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.

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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!

Witchcraft + Weeds : Healing + Magickal Practices for Autumn

The Autumn Equinox acts as the hinge of a door, where we swing from the bright half to the dark half of the year.

Known by many names such as Mabon, Alban Elfed, the Feast of Avalon, Winter Finding, the Second Harvest, and Witches’ Thanksgiving, the Autumn Equinox is an opportunity to give thanks for the abundance of the year and prepare for the slower months of winter.

The air has started to turn cooler and the leaves paint their faces red, orange, and yellow as they prepare to descend to earth. In September, I begin to pull out my knitted clothing and find myself preparing heartier meals as well as teas full of berries and roots. During the later months of autumn, especially between Samhain and the Winter Solstice, I pay attention to the movements of the land spirits and the migratory patterns of the Wild Hunt, setting out offerings and lit candles for both. 

The Autumn Equinox marks the turn of the wheel from the healing mutable earth sign of Virgo to the harmonizing cardinal air sign of Libra. The bright and bold energy of summer laughs and tumbles with joyful exhaustion to the cool embrace of fall. There is a necessary period of reassessment as we organize for autumn and winter after the more lax period of the summer. But it’s not an excuse to get so tightly wound that we forget about the pleasure of the season and growing dark. Spend time not only preparing your home for the healing embrace of dark, but your body, too. Drink nutritive teas, eat healing and hearty stews, and add spice into your diet to support your inner digestive fire.

Weeds

Body System Focus : Skin + Nervous System
or Give Thanks + Rebalance

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of autumn alchemizes fire into earth or heat into cooling dryness. Our bodies are awoken from the languid repose of heat into a sharpening crispness in the air. The summer is over and we are in the midst of harvest season. It's time to shift our focus from the outward growing of the summer to the gathering-in of resources in the autumn. Make warming stews full of herbal and vegetable roots. Integrate oily herbs into your daily routine to nourish your nervous system and protect your skin from the inside out. The plant allies of the Autumn season help us to get grounded as the winds of the season rush around us. Many of the weeds of the season are hearty berries and roots which restore the nervous system and balance the landscape of the skin. If you’re struggling to get grounded and find your flow this autumn, check out the healing ways of Virgo.

While our foraging opportunities grow smaller as the days grow colder and darker, there are still some amazing herbal allies to connect with. While the trees and bushes are losing their leaves, what remains are bright antioxidant rich berries sharply accented against grey skies. The energy of the fields that were full of green herbs in the spring and summer have now gone down below into the ready-to-harvest roots. 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.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) : The red berries of the Hawthorn bush glow bright as the light fades and the skies grow heavy with clouds. Hawthorn is one of the first herbs many Traditional Western Herbalists turn to for supporting cardiovascular health. The herb nourishes and feeds the heart working best as a long-term tonic (i.e. multiple months of use if not longer). In other words, Hawthorn is a cardiac tophorestorative - which is a restorative tonic for the heart - bringing the hard working muscle back into balance whether from an illness, stress, or the affects of aging. One of the folk names for Hawthorn is “hagthorn” reminding us of the plants long connection with hags, witches, and otherworldly womxn that we can choose to connect with as the veil thins towards Samhain.

Burdock (Arctium lappa) : A wonderful blood purifier and kidney detoxifier that pulls waste from the cellular level, Burdock is an excellent ally to work with throughout autumn and winter. Because Burdock is so cleansing, it is of benefit to combine it with diuretic herbs (such as Dandelion Taraxacum officinalis) to help flush out the system. It's consider an oily herb in traditional western herbalism, which means it helps with dried out conditions as well as lubricate the nervous system and other passageways of the body. The internal cleansing that Burdock brings about manifests externally, too, helping to alleviate skin problems such as acne and eczema. The herb supports a healthy immune system and has historical use as an ally during times of dire illness such as leprosy and cancer.  

Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) : Every season needs a good bitter herb and Goldenrod delivers. The bitter flavor of a plant lets us know that it is good for the digestion, helping us to absorb nutrients and eliminate waste. Goldenrod is indicated when there is a runny nose, watery eyes, and a state of uncomfortable damp. Sinus and ear infections can be helped with the cooling and anti-inflammatory herb. The plant is also a wonderful topical remedy for sore muscles and inflammation. 

Rose Hips (Rosa spp.) : Another flash of bright red in the landscape, Rose Hips are wonderful allies in keeping us healthy during the cold months of the year. Rose Hips have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C found in a herb - about 1700–2000 mgs per 100 dried grams. The herb also helps with digestion and elimination, which is especially useful as we switch over to heartier food. Since they are cooling, Rose Hips are also useful in reducing fevers and their astringency helps with runny noses and other symptoms of colds. They are an excellent addition to convalescent brews and, being Rose, they are also helpful in all matters of the heart. 

Elder (Sambucus nigra) : The deep purple berries of the Elder are a welcome sight during the autumn. As humxns we’ve had a long relationship with the Elder Mother who has been cultivated since the stone age. It is one of the fastest-acting immune herbs that I’ve experienced and my absolute favorite for preventing and reducing the length of colds and the ‘flu. Since they are so high in antioxidants, Elder berries also protect against oxidative stress and can be used over a long period of time to restore a body to balance and health. The plant is under the guardianship of Venus (especially when the energies of the planet manifest as a Crone) and is an excellent ally to working with the sign of Libra. 

Dahlia Flower Essence : If you are someone who struggles with the growing dark and feel increasingly weary and sad during the cold months of the year, Dahlia might be a good ally for you. The essence helps us to reconnect with happiness from a place of resiliency, placing aside the expectations of how we and others think we should be and stepping into a more optimistic and confident expression of our self.

Witchcraft

Autumn is a time of gathering in energies after the exuberance of summer. It’s time to put to good use what you’ve learned so far this year and stretch your magickal muscles. Try out new magickal techniques or dust off old ones to try again with renewed focus. The days are growing shorter and the veil is becoming thinner. Spend time connecting with your ancestors and those that have gone before you. Remember that you, too, will be an ancestor one day - what is the legacy that you are leaving behind? It’s time to practice your magick from a place of sovereignty and confidence. Below I’ve listed three paths of autumn magick that I practice to help me connect with the energies of the season.

3 Paths of Autumn Magick

Clearing Out : We clear out stagnant energy so that we may be renewed again at the coming new year at Samhain. Rituals include all forms of purification and cleansing magick for yourself as well as your home and belongings; burn clearing incense such as Juniper (Juniperus communis), Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), and Copal (Bursera odorata), followed by herbs that bring in energies and qualities that you desire (such as Rose (Rosa spp.) for love or Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) for psychic gifts); hex-breaking baths and charms; cleansing and aligning your energy centers; grounding and centering meditations; divination to help you discover what needs cleansing or letting go of; clean and organize your house; renew the energies of your altar; pay attention to and release negative self-talk that doesn’t serve you; let go of relationships that don’t affirm and celebrate who you are.

Clearing Out Meditation : In a comfortable position, visualize a warm red glow descending from above towards you and emerging up from below you. The red energy flows throughout your dislodging and removing stagnant energy. Next, visualize a orange light coming from above and below to flow through your body with its gentle cleansing glow. Continue in this manner with the following colors: yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. When all seven colors have moved through your body and aura take a deep breath in and visualize the colors settling around you like a protective circle. 

Giving Thanks : We give thanks in order to recognize and celebrate the abundance in our lives, honoring the people, places, and opportunities that have been of benefit to us. Rituals include ones of gratitude and giving back. Write that letter, email, text or pick up the phone and call the person who deserves your thanks and gratitude; light a candle or hearthfire and name the multiple streams of abundance in your life whether it’s a job, comfortable housing, the technology to access the internet, clean water, good food, family and friends, the ancestors who insured your ability to exist, and more; invite friends and family over for a thanks and gratitude community potluck (aka Witch’s Thanksgiving); donate time and money to a local community cause from food kitchens to animal shelters, community gardens and youth programs; recognize the ways that you don’t celebrate abundance in your life and work to shift your perspective; create an abundance branch in your home to hang above your altar with ribbons, leaves, and other objects with what you’re grateful for written on them; give offerings to the land spirits, the ancestors traveling the land, and honor the Wild Hunt who helps lost spirits find their way home to peace and rest.

Giving Thanks Meditation : Get cozy and draw your attention to your heartbeat. We are shaped by the sounds of hearts beating - first the one we felt in the womb and then our own. If you can be grateful for nothing else, choose to be grateful for the heart beating in your chest, which give you life and possibility. Taking a deep breath in and guided by your heartbeat, think or say out loud, “I am thankful for…” and notice what comes up for you. You might think “I am thankful for…” and an image of your garden shows up in your mind. Hold your hands over you heart and say or think, “I am thankful for my garden.” Continue in this fashion for however long you like. Just before you’re done, say, “I am grateful for those things I have not remembered and honor them still." Finally, raise your arms to the sky and say “I am uplifted by my gratefulness.” Touch the ground (or reach towards the ground) and say, “I am grounded by my gratefulness.” Finish by placing your hands over your heart and saying, “I am centered by my gratefulness.”

Going Deep : We draw our energy inwards into our own depths so that we might better know the roots of who we are and where our power emerges from. Rituals include ones that evoke deeply meditative states and direct your energy to the underworld; trance and journeywork to the underworld and the realm of the ancestors; ancestral rituals and honoring, including setting out an extra plate at meal times and leaving a bowl of water (changed regularly) on your altar; performing shadow work and soul alignment work; seeking out therapeutic support (such as EMDR) for processing past traumas that prevent you from calling all parts of yourself home; soul retrieval rituals; working with Sage, Crone, and Elder God/dess/es; learning how to scry; doing grief and sorrow magick; allowing yourself to mourn for that which has been lost, including mourning the current state of affairs in the world; take time to sit in the dark without any source of light; spend a day and night in silence.

Going Deep Meditation : Go to a dark space. Wear loose, dark clothing. Lie down and place a heavy rock or weighted pillow or something similar on your belly. This is the anchor which draws you down into the depths. Bring yourself into a meditative space and then visualize a staircase below you. Walk down the steps slowly. When you reach the bottom notice what is there - this will offer you insight into what you keep hidden from the world yet is a significant part of you. Find the dark pool of water - it may appear suddenly, it may be hidden. Gaze into the pool of water, asking to be shown a message of wisdom from your deep self. When all has been seen, give thanks, and return up the staircase to your body. Remove the stone from your belly, giving it a kiss to thank the earth for giving you form, and then perform a grounding and centering of your choice.

Hot Cocoa Contentment Charm

This time of the year is not just about doing depth magick, but autumn is also a time of gathering in for the purpose of getting cozy and comfortable. The spring and summer are busy and energetically outward driven times of the year, so when autumn finally arrives it can feel so good to put on our oversized sweater and curl up with a good book. And you know what would make that scene even better - a hot drink to enjoy. The Hot Cocoa Contentment Charm will help you brew up some contentment to help you settle back into your body and magickal practice with comfort and ease. It’s a get charm to do after a house cleansing or any time you need to help settle the energy in your self and your home.

For this ritual you’ll need your favorite hot cocoa mix (you can try one of mine if you like), your mug of choice, and a bit of peace and quiet. Cacao (Theobroma cacao) or chocolate is a great messenger plant - it delivers the message of whatever charm you’re using it for to it’s desired location. In this instance, Cacao is helping us distribute a sense of contentment within ourselves and our home. 

Brew you cocoa and as you do, chant the following charm while stirring it:

One bird,
One toad,
One serpent,
One hare,
Each bring four blessings
To my brew here
Of peace,
Of ease,
Of love,
Of pleasure,
So I may know
the joy of leisure.

Go room to room in your home with your cup full of hot cocoa saying each time:

Contentment is delivered to this place
I now dwell in a peaceful space

In the final room to be blessed, and the one where you are planning on getting cozy and drinking your hot cocoa, end your charm by saying “Blessed Be!” three times.

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

Witchcraft + Weeds : Healing + Magickal Practices for Summer

The longest day of the year approaches in the northern hemisphere. Known by many names including the Summer Solstice, Midsummer, Litha, and Alban Hefin, it's a time of heat and long picnics, bonfires and dancing.

The fields and forests are full of green and plant life. Trees are abundant with leaves and offer shade to revelers and Good Folk. The air is heady with the whispered charms of love spells. My days are spent in the garden and wild places harvesting and wildcrafting plants. The long summer nights find me at my altar with a cup of sun tea. 

The Summer Solstice marks the turning of the wheel from the mutable air sign of Gemini to the cardinal water sign of Cancer. The tightly wound energy of late spring give way to the languid calm of summer. Spend time be-ing instead of do-ing. Pursue activities that will leave you full of good memories. Drink fresh water, water-rich foods, and herbal infusions with seasonal fruits and plants. 

Weeds

Body System Focus : Stomach, Intestines + Heart
or Nourish Yourself + Love Freely

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of summer is the transformation of air into fire, or moisture into heat and dryness. Our bodies are moving from the frenetic expanse of spring and its sudden growth to the settling maturation of summer heat. It's time to move from the what might be of spring into the what is right now of summer. Make yourself cooling concoctions from herbs that protect against the hardening and scorching heat of choleric energies. Find plants that encourage healthy digestion of the vast array of seasonal food that summer provides. Our weedy plant allies of Midsummer tend to be cooling and tonifying to the heart. But they are also about directing our fire in ways that are of benefit to us, such as strengthening our digestive fire or directing our passionate energy and desirous dreams into fruitful relationships.

Summer weeds are sturdy and often cooling and sedating in nature - just what our bodies need during this time of heightened heat and dryness. While many spring herbs have come and gone (their dried out stalks turning golden in fields and abandoned lots), a whole new bunch of summer herbs are entering into their prime. 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.

If you're struggling to settle into summer, check out the healing gifts of Cancer the Crab to help you find your summer flow.

Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris) : This tall-growing herb with pretty purple flowers can be found throughout California and the Malva species is naturalized around the world. Mallow is a mucilaginous herb meaning that it is moistening making it a great choice for addressing conditions of dryness and inflammation. Use the nutritious leaves in place of spinach when cooking for a vitamin rich meal.

Wild Chamomile (Matricaria discoidea) : Also known as Pineappleweed, Wild Chamomile is a fragrant relative of the Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) commonly used in traditional western herbalism. Wild Chamomile can be used in similar ways to Matricaria chamomilla as a digestive aid and is gently sedating, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic in nature. It makes a delicious tea whether enjoyed hot or cold. It's sun-bright flowers have a doctrine of signatures associated with the Sun which is the guardian planet of Leo. Leo guards the heart and I find all Chamomiles to be cheering and uplifting to the heart and spirit.

St. Joan's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) : An herb long associated with Midsummer, St. Joan's Wort (more commonly known as St. John's Wort) is an herb of the heart and love in all forms. one of the most common uses of St. Joan’s Wort is for alleviating depression. While it's not entirely clear how St. Joan’s Wort works, recent studies have shown that it does have antidepressant qualities without the side-effects of pharmaceutical alternatives. In general, the herb is a fantastic restorative of the nervous system, helping to calm and steady us. St. Joan's Wort oil is an excellent after-sun treatment for burns and general heatstroke. For any magickal or medicinal use Midsummer is considered the most powerful time to gather the herb.

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris) : Self-heal is a beautiful plant that cools and repairs. It's a bit of a panacea and I've found it to be useful for many conditions in which stagnant heat is a problem. Self-Heal helps to relieve irritability and traditional use for all complaints of the throat. It is gently immunostimulating, too. I love using the flower essence to help connect with my own healing abilities and to remember to be brave enough to choose wellness.

Vervain (Verbena hastata) : Overheated, stressed with a knotted stomach, and feeling anxious are all signs that Vervain may be of use. The herb can be a great ally to those for whom the heat of summer is just too much (especially if you tend to be more tightly wound - which is considered a condition of dryness - to begin with). I like using Vervain for those who tension shows up in their neck, shoulders, and stomach. The cooling blue plant can help us to appreciate the fact that the shade is a perfectly fine place to enjoy the summer weather from and that we don't have to be something that we're not.

Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum) Flower Essence : Basil is an herb of dragon magick and the fire dragons abound during the summer season. With dragon magick we learn how to direct our will, manifest our dreams with life-giving heat, and protect the fire of our hearts. Sacred Basil is a manifestation of the Goddess Lakshmi within Hindu tradition and I find the essence to be healing to all levels of our being. The essence helps us to integrate what we've learned so far on our journey through life - a perfect ally for the illuminating light of summer!

Witchcraft

Summer is the time of maturing energies and the vigor that comes with growth and development. It's a time to revel in your personal power and fall in love again with your magick. The long days allow for greater freedom of movement on all levels from whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. Summer is a time to test your skills and ideas developed during the spring. Dive in and go on an adventure! Below I've shared with you three paths of summer magick that I practice so that I can live my magick with bravery and integrity during the brightest season of the year.

3 Paths of Summer Magick

Opening Up : We open up to the blossoming heat of summer into the peak of our power. Rituals include all forms of fire and candle magick to bless yourself and your home with abundance and protection; magick at dawn with the rising sun; leaping over bonfires and passing sacred items through flame; communing with local land spirits and leaving them offerings; inviting in abundance; awakening to new forms of ancient wisdom; celebrating what you have learned so far in life; dancing, laughing, and sharing good food with others; making a vow of service to your community; divination to help you open up to new possibilities about who you are and your life path.

Opening Up Meditation : Lay on the ground (or in an alternatively open position that is comfortable for you) and visualize that you are breathing through every pore of your skin. After a few minutes of this expansive form of breathing, feel your heart begin to blossom open with a thousand petals until your whole being is one big bloom.

Taking Risks : We take risks and face our fears so that we can grow as magickal beings. Rituals include shadow work (for long days cast long shadows); fear-breaking charms; doing that thing which you've been putting off doing; choosing to be seen and heard by others; finally trying out a type of magick that you've hesitated to do before; cord-cutting from relationships and ways of thinking that you've been afraid to cut out of your life; self-blessings in private and self-blessings in community because it is a radical act to love all of your being.

Taking Risks Meditation : Begin in a position of tension, curled into your self, and with your eyes tightly shut. Listen for your heartbeat. Though you may be afraid to risk it, your heart is still brave enough to beat in a way that no other heart can. Begin to loosen the tightness of your body. Stretch out slowly, keeping your eyes closed. Move gently, loosely, freely. Give your heart space to beat. Give yourself space to try something new. With this in mind bring your hands to your heart and open your eyes.

Being Love(d) : We choose love in all of it's forms because we deserve to love and be loved in return. Rituals include enchantments of love, self-love, aromantic friendship, asexual romance, deeply erotic love, sensual love, family love, community love, and more; tell the ones you love nine times in one day; use the power of fire to transform any energy that comes your way into love; speak poetry and sing songs; have sex and make love (preferably outdoors); learn new pleasurable ways to touch your body and the body of your lovers; work exclusively with God/dess/es of love for a full cycle of the Moon; handfast yourself or get handfasted to your lover(s); invite in new possibilities for love and self-love; perform a ritual skyclad as a sign that you are free and loved fiercely.

Being Love(d) Meditation : Stand before a mirror. Close your eyes and breath deep. When ready, open your eyes and while looking at yourself say your name nine times. Holding your gaze, say "I love you" and your name nine times. Finish by saying "I love you" a final nine times. 

Making crystal grids with some astrological tarot magick. Book available here.

  Energizing Crystal Grid

Something about the summer always inspires me to create crystal grids (and swamp tea). I think it's the intuitive desire to store up the energy of the season for the darker parts of the year. My Energizing Crystal Grid does just that - captures summertime energy to be tapped into for magick and healing many months after the season has passed.

You'll need eight clear quartz crystal points (citrine is a good alternative, but trust your intuition). I like to use a tarot card or image from a book as my foundation as the sacred symbols will add magickal intent to your grid. My crystal grid pictured above, for example, was made with an image of The Fool card so that I could tap into the fiery willpower of summer at any time of the year when I wanted to start a new project (you can get a copy of the book here). A card or image is not necessary and a plain surface for your grid is more than magickal enough. 

Place your crystals in a circle with the points facing outwards. Take a deep breath and hold your hands above the grid. Visualize the energy of summer flowing down through your crown, through your heart and arms, and out your hands into the grid. Repeat the following charm again and again as the energy flows: 

For every season a stone -
Energy of summer
Make your home!

When it feels right and the energy is flowing powerfully, clap your hands above the grid three times. Let your grid rest undisturbed for at least six days (the magickal number of the Sun) at which point you can move the stones and keep them in a sacred space until they are needed again. You can either set up the grid again as needed for spellwork or use individual stones as little energizing batteries for your magick. 

What are your favorite healing and magickal practices for summer? Let me know in the comments. 💕

If you're looking for more summer magick be sure to check out my herbs, recipes, and tarot spread for the Summer Solstice. 

Witchcraft + Weeds: Healing + Magickal Practices for Spring

Later this month is the spring equinox which marks the turn of the year from the dark half to the bright half in the northern hemisphere.

Days will grow longer from here until Midsummer and the sight and scent of new growing things abounds. Every turn of the season invites us to shed the old and take up the new so that we may be better able to be present in the moment as well as prepare for what lies ahead. As an herbalist and witch, my seasonal celebrations revolve around weeds and witchcraft, and I’m going to share some of those traditions now with you!

The Spring Equinox marks the transition of the Sun from the last sign of the zodiac (Pisces) to the first (Aries). We leave the dreamy waters of the fish to the fiery-headed realm of the ram. The energy of the earth is stirring after winter's slumber. From the diffusive way of Pisces, energies within and around us begin to move inward and up. Take pleasure in the delirious scents of flowers in the air. Laugh loudly to clear out stagnation in your lungs. Swing your arms up to catch the wind. Light sacred fires and revel in the new promise of spring. 

Weeds

Body System Focus : Lungs + Lymphs
or Breath Deep + Move

Within the four elements system of traditional western herbalism (I write more about TWH energetics over here), the season of spring is the transformation of water into air or cold into heat. Within our bodies the settled cold of water gives way to the energizing energy of air. It is time to move from a place of winter stillness to the awakening dance of spring. We seek out plants and ways of being that clear out the excess of phlegmatic energy of late winter so that we can strengthen the blood-building sanguine season of spring. Our weedy plant allies of early spring are typically mineral and vitamin rich, clearing to the blood and respiratory system, and toning to the lymph nodes. If you find your energy is still cold and damp from the winter, consider Aries herbs and healing ways to help you find your spring fire.

Spring weeds are abundant sources of healing nutrients that our waking winter bodies crave. Walk through a wild place or a city park and you’ll come across at least one healing weed (such as Dandelion Taraxacum officinale) that would do well to be in your spring rotation of plant allies. 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.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) : My backyard fills up with Cleavers come spring and I couldn’t be happier for it! The naturally sticky herb is a great mover of stuck energy and fluids. From constipation to fibroids, to kidney and gall stones, and old blood, Cleavers moves out congestion. They are mild tasting and an easy addition to tea, but work best when juiced. 

Plantain (Plantago major) : A well-known topical remedy for insect stings and rashes, Plantain can also be used internally for digestive complaints such as IBS, excess gas, and stomach ulcers. Like many spring weeds, it is clearing to the respiratory system, helping to clear out old coughs and sinus congestion. 

White Clover (Trifolium repens) : White Clover is a nutritious and sweet tasting herb that can be easily incorporated in teas. It has a clearing energy and while Red Clover is especially attuned to the lower half of the body, especially the womb, White Clover has a greater affinity for the upper half of the body. It is great for clearing out old coughs and head colds still lingering from winter. Add it to facial steams and herbal baths to help connect your body to the revitalizingenergy of spring.

Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta) : Also known as Sour Leaf, the leaf is pleasantly flavored and helps to soothe upset stomachs. The flowers are a beautiful edition to salads. The sour taste of the plant lets us know that it is most likely nutritive, cleansing to the liver, and a digestive tonic. Now, a whole salad of only sorrel leaves is not recommended as the high oxalic acid in its leaves can cause nutrient deficiency by preventing calcium absorption, but a few leaves in a tea or salad is perfectly fine.

Wild Mustard Flower Essence : I love walking through the forest of Wild Mustard that pops up on hillsides and empty urban plots throughout my city. It is a resolutely cheerful flower and in addition to adding the spicy leaves to a stir-fry (yum!), you can create a flower essence with its blossoms to help you shake off persistent gloom. It’s a great essence for folks who especially struggle with believing that the sun will ever return during these lingering grey days of early spring. 

Witchcraft

Spring promises new beginnings, fresh starts, and new dreams to manifest. Spring is a good time for revolutions on personal and cultural levels, and as Witch folk and magick-makers, we can tap into this flow. I think of the spring-related protest slogans I’ve seen over the years from “They tried to bury us but they forgot that we were seeds” or the classic “Sisterhood is Blooming - springtime will never be the same” by the Chicago Women's Graphics Collective. If you were to create an inspiring slogan for your personal spring season what would it be? Below I’ve written about the three paths of spring magick that I practice to connect with the energy of the season and live my magick.

3 Paths of Spring Magick

Waking Up : We wake up to the new season of spring from the restorative slumber of winter. Rituals include waking up the house and garden with pots and pans clanging, spring yipping, and joyful song; greeting the Sacred Youth of Spring who finally reemerges from their winter retreat; banishing unwanted energy; washing your body with spring herbs to awaken your soul shrine to the promise of spring; blessing your apothecary and/or sacred space for the beginning of the new season of growing; dream rituals of Pisces and new beginning rituals of Aries; creating your own herb harvest ritual for the beginning of the spring harvest season.

Waking Up Meditation : Visualize pulling off layers of colorful blankets, emerging from your winter cocoon into your spring state of being.

Making Space : We make space for the new energy of spring to enter our lives and homes by clearing out physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter. Rituals include washing floors and windows; spring cleaning and rearrangement of sacred altars; donating unwanted items (especially those that you keep out of a sense of guilt or obligation); divination to help guide you to what you should be making more space for in your life; self-blessings to make space for all of you to show up in your life; blessing new bottles, jars, and other apothecary equipment for the new season.

Making Space Meditation : Lay flat on your back (or in an alternatively open position that is comfortable for you) and breathe deeply while visualizing a bright light glowing around you, protecting you from that which does not serve you and attracting that which benefits you. Resist visualizing specifics - just allow for the idea good things coming your way to be your focus.

Inviting In : We invite in those things which we hope to grow in the coming season. Rituals include magnet spells to draw towards you your goals and desires; soul-return rituals; choosing to work with a specific deity, ancestor, spirit or guide for the coming season; working with a plant ally; making an enchanted honey pot to attract abundance and love to you; hanging wind chimes and ribbons in windows and from trees to call in helpful spirits and energies; leaving offerings to land spirits.

Inviting In Meditation : Visualizing a goal or energy that you want to call to you, open your arms wide and then pull them towards you, embracing that which you seek. Let your hands and arms brush over your whole body so that which you are calling to you becomes grounded in your being. Repeat nine times to seal the spell. 

White Clover Window Wash

After the dark of winter, I love the early light of spring. While every sabbat is an opportunity for a big house clean, I make sure to clean the windows at the spring equinox to let in the happy, healing light of the season. Making an herbal wash to help accomplish this task imbues the act with greater magick. White Clover flowers and leaves are protective and lucky which are two energies that I happily welcome into my home.

To prepare your wash pick nine Clover blossoms and three three-leafed clover leaf clusters. Add to a heatproof container (preferably glass or ceramic) and cover with hot water. Let steep overnight (preferably on the spring equinox itself or the nearest new moon) and strain. Add this water to your window cleaning solution. Whatever of the White Clover water you don’t use, be sure to offer it back to the earth.

I clean my windows first in a widdershins (or counterclockwise) direction and then in a deosil (or clockwise) direction to banish the old and welcome in the new. Often I accompany this with song welcoming in the elements and abundance of love, peace, and joy in the coming season. It's a simple ritual, but my home always feels more magickal and ready for spring when it has been completed. 

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What are your favorite healing and magickal practices for spring? Let me know in the comments. You can also check out the rest of my seasonal apothecary series:

• Summer Wellness Apothecary

• Autumn Wellness Apothecary

• Winter Wellness Apothecary