Smoke Relief : Herbal Remedies for Fire Season

We are living in fiery times in more ways than one.

The chaos of cultural, climate, and interpersonal change has left many of us breathless and burnt out. Fire can be a source of life-sustaining life, the heat of transformation, the spark of poetry. And it can be a hungry beast which destroys with terrifying swiftness. So what can we do as herbalists, healers, and magickal folk during fire season and beyond?

In practical ways we can donate time and resources (check out the CA Wildfire Relief Fund and Frontline Medics). Make sure that our communities affected by fire or any other natural, sociopolitical or interpersonal disaster know that there are free resources for their mental and emotional health that they can access at any time such as Crisis Text Line, The Trevor Project, RAINN, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and many more. Check in with those we love. Check in with ourselves.

image via landis brown

I created the following recipe for my family during this particularly challenging wildfire season. In addition to herbal support, staying indoors, and air purifiers (which can be super pricey - but you can search for diy versions), face masks are essential and you can get ones that will last longer than single use such as these. Herbal steams are useful, too, for helping to fill the airways with moistening and healing plant medicine.

The foundation of my Smoke Relief blend is Plantain (Plantago major) which is helpful in healing tissue and restoring the lungs after inhalation of the particulate matter carried in smoke. Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) and Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) are the main respiratory system tonics and Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra) helps aids with antihistamine magick and nervous system tenderness. Nervines are important for fire season, too - our bodies are stressed out for many reasons which is why Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is in my blend. I also see Lemon Balm as an herb of the collective and the community mind with its relationship to the magick of bees and their hive consciousness. I usually like to use Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) for smoke relief but did not this time simply because I was out - but it’s a powerful ally during fire season that you should take time to learn more about.

You can endlessly adjust this recipe and if you want it to be less about smoke relief and more about general respiratory wellness during winter, check out this post for some inspiration.

Smoke Relief Tincture

Either mix the following individual tinctures or blend dried herbs together to create your tincture from scratch.

• 4 parts Plantain Leaf (Plantago major)

• 2 parts Hyssop Leaf(Hyssopus officinalis)

• 2 parts Mullein Leaf (Verbascum thapsus)

• 1 part Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra)

• 1 part Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Recommended dosage: 5 - 10 drops up to three times daily.

Expanding Balance : Meeting The Luna Sol Tarot

When I was contacted by the kind folks at Liminal 11 to see if I was interested in reviewing their new deck, The Luna Sol Tarot by Mike Medaglia, I took a look at their other publications and a few sample images of the deck and happily accepted the offer.

Now look, I don’t do many reviews, though I’ve there’s been an increase in publishers reaching out to me to share their latest publications with my readers. I don’t say yes often because if I’m going to spend time writing a review and sharing a publication with my rad community I want it to be something that feels purposeful and enriching. The Luna Sol Tarot got one of my rare review “yeses” and I’m genuinely excited to share with this charming deck with some real depth.

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But first a purposeful detour…

Asali Earthwork has already written a review for this deck and said so much of what I wanted to write about. So please read her words and get lost in the honey of her work as well as her gorgeous ongoing list of tarot that celebrates and includes QTPOC in its images. Something that Asali addresses and one of the things I wanted to write about, too, in this post was about how we do inclusivity around race, color, and ethnicity in indie tarot and oracle decks. The Strength card, the suit of Pentacles but often the Nine of Pentacles at minimum, and, of course, the Empress are increasingly becoming the standard place for folks of color and especially Black folk. Go ahead, rummage through some of your decks and you’ll start to notice a discomforting pattern. 

On examining this trend, Asali asks a powerful question: “Who gets to be soft and reflective and who has to be strong and resilient?” This isn’t just a question for tarot but one for life and definitely one to be asking in our social justice movements.

So why is this trend of enforced strength fo folks of color and especially Black folks so persistent not just in tarot but in other inclusive art? Here are some (but certainly not all) of the reasons that I think tarot and oracle creators trying to be inclusive fall into the trap of painful stereotypes and restrictions. None of what I’ve listed are excuses for lack of inclusivity or not well considered attempts at inclusive imagery - but a way for us to excavate beliefs that are no longer useful and cultivate new ones that are truly inclusive.

Traditional Court Card Correspondences: There is a tradition of tarot cards, especially the court cards, having physical characteristic correspondences. The Pentacles, for example, were supposed to correspond to folks with black and dark brown hair as well as dark eyes. And then there is the idea that different court cards correspond to, if not to the different races of the world, then at least the amount of melanin someone possessed. The suit of Swords, for example, corresponded to the fairest skinned (i.e. the suit of intelligence and quick thinking going to the whitest folks) and the Pentacles to folks with the darkest skin. I mean… sigh, right? This is not a useful system and quickly degrades revealing racist roots.  

Earthy Origin Story: I remember hearing one person defend having Black folks and folks of color in the Pentacles suit or as the Empress because it was a nod to our origins as a humxn species from Africa. But that too often slides into “noble primitive” thinking and this constant, problematic association of folks of color and especially Black folk with earthiness. Please pause and rethink this dynamic, whether it’s something you’ve imposed or internalized or a bit of both.

Trying to Celebrate Strength + Fierceness: There’s a terrible twist that happens when folks begin to unpack oppressive and prejudiced behavior - what was once avoided and denigrated can suddenly become worshiped and overly idolized. Both perspectives lack letting someone be humxn and flawed and needy and tender. In the US, Black women have increasingly become the fill-in image for strength and resilience whether in our politics or in our tarot decks. And while celebrating strength is one thing, it can create a damaging, isolating, and unreasonable expectation on the same people we’re trying to uphold. The point of social justice is not to move our opinions of “the other” from that of the lowest to the highest, but to meet everyone in the beautiful and messy middle. 

Basically, I would encourage all of us to think more critically and, more importantly, more creatively about inclusive imagery. So, how does The Luna Sol Tarot hold up to all this examining? Pretty darn well.

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When I saw the sample card for Temperance and the Star I knew that this deck had at least moved beyond Diversity in Tarot Decks 101. Folks of color show up throughout all four suits of the deck and in a broad range of emotional experiences. I actually said “thank the Goddess” when I saw an image of Temperance. It’s rare to get a masculine-presenting Black person for this card. And, damn, do we need more imagery like this. Also, since the Star is one of my favorite cards in the deck I was thrilled to find a hairy, curvy, South Asian person represented.

Can I take a moment to put out my personal request to the tarot and oracle card universe? More Asian representation, please. The Luna Sol Tarot has both.

The Luna Sol Tarot has a welcoming and trendy color palette but still uses color purposefully and is full of inviting imagery that would be easy enough for most beginners to connect with, with some real lovely innovations for experienced tarot readers to enjoy. The Major Arcana in this deck is familiar to most PCS / RWS readers with some great innovative twists. I love the inclusion of animals in each Major Arcana card that reveal an extra layer of meaning that’s incredibly useful for old and new readers. The Hierophant gave me chills and the Lovers… Well, the description in the accompanying little white book is a gift.

And speaking of the LWB - it’s great! I commend folks who are able to pull off a useful LWB - it’s a hard task and Mike Medaglia’s experience with writing short insights and descriptions from his comic writing is a definite boon. 

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The Minor Arcana is detailed without becoming distracting and the innovations found in the Major Arcana continue through the four suits. The Ten of Swords shines, the Four of Disks is such a clever and useful way of understanding the energy of that tricky card, and the Ten of Cup is adorable. The Court Cards don’t deviate from the classic titles, but many of the court feel queer and nonconforming to me and the art feels fresh and inviting.

I really like this deck. It’s one I’ll be reading with it in my own personal practice and that I’m happy to recommend to folks who are looking for an inclusive deck that both honors and innovates on tarot tradition. I like that The Luna Sol Tarot is gentle without being stripped of power and that it speaks to the Medaglia’s commitment to balance without getting lost in the arbitrariness of binaries. Because balance is less an act of trying to find equality through opposites and more about expanding access to experience - where we’re not asked because of the color of our skin, our country of origin, our disabilities, class, queerness, gender and so on to exist more on one emotional frequency more than any other. This deck feels like an act of service and love to the reader. Also, Asali pointed out something I hadn’t considered before reading her review - The Luna Sol Tarot is positioned in a more accessible price point than many other inclusive decks - heck yeah! 

And, please, please check out the other publications happening at Liminal 11 - there seems to be a lot of tarot-inspired content including a beautiful webcomic exploring the Major Arcana. Along with The Luna Sola Tarot and calendar, they kind folks at Liminal 11 sent me Women + Pattern + Plants by Sarina Mantle. I’ve never wanted to use one of these adult coloring books before until this gem arrived on my doorstep. Oh, and the Modern Witch Tarot looks like an utter delight (hot tip: be sure to look at the 10 of Swords).

Would you like to see more reviews on this blog or general recommendations for things tarot and magickal? Let me know in the comments. Also, be sure to share your favorite inclusive decks in the comments, too, letting us know why you love them.

Reconnecting with Your Lost Magick

If you practice magick, there will come a time when you feel less than magickal. When you feel that you have lost your magick completely. Whether this lasts for a week, a month, a year or more, one day it’ll arrive leaving many magickal folk confused as to what is going on.

But the appearance of magick’s absence is just that - an appearance.

See, magick is like the Moon - even though the Moon seems to wax and wane each night, disappearing from the sky altogether every month, She always remains whole. It’s simply our perception of Them that changes. So it is with magick that we can experience periods of disconnection in our practice that appear to us as if our magick is gone altogether.

image by annie spratt

At this point you might wonder why this happens. I don’t have that answer but what I have observed is that once we realize that magick, like the Moon, is never absent, we can begin to pay attention to what’s looming large in the place we usually expect our magick to be.

While your journey reconnecting with your magick after a period of fallowness will be uniquely shaped by your life and needs, here are some activities and tips to help you shift perceptions, open up to wonder, and cultivate enchantment. You’ll notice that many of these suggestions are similar to those I would make to someone experience burnout and that’s because burnout and feeling like your magickal fire has been extinguished often go hand-in-hand. In addition to trying one or two of the suggestions on this list, you might consider some seasonal self-care or connecting with herbal allies that are especially suitable for sensitive or overwhelmed folks.

image by annie spratt

Do nothing.

I know, what a way to start off a list of how to reconnect with your magick. But sometimes we try and do all the things in a mild but meaningful panic to attempt to reconnect to our magick. Rather, take a look at what it is that’s driving you to do something instead of just be. Even if that being feels decidedly unmagickal. It’s ok to be a bit confused and not knowing where to go next in your practice. Use your discomfort as a tool of discovery. Practice a bit of slow magick.

image by annie spratt

Go back to basics.

It can feel too easy to rush on to the next great thing when it feels like our magick has left us. If I just master Enochian magick, I’ll find my spark again. And while learning something new can help us to reconnect to what we love, it can also create a cycle of always seeking something else that exists out there to give us back our magick. Instead, I suggest returning to the basics of your craft and, in particular, a practice that has significantly shaped you but you now no longer practice or, if you do, it’s infrequently. That will mean something different to everyone reading this. I might, for example, pull out the very first book I used for casting circle and do that same rite. Returning to basics creates a touchstone for your magick - your modern self is revisiting an important point in your magickal development. During this act of returning, pay attention to what is happening in your body and your energy field - interesting revelations often arise and we begin to remember who we are as magickal beings.

image by annie spratt

Talk about it.

I find it strange that the magickal community doesn’t seem to talk much about the very common experience of not feeling magickal. Let’s change that! Connecting with another magickal practitioner and sharing with them that you’re struggling to find your flow and connection in your practice can be incredibly healing and rewarding. You’re not less of a witch or magick maker if you don’t feel magickal - you’re just at an important transition point. No shame required, but reach out to others for encouragement and inspiration. If you don’t have someone to talk about it to at the moment, try journaling or free writing. Ask yourself questions like:

I don’t feel magickal, I feel…
I’m afraid that…
I feel my most magickal when…
When I think of magick…

image by annie spratt

Work with allies.

Gods, herbs, stones, ancestors, tarot cards, spirits, pets, strange shaped gourds, best friends, lovers, therapists… Connect with your allies! As suggested at the start of this post, the absence of magick often marks the arrival (or, really, exposure or revelation) or something that requires our attention. But that something isn’t always easy to give our attention to or understand for various reasons. So just as I’m encouraging you to talk about where you’re at in your magickal practice, I’m also encouraging you to connect with your allies in whatever form they come in. No one can give you back your magick, but your allies can help you remember and return to it. Don’t know which allies to start with? How about connecting with your stars. If tarot or oracle cards are some of your favorite allies to turn to, this spread is my go-to when I need some extra love and support.

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Feeling like you’ve lost your magick is never easy, but you’re not alone. We’ve all been there and soon it shall pass. In the meantime, be kind with yourself, celebrate what does inspire you, and let the rest be.

Remember, the Moon is always full, and your magick remains. Soon you’ll remember just where that is…

Moon Medicine : Summoning Spell

The Lunar Apothecary is filled with small moments of magick in-between the depth work of discovering who you are as a healer and the unique wisdom you bring to the world. The following is a short spell from the course to help you connect with the ancestral current of lunar wisdom.

To summon a Moonwomxn of Old grind up three herbs sacred to the Moon to a fine powder. With this powder go to a place where you can sense a ripple in the veil between the worlds. Once there, draw a triangle with your herbal powder upon the earth. 

Hold your hands above the triangle, mimicking the shape with your own fingers, touching thumb to thumb, index finger to index finger.

Three points
The was
The is
The becoming
Open a path between
I seek the knowledge of the Starry Browed
The Moonwomxn who would share her wisdom

Listen and wait. When she arrives, sing a song of what wisdom you seek. When your time has ended, thank the Moonwomxn for her gifts. Hold your fingers in triangle form above the ground, then bring your palms together. With a quick exhalation, pull your hands apart and then sweep the herbs on the ground to each of the four directions.

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Add whatever you need to the ritual to make it yours. You can also learn more about the phases and signs of the Moon to time your magick in a way that best supports your needs. 

If you're looking for more Moon magick, have a whole series on New Moon magick and ritual that you can explore. And if you're ready to take a big leap onto the path of a healer who knows their own will, dreams, and wild desires, follow me to The Lunar Apothecary.

How to Make Your Own Rose Herbal Coffee

I am motivated by tea.

Yes, I’m motivated by justice and kindness and those I love and the work I do, but I’m also living in an earthy body that craves earthly pleasures. One of those pleasures is hot drinks - whether herbal tisanes, black teas or matcha lattes. So my Rose Herbal Coffee is a recipe that I love to make to help motivate and nourish my body and supports the work that I do.

Rose (Rosa spp), like Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) is a much-needed herb to help our ancient bodies deal with modern demands. I think Rose is a great herbal ally if you’re an activist and organizer because they remind us that we need to know how to be gentle as much as we need to be fierce. Equipped with thorn magick, my Rose Herbal Coffee recipe supports our emotional wellbeing along with our physical wellbeing. It also includes some lovely gut and liver nourishing herbs to support our bodies inherent ability to release and renew. I add in Cacao Nibs (Theobroma cacao) because I love a bit of a cocoa taste but if you’re not inclined to chocolate or find it too stimulating you can easily remove the nibs and still be left with a delicious tea.

My Rose Herbal Coffee is grounding and helps to draw energy down and out of the body. So, if you’re someone who wakes up feeling agitated and a bit anxious you might find this brew really helpful. Because it’s caffeine-free you can enjoy a cup of Rose Herbal Coffee in the evenings, too, and it’ll help with post-meal digestion.

Rose Herbal Coffee

• 4 parts Roasted Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)

• 2 part Roasted Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)

• 2 part Cacao Nibs (Theobroma cacao)

• 1/4 part Rose (Rosa spp.)

• 1/4 part Anise (Pimpinella anisum)

• 1/8 part Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

I prepare my herbal coffee in two parts. First, I add the Dandelion and Roasted Carob into my pot of water (about 1 tablespoon of herb to 1 cup of water), bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes, and then strain. Into that strained brew I add the rest of the herbs to steep for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then I add it some milk of choice and a bit of sweet, but it’s also delightful all on its own. 

Enjoy! Looking for more recipes? You can find all of my recipes and tutorials here.