Stories of Hope: Linden Plant Profile

I’ve written many plant profiles over the years, starting during my student days and I imagine I’ll be writing profiles in one form or another for many years to come.

In The Plant Ally Library, where you can find all of the plant profiles I’ve written, I’ve realized that I’ve covered many of the herbs that I use on a regular basis in my practice. While I still have plenty of plants to write about, I’m turning my gaze more and more towards not only herbs that my community is interested in (i.e. my patrons get to choose most of the profiles I write about these days), but those that I consider essential to my practice even if I use them less frequently.

Linden (Tilia x europaea) is one of those powerful periphery plants for me. I don’t use them all the time like, say, Milky Oat (Avena sativa), but I would miss them were I no longer to have access to their healing gifts. Linden is also a plant that I learned about first through the richness of herbal oral tradition and that first introduction guides me whenever I consider choosing them as an appropriate ally to work with in a situation of healing need.

I hope you get to connect with a plant through the power of community stories like I continue to experience with Linden. For me, Linden reminds me of the really beautiful aspect of becoming an herbalist where after a while of reaching out to plants to help the people you’re serving, the plants reach back to you through people to share a story you might not of heard otherwise.

Anyways.

Let’s explore some Linden magick, learn about their healing gifts, and meet this tree of community.

image via @bdv91

Linden
(Tilia x europaea)

Common + Folk Names : Lime tree, limeflower tree, linnflower, tilluel, common lime, flor de tila, lind

Element : Air, Fire

Zodiac Signs : Leo (Guardian), Aquarius (Remedy), Pisces (Remedy)

Planets : Jupiter, Sun

Moon Phase : Waning Quarter Moon

Tarot Cards :  The Emperor, the Sun, the Fives, especially the 5 of Cups, the Threes, especially 3 of Swords

Parts used : Flower

Habitat : Native to North America, Europe, western Asia.

Growing Conditions : Slightly acidic soil, moderate water, and part sun, part shade.

Collection : Harvest the flower in summer.

Flavor : Pungent, sweet

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Moist

Tissue State : Dry, Tense, Cold, Stagnant

Constituents : Vitamin C, iodine, manganese, essential oil, flavonoids, mucilage, phenolic acids, tannins.

Actions : Antidepressant, antispasmodic, astringent, cephalic, cholagogue, choleratic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, hypotensive, nervine, peripheral vasodilator, relaxant, stomachic, sudorific, tonic, vasodilator, vulnerary.

Main Uses : When I think of Linden I imagine the first time I met this plant through someone who embodied Linden energy within themselves and their beautiful home. They were the type of community organizer, working quietly and steadily in the background, who glowed from within with hope even when faced with the monumental task of shifting resources back into underserved communities. They were tender-hearted in a way that felt so unfamiliar (and, to be perfectly honest, undesirable) to me at that time in my life, but I left their house with a gifted bottle of Linden tincture tucked into my bag.

Many years later when I began to know and embrace my own tender-heartedness and struggled to feel hope amongst all these feelings, I would pull that bottle of Linden tincture out of my apothecary cabinet, adding a few drops to my water, and remembering that I had been told that this was a joy plant, a hope tree, a place to go to when the sorrow feels like it is going to eat you up. So as I sat down to write about Linden, I found myself filling up with the stories that had been shared to me about this beautiful tree, whether spoken or by the written word, and it felt important to convey the connecting, communal magick of Linden by quoting at length a few of those stories in this profile.

It's not uncommon for a first encounter with Linden to be in some variety of "happiness tea" with other joyful herbs like Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and Rose (Rosa spp.). Linden is a wonderful plant to work with where excess states of tension has led to feeling stuck and low. Indications for Linden include difficulty sleeping, signs of excess heat like irritability, impatience, high blood pressure, heart palpitations caused by stress, and a general state of agitation. There is a struggle to settle into oneself. The herb is a wonderful ally to folks of all ages and can be useful to add into tea blends for children (and adults) who are learning how to channel their restless energy in ways that help them feel good in their bodies. In general, Linden is a great nervous system tonic supporting us in all stages of life, from childhood, pregnancy, times of heightened stress, and old age and can easily be combined with other nervines like Milky Oat (Avena sativa) to help us thrive. I love the following tea and description by herbalist Deb Soule as it embodies the essence of working with plants like Linden  for longevity of body and soul:

“Motherwort mixed with lemon balm, linden flowers, raspberry leaves, blue vervain, fennel seed, borage flowers and leaves, and chamomile tea, relaxes and soothes the soul and brings happiness, strength of the trees, sweetness of the bees, and courage to those who partake of these herbs.”¹

image via @gervele

Linden is one of those warming herbs that work well for instances of excess heat (much like Ocimum sanctum), because it works to effectively move trapped, stagnant or overactive heat throughout the body. Hypertension, for example, is considered an issue of Tension and Heat, so a plant like Linden can be a great ally to work with. Linden helps to "relax the coronary arteries, easing palpitations and therefore helping prevent and treat coronary heart disease."² Linden is the plant ally for the chronic stress that underlies so many of our diseases and discomforts.

Other Heat conditions that Linden can help alleviate include fever and colds where trapped heat is not allowing the body to effectively fight off the infection. For states of excess tension, Linden is an excellent choice for so many conditions including tension headaches and migraines, colic, cramping and period pains, depression (someone wants the feeling of being held, combine with Leonurus cardiaca), dizziness, back, neck, and shoulder pain. Use for chronic bronchitis and stubborn coughs where there is excess phlegm. I love these bits of Linden wisdom provided by herbalist Stephen Taylor from his own teachers which help to illustrate the ways that Linden (or limeflower, as his preferred common name for the plant) moves energy:

“Both of my herbal mentors had a special place for limeflowers, Christopher Hedley used to say that limeflower takes the fat of the arteries and puts it on the nerves where it belongs, and my other mentor Julian Barker, used to treat microcirculatory conditions of the arterial system with his triad of herbs combining limeflower, hawthorn, and yarrow.”³

Linden is a helpful diuretic alleviating arthritis, gout, general inflammation, and renal disease, especially when prepared as a warm to cool infusion. The mucilaginous qualities of Linden help to soothe all sorts of bodily passages including the intestines, urinary and respiratory passages. Add Linden to digestive blends to help alleviate symptoms of IBS. Linden is a good ally for vaginal tissue health both internally and externally, helping with postpartum healing as well as genital sores in general. Soule recommends combining Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), and Linden together for a healing sitz bath especially good for wounds and sores.⁴

Topically, Linden is a fantastic skin tonic helping a variety of inflammatory skin conditions including hemorrhoids, boils and abscesses, burns, rashes, urticaria, and shingles. Use as a compress for inflamed and swollen eyes and as a gargle for sore throats. 

Kaditzer Linde circa 1840 - image source

Magickal Uses : In Greek myth, the Linden tree is Philyra, the transformed mother of Chiron, though as with many tellings of Greek myths it's a rather traumatic tale. I would seek out modern, feminist Hellenic practitioners who have explored the story if you're feeling called to work with this myth, as I suspect there might be a useful retelling about birth and trauma to be told (or something else entirely as I am not a Hellenic practitioner with a depth of practice to draw on). Following the path of Chiron, Paul Beyerl suggests that Linden is a useful plant to use in all forms of Sagittarian and horse magick.

In Northern European traditions, Linden is associated with the Goddess Freya and Holda, and important community and council meetings would take place at the foot of the Linden tree. As the trees grow over 100 feet tall and live for over 70 years, it's no surprise that Linden was recognized as a place of gathering and pilgrimage to Pagans and later Christians. The tree is sacred in Slavic, Baltic, and northern Chinese cultures as well. There is also a tradition of divining with Linden leafs, which indicates they may be a useful addition to divination rituals.

Linden is a plant of Jupiter and can be used in all rituals where you want to bring in Jupiterian energy of abundance, healing, and beneficial energy. Traditional uses of Linden include hanging a branch above your door for protection, using the wood to create amulets of luck, and in spells of love and longevity.⁵

I feel a similar energy between the Oak (Quercus spp.) and Linden - whereas the Oak acts as a doorway from our world to the otherworld, Linden feels very much like a tree that offers a doorway from the otherworld into our world. It is a place to gather to hear the voices of our ancestors, to invite them back into the circle of our living community, and seek their wise counsel. I absolutely love this story from herbalist Karen M. Rose:

“There is a linden tree in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, not too far from my home, where I take my apprentices when we do plant-identification walks. Every time I gather them under this specific linden tree, we have a spiritual experience. The feeling of safety and of being home and held is undeniable.”⁶

The Linden Personality : Linden folks believe in the myth of the lone wolf - they are self-isolating, believe that they are impossible to be understood by their peers, and so reliant on their idea of being the outsider that they have created a very lonely world for themselves. Often there is a story of trauma in their background that has deeply reshaped the way that the interact with other people, often choosing to avoid them as much as possible. There is also a type of Linden folk who have experienced online radicalizing forces, filling their heads with mean-spirited pseudoscience (i.e. the alpha wolf myth) and a toxic outlook on life. These chronically online Linden folks went seeking community in digital spaces but find themselves increasingly isolated from the rest of their lives through these dehumanizing theories and beliefs. Of course, not all Linden folks are chronically online, but as a plant that has gateway energy that helps to draw us back into real and loving community, Linden can serve as a very welcome ally to those who are wanting to address attachments to their online world that they no longer want. In general, Linden folks avoid giving and receiving love because they are afraid of the vulnerability involved, and instead choose to believe things about themselves that keep them isolated. Working with Linden helps them to open up to community, seek help for their traumatic experiences, and feel connected to others as a social creature, letting their "lone wolf" persona fall aside so that they can rejoin the pack. Linden folk shine in their ability to repair fracturedness, helping those who feel they are incurably lost be found again.

Contraindications : Generally considered safe with rare cases of contact dermatitis have been reported.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage. Hot tea is best for diaphoretic action while warm to cold infusions are more diuretic in action.

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What sorts of plant stories have you been offered over the years? How do they continue to shape the ways you work with plants? Seek out these story sharing plant spaces whenever you can - I think it’s one of the ways that we keep herbalism a living, breathing tradition.

May your ears be full of plant stories, your visits with plant elders plentiful, and your ability to share your own stories abundant.

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

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Footnotes

1. Deb Soule, The Roots of Healing: A Woman's Book of Herbs (New York: Citadel Press, 1995), 120.

2. Anne McIntyre, Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), 220.

3.  Stephen Taylor, The Humoral Herbal: A practical guide to the Western Energetic system of health, lifestyle and herbs (London: Aeon Books, 2021), 311.

4.  Soule, 171.

5.  Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 160.

6. Karen M. Rose, The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine (Beverly, MA: Quarto Publishing, 2022), 25.

Plant Allies for the Winter Holidays

There are so many ways that we can support ourselves and our beloved community during the winter holidays. From preparing our home apothecaries with remedies for the season or practicing winter rituals to help us settle into the darkest days of the year, we have tools both well-worn by generations as well as ones newly imagined that can help us to thrive.

So much of herbal practice is about practice and preparing - we practice ways of healing that help us feel whole and holy while preparing as best we can for the expected and the unexpected as we move through our lives. During the winter season, and all the fun and busyness and feelings that can come with the holidays, there are all sorts of plant allies to turn to to help us feel steady within ourselves as well as strengthen our immune system, lift our spirits, and weaken the affects of the all too common cold.

For our time together, though, I want to focus on the ways that herbs and flower essences can support our feeling body as we negotiate family dynamics (both biological and chosen), cultural expectations of what we “should” be doing during the holidays, and how we can help joy run through us unhindered as we travel (physically, emotionally, mentally) through the season. 

For my recommendations below, I've focused on the emotional indications of each herb to help you start to figure out what plant ally might best meet your needs. Once you find a plant that resonates with you, or whenever you're considering incorporating a new plant into your routine, you should always work with an herbalist or pull out your favorite materia medicas to reference contraindications and healing guidelines.

image via @sixteenmilesout

Ebbing & Flowing: Plant Allies for the Nervous System

Our nervous systems are precious things, helping to make sure that all of our body systems are functioning well as we navigate our inner and outer environments. Nervines or nervous system tonics are plants that help to nourish and support the work of the nervous system from alleviating stress, promoting energetic adaptability, and bringing in deep states of rest, too. A nervous system plant ally helps us to feel energized when we want to, rest when we need to, and interrupt cycles of stress and anxiety so that we can feel more safe and secure in our bodies.

The following nervines are some of my favorites and they can also be great options for folks who struggle with the change of seasons and the dark half of the year, working as adjunct allies to additional forms of therapeutic and community support. These plants are also some of my favorite nervines for highly sensitive people who feel the world more intensely than their non-highly sensitive peers - a beloved community that I work with often.

Also, if you are subscribed to my newsletter, you can access a free printable chart of nervous system herbs and essences, with their key qualities and indications listed, for quick reference during the busyness of the holidays.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa): If you are unsure of where to start, begin with Milky Oat. My absolute favorite nervous system tonic, Milky Oat has an incredible ability to retrain our nervous system from existing in a highly reactive and overwhelmed state to a state of resilient adaptability and softness. One of the emotional indications for Milky Oat is feeling incapacitated by all of the choices that need to be made, all the interesting things to learn, and all of the expectations of those around us. Milky Oat is also good for folks experiencing exhaustion and struggling to feel rested. If you are are burnt out or are recovering from burnout, Milky Oat can be a great ally to work with. It’s important to work with Milky Oat for an extended period of time (a few months at least) to really appreciate its full affects. Milky Oat is one of the few tinctures I carry with me when traveling (though I like to bring Milky Oat in a tea blend, too) and I always use some before heading out to a big gathering. 

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): One of the classical descriptors for Skullcap in traditional western herbalism is as a remedy for "nervous exhaustion." In more modern terms, nervous exhaustion would be considered a form of burnout, where a person has depleted their energetic and physical resources (i.e. the aftermath of intensive mental processing combined with staying up night after night studying over an extended period of time). Restless, noisy thoughts that prevent someone from falling asleep or at a heightened level of anxious stress throughout the day can be indicators for Skullcap. Sometimes folks try to match the energy of their busy thoughts through busy lives, but that sort of overwork can't be maintained for long. What is so lovely about Skullcap is that the herb helps to slow hurried thoughts without compromising the beauty of the Skullcap mind - one that is able to make connections, find patterns, and delight in diversity. 

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Lemon Balm is one of my favorite herbs for helping us to maintain our sense of self amongst the noise of the collective, helping us to connect with our beloved community instead of feeling isolated. Increasingly, Lemon Balm is the herb that I turn too when a client is struggling with social media scrolling (as well as pointing them in the direction of mental health services is the scrolling is tipping into compulsive and/or addictive behavior). The added benefit of Lemon Balm during the holidays is that it is antiviral and antibacterial, helping to protect us from the collective of germs we may encounter during our travels and at gatherings. Lemon Balm is my favorite ally to call on to support our ability to be in spaces with the cacophony of family noise, from the good and welcoming to the challenging noise, without feeling overwhelmed. 

image via @maemu

Finding Our North Star: Flower Essences for the Winter Holidays

Flower essences are an interesting sort of magick. They function on an energetic level, containing no plant material, yet they are infused with something intangible and useful. They are easy to make and even easier to work with and the process of choosing a flower essence, which asks us to identify our current emotional state, is a healing practice in and of itself. Using flower essences, alongside their affirmation, acts like an guiding light through all sorts of encounters through the holidays and beyond, reminding us of how we are choosing to center ourselves.

Below, I've listed some of my favorite flower essences for social situations and family dynamics. Each description includes a current state of emotional experience followed by a transformed state of emotional being. If you resonate with any of the statements it can be a strong indication that a flower essence is appropriate for you.

I recommend choosing and working with one flower essence at a time, but they can be fun to combine, too. They are an easy sort of plant magick to experiment with as they operate on a solely energetic level without contraindications, so I encourage you to have fun making your own winter holiday potion.

Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Current State: I feel guilty for burdening others with my sensitivity & asking for accommodations.
Transformed State: I can ask for what I need and know that it is not too much.

There are so many expectations during the winter holidays: friends and family want to gather, activities are planned, sleeping and food arrangements made, and a flurry of emotions can lead us to feeling like we've been swept up into any number of situations we'd rather not be in. Or we just need some simple modifications and accommodations to thrive (i.e. choosing to do one outing a day with family instead of two or more). As an essence, Pine helps us to put our requests into perspective - we are not being unreasonable but are either asking or doing for ourselves what we know will help us show up with greater presence with those around us. Pine helps us to trust in our self-knowing, the skills we've developed and are developing to thrive in our lives, and our confidence to state our needs.

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)
Current State: I reject my needs as weaknesses and character faults - I feel ashamed that I have them.
Transformed State: I love who I am and I embrace all of my complexity.

Sometimes when we return home for the holidays or just find ourselves with a busier social calendar than usual, old narratives of how we should act, what we should be doing with our lives, and how we have grown and changed, embracing beautiful parts of ourselves that we may have had to hide away before, make people around us uncomfortable. Crab Apple is an excellent ally for helping to quiet these old stories that we were brought up with and make space for new, more interesting, and more true stories to come forward. Crab Apple often has the ability to awaken the part of us that recognizes that we would never speak to someone else the way we are speaking to ourselves, helping us to recognize the healing therapies, relationships, and communities that revel in our thriving. 

Oak (Quercus robur)
Current State: I push myself even when exhausted.
Transformed State: I have healthy boundaries and know when to stop and rest.

It can be so easy to overdo it during the winter holidays, whether driven by our own fear of missing out or the expectations on our time made by others. Sometimes we do a lot and feel tired, but that's ok because we know we'll have time to rest and recover. But for folks that are in need of Oak, they have a chronic habit of pushing themselves beyond their limits over and over again. They race away from resting and they tumble towards the next state of busyness, often driven by a force that feels beyond their control. Oak helps folks to slow down without inducing feelings of stagnation, to grow sturdy boundaries, and to stretch out of their comfort zone just enough that they can hold a boundary, feel the initial reaction of guilt or fear of missing out, and then move on. 

image via @micheile

A Winter Wellness Practice

While all of us have different healing needs in our lives, the following are my general recommendations for working with nervines and flower essences during the winter holiday season.

Start working with your nervous system plant ally a few weeks before the holidays begin. For me, this looks like a daily tea with a blend of nervines, but many nervines can also be enjoyed as herbal powders, alcohol and glycerin extracts, and as herbal baths. 

During this time period you can also make sure that you have your winter remedies prepared because it feels so much better when you're sick to be able to easily grab a ready made remedy from your cupboard than to have to groggily make one when you're feeling unwell. 

I love working with a flower essence for a full lunar cycle before I know that I have a big gathering or travel happening. Flower essences like having time to stretch out in our systems and by giving ourselves a period of reflection before rushing into the fray can help us find our center faster than if we haven't already been practicing our emotional resilience. But even if you only have a few days or hours before a big winter thing, go ahead and take a few drops of your essence. Be sure to bring whatever flower essences you are working with along with you during your travels and at gatherings.

Alongside plants remedies and flower essences, I practice breathwork, work with my healing team, cast cards, read good books, knit a lot, and spend lots of time outside everyday. These are some of my practices for feeling well, no matter the season, and it’s taken a long while for me to learn to honor the simple things that are far too easy to set aside when I need them most. Take note of the simple ways that you feel good and grounded and allow yourself time and space to practice them.

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Friends, I hope that you’re feeling reminded and inspired to reach for the practices and skills that you know work for you, play around with ones you feel called to try, and seek out the bright moments of the season under the beautiful dark.

As you create your own winter traditions, I also encourage you to dream of ways that your winter can be a healing and joyful one. What would a nourishing, slow-paced, radical-rest-solstice gathering look like with your friends? Or a high energy ritual dance party that involves as much care in raising energy as it does in grounding it? What has been missing from your Solstice celebrations that you want to call in this year?

If you suspect that one of the reasons the winter holidays might be a struggle for you is because you might be more sensitive than your peers (or you work with sensitive people), you might be interested in my Solace: Herbs & Essences for Highly Sensitive People course.

If you're looking for more winter holiday inspiration, I have a no-pressure might-do list for the Winter Solstice season to check out (and for my southern hemisphere friends, here is my might-do list for the Summer Solstice).

Winter is a dreaming time and I hope that you can dream yourself into your community, your world, your lovely life, a little deeper, a little softer, a little freer.

Be well, friends.

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

Opening Up To Ourselves: Agrimony Plant Profile

It can be hard to ask for help when we need it, especially when we use chronic cheerfulness as a way to hide our own suffering in stressful situations. Most of us know (or maybe are) a person who keeps saying “I’m fine! Everything’s great!” when they have every reason to not be ok. Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) is the plant ally that they’ll probably never reach for by themselves (“Really, I’m fine!”) but the sort of plant friend they need and deserve.

Agrimony is a plant that has been in the traditional western materia medica for thousands of years, helping to alleviate many forms of suffering, which is why I’m excited to be exploring this plant more in-depth with all of you.

And maybe, for those of you who have stumbled across this post, after a long day of Agrimony smiling (learn what an “Agrimony smile” is below), you may feel called to get the loving care and connection you deserve.

image source

Agrimony
(Agrimonia eupatoria)

Common + Folk Names : Common Agrimony, burr marigold, liverwort, church steeples, cocklebur, garclive, philantropos, sticklewort, stickwort, red-tail, goosechite, fairy's wand, aaron's rod, grooveburr

Element : Air, Water

Zodiac Signs : Cancer (Remedy Herb), Virgo (Guardian Herb)

Planets : Moon, Mercury, Venus

Moon Phase : New Moon

Tarot Cards :  The Hermit, Justice, The Tower (learn more about the connections between the tarot and herbs)

Parts used : Aerial parts

Habitat : Native to Eurasia. 

Growing conditions : Wildflower conditions. Sunny, sandy hillsides, and poor soil.

Collection : Harvest when flowering through summer.

Flavor : Bitter

Temperature : Dry

Moisture : Cool

Tissue State : Tense/Constriction, Heat/Excitation

Constituents : Polysaccharides, tannins, triterpene acids, glycosidal bitters, agrimonin, furanocoumarins, volatile oils, flavonoids, coumarins, vitamin B, vitamin K, iron, silicon, phenolic acids.

Actions : Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antiviral, astringent, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hemostatic, hepatic, vulnerary.

Main Uses : I first met Agrimony through my flower essence studies - it is one of Dr. Edward Bach's 38 original remedies. The essence was described to me as being best for folks who tend to "grin and bear it" or to smile through their suffering. The origin of their smile and its purpose can be manifold for a person. Sometimes folks, especially those socialized as and/or perceived to be women, experience undue expectations to perform cheerfulness for everyone who interacts with them. Sometimes the smile is meant to deflect the curiosity of others, so that the suffering or disharmony beneath the surface goes undetected. The smile might be a shield against confrontation or a way to prove your strength and good-naturedness or to generally appease another person. The smile can be a shield used so often in unsafe situations where a more powerful party must be placated, especially in early childhood, that it becomes a permanent fixture of a person's interaction with nearly everyone in their life.  Learning to spot a smile like this in the consultation room can be a useful skill in helping to figure out what questions to ask to draw a person out and begin to get them help they deserve  but might be afraid to outright ask for not only within an herbal care context but broader health services.

Later on in my practice when I learned about the medicinal gifts that Agrimony offers, I was reminded of the resonance that is often found between the flower essence energetics and the herbal properties of a plant. As an herb, Agrimony helps to alleviate the (often invisible) suffering hidden behind the "Agrimony smile" including peptic ulcers and indigestion. Indications for Agrimony include indigestion that is aggravated by stress and tension caused by "swallowing" your feelings to keep the peace, poor absorption of nutrients, and not enough secretion of digestive bile from the liver and gall-bladder. Greek herbalist Galen classified Agrimony as hot and dry in the first degree making it a useful herb for thinning out build-up in organ systems and re-opening clogged passages.¹ Agrimony has been used since antiquity for ulcers as well as all types of liver and gallbladder diseases and herbalists today still use Agrimony for conditions such as gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver, jaundice, and portal hypertension. Other uses for Agrimony as a drying and opening herb include clearing the respiratory system of excess mucus as well as opening the airways to alleviate the symptoms of asthma. 

Through a traditional western energetic lens, those who would benefit from Agrimony are often experiencing an excess of Earth manifesting as build-up and tension in the body because there is so much Air (self-expression, mental health support, decisiveness) and Water (feeling and emotional need) that needs a structure or container to find a home in that they are not experiencing in their life and relationships. These emotional experiences of Agrimony folk and their use of the "Agrimony smile" to cope are not the cause of their suffering, but are often a result of a life that has been defined by lack - lack of resources to good food and clean water, shelter and quality education, and/or a lack in their personal relationships. It is important to be wary of any belief you hold about how someone may have "deserved" or "manifested" their disease because of circumstances beyond their control and we should honor their stories while making sure they access the support they need to thrive. Agrimony types are already taking on so much all while struggling to maintain a sense of agency - be mindful of how you might be contributing to the pressure of having to suppress their discomfort in order to appease you or anyone else on their healing team. Here, too, is a gift of Agrimony to the practitioner - helping us to sit with our own discomfort and biases and come out the other side more compassionate and curious.

The other primary use for Agrimony, from the ancient world to the modern one, is as a vulnerary (i.e. an herb for wound care). Agrimony is an excellent plant ally, both externally and internally, for wounds of all kinds including bruises, strains, cuts, swellings, and general joint pain. You can use the herb as an astringent compress and as a tea when healing a wound, as well as an ingredient in drawing and blood stopping powders. Agrimony has antiviral and antioxidant qualities, adding to its gifts as a healer of wounds. The herb can also be used in the case of infection as well as clearing out heat present in conditions like fever and inflammatory conditions (from inflamed joints to inflamed gut). As an astringent plant with an affinity for the fluids of the body, Agrimony can be a useful ally in cases of menorrhagia, lessening heavy periods as well as providing mild pain relief - look for signs of excess heat during menstruation. Agrimony can be used in mouthwashes and gargles for mouth ulcers, sore throats, laryngitis, and inflammation of the gums. Use in footbaths to relieve soreness.

image via @wyxina

Magickal Uses : Agrimony has an long association with sleep magick and herbalist Maude Grieve shares an old English rhyme speaking to Agrimony's ability to bring about a restful and undisturbed sleep:

If it be leyd under mann's heed,
He shal sleepyn as he were deed;
He shal never drede ne wakyn
Till fro under his heed it be takyn.²

Include Agrimony in charms against nightmares as well as in blends to bring about trance states. An herb regarded as a panacea by ancient Greek and Roman herbalists, Agrimony can be included in all forms of healing magick to enhance the outcome of the spell. Scott Cunningham notes that Agrimony is an excellent protective herb, one that can be used to return unwanted energy to the sender, as well as banishing negative energy (as well as goblins, apparently).³ Use to help you find community of a healing nature.

The Agrimony Personality : The smile of Agrimony folk hides so much - their fear of conflict, their fear of rejection, of being denied their humanity. Agrimony folk can suffer from a build up of emotions that leads to emotional clogging, stagnation, and an inner tension that feels unbearable. This pattern of hiding their pain while appeasing the emotional needs of others (whether or not their is an expectation of appeasement by the other person), is a defense mechanism that has kept Agrimony folk feeling safe enough in their life, but the price of that "safe enough" feeling has been a high one to pay. While Agrimony folks have been so busy projecting an appearance of cheerful enthusiasm and peace with their situation, this often leads them to believing their own performance, making it that much more challenging for them to admit that they are in any sort of pain.

Vulnerability is terrifying to many Agrimony folk and the honest expression of how they are feeling to people who deserve to hear their story is one of the most challenging experiences Agrimony folk can go through and they have often already been through a lot. Agrimony folk can be adept at hiding their pain because they have overdeveloped skills for "grinning and bearing it" and invest incredible amounts of energy into passing as being more than ok. Sometimes they use tools such as drugs and alcohol, deceitfulness, toxic masculinity, committed superficiality or spiritual bypassing to maintain appearances, but it cannot hold. With bravery, vulnerability, and therapeutic support, working with Agrimony can help these folks to open up emotionally so that they can experience the inner peace they are trying so hard to convince other people they have. Connecting with their inner peace helps Agrimony folks to clear out fear and welcome in the type of transformative relationships with themselves and others they've been seeking for so long.

Contraindications : Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

Drug interactions : Caution with anticoagulant medication, insulin, and hypoglycemic medication. Discontinue seven days before surgery.

Dosage : Standard dosage.

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Do you know someone who has an Agrimony smile? Are you that person? I find the emotional indicators for plants so interesting. I hope you had fun learning more about Agrimony and the ways it helps us to tend to our emotional wellbeing alongside our physical healing needs. If you’re looking for more plant profiles, come this way, and you can find a printable copy of the Agrimony profile in The Plant Ally Library.

Agrimony works well with other plants like Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), so if you feel a resonance with what you’ve read so far be sure to check out those plant allies, too.

May your journey of healing lead you back into ever-deepening connection with your community.

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Footnotes

1. Graeme Tobyn, Alison Dunham, Margaret Whitelegg, The Western Herbal Tradition: 2000 Years of Medicinal Plant Knowledge (Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2011), 47.

2. Maude Grieve, A Modern Herbal: Volume I (New York: Dover Publications, 1971), 13.

3. Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 27.

Plant Allies for Ancestral Healing

I remember sitting alone as a kid, with my well-loved books on working with herbs open in front of me, and feeling like I was being gathered up not just by the stories of the plants themselves, but by something else alongside the green wisdom I was so eager for. I couldn't tell you what half the ingredients were in the botanical skincare book I was reading or yet identify a Peppermint (Mentha piperita) plant from a Sage (Salvia officinalis) from my gardening book, but I could tell that this feeling of being held was a good thing, a needed thing, a healing thing. I now reflect on these moments, where I experienced respite from the loneliness that can haunt strange kids, and recognize my ancestors drawing near and sheltering my curiosity of my plant kin so that it might grow into the life I live now. The books I was reading weren't full of ancestral magick (except for the occasional mention of "ancient people believed this plant to protect against lightning"), but reciting the names of plants worked like a spell, calling forth my ancient people, who understand the power of knowing a plant's name.

While I feel fortunate to have been introduced to working with ancestors as a path of healing early on in my life, I am fascinated and filled with hope by the ways that modern therapeutic practice is embracing the need to heal our ancestral lines, whether we call it epigenetics, inherited trauma or that story our great grandma used to tell. Of course, healing the ancestral line is not a new practice - this is an old path of healing, that some of us have been lucky enough to be raised in and others of us are getting to experience through renewed traditions. It makes my work as an herbalist easier, too, when folks come to me with some familiarity to the idea that the fears and anxieties their ancestors felt, especially from big traumatic experiences, have shaped all of us in all sorts of ways.

Before I was ever introduced to the concept of inherited trauma and epigenetics, however, I understood that some of the plants I was using today had been used by some of my ancestors for hundreds of years, and while I couldn't, as a child, give you a complex explanation of what that meant, I knew it was meaningful. While there is healing that takes place on a physical level through mediums like surgical interventions, appropriate medication, the tending of wounds, the healing that takes place on an emotional and mental level needs, amongst other things, meaning. It is meaningful, even if we don't know our ancestors' names, speak their language or have been offered any of their stories, to work with plants that our ancestors would recognize and feel at home with.

image via @appolinary_kalashnikova

Working with plants has always felt like ancestral practice because I started working with herbs as a way to reclaim and reconnect with the ways my ancestors. When I began practicing as an herbalist, and especially when I started working with other people of the global majority, especially mixed folks like myself, ancestral work and healing became increasingly centered in my work. For me, ancestral plant work starts with honoring plants as our ancestors - plants having watched our species evolve - so that every cup of tea can be a way of acknowledging the presence of and welcoming our ancestors in. One of the simplest ways to start an ancestral healing practice is to set out a cup of tea for your ancestors, inviting them in to enjoy it with you, every time you make a cup for yourself. 

If you are interested in developing an ancestral healing practice with plants as your allies, the following suggestions come from the plants themselves, my own experiences, and from plant folk who've shared them with me. I share them with you now in hopes of inspiring your own ancestral healing practice, as well as supporting the ancestral healing work of the communities you serve.

image via @andrewshelley

Work with ancient plants as your ancestors

If you feel called to honor plants as ancestral spirits, you can work with ancient plants. A few years ago I was in a particularly hard stretch of examining, trying to name, as well as make sense of some of my family’s inherited trauma. I held a complex pain as I sat with these stories of knowing they were incomplete, that I didn’t know many of my ancestor’s names or where even where they came from. I had started working with Rose (Rosa spp.) daily around this time and at one point felt a very clear sense of Rose as ancestor, helping to fill in those gaps of knowledge with their gentle wisdom. I later learned that Rose is an ancient plant species, having been around for millions of years before our modern human species. This experience with Rose changed my relationship with plants within ancestral healing as not just herbs that our ancestors used, but as ancestors themselves, having evolved before and with us as a species.

I consider ancient plants to be species that we know have been with us for millions of years or plants that are particularly long-lived. Ancient plants include Rose (Rosa spp.) and Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) both of which you can work with as ancestor spirits to help you connect with your own ancestral line. There is something powerful about sitting in deep reverence with a plant like Rose who has watched us grow and evolve as a species. You're essentially connecting with Rose as the Mighty Dead in order to seek out your known and unknown Beloved Dead. Long-lived trees like Oak (Quercus spp.), Yew (Taxus spp.), and Redwoods (Sequoia spp.) are also good options as well as the ancient plants of folklore such as Mugwort (Artemisia spp.) which is known as the oldest of herbs in Anglo-Saxon lore. 

Working with ancient plants can include using them internally (i.e. teas, tinctures, food, and so on) and externally (i.e. baths, incense, herbal oils, and so on), creating altars, charms, and talismans featuring your ancient plant ally, writing poetry, creating art, journaling with them, dancing and singing with them, and whatever else you're called to do. As I mentioned in the introduction, you can leave out a cup of tea for your ancestors whenever you make one for yourself as a way to invite your ancestors into your home, your practice, and to offer them to participate in healing your ancestral lines (or just have a bit of a chat). You can make this into a deeper practice, by choosing to do this everyday, combined with some sort of meditative activity, for a few days to a full cycle of the Moon.

What I love about working with plants as ancestors is that it helps those of us who do not have direct connection with our ancestral lines or complicated ancestors who we are struggling to connect with, to still work with ancestral healing. Working with ancient plants is a wonderful community practice, especially when working with a group of folks from a mix of ethnicities.

Work with plants within your heritage

Another way to approach ancestral healing work is to work with plants that you either know for certain or can make an informed guess that your (cultural, ethnic, and/or spiritual) ancestors used. This idea is part of many modern Pagan traditions which encourage practitioners to connect with their ancestors through plants, places, food, songs, and anything that would be familiar to their ancient people. Where this idea of ancestral plants for present-day healing really became centered for me was when I was during my training as a doula (birth labor assistant) and my teacher spoke to the healing that can happen when you use foods and herbs with your pregnant client that would be familiar to their genetic line. She spoke of it as a way to help a birthing person connect with the lineage and strength of birthing people before them through inviting ancestors in through the food and herbs they eat during pregnancy. It is a view of healing I've carried with me throughout my herbal practice.

Besides explicit exploration of your own or a client's ancestral and plant medicine heritage, if I have a few similar plants that I am considering offering to a client, sometimes I end up choosing one that is an ancestral plant for them. I've seen a lot of magick happen between plant and person when the story of how this plant has been working with their family and cultural line for generations is finally able to be told and heard. Reintroducing Turmeric (Curcuma longa) to someone as not just a plant they saw their dad cooking with as a child, but a plant with deep-rooted ancestral meaning can be powerful stuff. Working with plants that your ancestors would've known can be one of the ways of addressing epigenetic trauma as you're partaking in a medicine that is familiar to your body and the bodies of (at least some of) your ancestors on a genetic level. 

image via @jplenio

Work with trance plants

You can also work with plants that help to induce transcendent states to help you connect with your ancestors more directly. I'm not speaking about entheogenic plants, but herbs that are often classified as dream plants in traditional western herbal and magickal tradition. Plants like Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) are good options. For example, I use Mugwort to help bring about dreams where I connect with my ancestors or to deepen my meditation, divination, and/or trancework practice where connecting to my ancestors is the goal. I do think that these herbs work best when you already have a meditation and/or trancework practice already in place and if you're looking to develop either or those, breathwork is a good place to start.

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I hope you've found some inspiration for your ancestral healing practice. To be perfectly honest, it doesn't matter what plants you are working with - I think the most powerful way of working with plants in ancestral work is to view them as partners in calling in and making space for your ancestors.

If you're looking for more inspiration for developing a herbal healing practice, come this way. You can also peruse my collection of plant profiles to see if one speaks to your ancestral line. If you want to not only connect with your ancestors but your ancient self, I have a tarot spread for that. And if you want a classic, Samhain-inspired ancestor reading, I have a tarot spread for that, too. If you’re looking for a collection of Moon-centered rituals to support your ancestral practice, check out The Moonfolk Book of Shadows.

May your explorations of ancestral healing bear fruit while healing your roots.

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All The Love: Damiana Plant Profile

Today I get to introduce you to a plant friend that I met in one of my very first formal herbalism classes. I still remember the ease and laughter that talking about Damiana (Turnera diffusa) brought to the class - a feeling which encapsulates Damiana’s gift of joyful exchange. While Damiana is typically classified as an aphrodisiac and seen as an herb of sex and romance (which it is), Damiana is also a wonderful plant ally to work with when you’re trying to create connection with other folks in a shared space.

If you prefer to be able to easily print out the following profile as well as learn about other aphrodisiac and adaptogenic herbs, you’re invited to The Plant Ally Library.

I hope you enjoy meeting Damiana and getting to know this plant that acts as an “adaptogenic aphrodisiac” helping us to soften our edges while feeling sturdy in our sense of wellbeing.

Enjoy!

Image via (CC) H. Zell

Damiana
(Turnera diffusa)

Common + Folk Names : Pastorcita, yerba del pastor, hierba del venado, hierba de la pastora

Tarot Cards : The Lovers, Suit of Wands, Suit of Swords

Element : Fire, Air 

Zodiac Signs : Libra (Guardian & Remedy)

Planets : Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter

Moon Phase : Full Moon

Parts used : Aboveground plant

Habitat : Native to the American Southwest, Mexico, and the West Indies.

Growing conditions : Rich to sandy soil with regular watering.

Collection : Collect when the flowers are blooming.

Flavor : Bitter, pungent

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Dry

Tissue States : Cold (Depression), Stagnation (Damp), Relaxation (Damp) - learn more about traditional western herbalism energetics.

Constituents : Vitamin C, phosphorous, selenium, silicon, sulfur, flavonoids, essential oils, glycosides, damianin, beta-sitosterol, arbutin, tannin.

Actions : Adaptogen, antidepressant, alterative, anti-inflammatory, aperient, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, emmenagogue, nervine, stomachic, urinary tonic. 

Main Uses : An herb that has recorded use stretching back to Mayan culture, Damiana has a lot to offer in the ways of herbal healing. Damiana has long been used by the indigenous peoples of the American Southwest and Mexico, including the Yaqui, Rarámuri, and Pima Bajo, including as a tonic for stomachache, a remedy for diarrhea, infertility, inflammation, for lowering blood sugar, increasing the metabolism, and low libido.¹

Damiana was one of the first herbs I was introduced to in my first round of herbal classes in Southern California and it’s honored as an important local remedy as well as a recognizable local liqueur bottled in a distinctive Goddess-shaped bottle. While Damiana is typically presented as an aphrodisiac (which is definitely is), you’ll sometimes see the plant is categorized as an adaptogen. I was taught to use it as an adaptogenic aphrodisiac, embodying the best qualities of herbal aphrodisiacs with the nourishing and restorative qualities of an adaptogen. One of the reasons that Damiana is so effective as an aphrodisiac is that it reduces stress and stress-related complaints including ulcers, colic, indigestion, poor fertility, and low libido. In addition to helping with stress relief, the adaptogenic qualities of Damiana work to regulate the pituitary gland and increase energy. 

Damiana clears brain fog and many head-related disorders including migraines and headaches, calms the nervous system, and greatly reduces overactive mental activity. For anxiety, Damiana is indicated when anxiety creates sluggishness in the mornings and becomes increasingly worse in the evenings.² Damiana can either be stimulating or relaxing to the nervous system, depending on the needs of the body. Damiana is helpful in cases of mental agitation including OCD and anxiety as well as for cases of cognitive decline, including dementia. Herbalist Thomas Bartram recommends combining Damiana with Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and Milky Oats (Avena sativa) for dementia with accompanying indications of weakness resulting in a blend which strengthens and nourishes while providing gentle stimulation which assists in cognitive function and stability.³

The herb helps the nervous system to deliver information throughout the body and as both a brain tonic and aphrodisiac helps to line up mental and physical clarity and desire (i.e. helping to alleviate the ways we can get stuck in our heads in unhelpful ways when pursuing pleasure). While the herb has soothing energies, it is also energizing in that it invigorates the mind and body, which is another reason that Damiana is such a great aphrodisiac.

image via @freestocks

As an aphrodisiac, Damiana also helps to improve libido, increase fertility and sperm count, and reconnect the body to the experience of orgasm. Energetically, the herb is said to help folks who want to to overcome shyness and fear of intimacy as well as the fear of being “good enough” in bed. Herbalist Karen M. Rose recommends Damiana for those recovering their pleasure after experiencing disconnection due to trauma.⁴ While it should not be used during pregnancy, the herb can be used during labor to aid in childbirth - it softens and opens up the birth canal. Damiana is also useful for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Overall, it is an excellent herb to reconnect with pleasure in your life.

In addition to use as a nervine and aphrodisiac, Damiana can help to expel excess phlegm and dry up excess mucous in cases of colds and bronchitis. The herb helps to relax the respiratory system, calming coughs and helping to alleviate the symptoms of asthma.

Topically the herbal oil (not essential oil) can be used as a lubricant in mundane and magickal rites of sex and pleasure.

Magickal Uses : Damiana is an excellent herb for love magick, especially when sexual desire is involved. Use it in sex magick and practices, especially when it comes to communicating clearly with your partners and feeling comfortable expressing your sexuality. 

The herb also aids in the development and awakening of psychic vision. Magickal herbalist Paul Beyerl notes that Damiana has an affinity with quartz crystal and he recommends storing clear quartz in your jar of Damiana as well as making an quartz crystal oil using a base of Damiana oil.⁵

The Damiana Personality : The need of a Damiana person feels so great that they have cut themselves off from it to cope. Damiana folk want sensuality and sex but the emotional labor to experience it because of the emotional baggage they carry can feel insurmountable. There can be a pattern of denying and suppressing wants and desires which then emerge in unhealthy habits in an attempt to find the pleasure they feel denied. There can also be a fear of rejection tied up with low self-esteem that makes even the smallest dismissal from a significant other feel catastrophic, further driving a wedge between their needs and desires for physical affection. Fortunately, when Damiana folk are able to get the support they need (therapeutic, nutritional, herbal, etc) and untie the emotional knots tangling up their spirit, they can and will experience pleasure again. In fact, they’ll often find that the pleasure that they imagined was unattainable is small compared to what they are able to experience in a beneficial Damiana state. For Damiana is a patient, flexible, and wildly intelligent ally when it comes to pleasure of all kinds, not just sexual, and reconnecting us to the radiant fullness of feeling.

Contraindications : Generally regarded as safe, but may interfere with iron absorption. Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Caution with diabetes medication due to Damiana’s affect on blood sugar.

Dosage : Standard dosage.

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I believe that every plant contains the possibility of helping us to connect with our pleasure as a state of expanded connectivity where we feel good in ourselves.

Of course, there are plants that have a reputation for being very effective at helping us to connect with what feels good in our bodies and our relationships, including Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), and Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), to name just a few. Building a relationship with plant allies, returning your herbalism to an earth-centered practice, and allowing yourself to play with possibility as a path of healing can all help to name and experience your own pleasure. In other words, there are as many paths to pleasure as there are beings, and plant allies are just one of many helpful partnerships to finding those paths.

As you journey through the world of herbalism, I hope that you find those plant allies which help you connect with your deepest desires, and find a way to know your desires as things of loveliness and revelation throughout your life.

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Footnotes

1. Margarita Artschwager Kay, Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West (The Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 1996), 265.

2. Michael Alfs, 300 Herbs: Their Indications & Contraindications (New Brighton, MN: Old Theology Book House, 2003), 51.

3. Thomas Bartram, Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (London: Constable & Robinson Ltd, 1998), 140.

4. Karen M. Rose, The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine (Beverly, MA: Quarto Publishing, 2022) 112.

5. Paul Beyerl, A Compendium of Herbal Magick (Custer, Washington: Phoenix Publishing, 1999), 150.