The Herbs + Astrology of Samhain (Celebrating Lunar Samhain)

I am the hallow-tide of all souls passing,
I am the bright releaser of all pain,
I am the quickener of the fallen seed-case,
I am the glance of snow, the strike of rain,
I am the hollow of the winter twilight,
I am the hearth-fire and the welcome bread,
I am the curtained awning of the pillow,
I am the unending wisdom's golden thread.

Song of Samhain
from Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayers and Blessings by Caitlin Matthews

I love Samhain. I love the season of growing dark and increase of candle light. I love the thinning of the veil which helps each of us to travel between the worlds with greater ease. I love the possibilities of the future showing up in our dreams. I love the opportunity to set out a feast for the living and the dead. I love the smell of mulling spices and black candles burning. And I love the break from the busy outgoing energy of the bright half of the year to the welcome retreat of the dark. And I love Lunar Samhain, too!

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Of course, Samhain is only one holy day within the modern Pagan calendar (blessed be the Pagan love of celebrating the ongoing revelation of the sacred through all parts of the year). Within the modern Pagan wheel of the year there are eight major sabbats and each are tied not only the the earthly cycle of harvest and the mythological cycle of the God/dess/es (if that is your cup of tea), but the astrological wheel of stars. The eight sabbats are separated into two primary groups: the quarter sabbats and the cross-quarter sabbats. 

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The quarter sabbats are the four equinoxes and solstices of the Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, and Winter Solstice.

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The cross-quarter holidays (also known as the fire festivals) fall between the quarter sabbats and include the festivals of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain. While most folks are familiar with the fact the the quarter sabbats are observed when specific astrological markers occur, not everyone knows that the same happens for the cross-quarter sabbats as well. The cross-quarter sabbats are generally celebrated on fixed dates. Samhain, for example, is celebrated on October 31 each year. But, there is an astrological measurement for Samhain, too!

Samhain falls in the season of Scorpio. Scorpio is a fixed water sign which means it has a steady elemental energy that acts more like a place of energy than the passing of energy like at the quarter sabbats (which take place in the seasons of cardinal signs of beginning). The mysterious scorpion is a sign that is interested in the depths of any given matter, especially if it involves secrets, mysteries, and serious contemplation. When the Sun moves into 15 degrees of Scorpio or the mid-point of the sign, astrological Samhain occurs.  15 degrees Scorpio is the exact midpoint between 0 degrees Libra (aka the Autumn Equinox) and 0 degrees Capricorn (aka the Winter Solstice). Don’t you feel a bit more clever and magickally sophisticated understanding the astrological measurements to determine the dates of our beloved sabbats? 

In 2016, astrological Samhain is on October 30 which is delightfully close to the modern celebration of Samhain on the 31st. You should make sure to read up on the astroherbology profile of Scorpio to get a more in-depth understanding of the sign, season, and sabbat.

But there is even more fun to be had!

In college I was introduced to the celebration of Lunar Samhain and my Moon-centered heart was delighted. I was already excited to learn that I could extend the celebrations of my favorite sabbat to its traditional astrological date (which can be as far into the first week or so of November), but there was also a lunar celebration!

So when is Lunar Samhain?

I have seen Lunar Samhain calculated in two ways. The first is by finding the New Moon closest to the October 31 celebration of Samhain. The second way is by finding the New Moon in the sign of Scorpio which will be closer to the Sun’s position at 15 degrees of Scorpio. Using the latter calculation, in 2016, we’ll have a real treat, in that the New Moon closest to the Sun entering 15 degrees Scorpio will happen on October 30. Next year, Lunar Samhain could be as early as October 19 (using the first method) or as late as the New Moon in Scorpio on November 18 (which is my preferred calculation). 

Samhain is the traditional celebration of the New Year within Celtic culture and since the Celts considered both solar and lunar signs for their calendar, the New Moon at Samhain marked the true beginning of the New Year. 

I’ve celebrated the dual holidays of Halloween and Samhain for years. Halloween is a cultural celebration with fun community celebrations and I love dressing up on the 31st as well as getting together with my extended family of Pagan kin for spiritual celebrations. Lunar Samhain is when I celebrate with my smaller community of Pagan family to mark the new year, share stories of our ancestors, and cast divinations for the year ahead. Both celebrations feature a variety of herbs chosen for their magickal and ancestral significance. I've listed some of my favorites below.

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary for remembrance goes the old saying and so it is a useful herb for remembering and connecting to our ancestors. Magickally, Rosemary is a wonderful smudge for protection and clearing space for magick. Burn to bring good health for the new year and invite in vitality. Create a rosemary charm bundle to attract the Good Folk to you and mix with Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to be able to see them. It is also a traditional incense to burn at funerary rights to honor the dying and the power of death as the great renewer of life. Rosemary, as with Mugwort discussed below, has an association with womyn’s culture. It is said that it grows in front of the house where womyn are in charge - I make sure to always have Rosemary growing in my front yard for that reason. A bath of Rosemary is an excellent way to prepare the temple of the body for a Samhain rite and help to awaken the long dormant memory to lost rituals of magick.

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Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)

Blessed Thistle is an herb of Scorpio and a very protective herb one at that! The herb can be used in all sorts of charms and rituals for protection, warding, and making safe people and places. It is an herb of manifesting dreams into reality by creating firm boundaries and has an affinity for students both for its medicinal use for clearing brain fog and its magickal properties in awakening the inner spark of inspiration. Plant in gardens and keep in the home to protect against thievery, unkind spirits, and hexes. Use Blessed Thistle in rituals assisting spirits to move on from our realm into the next. It is an excellent uncrossing and hex-breaking herb. Blessed Thistle also bestows blessings as its name implies and can be used in healing work. In his Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs Scott Cunningham recommends the following ritual to call spirits: 

…place some thistle in boiling water. Remove from heat and lie or sit beside it. As the steam rises call the spirits and listen carefully; they may answer your questions.

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Mugwort (Artemisia spp.)

As a profoundly magickal herb, you find Mugwort showing up again and again at sabbat celebrations. As a magickal herb, Mugwort brings on visionary states whether through dream or trance. Use it in dream sachets and visionary teas. The herb has a special affinity to womyn and womyn’s rituals and communities, especially in rites of Artemis. Use in charms to bring those who have acted violently towards womyn to justice and offer healing to those harmed. Remember, too, that Mugwort is an herb freed from the confines of womyn as gender making it delightfully disruptive to the gender binary. Wash your scrying mirrors and crystal balls with a strong infusion of Mugwort and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for consecration and blessing. Add it to traveling charms (including trance traveling charms) and use it in your shoes to protect against weariness. Burn as an incense when your home is threatened by impending danger or simply needs to have its wards reinforced.

Ancestral Herbs

What herbs these might be depend on your ancestral and cultural lineage. Rue, for example, is a sacred plant for Italian witches as well as Mexican curanderas. Elder is the Goddess embodied in Northern European myth. Kava is a powerfully sacred plant in many Polynesian cultures. Take some time to learn about the ancestral plants of your lineage. Decorating your altar with ancestral plants and consuming them in brews can be a powerful way to connect with those who have gone before. Working with plants at Samhain can be especially powerful when there has been ancestral trauma due to separation or forced migration - the names and stories that we might have forgotten or never known are never forgotten by the plants. 

Make sure to read the Scorpio Astroherbology Profile for even more inspiration for working with herbs and healing during the season of the scorpion. Cast some cards with the Samhain tarot spread and get settled in to the season of spooky. Wherever your revelries take you, I hope that you find yourself in midst of enchantment and wonder as the dark calls the song from your starry-hearted spirit.

Herbs of the New Moon

By the light of the New
we renew and grow...

With the popularity of my Making Medicines by the Moon post, I thought I would follow-up with a series of posts exploring herbs of each Moon phase, staring with the New. I've also added a very brief look at the original Greek Medicine Energetics which informs some of the ways that Traditional Western Herbalists categorize herbs by the Moon. Looking for a deep dive into the energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism? Come this way.

Herbs of the New and growing Crescent Moon are excellent for most any remedy-making endeavor as the power of the brew will grow with the Moon’s waxing. Remedies such as stimulating brews, warming bitters, energizing nervines, restoratives, alteratives, and remedies for new beginnings, for children, and to jumpstart vitality are especially auspicious. 

Traditionally, the New Moon is a time of hot and moist herbs. The tradition I am referring to is Greek medicine with its four element system of earth, air, fire, and water and its corresponding qualities (or energetics) of cold, dry, hot, and moist. The Moon was linked to the seasons of the solar year. The New Moon, representing a time of birth, youth, and vigor, straddled the season of spring into summer which moved from the time of water (represented in the west as the time of spring) to the time of fire (represented in the south as the time of summer).

Side note: If you’re a modern Pagan (like myself) who works with the common elemental correspondence system where east is the direction of spring and air and west the direction of autumn and water you’ll have to do a bit or rearranging in your brain to grasp this system.

When I correspond herbs to Moon phases I don’t rely solely on the traditional categorization of herbs by their temperature and quality. Instead, I incorporate my knowledge of the magick of each herb as well as its medicinal uses and the energetic signature of each Moon phase, which you can learn about in my original post on making medicine by the Moon.

I also work with the six tissue states of Traditional Western Herbalism (TWH) which builds upon the Greek system while incorporating Galenic (as in the Roman herbalist Claudius Galenus), Culpeperian (made that term up, but I am referring to English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper), and the United States physiomedicalism tradition (aka reformed Thompsonianism which was begun by US American herbalist Samuel Thompson and refined by Dr. Alvah Curtis and further codified by Dr. Joseph M. Thurston). I highly recommend studying Matthew Wood’s The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism: Basic Doctrine, Energetics, and Classification for an in-depth understanding of tissue states. The six tissue states have various names, but I use the following combination names which link back to the original Greek quality system while incorporating more modern physiomedical actions. I will also include the other names that you might find these tissue states referred to in your studies.

The Six Tissue States of Traditional Western Herbalism

• Hot/Excitation (Irritation, Choleric)

• Cold/Depression (Melancholic)

• Dry/Atrophy (Atrophic, Sanguine)

• Damp/Relaxation (Lax, Atony)

• Damp/Stagnation (Torpor, Torpid, Bad or Impure Blood, Phlegmatic)

• Tense/Constriction (Wind, Sanguine)

Since I also work with the tissue states and Lunar magick, I am interested in experimenting with the tissue states in correspondence with the Lunar phases. It is an ongoing process, and I am not seeking hard rules but general guidelines. Here are my following New Moon tissue states correspondences:

The New and growing or waxing Crescent Moon strengthens the Hot/Excitation and Damp/Stagnation tissue states.

The New and growing or waxing Crescent Moon alleviates the Cold/Depression and Dry/Atrophy tissue states.

I wrote about the tissue states briefly in Morning Mischief, but I’m currently writing up a tutorial that I have been teaching to my offline students on using the six tissue states of TWH and incorporating astroherbology for the Lunar Apothecary. It has been a really fun ongoing experiment and one that has proven useful again and again in my practice.

Herbs of the New + Waxing Crescent Moon

Milky Oats (Avena sativa) : Oats are not generally associated with the moon, but as a warming and moistening nutritive tonic that builds the blood and alleviates nervous exhaustion, I find Oats to have a special affinity for the New Moon. As the New Moon calls us to begin a cycle of emergence and to slowly expand our energy after a period of waning contraction, Oats are richly nutritious, lending us foundational strength for the work ahead. The generous nutritive qualities of Oats give us a hint to its magickal uses, too, which are primarily for prosperity and abundance rituals. Read the full Milky Oat plant profile.

image via botanical.com

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) : Ginger root stimulates an underperforming circulatory system, moving blood and heat throughout the body. Ginger awakens the senses and calls the body to action! It clears out lingering colds, damp conditions, clears catarrh, and lifts the spirits wherever dourness or melancholy might dwell. If you want to use the heating properties of Ginger, but are someone who already runs dry, reduce the Ginger content of your brew while adding in moistening herbs like Milky Oats or Angelica.

Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus) : Blessed Thistle can be a great choice when you want to take advantage of the clarifying and clearing energies of the New and growing crescent Moon. The eliminatory powers of Blessed Thistle act as a purifier of the blood. 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, perfect for greeting and working with the energies of the New Moon. 

image via botanical.com

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis) : I love Lavender for all phases of the Moon, but for the New Moon I think of it as a great nervine for the performance anxiety that the energy of the New Moon can bring on. For some of us new beginnings are a welcome change of pace, whereas for others it is a big cave o’ uncertainty. Wherever you may fall, Lavender can soften the sharper edges of the Moon’s slicing crescent energy, helping us to focus on what needs to be done without getting overwhelmed by the details.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) : Angelica is another example of an herb that falls under the traditional interpretation of a New Moon herb as hot and moist. Angelica is more warm than hot but were still in the same neighborhood. I’ve posted a full plant profile on Angelica as part of my Plant Ally Project: 30 Day Challenge.

Need more Moon medicine and magick in your life? Heck yeah! Join me and a circle of starry-hearted magick-makers in the Lunar Apothecary.

Look for my posts on each phase of the Moon and their herbal correspondences in the coming months. In the meantime, have fun reading up on the art of astroherbology or making your own herbal remedies.

Sustaining the Spirit : Elecampane Plant Profile

How could I resist sharing with you an herb which possesses the common name of Elfwort?

I can't resist, so I won't. 

There are herbs that work better over the long-run (such as Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna) and there are herbs that work very effectively in a short amount of time. Elecampane is one of those quick-acting herbs (as quick and sudden as an elf shot, perhaps?) and when someone is struggling with chronic congestion, Elecampane is one of my go-to allies. 

The magick of Elecampane is not often as celebrated as other herbs which is strange considering its common name of Elfwort is a big ol' rainbow flag sign of its enchantment. It is the type of herb that I find I use again and again in my practice because of the type of folk that I often work with - those wild-ones and edgewalkers who sometimes have difficulty resettling in their bodies (my beautiful fae, wonderkin, and changelings). 

So enjoy learning about the healing qualities of Elecampane and be sure to share your own Elfwort stories in the comments below.

Common + Folk Names : Elfwort, Elf Dock, scabwort, horseheal, horse elder, velvet dock, marchalan, wild sunflower, raiz del moro, helopia

Planet : Mercury, Sun, Uranus

Element : Earth

Sign : Gemini (Guardian Herb), Aquarius (Remedy Herb), Pisces (Remedy Herb)

Moon Phase : Waxing Quarter (Learn more about making medicine by the Moon)

Parts used : Roots (predominantly), leaves, and flowers.

Habitat : Perennial native to Europe and Russia. 

Growing conditions : Prefers poorly drained sites such as damp pastures, roadside ditches, and waste spaces.

Collection : Collect the roots during the fall.

Flavor : Bittersweet, pungent

Temperature : Hot

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Damp/Stagnation, Cold/Depression

Constituents : Calcium, magnesium, inulin, mucilage, azulene, camphor, helenin, lactones, sterols, sesquiterpenes.

Actions : Alterative, analgesic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiscorbutic, antitussive, antivenomous, aperient, aphrodisiac, aromatic, astringent, bitter, bronchial dilator, cardiotonic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emollient, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hemostatic, hepatic, immune stimulant, pectoral, restorative, stimulant, stomachic, vulnerary.

Contraindications : Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Large doses may cause gastric spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, and allergic hypersensitivity. Some rare cases of temporary paralysis.

Drug interactions : None known.

Recommended Dosage : 2 tablespoons root decocted per 1 cup water, 1 - 3 cups daily. 3 - 30 drops (Fresh root, 1:2 or Dry Root, 1:5, 60% alcohol) three times daily.

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Main Uses

A traditional Latin prescription for Elecampane reads “Enula campana reddit praecordia sana” or Elecampane will sustain the spirit. One of the supreme lung tonics in Traditional Western Herbalism, as well as a deeply antiseptic and antibacterial herb, Elecampane root is extremely useful stimulating expectorant for cases of chronic lung complaints, especially when infection is present. Use for chronic imbalances of the lungs including tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, catarrh, general congestion, respiratory infections, and coughs. The herb is a powerful astringent and expectorant, helping to loosen phlegm and catarrh from the respiratory system and then pull it from the body. Elecampane has long been used in the treatment of tuberculosis and specifically inhibits the growth of tubercle bacillus. Whether or not infection is present, one of the signs that Elecampane may be useful is a stubborn and spasmodic cough. Look also for yellow and green mucus (a sign of infection) and a cough that is worse at night from lying down. A nervous Aquarian cough which is spasmodic, coming and going. I sometimes wonder if the powerful and painful spasmodic cough may not be the “elf shot” that older herbals warn of and Elecampane is supposed to be protective against. Be aware that the power of Elecampane is to produce a deep and powerful cough to help expel gunk from the lungs - which can seem like the condition has temporarily worsened when, in fact, deep healing is occurring. 

Other respiratory complaints that Elecampane is useful for include pleurisy (another contender for the definition of “elf shot”), shortness of breath, sinusitis, whooping cough, hay fever, and laryngitis. Best suited for cold coughs as opposed to hot ones as the herb is warming. In cases of colds and fevers, Elecampane induces sweating which lowers the temperature. 

The herb is warming and clears out build-up not only of phlegm and catarrh, but general excess moisture and waste throughout the body. It is well suited for individuals who would be considered kapha in Ayurvedic medicine and of a Damp/Stagnation persuasion with tendency to Cold/Depression in TWH.  Elecampane is also useful in relieving stagnant pain such as rheumatism and similar arthritic conditions. If a condition is stuck, tending to coldness, and creating unwanted build-up, consider Elecampane.

As a warming bitter, the herb strengthens weak digestion which is troubled by excess moisture. Look for signs of bloating, belching, and fullness caused by excess mucus and edema. Elecampane helps with the metabolism of fat as well as generally enhancing digestive circulation. The high inulin content of Elecampane helps to manage blood sugar as well as being a tonic to the pancreas. Inulin is a very nourishing polysaccharide, assisting the restoration of an exhausted body through nourishment. Works to clear out nematode and protozoan infestations including roundworm and giardia. The root has also been used in the treatment of candida and other systemic imbalances, as well as restoring the health of someone suffering from chronic poor health and nutrition. Elecampane’s powers of expulsion are also useful in bringing on delayed menses, helping with labor, and birthing the placenta.

The plant has an interesting aphrodisiac affect. While some cite its use for increasing libido my experience with Elecampane is that its powers as an aphrodisiac lie in its ability to help bring the heart spirit to the body. I especially see this when folks are caught between the worlds for whatever reason - they are in the period of a great transition, they were born a bit between or they have stumbled too far into the realm of the Good Folk. Read more about the story of Helen of Troy, of whom Elecampane takes its Latin binomial, to learn more about the spiritual pain that Elecampane is well-suited for relieving. 

Topically, use as an insect deterrent both on the person and hung around your space. Elecampane will also relieve the sting of Nettle (Urtica dioica). Use in baths and steams for relieving congestion and pain. Create a facial wash for acne and facial pain. Since Elecampane helps to clear toxicity from the body, it works internally, too, to help alleviate skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. 

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Magickal Uses

Russian name for Elecampane is de-via-sil which apparently means “magic power” but as my Russian is non-existent I can neither deny nor confirm this fact. What it does suggest is that Elecampane’s reputation as a magickal herb, especially one associated with the Good Folk, is far flung. Use to awaken the second sight and lines of communication between you, the Good Folk, and local land spirits. The herb is strongly protective and can be worn as an amulet. The root can be burned as a protective incense and to neutralize negative energy. Elecampane is specifically protective against the elusive but powerful elf shot.

It's Mercurial nature lends itself well to trancework and shifting shapes. Since it is an herb of Mercury it is also associated with the Magician card in Tarot. Given the trickiness of the Magician (who sometimes appears as one of the Good Folk pretending to be a humyn and hiding behind a stage act of magick to disguise themselves), I find this association apt.

The herb enhances psychic powers, especially the ability to perceive the Good Folk. Traditional use in love charms as well. The herb is also associated with horses and so can be used when connecting to the power of our equine kindred. Herbalist and astrologer, Elisabeth Brooke, recommends Elecampane for connecting with the transpersonal will. Use in baby blessings and connecting with the inner child. Create a homecoming charm with Elecampane to call lost things and people home.

The Elecampane Personality

The Elecampane person has an undernourished spirit in addition to an undernourished body. It may be that they are eating wonderful foods or imbibing in beautiful spiritual practices, but there is so much undigested or un-expelled physical and spiritual decay in their system that they are wallowing instead of feeling fulfilled. They are not quite here. Sometimes this manifests as dullness of the body and spirit. Other times this manifests as a low-level but constant irritation (they have a thorn in their side, so to speak, perhaps an elfshot). Very often, the condition of the Elecampane personality seems quite permanent. But it is not. Elecampane is a heartening plant. There is no infection of the spiritual system that it fears. The herb will help one come home again after a long and arduous journey away from oneself. It restores a lightness of being and warms the cold and distant heart.

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Elecampane Recipes

A Popular Combination | Thomas Bartram

Decoction: mix equal pasts; Yarrow, Marshmallow root and Elecampane root. 1 oz (30g) in 1 pint (500ml) water simmered 20 minutes. Dose: half-1 cup, 2 - 3 times daily. In the absence of any one ingredient substitute Wild Cherry bark.

Billie Potts Preparations of Elecampane
from Witches Heal: Lesbian Herbal Self-Sufficiency

{Elecampane} combines well with expectorant herbs such as comfrey or sage. I often use it by preparing a tea of comfrey or coltsfoot or mullein-sage and put 3-5 drops of elecampane tincture into the tea. For dealing with pneumonia infections I’ve had good results with elecampane and echinacea augustifolia tinctures in a comfrey or comfrey-sage tea. Any combination of an entrenched bacterial nature needs a “course” of treatment.

Elecampane Syrup | Nicholas Culpeper

The fresh roots of Elecampane preserved with sugar or made into a conserve, or a syrup, are very effectual to warm a cold windy stomach and stitches in the side, caused by the spleen and to relieve coughs, shortness of breath and wheezing of the lungs.

How will you be using Elfwort in your practice?

Maybe it will become one of your indispensable herbs? Or part of your winter wellness regimen? It is a great herb to make friends with, especially if working with local land spirits is part of your practice.

Herbal Baths for Self-Care + Community Healing

2021 Update: Since writing this post I created a page dedicated to Herbal Calls to Action + Community Care Resources which is full of additional recommendations.

A few years back I was exposed to the work of Maurice Mességué via Rosalee de la Floret’s blog post on the famous French herbalist. I love reading biographies and autobiographies of herbalist - their stories of becoming herbalists and practicing their craft are always illuminating and inspiring. I especially appreciated Mességué’s approach to herbs which generally involved little to no alcohol-based remedies and a lot of hand and foot baths. As someone who doesn’t use a tremendous amount of alcohol-based remedies in my practice, I am always interested in learning about the herbalists who use alcohol-free alternatives as well. Herbal baths (whether full body or for the feet) are something that I personally love and I would make them as part of many a client consultation, usually with a ritual component attached to them (because magick). Reading Mességué’s work inspired me to work more with herbal bath concentrates and have them become a primary form of herbal remedy with some of my clients as opposed to an adjunct therapy. I haven’t been disappointed with the results and what I love about herbal baths is that they are so darn easy to create and use. If you can throw herbs together in a bowl and pour hot water over them you can make an herbal bath. You don’t even have to worry about what the blend will taste like as in the case when you’re making teas. 

Herbal baths are an inexpensive luxury which is why they are such a great self-care tool. You don’t even need to have a bath tub to enjoy an herbal bath as you can use a big bowl for a foot or hand bath. I have a large white bowl that I thrifted a few years ago that I use exclusively for foot baths and it has become a magickal cauldron for tired feet to be soothed in and re-emerge happy and restored.

Foot baths have also become my remedy of choice to send to community clinics, political actions, and protests. Herbal foot baths don’t require that you like tea (which lots of folks are not interested in taking an herbal tea consistently) but it is rare that I meet someone who doesn’t enjoy a simple foot bath. I will be sharing two recipes that I created this summer for the Orlando Grief Care Project and the Standing Rock Camp political action.

The following tutorial will help you create a single herb or multi-herb blend for your own herbal bath. I have separated out herbs between those that are more warming versus those that are more cooling. Herbal baths are typically enjoyed hot, but the energetics of herbs can be cooling or warming to the body. You might want to use warming herbs for an autumnal blend that helps you release tension whereas cooling herbs might be better for a summertime sleep blend. I’ll also list out some additional herbal bath “boosts” that you can incorporate into your brew for a special addition of healing spark. 

Let’s get brewing!

Warming Herbs

Warming herbs are often more stimulating than cooling herbs. They help to move stagnant energy, improve circulation, and awaken a groggy mind.

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) : A circulatory stimulant and a great aid during times of indigestion, travel sickness, as well as colds and flus. Elevates the body temperature to help break fevers. Warming to a cold disposition and heavy heart.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) : Rosemary is great for when headaches are present whether brought on by stress, high blood pressure, indigestion or fatigue. The herb is a heart-strengthener and connects the mind and the heart in a healthy and loving way. Helps to re-establish a sense of sovereignty.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) : Wonderfully antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, antifungal, and pro-feeling good. Thyme is great for chest and head colds and infections of all sorts. It also has carminative effects. Thomas Bartram writes of Thyme’s ability “to break the alcohol habit” which might make Thyme an interesting addition to a herbal care protocol for those in the early stages of recovery.

Basil (Ocimum spp.) : Warming and gently detoxifying, Basil is uplifting to the spirits making it a great addition to a bath to help alleviate depression. It is also an antispasmodic herb which pairs well with its ability to calm high-strung nervous types.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) : Improves weak digestion, alleviates colds, and it’s astringent qualities help to relieve diarrhea. Cinnamon is good for those who are exhausted in body and spirit. A little goes a long way.

Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) : An effective stimulant that opens up the body to increased warmth. Excellent at improving circulation and in cases of hypothermia. Cayenne increases vitality and courage. Like Cinnamon, a little goes a long way.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgraris) : A great addition for menstruating folks as it helps to regulate the cycle and alleviate cramping and pain. It is stimulating to the appetite. Mugwort is calming and centering. Helps to alleviate night mares while promoting vivid dreams. The soft herb has been used as a shoe insole to cushion the foot and has a reputation for being very protective of travelers.

Cooling Herbs

Rose (Rosa spp.) : Rose is cooling, mildly sedating, and a classic heart-opening aphrodisiac. The herb has excellent anti-inflammatory qualities, making it a great choice for after-sun recovery as well as sore muscles and bruises. I call Rose a vessel herb since it is known in Traditional Western Herbalism to carry the medicine of other plants to wherever they need to go in the body - most of my herbal baths contain Rose in them for this reason.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) : Skullcap is my go-to herb for high-strung nervous tension. It is great for folks with busy thoughts and who carry a lot of anxiety and worry. Skullcap is relaxing without being sedating which is a key characteristic to helping many anxiety-prone folks to relax. It’s also great for tension headaches, muscle spasms, and irritable stomachs.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) : Exhaustion, insomnia, and nervousness are often relieved by Passionflower. It is a great herb for relieving neuralgic pain and tension headaches. Passionflower is more sedating than Skullcap. It is good for restlessness and relieving spasmodic conditions of all sorts.

Borage (Borago officinalis) : Borage restores and strengthens adrenal integrity. It is cooling to hot, agitated bodies, especially the stomach. It helps to alleviate anger but bolsters courage. Borage is helpful in relieving arthritic pain, menstrual cramps, and general tension.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) : An excellent choice for the healing of clean wounds as Comfrey accelerates the regrowth of healthy skin cells. It has a long use in TWH in helping to repair broken bones and its great for sprains, strains, and general muscular discomfort.

Neutral + Dual Energy Herbs

Milky Oat (Avena sativa) : A great remedy for overworked and tired feet, Milky Oat is a fantastic nervine that is neutral on the warm to cool scale. Great for eczema, psoriasis, itchiness, and irritated skin. Milky Oat is especially effective when used both internally and externally for the long haul.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) : Peppermint is a useful herb embodying the mercurial qualities of its Guardian Planet of Mercury. It is able to relax when needed one day and to awaken and stimulate the next. To understand how a plant can be both relaxing and stimulating, try the following. Rub the top of your head with your finger for a quick moment. Feel how that is both relaxing and stimulating? Such is the powers of Peppermint. So, it is a popular herb in the summer for its cooling qualities and it is found again during the winter as part of warming teas and cold-care remedies.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) : Lemon Balm is rebalancing and neutral on the warm to cool scale. It relieves tension and indigestion caused by nervousness. Lemon Balm is also antiviral and it is a great herb to help bring on sleep.

Additional Boosts

Epsom Salts : A great addition to relief muscle tension and pain including cramps and tension headaches.

Apple Cider Vinegar : Apple Cider Vinegar has an alkalinizing effect on the skin, provides pain relief, and is a great antibacterial addition to a bath.

Flower + Gem Essences : Choose any variety of Flower and Gem Essences to add that amazing extra boost of magickal energy.

Making an Herbal Bath for the Body, Feet or Hands

Option 1: Add 1/2 - 1 cup of your herbal bath blend to your bath or bowl either directly in a tea bag or loose. Remember that adding it loose to your bath requires cleaning up the herbs afterwards.

Option 2: Brew your bath tea ahead of time! Add 1/2 - 1 cup of bath tea to a large bowl or jar and cover with hot water and let steep for at least 15 - 20 minutes. This is also great option for folks who want to use the herbal bath as a wash if they don't have a bath or if you're using the herbal bath loose leaf because you can strain the tea before adding it to your bath. This is my favorite way of preparing a bath tea.

A note on hand baths: While I recommend soaking both feet at once in the same bowl, I often soak one hand at a time. Mostly because it is an easier set-up to create and allow someone to sit comfortably for 15 - 20 minutes. I would soak one hand first and then prepare a second fresh bowl for the other hand. Of course, you can soak both hands at once and even both hands and feet if you are able to find a comfortable way to do it!

Making an Herbal Bath Concentrate

To make an herbal bath concentrate you are basically making a really strong infusion. For every 4 parts of water use 1 part of herbs. Let the infusion brew for at least 20 minutes - I typically let it infuse overnight. Strain and place in a clean, airtight container and place in the refrigerator. Your concentrate should last for about 3 - 4 days. I use about 1 ounce per foot or hand bath and about 4 ounces per bath.

So now for some recipe inspiration for you! The following two recipes are ones that I created this summer to send out to the Orlando Grief Care Project and the Standing Rock Camp political action.

Homecoming

For the Orlando Grief Care Project, I wanted to create something that relieved both physical and emotional pain - something that called frightened hearts back to the sanctuary of the body. 

• 4 parts Rose (Rosa spp.)

• 3 parts Borage (Borago officinalis)

• 3 parts Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Mountainfooted

For the Standing Rock Camp, I made a brew that served the practical purpose of being warming and restorative to sore bodies with the additional purpose of supporting the spirit in maintaining its connection to its inherent sovereignty of place.

• 4 parts Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

• 2 parts Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

• 1 part Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

• 1/2 part Cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii)

• 1/2 part Rose (Rosa spp.)

What brews will you create for you and yours?

Share your recipes and your favorite herbs for soaking in the comments below. Make sure to check out the Orlando Grief Care Project and the Standing Rock Camp if you haven't already. And if you're craving some self-care comfort, clever one, I hope you make yourself an herbal bath to enjoy. You deserve it.

3 New Ways to Read Tarot

Tarot was born of experimentation.

A court card game became a divinatory tool become a path to the cosmos became a path to the self became a tool of revolutionary change. Such experimentation is what makes tarot so exciting and a living book of mysticism. 

Let's continue to write the story of tarot by finding new ways to read with these old cards. Have fun exploring the following three new ways to read your favorite deck (or two!) of cards.

Collective Tarot + Amethyst

Face-Up

Let’s start with the most obvious and often opposite way of reading tarot cards - pulling cards face-up. Traditionally, tarot cards are chosen face-down and at random which allows for a great deal of mystery to reside in a card casting. When we choose our cards by casting them face-up we enter into a new relationship with ourselves and our decks. The reading becomes less about fate, the guidance of the spiritual beings or randomness (depending on your tarot philosophy) and more about you and your ability to know yourself clearly. 

Begin by choosing your question and shuffling your deck in your typical way. Let’s say you want to gain better insight into a recent conflict between you and your best friend. First, choose one card that represents you in general and one card that represents you within the conflict. Do the same for your friend. Place your cards side by side so that the cards that represent you are beside the cards that represent your friend. Be honest but kind in your choice of cards. Pulling cards face-up is a practice of integrity (a skill that is essential to insight). Choose another card that represents your relationship with your friend in general and beyond the moment of this conflict. Take time to reflect on the gifts of this card. Next, pull a card that represents your current conflict and place it between the cards that represent you and your friend during this moment. Notice the interplay of all cards on the table. What insights can be gleaned when you look at them from a bird's eye view? Pull one final card that represents your ability to move from the state of conflict to the place of contentment with your friend. What are the tools that you have to repair the situation?

Another way of working with the face-up method is as a meditative ritual practice to help you move from one state of being to another. Pull a card that represents you in the current moment and then choose a card that represents where you would like to be. Perhaps you want to find inner peace and sanctuary and so you choose the Star card. The card that you chose to represent you at the moment, however, is the 10 of Wands because you feel so overburdened by what seems like endless stress. What would be the path between these two cards? Choose one to three cards and line them up between the card that represents you now and the card that represents where you want to be. Perhaps you choose the Page of Cups to help you get in touch with your inner intuition and stillness and the Four of Swords to help you quiet your busy thoughts and find more time to rest. These cards can become magickal steps that you make to attain your Star-like state of being. The Page of Wands can be a simple everyday water ritual where you anoint your brow, heart, and belly with sacred water to remind you to remain connected to your intuitive wisdom. The Four of Swords might turn into you going to bed a little earlier every night. 

The face-up method is a lot of fun in addition to being a great way of learning tarot card meanings and offers us an opportunity to be more proactive in our tarot reading. 

Spirit Speak Tarot + Topanga Canyon quartz crystal

By the Elements

Casting cards by the elements is a great way to do a quick weather report on your state of being or the energetics of a particular reading. To begin you need to sort your deck by the elements. Put aside the Major Arcana cards for the moment and sort the rest of your deck into the four suits of Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles. Shuffle each suit individually and then pull a card from each stack. Your Sword card will give you insight into your current mental state as well as highlighting current messages and communicative focuses. The Wands cards looks at your passion and desire as well as your current levels of inner fire or burnout. The Cups card is a snapshot of your emotional temperament as well as a peak into dreams and visions bubbling to the surface. The Pentacles card looks at your physical state including not only the home of your body but your overall home environment.

Another variation involves the Major Arcana cards. You can either pull a Major Arcana card at random or choose one purposefully. Let’s say that you choose the Empress card because you’re starting a new business and want some elemental insight into next steps you should be taking. Lay the Empress card out and then pull one card from each one of the suits. Each card from each suit will offer elemental insight into your business path. The Swords card might speak to your need for a new way of communicating with your client base while the Cups card offers some clarity around certain feelings that you've been having about your business lately. The Pentacles card might suggest where you need to be putting your investment of time and effort at the moment, while the Wands card is a check in on your creative fire.

I love elemental spreads for their simplicity and ease of reading. Reading by the elements is a great technique if you are a beginner as it helps you to learn the basics of the Minor Arcana in a personal and insightful way.

Pamela Colman Smith Centennial Tarot + Jolanda Den Tredjes Tarot or Swedish Witch Tarot

Tarot Mapping

The subject of Tarot Mapping deserves a much longer post which is what I’m working on. In the meantime, I’ve written an introduction to the technique focusing one aspect of Tarot Mapping. Tarot Mapping requires at least two decks. The first is the mapping deck and the second is a reading deck. Pull out the Major Arcana of your mapping deck and place the Fool card at the top of your reading table. Then place the remaining cards in order in three rows of seven. 

This is your map. And now you get to play! Perhaps you have a question of what needs to change in order for you to find balance. Cast a card from your reading deck straddling Death and Temperance. Looking for advice on how to catch that lucky break you know you deserve to move your business forward? Cast a card on the four corners of the Empress, Emperor, Wheel of Fortune, and Justice cards. 

Maybe you’re interested in an epic snapshot of your Major Arcana journey. Pick out only the Minor Arcana cards from your reading deck and shuffle them so that some cards will come up inverted and others upright. Cast one card on each of the Major Arcana cards. If a card is inverted, remove it. You’re only focusing on upright cards which will help you to hone in on the current big issues of your life. Then read the upright Minor Arcana cards in context of the Major Arcana cards that they have been cast on. 

As you can imagine, there is a lot of possibility with Tarot Mapping! How will you use it?

Looking for more creative ways to read tarot?

Happy card casting!