read the full Milky Oat plant profile.

Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is an adaptogen that I reach for often because it works well for old folks, young folks, and all of us in-between. It's great for adrenal stress (especially when there are signs of disturbed sleep and brain fog) and it has the added benefit of environmental protectiveness, especially against radiation pollution. What I like about Eleuthero is that it is a gentler adaptogen - it's not too stimulating and can be used for the long-term as an everyday tonic. It's one of the herbs that teaches us a lot when it comes to understanding what being healthy and centered really feels like, helping us to shift away from the idea that adaptogens are "super herbs" (all herbs are super) that will hype us up and fix all our problems. If your life feels too fast, then you might want to try slow remedies like Eleuthero to get yourself re-centered for long-term, sustainable wellbeing.

Winter Warmer
A Gentle Adaptogenic Bitters Brew

Combine the following herbs if you are making a tincture from scratch or blend individual tinctures if you have them already made up:

• 4 parts Fresh Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• 2 parts dried Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)

• 1 part Fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) or 2 parts Dried Ginger

• 1 part Maple Syrup (optional but super yummy)

Brew as a tincture (you can use the folk method or a 1:5 ratio would be just fine). You can make this into a tea - but note that I've not created this recipe with the taste in tea form in mind (though it would probably be quite nice).

Winter Warmer is a great remedy to take before and after meals, but I find myself taking 3 - 5 drops throughout my day when I feel I need a little extra support during the cold of the yuletide season.

Be sure to share your Winter Warmer creations and the other ways you keep it simple at during the season of Yule with the hashtag #ASimpleYule. I'd love to see the ways you're keeping cozy and content this winter.

What are herbs that you can't do without in the winter? Let me know in the comments. If you're looking for more winter inspiration holy heck do I have you covered. Check out my other winter-inspired resources:

• Snowfall: A Simple Yule Tea

• Creating a Winter Apothecary

• Winter Wellness: Healing Herbs for the Dark of the Year

• The Longest Night: Herbs for the Winter Solstice Season

• Winter Solstice: Recipes of Mirth + Brightness

If you're looking for herbal gifts for giving, look no further.

Happy wintering!

Darkest Night : A Winter Solstice Tarot Spread

As we celebrate the longest night of the year we have an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and our desires as they are reflected back at us by the dark mirror of night. The following spread plays with image of the mirror as well as the promise of growing light, helping us to seed our dreams and plant promises for the months ahead.

1. ASKING. What do I desire but don’t let myself have? Or I’m afraid to have? Or afraid that I’ll never have?

2. GIFTING. What would happen if I let myself receive the gift that I desire?

3. RELEASING. What needs to be released in order for you to make space in your life for your desire?

4. ACCEPTING. What lessons have you learned this past year that have strengthened your desire?

5. DISSONANCE. What is something that is dissonant in your life and is causing disharmony?

6. RESONANCE. What is something that is resonant in your life and causes harmony?

7. GUIDING STAR. A message of clarity to guide you on your path of desire.

8. SEEDING STAR. Something that should be “planted” that shall seed your desire. Your seed might be a practice, a move, a business change, or something else, that helps you grow into your desire over the coming months.

Looking for more magickally-inspired Tarot spreads? 

You're invited to peruse my tarot + divination series. Or do you want to learn about herbalism and tarot? Check out my in-depth ecourse - The Tarot Apothecary. Find all the tarot spreads in my Wheel of the Year series via the links below:

• Hallowing: Samhain Spread

• Quickening: Imbolc Spread

• Brightening: Spring Equinox Spread

• Fire + Fields: Beltane Spread

• Bonfire Offerings: Summer Solstice Spread

• First Harvest: Lammas

• Balancing: Autumn Equinox Spread

Snowfall : A Simple Yule Tea

If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw my post on #ASimpleYule.

It's all about celebrating the season of Yule without losing sight of the sacredness of simplicity. With the chaos that 2016 has been simplicity can become a powerful tool of change.

The season of Yule is the land beyond the gate of Samhain.

Where Samhain is the darkening, Yule is the darkness. Blessed be the welcome retreat into the dark. Yet, this year has been heartbreaking and sometimes journeying into the dark feels unwanted. We are living in stressful times and 2017 lies uncertain before us. Organizers, activists, healers, water protectors, and more are attempting to explain the complex and intricate web of identity, oppression, privilege, and the inheritance of trauma. Complexity is needed when we live in a time of post-truth bullies smashing generations of hateful rhetoric into populist soundbites. We need complexity *and* we need simplicity. We need simple truths to remind us to look behind the smoke-and-mirrors of divisiveness. We are all one people (one cranky and compassionate and amazing and heartbreaking and diverse and incredible people). We all live on the same ocean plant. Love is still more powerful, more transformative, more radical than hate. We don't always have to be fighting the fight. Sometimes we need to be dancing the dance and loving our loves. It is alright to have fun. That is doing the work, too. 💕

So join me in finding the simple moments of pleasure needed to sustain us during these challenging times.

Use the tag #ASimpleYule to share your festive photos, the ways you maintain your centeredness during the darkening year, and your favorite charms, recipes, and decorations and more. I can't wait to see what you share!

Snowfall Tea

The following tea uses only three ingredients, but is full of flavor. It also incorporates the sacred colors of the season: red, white, and green! The Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) add natural sweetness, the Peppermint (Mentha piperita) enlivens without over-stimulating (as well as assists with digestion after a rich winter meal!), and the Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp.) is the "snowfall" that the tea is named for.

Blend together the following dried herbs:

• 4 parts Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
• 4 parts Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum)
• 1/4 part Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp.) petals - not the whole flower which can be quite bitter

Brew 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water for 10 - 15 minutes. The longer it brews the sweeter it becomes as the Goji Berries infuse further into the water. Enjoy!

Celebrate #ASimpleYule with more seasonal activities! Read about some of my favorite herbs of winter, create your own winter wellness apothecary or other simple herbal gifts. And you can enjoy more of my favorite recipes with my Winter Apothecary ebook.