Herbal Allies for Eclipse Season

Holy heck!

It's pretty clear that the energy of the last few weeks has sent so many folks in a tail-spin. We've been oversleeping, forgetting commitments and booking new ones, and generally feeling like sloths on a roller-coaster. Welcome to Eclipse Season.

Yes, eclipse season can feel like pulling the furniture away from the walls to find years of dust and grime, lost pens, crumpled up notes, and dead spiders. Yes, we are still lotus blossoms, but eclipse season reminds us that we have to push through the muck first to truly bloom.

You're not failing even though you feel like you might be falling.

Don't worry - it's not all direness and relieving old miseries. The surprising energy and sudden revelatory movements of eclipse season swings all ways. Sometimes when the veil is pulled back during eclipse season, we find ourselves laughing in joy. Those dark corners, in fact, were growing crystals and the perfect spot to brew a long-forgotten tincture of soul wisdom. 

Fortunately, we’ve never been meant to heal alone. Eclipse season can act like a shared community catharsis and coming together as we share in this celestial event.

Herbs can act as sturdy shields and gentle hugs. They can calm the roaring thoughts of a restless mind and repair the tenderness of a wounded heart. Often, our plant kin help us to adjust our physical and energetic stance so that we are better able to perceive what needs to be known in order to heal. And they are amazing allies during times like these when everything seems significant but sideways. 

What follows are short energetic profiles of a small selection of herbs that I find to be particularly for a wide variety of eclipse season experiences. As always, I affirm your ability to do your own research and work with herbal practitioners to to discover which plants will best suit your needs.

Let’s meet the herbal allies of eclipse season.

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Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

One of the reasons that I think eclipse season can be such a challenge for folks is because the Moon, which represents the hidden nature of ourselves and the world(s), becomes writ large in our lives. What is usually hidden blocks out the light we are so accustomed to. And together we live, for a few moments, not by the light of the Sun, but by the dark of the Moon. Working with a Moon herb, such as Mugwort, helps us to connect with our lunar selves. While many of us know our Sun sign, we don’t know our Moon sign which represents our most intimate truths about ourselves. Knowing your Moon means that you are better able to distribute the power of your Sun throughout your life. Working with Mugwort during eclipse season is one way to enhance your dreams, a primary mode of communication between our conscious selves and lunar selves. The herb can also help to unlock and enhance psychic gifts. If you’ve been denying your psychic gifts, eclipse season can be a time to reconnect with them, and Mugwort can help to open the path.

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Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Skullcap is my go-to herb for folks with busy minds and racing thoughts. This is the herb that most often helps folks who tend to spin round-and-round in their heads. If you tend towards anxious thoughts that keep you up at night or generally draw you away from being present in the moment, Skullcap might be a good ally for you. I find that eclipse season can aggravate nervous thinking and hyper-vigilance, which is why I like to recommend Skullcap, both as a tincture and flower essence. Additionally, it can be enjoyed as a tea and it’s bitter taste helps with indigestion, especially when caused by nervous tension. Skullcap is also one of my favorite herbs for the season of Mabon or the Autumn Equinox which is just around the corner in the northern hemisphere - read more about it. 

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Rose (Rosa spp.)

When am I not recommending Rose? I know of some herbalists who work almost exclusively with Rose and I understand why. It’s a multifaceted healing flower that invites us to unravel the mystery of who we are, why we suffer, and how we might love while still being able to enjoy the side of life which will always remain mysterious. A Rose remedy is like ASMR for the aura - soft but energizing, soothing but inspiring. When I use Rose as a remedy I feel like I am stepping into a sacred temple that is outside of time and space. Eclipse season has a way of slowing things down and speeding them up all at once which is why Rose can be such a useful ally. It helps us deal with time and our experience of it (including memory and what is yet to come) with peace and steadiness. And if eclipse season is stirring up old heartache - try adding Rose into your remedy repertoire. 

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Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Catnip is the herb for those whose emotional turmoil manifests as discomfort in the stomach. Folks who have an affinity for Catnip often have experienced a difficult childhood. For Catnip folks, early life experiences have taught them to keep things hidden away as an act of survival and protection. They believe that what they present to the rest of the world must remain calm and unflustered. Their suffering is present but remains hidden - sometimes the depth of which is even unknown to them. Catnip helps folks to be able to experience their emotions without becoming incapacitated by them. To learn and trust that they can be vulnerable without feeling unsafe. During the revelatory episodes of eclipse season, having Catnip nearby can help to remind us that we deserve to feel safe and at home in the world.

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Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn has similar energetics to Rose but with heightened protective qualities and an ability to help us connect with otherworldly guides - whether land spirits or ancestors. Eclipse season is inherently magickal but not necessarily the best time to be performing complex acts of magick. It makes more sense to find time to sit quietly beneath a tree or sipping tea before your house altar right now. Hawthorn, like Rose, connects us with the sacredness of time and it’s particularly talented at helping us learn how to establish boundaries to protect our time. So if the energy of eclipse season has you feeling like you need to be doing all the things at once, consider working Hawthorn into your herbal routine. I was on a podcast all about Hawthorn where I (if sometimes nervously but always enthusiastically) expressed my love and gratitude for the plant.

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Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

Ahhh, Milky Oat. A beautiful and powerful herb to nourish the nervous system and bring us out of state of unrest. I’ve not yet met anyone who has not benefitted in some small way by incorporating Milky Oat into their lives. If you’re someone who struggles with being a workaholic and taking time off, I would gently challenge you to start taking Milky Oat now and continue with it for at least three months. It’s an herb best enjoyed for an extended period of time and if you’re someone who puts off self-care or consistency (i.e. doing something nice for yourself more than once every six months) in self-care, I think you should consider Milky Oat. Milky Oat is one of my favorite New Moon herbs and you can read the full plant profile here.

My final closing advice for eclipse season is to observe and let it go. You are meant to have enough room in your own life to be completely and unapologetically yourself. Eclipse season is an opportunity to clear out the closets of psychic clutter. In a real physical way, clean your house, tidy up your altar, and drink enough water (no, really, most of us are super dehydrated). Don’t be afraid to take up space in your own life. Also, recognize when you might be taking up too much space in the lives of others because you're afraid of sorting through your own stuff.

Yes, eclipse season is about revelations. But it’s also about recentering. Be sure to take time to do just that.

Do you have herbal allies (or other tools such as crystals) that you find helpful during eclipse season? Be sure to let me know in the comments - I love learning about what it is that you find useful in your life.

Expressing Truth : The New Moon in Leo

Make yourself an altar
bring beauty all around you

from the winged ones,
iridescent feathers
whorled shells from the sea's edge
crystals who carry
the heartbeat of the earth
flowers culled from
the gardens of the world

light a thousand candles,
watch the dance of their flames
then open your soul wide and
sing praise to all that is good.

- H. Ni Aodagain -

We’ll be having two Leo New Moons this year complete with a solar eclipse coming up in August. I’ll be writing more about the powerful energies of the New Moon and solar eclipse next month, but tonight’s New Moon is a warm up to next month’s eclipse. My natal Moon is in Leo so the energies feel close, personal, and difficult to describe (as so often the influence of our natal Moon are). So here is what I have learned as a Leo Moonfolk, walking with the lion as my lunar ally: when the Moon enters Leo we are asked to examine the ways we perform in the world. In other words, how do you do you? What are the ways that you perform your identities of gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, and more? How do you perform your insecurities and doubts? How do you perform your confidence and bravery? 

Photo by Sergey Pesterev

Leo is the guardian of the heart which is important to pay attention to especially because this sign can get a really bad rap in horoscopes and astrology books. Too often performance is seen as false, deceptive, and not to be trusted. This, too, has been said of the heart and those who are guided by the rhythm of their own beat as opposed to the personal and cultural expectations and rules of others. I think we degrade the performative aspects of Leo because we are terrified of living a life guided by an open heart instead of a calculating mind. Even worse, we fear accepting that our heart and mind are not separate entities - we simply choose to ignore that our heart is guiding us - thinking as us - far more than many of use would feel comfortable with. Because everyone is performing and nobody passes. And that is how it should be. We should revel in the ability to perform ourselves a thousand ways to a thousand different people. How else do we figure out what it is we want to say and how to say it? How it is we want to live and how to live it?

The New Moon in Leo is a time of measuring the boundaries of our self-expression, of re-examining the script we’ve been given and what we’ve also written, and figuring out how to say what we need to say while still remembering to listen (both to ourself and others). It’s a time of heart-tonics and doing things that invigorate the heart to act on its desires. Where do you want to be more brave in your life? Right now is an auspicious time to figure it out. 

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
New Moon in Leo Plant Ally

Motherwort is a classic heart tonic in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica. Look to its Latin binomial and you’ll get insight into the herb’s qualities for it has been named “Lion Hearted.” Motherwort improves the condition of a weakened or out-of-sync heart including arrhythmia, angina, and a heart muscle that lacks tone. Signs to look for when considering Motherwort are heart palpitations (especially those caused by stress, nervousness or anxiety), shortness of breath, and those who need some “mothering.” The herb reduces high blood pressure, alleviates palpitations and hypertension, and generally strengthens the heart’s tone.

Motherwort is like a hug in a tea cup and is an herb that shifts energy for the better faster than most other herbs I have encountered. It’s a good herb for the New Moon in Leo because it enhances the generous-hearted qualities of Leo while alleviating the stress and tension that can come about with the very humyn need to be loved. 

Magickally, Motherwort can be kept as a charm in the home to bring about peace. Use to connect with the energy and wisdom of the Lion. The herb protects against harmful entities and spirits. I think it is especially useful in helping alleviate hauntings, whether emotional hauntings of the spirit and mind, or unwanted ghosts.

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon of Leo: Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Vine (Vitis vinifera), Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), Vervain (Verbena officinalis), Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), Willow (Salix vitellina), Gold, Citrine.

Essential Oils of Leo: Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Jasmine ( Jasminum grandiflorum), Benzoin (Styrax benzoin), Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)

Photo by David Monje

The Rite of the Hidden Heart

Behind our wants lies our true desire. We want to live in a house with a rooftop garden because we desire to remember that we are a wild and growing thing even in the concrete confines of the city. We want to be in a relationship with our one-true-love because we desire to learn how to love ourselves and sometimes it’s easier to do through another. Behind our heart lies our desire. 

You will need a candle. Red, yellow, and orange are auspicious but any color will do. You will also need a pen and piece of paper. Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration).

With your pen and paper write a name poem. A name poem consists of words and phrases that describe you and your true nature as well as your magickal lineage, allies, God/dess/es, and whatever else you might want to put in it. Your name poem is a way of sharing your desire with yourself and others. It is a poem that either in theory or in actual practice, you would share with others as a way of introduction, especially at magickal gatherings. An example might be:

I am Azalea, 
Daughter of the Sun Queen,
Keeper of the Citrine Secret,
Sister of Lions,
King of Drag and Rejector of Binaries.
I seek a world of kindness and justice.
With my words I open hearts,
With my performance I create new possibilities,
With my herbs I find healing.
Blessed be.

When your name poem is written light your candle and turn off all other lights. Standing before your candle take six steps backwards (six is a sacred number of the Sun and adjust the movement for your mobility needs). Spend time in the shadow, the space beyond the light of your heart. What within you desires to emerge?

Take one step forward, towards the candle, and read your name poem silently to yourself. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be seen?

Take another step and whisper your name poem. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be heard?

Take another step and say your name poem a little louder. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be touched?

Take another step and say your name poem at your normal speaking volume. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be known?

Take another step and say your name poem at a volume slightly above your normal speaking volume. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be honored?

Take a final step so that you are right before your candle and say your name poem loudly, with confidence. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be loved?

Hold your hands on either side of the candle, infusing your energy with its fiery light and awakening the fire within. When your hands are warm with fire and energy, press them to the paper with your name poem written on it. You can choose to carry this name poem with you as a sacred talisman to be always seeking your desire.

Oracle

With a divinatory tool of your choosing ask the following question. You can also ponder it during meditation or through journaling.

What part of me desperately wants to be seen?

Additional queries to consider:

• What do I fear those that I serve think of me?
• What part of me feels unloved?

Tarot Cards of Leo

Every card within the tarot deck has an astrological association. The following correspondences follow the system laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. You can add these cards to your altar as part of your New Moon in Cancer magick or use them in readings to help with determining celestial influence or timing (i.e. this will come to pass at when the Moon is in Leo).

• The Sign of Leo : Strength
• Saturn in Leo : 5 of Wands
• Jupiter in Leo : 6 of Wands
• Mars in Leo : 7 of Wands
• The Fire Signs of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius : Ace of Wands

Find all of the New Moon Healers Project posts right over here. Be sure to share your insights and experiences in the comments below or via instagram with the tag #NewMoonHealersProject.

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Cancer by reading my in-depth profile on the sign. Check out the magick of each phase of the Moon. For those of you ready to learn how to live your magick and create your herbal remedies by the cycle of Moon and star, you're invited to join the The Lunar Apothecary.

Blessed New Moon, wise healers.
May your healing be healing to us all.
May our healing be healing to you.
Blessed be! Blessed be! Blessed be!

Powerfully Vulnerable : The New Moon in Cancer

Faith is small movement
slow but steady and sure,
holding all experience
in a clear circle
of compassionate light.
- Kaveri Patel -

The New Moon in Cancer asks one thing of us - to access our power through vulnerability. I know, not everyone’s most favorite way to be powerful in the world. While vulnerability is often associated with weakness and victimhood, when we choose to be vulnerable as an act of trust and magick it's a truly powerful thing. When I think about accessing power through vulnerability I am drawn to those moments of being held by someone I love (whether a parent, lover, friend or even the branches of my favorite childhood tree), I think about how safe and expansive I have felt. It’s like being in a cocoon of protection where inside I’m able to be soft and free. That is a powerfully Cancerian way of being - a hard outer shell which protects the softness within. The work of Cancer is to not get too stuck in either way of being where one ends up too hardened or too lost within. 

image via toa heftiba

While we might have been telling stories under a New Moon in Gemini, we are re-living and reminiscing them under a New Moon in Cancer. It’s a good time to feel the feels while traveling the edges between what was and what is. Spend time reflecting on your path and how far you’ve come. It’s less about your eye on the horizon and more about your eye on your own inner world. And that’s vulnerable work, too, in our culture of continuous growth and movement. Choose to not fill every moment of every day with measurable "purpose" but instead to allow times to just play or sit or stare out the window at the rain. To recognize that our being here and breathing is an achievement and to take pleasure in that.

With the New Moon in Cancer we have an opportunity to take it slow. Take a long bath or a luxurious walk through summer fields. Smell those flowers instead of trying to identify them, name them, study them, tincture them, sell them… Find a safe space to get soft in, whether that’s making a pillow fort in front of your altar or spending time snoring next to your dog. Remember, the guardian planet of Cancer is the Moon so whenever the Moon is in the sign of the Crab things feel extra lunar. Thoughts and feelings will bubble to the surface, drawn upwards by the watery New Moon as you are drawn inwards by the same force.

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Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
New Moon in Cancer Plant Ally

Passionflower is a plant with many Moon-like qualities. Cooling and sedating, Passionflower is an excellent remedy for overworked nervous systems needing genuine rest. If you tend towards spasmodic conditions from muscle twitches to restlessness to hiccoughs, Passionflower’s anti-spasmodic effects might be the friend you need. It’s a great herb for tension headaches or headaches due to nervous exhaustion. As a plant of Cancer, Passionflower helps us to step out of a feeling of being caught up in our head when it comes to reliving memories again and again. It's also good for a busy mind in general. For those with a natal Moon in Cancer, the herb helps to invoke the inner peace and quiet needed for wellbeing while at the same time gently encouraging the ability to accept change as it arises (something many Cancer Moonfolk struggle with). 

Magickally, Passionflower helps us to remember what we love most. Dress your altar with a Passionflower vine to invite peace and harmony into your home. Passionflower is useful during times of examining trauma or experiencing a healing crisis, acting as an initiatory herb that assists us in reconnecting to our spiritual purpose. 

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon in Cancer: Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Sturt Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa), Centaury (Centaurium umbellatum), Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium), Pink Yarrow (Alchillea millefolium), Moonstone, Amethyst, Chalcedony.

Essential Oils of Cancer: Blue Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Orange (Citrus sinensis).

image via michael hirsch

Stones Throw Ritual

As healers we ask our clients to get vulnerable with us whether they are sharing their health story with us or letting us feel their wrists for pulses or even ask them the simple but revealing questions such as “When did the pain start for you?” I believe that our ability to hold space for the vulnerability of another is only as sturdy as our ability to be vulnerable with ourselves. Vulnerability is powerful because it helps us to realize our limitations (i.e. recognizing when the needs of your clients is beyond the scope of your care), our boundaries of protection, and the experiences which have powerfully shaped us - no matter how imperfect or difficult they may have been.

Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). This ritual is best performed at a liminal place such as the shoreline or at the crossroads. Gather a small handful of stones - garden stone or gemstone, it doesn't matter which. Holding them in your hands think of times when you have felt most vulnerable in your life. Begin to jumble the stones together so that they make some noise. Consider how your points of vulnerability have shaped who you are today. How has your vulnerability revealed your strength? Feel the sturdiness of the stones in your hands as well as their smallness.

Begin to walk and toss the stones behind one-by-one as you say: 

Stones of Shell
Stones of Bone
Memory is the shaper
The present is my home

When all of the stones but one have all been tossed, begin speaking power to your vulnerability. For example say:

I walk away from my fear of making mistakes.
I walk towards towards the success that taking risks brings.

Keep the one stone with you as a reminder that you carry the power of vulnerability with you always.

Oracle

With a divinatory tool of your choosing ask the following question. You can also ponder it during meditation or through journaling.

What in my past draws me away from my future?

Additional queries to consider:

• When I think of my identity as a healer, what memories arise?
• How do I want to be remembered?

Tarot Cards of Cancer

Every card within the tarot deck has an astrological association. The following correspondences follow the system laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. You can add these cards to your altar as part of your New Moon in Cancer magick or use them in readings to help with determining celestial influence or timing (i.e. this will come to pass at when the Moon is in Cancer).

• The Sign of Cancer: The Chariot
• Venus in Cancer: 2 of Cups
• Mercury in Cancer: 3 of Cups
• The Moon in Cancer: 4 of Cups
• The Water Signs of Cancer, Scorpio, + Pisces: Ace of Cups

Find all of the New Moon Healers Project posts right over here. Be sure to share your insights and experiences in the comments below or via instagram with the tag #NewMoonHealersProject.

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Cancer by reading my in-depth profile on the sign. Check out the magick of each phase of the Moon. For those of you ready to learn how to live your magick and create your herbal remedies by the cycle of Moon and star, you're invited to join the The Lunar Apothecary.

Blessed New Moon, wise healers.
May your healing be healing to us all.
May our healing be healing to you.
Blessed be! Blessed be! Blessed be!

Witchcraft + Weeds : Healing + Magickal Practices for Summer

The longest day of the year approaches in the northern hemisphere. Known by many names including the Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha, and Alban Hefin, it's a time of heat and long picnics, bonfires and dancing.

The fields and forests are full of green and plant life. Trees are abundant with leaves and offer shade to revelers and Good Folk. The air is heady with the whispered charms of love spells. My days are spent in the garden and wild places harvesting and wildcrafting plants. The long summer nights find me at my altar with a cup of sun tea. 

The Summer Solstice marks the turning of the wheel from the mutable air sign of Gemini to the cardinal water sign of Cancer. The tightly wound energy of late spring give way to the languid calm of summer. Spend time be-ing instead of do-ing. Pursue activities that will leave you full of good memories. Drink fresh water, water-rich foods, and herbal infusions with seasonal fruits and plants. 

Weeds

Body System Focus : Stomach, Intestines + Heart
or Nourish Yourself + Love Freely

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of summer is the transformation of air into fire, or moisture into heat and dryness. Our bodies are moving from the frenetic expanse of spring and its sudden growth to the settling maturation of summer heat. It's time to move from the what might be of spring into the what is right now of summer. Make yourself cooling concoctions from herbs that protect against the hardening and scorching heat of choleric energies. Find plants that encourage healthy digestion of the vast array of seasonal food that summer provides. Our weedy plant allies of Midsummer tend to be cooling and tonifying to the heart. But they are also about directing our fire in ways that are of benefit to us, such as strengthening our digestive fire or directing our passionate energy and desirous dreams into fruitful relationships.

Summer weeds are sturdy and often cooling and sedating in nature - just what our bodies need during this time of heightened heat and dryness. While many spring herbs have come and gone (their dried out stalks turning golden in fields and abandoned lots), a whole new bunch of summer herbs are entering into their prime. Enjoying foraged weeds as food and medicine is an amazing way to connect with the season and practice self-care. If you want to learn more about the healing properties of weeds, I highly recommend checking out The Wise Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival by Katrina Blair.

If you're struggling to settle into summer, check out the healing gifts of Cancer the Crab to help you find your summer flow.

Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) : This tall-growing herb with pretty purple flowers can be found throughout California and the Malva species is naturalized around the world. Mallow is a mucilaginous herb meaning that it is moistening making it a great choice for addressing conditions of dryness and inflammation. Use the nutritious leaves in place of spinach when cooking for a vitamin rich meal.

Wild Chamomile (Matricaria discoidea) : Also known as Pineappleweed, Wild Chamomile is a fragrant relative of the Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) commonly used in traditional western herbalism. Wild Chamomile can be used in similar ways to Matricaria chamomilla as a digestive aid and is gently sedating, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic in nature. It makes a delicious tea whether enjoyed hot or cold. It's sun-bright flowers have a doctrine of signatures associated with the Sun which is the guardian planet of Leo. Leo guards the heart and I find all Chamomiles to be cheering and uplifting to the heart and spirit.

St. Joan's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) : An herb long associated with Midsummer, St. Joan's Wort (more commonly known as St. John's Wort) is an herb of the heart and love in all forms. one of the most common uses of St. Joan’s Wort is for alleviating depression. While it's not entirely clear how St. Joan’s Wort works, recent studies have shown that it does have antidepressant qualities without the side-effects of pharmaceutical alternatives. In general, the herb is a fantastic restorative of the nervous system, helping to calm and steady us. St. Joan's Wort oil is an excellent after-sun treatment for burns and general heatstroke. For any magickal or medicinal use Midsummer is considered the most powerful time to gather the herb.

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris) : Self-heal is a beautiful plant that cools and repairs. It's a bit of a panacea and I've found it to be useful for many conditions in which stagnant heat is a problem. Self-Heal helps to relieve irritability and traditional use for all complaints of the throat. It is gently immunostimulating, too. I love using the flower essence to help connect with my own healing abilities and to remember to be brave enough to choose wellness.

Vervain (Verbena hastata) : Overheated, stressed with a knotted stomach, and feeling anxious are all signs that Vervain may be of use. The herb can be a great ally to those for whom the heat of summer is just too much (especially if you tend to be more tightly wound - which is considered a condition of dryness - to begin with). I like using Vervain for those who tension shows up in their neck, shoulders, and stomach. The cooling blue plant can help us to appreciate the fact that the shade is a perfectly fine place to enjoy the summer weather from and that we don't have to be something that we're not.

Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum) Flower Essence : Basil is an herb of dragon magick and the fire dragons abound during the summer season. With dragon magick we learn how to direct our will, manifest our dreams with life-giving heat, and protect the fire of our hearts. Sacred Basil is a manifestation of the Goddess Lakshmi within Hindu tradition and I find the essence to be healing to all levels of our being. The essence helps us to integrate what we've learned so far on our journey through life - a perfect ally for the illuminating light of summer!

Witchcraft

Summer is the time of maturing energies and the vigor that comes with growth and development. It's a time to revel in your personal power and fall in love again with your magick. The long days allow for greater freedom of movement on all levels from whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. Summer is a time to test your skills and ideas developed during the spring. Dive in and go on an adventure! Below I've shared with you three paths of summer magick that I practice so that I can live my magick with bravery and integrity during the brightest season of the year.

3 Paths of Summer Magick

Opening Up : We open up to the blossoming heat of summer into the peak of our power. Rituals include all forms of fire and candle magick to bless yourself and your home with abundance and protection; magick at dawn with the rising sun; leaping over bonfires and passing sacred items through flame; communing with local land spirits and leaving them offerings; inviting in abundance; awakening to new forms of ancient wisdom; celebrating what you have learned so far in life; dancing, laughing, and sharing good food with others; making a vow of service to your community; divination to help you open up to new possibilities about who you are and your life path.

Opening Up Meditation : Lay on the ground (or in an alternatively open position that is comfortable for you) and visualize that you are breathing through every pore of your skin. After a few minutes of this expansive form of breathing, feel your heart begin to blossom open with a thousand petals until your whole being is one big bloom.

Taking Risks : We take risks and face our fears so that we can grow as magickal beings. Rituals include shadow work (for long days cast long shadows); fear-breaking charms; doing that thing which you've been putting off doing; choosing to be seen and heard by others; finally trying out a type of magick that you've hesitated to do before; cord-cutting from relationships and ways of thinking that you've been afraid to cut out of your life; self-blessings in private and self-blessings in community because it is a radical act to love all of your being.

Taking Risks Meditation : Begin in a position of tension, curled into your self, and with your eyes tightly shut. Listen for your heartbeat. Though you may be afraid to risk it, your heart is still brave enough to beat in a way that no other heart can. Begin to loosen the tightness of your body. Stretch out slowly, keeping your eyes closed. Move gently, loosely, freely. Give your heart space to beat. Give yourself space to try something new. With this in mind bring your hands to your heart and open your eyes.

Being Love(d) : We choose love in all of it's forms because we deserve to love and be loved in return. Rituals include enchantments of love, self-love, aromantic friendship, asexual romance, deeply erotic love, sensual love, family love, community love, and more; tell the ones you love nine times in one day; use the power of fire to transform any energy that comes your way into love; speak poetry and sing songs; have sex and make love (preferably outdoors); learn new pleasurable ways to touch your body and the body of your lovers; work exclusively with God/dess/es of love for a full cycle of the Moon; handfast yourself or get handfasted to your lover(s); invite in new possibilities for love and self-love; perform a ritual skyclad as a sign that you are free and loved fiercely.

Being Love(d) Meditation : Stand before a mirror. Close your eyes and breath deep. When ready, open your eyes and while looking at yourself say your name nine times. Holding your gaze, say "I love you" and your name nine times. Finish by saying "I love you" a final nine times. 

Making crystal grids with some astrological tarot magick. Book available here.

  Energizing Crystal Grid

Something about the summer always inspires me to create crystal grids (and swamp tea). I think it's the intuitive desire to store up the energy of the season for the darker parts of the year. My Energizing Crystal Grid does just that - captures summertime energy to be tapped into for magick and healing many months after the season has passed.

You'll need eight clear quartz crystal points (citrine is a good alternative, but trust your intuition). I like to use a tarot card or image from a book as my foundation as the sacred symbols will add magickal intent to your grid. My crystal grid pictured above, for example, was made with an image of The Fool card so that I could tap into the fiery willpower of summer at any time of the year when I wanted to start a new project (you can get a copy of the book here). A card or image is not necessary and a plain surface for your grid is more than magickal enough. 

Place your crystals in a circle with the points facing outwards. Take a deep breath and hold your hands above the grid. Visualize the energy of summer flowing down through your crown, through your heart and arms, and out your hands into the grid. Repeat the following charm again and again as the energy flows: 

For every season a stone -
Energy of summer
Make your home!

When it feels right and the energy is flowing powerfully, clap your hands above the grid three times. Let your grid rest undisturbed for at least six days (the magickal number of the Sun) at which point you can move the stones and keep them in a sacred space until they are needed again. You can either set up the grid again as needed for spellwork or use individual stones as little energizing batteries for your magick. 

What are your favorite healing and magickal practices for summer? Let me know in the comments. 💕

If you're looking for more summer magick be sure to check out my herbs, recipes, and tarot spread for the Summer Solstice. 

Changing Stories : The New Moon in Gemini

Shine

This is your time
You are glowing under the moon
You are shining near the fire
You will arise
each morning
moving yourself up
to the highlands
of your own heart
Keep going
you deliciously sweet framework
of brains and bones
Your existence is a miracle
But don't force a smile
Instead,
honor your humanity
Speak in sentences
of boquets and thorns
Dig in the dirt
and pull up the weeds
of your past
Stretch the length
of your body
along the trunk of a tree
raise your hand
to the branches in the sky
and wrap your fingers
around th largest
keenest
truest fruit
you can find.

- Kim Adonna -

Gemini is a sign of our times with it’s emphasis on social connections, fast-moving information, and, when the energy gets carried away, saying something before we’ve thought it through. Words and their many meanings dance around us like a playful wind. Oracles and visionary signs abound during the New Moon in Gemini. It might mean spending time with your divinatory tools, but be sure to be open to the oracles of the everyday. Pay attention to words the books you're reading, the signs of passing street corners, enigmatic combinations of emojis, and snippets of conversations in a new and open way. The New Moon in Gemini is a time that we can hear what we need to know, but it requires us to listen carefully. 

After the New Moon in Taurus, the New Moon in Gemini is the young kid who is pulling their parent up from relaxing and saying “Come on let’s go!” And on the way to wherever they want you to be they’ll regale you with the latest school ground gossip. While stillness is a quality of Taurus, quickness is the energy of mutable Gemini. The New Moon in Gemini can be a time of information expansion in your life - and depending on where you’re at in life this can be overwhelming or exactly what you need (or a combination of both). It’s an auspicious time to release old stories that you tell yourself and others that you’ve outgrown as well as make announcements about new projects, identities, and ambitions. If you’re someone who struggles with words, whether speaking them aloud or finding the ones that fit what you want to express, the New Moon in Gemini, when properly focused (check out the plant ally below for help with that) can help you find or create your words.

image source

All New Moons are times of new starts, new beginnings, and new perspectives. With the New Moon in Gemini we have the opportunity to tell a new story to and about ourselves. Instead of "not" and “can’t,” Gemini urges us to speak with "can" and "do" as our words of power. Think of a story you’ve been telling yourself for years. It might be something like:

I don’t deserve to be cared for in the ways that I care for others.

Replace the negatives in the sentence with positive words. So the story is transformed to:

I do deserve to be cared for in the ways that I care for others. 

It’s not about believing that the latter story is true (yet), for Gemini is less a sign of belief as it is a sign of talking about and analyzing belief. But it is a sign of memes and persistent thoughts, so why not create a persistently positive meme for yourself? It takes practice, but the New Moon in Gemini is an auspicious time to start, helping to give your re-storytelling an energetic boost. 

It’s time to tell your story, instead of being told it.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
New Moon in Gemini Plant Ally

Lavender is a wonderful herb for the New Moon, bringing soothing and centering energy to magick and medicine. The gentle purple flower helps us to slow down and take a breath during the energetically busy time of Gemini. In general, Lavender is an herb that addresses physiological tension from muscle spasms to tension headaches. It can be used internally (it’s a great addition to tea) and it’s a wonderful massage oil for tired and tense bodies. Lavender is one of my favorite herbs to use in room sprays to shift the energy of a space. 

Lavender works with the nervous system very intelligently - it stimulates a sluggish nervous system when needed, bringing clarity and focus while lifting lethargy and can also calm an aggravated nervous system that needs to be re-centered, and settled. Lavender can help to soften the jolts of energy that run through our bodies while enhancing our energetic output, clearing out lethargy and laziness. The scent of Lavender alone does remarkable things to our nervous system, helping to ward off depression, alleviate stress, and bring the spirit back to the body. I highly recommend including it in your New Moon in Gemini magick-making especially when undoing the knots of tension that can come from untangling stories so that we can find our own words. 

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon in Gemini: Cerato (Ceratostigma Willmottiana), Mimulus (Mimulus Guttatus), Lavender (Lavandula spp.), Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), Blue Delphinium (Delphinium spp.), Aquamarine, Clear Quartz.

Essential Oils for Gemini: Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Peppermint (Mentha piperita).

image source

Changing Your Story of Healing

The work of a healer is to ease suffering by connecting those we serve with hope and an expanded vision of what is possible. We, as healers, deserve the same and believing so starts with examining the stories we tell about what can and cannot be healed about ourselves. Be sure to read the first part of the post about why powerful words (whether or not our beliefs are quite there yet) are an important part of Gemini magick before performing this ritual.

Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). Think about the current story you tell yourself about what you think is broken. Notice the physical sensations that arise and where they are in your body. Spend a moment observing the sensation. Speak the story in a concise sentence such as:

• I’ll never heal from my broken heart.
• My shyness won’t let me connect with others as a healer.
• I don’t deserve the healing that I help others achieve. 

The next part is a play on an old knot magick technique (which is aligned with air magick and the sign of Gemini), but you’ll be unknotting instead of binding. Gently touch the place in your body where the energy of your story is tangled and say:

By touch of one, the knot's undone.

Visualize the knot of your story loosening and undoing itself. You might feel resistance - take a deep breath. You might feel joy - take a deep breath. Touch the spot on your body again and say:

By touch of two, the energy is true.

Visualize the clarifying energy of the New Moon flowing into the area where the knot used to be. Pay attention to the color and quality for additional healing insight. Take a deep breath, being sure to expand your lungs to their full capacity. Touch yourself for a third time and say:

By touch of three, I am set free!

Now it’s time to fill that spot with the words of your new story. 

• My heart is resilient, adaptable, and whole.
• My sensitivity helps me connect to those who need a gentle healer like me.
• I deserve all of my healing.

Breath in the new words deep. Open your arms wide to embrace the energy of the New Moon and then give yourself a big hug. Say with power:

So mote it be!

Oracle

With a divinatory tool of your choosing ask the following question. You can also ponder it during meditation or through journaling.

What stories do I tell myself prevent me from being the healer I am meant to be?

Additional queries to consider:

• How can I better use my words as a healer?
• In what ways do I need to be more mindful of what I say?

Tarot Cards of Gemini

Every card within the tarot deck has an astrological association. The following correspondences follow the system laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. You can add these cards to your altar as part of your New Moon in Taurus magick or use them in readings to help with determining celestial influence or timing (i.e. this will come to pass at when the Moon is in Gemini).

• The Sign of Gemini: The Lovers
• Jupiter in Gemini: Eight of Swords
• Mars in Gemini: Nine of Swords
• Sun in Gemini: Ten of Swords
• The Air Signs of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius: Ace of Swords

Find all of the New Moon Healers Project posts right over here. Be sure to share your insights and experiences in the comments below or via instagram with the tag #NewMoonHealersProject.

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Gemini by reading my in-depth profile on the sign. Check out the magick of each phase of the Moon. For those of you ready to learn how to live your magick and create your herbal remedies by the cycle of Moon and star, you're invited to join the The Lunar Apothecary.

Blessed New Moon, wise healers.
May your healing be healing to us all.
May our healing be healing to you.
Blessed be! Blessed be! Blessed be!