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.
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Night Allies: Herbs for Sleeping and Dreaming

There's plenty of advice out there on how to get better sleep, solve insomnia, and become a level 54 lucid dreamer. While I'm not going to repeat a lot of what is useful (reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, unplugging before bedtime, getting yourself into therapy, and participating in the sudden onset of world peace that alleviates our collective existential anxiety), I do want to look at the ways that herbs can support our sleeping and dreaming practice. I'll highlight some common sleep complaints and then share with you some of my favorite relaxing and gently sedating herbs in a way that might help you find a plant ally to work with.

There are a lot of reasons that our sleep gets disrupted, some of which is in our control (choosing to turn off our phone instead of scrolling before bed) and some of which is less so (stopping your neighbor from throwing logs in the back of their truck outside your bedroom window every morning at 5 AM). Hormonal changes, aging, autoimmune illnesses, thyroid conditions, seasonal allergies, physical injury, changes in the weather, and so on can lead to restlessness, insomnia, and difficulty accessing deep states of rest. It's also important to remember that any herbs that we incorporate into our healing work for sleep are best used in conjunction with other practices, a few which I'll mention below. For our purposes, I'll be focusing on herbs that help to support our nervous system and emotional health which in turn can help to address many varieties of sleep issues and bring us easier nights. 

Our journey to better nights, however, begins in the morning.

image via @anniespratt

Good Mornings for Good Nights

When we've fallen out of rhythm with our nights, starting our days with supportive plants can be very useful. I generally recommend a daily routine of nervines such as Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and/or Rose (Rosa spp.) as one of the first things ingested upon waking up. Beyond exhaustion, restlessness and insomnia can heighten stress and anxiety in our lives. By beginning with gentle nervines that help to relax tension and alleviate stress, we are practicing being restful throughout our day, guiding us to a place of deeper rest and sleep as night comes on. 

Below I've listed some feelings focused key indications for some of my favorite relaxing nervines - these are just starting points and it's important to follow up with more research, including contraindications, or working with an herbalist to find the best plants for your needs. As stress can be an underlying symptom of many sleep issues, these herbs can help us to release physical, emotional, and mental tension while inviting in relaxation.

• If you're feeling burnt out and like your nerves are frayed Milky Oat (Avena sativa) might be a good ally to work with.

• If you're struggling with the pressures of social technologies, of missing out, and a general sense of anxiety, consider Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).

• If you're feeling cranky and out of sorts, your digestion is struggling, and/or you are struggling with feeling emotionally regulated, Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) might be a good option.

• If you're feeling spiritually restless, tenderhearted, perhaps even dealing with issues of grief and loss, Rose (Rosa spp.) or Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) can be a beautiful allies to connect with. These are good plant allies for boundary-setting, too, in your sleep practice with yourself and others.

• If you're really struggling with feelings of anger and frustration and like you could really use a compassionate parent in your life, Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) might be the friend you need.

In addition to starting your day with helpful herbs, you might consider incorporating breathwork or meditation into your morning practice. A few minutes of breathwork here and there throughout the day is another way that we remind our body that we know how to become restful, especially at low stakes moments (i.e. not only using breathwork at the time when you're trying to fall asleep, but practicing breathwork when there is no goal of sleep immediately ahead of you). 

image via @bunibrunetti

Winding Down and Settling In

As the day gives way to night, it's time to help our body find its restful rhythms. Much of my practice of herbalism is woven together with the idea of homecoming. To invite ourselves home to a feeling of peace and resiliency, of restoration and homeostasis is about creating an environment within and around us that supports our unique needs. Of course, this process of creating an environment where we thrive is not just an individual project, but as with all healing work, is about how we are part of our surroundings, including our community in whatever forms it takes. In other words, take care of what you can manage on your own and get help with everything else (which is going to be, appropriately, a lot because we are a social species meant to rely on one another). 

Working with herbal remedies in the evening is a signal to our body to begin to ebb and settle after a long day of extension and flow. Any ritual we have, whether preparing a cup of evening tea, changing into our pajamas, bathing, and so on, can act like a doorway and sacred boundary between one aspect of our life into another. With sleep-supporting herbs we are inviting ourselves to cross from a space of waking and doing to one of resting and returning. 

• For a general end-of-day restorative tonic that helps us transition from waking to sleeping, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is one of my favorite plant allies to recommend.

• If you struggle with overwork and excess expectation of what you should be doing, struggling to just be and rest, Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) may be a good ally.

• If your thoughts are busy and racing, waking you up as you feel like you're on the edge of sleep, you might begin and end your day with Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).

• If you struggle to fall asleep and are prone to anxious, looping thoughts, you might want to work with Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).

• For general restlessness accompanied by tension and a disposition towards excitability, consider Hops (Humulus lupulus).

• If you can fall asleep but struggle to stay asleep and consider yourself a light sleeper, and/or if you've tried Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) without success, California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) might be a good ally for you.

I often like to imagine that our sleeping self is something we call home to ourselves every evening. Sometimes our sleeping self gets lost or confused as to where it's supposed to be - sometimes our sleeping self has the energy of a toddler going through a sleep regression. While you're seeking ways to support healthy sleep habits in your life, it can be a useful exercise to take a moment to imagine your sleeping self, what that part of you feels like and needs, and the waymarkers and environment it needs to come back home to your waking self. You might ask yourself questions like:

• What helps me feel not only relaxed but safe to be vulnerable?

• What parts of my sleeping self do I struggle with (i.e. taking "too much" time to sleep is "selfish" or I'm not being "productive" when I rest and sleep)? 

• What are some of my most cherished memories of sleep and rest? 

Alongside these more internal searchings for sleep, make sure to address the practical solutions, too. Get those earplugs, turn off the screens, create your sleeping rituals, and be patient and loving with yourself as your sleeping self finds its way home to you. 

The Dreaming Self

Along with supporting our sleeping body, herbs can be wonderful allies in supporting our dreaming self. Supporting the dreaming self isn't about being able to remember our dreams or become lucid dreamers, though both those aspects of dreamwork can be aided by plant allies, but I think of dreaming herbs as serving nourishing the bridges between our nervous system and the collective nervous system. Nourishing our dreaming body is to tend to the intangible connections we have with other people and places, memories and futuredreamings. Many of the herbs I've already written about in this post support the dreaming body (Melissa officinalis, for example, is one of my favorite dreaming herbs for adults and children when it comes to helping the dreaming body explore freely without the stress of the waking body, Passiflora incarnata can help us have more vivid dreams, and so on), but there are a few more I want to mention.

• For general dream health, Mugwort (Artemisia officinalis) is a long-trusted plant ally, helping us to sleep deeply so we can dream deeply, protecting us from nightmares, and assisting us in connecting to our intuition as we sleep. While Artemisia officinalis is often recommended, I love working with local Artemisia varieties (like A. californica) and if you have a safe one that is local to where you live, consider working with that in conjunction or in place of A. officinalis.

• If you struggle with indigestion in the evenings and suffer with nightmares, digestive herbs like Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) can be a good option.

• If your dreams are anxious and stressful, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) might offer relief.

• For those interested in a plant ally to support your lucid dreaming practice, Mucuna (Mucuna puriens) might be a good ally for you.

image via @anniespratt

What About Valerian?

If you've been reading about herbs for sleep, you've probably come across Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). Valerian is a lovely anxiolytic herb and for some folks it is an excellent choice for helping relax the body into a state of deep sleep. It's also an herb that is sedating without the addictive quality that other allopathic sedatives can have. 

For many years, I recommended Valerian without hesitancy to my clients. But I started to notice that a number of them were experiencing the opposite of what was supposed to happen with Valerian. Instead of a feeling of restfulness and gentle sedation, they were experiencing restlessness and agitation. Many herbalists have observed similar experiences with Valerian amongst some of their clients. Different herbalists have theories as to why this might be - in my own observation I think it's a mix of physiological reaction in the body (i.e. in the same way a percentage of the population becomes drowsy with caffeine, some folks become agitated with Valerian) and an emotional response to moving into a state of relaxation and deep rest which doesn't feel safe to everyone, especially if there is a history of trauma involved. Valerian, while gentle, is one of the more powerful herbs in the traditional western herbalism materia medica and I've also observed that highly sensitive folks, a population that I work with often, can sometimes feel overstimulated rather than relaxed by Valerian. Yet, there are plenty of highly sensitive folks for whom Valerian is a beloved ally.

So should you work with Valerian? Valerian is an herb that can be really great for many folks, but agitating for others. It can be disorienting to work with an herb thinking that it is going to be relaxing but then find yourself in a state of restlessness instead of sleepfulness, so I try to recommend it carefully. If you want to start working with Valerian, I recommend starting with small doses such as 5 to 10 drops of tincture once before bed or a very mild tea of a ½ teaspoon or less per 8 ounces of water. You can always work with an herbalist one-on-one to help you find the best herbs to support your sleep rhythms.

Preparing Remedies

My favorite way to prepare herbal remedies, especially when we are seeking to restore balance to our nervous system and bodily rhythms, is to make a tea of them (i.e. one heaping teaspoon of herbs to eight ounces of water and steeped for 15 - 20 minutes). The process of making and drinking tea can be an invitation to mindfulness and is a way to engage all of our senses in the experience of making and taking a remedy. Other forms of herbal remedy that work well in supporting the resting body are herbal baths and showers as well as herbal oils (i.e. whole herb oil infusions). Of course, you can use the form of remedy that makes most sense for you and the herb being prepared, such as tinctures or glycerite, so feel free to find the type of remedy that works best for you and your rhythms.

I've created a simple one-page guide to making different types of herbal remedies (i.e. the different proportions and preparation techniques between an infusion or decoction and so on)  for everyone who signed-up for my infrequent but intentional newsletter if you're interested in incorporating healing herbs into your sleep practice.

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Sleep is such a precious thing and so vital to our health that it can cause a lot of despair when it's disrupted. I hope that you've found some inspiration for supporting your own sleep practice and that you're feeling encouraged to ask for help and seek out further resources. If you're interested in a lunar healing perspective on rest, come this way.

May rest be an ally, sleep a beloved companion, both easy to find whenever you need them.

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

The Heart Deserves to Be Held: Motherwort Plant Profile

I’ve been planning on sharing this plant profile with you for a few months, corresponding with the release of my newest course, Solace: Herbs & Essences for Highly Sensitive People (which has been a joy to create and if you have a moment, please check it out). The time has arrived and I sit here writing this, heart-breaking, as the world moves closer to what seems like another wave of impossible horror that has become all too real again.

Sometimes it feels like there are too many wars, too many social and environmental battles, too many things which need to be fought, and too little hope that anything can be won.

That old and ancient part of my brain tries to calculate what it can do, singly, and with great effort, to turn the tide. Counting resources, making maps to find hidden answers, calculating transactions of courage and desperation. It’s a part of many of our brains that has been overactive for years now as the world seems to be coming undone over and over.

And yet, an even older part of myself, the most ancient heart and seat of primordial consciousness reaches out and finds a vast collective reaching back. It takes many hands to hold a heart throughout a lifetime, to support its growth, to mend its wounds, to tend to its spark of life. And I start to remember… It is not about moving beyond the collective to become something individually extraordinary, but to tend to the weave and weft of our community web so that when a need of any one of us arises, deft hands of support mend and repair, hold and affirm, strengthen and love.

So I continue to do what I am called to do alongside the new things which must be adapted to. I teach about plants and the ways they connect us to our humanity, to our experience of and being Land, and the ways we care for ourselves when it seems like we’re all having to learn to breathe underwater. Because the point is not to win and be right and righteous, but to live fully in the immensity of the collective during times that seek to make us feel divided and small.

Maybe Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) knew that they would be needed now and planted the seed in my mind to wait to write about them until this late winter season. It’s the sort of magick that Motherwort is known for. They are in so many ways one of the best allies to be offering insights about right now and I hope you’ll find some inspiration and comfort with the healing gifts they carry.

image source

Motherwort
(Leonurus cardiaca)

Common + Folk Names : Lion’s ear, lion’s tail, throw-wort, parentwort, niibiishikaabijigan

Element : Fire, Air

Zodiac Signs : Leo

Planet : Sun, Venus

Moon Phase : Full Moon

Parts Used : Aerial parts

Habitat : Native to Europe and western Asia, naturalized worldwide.

Growing Conditions : Partial shade to full sun with light, sandy soil.

Collection : Collect the flowering tops. 

Flavor : Pungent, bitter

Temperature : Cool

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Tension, Dryness

Constituents : Beta-carotene, calcium, potassium, flavonoids, citric and malic acid, alkaloids, bitter glycosides, caffeic acid, essential oil, phytoesterols, tannins, resin, triterpenes, leonurine, vitamin A. 

Actions : Antispasmodic, antifungal, antirheumatic, anxiolytic, cardiotonic, hypotensive, diaphoretic, hemostatic, hypotensie, astringent, bitter, parturient, emmenagogue, nervine, sedative, vasodilator, thymoleptic, immunostimulant, antiviral, antibacterial.

Main Uses

Motherwort is a classic heart tonic in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica. Look at its Latin binomial and you’ll get insight into the herb’s qualities as a “Lion Hearted” herb. 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” or compassionate parenting. The herb reduces high blood pressure, alleviates palpitations and hypertension, and generally strengthens the heart’s tone. It also reduces high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

The herb’s connection to the heart is also closely linked to the uterus, making it an herb of the birthing room, helping to start labor, relieve the pain of childbirth, and prevent postpartum infections. Look for signs of emotional distress during labor where the birthing parent doesn’t feel like “they have the heart” to continue on with labor because they feel tired and worn down (the flower essence is especially useful in these situations, too). The herb and/or essence is also useful for midwives, birth assistants, and doulas to take while supporting labor and postpartum. After labor, Motherwort also helps with the birth of the placenta. It is a wonderful herb to include in postpartum blends to prevent and alleviate postpartum blues and depression. On an additional level, herbalist Karen M. Rose notes that Motherwort "teaches us to flow from the heart, addressing deep rooted ancestral trauma stored in the womb." (1)

Historical image of Motherwort from Theatrum Botanicum - source

As we’ll look at further in the Motherwort Personality section below, Motherwort is an ally that helps folks to connect with the energy of a nurturing parent who is unwavering in their love and kindness. It is one of my favorite plants to recommend to all folks who are going through the work of reparenting themselves and especially highly sensitive people who may have been rejected in some way by caregivers and/or peers because of their sensitivity. Listen for language that the inner child needs caring for.

The other medicinal reproductive qualities of Motherwort include helping to bring on delayed menses and to relieve cramp and back ache. The herb is good for PMS that brings on feelings of agitation, frustration, and anger, as well as other signs of heat, such as hot flashes and menstrual headaches. During perimenopause and menopause, Motherwort can act as an ally in these times of change both emotionally and physically (such as helping to alleviate hot flashes). Motherwort can also be used in a douche or vaginal steam for infections such as candida and bacterial vaginosis.

Motherwort is a useful herb for pain-relief and management, alleviating conditions such as neuralgia, sciatica, rheumatism, and postpartum pain. As an herb with powerful emotional uplifting qualities, Motherwort helps relieve depression and has been used in the treatment of bipolar conditions. The herb works on the sympathetic nervous system, bringing calm and soothing energy, which can help to alleviate nervousness, insomnia, restlessness, and general anxiety. It is especially useful for all of these reasons during menopause. 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.

Digestively, Motherwort is a bitter with a side of joy. It is excellent for those whose digestion gets tied in knots because of anxiety and nervousness. Think of folks who would be best served by receiving some of their parent’s best home cooking. The herb stimulates digestion, awakens the metabolism, and helps with the absorption of nutrients. As a cooling herb it alleviates overly hot and acidic digestion which can lead to heartburn. 

Other uses of Motherwort include during times of fever, ‘flu, and cold when there is debility and exhaustion. It is especially good in the recovery period. The herb calms an overactive thyroid. In general, Motherwort is calming to many body systems, especially when there is a notable influence by anxiety or nervousness. 

Magickal Uses

Motherwort is protective in general but especially during pregnancy and childbirth. Keep 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. Motherwort has a long folkloric tradition of being allied with those who identify as womxn. Herbalist Deb Soule has wise words to share about the connection between womxn-identified folk and Motherwort and what she writes is similar to the oral traditions that I was taught (2) about Motherwort, too:

Leonurus cardiaca means lion hearted. I think motherwort is strong medicine for women to put in dream pillows, to have in dried flower arrangements near our beds, by the telephone, in our workplaces, and to have growing in our gardens. We need courage to heal the various ways we have been wounded and have not been allowed to be the powerful, intelligent, wise women that we are. Motherwort gives us courage to be our true selves and to develop a strong heart, like the lion's heart. Strong hearts filled with courage are able to do anything. It takes a lot of courage to mother ourselves and children in a world that does not yet entirely value mothering, women, and children. (3)

image source

The Motherwort Personality

ARGH! The Motherwort person groans and shouts. They are impatient and snappish, letting folks know they are irritated and unhappy. Their heart races, there is redness in their face, and they can’t seem to rest and calm down. Motherwort folk are frustrated and agitated. Their heart feels heavy, over-heated, and wild. They may even be feeling heartbroken. Sometimes their anger is quiet and smoldering, but it is still burning them up. Motherwort is for the frustrated folks crying hot tears. The herb will help them cool off, calm down, and find their peace. Perhaps as children anger was the only way to feel heard and/or to feel safe, but now it is an overdeveloped force that needs to be balanced with other tools of emotional expression.

They will not find their peace by fighting their way towards peace and Motherwort will help them lay down the parts of their anger that is no longer serving them. Motherwort helps folk to connect with the energy of a nurturing parent who is unwavering in their love and kindness - sometimes it helps us to connect with an actual parent, but more often it helps us to reparent ourselves. In the end Motherwort teaches gentleness, especially gentleness towards themselves, by showing gentleness, so they may be gentle towards others and find the connection they are seeking in appropriate ways.

Contraindications : Do not use in cases of menorrhagia. Use only in the last part of pregnancy with supervision of an herbalist as it can start labor.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard Dosage, but drop dosage is a common recommendation for Motherwort, especially for emotional support: 1 - 3 drops (1:2 fresh or 1:5 dried 60% alcohol extract), 1 - 3 times daily.

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I hope this post finds folks who are need of the type of support that Motherwort can provide. And in the spirit of supporting the collective, here are a round-up of resources for supporting the people of Ukraine.

Let's continue to work for peace, share resources, and take care of one another.

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

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Footnotes

(1) Karen M. Rose, The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine (Beverly, MA: Quarto Publishing, 2022), 110.

(2) I imagine the Deb taught teachers of my teachers somewhere along the line of feminists (particularly queer ones) reclaiming bodily autonomy and reconnection to land through working with plants. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Deb and the land she lives with, Avena Botanicals, and she embodies so much of what she teaches about Motherwort. She helped me see myself as an herbalist, as a dyke who loves the land, which carried me through what would be a very straight world for the first few years of my herbal studies and I am so grateful for that courage.

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

Seeking Healing : The New Moon in Virgo

To the One Who Opens the door

The Door

And the Gate Keeper

And, to the One
who walks
through

- Sulis Sarasvati -

The New Moon in Virgo is the hinge of the doorway for the new season to come through. In the northern hemisphere it is time to pause and notice the leaves beginning to fall from the trees and in the southern hemisphere we listen to the seeds unfurling up towards sky. We’re not fully embedded in the new season yet, but when the Moon is born again in the sign of Virgo we find ourselves moving away from what was and the next step finding us entering into what might be. 

Image by Nibras al-Riyami

Virgo’s symbol is the Virgin (though it was almost the Donkey, which seems fitting given the signs stubborn tendency). While our modern sensibilities place the idea of the Virgin within something that is all-together willowy and damsel-in-distress-y, the original concept of Virgin was someone who was wholly unto themselves and bound to no other mortal in a relationship. The relationships of Virgins were often divine in nature, such as the Vestal Virgins who kept the fires of the Vesta burning (and were a later incarnation of Priestesses of the Greek Hestia). These sacred Virgins, however, were not just invested in keeping holy fires burning in temples and homes, but the right ordering of things in general so that the sacred fires might not only burn, but burn well so that all exposed to their light may enjoy good health (again, a nod to Virgo's need for orderliness in their environment).

The New Moon in Virgo is a time to visit your sacred temple of healing and make sure that your hearth fire is well tended (remember all that heart work you did with Leo?). Now is a time to tend lovingly to the home that you live in, both your surroundings and your body. Fill your days with nutritive herbs, digestive bitters, and kitchen spice magick. Ask yourself what it is you do to ground, center, and recuperate? Not what you plan on doing or aspire to do, but what you are actually doing in your life right now. As an earth sign, Virgo asks us what is it that you’re not getting enough of physically in order to thrive? It might be sleep, wholesome food or time away from your computer (and if that means you stop reading this right now and take a break, I support that 1000%).

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
New Moon in Virgo Plant Ally

I recommend Fennel a lot as a Virgo herb and for good reason. The plant is a great addition to teas, cooking, and even aromatherapy sprays, as a season-changing ally. Fennel helps to dissolve stagnant energy and fluids in the body which helps our inner fire move throughout our being with ease. It not only helps with digestive complaints, such as gas and poor metabolism, but the herb helps to alleviating the tension of a busy mind, relaxing tense shoulders, and having an overall softening effect on the body.

Fennel is a plant that helps us to be grounded in the pleasure of our body, especially when we feel overwhelmed. The flower essence of Fennel is one that brings happiness. More specifically it brings happiness because it offers relief from the idea of having to hold up the world with our efforts. If you’re having trouble even considering that you need to take time off and go easy during this Virgo New Moon, try some Fennel flower essence. 

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon of Virgo: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Water Violet (Hottonia palustris), Fig (Ficus carica), Vervain (Verbena officinalis), Centaury (Centaurium umbellatum), Lavender (Lavandula officinalis), Rock Water, Carnelian, Blue Aventurine.

Essential Oils of Virgo: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Caraway (Carum carvi).

Photo by Aperture Vintage

Temple Stone Ritual

The following ritual will help you create an astral healing temple that you can bring with you wherever you go. Once charged, the stone has many uses - you can bring this stone into your consultation room to help establish a healing space, evoke its energies before your daily meditation, and more.

For this ritual you will need one stone. It could be a rock from your garden or a beautiful crystal. Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). Turn to the West (or East if you’re in the southern hemisphere) and place your stone before you on the ground. Visualize healing energies of the West coming towards you, breathing them in and letting them swirl around you. When you’re ready, touch your stone, creating a link between the healing energies of the West and your rock. Turn to the North, and do the same as in the West. Continue to the East, the South, and then the Center. 

Hold your stone again. Around you is a temple of healing energy, mapped by your stone. Say:

New Moon blessing
Swing open the door
I step into healing
and love ever more.

Taking a deep breath in, visualize the energies of your healing temple being drawn completely into your stone. Seal the spell by tapping your stone on the ground in the Center, South, East, North, and finally the West.

The World Spirit Tarot

Oracle

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

Where do I need healing most in my life?

Additional queries to consider:

• How do I honor the need for feeling pleasure in my body?
• What part of my life do I need to think less and do more?

Tarot Cards of Virgo

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 Virgo: The Hermit
• Sun in Virgo: Eight of Pentacles
• Venus in Virgo: Nine of Pentacles
• Mercury in Virgo: Ten of Pentacles
• The Earth Signs of Taurus, Virgo, + Capricorn: Ace of Pentacles

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 Virgo 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!

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!