The Plant Allies of Summer: How to Create a Summer Wellness Apothecary

Continuing my series of creating your own seasonal wellness apothecaries, we've arrived at the height of heat and light - summer. During summer it's a time of being excited (to varying degrees for varying folks) about the increase of the aforementioned light and heat as well as more time spent outdoors (sometimes alongside creatures that bite and sting). Just as with any other seasonal wellness apothecary, a little bit of planning ahead means that more time can be spent enjoying the weather with easy remedies close at hand should the need for herbal care arise.

As with my winter and spring apothecary posts, I've organized my recommendation by herbal actions such as cooling herbs for post-sun recovery. As always, I've tried to highlight herbs that are easy to access (especially in North America, where I am writing this from) and/or inexpensive to grow yourself, but hopefully you'll feel inspired and able to work with herbs local to your area. I also think it's a good idea for all herb folk (whether professionals or home herbalists) to get first aid training including wilderness first aid if you like being out and about beyond city limits.  

Ready for some summertime healing? Let's explore some of the common ailments and the plant allies we can connect to during the season of summer. 

image via @baraajalahej

Cooling Off: Supporting the body post-sun exposure 

Herbal Actions: Cooling, anti-inflammatory, alterative, emollient, and demulcent

With the risk of sounding like an afterschool commercial, the best way to stay sun safe is to stay sun smart. Stick to the shade, keep hydrated, wear sunscreen and/or cool protective layers, and respect the power of the Sun. The following plants are great friends for cooling off (and not burning out) after long summer days. 

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) : My favorite herb to use topically after a day spent in the sun. The inner gel of the plant is cooling and moist, alleviating inflammation in the body both internally and externally. While I have become wiser in my sunways as I get older, when I was younger Aloe Vera saved me from many a sunburn. I also find that in addition to alleviating the physical discomfort of sunburn Aloe Vera can also be a useful ally when dealing with the emotional stress of burnout.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): I turn to Lemon Balm again and again throughout the warmer months of the year. It is gently cooling and tastes like summer to me. I like using it in my daily teas, but also as a skin wash or addition to an herbal bath after a long day in the heat. Lemon Balm also helps us deal with the stress that summer can bring, especially around expectations of being social. If you've overdone it in the heat and find yourself dealing with heat exhaustion, Lemon Balm can be a great ally to have at hand. In addition to drinking the tea (best to let it cool to room temperature if you're recovering from heat exhaustion), I like to use it as part of a cool compress at the wrists and back of the neck. If I know I'll be out in the heat, I make a jar of Lemon Balm tea at the beginning of the day so that when I get back it'll be ready for me to drink and use in compresses if need be.

Borage (Borago officinalis): In my training as an herbalist I was taught to make Borage ice cubes for the summer where you freeze Borage flowers in ice cube molds and then add them to your water throughout the day. Whether or not this is the secret to staying cool (honestly, room temperature water is more helpful than iced when it comes to regulating body temperature, generally speaking), it sure looks pretty in a glass jar. Borage is a wonderfully cooling plant ally and can be a delicious treat when you're cooling off in the shade.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Yarrow is a classic fever reducer in traditional western herbalism and can be equally useful in cases of heat exhaustion when lowering the body's temperature is needed. Use as a tea, in a cool compress, or in a cool foot bath.

Other cooling herbs to keep close by are Lavender (Lavandula spp.), Rose (Rosa spp.), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), and Milky Oat (Avena sativa).

Unbothered: Caring for the skin during the summer months against bugs, bumps, and more

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatory, alterative, and nervine tonics

Some of the first herbal remedies I made were topical herbal oils for uses on my bruises and sore muscles that I got as an athlete. While I was impressed by the results, I loved the process of creating these special blends, applying them, and taking care of myself in ways that I didn't always feel looked out for as an athlete. For me, working with plant allies to care for our body's largest organ, the skin, is an act of love.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.): Lavender is one of the few essential oils that I use on a regular basis because it is so helpful for reducing the itch and discomfort of bug bites. The essential oil can be applied in small amounts directly to the skin (for most essential oils this is not safe and not recommended). I also use compresses of the flowers for skin health and recovering from bumps, bruises, bites, and rashes. It makes a wonderful addition to herbal baths as well as a great summer hydrosol to keep in the fridge and use as needed throughout the day.

Plantain (Plantago spp.): If a bump has occurred some variety of Plantain salve is pulled out and applied. Plantain is an easy and inexpensive herbal remedy to use for bumps, bruises, sprains, and strains. Topically, Plantain is a powerful remedy, helping to draw out toxins from the body, heal damaged tissue, alleviate pain, and generally serve folks well when it comes to wound care. If Plantain is growing nearby when you or someone is bit by a bee or other insect, crush up a Plantain leaf (I was taught to chew it) and apply it to the bite for pain relief and reduction of swelling. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of Plantain on bee stings having to use it myself when I was stung by a bee between my toes. Using Plantain I was able to make the walk back home. Want to learn more about beautiful Plantain? A complete profile is available in The Plant Ally Library.

St. Joan's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): I like using a combination of St. Joan's Wort and Rose (Rosa spp.) herbal oil as a post sun skin treatment. I like to apply the herbal oil after a shower (so that the oil helps to contain the oil and keep the skin hydrated) or after spraying the skin with a hydrosol like Rose. St. Joan's Wort is wonderfully soothing to sunburns, reparative to the skin in general, and also helps to nourish the nervous system. It's great for bumps and bruises, too.

Other herbs to keep handy are Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a natural mosquito repellant, and Milky Oat (Avena sativa). The latter is especially useful for calming an overstimulated nervous and sensory system due to the irritation and increased sensation of bug bites and/or injury.

Opening Up: Nourishing the heart

Herbal Actions: Cardiotonics, circulatory tonics, and nervines

Any season can be a season of opening up the heart, but there is something about the expectation of adventuring, dreaming, and socializing in the summer that can call to some extra herbal support when it comes to issues of the heart.

Rose (Rosa spp): Any season can be a season of opening up the heart, but there is something about the expectation of adventuring, dreaming, and socializing in the summer that can call to some extra herbal support when it comes to issues of the heart. Rose is my favorite heart-opening, love-supporting herb not only for its thorn magick, but for the ways it helps to soften the hard edges of our emotional experiences in all the right ways. Rose has the added benefit of being a cooling herb and I add it to my morning tea during the hot summer months. A Rose hydrosol is especially pleasing sprayed on the skin throughout the day during the summer months.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): The magick of Hawthorn is something that is hard to describe. It is a wonderful cardiotonic and I've used it in a wide range of heart health needs including helping to reduce stress that cause some heart issues in the first place. Hawthorn is an herb which helps us to love again after a period of heartbreak. We learn to live heart first with Hawthorn as an ally and to meet the uncertainty of what comes next with the steadfastness of trusting our own heart's trusty rhythm.

Other heart herbs to consider working with are Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), Cacao (Theobroma cacao), and Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa).

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Friends, I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite plant allies of for the summer months. Be sure to check out the rest of the series on creating seasonal wellness apothecaries. Next in the series I’ll be looking at some of my most beloved plant allies for the autumn months.

If you’re looking for some more summertime inspiration, I write more about summer wellness over here. What’s my favorite summertime drink, you might be wondering? Swamp tea, of course! Or is it rainbow lattes? And, as always, there are summertime tarot spreads for Midsummer and Lughnasadh for all your divinatory needs.

May your summer be sweet and full of all the right sorts of adventures!

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

The Plant Allies of Spring: How to Create a Spring Wellness Apothecary

Forever ago I wrote a blog post on creating your own herbal apothecary for the winter months, but it's not just winter that I'm adjusting what's on my apothecary shelves. Every season brings new needs and new herbs growing on the Land, so I thought it would be useful to write about creating home apothecaries for wellness for each of the seasons.

As with my winter wellness suggestions, I've organized my recommendations into general herbal actions that I find useful in the springtime such as anti-inflammatory herbs for allergies. I've tried to highlight herbs that are easy to access (especially in North America, where I am writing this from) and/or inexpensive to grow yourself, but hopefully you'll feel inspired and able to work with herbs local to your area.

So with that in mind let's explore some of the common ailments and remedies for the season of spring!

image via @merrij

Finding Balance: Managing Seasonal Allergies

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, anti-catarrhal, and respiratory tonics

Here's my caveat about herbs and allergies: I do think that many folks benefit from working one-on-one with a local herbalist to help figure out your allergies and reactivity because a) allergies can be tricky to figure out and the individualized care a practitioner can offer can be essential, b) there are often layers of reactivity occurring (including food allergies and neuroplastic reactivity) that need exploring and c) a local herbalist can help you work with local herbs which is often very beneficial to alleviating allergies. 

All that said, there are a lot of herbs that are generally useful for allergies and helping the body be less reactive and inflammatory during allergen abundant times like spring. The following herbs are protective against seasonal allergies, energize body systems, and generally help the body move from winter to spring. 

Nettles (Urtica dioica): A nutritionally dense plant ally, Nettles is a great herb to work with in strengthening and nourishing our body. It has antihistamine qualities and helps to "build the blood" which speaks to both its iron content, but the herbs overall nutritive and energizing (but not stimulating) healing qualities.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.): A beloved ally for helping to alleviate seasonal allergies, Goldenrod is adept at relieving congestion and sinus pain.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): A good tonic herb, known for bringing joy and life to those who ingest it. Lemon Balm helps to protect against overwhelm, whether that's feeling overwhelmed by change, social situations, spring allergies or whatever else is looming large in your life. 

Peppermint (Mentha piperita): If you're feeling particularly sluggish this spring, turn to Peppermint to help sweep away the remaining drowsiness of winter so you can connect with the energy of the new season. The anti-inflammatory qualities of Peppermint help us to breathe deeper, reduce the brain fog that often come along with allergies, and infuse us with some hope that this too shall pass.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The arrival of Dandelion on the Land I live with is a time of celebration. There will be medicine that can be made again for the year ahead and enjoying Dandelion medicine during the early days of spring is like filling up the body with spring energy from the inside out. Dandelion helps to reduce sinus inflammation and expel excess mucus (along with the allergens it carries). 

The Internal Fire: Nourishing Digestion

Herbal Actions: Bitters, cholagogues, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, carminatives, and nervines

One of the most important ways of supporting health from a traditional western herbalism perspective, is supporting the digestive fire (or metabolic processes) of the body. After the slowness of winter and the long stretch of cold, in the spring we want to support the building up of digestive effectiveness as we become more active and the days heat up. Finding the right digestive herbs for your constitution can take a bit of effort (which is why working with an herbalist one-on-one can be so valuable - you deserve such support), but when you find your digestive plant allies, it can be life changing. 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The roots are a good overall spring tonic, helping to wake up our winter bodies to the season of spring. I like to drink a decoction of the roots during early spring (sometimes with a recipe like this) and enjoy making and taking my own whole plant Dandelion tinctures (i.e. the roots, leaves, flowers of Dandelion) to enjoy throughout the year.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Another good overall spring to summer tonic and digestive aid, I especially like recommending Chamomile for highly sensitive people who tend to get upset stomachs when experiencing disruption to their day and routine (including struggling with the change of season). Chamomile is also a plant ally for folks who tend to have an overactive or fast digestion (may be indicated via signs of cramping, diarrhea, and gas). 

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): Deeply reparative to the digestive system and often a good ally for folks who suffer from bloating, fatigue, and gas after meals.

Rose (Rosa spp.): A helpful ally when it comes to supporting the microbiome of our gut, acting as a prebiotic as well as supporting digestion through the promoting the production of bile. 

Other digestive spring aids include Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and Sage (Salvia officinalis).

image via @victorserban

Waking Up From Winter: Brain Fog & Brain Tonics

Herbal Actions: Nootropics, nervines, and adaptogens along with herbs for digestive health to support the brain-gut axis.

The winter season has hopefully brought some much needed slowness and rest to your life. Just like getting up in the morning after a long night's sleep, waking up from the winter months can take a bit of time. I like to reach for herbs that support brain health and mental clarity, helping to sweep away the cobwebs of winter so that I can best enjoy the energy of spring.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): My favorite ally for alleviating brain fog and helping to promote mental clarity. It's also a plant ally known to bring joy and support our ability to feel part of the world and not be overrun by it - something which can feel especially useful between the slowness of winter and the speediness of spring.

Sage (Salvia officinalis): A classic brain tonic, Sage is known as an herb of wisdom, promoting mental clarity and discernment.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa): A great ally for those feeling exhausted and not ready to be doing much of anything, much less transitioning into a new season. A supremely generous tonic for the nervous system as well as supporting our mental health.

Other brain tonics include Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica), Gingko (Gingko biloba), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Springtime Colds & Fevers

Check out my winter apothecary post for recommendations on herbs for different types of colds, coughs, and fevers.

Breathing Deeply: Respiratory & Lung Health

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatories, demulcents, astringents, aromatic, and expectorants.

Honoring the breath is an important part of my personal and professional practice. I've written about breathwork and the herbs that support breathwork practices, all of which can be incorporated into a spring apothecary.

Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum): If you have the sort of spring allergies which cause a lot of damp and mucus, drying Yerba Santa might be a good ally for you. It's a respiratory tonic and nervine helping us to connect deeply to our breath and nervous system.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): If you've had a long season of being sick this past winter, Mullein can be a great ally, especially if there is a lingering cough. I like combining Mullein with Elder (Sambucus nigra) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) for a lung-opening, immunomodulating blend. A helpful ally for those whose asthma is irritated by the increase in heat and allergens that spring brings.

Elecampane (Inula helenium): A good herb for seasonal allergies and stubborn coughs of all sorts. 

image via @jiihu

The Body In Motion: Supporting the Lymph Nodes

Herbal Actions: Lymphatic, alterative, anti-inflammatory, and astringent

Some of the first herbs to spring up after winter are ones that support lymphatic health, helping to drain congested lymphs and reduce overall inflammation. Often considered weeds by the general public, these herbs deserve respect and can be a beautiful and inexpensive way to access herbal medicine. Be sure to leave enough herbs to go to seed and continue to spread out across the Land to where they are most needed.

Cleavers (Galium aparine): These sweet and sticky herbs help to support the activity of white blood cells clearing out congestion in our lymph nodes. These are best taken fresh either as a tea or blended into smoothies.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): If you're in a state of lymphatic congestion, Calendula can be a beautiful ally to work with. The bright flowers shine through our system, chasing out shadows of sluggishness, helping to promote lymphatic drainage and circulation.

Dandelion (Taraxacum offcinalis): Dandelion helps to repair and support the filtering systems of our body including our liver, kidneys, digestive tract, and lymph nodes. The herb helps to promote the production of lymphocytes which makes it a wonderful lymph tonic to work with throughout late winter and early spring.

Other lymph tonic herbs include Chickweed (Stellaria media), Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), and Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens).

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There you have it friends - herbal allies for the spring season! I hope you're feeling inspired to build your own home apothecary using a few easily accessible herbs to support your health and the health of those you serve. In my own life, spring is a time of trying to use up last year's stock of herbal remedies so that I can make space for new ones, long and lovely hours in the garden, checking in with the energy of the season, and working all sorts of springtime magick.

You can also learn about the seasons from an astrological perspective, starting with Aries. If you’re in the southern hemisphere the start of spring is marked by Libra.

I hope that you find the rhythm of seasonal change that works the best for you and your loved ones, so that you can thrive in times of change and feel nourished by the possibility of what is coming into being.

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

Rooting: Dark of the Moon Ritual and Healing Practices

On the land I live with, it is a time of seeking shade and cool places. The height of summer buzz is only gently starting to wane as the nights begin to flow further into the hours while daylight starts to ebb. The great swell of energy leading to Midsummer is only just starting to dissipate and I find myself slowing down as I find restful places to be still with my thoughts, my feelings, my dreamings of the land of my body and the land around me. During these unprecedented periods of heat during our current climate emergency, I have struggled to be restful, worrying that I should be in constant movement, but it is in the pause that we are able to refocus, breathe more deeply, and reconnect to what needs to be done to protect life and the land. And so the Dark Moon beckons, calling us to the shade before we spend any more time in the heat of the day.

The Dark of the Moon is an interesting time, not one observed as broadly as say the Full Moon or New Moon, but a period of time during the lunar cycle that I cherish in my own personal practice. (1) The Dark Moon is a period of profound rest before a new lunar cycle begins. If the New Moon is re-emerging onto a stage, the Dark of the Moon is when we are behind the curtains, waiting backstage, grounding and centering before we re-emerge back into the world. Without this period of rest we are unable to sustain the work and energy of the rest of the lunar cycle - though the importance of rest in magickal work and healing can often be overlooked or made difficult to access by capitalist-driven overcultures that pervade both institutional and personal spaces. There is a reason why, in this time of climate emergency, when we are confronting global patterns of consumption, waste, and destruction, that the call for rest as restorative justice has been growing. We need to rest for rest's sake, not to rest in order to become more productive to work, but to rest as a path of self-realization and community resilience. That is the magick of the Dark Moon.

For those who move through the world as womxn or somewhere on the spectrum of femme identity, however that manifests for you, there is a transgressive and radical magick to working with the Dark Moon. In patriarchal cultures, a womxn’s worth is tied up to her fertility and the Dark of the Moon is a time of un-fertileness, the barren field, the Hag who is unconcerned with what society says of Her, allowing her to move freely throughout all of the worlds. It is a time of breaking the hex of the male gaze (which hurts all of us, no matter our gender) and conjuring the collapse of oppressive systems of power. It is beautiful and wild and if this magick calls to you,

Just before the New Moon takes to the sky and far from the fecundity of the Full Moon, the Dark Moon marks the time of greatest dark during the lunar cycle. It is a time to be slow and still, joyfully unproductive, fertile to nothing else but our own needs, and to tend to the boundaries and edges of our wild spirit that help to shape who we are. Descending and returning, shedding and stillness, remembering and forgetting are all key energies of the Dark Moon.

Herbal Traditions

There is not an official correspondence within Traditional Western Herbalism to the Dark Moon. If we were to think of the Moon phase as a cycle of building a sacred structure, the Dark of the Moon is the temple completed, but empty of movement, waiting to be filled up with the sounds of life that people bring, but content and whole unto itself to be still and quiet at this moment. It is the point of the process of creating sacred space that we realize that the spaces we inhabit in are living and breathing and exist beyond us and our needs and our process of coming to respect that. For my garden-minded friends, the Dark Moon is the period between the end of one compost cycle and the beginning of the next.

As I've shared throughout this series, lunar work is deeply personal and I encourage you to trust your intuition and spiritual callings when creating when it comes to working with the Moon and interpreting Her cycles. For me, the Dark of the Moon is a time between work, as lengthy or brief as that may be, where I pause from doing and rest into being. It is both one of my favorite parts of the lunar cycles and one of the most challenging ones as I continue to undo patterns of overwork in my own life. If you believe you do not have time to rest it is a sure sign that you need to rest more. And I recognize that rest is more accessible to some, which is why it is so important for all of us to create cultures which recognize the sanctity of fallow periods as much as fertile ones.

In my own practice I very rarely make herbal remedies at this time and I try not to schedule classes, consultations, or other outer world work. For remedy-makers I think it is really important to have regular time off from making remedies and I invite you to explore what that might look like in your own practice, whether it becomes a Dark of the Moon practice or another lunar phase practice, during your Lunar Return, or perhaps tied to physical cycles like menses (another traditional time to pause from medicine-making). I don't have any specific plant parts that I work with during the Dark Moon. Personally, it's a time of Crone and Hag Goddesses, so I am more likely to reach for plant allies that I associate with elder, haggish, fiercely independent energy.

Examples of Dark of the Moon Herbs: Elder (Sambucus nigra), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Rose (Rosa spp.).

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris, spp.)

To be perfectly honest, Mugwort is the lunar herb in traditional western herbalism so it can be easily called upon during any Moon ritual. I'm writing about it here, at the Dark of the Moon, because Mugwort is referred to as the "oldest of herbs" within Old English herbal and spiritual tradition and the Dark Moon is a time of Hags. (2) Mugwort is an herb that has a strong effect on me so I am very intentional when I choose to use it and the period of the Dark Moon is one of my favorite times to engage with their magick. 

Mugwort's latin binomial clues us into some of its healing qualities. Artemis is a Goddess of all womxnfolk and their magick, with a particular resonance with womb-bearing womxn and the cycles of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.  Mugwort is a warming and opening herb, helping to warm up the uterus and clear out stagnant blood. Take just before your menstrual cycle to release tension, ease cramping, and soothe back pain. After a birth, Mugwort helps cease postpartum bleeding and hemorrhage.

As a fiercely protective herb, the Artemisian qualities of Mugwort help guide us back to the sanctity of our sexuality as fully our own, defined by our own parameters, and expressed however we please within the holy boundaries of consent. Along these same lines, Mugwort has a special affinity for womxn who have experienced trauma, especially of a sexual nature, where they feel isolated from their spiritual power, have difficulty feeling their emotions, and feel frozen in their anger and despair. The herb helps us to step back into our power.

As a warming Moon herb, Mugwort is especially good at moving emotions that have stagnated or frozen up in the body. Mixed with the anger and frustration of past or current traumas, indications that Mugwort can be useful include intermittent fever resulting in both hot and cold conditions in the body. Mugwort increases circulation and warmth throughout the body, clearing out stagnation. It wakes up a sluggish digestive tract and stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids making it a valuable ingredient in bitters blends. If the sleep is disturbed with vivid and disruptive dreams, Mugwort is a night ally, bringing deep sleep and growing a dreamer’s ability to be lucid. 

One of the ways that Mugwort works its magick is by opening us up to our own psychic gifts and ability. In small regular doses (i.e. 1 drop daily) or by using the flower essence on a regular basis, Mugwort can help to establish an appropriate protective barrier around our psychic senses to help us avoid psychic overwhelm and burnout. The herb can help us articulate our psychic and emotional experiences to ourselves and others in a way that helps us feel connected to our self and our community.

image via @tishine

Altars + Rituals

Cover your altar, your body, with a veil. Be hidden away from the world, known only to yourself. Let yourself be completely naked to the eye of your spirit, to your love, to your own deep way of being that can only be you.

A Simple Dark of the Moon Ritual

To honor the roots of your power

The following ritual helps you to reset as the lunar cycle comes to an end and before it begins again, reconnecting you to what it is that keeps you rooted in your power so that you can more deeply rest your whole self. This ritual can be performed at any time of day or night, but I recommend performing it just before a period of rest (including bedtime) and relaxation.

The charm that you'll be speaking during this ritual starts with "I root my power in…" Examples of how you might complete this sentence might be:

I root my power in the wisdom of my ancestors.
I root my power in the courage of self-love. 
I root my power in the hope of the land.

You can choose a few statements before starting the ritual or be guided by what arises during the ritual. In my own tradition, I would recommend three, six or nine statements, but work with the numerical system that is most meaningful to you and your cultural and/or spiritual traditions. 

To begin, remove all of your jewelry and sacred adornments that you wear daily, including scents like perfumes. As you do this, begin to soften your breath until you are breathing in a way that is filling and easeful, guided by your own rhythm. Place all your sacred adornments in a bowl (or bag or on a cloth) that you can comfortably hold in your lap and lift above your head. If you can, sit cross-legged with the bowl centered in your lap, but choose the position that is most comfortable for you with the bowl low in your body or placed on the ground or table in front of you. 

Take a deep breath in and out.

On the next in-breath, lift the bowl above your head, the objects in this bowl symbolizing how you present yourself to the world, the crown you wear for all to see. Speak the first of your charms (I root my power in the way of…), as you lower the bowl before you, maybe circling it softly, moving it through your energy centers before resting again on your lap (if the items are on an altar before you or not easily lifted, you can lift just your arms and hands instead).

Continuing to breath deeply, look at the items in your bowl, perhaps picking them up one-by-one and asking yourself if they align energetically with the charm you just spoke. Perhaps everything is in alignment, but if something feels like it doesn't quite match up energetically, remove it from your bowl and set it aside. The item might need to be cleansed and/or recharged, just need a break for a lunar cycle or longer. In some cases an item is ready to move on and be gifted or disposed of in a sacred manner.

Repeat the process with all of your daily adornments until your bowl is full of items that help reflect your inner values and principles with your outer appearance.

Take a deep breath in and hold the bowl above your head. Breathe out and lower the bowl to your heart. Breathe in. Breathe out and lower the bowl to your lap. Breathe in, reveling in the alignment of your energy.

Once the ritual is done, take a few more deep and centering breaths before retiring to rest. I often like to take a moment at the end of any magick, but especially when I am grounding and centering to be grateful for the people, places, things, and experiences which have affirmed who I am and helped me to rest, whole and complete.

View fullsize

A Simple Dark of the Moon Tarot Spread

To help you find the path of rest

Card 1 · Restless

This card highlights what is hindering your ability to rest deeply.

Card 2 · Restful

This card shows you what tools or practices can help you to rest fully.

Card 3 · Story

The overall message of the Dark Moon in your life. If you are familiar with your birth chart and how to find the transiting Moon in your chart this card can help you to understand the message of the Dark Moon in the context of where it lands in your chart.

I hope you enjoyed this fifth and final post in my series exploring simple ritual practices of the lunar phases (and thanks to my patrons who requested this series!). You can find the posts for the other phases here:

• Waxing Quarter Moon

• Full Moon

• New Moon

• Waning Quarter Moon

If you’re looking for more lunar magick, start by finding the Moon in your birth chart. I also teach a full course centered on lunar herbalism and astrology to help you discover your unique gifts as a healer called The Lunar Apothecary.

Wherever the Moon finds you I hope you find yourself and the kind spirits who inhabit the dark places of the night, holding up a mirror to your brilliance as you reflect the back the brilliance of the stars to them.

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

Notes

(1) The New Moon and the Dark of the Moon are sometimes used interchangeably, but in my practice they are two distinct, though closely situated, periods of time and space. I was taught that the Dark Moon is when there is no Moon visible in the sky for a day or two before the New Moon when a crescent becomes visible. The Dark Moon corresponds to the Balsamic Moon in astrology. Honoring the Dark Moon is a tradition passed down through Goddess spirituality and feminist circles that places emphasis on honoring not only the bright energy of the Full Moon but the beautiful dark depths of the Dark Moon (of course, the honoring the Dark Moon is not exclusive to those spaces and traditions, but that is where I learned it).

(2) I highly recommend reading the full Nine Herbs Charm in both modern English and in the original Old English. Read the Old English out loud to get a feel for the deeply trancey rhythm and pace of the spell (though you can listen to it in modern English here).

The Healer’s Celtic Cross Tarot Spread & Plant Allies

As with any form of self-inquiry, the tarot helps to create space for healing to occur.

From sacred symbols with multilayered meaning to esoteric tradition and magickal practice, the tarot is abundant in possibilities for how it can be used to aid us in our own becoming and the returning home to ourselves and beloved community. I like to say that the tarot is a book of healing - it's just a matter of learning how to read it.

But where to begin our journey with tarot as a tool of healing? How about with one of the most common tarot spreads out there: The Celtic Cross. I and many tarot readers I know learned how to read the tarot with the Celtic Cross spread. This makes sense as it's the spread that's included in the little white book of one of the most popular tarot decks out there, the Rider Waite Smith Tarot (alternatively and increasingly more commonly known these days as the Waite Smith or Pamela Colman Smith tarot). The Waite Smith deck was the most easily found in bookstores and psychic shops to many of us before our current tarot publishing renaissance and so A.E. Waite's description of the Celtic Cross as the way to read the cards was foundational for many tarot readers of mine and earlier generations (you can read his full description of the Celtic Cross spread here). Published in 1911, Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot has been shaping the divinatory skills of tarot readers for over a century and the Celtic Cross has been in use for at least that long and probably longer. So where did it come from?

A Brief Mystery

Waite was not the originator of the Celtic Cross Spread and most likely learned it during the First Order teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, of which he was a member. I've seen it suggested that he based his work off of that of Florence Farr (here's a good short summary about her). In fact, Farr and Smith knew each other, with Smith designing scenes for a play by William Butler Yeats at the request of Farr. I've not seen an official Golden Dawn document (or letters between members) confirming Farr's creation and original teachings of the Celtic Cross spread, but a) it would match up with what is known about her and b) the Golden Dawn is not my area of expertise so the resources may be out there I've just not come across them yet. I've also thought that it would not be too much of a stretch to imagine that Moina Mathers may have had some role in the spread's creation. (1)

I get the sense with the tarot training in the Golden Dawn that if you could handle the complexities of the Celtic Cross you could progress to the very complicated (but so worth learning) Opening of the Key. Or someone in the Golden Dawn was frustrated with the overly complicated (and sometimes, let's be honest, not useful) Opening of the Key and created a much more convenient spread. 

After I wrote that last sentence I found a new resource - Secrets of the Celtic Cross by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin - that has some incredible research and discoveries in it pointing towards another Golden Dawn Member, F.L. Goodwin, as a possible source (or at least earlier transcriber than Waite) of the Celtic Cross spread. It's well worth the read, not only for the primary documents Katz found but the techniques for reading the Celtic Cross are really interesting, too!

With that brief look at the possible origins of the Celtic Cross, let's get into some practical work.

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The Original Celtic Cross Spread

I love the Celtic Cross spread. It's not the easiest spread to learn (especially for beginners) and can be obtuse and tricky to interpret at times. And yet, for many years it was the first spread that many beginners learned. The spread requires flexibility of thinking and an ability to stretch between the inner and outer worlds of the querent. But it never feels dull or outdated to me and has provided consistently useful spreads and insights since I started casting it as a wee little witchling. If you haven’t tried learning the Celtic Cross spread yet, I recommend it.

It's also a flexible spread that can be adapted to the needs of the reader and querent with relative ease. If you look up Celtic Cross spread online you'll be met with (mostly) the same interpretations for card positions with plenty of folk's preferences and adaptations thrown in (this site does a good job exploring many of the variations you'll find). I've always read the Celtic Cross as proposed by Waite with one exception - the first card and the significator are the same card in my readings. Why? I either misread the text when first learning the spread or somewhere along the way forgot that the two should be separate cards and it just became my style of reading the spread. Also, the order that I deal the cards is different from Waite - again, I probably just mixed up the original technique along the way but this is the way that the flow of the reading makes more sense for me.

Mistakes were made and yet the magick persisted.

So here is how I cast the Celtic Cross in a typical reading. 

• Card 1. The significator and card which represents the querent and the heart of the matter. 

• Card 2. The primary obstacle the querent is facing.

• Card 3. The recent past as relevant to the current situation (i.e. no further than 3 to 6 months in the past). 

• Card 4. The near future as relevant to the current situation (i.e. no further than 3 to 6 months in the future).

• Card 5. The best to be achieved in the current situation. 

• Card 6. The tools the querent has at hand to face their obstacles. 

• Card 7. Feelings about the matter. 

• Card 8. Home and environment (including opinions of people around the querent). 

• Card 9. Hopes and fears.

• Card 10. Outcome.

A quick note: I follow Waite's technique for positioning the past and future cards. The position of card 5 and 6 change depending on what way the primary figure in Card 1 is facing. So if the figure in Card 1 is facing towards the right, Card 3 goes to the left of Card 1 (signifying the past is behind them) and Card 4 goes to the right (signifying the future before them). 

Now, the spread as described above (or by Waite in his original description) has amazing potential for supporting yourself or the person you are reading for on their path of healing. What I've done with my adapted spread below is to weave in extra focus around healing as well as apply some simple astrological insight to each card position. By applying astrological correspondences to the reading we can bring in corresponding herbal allies to guide us. I’ve made note of the correspondence between card positions and the Houses of the birth chart below with a more in-depth discussion on what that means and how to apply it to healing work later on.

The Healer's Celtic Cross

Card 1. The card which represents the querent and the heart of the matter. 

This card can reveal a lot about the querent's view of themself, their situation, and what is really going on for them. It's ok if this card doesn't make sense immediately and it can be helpful to compare it to Card 10 to help it make sense (comparing the first and last card drawn in any spread can be a very useful and insightful practice). This card corresponds with the self and the filter that shapes how we are perceived by and perceive ourselves and the world (First House).

Variation: Choose the significator card purposefully as opposed to a random draw. Waite suggests choosing a significator based on correspondences between physical appearance of the querent and the court card, but choosing a significator card on appearances alone is a pretty limiting approach. Instead, you or the querent can look through the whole deck and choose a card which either looks like what their current healing concern feels like or resembles the vision they hope for themselves when it comes to feeling more whole.

Card 2. The primary obstacle the querent is facing.

This is the card that crosses the querent creating a source of difficulty, conflict or challenging energy in their life. Here we can really begin to tell a story about the ways that the dis-ease, imbalances or other health concerns that the querent has are impacting their life in a way that creates discomfort, unrest, suffering, and so on (all issues of the Sixth and Eighth House). 

Card 3. The recent past as relevant to the querent's current healing path.

Here we have a timing card which can help the querent understand some of the ways they've been affected by their healing path recently. If there is a sense that it would be helpful to explore issues further back in the past (i.e. the querent knows that this current healing crisis stems from childhood, etc) additional cards can be pulled to explore the energy of the past underlying the situation. With this card we're exploring the thread of where this healing imbalance may have originated from (Fourth House).

Card 4. The near future as relevant to the querent's current healing path.

With our second timing card it can be helpful to read the 3rd, 4th, and 10th card as their own mini spread highlighting important timing along their querent's healing path. This card can also reveal concerns that the querent may have about their future, where they might be headed, and their own personal (often rooted in philosophy and spiritual practice) opinions of what their illness says about them and what is possible moving forward (Ninth House). 

Card 5. The best to be achieved in the current situation.

This is the card which crowns the querent and highlights what might be achieved given the current circumstances.(2) Along with Card 10 we can begin to see what is possible for the querent when it comes to their healing. A challenging card here can highlight shortages of hope or a challenge with connecting with the tools shown by Card 6. The energies of this card can also be tied up to questions of worth and worthiness (Second House) and what the querent believes they have access to and a right to on their healing journey.

Card 6. The tools the querent has at hand to face their obstacles.

This is the card which serves as the foundation for the querent and the skills they can use to support their healing. Here we get to see what skills, gifts, and insights the querent has developed throughout their life so far and how they might put all of it to practical use (Tenth House). I consider this to be a really important card to help instill hope in the querent. Challenging and inverted cards here can highlight the ways that the querent has forgotten or denied their own power.

Card 7. Feelings about the matter.

The next three cards focus on the feelings of the querent. With so much going on in the spread (looking back and forwards in time, considering obstacles, finding tools and skills to use, preparing for what lies ahead), here is a card that is really important to spend some time with. This card helps us to connect with how the querent is feeling about everything that is going on - it can be a card that can help to put into words what is hidden (very Twelfth House energy) and maybe tie into larger patterns of life experience or where the querent is feeling extra sensitive or sensitized (again, Twelfth House issues). 

Card 8. Home and environment

This card is about how the querent connects to their environment (Third House) and who is in it (Eleventh House), including the opinions of people about the querent. Are they feeling supported or challenged in the places that they spend a great deal of time (home, work, school, etc)? Are they feeling supported or challenged by the people in these spaces? Often a particular person or place is being illuminated with this card but sometimes it can be more general such as feeling overwhelmed working in customer service and that the querent may need a less people-oriented position at work for their own wellbeing. 

Card 9. Hopes and fears.

This card highlights the intertwined feeling of what the querent hopes for in their given situation and what they fear. An example is that the qurerent might be hoping for healing but fear that feeling better is impossible to attain. We are looking for this important intersection of feeling which highlights what the querent desires and hopes to achieve (Fifth House) alongside the energies of how we are shaped by the actions of others, especially in close relationships, that are beyond our control (Seventh House). It can be very useful to read Card 7 and Card 9 side by side as they are often conversing with one another in the spread and in the querent's life.

Card 10. Outcome.

This card reflects on how much there is resonance between what the querent hopes for and is capable of imagining for themselves. By referring to the querent's capacity for imagining what is possible for themselves I'm not trying to do some sort of backhanded insult that they haven't achieved the right “mindset” for health. Health and wellness and healing is not something earned or manifested through sheer individual willpower alone. Healing and wellbeing is a process of being able to access and receive good care, rest, and a safe place to heal all while being supported by the community along the way. By imagining wellness for ourselves we are not trying to manifest a cure, but create an emotional landscape that helps someone to feel hope and joy, loved and held, no matter the circumstances they find themselves in (all First House issues of self-worth and love).

The Houses + Plant Allies

If there are one or more cards that stand out as particularly challenging, you can begin to explore different ways to support someone by exploring the corresponding astrological area of their life. In addition to untangling challenging energy, you can also support the corresponding astrological areas of the querent's life that are really beneficial and nourishing in order to bring more of that energy onto their healing path. I don’t recommend trying to find an herbal ally to work with for every card cast (that’s a lot!) but instead to practice discernment to find clarity and focus on the one to three herbal allies that might best support the querent.

I've given some very general herbal recommendations based on the astrological correspondence each card position and zodiacal house correspondence, but of course, you need to consult your materia medicas and work with an herbalist for the best recommendations for your needs.

Card 1. First House + the Sign of Aries 

The significator and heart of the matter. 

How we instinctually act including our instincts of self-expression, to mask, and the ways that we act and are acted upon (i.e. things like microaggressions to micro-kindnesses that aren't thought out ahead of time, but arise swiftly in the moment). Nutrient rich herbs like Nettles (Urtica dioica) can be a good choice for supporting our First House needs which correspond to the ways that we take care of ourselves on a daily basis. I like incorporating Nettles into daily wellness practices because it has so many bioavailable vitamins and minerals and is gentle enough to use daily supporting the practical nature of the First House to take care of ourselves in a consistent manner.

Card 2. Sixth House + the Sign of Virgo and Eighth House + the Sign of Scorpio

The primary obstacle the querent is facing.

While the obstacles they are facing may show up in multiple areas of their life, astrologically we're looking at the Sixth House of Health, guarded by Virgo, and the Eighth House of Healing Crises and Transformation, guarded by Scorpio. Both houses and signs help us to recognize and embrace our mortality and how we perceive ourselves and filter consciousness through our physical form. Heart tonics that help us to deal with the highs and lows of living as well as create space for us to recognize our own resilience can be really useful here. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) comes to mind as both embodying the deep thorn magick of Scorpio as well as the heart-opening healer's magick of Virgo.

Card 3. Fourth House + the Sign of Cancer.

The recent past as relevant to the current situation.

There are a few paths one can take to find an herbal ally of the Fourth House. Since we are dealing with the past, memory, ancestral heritage, and childhood we can reach for herbs related to any of those areas. So, perhaps the querent was served comforting cups of Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) tea as a child and to bring that herb back into their practice may be very healing or there is an ancestral herb that is asking to work with the querent. I actually like Chamomile for Fourth House issues as it is such a friendly herb and is often in traditional western herbalism, one of the first herbs that a child will receive as a remedy. It is also a wonderfully Cancerian herb that helps soothe upset stomachs and calms the nervous system after a period of emotional upheaval. The herb also has a wonderful quality of helping bring us back to the present moment, putting everything in perspective. It can also be really helpful to  focus on comfort (including the comfort of herbs that taste good to the querent) and healing parenting for Fourth House plant allies.

Card 4. Ninth House + the Sign of Sagittarius

The near future as relevant to the current situation.

The first approach to take with an emphasis on this part of the reading is focusing on remedies that practice good preventative medicine. So, if the querent is dealing with a lot of stress which looks like it is aggravating their current healing challenges, then focusing on consistent stress-reducing remedies and practices in the querent's life. Another approach is to work with the philosophical, wisdom nurturing aspects of Sagittarius that help us to adapt to whatever may come. Sage (Salvia officinalis) can be a wonderful ally in this respect, especially if the querent is feeling like their future has been altered in unwanted and irrevocable ways due to their illness or health challenge. 

Card 5. Second House + the Sign of Taurus

The best to be achieved in the current situation.

When it comes to exploring issues of achievement alongside self-worth and what makes us worthy of healing (which can be answered through exploring cultural narratives as well as our own internalized beliefs of worthiness, but however you get there, the answer is that we're all deserving of our healing), my absolute favorite plant ally is Rose (Rosa spp.). Rose is a Taurus plant and one of our most ancient plant allies, helping us to explore our own inner mysteries while supporting rejuvenative health. Whatever plant ally you choose to work with for issues emphasized by Card 5 in the spread, I encourage you to choose an herb that is restorative in nature, having a broad spectrum of healing qualities that help bring the body back into balance.

Card 6. Tenth House + the Sign of Capricorn

The tools the querent has at hand to face their obstacles.

When there are Tenth House issues, there is a call to work with structures and systems in the querent’s life. This can be from supporting the structural integrity of the body through bodywork and herbs like Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), which support bone and muscle health. In general, mineral rich herbs are very helpful. It can also arrive in the form of examining how the querent structures their day, their work or school schedule, and their life in general and how in alignment with their healing desires it is. Capricorn and the Tenth House can be really practical when it comes to healing work but don't forget that we're working with the energy of the goatfish - what is practical for one person can seem impractical and strange to another. It is about discovering the systems that work best for the querent not for what the querent thinks others will approve or disapprove of. 

Card 7. Twelfth House + the Sign of Pisces

Feelings about the matter.

When it comes to formulating a remedy or working with plant allies, this card can help to keep the heart and the feeling self in focus. You might support the actions of clearing out old energy practices, and beliefs in order to cultivate regenerative energy. These are deeply personal sorts of plant allies that are going to change from querent to querent. One of my favorite Pisces herbs that has widespread healing qualities and can be useful for many folks is Milky Oat (Avena sativa). One of the ways that we can begin to feel our feelings is to support our nervous system and Milky Oat is food for the nervous system and the soul. It helps to create a feeling of safety within and around the body, which is ideal when it comes to being able to open up about what you’re feeling.

Card 8. Third House + the Sign of Gemini and Eleventh House + the Sign of Aquarius

Home and environment.

Here we can work with plant allies that are more about shifting the energies of the home environment including herbal incense, floor washes, and room sprays. Plants with strong and beautiful scents (i.e. full of volatile oils) like Lavender (Lavandula officinalis) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) can be great to work with. I also like plants that help to set appropriate boundaries both in our homes and interpersonally (something that Gemini and Aquarius as Air signs can be skilled at).

Card 9. Fifth House + the Sign of Leo and Seventh House + the Sign of Libra.

Hopes and fears.

With Card 9 energies we are working with the heart - how we find our bravery (Leo) and our harmony (Libra) all while overcoming our fears. Heart tonics, heart openers, heart guardians are all beautiful allies to work with here. I've already mentioned Rose (Rosa spp.) and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which are two wonderful heart herbs. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) and Damiana (Turnera diffusa) can be great allies, too, as the former helps to harmonize the querent in relation to the collective and their own needs, while the latter can be a really beautiful ally in knowing love through physical pleasure.

Card 10. First House + the Sign of Aries

Outcome.

Refer to Card 1 for suggestions as the first and final card of the spread are deeply connected. No matter where the querent is headed, how they care for themselves day-to-day is foundational to wellness.

In Practice

Here's an abbreviated recap of how I read a recent casting of the Healer's Celtic Cross (you can see a picture of the full spread at the beginning of the post). The querent was struggling with a chronic inflammatory condition that was turning into burnout after an extended period of trying to hide from friends and family (and themselves to a degree) how serious of an impairment their condition was in letting them live their life. In the reading all but one of the cards was inverted which reflected how the querent was feeling - stuck with a chronic inflammatory condition that was invisible to the world and often left them isolated in pain. This trapped heat which isolated them was reflected in the many cards, but especially all of the Wands that showed up inverted.

Right away it was clear that the pendulum of the querent's thinking and feeling had swung far into the territory of feeling unworthy of healing, unseen by their friends and family and that they believed that this was only going to get worse (Three of Cups inverted), and they felt stuck on what to do next (Two of Pentacles inverted) unable to see any options available to them as they were lacking creative vision (all of the inverted Wand cards). Fortunately, hope was present in a few areas of the spread which is what we focused on when seeking out herbal allies.

The two primary cards that offered insight into a way forward featured water - the Two of Cups (Card 5) and Temperance (Card 2). Temperance was both the obstacle and much needed as the querent was struggling to find a balance in their feelings about their current situation and their need for community. They admitted that it was easier to feed the belief that being isolated was their fate instead of being more vulnerable about the accommodations and considerations they needed from their family and friends. It sounded like they did have folks who would be all too willing to adapt, the querent just felt a lot of shame - again that internalized hidden heat - about asking for help. The Two of Cups points directly towards reaching out to others as a path of healing, while Temperance counsels a more balanced outlook about the situation. 

Finally, the Three of Swords inverted (Card 10) is a rather hopeful card. It's the only energy of Air (besides Temperance) in the spread and pointed towards the querent speaking of their vulnerability (the broken-heartedness the querent felt about their condition) as a path back into community and a greater sense of wellness.

At this point I've also done an herbal intake of the querent and I've also looked at their birth chart to see what was happening. I don't depend on the reading alone when suggesting plant allies (though if you are using purely vibrational remedies like flower essences you certainly can). Remember, facilitating connections between plants and people is a multilayered and intersectional path.

So focusing on the three cards already discussed, we have the following guideposts to help us determine what herbal allies may be of aid for our querent: 

With Card 10 and the First House + the Sign of Aries, Nettles (Urtica dioica) felt like a very good choice. In fact, the querent had already been using Nettles as part of their anti-inflammation protocol so we talked about connecting with Nettles as a teacher through meditation and pathworking (the querent had experience with both and was interested in trying). 

With Card 5 and the Second House + the Sign of Taurus, I turned to Rose (Rosa damascena), which will bring additional anti-inflammatory properties, but will also help with the needs of the heart and opening up to feeling worthy of the love and care that the querent deserves (and that it sounds like their friends and family would be willing to give). 

With Card 2 and Sixth House + the Sign of Virgo and Eighth House + the Sign of Scorpio, it was Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) who spoke up as an ally. Hawthorn helps to repair broken hearts and protect the heart when opening up again to the possibilities of being loved and loving in turn. It can help to walk with some thorn magick when one is feeling vulnerable and needs support in turning that vulnerability into an opportunity for healing.

As you can see, using the Healer's Celtic Cross is an interesting and hopefully useful way to help connect folks with their own healing potential, a bit of hope, and the beauty of our plant allies. There can be even more depth to the reading if you know how to read the birth chart and can follow the paths that the cards cast are leading the querent in their own natal constellation of planets and stars. For those familiar with the astrological correspondences of tarot you can add another layer to the reading by exploring the astrological correspondences of each card cast as compared to the houses I suggest for each card position. If you like it complex, make it complex! There’s a lot of way to make the Healer’s Celtic Cross work for you and your community and I hope you get creative with it.

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If you’re looking for more tarot inspiration, check out my tarot + divination section. I also teach a course on the intersections of tarot and herbal healing if you’re ready for a deeper dive. If you want to learn more about plants and astrology, come this way.

I really love the traditional Celtic Cross tarot spread - it shaped me as a tarot reader and has remained a reliable tool in my practice for many decades. My variation focused on healing is a way to celebrate the versatility of this spread, honoring those who first envisioned it, and hopefully inspiring readers to come up with ways to expand their practice and be of compassionate service to those they are reading for.

And maybe, someone years from now will be casting the Healer's Celtic Cross on their table, but in a slightly different way because they couldn't quite remember what order the cards were meant to be in and came up with something fantastically all their own.

May the magick persist no matter its path.

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

🌿

Footnotes

Decks used: Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck (in a tin version) and The Arcana of Astrology Oracle.

(1) If you want to learn more about the women of the Golden Dawn I recommend checking out tarot reader, teacher, and scholar extraordinaire, Mary K. Greer’s book Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and Priestesses.

(2) Directionally in the tradition that the Celtic Cross was born from, the place above us and the crown represented the gateways to accessing the holiest parts of ourselves, often connected to angelic energy. Holiness is multidirectional in my own practice and in many feminist Pagan traditions which are reclaiming the holiness of the deep below. It can help to imagine this card like a star or lantern raised above the head which illuminates all of our energy bodies as well as the path around us - it helps us to see what needs to be seen.

Hag's Medicine: Mullein Plant Profile

I realized that it’s been a few months since I wrote my last plant profile for all of you and continuing the last few posts on breathwork and herbs for respiratory wellness, Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) felt like the wonderful ally to celebrate and learn from this month. So let’s do just that!

image via wikimedia commons

Mullein
(Verbascum thapsus)

Common + Folk Names : Hag’s tapers, beggar’s blanket, graveyard dust, candlewick, Jupiter’s staff, torches, velvet dock, witch’s candle, lungwort, shepherd’s staff, duffle, fluffweed, fleawort, tinder plant, Cuddy's lungs, hare’s beard, Our Lady’s flannel, Quaker rouge, Aaron's rod, Jacob's staff, verbasco, Nookaadiziiganzh.
Tarot Cards : The Devil, The World, Two of Pentacles - learn more about tarot + herbs
Element : Earth, Water
Zodiac Signs : Capricorn
Planets : Saturn
Moon Phase : Waning Quarter Moon
Parts used : Leaf, flower, root
Habitat : Native to Eurasia and North Africa but naturalized throughout North America.
Growing conditions : Grows in waste areas and roadsides. Likes full sun and well-drained soil. 
Collection : Collect the flowers and leaves from second year and older plants. Roots in the fall. 
Flavor : Pungent, slightly bitter
Temperature : Cool
Moisture : Moist
Tissue State : Damp/Stagnation, Dry/Atrophy
Constituents : Carotene, choline, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, resin, saponins, glycoside, flavonoids, mucilage, tannins, triterpenes, volatile oil.

Actions : alterative, anodyne, antibacterial, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, astringent, decongestant, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, pectoral, vulnerary. Flower: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, demulcent, emollient, mucilaginous, nervine, sedative. Root: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, anodyne, diuretic, nervine.

Main Uses : Mullein is described by Nicholas Culpeper as being under the guardianship of Saturn, which is in part why the herb is considered a plant of Capricorn. The herb is a great ally during the winter months, helping to clear phlegm from the system, reduce inflammation, and protect against infection. It is excellent for clearing out chronic, long-standing coughs, especially dry and spasmodic coughs, and can help with a number of respiratory complaints including bronchitis, asthma, and general lung weakness. Mullein has traditionally been used for tuberculosis, whooping cough, and pleurisy. Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine describes a traditional Irish preparation of Mullein for the treatment of tuberculosis prepared by adding a handful of the green leaves to two pints of fresh milk, strained, and then sweetened with honey which was then drunk once or twice daily. Think deep, thick, and chesty coughs. Look for signs of adrenal stress, especially after long bouts of illness and conditions worsening when lying down.

Add the herb to your cold and flu blends with Elder (Sambucus nigra) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) for a lung-opening, immunomodulating blend. Mullein is useful, too, for Capricorn folk who tend towards stagnant cold states which lead to swellings and cysts as the herb helps to dissolve such manifestations of buildup. As a decongestant, Mullein is good for allergies such as hay fever, helping to clear phlegm and relieve pain. In her Physica, Hildegard von Bingen recommended Mullein for “one who is hoarse or has a pain in his chest” recommending that they combine the herb with Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) in a medicinal wine. Use also for asthma (especially if there is heat and aggravation) and general chest infections. Mullein has immunostimulating properties which is another reason that it is excellent for cold and flu season and especially for someone succumbing to chronic viral infections. The herb is effective against viruses such as herpes, too. 

image via wikimedia

As a moistening diuretic, Mullein helps to soothe an inflamed urinary system and help with the release of urine. Mullein is also well-suited for many cases of edema and water retention. The herb also helps to remove toxins from the body because of its ability to move water out of the body. Use in cases of arthritis, rheumatism, gout, UTIs, and cystitis. As a digestive, Mullein is a mild bitter that relieves indigestion, especially in cases of a damp and stagnant digestion, and can help alleviate the pain of peptic ulcers. 

Mullein can be used for nerve pain and combines well with other nervines such as Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). Use internally as well as an oil for neuralgia and especially nerve pain the hands and feet. In particular, the root can be used in cases of Bell’s palsy and facial nerve pain. The herb helps to loosen up stiff joints and connective tissue.

Topically, the mucilaginous Mullein is excellent for dry skin conditions but also as a healing compress or salve for boils, bruises, inflammation, hemorrhoids, eczema, sciatica, and joint pain. Use in a steam for lung conditions like asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory imbalances already described. In Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have To Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings, Mary Siisip Geniusz recommends following a steam with Mullein a cup of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and then to bed to clear the head and chest. Mullein is used similarly as a smoking herb as well as an aid to help wean off tobacco. Mullein is useful in cases of bulging discs and bone setting. The herb helps the skin repair after a wound, burn, sore, and ulcer and can be used for skin infections, too. A compress of the leaves is excellent for alleviating the pain of swollen joints, sore muscles, swollen glands, eczema and for headaches. Use also for lymphadenitis and mumps. Create a gargle of the tea or extract for laryngitis, swollen gums, and tonsillitis. Mullein and garlic ear oil is a trusted remedy for ear infections helping to relieve pain and infection. I always keep a small bottle of Mullein and Garlic oil in my home care kit just for this reason. Mullein is also a common herb in smoking blends.

Magickal Uses : The long thick stems are sometimes referred to as Hag’s Tapers (the dried stalks dipped in wax will burn as a somewhat messy candle) as they are associated with the magickal workings of Witchfolk. Mullein is a plant long associated with the working of Hags - the womxn overculture has always feared who teach us to embrace what has been deemed unpalatable to value systems that our not our own into essential tools of our self-understanding. Burn at the initiation rites of transwomxn stepping into their power. The tapers can be burned at rituals of all kinds as well as funerals to protect against unwanted and malevolent spirits. You can also tuck the leaves into your shoe for added comfort and protection on your journeys. Use for general protection against sorcery, the evil eye, and malevolent spirits. Specifically protective against wild animal attacks and guards against the Night Mare. Use as a substitute for graveyard dust in spells and charms. Burn Mullein in your Midsummer bonfire for protection and gather the ashes to use in protection charms.

The Mullein Personality : The Mullein person has something to get off their chest which can sometimes manifest as chronic respiratory infections and a barking cough that doesn’t allow them to get a clear word out. Their adrenals are often run down and mornings - just as they are getting out of bed - can be some of the most difficult times for them physically and emotionally. Often, Mullein folk come off as dried out (which can manifest in their physical symptoms), but they may appear dry because all of their waters have pooled deep in the body. With their unexpressed truth settling in the body they are stewing, sometimes even bubbling over. They need to learn how to light their torch, even if the words that come out aren’t “perfectly” illuminating or fit in with the standards that they or others hold them to. Mullein folk can be confused about what they stand for because they have been so focused on “correct” social customs and traditions. Mullein will help them to become honest with themselves and release these stagnant patterns of seeking authority outside of themselves and help them to speak their words. Ultimately, they learn that morals, values, and laws aren’t of any use unless they align with their morals, values, and inner sense of lawful justice.

Contraindications : Considered generally safe.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage.

Recipe: The following tea is useful for alleviating the pain and tension of backache and neuralgia. It can also be made into an herbal oil or liniment and used topically.

Stand Tall Tea

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• 1/2 part Mullein Leaf + Flower (Verbascum thapsus)

• 1/2 part St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

• Optional: 1/2 part Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

Add the Ginger if the condition is worse with cold and better with heat. Sweeten with honey or coconut sugar and milk of choice.

I write more about Mullein and it’s uses as an herbal ally for fire season and it is featured in my list of herbs for breathwork and respiratory wellness. Mullein is one of my favorite herbs to use for Capricorn energy and learning more about the sign helps to understand the energy and magick that Mullein offers. Of course, you can always follow the tag for Mullein to see where it might guide you.

If you like plant profiles, be sure to check out the ones I’ve written. I also create plant profiles just for my Patreon community like my one on bright and bold Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Enjoy!

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