Daily Weekly Monthly: Developing a Rhythm of Herbal Practice

One of the reasons that I've written so much about the ways that we measure and observe time, from seasonal to astrological practices, is that there is so much to learn about ourselves, our world, and our interconnectedness through how we experience time and space. Within herbal practice, and especially earth-centered herbal practice which seeks to work in partnership with the land, sea, and sky as opposed to the hyper-commodification of plants as abstract cure-alls, beyond trying to connect people with specific plants there is a lot of attention is given to how one is experiencing time. It's not unusual to be asked questions about the length of time you've felt unwell, how much time you spend sleeping, time you spend working, times when you feel anxious, times when you feel well, and so on when in an herbal consultation. Many herbalists want to know not just about the quality of the symptoms and discomforts that have brought you into their consultation room, but the quality of time as you experience it.

Asking about time helps us to make recommendations of care beyond herbal remedies, including spending more time resting, less time scrolling on screens, seeking quality time with a mental health practitioner, and more. In my experience, most folks just want to decrease the amount of time they are suffering and increase the amount of time they feel well. So, we talk about time and the practices that a client might incorporate into their life that helps them feel more empowered by time and less overrun by it. 

One of the ways that I work with clients and students in developing a conscious connection with time in their herbal practice is considering when and how to use different types of herbal remedies. Much of this is just part of the foundational training of an herbalist: some herbs are more appropriate to take a very specific times for very specific time periods (such as immunostimulants and antiviral plants at higher dosages for shorter periods of time for acute infection) while other plants, like culinary herbs and spices, can be used more often. Additionally, considering time in your herbal practice is one of the ways that we begin to understand and apply preventative care in our lives which can go a long way in lessening and preventing illness and suffering while increasing a sense of wellbeing.

How do you think about time in your healing practice? In U.S. English, a common phrases used to talk about time include "time well spent" or "spending time.” While "spending time" is not a good or bad phrase, it can be interesting to experiment with other ways of talking about time. Instead of time well spent, which can feel like we are always meant to be productive with our time and time is simply another form of currency, I invite you to think about experiencing time as well worn, time well experienced, time shared, and time well loved. How do those phrases feel to you in comparison to thinking about time in the context of "spending" it? What are ways of envisioning and talking about time that feel empowering or oppressive? It can be an interesting practice to come up with different ways of considering time and creating conversations about time not only in the consult room but in our personal practices as well.

In addition to thinking about time in your life, there is the practical ways that we incorporate different herbs at different times. Below you'll find some of my simple recommendations for how you might work with herbs on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. These are simple guidelines that focus on general health and preventative care and look a lot different to an herbal routine for acute conditions. These guidelines are only one approach to herbal practice and are meant to help you think about the rhythm of your herbal practice rather than be prescriptive rules to follow. As always, work with your health care practitioners to determine the most supportive course for your unique health needs.

Tarot deck shown is the Moon Baby Tarot (2nd Edition) by Brant Palazzo

Daily

For daily herbalism, I tend to focus on two categories of herbs: nutritives and nervines. The types of nutritive and nervine herbs that I like to use in daily practice are ones that are not only considered generally safe, but are best used over a long period of time. Nutritives are herbs which have a strong nourishing quality, often containing high levels of vitamins and minerals. Examples of nutritive herbs are Nettles (Urtica dioica), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Alfalfa (Medicago farfara), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), and Chickweed (Stellaria media). Many kitchen herbs (i.e. spices and herbs used for flavoring meals) are nutritive in value, too, and can be enjoyed on a daily basis. 

Nervines have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. While most nervines are relaxing, some are more sedating, others are stimulating, and some are considered balancing (i.e. nervous system tonics). I tend to recommend relaxing nervines and nervous system tonics though plenty of folks already include stimulating tonics (i.e. Coffee arabica and Camellia sinensis) in their daily routine. Examples of relaxing nervines and tonics include Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Lavender (Lavandula spp.), and Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).

For many of my clients, one or two of these types of herbs will be included in my recommendations for them as having a daily herbal practice that is nourishing and nutritive is an important part of the healing process. Many of these herbs are also ones that students of traditional and modern western herbalism are introduced to early in their studies because they are such a foundational part of our practice.

I also pay attention to the ways I can incorporate seasonal herbs into my own and my clients’ daily practices. Chickweed, for example, shows up in the garden every spring and that's when I use it fresh in my daily tea as it's not a plant that stores well once dried (though it makes a lovely herbal vinegar if you’re looking to extend its healing qualities). Working with seasonal herbs is an invitation to observe and connect more deeply with the land and our plant allies.

Finally, one of ways that I feel-think about a daily herbal practice is that these remedies are the breath of my practice - a steady breath that allows me to meet myself, my community, and whatever the day may bring.

Cards shown are from the Dirt Gems Oracle by Anne Louise Burdett & Chelsea Granger

Weekly

With our daily practice established, what might a once-a-week herbal rhythm look like? Topical treatments like herbal masks and oils, steams, shower rinses, and baths are some of my favorite once or twice a week practices. Here is where we work with herbs a little more slowly than with teas or tinctures, and can experience more immersive sensations in our herbal practice.

I love herbal baths of all varieties and practicing self-massage with herbal oils is a simple and restorative way to not only support our nervous system, but nourish our largest organ - our skin. You can make these weekly rituals as simple or complex as you like (Make an altar! Light those candles! Write that time-sensitive email while your face is covered in Moon-blessed herbal powder and clay!), but think of the ways you can make space to slow down and be in your practice amidst the busyness of daily life. Some of my favorite herbs for bath and body are Rose (Rosa spp.), Lavender (Lavandula spp.), and Calendula (Calendula officinalis).

Once or twice a week can also be a beautiful time to bless your space with herbal incense or washes. One of my favorite herbs for burning is my local Mugwort (Artemisia spp.) variety.

For me, a weekly herbal practice motion and movement to the breath of daily practice. What am I moving into? What am I moving away from? What is moving within and around me?

Deck shown is the Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin

Monthly

For monthly practices I focus on spiritual rituals and hormonal support. Herbs used in a monthly practice might be, but are not always, ones that have a more intense effect on our bodies and would not be appropriate for everyday use. If you are feeling like your herbal studies or practice is very much in your head space and you want to draw your practice down into your body, connecting with the plants on a less academic and more somatic level, I recommend creating a monthly practice as a path of connection.

As someone who loves a lunar practice, I try to make space each month for simple herbal rituals tied to certain lunar phases or returns. This might be a lunar bath, ritual, or gentle cleansing rite, but it is a time to step between the worlds and connect with the spirits of land, the deep needs of the dreaming body, ancestral lineages, and my own magickal practice. Sabbats and other special celebrations fall under this monthly category for me, too. What your monthly practice looks like will be entirely up to you, your spiritual needs, your cultural traditions, and so on, and if you don't have a practice like this already I hope you have fun discovering your very own version. 

In addition to a monthly spiritual practice, hormonal support might also be something you consider, especially if you menstruate or experience a monthly hormonal cycle. What these hormone regulating herbs look like will be different for each person, but in general, I love working with Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and Crampbark (Viburnum opulus). 

The monthly herbal practice is where we allow ourselves to be held by energies beyond our own effort, brought there by the movement and breath of our weekly and daily practice.

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This post is part of a series exploring some of the broad themes of herbal practice in the consultation room that started with Night Allies: Herbs for Sleeping and Dreaming. If you're looking for more seasonal guides to help you develop the rhythm of your herbal practice you can find them over here and you can also check out my series on the seasons of the zodiac, too, another interesting and mythic way of observing time.

I hope you're feeling inspired to explore what your herbal practice looks like through days, weeks, and months, and that you find the unique rhythm of your own healing path.

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

✨

Cards Shown

Moon Baby Tarot (2nd Edition) by Brant Palazzo
Dirt Gems Oracle by Anne Louise Burdett & Chelsea Granger
Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin

Steadying Our Vision: Tarot and Tea for Capricorn Season

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

Sagittarius season may have just ended, mud still on the explorer's boots, and Capricorn is already asking, "Yes, but what did you do out there? What was the point of all your traveling?" While for some these types of questions may destroy the vibe of the adventurer, for Capricorn these types of assessments and reflections lead to the building of legacy and knowledge that can be transmuted into wisdom. If Sagittarius asks, "What is out there?" it's Capricorn asking the all important "What'll we do when we find what's out there? Who might we become?" Capricorn energy is the reason we have dry kindling to start a fire when out camping and that the broken window gets repaired before the cold winds of winter blow in. Marking the Solstice (Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere), Capricorn helps us to understand where we most often shine our light and how to shine our light with precision.

Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign which means that it embodies the energy of creating the next chapter of a very old book (or a completely revolutionary textbook), a steady eye on the future, and the energy to stick around to see a project through (Aries, Cancer, and Libra are also cardinal signs). Following the breath of the year, as Sagittarius breathes out, so Capricorn breathes in, settling in place and taking note of what needs to be done for the long run. The ability to envision far into the future and experience gratification in the long-run is a gift and lesson of Capricorn. The season of Capricorn helps us to take stock of how far we've come and where we must go next - but before we make any moves, Capricorn energy helps us to plan and prepare.

Many of us are grappling with huge and complex choices that we need to make in order to secure a future on our beloved island planet. Capricorn, in its practicality and straightforwardness, is less susceptible to hype, speculation, and fear (even as it is driven by understanding the realness of crisis), and helps us to simply do what needs doing right now,  wherever we're at. As we learn about ourselves in Capricorn season and in our own birth charts, we learn where it is that we keep our gumption and our fearlessness in scaling mountains and exploring sea depths that the mighty goatfish is well suited for. The struggles of Capricorn are becoming so forward-looking and goal-oriented that the pleasures and experiences of today are missed. The overextension of Capricorn energy in our lives can lead to overwork and defining our worth through our work. Too much dependence on Capricorn energy can measure the worth of everything by its end goal and, in turn, we lose out on the journey. If we learn to guard against these pitfalls and to honor the time that Capricorn energy needs in solitude and focus, we can create structures and foundations that'll guide and support generations (of people, plants, creatures) to come.

Steadying Our Vision
Capricorn Season Tarot Spread

Sitting down to read Capricorn energy is both a serious matter and a laughing matter. While the symbol of the goatfish represents Capricorn's ability to score the heights and depths with their persistence and planning, it's also a reminder that so much is out of our control and that there is a certain amount of strangeness and mystery involved. To do the things which have not been done requires some idiosyncratic approaches - hence the mighty goatfish. Ultimately, Capricorn energy in our lives is helping us to discover what it is that we uniquely require to thrive.

Capricorn asks, "What structure do you need in order to thrive?"

Being able to thrive as individuals means thriving in our communities, so there is already a strain and support (the needs of the goat versus the needs of the fish, for example) that is present when exploring Capricorn energy. Capricorn is (often secretly) a very optimistic sign and type of energy - they believe whatever needs to be done can be done, it just requires commitment to the work. I often think of Capricorn season's correspondence to the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere and the rebirth of the sun during the longest night of the year. While the focus is on the returning spark of light, it is the Capricornian energy of a supportive night that makes such brightness possible. The following spread helps us to shape the night which holds our stars to help us envision a future we want to create.

Card 1. That Which I Hope For

This card helps us connect to the vision of the future we are striving for in our life. It might be a grand vision or a much simpler next step, but this card helps us to name our hope.

Card 2. That Which Surrounds Us

This card helps us better understand our hope in our current environment. This card highlights what is supportive or not supportive to our hope.

Card 3. That Which Needs Structure

This card helps us understand a structural need in our life, whether that is creating more space for self-reflection, implementing a better time management system, or finally using a financial planning system that works for us, this card focuses on the practical needs of our hope.

Card 4. That Which Is Unexpected

This card explores the idiosyncratic energy of the goatfish and your own unique approaches and perspectives that your hope needs in order to create the future you're dreaming of.

Card 5. A Message for Capricorn Season

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

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Skin & Bones

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

image via @vjgalaxy

A Tea for Capricorn Season

How do we nourish the energy of Capricorn? Traditionally, Capricorn guards the skin, bones, the regulation of body systems, and the management of energy reserves (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Capricorn). Reading that list you may get the impression that Capricorn energy embodies a sort of tirelessness - and you would be right. There is work to be done and Capricorn energy is what helps us to do it. Many of the herbs traditionally associated with Capricorn are not the most pleasant tasting ("Pleasant tasting is not the point," I can hear some of my Capricornian readers muttering. "The point is for the tea to work."), but there are some familiar green jewels that we can rely upon to support us through Capricorn season. I like using Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) during Capricorn season because not only is it an herb that supports overall vitality but it helps lighten the mood as Capricorn energy can be very serious. Nettles (Urtica dioica) helps to take care of the skin and bones from the inside out and aligns with the practical and forward-looking nature of Capricorn to take your (herbal) vitamins everyday to help out your future self. Finally, a helpful dose of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) not only helps us keep Capricorn energy in perspective (there is a time for everything, including work and play), but it's a robust and restorative herb that supports our health in the long run.

• 4 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• ½ part Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

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

image via @cedilicious

Seasonal Reflections

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

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

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

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♑︎

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

I've written about a number of Capricorn herbs over the years including Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) - both of which are essential in my winter wellness apothecary.

May your Capricorn season be the right mix of mundane and magickal, leading you ever onwards in the journey of understanding what it is that replenishes your hope.

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