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Worts & Cunning Apothecary | Intersectional Herbalism + Magickal Arts

Herbal Allies for Eclipse Season

August 10, 2017  /  Alexis J. Cunningfolk

herbs for eclipse season

Holy heck!

It's pretty clear that the energy of the last few weeks has sent so many folks in a tail-spin. We've been oversleeping, forgetting commitments and booking new ones, and generally feeling like sloths on a roller-coaster. Welcome to Eclipse Season.

Yes, eclipse season can feel like pulling the furniture away from the walls to find years of dust and grime, lost pens, crumpled up notes, and dead spiders. Yes, we are still lotus blossoms, but eclipse season reminds us that we have to push through the muck first to truly bloom.

You're not failing even though you feel like you might be falling.

Don't worry - it's not all direness and relieving old miseries. The surprising energy and sudden revelatory movements of eclipse season swings all ways. Sometimes when the veil is pulled back during eclipse season, we find ourselves laughing in joy. Those dark corners, in fact, were growing crystals and the perfect spot to brew a long-forgotten tincture of soul wisdom. 

Fortunately, we’ve never been meant to heal alone. Eclipse season can act like a shared community catharsis and coming together as we share in this celestial event.

Herbs can act as sturdy shields and gentle hugs. They can calm the roaring thoughts of a restless mind and repair the tenderness of a wounded heart. Often, our plant kin help us to adjust our physical and energetic stance so that we are better able to perceive what needs to be known in order to heal. And they are amazing allies during times like these when everything seems significant but sideways. 

What follows are short energetic profiles of a small selection of herbs that I find to be particularly for a wide variety of eclipse season experiences. As always, I affirm your ability to do your own research and work with herbal practitioners to to discover which plants will best suit your needs.

Let’s meet the herbal allies of eclipse season.

image source

image source

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

One of the reasons that I think eclipse season can be such a challenge for folks is because the Moon, which represents the hidden nature of ourselves and the world(s), becomes writ large in our lives. What is usually hidden blocks out the light we are so accustomed to. And together we live, for a few moments, not by the light of the Sun, but by the dark of the Moon. Working with a Moon herb, such as Mugwort, helps us to connect with our lunar selves. While many of us know our Sun sign, we don’t know our Moon sign which represents our most intimate truths about ourselves. Knowing your Moon means that you are better able to distribute the power of your Sun throughout your life. Working with Mugwort during eclipse season is one way to enhance your dreams, a primary mode of communication between our conscious selves and lunar selves. The herb can also help to unlock and enhance psychic gifts. If you’ve been denying your psychic gifts, eclipse season can be a time to reconnect with them, and Mugwort can help to open the path.

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image source

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Skullcap is my go-to herb for folks with busy minds and racing thoughts. This is the herb that most often helps folks who tend to spin round-and-round in their heads. If you tend towards anxious thoughts that keep you up at night or generally draw you away from being present in the moment, Skullcap might be a good ally for you. I find that eclipse season can aggravate nervous thinking and hyper-vigilance, which is why I like to recommend Skullcap, both as a tincture and flower essence. Additionally, it can be enjoyed as a tea and it’s bitter taste helps with indigestion, especially when caused by nervous tension. Skullcap is also one of my favorite herbs for the season of Mabon or the Autumn Equinox which is just around the corner in the northern hemisphere - read more about it. 

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Rose (Rosa spp.)

When am I not recommending Rose? I know of some herbalists who work almost exclusively with Rose and I understand why. It’s a multifaceted healing flower that invites us to unravel the mystery of who we are, why we suffer, and how we might love while still being able to enjoy the side of life which will always remain mysterious. A Rose remedy is like ASMR for the aura - soft but energizing, soothing but inspiring. When I use Rose as a remedy I feel like I am stepping into a sacred temple that is outside of time and space. Eclipse season has a way of slowing things down and speeding them up all at once which is why Rose can be such a useful ally. It helps us deal with time and our experience of it (including memory and what is yet to come) with peace and steadiness. And if eclipse season is stirring up old heartache - try adding Rose into your remedy repertoire. 

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Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Catnip is the herb for those whose emotional turmoil manifests as discomfort in the stomach. Folks who have an affinity for Catnip often have experienced a difficult childhood. For Catnip folks, early life experiences have taught them to keep things hidden away as an act of survival and protection. They believe that what they present to the rest of the world must remain calm and unflustered. Their suffering is present but remains hidden - sometimes the depth of which is even unknown to them. Catnip helps folks to be able to experience their emotions without becoming incapacitated by them. To learn and trust that they can be vulnerable without feeling unsafe. During the revelatory episodes of eclipse season, having Catnip nearby can help to remind us that we deserve to feel safe and at home in the world.

image source

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Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn has similar energetics to Rose but with heightened protective qualities and an ability to help us connect with otherworldly guides - whether land spirits or ancestors. Eclipse season is inherently magickal but not necessarily the best time to be performing complex acts of magick. It makes more sense to find time to sit quietly beneath a tree or sipping tea before your house altar right now. Hawthorn, like Rose, connects us with the sacredness of time and it’s particularly talented at helping us learn how to establish boundaries to protect our time. So if the energy of eclipse season has you feeling like you need to be doing all the things at once, consider working Hawthorn into your herbal routine. I was on a podcast all about Hawthorn where I (if sometimes nervously but always enthusiastically) expressed my love and gratitude for the plant.

image source

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Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

Ahhh, Milky Oat. A beautiful and powerful herb to nourish the nervous system and bring us out of state of unrest. I’ve not yet met anyone who has not benefitted in some small way by incorporating Milky Oat into their lives. If you’re someone who struggles with being a workaholic and taking time off, I would gently challenge you to start taking Milky Oat now and continue with it for at least three months. It’s an herb best enjoyed for an extended period of time and if you’re someone who puts off self-care or consistency (i.e. doing something nice for yourself more than once every six months) in self-care, I think you should consider Milky Oat. Milky Oat is one of my favorite New Moon herbs and you can read the full plant profile here.

eclipse season magick

My final closing advice for eclipse season is to observe and let it go. You are meant to have enough room in your own life to be completely and unapologetically yourself. Eclipse season is an opportunity to clear out the closets of psychic clutter. In a real physical way, clean your house, tidy up your altar, and drink enough water (no, really, most of us are super dehydrated). Don’t be afraid to take up space in your own life. Also, recognize when you might be taking up too much space in the lives of others because you're afraid of sorting through your own stuff.

eclipse season

Yes, eclipse season is about revelations. But it’s also about recentering. Be sure to take time to do just that.

Do you have herbal allies (or other tools such as crystals) that you find helpful during eclipse season? Be sure to let me know in the comments - I love learning about what it is that you find useful in your life.

 
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categories / astroherbology, plant allies
tags / eclipse, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, moon magick, mugwort, milky oats, hawthorn, skullcap, catnip, astroherbology, astroherbalism, eclipse season

Expressing Truth : The New Moon in Leo

July 23, 2017  /  Alexis J. Cunningfolk

new moon in leo

Make yourself an altar
bring beauty all around you

from the winged ones,
iridescent feathers
whorled shells from the sea's edge
crystals who carry
the heartbeat of the earth
flowers culled from
the gardens of the world

light a thousand candles,
watch the dance of their flames
then open your soul wide and
sing praise to all that is good.

- H. Ni Aodagain -

We’ll be having two Leo New Moons this year complete with a solar eclipse coming up in August. I’ll be writing more about the powerful energies of the New Moon and solar eclipse next month, but tonight’s New Moon is a warm up to next month’s eclipse. My natal Moon is in Leo so the energies feel close, personal, and difficult to describe (as so often the influence of our natal Moon are). So here is what I have learned as a Leo Moonfolk, walking with the lion as my lunar ally: when the Moon enters Leo we are asked to examine the ways we perform in the world. In other words, how do you do you? What are the ways that you perform your identities of gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, and more? How do you perform your insecurities and doubts? How do you perform your confidence and bravery? 

Photo by Sergey Pesterev

Photo by Sergey Pesterev

Leo is the guardian of the heart which is important to pay attention to especially because this sign can get a really bad rap in horoscopes and astrology books. Too often performance is seen as false, deceptive, and not to be trusted. This, too, has been said of the heart and those who are guided by the rhythm of their own beat as opposed to the personal and cultural expectations and rules of others. I think we degrade the performative aspects of Leo because we are terrified of living a life guided by an open heart instead of a calculating mind. Even worse, we fear accepting that our heart and mind are not separate entities - we simply choose to ignore that our heart is guiding us - thinking as us - far more than many of use would feel comfortable with. Because everyone is performing and nobody passes. And that is how it should be. We should revel in the ability to perform ourselves a thousand ways to a thousand different people. How else do we figure out what it is we want to say and how to say it? How it is we want to live and how to live it?

The New Moon in Leo is a time of measuring the boundaries of our self-expression, of re-examining the script we’ve been given and what we’ve also written, and figuring out how to say what we need to say while still remembering to listen (both to ourself and others). It’s a time of heart-tonics and doing things that invigorate the heart to act on its desires. Where do you want to be more brave in your life? Right now is an auspicious time to figure it out. 

motherwort magick astrology

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
New Moon in Leo Plant Ally

Motherwort is a classic heart tonic in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica. Look to its Latin binomial and you’ll get insight into the herb’s qualities for it has been named “Lion Hearted.” Motherwort improves the condition of a weakened or out-of-sync heart including arrhythmia, angina, and a heart muscle that lacks tone. Signs to look for when considering Motherwort are heart palpitations (especially those caused by stress, nervousness or anxiety), shortness of breath, and those who need some “mothering.” The herb reduces high blood pressure, alleviates palpitations and hypertension, and generally strengthens the heart’s tone.

Motherwort is like a hug in a tea cup and is an herb that shifts energy for the better faster than most other herbs I have encountered. It’s a good herb for the New Moon in Leo because it enhances the generous-hearted qualities of Leo while alleviating the stress and tension that can come about with the very humyn need to be loved. 

Magickally, Motherwort can be kept as a charm in the home to bring about peace. Use to connect with the energy and wisdom of the Lion. The herb protects against harmful entities and spirits. I think it is especially useful in helping alleviate hauntings, whether emotional hauntings of the spirit and mind, or unwanted ghosts.

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon of Leo: Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Vine (Vitis vinifera), Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), Vervain (Verbena officinalis), Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), Willow (Salix vitellina), Gold, Citrine.

Essential Oils of Leo: Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Jasmine ( Jasminum grandiflorum), Benzoin (Styrax benzoin), Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)

Photo by David Monje

Photo by David Monje

The Rite of the Hidden Heart

Behind our wants lies our true desire. We want to live in a house with a rooftop garden because we desire to remember that we are a wild and growing thing even in the concrete confines of the city. We want to be in a relationship with our one-true-love because we desire to learn how to love ourselves and sometimes it’s easier to do through another. Behind our heart lies our desire. 

You will need a candle. Red, yellow, and orange are auspicious but any color will do. You will also need a pen and piece of paper. Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration).

With your pen and paper write a name poem. A name poem consists of words and phrases that describe you and your true nature as well as your magickal lineage, allies, God/dess/es, and whatever else you might want to put in it. Your name poem is a way of sharing your desire with yourself and others. It is a poem that either in theory or in actual practice, you would share with others as a way of introduction, especially at magickal gatherings. An example might be:

I am Azalea, 
Daughter of the Sun Queen,
Keeper of the Citrine Secret,
Sister of Lions,
King of Drag and Rejector of Binaries.
I seek a world of kindness and justice.
With my words I open hearts,
With my performance I create new possibilities,
With my herbs I find healing.
Blessed be.

When your name poem is written light your candle and turn off all other lights. Standing before your candle take six steps backwards (six is a sacred number of the Sun and adjust the movement for your mobility needs). Spend time in the shadow, the space beyond the light of your heart. What within you desires to emerge?

Take one step forward, towards the candle, and read your name poem silently to yourself. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be seen?

Take another step and whisper your name poem. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be heard?

Take another step and say your name poem a little louder. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be touched?

Take another step and say your name poem at your normal speaking volume. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be known?

Take another step and say your name poem at a volume slightly above your normal speaking volume. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be honored?

Take a final step so that you are right before your candle and say your name poem loudly, with confidence. Ask yourself, what within you desires to be loved?

Hold your hands on either side of the candle, infusing your energy with its fiery light and awakening the fire within. When your hands are warm with fire and energy, press them to the paper with your name poem written on it. You can choose to carry this name poem with you as a sacred talisman to be always seeking your desire.

leo tarot cards

Oracle

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

What part of me desperately wants to be seen?

Additional queries to consider:

  • What do I fear those that I serve think of me?
  • What part of me feels unloved?

Tarot Cards of Leo

Every card within the tarot deck has an astrological association. The following correspondences follow the system laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. You can add these cards to your altar as part of your New Moon in Cancer magick or use them in readings to help with determining celestial influence or timing (i.e. this will come to pass at when the Moon is in Leo).

  • The Sign of Leo : Strength
  • Saturn in Leo : 5 of Wands
  • Jupiter in Leo : 6 of Wands
  • Mars in Leo : 7 of Wands
  • The Fire Signs of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius : Ace of Wands
lunar apothecary moon magick school

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

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Cancer by reading my in-depth profile on the sign. Check out the magick of each phase of the Moon. For those of you ready to learn how to live your magick and create your herbal remedies by the cycle of Moon and star, you're invited to join the The Lunar Apothecary.

Blessed New Moon, wise healers.
May your healing be healing to us all.
May our healing be healing to you.
Blessed be! Blessed be! Blessed be!

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categories / astroherbology
tags / leo, leo new moon, new moon healers project, new moon magick, new moon, minimalist magick, magick, motherwort, magickal arts, magickal herbalism, astroherbalism, astroherbology

How to Make Your Own Herbal Rainbow Lattes (to Feed Your Inner Unicorn)

July 20, 2017  /  Alexis J. Cunningfolk

rainbow latte unicorn latte

We’re in a bit of a rainbow-everything moment so why not rainbow lattes with an herbal twist? Playing with colorful plants and making rainbow potions is the best and definitely brings out your inner potions professor. Instead of giving you a hard and fast recipe, I’ll be showing you how to construct your rainbow concoctions with whatever ingredients are easily available to you. 

Basically, rainbow lattes are created by using fluids at different densities to create layers of color. I used four different plant milks in my latte experimentation. You could weigh them out with a scale, but I just added different color to each and layered them slowly, watching where they all eventually settled. The milk that settled on the bottom was the densest and the milk at the top the lightest. I encourage you to do the same with whatever milk you buy or make before you go about making your final product.

Here is what I found out about the densities of my plant milks:

The lightest was Coconut milk, followed by Almond, then Rice, and the heaviest was Oat milk. 

I used a combination of sweetened and unsweetened milks so that I didn’t have to add any additional sweetener to my latte. If you’re adding sweetener do so before you layer your latte. Remember, that adding sugar or syrup to your milk will add density to your layer and may might it heavier than other layers in your latte.

Choose Your Rainbow Layers

Basically if it is a plant, fruit or veggie that tastes good to you, you should try it in your rainbow latte experimentations. Here is my list of color-rich plants with latte-worthy flavors for you to try.  

Reds + Pinks : Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), Beet

Oranges + Yellows : Turmeric (Curcuma longa) (always add a pinch of Black Pepper to enjoy its full medicinal benefits), Mango, Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Banana, Carrot

Greens + Blues : Spirulina (Spirulina platensis), Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris), Blue Green Algae (Cyanobacteria spp.), Green Tea (Camellia sinensis), Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)

Purple : Blueberry, Elderberry (Sambucus nigra), Butterfly Pea (combine with Lemon to turn it from blue to purple), Black Tea (Camellia sinensis) (combined with red and pink ingredients), Acai (Euterpe oleracea)

I was in a Hibiscus mood when making my tea (thank you to the Hibiscus Mint sellers in Austin, TX for introducing me to the glory that is this iced red beverage), so both of my lattes feature that flavor.  you’re not a fan of the sour taste of Hibiscus (but it’s so gooood), I recommend replacing it with Beet powder which has a naturally sweet taste for your red layer. 

I made my four layer rainbow latte with the following ingredients:

  • Bottom layer : Oat Milk with Hibiscus and Rooibos

  • Second to bottom layer : Rice Milk with Turmeric and a small pinch of Black Pepper

  • Second to top layer : Almond Milk with Spirulina 

  • Top layer : Coconut Milk with Acai and Elderberry

The dominant flavors are the Hibiscus and Rooibos which has a cooling, sweet and sour taste, combined with the other berry flavors or the latte made for a fun drink. Spirulina and Turmeric are both pretty neutral-tasting when used in small amounts, so while I was still enjoying their healing benefits, they did not disrupt the taste of the berry-flavored latte. 

My three-layered rainbow latte features the refreshing flavors of mint and green tea to help you cool down during your summertime adventuring. It features:

  • Bottom layer : Oat Milk and Hibiscus (I used a lot more Hibiscus than the first latte to get a darker color)

  • Middle layer : Blue Green Algae, Peppermint Tea, and Green Tea

  • Top Layer : Plain Coconut Milk

Putting It All Together

When making my colored layers, I would brew a strong infusion of my ingredient (such as Elderberry) in water and then add some to milk. A strong infusion might be 1 - 2 tablesoons of herb per 2 ounces of water. I typically added about 1 tablespoon of my tea to 2 ounces of plant milk. For powdered ingredients, such as Spirulina or Turmeric, I just added a little powder a bit at a time directly to the milk until I had achieved the color I wanted.  

With my colorful milks made, it's time to pour! Add some ice into the bottom of your glass and pour in your first layer. I did about 2 ounces of milk per layer, but you don't have to be so precise. I would add a little more ice and then slowly pour in the next layer, usually along the side of the jar. Repeat until all layers have been poured. Voilà!

Feeling inspired to create your own herbal rainbow lattes? Yay! Let me know about what you end up making in the comments below. If you need more colorful herbal remedies in your life, click here.

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tags / rainbow latte, unicorn latte, herbal latte, color magick, kitchen magick, spice magick, hibiscus, elder, milky oats, turmeric, tea, black tea, peppermint

Every Full Moon You Have a Coven

July 08, 2017  /  Alexis J. Cunningfolk

background image by Anders Jilden

background image by Anders Jilden

Every Full Moon you have a coven. 

Every Full Moon Witches gather beneath the moonlight. They dance wild amidst the oak trees. They whisper charms on the balconies of their 13th floor apartment. They light candles and bonfires. They laugh and weep, raise up power and bury the dead. They reach out to the universe, with a heart full of stars, and a belly full of determination. 

Every Full Moon, the Witches gather to keep each other company, care for each other, love one another. The path of magick can be a lonely one even if it may be filled with Gods and Ancestors. Whether or not you’ve ever danced with a hundred Witches or have only ever cast spells by yourself in the corner of your room, it doesn’t matter. You’ve always had access to the coven of a thousand Witches drawn to the Moon, drawing down the Moon, becoming more and more lunar with each passing cycle. 

image via NASA

image via NASA

Every Full Moon, the Witches gather and call our for their kin. Seeking the stars in your heart, when we reach for the universe we’re reaching for you, beloved.

Every Full Moon you have a coven and we love you wildly and fiercely. Our magick is your magick, your magick is ours. So, beloved, when the Moon is full, gather in some sacred place, be it city or field, cupboard under the stairs or college dorm, and reach out your arms with your heart arched towards the night sky. 

We are reaching back for you. And we see you. And we adore every single starry atom of your being.

Blessed be. 

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Powerfully Vulnerable : The New Moon in Cancer

June 23, 2017  /  Alexis J. Cunningfolk

new moon cancer

Faith is small movement
slow but steady and sure,
holding all experience
in a clear circle
of compassionate light.
- Kaveri Patel -

The New Moon in Cancer asks one thing of us - to access our power through vulnerability. I know, not everyone’s most favorite way to be powerful in the world. While vulnerability is often associated with weakness and victimhood, when we choose to be vulnerable as an act of trust and magick it's a truly powerful thing. When I think about accessing power through vulnerability I am drawn to those moments of being held by someone I love (whether a parent, lover, friend or even the branches of my favorite childhood tree), I think about how safe and expansive I have felt. It’s like being in a cocoon of protection where inside I’m able to be soft and free. That is a powerfully Cancerian way of being - a hard outer shell which protects the softness within. The work of Cancer is to not get too stuck in either way of being where one ends up too hardened or too lost within. 

image via toa heftiba

image via toa heftiba

While we might have been telling stories under a New Moon in Gemini, we are re-living and reminiscing them under a New Moon in Cancer. It’s a good time to feel the feels while traveling the edges between what was and what is. Spend time reflecting on your path and how far you’ve come. It’s less about your eye on the horizon and more about your eye on your own inner world. And that’s vulnerable work, too, in our culture of continuous growth and movement. Choose to not fill every moment of every day with measurable "purpose" but instead to allow times to just play or sit or stare out the window at the rain. To recognize that our being here and breathing is an achievement and to take pleasure in that.

With the New Moon in Cancer we have an opportunity to take it slow. Take a long bath or a luxurious walk through summer fields. Smell those flowers instead of trying to identify them, name them, study them, tincture them, sell them… Find a safe space to get soft in, whether that’s making a pillow fort in front of your altar or spending time snoring next to your dog. Remember, the guardian planet of Cancer is the Moon so whenever the Moon is in the sign of the Crab things feel extra lunar. Thoughts and feelings will bubble to the surface, drawn upwards by the watery New Moon as you are drawn inwards by the same force.

image source

image source

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
New Moon in Cancer Plant Ally

Passionflower is a plant with many Moon-like qualities. Cooling and sedating, Passionflower is an excellent remedy for overworked nervous systems needing genuine rest. If you tend towards spasmodic conditions from muscle twitches to restlessness to hiccoughs, Passionflower’s anti-spasmodic effects might be the friend you need. It’s a great herb for tension headaches or headaches due to nervous exhaustion. As a plant of Cancer, Passionflower helps us to step out of a feeling of being caught up in our head when it comes to reliving memories again and again. It's also good for a busy mind in general. For those with a natal Moon in Cancer, the herb helps to invoke the inner peace and quiet needed for wellbeing while at the same time gently encouraging the ability to accept change as it arises (something many Cancer Moonfolk struggle with). 

Magickally, Passionflower helps us to remember what we love most. Dress your altar with a Passionflower vine to invite peace and harmony into your home. Passionflower is useful during times of examining trauma or experiencing a healing crisis, acting as an initiatory herb that assists us in reconnecting to our spiritual purpose. 

Flower + Gem Essences for the New Moon in Cancer: Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Sturt Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa), Centaury (Centaurium umbellatum), Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium), Pink Yarrow (Alchillea millefolium), Moonstone, Amethyst, Chalcedony.

Essential Oils of Cancer: Blue Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Orange (Citrus sinensis).

image via michael hirsch

image via michael hirsch

Stones Throw Ritual

As healers we ask our clients to get vulnerable with us whether they are sharing their health story with us or letting us feel their wrists for pulses or even ask them the simple but revealing questions such as “When did the pain start for you?” I believe that our ability to hold space for the vulnerability of another is only as sturdy as our ability to be vulnerable with ourselves. Vulnerability is powerful because it helps us to realize our limitations (i.e. recognizing when the needs of your clients is beyond the scope of your care), our boundaries of protection, and the experiences which have powerfully shaped us - no matter how imperfect or difficult they may have been.

Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). This ritual is best performed at a liminal place such as the shoreline or at the crossroads. Gather a small handful of stones - garden stone or gemstone, it doesn't matter which. Holding them in your hands think of times when you have felt most vulnerable in your life. Begin to jumble the stones together so that they make some noise. Consider how your points of vulnerability have shaped who you are today. How has your vulnerability revealed your strength? Feel the sturdiness of the stones in your hands as well as their smallness.

Begin to walk and toss the stones behind one-by-one as you say: 

Stones of Shell
Stones of Bone
Memory is the shaper
The present is my home

When all of the stones but one have all been tossed, begin speaking power to your vulnerability. For example say:

I walk away from my fear of making mistakes.
I walk towards towards the success that taking risks brings.

Keep the one stone with you as a reminder that you carry the power of vulnerability with you always.

tarot cards of cancer

Oracle

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

What in my past draws me away from my future?

Additional queries to consider:

  • When I think of my identity as a healer, what memories arise?
  • How do I want to be remembered?

Tarot Cards of Cancer

Every card within the tarot deck has an astrological association. The following correspondences follow the system laid out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. You can add these cards to your altar as part of your New Moon in Cancer magick or use them in readings to help with determining celestial influence or timing (i.e. this will come to pass at when the Moon is in Cancer).

  • The Sign of Cancer: The Chariot
  • Venus in Cancer: 2 of Cups
  • Mercury in Cancer: 3 of Cups
  • The Moon in Cancer: 4 of Cups
  • The Water Signs of Cancer, Scorpio, + Pisces: Ace of Cups
the lunar apothecary

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

Need more astroherbology in your life? You can learn more about the astroherbology of Cancer by reading my in-depth profile on the sign. Check out the magick of each phase of the Moon. For those of you ready to learn how to live your magick and create your herbal remedies by the cycle of Moon and star, you're invited to join the The Lunar Apothecary.

Blessed New Moon, wise healers.
May your healing be healing to us all.
May our healing be healing to you.
Blessed be! Blessed be! Blessed be!

 

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categories / astroherbology
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