The Astroherbalism Apothecary: Crafting Herbal Charms for Your Sun Sign

I've written about the gifts of our Sun sign and how we can connect with that energy of our birth chart through a simple tarot practice - and now it's time to explore working with our Sun sign plant allies in magickal practice.

Building upon the energy of exploring our birth chart, I wanted to explore some astroherbalism techniques to help you craft elixirs and potions that support the energy of your Sun sign. As the Sun sign is a common starting point for many folks to western astrology, I'd thought it would be a good place to start, but I'll be continuing this series exploring the Moon sign and Ascendant, too.

While you'll find a few recipes in this post, what I really want to share with you is the framework of how we would approach creating your own unique potions, elixirs or herbal charms for your Sun so that you feel inspired to use what is readily available to you. We'll start by naming the ways our Sun sign affects our energy and then look at the common ways that Sun energy might need support in our life because its been blocked or undernourished. I'll provide you with some suggestsions to help you craft your own charms, and then leave you with a Sun sign ritual to support your magickal workings.

Let's get crafting in the astroherbalism apothecary!

As an herbalist, I work with astrology as a story-telling-listening tool and a way to help folks get to know and name the healing needs of their body (and by "body" I mean physical form, emotional and mental experience, the psychic body, and so on). Within traditional western herbalism, the Sun represents our inherent energy. There is no "good" or "bad" inherent energy, just the baseline energy that we're born with and our Sun sign helps us understand the ways that our energy flows throughout our life. Some of us, for example, have energy that is quick to show up and quick to disappear, while others have energy that is slow to arrive and meandering when it does get here. We bring this inherent energetic signature with us into all of our life experiences, including our experiences of wellness, discomfort, illness, and healing. 

Throughout our life we learn how to tend to the needs of our energy and develop skills to interact with the world that not only feels good to us (if at times challenging, but in a way that is helping us to stretch and grow more into who we are) but is sustainable. 

When it comes to supporting our Sun sign there are three primary paths that I work with: recipes that energize, recipes that soothe, and recipes that nourish. Below you'll find a brief description of each path of support as well as key phrases that help you identify your Sun sign energy needs. I encourage you to read these phrases aloud and if something resonates, to consider pursuing that path of magickal healing. Once you've identified what type of path will be most useful for you at this time, you can choose a few suggested herbs and then follow the guide below to creating your custom Sun sign charm with.

image via @mickeydziwulski

Energize Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that help to awaken, enliven, and generally stimulate Sun sign energy that may be sluggish, recovering from stress and/or illness, and in general need of waking up. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of an energizing charm include:

• I feel like I can't get going. 

• I feel stuck in one place. 

• What's the point?

• I don't feel inspired or creative.

• I just feel "blah" all the time.

Herbs for an Energizing Charm

For a charm that is helping to energize and wake up our Sun current, we want to work plant allies that are stimulating, inspiration-inducing, and energetically bright. From a magickal perspective, seeds and fruits are especially energizing, which is why I love incorporating plants into my Sun charms that are brightly colored and grow prolifically like Calendula (Calendula officinalis) not only in flower form, but in seed form as well. While you should check out the "Remedy Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign, in general, brightly colored, especially in warm and sunny tones, plants that grow easily in a variety of conditions, as well as spicy or strong tasting plants, are great options. Here are a few energizing Sun plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

• Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)

• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

• St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

• Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

If they are already in your collection, you might consider adding any of the following stone allies to your energizing Sun charm including Citrine, Clear Quartz, Carnelian, Red Jasper, and Tiger's Eye. You can also consider choosing bright and warm color tones for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @rayhennessy

Soothe Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that help to soften, relax, and create a sense of calm for Sun energy that is in excess leading to feelings of agitation, anxiousness, and general overwhelm. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of a soothing charm include:

• I'm so anxious!

• I don't fit in anywhere.

• I need a hug (or other comforting experience).

• I just feel on edge all the time.

• No one gets me.

Herbs for a Soothing Charm

Focus on herbs that help to diffuse excess Sun energy, helping to ground and center us. From a magickal perspective, roots and barks of plants (always sustainably harvested), have an inherently grounding energy which is why I love solar plants like Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) for soothing solar charms. While you should check out the "Remedy Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign, in general herbs that are cooling, including cooling colors such as blue or purple flowers, grounding, and relaxing are excellent options. Here are a few Sun energy soothing plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)

• Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• Burdock (Arctium lappa)

• Borage (Borago officinalis)

• California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

• Rose (Rosa spp.)

• Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

There are also a variety of stone allies you might consider working with to help soothe your Sun energy if you already have them available including Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Bloodstone, Obsidian, Amethyst, Citrine, and Flourite. You might also consider choosing cool color tones for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @kiendo

Nourish Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that tend to the fundamental needs of our Sun energy, helping us feel energetically fed and supported in our energetic needs - a Sun sign tonic. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of a nourishing charm include:

• I feel burnt out.

• Everything feels like too much.

• I'm exhausted.

• Who's going to take care of me?

• I could really use a break right now.

Herbs for a Nourishing Charm

Focus on herbs that feel comforting and inviting, helping us to come home to our solar self. From a magickal perspective, flowers and leaves carry nourishing energy and I'm particularly fond of plant allies like Rose (Rosa spp.) to help nourish solar energy.  While you should check out the "Guardian Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign to help you explore nourishing herbs for your particular Sun energy, in general focusing on vitamin and mineral rich plants, herbs full of gentle but warm color, and herbs that you enjoy the scent, taste, and/or feel of can be good options. Here are a few Sun energy nourishing plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

• Linden (Tilia europea)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

Stone allies that you might consider working with to help nourish your Sun energy, if you already have them in your collection, include Citrine, Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Pink Tourmaline, and Magano Calcite. You might also consider choosing gentle and warm colors - such as rosy pinks, soft oranges, warm yellows - for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @daiga_ellaby

Creating Your Sun Sign Charm

Decide the form that your Sun charm will take (i.e. a spell bottle, a charm bag, a solar altar, or something else entirely) and gather all of your ingredients and items needed as well as a candle and candle holder. If you are able to perform this charm on a sunny day, even better, but it's not necessary for success as often we need to recharge our solar energy because sunny days have been far and few between. Ground and center (perhaps with a tree of life meditation) and settle into sacred space through your preferred method. Lay the items for your charm out before you, along with your candle. Light the candle by saying:

By the light of the Sun
By the light of the fire
By the light of my heart's
honest desire
I work my magick
I cast my spell
To {charge, soothe, nourish} my energy
That all may be well.

Visualize the light of the candle (and the Sun if you are outside) growing and expanding, meeting with your own solar energy. Let the light fill up the places of your solar aura that need healing, helping to fortify your Sun energy. When ready, begin to craft your charm, naming aloud the purpose of each item that you are adding to it such as:

Calendula for energy and strength
St. Joan's Wort for hope and joy
Lemon Balm for clarity and community

Once the charm has been made, pass the charm through the flame six times, visualizing the light of the flame and the sun being gathered up into the charm. Then pass the charm between you and the the candle flame, reciting at least six times (or until the energy needed is raised) in a rhythmic fashion:

By light, I am {energized, soothed, nourished}
My Sun renewed
Round and about
Through and through

When you feel the energy has been raised, press the charm to your heart and exclaim: 

So mote it be!

You can now use your charm as you please, carrying it with you or setting placing it in an auspicious place in your home. The charm can be re-charged by putting it under sunlight and/or repeating the sun charm ritual as needed.

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While I love connecting folks with healing modalities, plant allies, and magickal practices, I've come to realize that a lot of my work is learning how to be an effective resource library and to help folks connect with their healing community. I find that astrological language can be an excellent tool for that, especially for marginalized folks who've been injured within medical systems - physically, emotionally, spiritually - feel hesitant to access the care they need. 

It was my own magickal practice that led me to re-membering, after being raised under the deep shadow of capitalism that tries to sell us the lie of the isolated individual solely responsible for earning their "wellness," that healing is a community act, that we all deserve healing resources (including accessing the work of mental health professionals) by simply existing. If you have read through this post and feel some resonance with a statement that you weren't expecting or feelings that feel hard to sit with, I invite you to seek out some of the incredible community-centered healing resources available to you (you can find a short list at the end of this post to help get you started). Part of working with paths like modern astrology is recognizing where the story of our birth chart is pointing us towards - including the types of collaborative healing spaces and skills that would benefit us the most during any and every stage of life.

That's magick, friends, clarifying our intention, naming it, asking for what we desire, and letting love open the path back home to ourselves and our community.

If you are looking to learn more about your Sun sign come this way and you can check out my astroherbology archive for an abundance of resources for your studies and practice. 

May your inner Sun shine brightly!

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

A Year of Healing Stories: Celebrating the Zodiac Seasons

In 2022 I spent a year writing about the seasons of the zodiac, complete with rituals, recipes, and tarot spreads for each of the twelve signs. Working through the celestial seasons of the year and trying to codify practice and folklore into a useful format for readers like you, lead me to reflect on and nurture my own seasonal practice. Throughout the year I found myself trying out new and reconfigured rituals, ways of connecting with my tarot work, and letting myself experiment with my practice in all sorts of ways.

So I'd thought I'd share with you some of the ways that I observe the seasons of the zodiac as well as why this way of working with time and space can be useful in our healing work.

If you've been wanting to incorporate astrological knowledge into your healing and tarot practice but feel overwhelmed by the idea (Why does this feel like spiritual math and the answer is always look within, but not there within and only when Uranus is not quincunx to Saturn?! What the heck is a decan and am I supposed to be walking with it?), starting with a the seasons of the zodiac may be a gentle but informative path to pursue.

image via @dariobroe

A Year Full of Stories

How we observe and engage with time says a lot about our healing work. Time is not only defined by cultural differences (i.e. observing a solar or a lunar calendar to mark the turning of the year) but also by social norms (i.e. the nine to five workday or whether or not there is a socially acceptable period of rest in the middle of the day). There is so much religious thought and custom dedicated to defining not only the length of time for different matters (i.e. the world was literally created in seven days versus seven days being a metaphor) but how we should spend our time (i.e. we have one life to live and it should be focused on the eternity of the afterlife versus this is one of many lives and we'll be back again). Every season can bring different expectations of what we should be doing with “our” time, that it can sometimes feel challenging to know how it is we want to be at any given moment of the day or night, much less the year.

So what are astrological seasons (aka seasons of the zodiac or zodiac seasons) and how do they fit in with healing work and learning to connect with time in a different way? In short, the astrological seasons are when a planet transits from one sign of the zodiac into another. The length of time that a planet is within that sign is a "season." The astrological seasons that are often referenced on social media and in popular books on astrology are usually solar seasons or seasons of the Sun. The Sun changes signs or seasons every calendar month and since the Sun is one of the most influential energies in the birth chart, it's one that we tend to pay attention to, but every planet has seasons for different lengths of time. The start and end of the solar seasons change by a few days each year, but they all start and end roughly around the 19th to 23rd days of the month. The Sun starts its annual journey through the twelve signs of the zodiac when it enters the sign of Aries around the 19th to 23rd of March.

For me, astrological seasons are a relatively neutral way to think about and define my experience of time. They help us to understand that there is time and space for all aspects of our lives to be experienced, taking out the idea of “using time wisely” within the narrow confines of productivity, success, and growth defined by institutional and cultural systems imposed upon us. I also enjoy the playful aspects of seeing time through the lens of myth and metaphor, instead of time being viewed as a transactional experience to be spent, saved, and used “wisely.”

When sitting in a consultation, I try to pay attention to how my client is speaking about time and space. Do they feel like they don't have enough time and space? Have they been sick forever and don't remember when they felt not sick? Do they feel like they're wasting time or are they overwhelmed by the increasingly large number of their age? Are they worried they are not using their time wisely or feel like they are losing time to activities such as social media or a job they don't like? There is so much interesting information to be heard in the stories people are telling themselves and others about time.

tarot deck shown is The Herbcrafter’s Tarot

As a witch and Pagan herbalist, part of my calling is not only helping to facilitate connections between plants and their people, but to help folks re-connect with the land and themselves as land. I do this in a number of ways including using seasonal remedies and including seasonal activities and observations as part of my wellness recommendations. While I talk of the wheel of the year and other tradition specific holy days with my Pagan clients, many of my clients come from varied social, religious, and cultural backgrounds, so I try and have a variety of myths and stories that I can use to help get them excited and interesting in how they engage with time. Here is where the seasons of the zodiac can really shine as a storytelling tool.

The language of astrology and specifically astrological seasons (i.e. Aries Season, Scorpio Season, Pisces Season, etc.) are one of those forms of storytelling that I draw upon. I find it useful to engage with the year as a series of stories, tied to the land, the planets, and the stars, as a way to find my unique rhythm and pace. These myths help me to release other people's notions of what I should or should not be doing with my time that doesn't work for me and my family. It's also another way to reshape difficult parts of the year as something you're part of and less of something that is happening to you. In the northern hemisphere, for example, Capricorn marks a time of deep winter and for some folks struggling with sadness during these darker and colder parts of the year, it can be interesting to work with the story of Capricorn. Capricorn is a sign that enjoys a certain level of stillness and structure, but it's not only in a linear productive sense (which can be over-focused on as desirable qualities under capitalism). Sometimes the myth of the goatfish is the creature that sits at your window on a still winter's night, saying, "In the quiet and the dark, we can build what we've been dreaming of before anyone can catch us."

For other folks, the myth of Capricorn they might be learning to connect with is learning about the power of slowing down and exploring deep - a muscle that not everyone is encouraged or granted the safety to explore in their younger years. For those familiar or interested in astrology, I like to point to the place where a season lands in their birth chart. "Look here!" I might say, "Capricorn is bringing energy to your Fourth House of home, which is not only the place that you live, but your experience of your body as home. Does that area of your life feel particularly tender or challenging during the winter months?" So many conversations and explorations can be started by looking at our own personal constellations of stars and planets. If a story like Capricorn feels useful to a client, I might draw on appropriate Capricorn herbs and remediation techniques to help support them further. Through our exchange of stories, I can also recommend further resources and healing modalities for clients to look into, such as somatic therapy and bodywork to help with the stagnant energy they might be struggling with in winter. 

Personally, when I began to be more mindful of the astrological seasons I found a lot of relief in being able to name, in ways that felt empowering to me, what it was about certain points of the year that felt challenging. It's the difference in being able to live my myth instead of trying to fit in with a story that has been told to me. 

If you're interested in exploring a seasons of the zodiac approach to the year, I suggest starting by making note of one or two months of the year that you find to be most comforting and enjoyable versus one or two months that you find to be the most challenging. Then, compare those months with the astrological seasons I've listed below and read more about the one or two signs and how their stories may help you understand your own.

Solar Seasons of the Year

Aries: End of March (Equinox) to end of April
Taurus: End of April to end of May
Gemini: End of May to end of June
Cancer: End of June (Solstice) to end of July
Leo: End of July to end of August
Virgo: End of August to end of September
Libra: End of September (Equinox) to end of October
Scorpio: End of October to end of November
Sagittarius: End of November to end of December
Capricorn: End of December (Solstice) to end of January
Aquarius: End of January to end of February
Pisces: End of February to end of March

Seasonal Rituals & Practices

Seeking Elemental Balance & Meeting Our Star Bodies

Each sign of the zodiac has a corresponding element of Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. Aries is a Fire sign and brings fiery energy into the season and whatever area of our life it is illuminating into your birth chart. If you're trying to bring more fiery energy into your life, for example, you might try engaging in fiery and energizing activities during Aries season such as energetic movement to fire magick as well as engaging in activities that feel exciting and adventurous. You might incorporate appropriate-for-you fiery herbs into your routine from spices and more stimulating herbs to digestive tonics. If you struggle with too much fiery energy and find Aries season to be overstimulating, you might try cooling and tempering activities such as gentle movement, forest bathing, activities that feel emotionally regulating, as well as relaxing herbs and liver tonics. 

Signs & Their Elements

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

A simple way to start with elemental work is to ask yourself the following series of questions, and not only think about the answer, but try to feel your answer, too.

• Do I feel like I have enough {element} in my life?

• If not, what can I do that is {fiery, watery, earthy, airy}?

• If I feel like I have too much of {element} how can I balance it with {opposite element}?

Every sign of the zodiac is associated with parts of the body and it can be an interesting somatic experience to explore the corresponding parts of your body for each season of the zodiac. You can learn more about the signs of the zodiac and our bodies over here.

Seasonal Tarot Readings

I enjoy beginning a new zodiac season with the corresponding tarot spread (you can find links to all of my astrological season tarot spreads in the Solar Seasons of the Year list above). For me, these readings aren't about predictions or trying to peer too far and back in time, but about reading the energy of the next cycle of the zodiac. It is also about connecting with the energy of the season on a personal and energetic level. The reading is contemplative and somatic: I write about my reading and I also feel it out without trying to put it into words.

Side Note: if you've been in a bit of a tarot funk, I recommend these (or similar) seasonal tarot spreads to help you move energy and inspire your intuition in a relatively low stakes sort of way.

These seasonal readings can also be using the same spread each month (i.e. the Celtic Cross for Aries season, Taurus season, Gemini season, and so on). If you're trying to work with solar energy in your life, doing a regular reading when the Sun changes signs can be a rewarding practice.

Alternatively, I've really enjoyed doing a zodiac season reading at the end of the season (i.e. when Aries season is coming to an end and Taurus season is about to begin). This is a spread to help you reflect on the energies of the past month as they manifested in your life and can sometimes be a more useful approach if you're new to the idea of zodiac seasons. 

Alternatively alternatively, you can do a reading at the beginning and end of the zodiac season. I would do this when a month has been particularly intense or if I'm trying to better understand a particular sign of the zodiac better (i.e. what the heck is a Taurus and why is it in my ninth house?).

book shown is the stargazing notebook by the unemployed philosopher’s guild

Birth Chart Meditation

After I've done my reading, I'll pull out my birth chart and look at what is happening in the area of my chart that the current zodiac season is illuminating. Aries in the Third House, for example, might mean taking note of what is happening in your life in regards to your curiosity, your ability to communicate ideas and concepts about yourselves and your world, as well as paths of learning that we may be on or want to be on, and relationships with siblings (including chosen family siblings). If you have planets in this area of your chart you might explore what they signify when they're in the sign of Aries. Finally, consider how the energy of Aries has informed your understanding and experience of Third House issues (i.e. you might learn best in an active environment or are someone who needs to move in order to think). If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you can download my free guide to The Moon in the Houses in the subscriber’s only resource page, which can be used more broadly for understanding the general emotional energy of each House.

Again, I'm not trying to practice any sort of predictive astrology, but to familiarize myself with what energy might be stirred up, what concepts might be illuminated, and what shadows revealed while the Sun traverses this part of my birth chart and life. If you're just starting to learn about your birth chart, a practice of seasonal observation like this can be a great way of exploring the energies of the stars and planets at the time of your birth. 

Plant Allies

I try to work with the seasons in my herbal practice as much as possible, working with plants as they spring up on the Land around me. So it's easy to work with Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) to temper the energy of Aries during Aries season (which arrives in late March in the northern hemisphere) as Lemon Balm is one of the first plants to return after winter.

When working with plant allies for the zodiac season, especially if you're new to the practice, I would start with the herbs you already work with and learn about their astrological correspondences. It can be a fascinating practice to notice the type of astrological energies you're inherently drawn to in your choice of plants to work with each season. See the "Additional Practices" section below for some more ideas for working with plants.

Tarot deck shown is Thea’s Tarot by Ruth West

Additional Practices

Depending on the season, the time and energy I have, and honoring the human urge to arrange things in such a way that feels pleasing and spiritually harmonious, I might build an altar for each season. An astrological tarot altar might include traditional and personal images of the current Sun sign, symbolic connections to your birth chart, and anything else to represent the ways that you're working with the energy of the season, including symbols for what you're trying to call in or release from your life. An altar to help you connect with the energies of Virgo Season, for example, might include images of healing spaces, bowls of grain, and an item or two representing an area of your life that you’re calling in healing energy.

I love altar building and in addition to being a beautiful thing to do, I think that altars serve as excellent tactile representations of abstract information and can be a great practice for folks who are learning about astrology for the first time or expanding their knowledge into a specific aspect of the art.

You can also wear your altar and incorporate the energy of the season into your clothing and adornments. A specific piece of jewelry might represent the energy of Virgo to you, for example, and you might wear it everyday for the season.

I've also enjoyed making herb bundles and/or flower and gem essence blends based on my zodiac season tarot reading and my own emotional needs for working with specific energies of the zodiac. Solar seasons of the zodiac are roughly 30 days which is generally considered a good length of time to work with a flower essence. You can even choose to work with Bach's recommended essences for each sign (i.e. The Twelve Healers, Bach’s original guide to his essences and the zodiac is available for free via the Bach Centre), but I encourage you to work with what you already have as this can prove useful energetic insights with essences you're already in relationship with.

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What would your year feel like if time were a river of starry-hearted stories?

I hope that this post has brought some inspiration to your practice. If you want to explore more about the individual energies of each sign of the zodiac, come this way. You can also check out my entire seasons of the zodiac series.

If you’re looking for inspiration for a lunar practice, I’ve written about that, too.

May your year be a story ever-unfolding, helping you connect with the land and your community, as you find your way through your myths.

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

Diving Deep: Tarot and Tea for Scorpio Season

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

Scorpio is a sign of depth which is reflected in the fact that its season arrives during the depth of autumn (for the northern hemisphere) or spring (for the southern hemisphere). Past the balance of Libra, which always seeks to balance multiple needs at once, Scorpio draws us beneath the surface and into what interests us most, to know ourselves and our worlds intimately. If Libra is an exhale, and the harmonizing of sound and breath in the wider community, Scorpio is the inhale, drawing in the relationships and patterns of relating that are most present and powerful in our lives.

Scorpio is a fixed water sign which means that it carries the energy of steadfastness, intensity, and strength (Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius are also fixed sign). While cardinal signs like Libra may introduce us to a new season, a new perspective, a change of pace, and mutable signs like Gemini may entice us away to a season or place over there, fixed signs like Scorpio help us to settle and get to know a season through and through. If Libra season helps us to recognize that there is so much beauty to know in the world, it is in the season of Scorpio that we form a long(er) term relationship with whatever beauty we are drawn most intensely to (and the beauty that draws itself most intensely to us). The season of Scorpio helps us to discover what it is that we are most curious about and what we want to learn about in-depth. Sometimes this is part of our life calling, sometimes it is a passing but important lesson, but the energy of Scorpio is always felt most acutely when we allow ourselves to be as focused and invested in something as we are called to be.

Learning and living our intensity is not always easy or comfortable. Allowing ourselves to be drawn into that which most interests us (including our own understanding of ourselves and our identities) can create schisms between the life that we were once living and the life we are beginning to live anew. But that's the nature of the season. For fixed sign seasons, where we are in the depth of a particular earthly season, there is no denying that what once was has passed and our new reality is here (i.e. the heat of summer has long given way to the cool damp of autumn and we need to change our habits accordingly). Sometimes our intensity drives us instead of us using it like a compass. Other times fear or shame is stirred up as we realize that the space we need for our curiosity and life calling isn't available in our current life. Too much intensity can cause rigidity, hubris, and an overdeveloped need to control our surroundings - things to guard against on any Scorpio adventure. But with care, the season of Scorpio can help us open up to the wonders of the world that can only be discovered when we spend time in the depths of wondering.

Diving Deep Scorpio
Season Tarot Spread

The quickest way to block Scorpio energy is to deny the time and space it needs to percolate, explore, and engage with an interest. Stagnated and frustrated Scorpio energy is something that shows up a lot in healing work. Many of us live within cultural systems that keep us overworked and underpaid, starved of time to just pursue that which we're interested in. Other times we've been skimming the surface of interests for so long that we don't know where to look to go deeper. We sense that a door to the mysteries we seek is out there somewhere, just beyond our peripheral vision, but it remains hidden. Scorpio energy helps us to understand that one of the ways to find your hidden door is to know what must change in order to unlock it.

Scorpio asks, "What needs to be transformed in your life for you to live more deeply?"

Understanding the need for transformation in our lives helps us to find the key which opens up the door of our curiosity to worlds we've yet to know. Intuition is required, compassion always, and more than a bit of bravery. The following spread helps us to find the hidden door to the places and spaces that we are being called to explore in more depth in our lives.

Card 1. The Hidden Door

This card helps you to glimpse at the hidden door which is calling to you. Listen to your intuition with this card, as its true message may be buried beneath the noisiness of your analytical mind.

Card 2. That Which Hides the Door

A card to help you understand what hinders your ability to live more deeply as you are called to, including pursuing the transformation that is necessary in your life.

Card 3. That Which Needs Transforming

This card illuminates the part of your life - a habit, a pattern of thought, a relationship, and so on - that is in most need of transforming.

Card 4. That Which Opens the Door

A card which gives a glimpse of what you need in order to open the hidden door and move through it. Sometimes this card will make startling sense, other times it may seem opaque in its meaning - take note of it either way and allow its meaning to come to you in other avenues of your life. Think of this card like a bit of a spell, something to start the process of unlocking your hidden door.

Card 5. A Message for Scorpio Season

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

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Reproductive System

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

image via @klim11

A Tea for Scorpio Season

How do we nourish the energy of Scorpio? Traditionally, Scorpio guards reproductive function as well as our sex organs (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Scorpio). Much of Scorpio energy feels intense because it is about the propagation of life and the desire to live. For all their beautiful intensity, Scorpio is able to locate the tenderness of the world (and our individual lives) with great precision. When supported, the energy of Scorpio can be one of great repair as our curiosity leads us to finding out what needs most healing in our life and how to go about doing it. Thorn magick plants like Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Rose (Rosa spp.) which simultaneously protect and open the heart are wonderful Scorpio plant allies. Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum) brings in much needed flexibility of spirit through its adaptogenic qualities as well as helping us to guide the intensity of Scorpio energy instead of being overwhelmed by it. All herbs support our ability to open up to that which we desire most - a very Scorpio trait indeed.

• 4 parts Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• 2 parts Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

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

image via @francesco_ungaro

Seasonal Reflections

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

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

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

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♏️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Scorpio? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series. Looking for some more visual inspiration? Come have a look at my mood board for Scorpio season.

Another Scorpio herb that I think is a useful one for many folks is Nettles (Urtica dioica). If you're going to be plumbing the mysteries, it's good to have the herbal equivalent of a multivitamin on your side, and Nettles is just that and more. For those who struggle with the inflexibility that Scorpio energy can bring or an intensity that feels run amuck, consider connecting with Vervain (Verbena spp.).

May your Scorpio season be full of revelation and many interesting things to learn more about.

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

Knowing Beauty: Tarot and Tea for Libra Season

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

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

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

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

Knowing Beauty
Libra Season Tarot Spread

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

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

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

Card 1. That Which Is Beautiful About Me

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

Card 2. That Which is Beautiful About My World

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

Card 3. That Which Hides Beauty in My Life

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

Card 4. That Which Expands Beauty in My Life

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

Card 5. A Message for Libra Season

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

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Kidneys and Your Hormones

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

image via @tspoonphoto

A Tea for Libra Season

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

• 4 parts Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) 

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• ½ part Damiana (Turnera diffusa)

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

image via @anniespratt

Seasonal Reflections

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

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

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

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♎️

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

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

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

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

Being of Service: Tarot and Tea for Virgo Season

Welcome to Virgo Season!

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

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

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

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

Being of Service
Virgo Season Tarot Spread

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

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

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

Card 1. That Which Calls to Us

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

Card 2. The Shape Of Our Service

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

Card 3. That Which Needs Nourishing

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

Card 4. That Which Needs Asking Of

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

Card 5. A Message for Virgo Season

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

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Powers of Digestion

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

image via @ireneivantsova

A Tea for Virgo Season

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

• 2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

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

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

image via @floppypaste

Seasonal Reflections

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

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

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

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♍️

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

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

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

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