Hex to Heal : The Solar Eclipse in Leo

The shape of today's New Moon Healers Project post will be different - for eclipses are times of shapeshifters and changelings. Eclipses are also a time of the bare bones of simplicity when we’re asked for the structure of our magick to be minimal but resonating. 

Here is the basic takeaway of the Leo eclipse energy: 

That mask you’re wearing? Take it off.
The cultural mask that you’ve been told to believe? Stop listening to it’s lies.
The heart crown of self-sovereignty you’ve been afraid to put on? Pick it up, wash it off with the tears of your stuggle and joy, and put it on.

We are being asked to hex in order to heal. In traditional witchcraft a hex is like a harvest. Witch folk know that in order to put bread on the table grain must fall. A hex cuts out that which is no longer needed. But, like a harvest, it should ultimately be healing and nourishing. If you are afraid to hex, to set boundaries, to say NO, to cross your arms and spit in the dirt three times, then you’ll probably be afraid to heal the deep stuff.

Photo by Kristina Flour 

What will you choose to hex in order to heal? Go after the big stuff, Witchen kin:

Hex racism
Hex white supremecy
Hex anti-semitism
Hex Islamaphobia
Hex the patriarchy
Hex misogyny
Hex transphobia
Hex ableism
Hex classism
Hex homophobia
Hex corporations destroying our beloved planet
Hex institutions upholding all of these "-isms" and phobias

Dig down into the little stuff, my magickal folki:

Hex self-hate
Hex internalized cultural lies
Hex microaggressions
Hex your fear of not being enough
Hex your belief that you’re ugly and unworthy
Hex assimilation
Hex the symptoms of trauma that hold you back from living how you want to live
Hex the lies you believe that tell you that your magick is anything less than profound

Hex what you need to hex in order to heal.
In order to live.
In order to love.

Photo by Tyler Lastovich

The Hex to Heal Rite

Begin in a sacred way (read the New Moon in Aquarius post for further inspiration). If you have a large dark, preferably black, piece of fabric have it before you, but it can be visualized if needed. Wrap the fabric around your shoulders and begin to turn slowly widdershins. If this movement cannot be achieved, it can be visualized. As you turn think of or whisper that which you are hexing. While doing this pull the fabric up over your shoulders and over your head. Once you have spoken all of your hexes, hold it up over your head for a moment, still turning. Continuing to turn widdershins, cover your head with the fabric, visualizing that which you have hexed dissolving into darkness. 

Stop and speak:

Hexes dissolve into darkness
Darkness dissolves into darkness
I emerge from the darkness
Hex-free and whole

Begin to spin again deosil, reciting the charm again and again until you are dizzy in its power. Until you fall back to the earth, a star reborn.

I've written about healing tarot and herbal allies for eclipse season if you're looking for more magick and support. 

Wherever eclipse season takes you (because it is just a starting point), may the path open up to healing and peace in your life. Remember, your individual liberation is a work of collective resilience. Work your magick.

P.S. Find all of the New Moon Healers Project posts right over here. Say yes to your magick and join my starry-hearted community of healers here. 

Healing Tarot for Eclipse Season

In a few days there will be a complete solar eclipse visible over much of the United States. For folks familiar with what eclipse season is all about, no one is surprised by this and what it's been stirring up. I've already written about herbal allies for eclipse season, because we all deserve to heal in community and not isolation. Star priestess Chani Nicholas guides us through the season with her wisdom writing:

These are complex days. Dense with the personal homework assigned to us. Loaded with the personal significance of each mission. Ladened with the opportunity to set new patterns for ourselves, our work and our lives. Whatever we do during eclipse season has an incredible staying power attached to it. We cannot control what happens, but every time we choose our integrity over our fear, we choose what is life-affirming over what is life-constricting. Every time we choose our integrity over our fear, we choose what is growth-enhancing over what keeps us bound up and unable to access our agency. Every time we choose our integrity over our fear, we choose to commit a little bit more to our path and divest a little more energy from what prevents us from fulfillment.

Traditionally, eclipses weren't seen as the best portends in traditional medical astrology, but modern understandings have given eclipses much needed nuance. What eclipses do best is reveal. Their revelatory powers are far-reaching and without restraint which means they can reveal the awful things we hide away from and the beautiful paths we thought we had lost forever. It's one of the reason that eclipses are often seen as potential catalysts for times of great healing. Profound healing, though, usually only happens after a period of profound pain. 

(And for those of you who read that last sentenced and focused on the profound pain part - because, I mean, who’s not anxious and struggling and in pain these days - read it again and place all the emphasis on profound healing. Because that’s the miracle - the healing, no matter how deep our pain, is always deeper and waiting for us. You got this, starry-hearted one.)

While we have no control over what might be revealed in our lives and our culture at large, we do have choice on how we will greet these revelations. Tarot is one of the tools within our magickal culture that can help prepare us for what lies ahead. And so, a tarot spread for eclipse season.

The Illuminated Tarot by Caitlin Keegan

The following spread can be adapted in a different ways for different needs as explained below. The primary purpose of The Solar Eclipse Tarot Spread is to help you connect with your celestial self while also revealing what's being stirred up in your life in order for you clear the path for your energy to flow freely. I have also done a sample reading with recommended actions so that you can get an idea of how tarot can be used as part of a healing practice. Consider it a very small preview into my new ecourse, The Tarot Apothecary.

The Eclipse Season Tarot Spread

The spread is only three cards: a Sun, a Moon, and a Shadow card. You for how you choose your Sun and Moon cards. You can either choose them based off of your Sun sign and Moon sign and the astrological correspondences to the tarot deck or just choose them at random. You could actually do both by doing the spread twice which has some interesting advantages. The first time you do the spread, cast the Sun and Moon cards at random which will give you insight into the energies of right now and the immediate present. Then, the second time you do the spread, choose your Sun and Moon card based on your natal signs which will give you a glimpse into long-standing issues in your life. Of course, there's overlap between these two methods (our short-term issues are often just symptoms of long-term ones), so it’s up to you to discern what is needed in your life.

The Sun Card : Represents your inherent vitality or energy. Some of us seem to have endless sources of energy, while others move at a much slower pace. In addition to our inherent vitality, the Sun also describes our will, how easily we direct our will, and our willingness to live our life as we want. To help you interpret the Sun card, start with the following sentence:

My energy is inherently…

Example : If you pull Temperance you might say that “My energy is inherently seeking balance and harmony. When out of sorts I tend to run hot then cold, easily falling from one extreme to another. But when I feel strong in myself my energy is unflustered and focused.”

The Moon Card : Represents the way that energy flows through our body. In other words, it is our primary mode of expression, especially around emotions. The Moon transforms the raw energy of the Sun into story and myth. To help you interpret the Moon card, start with the following sentence: 

I express myself easiest when…

Example : Pulling Justice for your Moon card might create the following sentence: “I express myself easiest when I feel like I am advocating for fairness and speaking my story from a place of just intent.”

The Shadow Card : The Shadow card shows the place where your energy is not transforming into easy expression. In more traditional tarot speak, this is the obstacles or challenges card. Within The Solar Eclipse Tarot Spread it is the card that illustrates what is being revealed to you by the eclipse. It’s not always easy stuff to look at, but the card that shows up here is not meant to be a roadblock but a path. It can also help you discover what it is you have to share with the world. For when our Sun and Moon align we are able to channel our energy with effective and purpose. To help you interpret the Shadow card, start with the following sentence: 

My shadow reveals…

Example : If you pull the Four of Wands, for example, you might say, “My shadow reveals that my energy is blocked somewhere within my home life. I don’t feel welcome in my own life. But the promise of the Four of Wands is that there is a home for all of us. That I’ll be able to express my inherent gifts with ease when I learn to take up more space in my own life and trust that I deserve a loving place to call home.”

The Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

If you're struggling to understand the Shadow card, I recommend pulling one to three helper cards to give you more insight.

Putting it All Together : Examining the three cards from our sample spread together, we can see that the inherently harmonizing energy of the querent is seeking out harmonious spaces - but struggling to find them. So, I might recommend working on the actual physical space of the home and body to allow for more ebb and flow of energy. This could be working on coordinating who you know you are within to how you dress and act in the world. I would recommend allowing for greater fluidity of self-expression during the time surrounding the eclipse.

Justice as the Moon card lets us know that we’re dealing with someone who has a strong sense of right and wrong in the world. It’s a gut feeling and when the querent senses injustice and they can’t rest until they feel things have been put right. Paying attention to the Shadow card, I would propose that something feels unjust in the place that the querent calls home. It could be that they feel unmoored from their homeland due to injustice. Or that they wish to live more justly, whether through their consumption choices or how they live, but for some reason they feel blocked. Maybe it’s fear of rocking the boat too much (something that they might struggle to do considering their balance-seeking Temperance Sun card). I would suggest a meditation on practicing just action as a way of bringing themselves and their world back into balance.

I would also recommend keeping the Four of Wands on their altar as an inspirational image and reminder that harmonious spaces will generate patterns of harmony within themselves. That they should make choices in their life that flow with their values as opposed to feeling like what they want is out of sync with who they are currently. 

So there it is, my take on a tarot spread for eclipse season. You can use this spread year after year and not just for solar eclipses, but lunar ones as well. And you can use it to check-in on how energies are settling in your life after eclipse season has passed. If you're looking for more eclipse season magick, check out my previous blog on herbal allies for eclipse season.

The Illuminated Tarot by Caitlin Keegan

I'll end with an eclipse season blessing for all my magickal kin, my witchsisters, and edgewalkers, because we could all do with a little more blessedness in our lives.

Eclipse Season Blessing

When the round dark
of the eclipse takes hold of sky
and runs a quickstep of shadow across land

When the mirror of the galaxy beating in your chest
is held before you

When you look into its limitless reflection

May you greet whatever is seen
with the same look of the first real compassionate person in your life
(whether known or unknown, met or yet met)
who saw you
and wept in the knowing of your beauty
and vowed to keep you well and safe
even though they knew it to be an impossible task
they knew even more that you were the starting point of miracles
that you have always been worth impossibility
because you have always been worthy

because you

you are worthy

Herbal Allies 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

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.

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. 

image source

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. 

image source

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Expressing Truth : The 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

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 (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

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.

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

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!

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

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.

View fullsize

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. 

View fullsize

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. 

View fullsize

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.