Knowing Beauty: Tarot and Tea for Libra Season

Welcome to Libra Season and my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

The beginning of Libra season marks the Equinox (Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere and the Spring Equinox in the southern). The winds have changed and the air sign of Libra finds us at a point of balance between seasons. Balance is a central theme of Libra season and with the scales as its symbol, Libra helps us to assess (in a gentle, earnest, beauty-seeking way) what needs more balancing in our life. What was prepared and worked for in Virgo season can be better appreciated during the season of the scales. While Virgo's energy can be spread wide, looking at the big picture of all that needs to get done, Libra's energy is more loose, more dispersed, more adept at wandering and wondering. 

Libra is a cardinal air sign which means that it carries the energy of impetus, new beginnings, a bit of bravery, and a lot of hope (Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn are also cardinal signs but in other elements). The sign carries the skill of seeking out and in the case of Libra, it is often seeking out beauty. While Virgo may have focused on the practicalities of filling a pantry so that a community feast can be laid out, it is Libra that finds the beauty of a pantry well stocked, adding fairy lights to the space, and maybe making hand drawn labels for the jars. In considering Libra I think of the song Bread and Roses - if Virgo is the bread, then Libra is the Roses. Libra teaches us that beauty and the knowing of beauty in one's world is as essential as any other nutrient. And to be clear, I'm not talking about a beauty that is only skin-deep and narrowly defined by an overculture that fears untethered beauty. The grand magick of Libra is the way in which learning of the expansive nature of beauty creates a culture of radical inclusivity and kindness. 

We learn with Libra how to seek out beauty in our worlds, both inner and outer, and to face the fears and insecurities that may arise from such an endeavor with the airy breeziness that Libra embodies. That fear of yours is paper thin, darling, Libra tells us, you can look right through it to the beauty and power just beyond. Libra energy can sometimes be dismissed as inconsequential and frivolous - but that's only when we seek out beauty that is as thin as our fear. To be beautiful and know one's beauty and the beauty of one's community under an overculture which denies so much beauty in this world is an act of courage. Sometimes Libran energy, in its balance seeking, can avoid or overcompensate for conflict, creating patterns of worry instead of wonder. But, if we find a bit of bravery and beauty, Libra season helps us to explore how courageous we are in our lives and in our love.

Knowing Beauty
Libra Season Tarot Spread

Seeking out beauty in the world, especially in the places and spaces where we least expect to find it, is exhilarating and exhausting and wondrous. Libra brings the breath of hope and a commitment to reconciliation. Sometimes the energy of Libra season shows us what needs balancing in our life by pointing out where there is the most conflict and unrest because Libran energy automatically seeks to soothe and repair.

Libra asks us, "How well do you know beauty in your life?"

Understanding what we find and know as beautiful in our lives is one of tools of repair that Libra uses most often. Conflict can reveal hard truths, but extended and unnecessary conflict can weaken our ability to know our beauty and the beauty all around us. Seeking out beauty is to seek to expand the narrative of what is possible in our life and the following tarot spread helps us to find beauty and the paths of expansiveness we might journey along.

Card 1. That Which Is Beautiful About Me

A joyous card or an uncomfortable card or a bit of both depending on your level of knowing about your own beauty. You might choose to work with the symbolism of this card, creating altars and/or affirmations, throughout the season of Libra as a spell of awakening beauty in your life.

Card 2. That Which is Beautiful About My World

This card helps us to see the beauty that exists in our world. It is another card that may initially cause us to retract as it holds up a mirror of what expansive beauty lives around us that we might not have been able to see or acknowledge just yet.

Card 3. That Which Hides Beauty in My Life

A card that reveals to us the obstacles (including people), habits, and/or beliefs we carry that hinder our ability to know beauty. This card speaks to our fears and the ways that they have dulled our courage.

Card 4. That Which Expands Beauty in My Life

A card of hope which helps us understand the habits, beliefs, people, and more that support our growing bravery in knowing the beauty of the world and seeing ourselves within it.

Card 5. A Message for Libra Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Libra season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Libra season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Kidneys and Your Hormones

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your kidneys and bodies filtration systems and more broadly your hormonal system, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @tspoonphoto

A Tea for Libra Season

How do we nourish the energy of Libra? Traditionally, Libra is the sign which guards the filtration function (i.e. the kidneys and urinary tract) as well as the hormonal balance of the body (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Libra). Libra seeks out balance and so being mindful of hormonal balance, as well as experiences of extremes (i.e. making sure to stay hydrated during a heatwave), and the sacredness of boundary setting to support a healthy nervous system are all Libran concerns. I love using Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) as the base for many of my Libra-inspired blends as the gentle herb is balancing, antioxidant rich, and creates a beautiful hue of pinkish red when brewed. Nettles (Urtica dioica) support the body's filtration functions while also bringing in much needed nutrients to help us feel steady and balanced while Damiana (Turnera diffusa) helps to open the heart by reducing stress.

• 4 parts Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) 

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• ½ part Damiana (Turnera diffusa)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Libra). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @anniespratt

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♎️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Libra? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

Another Libra plant that I didn't feature in my tea but is a wonderful ally to the energies of the season is Angelica (Angelica archangelica) and Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is another wonderful Venusian ally. If you need help relaxing into the energy of Libra season and tend to tension and worry, Vervain (Verbena officinalis) might be a good ally for you to connect with.

May Libra season be a time of beauty for you, of loving your aesthetic, and of learning about new ways of finding loveliness in the world.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

Being of Service: Tarot and Tea for Virgo Season

Welcome to Virgo Season!

This is my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

Virgo straddles the seasons, marking the end of summer and the start of fall in the northern hemisphere and the end of winter and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. There are a few symbols for the sign of Virgo, including a sheaf of wheat, representing the health and abundance of the harvest and deep connection to the land, as well as the Virgin, representing someone who is unto themselves and imbued with the powers of self-determination. One of the symbols proposed for Virgo was the donkey which gives you an idea of the stubbornness and steadiness associated with the sign. The energy of Virgo season is very much one of getting on with it - the weather is changing and so must we. While Leo season can have the feeling of endless summer, Virgo season brings in a very practical air of preparing for the needs of community and the structures (including homes, workplaces, third spaces and so on) that need tending to. 

Virgo is a mutable Earth sign and carries the energy of meeting the needs of self and community as they arise (Gemini, Sagittarius, and Pisces are also mutable signs). In other words, they know what healing herbs and spices need to be added to the soup pot to best serve whoever is coming to tonight's potluck. Whenever I think of Virgo, I think of living, breathing, community-centered healing spaces and temples, where folks can be welcomed in, cared for, fed, and nourished on a soul level. In comparison to other earth signs, where Taurus might be deep in the garden tending to the flowers and the fruits needed for the community meal and Capricorn is calculating what it's going to take to keep the community healing space operating, it is Virgo at the front door, welcoming folks in and adapting their greeting depending on who arrives.

With Virgo we learn what it is we are called to be of service to, where it is we can facilitate most healing in the world, and, from a shadow perspective, what it is we fear is "unfixable" about us or we are afraid to reach out for help about. Sometimes Virgo energy can make us feel anxious - there is so much need for healing in the world, where do we even start - and some of us cope by overworking and burning ourselves out. Other times, there can be an overdeveloped sense of paticularlness (it needs to be done just so!) and avoidance of acknowledging that all of us need and deserve to be cared for and loved upon. Exploring the energy of Virgo is an opportunity to hear more clearly our calling in life as well as more consciously connect to our own tender and vulnerable needs to be helped and supported.  

Being of Service
Virgo Season Tarot Spread

Learning what it is we feel called to do and be in the world, and where it is we will contribute to healing our communities, is a lifelong practice of self-reflection shaped by the mirrors of the relationships we are in (including with people, creatures, land, sea, and sky). Will a single tarot spread tell you what your calling is? No, but the following tarot spread is not trying to tell you anything, but rather affirm what it is you already know deep down within. The great gift of Virgo is that the energy of the sign helps us to put into practice our calling. We might know what our calling is, but how that is going to manifest will shift and change as we grow into understanding the sacredness of our service. 

Virgo asks us "Where are you called to serve?"

I am called to be an herbalist, for example, and early on in my career I was called to make herbal remedies and run a small private practice, whereas now my focus is more on teaching other people how to make their own remedies and focus on community spaces of learning, reflection, and connection. In another decade the shape of my service will have changed again which it's why it's so important to have self-inquiry practices (like the tarot spread below) to help us reconnect with what it is we are called to do and be, the support we need in order to be of service, and the current shape that our practice is taking.

Card 1. That Which Calls to Us

This card helps us to better understand what our calling is. Often this card highlights the theme of our calling (i.e. pulling the Three of Swords symbolizing being of service to those in the process of grief or heartbreak), but sometimes it can be more literal (i.e. pulling the High Priestess which speaks to your calling to take up spiritual vows and commit to esoteric studies). Dissonance or confusion with this card often points to one of two things: first, maybe it's not the right time to be doing this reading or second, there is internal resistance to your calling which is being reflected back to you in the card.

Card 2. The Shape Of Our Service

This card helps us to understand the path that our calling is currently taking us on. If you pulled the Three of Swords for your first card and pull the Queen of Swords or Cups for this card, perhaps you're being called into the role of a therapist. Generally, this card reads as a "next steps" card to the first - you understand your calling better, so now what?

Card 3. That Which Needs Nourishing

It can be easy (often exciting!) to focus on what we are called to do and be in the world. It's often much harder to consider all of what it's going to take to keep us well as we answer our call. This card highlights areas of your life that need more nourishment.

Card 4. That Which Needs Asking Of

This card helps us to understand the parts of our calling that we need to be reflecting on and understanding better. Answering a calling is not just about being of external service to the world, but the inner transformation that happens as we understand ourselves better through our service.

Card 5. A Message for Virgo Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Virgo season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Virgo season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Powers of Digestion

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your digestive system and the nervous system as related to digestion, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @ireneivantsova

A Tea for Virgo Season

How do we nourish the energy of Virgo? Traditionally, Virgo guards the digestive system of the body including the intestines, digestive enzymes, and the connection between the gut and the brain (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Virgo). The energy of Virgo is a nutrient rich meal that satisfies not only the hunger of the body, but the hunger of the spirit. In order to enjoy nutrient rich meals, we need to be able to properly digest and process whatever nutrients come our way. Virgo energy benefits from supporting the process of rest and digest that so often gets disrupted in our modern culture. So the foundation of our blend is beautiful Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) which helps us to process our internal and external experiences (i.e. digesting our environmental, emotional, and physical experiences). Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) brings in digestive support as well as calming the nervous system while Skullcap (Scutellaria recutita) continues to nourish the nervous system and bring in clear-headedness. Alternatively, if your nervous system is struggling to rest and sleep, you might replace Skullcap with Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) to help create a deeper state of restfulness.

• 2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• ½ part Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) or Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Virgo). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @floppypaste

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♍️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Virgo? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

Another Virgo plant that I didn't feature in my tea but really love, is Peppermint (Mentha piperita) - you can find a full profile of the herb here. If you struggle with some of the more anxiuos energy of Virgo my favorite calming nervine remedy is Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and it might be some time for some lunar-inspired rest.

May Virgo season be a time of healing and restoration, of uplifting healing spaces, and community joy.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

Daring Bravely: Tarot and Tea for Leo Season

Welcome to Leo Season!

This is my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac and you can learn more about the whole series here.

The season of the Lion begins as summer slowly softens into the start of harvest season, where autumn still feels a long way off but we also know that summer's show is soon to end. In the southern hemisphere, the season of Leo is about the warming of the year as winter recedes and the promise of spring begins to come onto the stage. If Cancer is a season of (re)collecting and memory (whether under the bright exposure of a summer sun or within the long shadows of a winter night), the season of Leo is about learning how to fully express what has been found and has been defined as important, sacred, and necessary in our lives.

Leo is a fixed Fire sign which means that it intensely embodies the energy of a season. In other words, Leo helps us realize that we're here so how are we going to show up? Leo is one of those signs that often gets a less than flattering reputation but since all of us have all of the signs in our charts, I hope that we can expand the narrative of the Lion beyond dismissing its energy as needlessly dramatic. (1) Whether we're in the depths of summer in the northern hemisphere or winter in the southern hemisphere, Leo Season is a time to explore what has been dismissed (by ourselves and/or others) in our lives, what we've hidden away because we're afraid of shining too brightly, and what it's time to reveal.

Leo can ask us to do some brave (and scary) things like stand up for what we believe in, disrupt dangerous and harmful narratives, rewrite stories that no longer serve us, and help to create a stage in which more stories can be told. Leo energy helps us to recognize that everyone is putting on a performance of some sort and we're all in the process of performing from a place of greater authenticity and desire - so it's time to face what we're afraid of being seen as and have others see in us. When we learn how to work with Leo energy we learn how to thrive in our self-expression, help create and hold space for others to thrive as well, and learn how to perform from places of authenticity.

Daring Bravely
Leo Season Tarot Spread

The guardian planet Leo is the Sun which defines how much energy we're comfortable holding and expressing. In other words, through the Sun we understand our capacity for doing and being in the world, what our limitations are, and where our energetic sweet spot lies. For Leo, the world's a stage, and understanding our Sun is to know where we are inherently most comfortable on that stage: Are we in the center performing a monologue? Behind the scenes styling props? Working with the audience or performers themselves? Writing the script? Doing building maintenance? Even though we have a solar sweet spot, throughout life we're not always where we want to be and it takes communication, honesty, and bravery to move about the stage to where we feel most at home. Leo energy helps us to define what it is we want to be guided by (i.e. writing a script that works for us, decorating our stage with props that support us, finding castmates we love and who love us) and grow our the expansive power of our hearts with that knowledge. But all that growing and heart-opening stuff can be scary.

Leo asks us "What are you afraid to express?"

Since there can be so much smoke and mirrors within a performance, it's important to know what is real and truthful, including what is you and what is someone's else's expectation of you. Leo is a skilled sorter of shadows and helps us to understand what truth we need to express about ourselves and when it's time to remove our masks. The following spread helps us to seek out our bravery through understanding our fear while at the same time reaching out to find our strengths.

Card 1. That Which Set the Stage

This card is an overview of the part of how supportive your life feels for being able to perform your story (i.e. show up in your life in the ways you are called to move through the world). Refer back to the Gemini Season spread if you need more insight on telling your story. You can choose to read this card as a general overview of your life's landscape or focusing on one particular area of your life (i.e. work life, a specific relationship, and so on). 

Card 2. That Which Is Feared

This card highlights the fear that is showing up in your life right now and appears to be an obstacle in your path. It is meant to help you name your fear out loud and see it for what it is instead of avoiding acknowledging it or growing it beyond proportion to reality. Sometimes this card can describe the mask you created for yourself in order to protect yourself from your fear coming to be.

Card 3. That Which Is Brave

This card helps you to recognize the strengths you carry and how acknowledging these strengths is a practice in cultivating bravery. 

Card 4. That Which Opens the Heart

This card suggests a path into heart-opening work, where you can begin to show up as the story you want to tell in the world, living beyond your fear and into your bravery.

Card 5. A Message for Leo Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Leo season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Leo season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Heart

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your heart, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @corinarainer

A Tea for Leo Season

How do we nourish the energy of Leo? We make beautiful teas with bold colors full of heart-opening herbs. Traditionally, Leo is a sign of the heart, the chest, and the movement of energy throughout the body (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Leo). I've chosen Rose (Rosa spp.) to bring a heart-opening energy into our tea and paired it with Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna) which acts both as a physical and energetic tonic to the heart body. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) brings warmth and opens the chest, expanding energy from the heart outward. Rosemary is also helps to cultivate strength of will and courage in the body. Blended together, these plant allies create a sweet and bold brew ready to support all of your courageous endeavors.

• 4 parts Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• 2 parts Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Leo). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @kent_pilcher

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♌️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Leo? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

Though I didn’t include them in this particular Leo tea recipe, Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is one of my favorite Leo plant allies and heart tonics - I’ve written a full plant profile on them for you to explore. Want to learn more about beloved Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)? I’ve written an exclusive plant profile for my patrons.

And since Leo tends to bring the energy of gatherings and bringing folks together, here are some of my favorite plant allies to support social connections without burnout.

May your Leo season be bright and sweet, full of heart light and brave connectivity.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

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Footnotes

(1) I feel like Leo, along with Scorpio, gets a lot of hassle as a sign as folks try to frame the Lion as a drama queen and Scorpio as wildly promiscuous. In the overculture, modern astrology is seen as the domain of women and those deemed too effeminate, so these little misogynistic narratives seep in to keep Leo's confidence in check and shame the sexuality of Scorpio (because confident, unashamed womxn and femmes are a threat to the powers that be).

The truth is that all the signs are prone to drama, just in different areas of life, but Leo Sun signs can tend to be more honest and unabashed about their needs and desires in public - which is a big no for womxn and femmes in our culture. Sexuality is a universal experience, too. Scorpio Sun signs are not more or less sexual than any other sign of the zodiac - they just happen to be intense creatures in relationships of all kinds, sexual or not, because they’re more often interested in the diving into the depths than surface matters.

Fortunately, astrology stories are being rewritten and expanded upon in beautiful ways these days, so these misogynistic binds will continue to be undone as kinder cultures emerge. But let's continue to disrupt these stories (and give our Leo and Scorpio stars some breathing room to grow into who they want to be) to strengthen our communities as we dream a new world into being.

Finding Balance: Traditional Western Herbalism Energetics in Practice

In part three of my series on the elemental energetics of traditional western herbalism, we’re putting what we’ve learned in part one and part two into practice. If you haven’t read them yet, please start with the first two parts of the series to help you understand the practices I’ll be exploring below.

Let’s begin by helping ground us in the process of sacred inquiry. I want to help you move the four elements from a place of theory, only to be thought about, into a place of being felt in your life and practice. So, I invite you to orient yourself towards each element through the compass directions they correspond with beginning with Air in the East, Water in the West, Earth in the North for the northern hemisphere, South for the southern, and Fire in the South for the northern hemisphere, and North for the southern hemisphere. Practicing with the elements tied to the four directions has helped me to ground my practice and what can feel abstract (such as the zodiac being mystical animals and creatures floating in the stars somewhere out there) to something I can literally turn to and face and know both within and without.

The Elemental Compass Meditation

Preferably performing this elemental compass exercise outside, as you turn to each direction observe both what is in your immediate environment as well as the global environment. Start by facing to the East, the direction Air, and of the rising sun. What do you observe in this direction both in your surroundings and in your internal landscape? Do you have ancestors that travelled from the East to the place you are now? When you consider the qualities of the East (new beginnings, impetus, all forms of communication, individual identity, and inspiration) and Air what comes up for you?

Next turn to the South and the direction of Fire if you are in the northern hemisphere or to the North if you are in the southern hemisphere. Ask yourself the same questions that you asked in the East. The direction of Fire is a place of creativity and justice, desire and willpower.

Continue to the West, the direction of Water, and proceed as before. The West is a place of dreams and intuition, the worlds beyond, and the collective consciousness.

Turn to the North and the direction of Earth if you are in the northern hemisphere and the South if you are in the southern hemisphere. The direction of Earth is a place of foundations and manifesting, of the cycle life, death, decay, and renewal, and of all things physical.

Finally, journey to the center of your compass and take time to stretch deep below, like the roots of a tree. Stretch high above, like the branches of the tree reaches up to the sky. And finally pull deep within to find all the worlds swirling together.

After any kind of meditation like this it is important to do something grounding and centering (like stretching or moving your body gently or eating and drinking something). Be sure to jot down some notes about the experience if you feel called as these observations can be interesting and useful to revisit. Or don’t, because that is just fine too, and not everything needs to be written down.

Another way to do this meditation is to sit with each of the directions at different points of the night and day. So begin at sunrise facing the East, return to the South (or North) at noon when the sun is at its peak, face the West at sunset, and return to the North (or South) at midnight.

A System of Measurements

When we use an elements based system in our herbal practice we are, in a broad sense, using elemental terms to understand and describe what we need and what we wish to release in a language that is less weighed down with judgement than some of the other words we might've been given. Instead of denigrating the way that someone has energy that is slower (something which is devalued in capitalism-driven culture like in the USA), we can honor this slow energy as manifestation of the Element of Earth within us, whole and holy. If we feel the need for it, we can invite in energizing Fire or Air herbs and activities to appropriately speed up energy systems that may be moving too slowly for our wellbeing. To work with the elements, whether the four sacred elements as presented below or elemental traditions within your own cultural frameworks, is to humble yourself to the mystery of both the profound (the elemental building blocks of all life in the universe) to the everyday (the elements that went into building the screen that you're now reading this on or in the making of the food you've eaten today). 

There are multiple approaches to how you might incorporate the four elements in your own herbal, healing, astrological, and/or magickal practice. It can be as simple or as complex as you want, guided more by intuition or relying more on tradition - it's up to you. As you work with the four elements in your life and practice your understanding of them will shift and change the more you engage with this part of traditional western herbalism. 

Primarily, the four elements are a system of measurement. In the simplest terms, and in a way that our traditional western herbalism ancestors would recognize, the elements measure excess and deficiency in the body. When I speak of the body I am describing the wholeness of someone's experience - the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and so on - as well as how their inner world reflects their outer world and vice versa. The four elements are not only used to describe a person's inherent constitutions and experience of life, but they are also used to describe a plant's energetics as well as the energetics of a disease. Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), with its heating qualities and spicy flavor, is an herb of Fire, just as a fever would be considered an illness with excess Fire, or a person who is prone to dry skin has a lot of Fire in their inherent constitution.

Beginning in your own life you can start to explore what elements are predominant, lacking, weakened, in excess or somewhat neutral for you. You can do this in a number of ways from looking at your birth chart and seeing what element(s) are most represented or by reading the above descriptions and finding yourself in the illustrations of each element. Or by trusting your own self-awareness and intuition. After exploring the elements within your own constitution you can begin to find them in the world around you from plants, to illnesses and health imbalances, as well as other people and creatures. This awareness helps us to practice the important skill of remediation or finding ways to bring healing energies into a situation in order to bring about a state of balance and wellness.

Elemental Remediation in Practice

At its most basic level, remediation is the process of strengthening or diluting the energies of one or more of the four elements present in a body. Below I've posted examples of remediation techniques for each element, so you can begin to get an idea for how you might intentionally incorporate the four elements into your healing work. 

background image via @lukaszlada

Remediating Air

Excess Air: Hyperactive and hypersensitive. Thin, balding, dry skin, poor circulation due to inability to retain heat. Flighty, indecisive, talkative, anxious, obsessive. Social media and technology addiction. Poor listening skills. Symptoms of dis-ease may include 8 gas and flatulence. Remedies of Earth. Roots and berries. Vitamins, minerals, and salt baths. Warm food and environments. Moistening herbs such as demulcents and nervines of all sorts. Art and movement based therapy to channel excess Air energy. Alternatively, stillness and silence. Uninterrupted sleep and dream therapy. Meditation. Calming music. Some Water therapies to soften the overtaxed nervous system and neural pathways. 

Lack of Air: Tension and heaviness. Sluggishness and weakness. Lack of circulation and oxygenation. Asthma, tight chest, feeble lung capacity, weak heart, low blood pressure. Indecisive. Lack of willpower and imagination. Poor communication skills. Social anxiety. Remedies might include meditative breathing exercises. Getting fresh air. Travel. Air-borne remedies including sacred incense and aromatherapy diffusers. Brain tonic herbs, circulatory tonics, and lung tonics. Laughing. Speech therapy. Educational activities and challenges (including brain training apps). 

background image via @77timon

Remediating Fire

Excess Fire: Hot, sometimes sweaty (with water in the chart) or atrophied (with air in the chart), dehydrated. Angry, agitated, irritated, inflamed, compulsive. Out-of-control, attention-seeker, adrenaline addict. Hyperactivity. Sensitivity to sunlight, sunburn, and sunstroke. Violent dreams. High blood pressure, heart attacks, aneurysms. Symptoms of dis-ease include inflammation, dry and flaking skin, fevers, boils, acne, chronic infection, and insomnia. Remedies of Water. Sedating and refrigerant herbs. Liver tonics. Cold and cool foods and environments. Anger management. Quiet and reflective activities including meditation, gentle swimming, calming yoga, and being still. 

Lack of Fire: Weak-willed and lacking desire for life. Low libido, low blood pressure, infertility. Depressed, lacking self-worth, bored. Poor digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Lack of creativity. Feeling purposeless. Inefficient body temperature regulation. Cold extremities and extra sensitivity to cold. Remedies include warm and hot food, drink, and environments. Spices and stimulating herbs. Blood-building herbs and digestive tonics. Exercise. Art therapy and classes. Exciting music, movies, and performances. Be sure to give fire something to ground in (earth remedies), be fed by (air remedies), and be tempered by (water remedies). 

background image via Aaron Burden

Remediating Water

Excess Water: Weepy, emotionally overwhelmed, and ungrounded. Tends towards daydreaming and childlike behaviors. Weak personality. Dependency, co-dependency, and addiction. Stagnation and too much damp. Compromised lymph nodes and glands. Tendency to sleep too much and drowsiness. Poor muscle tone, weak bones, teeth, and cartilage. Excess unwanted weight. Symptoms of dis-ease include water retention, bloating, sluggishness, weight gain, tenderness and swelling, excess fluids, growths and tumors. Remedies of a Fire nature including warm food and environments. Spices, including spiced tea. Avoid cold and wet foods. Sunbathing. Warm colors and heat lamps. Astringents and circulatory tonics. Warming movement and exercise. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Affirmations and positive reinforcement. 

Lack of Water: Dry, tense, over-exhausted nervous system, emotionally out-of-touch or unexpressive, insensitive. Cries very little or difficulty crying. Always thirsty Lack of fluids. Dry digestion and constipation. Symptoms of dis-ease include dry mouth, lack of lubrication, scant menses, and low libido. Remedies should be water-based including fluid based remedies (especially teas and baths) and time spent in and around bodies of water. Swimming. Moistening herbs such as demulcents and oily nervines. Aphrodisiacs. Investing in the welfare of others. Avoid dehydrated, processed, and salty food. Fresh fruits and vegetables including their juices. Meditation. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

background image via @whale

Remediating Earth

Excess Earth: Overly serious, dullness of mind, body, and spirit, bored, lethargic, and aloof. Heaviness and sluggishness. Conditions of stagnation including constipation, tumors, hard growths, and scar tissue. Skin and cartilage conditions including dandruff, eczema, brittle nails and teeth. Build-up of toxins physically and emotionally. Deeply buried trauma. Unresponsive to stimuli. Difficulty crying. Excess Earth dis-eases are often chronic and long lasting. Remedies of all the other elements. Fire to warm up and stimulate energy and movement in the body. Air for mental stimulation and reconnecting with vision to alleviate boredom. Water for emotional softness and expression. Avoid rich, fried, and processed foods. Address habits of excess including overeating, oversleeping, and procrastination (aka chronic avoidance). Bodywork to move energy including acupuncture and pressure points. Travel and trying new things. Doing that which feels scary and impossible. 

Lack of Earth: Ungrounded, indecisive, disconnected, easily confused, low energy and stamina. General weakness. Lack of willpower and feeling of security. Symptoms of lack of earth diseases include hypo-conditions, malnutrition, poor appetite, indigestion, and low immunity. Always sick. Tend towards coldness. Vitamin and mineral deficiency. Remedies of Earth including learning to ground and center, developing will power, mineral therapies, including eating mineral-rich foods and taking mineral baths. Massage and healing touch. Working with earth, clay, and stone. Forestbathing. Developing consistency and a regular rhythm of living. Body-centered and strengthening exercises including yoga and weight-lifting. Rich and nourishing food that is beautiful to behold. All herbs. Body-affirming practices including learning to become allied with the physical form, self-blessings, attention to dress and appearance centered in self-love.

An Elemental Remediation Example

Let's put some of what we've explored together into practice. While an herbal consult is complex and typically involves being able to sit with a person and observe them in real time as well as taking a case history, we can still practice our skills from the following short description I’ve provided below of our client, Aspen.

Of course, the art of reading a birth chart within a healing context is multilayered and complex. For our purposes, we’re focusing on a very small, but very useful aspect of the birth chart - Aspen’s inherent elemental balance or how each element is present in Aspen’s life since the moment of her birth. Starting with the four elements is a great way to begin looking at birth charts without feeling overwhelmed by the all the information staring back at you.

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Our sample birth chart was created via astro.com

Aspen just feels a bit blah. There doesn't seem to be any spice or excitement to her day and her level of interest in her old hobbies and activities seems to have disappeared. She's 29, described herself as generally in good health and works at a job she enjoys but it is a very high stress career and also feels like she has been there for a long time (15 years). She recently ended a 4 year relationship with her boyfriend because they had become more friends than lovers. She doesn't feel particularly depressed (people in her family don't get depressed she tells you), but getting up in the morning is difficult and she feels groggy most of the day, but in the evenings when she is trying to wind down for bed she is wide awake. Aspen wants her energy back and to feel excited and interested in life again. She feels like she used to know what she wanted to do in her life, but now feels adrift. She has a ragweed allergy. 

First, let's look at what Aspen has shared with us and what stands out in her consultation:

• She is feeling restless at work, maybe ready to move on to something new.

• She's recently out of a relationship which lost its romantic spark.

• She's lacking energy, mornings are hard.

• Family legacy of not allowing space for sadness (and perhaps, other "sad people" traits like resting or admitting to feeling dissatisfied or making radical changes to their life that go against the norm).

• She wants to feel energized, excited, and interested in life.

• She's feeling a bit adrift and ungrounded.

Let's look at her chart. We can see that Fire and Water are the most expansive and influential elements in her chart. Both her Moon sign (Scorpio) and Ascendant (Pisces) are in Water, while her Sun is in the Fire sign of Aries. The more personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) are also in Fire or Water signs. Chiron is also in the Fire sign of Leo. She has some Earth coming through in her chart with Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and her North Node and only Saturn in an Air sign. 

In her chart there is affirmation (or testimony to use the classic astrology term) that there is a lack of Air energy needed to move energy around, spark ideas, and help to lift her from the humdrum. It's not to say that she is condemned to always be uninspired (she has lots of creative Water and Fire to support creativity), it just means that when she gets in these funks or places of stagnation in her life, she needs to actively cultivate Air energy to help her get out of them. She also spends way more time on social media than she likes which can be that lack of inherent Air energy searching for stimulation. Lots of Water and Fire in a chart can create the environment of a really pleasant and warm bath that can be soothing, but can also create drowsy, sometimes complacent energy that turns to stagnation (hard time getting up in the morning, restlessness mixed with inertia, lack of excitement, etc).

My heart is also concerned for Aspen's ability to just be sad and discontent - things that may have been shamed or restricted in her younger life. We all need to feel our feelings, but Pisces Ascendant folks are shaped by the currents of their emotional experience in beautifully profound ways. When supported properly can do great magick when it comes to developing their emotional intelligence and ability to connect with people. There's a need for supporting her emotional health and I would probably recommend a therapist if she's not already meeting with someone. In the remedies I recommend, I'll consider a flower essence or two as well, as these can be helpful in supporting emotional wellbeing.

With how Aspen describes her situation it seems like her Fire has been dampened and needs to be relit and oxygenated with some Air energy in the short term, and some more supportive structure (i.e. Earth energy like wood and a firepit) for her inner Fire to burn sustainably. I would ask some more questions about adrenal health and her nervous system to understand the source of her sluggish energy. Let's assume that through these questions it's been revealed that she also relies on and craves sugary caffeinated drinks to keep her going throughout the day (which she wants to rely less on while still being able to enjoy them occasionally and this is another sign of seeking stimulation to fulfill that Air energy need), seems to be getting sick more in the past year than usual (possible compromised immunity), her menstrual cycle is irregular, and she has trouble winding down in the evening in addition to the trouble waking up in the morning, brain fog, and lack of excitement about life. Along with the symptoms she's already shared, all of these issues can point towards adrenal fatigue. 

image via @kfionnm

With everything we've explored with Aspen in mind here's a list of recommendations I might have for her:

• Adrenal Support Tea Blend consisting of Borago officinalis (an Air herb that offers adrenal support as well as courage and the abilities to take chances), Urtica dioica (additional adrenal support while nourishing the inner Fire that burns steady instead of burning out, helps with menstrual imbalances, too), Mentha spicata (an Air cognitive function and stress relief).

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Milk for before bedtime to help her relax into the evening and get ready to rest. Ashwagandha is a gentle adaptogen so it'll help the nervous system to settle.

• A Morning Chai blend with some Ocimum sanctum to help wake up in the mornings and support the adrenals (perhaps choosing coconut sugar as a sweetener since it has a lower glycemic index). Made as a concentrate for easy preparation in the mornings.

• For every sugary caffeinated drink, drink one to two cups of herbal tea or water. Slowly reduce and replace as she feels called, but mostly focusing on enjoying the addition of herbal teas and more water throughout her day.

• Milky Oat (Avena sativa) Tincture with the essences of Wild Oat and California Wild Rose.

• Talk about ways to address Air stimulation needs beyond social media and how that’ll also support her resting, sleeping, and waking routines.

• A plan to discuss menstrual cycles and tools for regulation in our next meeting as I want to see what changes with extra adrenal support first.

• Movement based breathwork (supporting a balance between Fire and Air).

• Start a journal with prompts.

Aspen is Pagan so we talked about setting up an Air altar facing East in her bedroom and she's going to read up on some myths within her cultural practice with strong Air themes (i.e. poetic inspiration, storms, the winds of change, the spirits of the Air, etc) for further inspiration.

Obviously, there’s so much more that can be recommended but I find it useful to start relatively simple. This way I’m able to see what a client has capacity for (i.e. if we meet again at our next consult and they disclose that it was hard to find time to remember to take a tincture three times a day) without overwhelming them. Starting simple helps me to track what works, what seems to be having little affect, and what can be added to the client’s protocol.

Through the process of coming up with recipes and suggestions for Aspen the elemental framework was used in a number of ways to help us understand:

Her birth chart and inherent elemental qualities: Aspen has a lot of Water and Fire in her chart, some Earth, and very little Air.

The elemental profile of the imbalances and dis-ease in her life: Aspen seems to be struggling with a combination of burnout (Fire) exacerbated by too much stagnation (Water) and not enough inspiration and movement (Air). In other words, a combination of adrenal fatigue, lack of feeling able to express emotions like sadness while struggling with the symptoms of these unexpressed emotions, and not having a clear vision of what she wants in the long run.

The types of remedies that would support her health and well-being: I've suggested remedies that are both enlivening and grounding in nature (Air + Earth) for adrenal support and to appropriately nourish and invigorate her nervous system and cognitive function; breathwork and movement-based practices (Air + Fire); and spiritual practice alongside journaling (Air + Water).

On top of all this is the most important aspect - the language I can incorporate into how I can reflect back to Aspen about what she's going through, the places in her body and life it sounds like she could use some extra support, and the remedies that I have in mind for her. We can talk about her elemental strengths and the ways that plants and practice that have shown up in our time together are going to help support parts of her Water self that maybe hasn't been able to express itself thoroughly and how we're going to help rebuild her inner Fire to burn steady instead of burn out. And we'll talk about how we'll bring in Air energy to help enliven and inspire this next chapter of her life all while creating a supportive and grounding container of Earth from which to grow from.

So that's one way of incorporating the elements of traditional western herbalism into your practice. It can become more complex with additional knowledge of medical astrology, incorporating aspects, transits, and more into the analysis of the birth chart - if you feel called to learn more about that aspect of traditional western herbalism, come this way. Or it can be far more simple, no birth chart needed, and simply listening and observing what your client shares with you and the signs of their body (shallow breathing, for example, can be both a sign of more Air and more Earth are needed to help bring oxygen deep into the body). Using an elemental approach to healing can be as intuitive or structured as you want - find what works best for you and those you serve. 

However you bring the insight of the elements into your practice, I hope you find inspiration from what I've shared here to help you create a healing practice that serves you and your community well.

🌿

And that wraps up our series on the four elements and their energetics within traditional western herbalism!

I hope that this series has served to demystify some of the more seemingly esoteric aspects of traditional western herbalism revealing that it’s a lot more intuitive and understandable upon further exploration. What I really hope is that you’re feeling inspired to perhaps try new things of an old nature in your practice and/or explore the energetic roots of whatever tradition you are trained in or that your ancestors practiced. Studying, reclaiming, and dreaming anew energetic systems that draw us as a species back into the world is one of the small ways that we can shift narratives of what it means to be human, to heal, and care for each other and our planet.

Looking for the other two parts of the series? Here they are:

• The Four Elements of Traditional Western Herbalism (with bibliography)

• Elemental Imbalance & Disease in Traditional Western Herbalism

I originally wrote this series for my students in The Lunar Apothecary, so if you like what you’ve read here, you’re invited to check out my course of lunar-centered herbalism to help you discover who you are as a healer.

And, finally, blog posts like these are made possible through reader support whether through a one-time donation or through patreon. It means a lot and changes the lives of folks like me trying to create abundant resources that are free and low cost to support folks on their journey of healing. Thank you.

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My Top Three Astrology Books for Absolute Beginners

There is a part of me who just wants to read and recommend books all day long. Am I the type of person who while in the process of reading a book is already writing a post in my head on how I would review and/or recommend said book? Yes, yes I am. It’s one of the ways that I synthesize information, trying to understand out where things fit in my web of knowing and learning, and figuring our whether or not a resource feels useful. I also just like imaging that I am a librarian.*

So, while I do recommend books occasionally in my newsletter and increasingly over at my patreon, I realized that recommendations for beginner-level astrology books on the blog was long overdue. So here is a list of three books that I love to help get you started on your astrology studies!

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You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas

I love Chani Nicholas. I love the ways that she has played a pivotal role in expanding and re-membering the world of western astrology into the vast and inclusive space that it is. If you don't already follow her and support her work please do (in fact, I think Chani might've been the first person I supported in a monthly, patron-style basis). In addition to her amazing horoscopes, she offers online courses (they are beautiful and beginner-friendly), some of my favorite playlists, and now you can watch her read charts of the likes of Janet Mock and more. (Also, her wife runs the incredible Freefrom - heck yeah to lesbian power-with couples). 

So as you can imagine, I ordered her book the moment it came out earlier this year and it was a very good investment. The focus of Chani's book is tight which is super useful to some one brand new to astrology. She walks us through the three foundational keys of your birth chart - your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. The Sun and Moon in western astrology are traditionally known as the Luminaries and along with the Ascendant can tell you a lot about a chart. Through exploring these three keys, Chani also introduces the reader to a number of other important parts of a birth chart including the elements, houses, aspects and more, all delivered in Chani's approachable and inclusive style. What shines through with all of Chani's work is that she loves the art of astrology and loves teaching it in a way that will help folks experience the power of homecoming and radical self-acceptance that knowing our stars offers us. Chani also brings the best of feminist and queer creative thinking to her work - yes, the language is built to invite us in and make astrology feel like a friendly tool as opposed to some obscure and fatalistic art, but she always makes space for the sacred mystery inherent in the practice and learning how to move within such places.

I hope that this is one of many books and other such projects from Chani. As a tool to accompany You Were Born For This she created her own birth chart generator which is my favorite online tool for beginners just getting to know their chart (and, well, anyone really). She's already been updating it and expanding its capabilities since premiering it since last year because she is a generous star queen. So if you're looking for an easy-to-use book that will help you understand how to read the basics of the birth chart and leave you feeling empowered and starry-hearted, check out Chani's work.

You Were Born For This is for those folks who are brand new to astrology but know that there is more to their birth chart than their Sun sign and are excited to learn more.

Edit: A few months after posting this, Chani released her membership-based astrology app. It is an excellent and inspiring resource - I highly recommend it!

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Astrology for Yourself: A Workbook for Personal Transformation by Douglas Bloch and Demetra George

I was first exposed to the work of Demetra George not as an astrologer but as a feminist spirituality scholar with her book Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess. She is the type of author that writes with depth and reverence and research (i.e. my love language) and is well-respected as an elder within western astrology. Her expertise is in Hellenic astrology, which forms the foundation for much of western astrology, and she's revived aspects of chart reading such as bringing Goddesses (as embodied in asteroids) back into readings. Even though she's an expert able to speak fluently on a number of complex astological traditions both ancient and modern, she's co-written with Douglas Bloch one of the best astrological guides for beginners, which takes a profound level of skill as a teacher.

What I love about Astrology for Yourself is that it really is a workbook that not only helps you to understand components of your chart, but to learn to speak the story of your birth chart. It's why the book is not only helpful for teachers like myself seeking out resources to help students begin to navigate their own birth charts, but for absolute beginners who want to gaze into their birth chart and see themselves reflected back in it. Astrology for Yourself is the book for folks who like workbook style learning (i.e. where you go along filling in information about your own chart as you learn) as well as a full overview of nearly everything a beginner needs to know about their chart. And, fun fact, Demetra George is one of Chani Nicholas' teacher and it's really beautiful to see the ways that Demetra's work has informed Chani's.

Astrology for Yourself is for those folks who want to be enrolled in their first year at astrology school - this is the first year in book form.

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Chart Interpretation Handbook by Stephen Arroyo

Astrological “cookbooks” seem to be the most easily found in any metaphysical section of a book store. These are the books that list out (often short) descriptions of each sign and aspect of a birth chart. It’s where a lot of some of the worst tendencies of astrology can come out such as the harmful stereotyping of signs (Leos are drama queens! Scorpios sleep around and are sooo kinky!) and oversimplication of chart dynamics. 

Side note: Look, modern western astrology is associated with womxn and when anything is seen as a “woman’s thing” there is plenty of misogyny and harmful enforcement of binary boundaries to be found. Popular, mass-produced, and, I would argue, unethical astrology is ripe with it. If the art of astrology is reduced down to a new age personality test for womxn, then of course signs that are powerful and confident (hello, Leos!) or ones associated with healthy, self-expressive sexuality (hello, Scorpios!) are going to be denigrated. The examples of this are plentiful and one of the reasons I avoided studying astrology for so long. This sort of reductionism in astrology is tiresome, un-creative, and I recommend avoiding it. Astrology should be empowering so be sure to seek out the sources which help you fall in love with all that you are.

So what makes this astrology cookbook different? Stephen has used the cookbook model while maintaining a commitment to presenting astrology as a system of holistic flexibility. He’s conscious of the dynamic of cookbook style books to lead to reductionism and harm, so he’s purposeful in his choice of words and also takes time to simply and effectively communicate some key themes to chart interpretation without overwhelming the new student. It is one of those books that is easily passed around a group of friends as each of you dive into what different parts of your birth chart mean - and that’s great! Astrology should be something which brings us together rather than create these harsh divisions between different signs. 

The Chart Interpretation Handbook is for those folks who want something as accessible as Chani’s book but a bit more in-depth but not a whole introductory course to astrology that you’ll find in Astrology for Yourself. 

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What are some of your favorite astrology books for beginners?

We are currently going through a publishing boom when it comes to astrology and I’m excited to see what other books I’ll be learning from in the years to come. My overall guideline is that if you’re reading through an astrology book and the interpretations that the author is offering makes you feel bad about yourself, uninspired or confused, pass it on and find something else. It took me years to find astrological resources that spoke to me and made me feel seen and empowered - you deserve to feel that way, too.

If you’re looking for a my recommendations for medical astrology, I’m working on an expanded list from what you’ll already find here. Keep updated on when a more extensive resource list on medical astrology is released by signing up for my newsletter.

May your stars speak to you, whispering the secret and most true names you keep etched on your heart, reflecting back the ways that you have been shaped and the wisdom that you carry.

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*Hello, librarian friends, who read the sentence above about my fantasy of being a librarian and perhaps thought, “Ha! Recommending books? That’s like number 384 on the list of things I do as a protector of public access to information, safe spaces for folks to learn about themselves and the world, managing all sorts of human rights and mental health issues, organizing rooms for dogs so that kids can read to them, cleaning books (why is this so sticky?!), feeding and educating kids, dealing with the endless wave of beauracracy trying to strip the libraries of resources all the friggin’ time. Need I go on!?” Friends, you’re the absolute, underpaid, and overworked best. May we grow a world where you have to carry less of the burden of protecting public freedoms and more of just recommending the latest and greatest queer romance novel.