Plant Allies for the Winter Holidays

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

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

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

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

image via @sixteenmilesout

Ebbing & Flowing: Plant Allies for the Nervous System

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

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

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

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

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

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

image via @maemu

Finding Our North Star: Flower Essences for the Winter Holidays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

image via @micheile

A Winter Wellness Practice

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

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

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

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

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

᠅

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

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

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

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

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

Be well, friends.

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

Witchcraft + Weeds : Healing + Magickal Practices for Winter

The days grow shorter and the longest night of the year spreads its cloak of stars across the land. Known by many names including the Winter Solstice, Yule, Midwinter, Alban Arthan, it’s a time of cold, the steady burn of the hearthfire, and gathering together with friends and family.

Even the cities can take on a strange and peaceful silence during the winter (especially after a fresh snowfall). The woods are dark, branches stripped of their leaves, and most animals are hibernating or have moved south to warmer climates. The sharp icy air tingles with the magick of a thousand candles and twinkling lights. I find myself under blankets, sipping hot teas and cocoas, while lost in a good book (it's probably on witchcraft). Now is a quiet time in the apothecary - herbs have already been harvested and charmed into remedies during the fall and, except for the occasional custom blend for a new cold or deep need to create another herbal coffee, there is blissfully less to do.

The Winter Solstice marks the turn of the wheel from the mutable fire sign of Sagittarius to the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn. The frenzy of preparation and transition during the fall settles into the soft energy of winter (especially after the winter holidays have passed). Spend time outdoors enjoying the refreshing chill in the air, but be sure to balance it with warm downtime indoors. Read that book you’ve been putting off. Drink warming teas and add warming spices to your food. Do those things which make you feel cozy.

Weeds

Body System Focus: Kidneys, Bladder, + Liver
or Strengthen + Settle Into Your Flow

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of winter is the transformation of the dryness of earth into the coldness of water. Our bodies are moving from the busyness of gathering our resources in the fall to the settling depths of winter’s dark. It’s time to move from the hurry, hurry, get it done of fall into the slow down and have another cup of tea of winter. Continuing the magick of fall with warming stews and root vegetables. Heating and warming herbs are a must to help us keep our internal fires well taken care of as well as herbs that support the immune system. The plant allies of winter are immunomodulating and sometimes immunostimulating. They are often diuretic in nature, supporting liver and kidney health. If the magick of winter is difficult to connect to, check out the healing ways of Capricorn to help you find a spark of joy.

Weeds are scarce during winter, but the ones that remain are often roots, trees or connected to trees. Evergreens are persistent allies during the winter season and they’re scent alone can have an uplifting and invigorating affect on the body. Autumn's retreat from the summer is complete and the time of the Oldest Ones has arrived with their bare rattling bones and stone teeth. Enjoying foraged weeds as food and medicine is an amazing way to connect with the season and practice self-care. If you want to learn more about the healing properties of weeds, I highly recommend checking out The Wise Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival by Katrina Blair.

Pine (Pinus spp.) : Evergreens like Pine offer some of the only color in far northern climates, keeping their green wrapped around them throughout the year. The needles of the tree are a rich source of vitamin C and make a enjoyable tea. Pine also supports healthy circulation and is a great preventative and restorative remedy from winter illnesses like laryngitis, bronchitis, and the ‘flu. It helps to protect cells from damage - an excellent ally in preventative care against cancer. I collect chunks of the recently fallen sap and add it to honey to create a antiviral, analgesic, and expectorant syrup for coughs and colds. Add the needles to baths for pain-relief and to soften tight muscles. Incorporate Pine into your practice if your health is impacted by feelings of guilt and failure - the tree teaches us how resilient by showing us what is no longer necessary to carry.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) : Chaga is a mushroom that grows on trees such as the Birch. It has recorded use in traditional Chinese medicine since the first century and is a prized medicine in many far northern habitats where it can be found growing wild. I was first introduced to Chaga while living in Maine where I would make crockpots of Chaga hot cocoa at the cafe I worked at (it was amazing stuff). Like many mushrooms, Chaga helps to regulate the immune system - a common need during the winter when colds are passed around like gifts. Chaga has been used in cancer care as it inhibits the growth of tumors and its rich antioxidant content. It’s a hepatoprotective mushroom, acting as a guardian of the liver. I love incorporating it into chai blends and herbal coffees as it lends an earthy and grounding taste.  

Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos spp.) : Known also as Bearberry, Uva Ursi is an evergreen shrub with extensive use in both European and American Indian medicine. Where Pine is warming, Uva Ursi is cooling, reducing inflammation and toxin-supporting heat. It’s a classic remedy in traditional western herbalism for kidney complaints including urinary tract infections, urethritis, bladder and kidney stones, kidney infections, pulmonary edema, and more. Uva Ursi also helps with the imbalances to the skin brought about by kidney problems including acne, rashes, and dandruff (use both topically and externally). Uva Ursi is powerful medicine and should only be used for a week at a time with week-long breaks in-between. 

Oregon Grape Root (Mahonia aquifolium or nervosa, Berberis aquifolium or nervosa) : Similar to Uva Ursi, Oregan Grape is another evergreen shrub with antimicrobial and diuretic gifts that support the liver. The root is powerfully cleansing, sweeping through the body and clearing out excess heat. It opens the blood vessels helping to lower blood pressure. It dries up wet, damp, mucusy coughs and assists with general debility. Oregon Grape is a powerful ally when it comes to staph and other infections. The herb is also a great winter bitter, stimulating a sluggish digestive system and supporting a healthy appetite. Like Uva Ursi, skin problems caused by a sluggish liver and digestion are alleviated with Oregon Grape. 

Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) : Roasted Dandelion Root is an essential part of my cozy winter practice. The root supports liver health, gently detoxifying the overtaxed organ. It is wonderfully useful for skin complaints like acne and eczema both as an internal and external treatment. I incorporate the roasted root into chai blends and herbal coffees (both of which, you may have surmised at this point, are very popular in my house during the winter) and it brings a rich coffee-like flavor to the brew. If you’re someone who suffers from heartburn and excess acidity, try adding some Dandelion bitters into your routine before and after meals. Dandelion Flower Essence can be useful for folks who struggle with the dark of long winter nights, feeling hopeless and forlorn. The essence helps to bring brightness and levity to dark places.

Elm (Ulmus Procera) Flower Essence : Elm Flower Essence is for the doers and great sacrificers who do what needs doing, but at the end of the day they are left utterly exhausted. Folks who are best served by Elm are ones that struggle to take time off because so much of their self-worth is tied up in feeling useful to others. Elm teaches us how to find self-worth from within by taking much needed time off. The tree shows us different ways of connecting and communicating with people that doesn’t rely on us wearing ourselves thin. Elm is also useful for anyone who needs to take a break and put their busy lives and what they think must absolutely get done this very second into perspective.

Witchcraft

Winter is a time of both gathering in (as was begun in Autumn) and gathering together. Spend time working on your grimoire or book of shadows by candlelight. Gather together with covenmates, family, friends, and those you love the most for good food and celebrating. Spend time gazing into the dark curve of the night’s mirror and discover what you find gazing back. Open up to the wonder of the season and connect with your inner child who has never lost touch with their magickal thinking. Take a moment to step out of the busyness of the year - whether pleasurable or stressful - and find yourself connecting to your purpose. For to follow the wheel of the year is to honor the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, learning from all three overlapping and entangled phases. Sometimes it’s hard to discover what we feel the purpose of life is until it feels too late. So perform some meditative magick and imagine that you’re about to step through life into death. What would want to know that you had spent your life doing? I have found such a practice to be life-affirming, purpose-aligning, and interwoven with the energies of winter. To help you continue to dive into the world of winter magick, I offer you three forms of winter magick that I practice to help me settle into the power of the darkest part of the year.

3 Paths of Winter Magick

Settling In : We settle in to the season of slowness and dark. Rituals include long-term spells and charms completed over a series of days and weeks; house protection charms and first foot rituals; bringing warmth and nature indoors including candles, evergreen boughs, berries and citrus; divination for goal setting with an emphasis on timing; spells to protect your time; homecoming and soul-loss rituals; body-centered practices to help you come home to your self; pay attention to your need for quiet, calmness, and time spent alone or only with the closest of companions (including our animal friends). 

Settling In Meditation : Beginning in a position that is comfortable for you, notice where there is tension in your body. Then turn your attention to your feet. Create tension in your feet by tightening your foot muscles and curling your toes - hold this for a few seconds and then release the tension (if you have trouble releasing the tension try saying out loud any of the following words: release, soften, open, trust). Then create tension in your lower legs, holding it for a few moments and then releasing. Follow through to your upper legs, bottom, belly, chest, hands, arms, neck and head. Take a deep breath and observe how your body feels different than when you began.

Connecting Cosmically : We listen to the depths within us so that we may remember and connect to our starry origins. Rituals revolve around connecting to the cosmic dance of dark and light; standing in stillness with the sun on the night of the solstice; rising up singing with the dawn; incorporating astrological correspondences and magickal techniques into your workings; studying the night sky and your birth chart; being caught up in your smallness; finding rapture in your never ending expanse.

Connecting Cosmically Meditation : If you’re able perform this meditation under a night sky please do. Spend some time centering yourself through your breath. Listen to the stars in the sky and in the earth beneath you. Listen to the stars in your blood. With every in-breath call the stars towards you. With every out-breath, glow brighter. In with stars. Out and bright with your glow. Repeat this simple cycle for however long you desire. Be sure to end your meditation with a firm grounding and centering, perhaps choosing to eat salty food to help you return fully to your body.

Wishing Well : We welcome in the magick of being awestruck and enchanted through wishing ourselves and others well. Rituals include any and all activities which delight your inner child; performing spells to help you find your joy; connecting with the house and land spirits from a place of joviality and play; creating a ritual that your tween/teen witch self would be proud of; giving sacred gifts and hosting giveaways; rituals of wishing others good fortune as well as community blessings for health and longevity; inviting in the possibility that you are not and have never been broken; remembering to pay attention to the beauty of the world - beauty is always seeking you, so try and let it find you. 

Wishing Well Meditation : Start your meditation by focusing on the statement, “I am enchanted by…” and give space for thoughts, memories, and visions to arise eventually completing the sentence (i.e. I am enchanted by snow flurries dancing along windowsills). Dwell for a time in the feeling of enchantment and of being awestruck. Reflect on the following statement, “I enchant the lives of others by…” In other words, how to move others deeply and help evoke from them a joyful awe of the beauty of the world. 

Sacred Cocoon Oracle

Talisman of Sacred Time

Set aside some time when you'll be uninterrupted (this is the first act of magick for our spell). Make yourself some hot cocoa, get comfortable, and grab a journal or your book of shadows to record the messages you’ll be receiving. The following ritual is part divinatory and part craft. You’ll be creating a talisman to protect your time as sacred in order to help you make choices in your life that align you with your purpose. In other words, instead of spending another weekend shopping mindlessly or scrolling the internet aimlessly, choosing to spend your time caught up in that project you’ve been wanting to do but putting off. Or choosing to lie down, read a book, and go to bed early instead of working another 6 hours into the dusk of morning.

You will need a small pouch of black fabric, some dried Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), a piece of paper and pen, and a tarot deck (or oracle, runes, ogham feda or similar divinatory system).

Begin with divination. Three cards are cast, one for each part of yourself offering a message regarding how to align with time in a sacred manner (i.e. how to spend your time, what to do less of, etc.):

• A message from your past self.

• A message from your present self.

• A message from your future self.

Record any notes and observations that you want to remember. From each card find one word of power. For example, your future self may advise with the word, “explore” while your past self reminds you to “reconcile” and your present self speaks “be.” Write these three words on a piece of paper that can be folded small enough to fit into your talisman pouch.

Keeping the cards out before you, begin to assemble your talisman. Touch the empty pouch to your past, future, and present card, saying:

What was, what shall be, what is.

Repeat this twice more. Then following the same order, say three times through:

Is sacred, is sacred, is sacred.

Finally, fold up your paper and place it in the pouch. Add to it three pinches of Thyme. Thyme is an herb that helps us to bend and shape the current of time running through all of the worlds. Speak the three words of power as you touch each card again with your pouch. Using our example, you would say three times through:

Reconcile. Explore. Be.

Tie up the talisman and seal the spell with a “So mote it be!”

Carry the talisman with you, either wearing it around your neck, slipping it in your pocket, a bra, or other space where it shall be kept close. Speak your words of power to it when you feel time slipping away to regain your footing or when you are spending your time in a way that pleases you to ensorcel it with purpose.

---

Tell me about your favorite magickal and healing practices for winter in the comments below. Check out my recipes and herbs for the winter season as well as a tarot season to help you connect to the energies of the darkest point of the year.

Blessed winter!

Depth of Power : The New Moon in Scorpio

It’s the journey that steels us.
The stumbling and
picking yourself back up,
the seeking, that staves off fear
and fills us with hope.

- Dr. Karen Tate -

The secret grin of the New Moon in Scorpio marks the end of the season of Samhain. Now we tumble headfirst into the dark. If Libra is about weighing our options, than Scorpio is about measuring our depths. A Scorpio Moon can bring heightened sensitivity to many of us and the New Moon is especially activating to our psychic centers. We find ourselves wanting to howl at the Moon, run our fingers through the starlight, and dissolve back into the earth from whence we came. The ecstatic, the erotic, the enchanted all become elevated during a Scorpio New Moon.

Even if folks don’t know much about western astrology they’ll know that Scorpio is supposed to be the sign of sex. I’m don't know the story of where Scorpio got that reputation from but it might be from the intense nature that this sign can bring out in folks. Perhaps it’s the intensity of exploration Scorpios tend to take and the resulting deaths (of ego, of expectation, of past selves) both big and little (and the subsequent rebirths). What I do know is that Scorpio is a sign of shadow work and transformation. At the New Moon in Libra we were asked to cut away the expectations of others and to choose to live our lives as we want to. Then the New Moon in Scorpio arrives and asks us, “Yes, that’s fine, but what lies beneath?”

Photo by Lyndsey Marie

Scorpio is a fixed water sign which means that it’s an ocean with no sea floor. In the mutable water sign of Pisces we are asked to feel while in the cardinal water sign of Cancer we are asked to shelter. In Scorpio we are asked to know. The depths that Scorpio takes us to aren’t always comfortable. They can feel be pressurized, yet endlessly vast, and what we thought was up is really down, what we thought was truth was really just assumption. But the mystery unfolds when it is sought and so it is the calling of Scorpio to seek. Who of us as healers has not met someone and marveled at the vastness of both their pain as well as their remarkable resilience? That is the power of Scorpio. 

Blessed Thistle (Cnicus bendictus)
The New Moon in Scorpio Plant Ally

Spiky and unexpectedly useful, Blessed Thistle is already distinguished as a Scorpio herb by the doctrine of signatures. Blessed Thistle has recorded use since ancient Greece and is a powerful bitter herb that awakens a damp and weak digestion (listen for sounds of gurgling, poor digestion of fats, as well as feelings of distention and flatulence). 

As an alterative, Blessed Thistle’s eliminatory powers are applied to the blood and acting as a purifier. In combination with its skin-opening diaphoretic properties, Blessed Thistle helps to re-establish balance or homeostasis in the body. The herb is also a nervine and can be used to relieve spastic pain and headaches, especially when brought on by nervous tension. Blessed Thistle relieves brain fog and has a markedly uplifting effect.

Blessed Thistle is a very protective herb and can be used in all sorts of charms and rituals for boundary-setting, warding, and making safe people and places. It’s an herb that helps keep us safe as we journey into our depths. Blessed Thistle also has a resonance with students, both for its medicinal use for clearing brain fog and its magickal properties in awakening the inner spark of inspiration.

Flower + Gems Essences for the New Moon in Scorpio: Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), Holly (Ilex aquifolium), Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), Aquamarine, Bloodstone, Tiger’s Eye.

Essential Oils of Scorpio: Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium).

Photo by Falco Negenman

Scrying the Depths

What better way to dive into the depths than through the ancient art of water scrying? The key to successful scrying is learning how to relax your gaze which means being able to look at a fixed point and allow your vision to grow soft and blurry around the edges. For our rite, you can focus on a specific issue that you want revelation around (such as a path of healing for a particular ailment) or simply ask to have it be revealed something that you need to know as part of your personal development as a healer.

You will need a bowl of water and candle. Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). Place the bowl of water in front of you and the candle in a place where it illuminates the water, but you cannot sees its reflection. With you intention in mind, touch your third eye and say:

Vision beyond vision,
open to me.

Touch the right side of the bowl and say:

The depths are known…

Touch the left side of the bowl and say:

And revealed to me.

Repeat this ritual sequence twice more. Press your palms together and hold them over the bowl. Open them slowly, visualizing the veil between the known and unknown parting, and the bowl acting as a portal for you to gaze through. Relax your gaze and let the images arise. 

After a period has passed and your scrying is complete, hold your hands over the bowl and slowly bring them together, visualizing the veil between the known and unknown coming back together. Touch your third eye and say:

I have seen what has been shown.

Touch the left side of the bowl and say:

The depths have revealed…

Touch the right side of the bowl and say:

What is to be known.

Ground and center, ending the right by blowing out the candle and pouring out the water (preferably outside) and saying, “Blessed be!”

Oracle

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

When I gaze into my depths what is gazing back at me?

Additional queries to consider:

What emotions have I repressed that need to be honored and expressed?
How does resentment or jealously prevent me from living my dreams?

Tarot Cards of Scorpio

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 Libra 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 Scorpio).

• The Sign of Scorpio: Death
• The Water Signs of Cancer, Scorpio, + Pisces: Ace of Cups
• Mars in Scorpio: Five of Cups
• Sun in Scorpio: Six of Cups
• Venus in Scorpio: Seven of Cups

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

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Scorpio 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!

How to Use Herbal Powders (with Free Recipes!)

I began using herbal powders early on in my practice as an easy and alcohol-free alternative to tinctures.

Herbal powders can be added to juices, smoothies, honey or your milk of choice for internal use or quickly mixed with oil, water or honey for external application. My two favorite ways to use herbal powders are either in smoothies where I just add them in and blend or as herbal milks (recipe below). One of the things I love about herbal powders is that they are a form of whole plant medicine! When I have been traveling or have limited supplies on hand, I'll just mix an herbal powder with an ounce of water and down it like the magickal tonic that it is!

Topically, herbal powders can be used to quickly create a compress. Mix the powdered herbs with a little bit of water, oil or honey to form a paste. Rub it on the affected body part and cover with a cloth. For example, you might use Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum) for lower back pain whether from strain or menstruation.

General Guidelines for Using Herbal Powders

• Make sure that your herbal powders are medicinally potent by using them within six to nine months of when they were ground up. Some herbal powders degrade much quicker and all will last better when stored in an air-tight container in a cold and dark place (like a refrigerator).
• Start with single powders before moving onto blends. I recommend this all the time, not just for herbal powders. If you really want to track and understand how an herb is affecting you, using them one at a time is one of the clearest ways of achieving this. 
• Dosage varies widely depending on a person constitution as well as condition. 1/4 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon (or roughly 1 to 4 grams) 1 to 3 times a day is a relatively standard dose. It’s always best to consult your materia medica and/or herbal practitioner for dosage guidelines as well as listening to your body. 

Nearly any herb can be powdered, so the possibilities for using herbal powders in your practice are practically endless. Below I’ve listed three of my favorite herbal powders of the moment with brief descriptions of their healing benefits.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

Let’s start with a spice that is easy to find! Cinnamon has been in use since at least ancient Egypt (where it’s use was first recorded) and probably much longer than that. It’s a warming herb which stimulates digestion, helps regulate blood sugar, and increases vitality. Cinnamon improves memory while uplifting the spirits (which makes it a great herb for students). It protects against and clears up colds and ‘flus as well as being stimulating to the circulatory system. If you’re struggling with low energy, mental fatigue, and anxiousness, especially when mixed with sugar cravings, Cinnamon might be a great ally for you. The herb can be added to a variety of dishes to enhance flavor which makes itsuch an easy herb to incorporate into your herbal practice. 

Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum)

Ashwagandha is known as a rasayana or a rejuvenative herb in Ayurveda and it’s classified as an adaptogen in western herbalism. It is the adaptogen that I reach for most regularly and my absolute favorite way to prepare it is as a milky evening drink (recipe below). Ashwagandha nourishes the brain and neural pathways of the body while restoring strength after a period of stress or illness. Use for cases of auto-immune disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain fog, as well as insomnia, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, and stress. It’s a wonderful addition to your diet if you’re an athlete or work out regularly - you can use it as part of your pre-work-out snack. Topically, it also assists with alleviating muscle pain. Ashwaghanda has a mild, slightly bittersweet taste which is one reason that it’s so easy to add to beverages and food. 

Moringa (Moringa oleifera)

I met Moringa a few years back when I received some tea as part of an herbal swap. The leaves of the Moringa tree are nutrient dense and a great source of protein. It’s a brain and liver tonic, anti-arsenic, antioxidant-rich, and a source of stress-reducing magnesium. Moringa helps to lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, and there have been hopeful studies done regarding it’s anti-cancer capabilities. The herb also helps to increase milk-supply for breastfeeding folks and because it is so nutrient dense and stress-alleviating I like to recommend it as a postpartum herb. Moringa is mild in flavor and I usually add it to my morning smoothie. 

Other herbs that I often use in powdered form include: Nettles (Urtica dioica), Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum), Spirulina, Chlorella, Astragalus, Chicory (Cichorium intybus), and Eleuthero.

Herbal Powder Milk Tea

I like to prepare this in the evening about an hour before bed as a sweet treat to end my day and begin to prepare myself for the next.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of powdered herb to 1 cup of your milk of choice. Bring the milk to almost boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add sweetener of choice (honey is traditional, but coconut sugar is another good option). If you use brown rice milk, which is naturally sweet, you don’t need to add any extra sweetener.  If I’m making this with Ashwagandha, I’ll add a dash of Cinnamon at the end. Drink and enjoy!

Golden Herbal Powder

Golden Powder Blend is a wonderful daily remedy for those wanting to help rebuild adrenal strength. You can read all about it here.

To make your own Golden Herbal Powder mix together the following powdered herbs:

• 2 parts Mesquite (Prosopis pallida) 
• 1 part Maca (Lepidium meyenii) 
• 1/4 part Pine Pollen (Pinus massoniana)

Recommended dosage is 1/2 - 1 teaspoon up to three times daily. You can mix Golden into water, juice, smoothie or your food of choice.

Yum! Pow! Herbal Cacao

Yup, Cacao powder is medicinal. (You're welcome.) For those who need a bit of pep in the morning, which usually requires us to release tension in order to use our energy more wisely, I like creating a brew with adaptogen herbs. I really like adaptogens and Cacao working together and when you add in a spice or two, clever one, you're on a roll to kickstarting your morning! Yum! Pow! contains Astragalus (Astragalus propinquus) which works with Cacao's heart enhancing gifts as well as improve the function of the immune system as an immunostimulating herb. Read more about the benefits of Cacao here.

To create Yum! Pow! combine the following powdered herbs:

• 4 parts Raw Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
• 4 parts Roasted Chicory Root (Cichorium intybus)
• 1 part Astragalus (Astragalus propinquus)
• 1/4 part Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)
• Optional: 1 part Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) for natural sweetness, but it does have a slightly grainier texture.

To brew, add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon to your milk of choice and gently warm. Add sweetener (or not!) to taste. You can also add Yum! Pow! to your smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and more! 

Super!Rainbows!Love!Go! Herbal Green Powder

The original Worts + Cunning Apothecary green powder was one of my best sellers when I ran my remedy shop. If you want the recipe, it's yours! Just sign-up for my free Magick Mail newsletter and you'll not only get Super!Rainbows!Love!Go! Herbal Green Powder recipe but other exclusive content. But it's only available until the end of May 2017 (so sign-up to get it quick!).

Go forth and make your herbal powders! And make sure to let me know what your favorite herbal powders are in the comments below. 

Shine Bright! Golden Herbal Powder Recipe

My Golden Herbal Powder will have you shining bright! 

Dispel the clouds of fatigue, the fog of exhaustion, and the overcast humdrum of dull living! Live with shine, I say, and strengthen your adrenals with our sunny tonic. Golden Powder Blend is a wonderful daily remedy for those wanting to help rebuild adrenal strength and is beneficial for those with hypothyroid conditions. 

So, what makes Golden shine so bright?

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) 

Maca is the strong foundation of our adrenal tonic, addressing issues of adrenal exhaustion, chronic fatigue, and having a balancing affect for those with hypothyroid conditions. Maca is also a good reproductive tonic, as it has aphrodisiac affects and improves the quality of sperm. As an adaptogen, Maca helps us adapt to stress.

Pine Pollen (Pinus massoniana)

Pine Pollen is a golden sunbeam of nutrition! Full of vitamins and minerals, Pine Pollen contains 20 amino acids, including the 8 essential amino acids and minerals such as Calcium, Iron and Zinc. Pine Pollen helps to regulate metabolism, increase energy and dispel brain fog. A friend to the prostate, Pine Pollen is a wonderful wellness ally in preventing prostate disease.

Mesquite (Prosopis pallida) 

A wonderful, sweet and low-glycemic food, Mesquite is a good source of fiber and easily digestible protein.

To make your own Golden Herbal Powder mix together the following powdered herbs:

• 2 parts Mesquite (Prosopis pallida) 
• 1 part Maca (Lepidium meyenii) 
• 1/4 part Pine Pollen (Pinus massoniana)

Recommended dosage is 1/2 - 1 teaspoon up to three times daily. You can mix Golden into water, juice, smoothie or your food of choice.  Enjoy!