Embodying Presence: Tarot and Tea for Taurus Season

Welcome to Taurus Season!

Join me as I explore tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more about the series over here). In this post we’re meeting with the Bull and learning about tarot for Taurus season and Taurus herbs to help us connect with the energy of the season (i.e. the middle of Spring in the northern hemisphere or the middle of Autumn in the southern hemisphere).

We've moved through the intensity of Aries Season, which can sometimes feel like everything needs to be done right now, into the slower pace of Taurus the Bull. In astrology, Taurus is referred to as a "fixed" sign which means that it's really good at creating roots and grounding energy. If the signs were writing books about the seasons they inhabit, Aries would give you a few quick bullet points on a post-it note (that may or may not have a corner torn off) while Taurus would present you a whole book on the subject (and the book may or may not be handmade).

With Taurus there is no big rush to get somewhere as the energy of the Bull helps us to feel what it is to arrive and be present to a place and space (including our internal environment as well as our external one) for a greater length of time than we might be used to. Taurus season can be a helpful time to explore concepts of embodiment, to seek out experience first instead of jumping into analysis mode, and to imagine ourselves as moving gardens. 

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Taurus is a sign of slowness and embodiment, of being of the Land. As an earth sign, Taurus helps us to connect with seasonal changes as a source of wisdom, including the seasonal and tidal changes of our bodies. Taurus season encourages honesty born of observation (i.e. knowing what sort of conditions are needed to grow a particular plant and not pretending or teaching otherwise).

Taurus asks us, "How would you grow if you didn't feel rushed?"

An important aspect of Taurus season (and where Taurus lives in your birth chart) is recognizing that everything takes time and nothing is grown in a vacuum. In other words, we can make choices of how we embody time (whether or not we're experiencing it at any given moment as too fast or too slow) but it takes a lot of soil and bugs and sun and water and hope to grow a thing, much of which we have no control over. The following Taurus Season tarot spread encourages us to pause and observe so that we can tap into the wisdom of what we need, the resources we have, and how we can better support our slowness.

Embodying Presence
Taurus Season Tarot Spread

Card 1 & 2. That Which Centers & Nourishes You

These cards help you connect to the steadiness that Taurus Season can bring, highlighting the practices, people, places, and experiences which center and nourish you. These are things which you might seek to bring more into your life during Taurus season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Card 3. That Which Needs Slowing Down

The gift of Taurus is learning how to slow down and take account. This card highlights what area of your life would benefit best from taking a moment to pause, rest, and consider what it is you really need. It's an invitation to switch from autopilot mode to intentional presence.

Card 4. That Which Helps You Grow

This card helps you to connect with the question posed earlier - "How would you grow if you didn't feel rushed?" In other words, this card helps to highlight allies in helping you grow in ways that support your becoming, that help you flourish in the garden of our interconnectedness.

Card 5. A Message for Taurus Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Taurus season.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Neck

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your neck, throat, and voice, including physical experiences and energetic ones, and what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull the card, first observe before rushing to analysis, following the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

Salvia mellifera - photo by author

A Tea for Taurus Season

How do we nourish the sign of Taurus? As one of the slowest-moving signs of the zodiac, Taurus asks us to slow down and take account of what we need. Taurus also traditionally guards the neck, throat, and vocal cords (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Taurus), so our tea blend combines herbs that help us feel grounded, expressive, and deeply nourished. Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a classic Taurus herb - earthy and associated with longevity, Sage helps to support throat health, enhance cognition, and connect with the wisdom of the world around and within us. Rose (Rosa spp.) is an herb of Venus, Taurus' guardian planet, and an important plant ally for finding wisdom distilled through experience. Finally, Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) adds just enough warmth and energy to help us still feel momentum to show up in our life in the ways that we are called to.

Sidenote: You'll find that there is overlap between the herbs used for the Taurus Tea and the herbs used for the Aries Tea. This is for a few reasons, first of which is that Aries and Taurus (and Gemini) all share the same season so it makes sense that there would be similar herbs associated with each sign. Second, I'm trying to keep the variety of herbs I recommend throughout this series to a minimum so folks don't feel overwhelmed with the need to go out and get fifty different herbs. I hope it brings a feeling of calm to your practices and encourages a depth of relationship with our plant allies.

To make your tea, combine the following herbs:

• 4 parts Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• 1 part Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Taurus). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @danielabeleva

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

᠅

May Taurus season be steady and full of blessings for you and your community. If you’re looking for more spring inspired healing ways and magickal practices, come this way.

Beltane is part of the season of Taurus and here is where you can find an in-depth tarot spread for the sabbat (for my southern hemisphere friends, you can find a tarot spread for Samhain over here). Enjoy!

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

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Notes

*Sometimes I think that Taurus is in fact a very fast moving sign but appears slow to us in the same way that light traveling from a dying star may appear to be relatively static to us but is, in fact, traveling at nearly the speed of light.

How to Write A Plant Profile (and create a materia medica you'll actually use)

There's a bunch of them on this site. You'll find them in all the herb books. They're handed out in classes and gatherings. Plant profiles are an essential way that information is shared in herbal communities and if you're reading this post you're probably interested in creating your own.

Perhaps you're just starting out on your herbal studies and are feeling overwhelmed by all the ways that herbalists record knowledge about herbs. Or perhaps you're an herbal practitioner trying to figure out how to create plant profiles that you'll actually reference in your work with clients. Maybe you're an herbalist who has never written a plant profile and don't know where to start.

If you've studied herbalism in any sort of formal classroom fashion, you've probably had to write at least a few plant profiles to complete your education. A lot of the time you're expected to use a format developed by your teacher or learning program - which is great! Humans are very good at learning through mimicry and following in the footsteps of herbalists before us when it comes to the format of our plant profiles makes a lot of sense. 

For some of us, after our formal herbal studies we don't write another plant profile because we don't really need to. While most herbalists keep notes of some sort, the actual writing of complete plant profiles doesn't happen. Which is just fine! It's not a requirement that every individual herbalist write their own plant profiles and doesn't indicate whether or not you're a competent herbalist. What happens though, is that some of us will get to a point where we realize we have all this knowledge and we want to record it in some way not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of our students, clients, and the generations to come. 

Other herbalists' herbal education did not happen in a classroom setting that required or expected written plant profiles. Herbalists are trained in all sorts of ways including through apprenticeship models and oral traditions where written records are not needed, expected or given high priority. It's essential to keep these forms of learning alive, too, and you might be interested in recording in writing the wisdom you hold. In addition to written forms of plant profiles, I'll talk about how you can record oral traditions and organize them in ways that make sense to you because these forms of herbal knowledge are vital.

Then there are also a lot of self-taught herbalists out there who haven't tried writing a plant profile of their own yet but you don't know where to start. Tenacious self-taught herbalists are one of the main reasons we have such a thriving traditional western herbal community today - these herbal elders kept alive traditions that they had to go out and find in books, through speaking with their elders, and from the plants themselves. So if you're a self-taught herbalist you're in good company and I'm excited that you're interested in learning one of the ways you can contribute to keeping our traditions thriving.

Maybe you fit into one of these categories or somewhere in-between. Maybe you have your own system of creating plant profiles but are a curious sort of creature and like to see how other folks create systems that work for them (I definitely count myself in this group). Maybe you got lost on the internet and found yourself here (hello, this is a nice slow place, enjoy yourself, have a cup of tea). Whatever reason you're here and are called to create your own plant profiles, I hope that you'll find the following tips of use!

deck shown is Dirt Gems Oracle

Figuring Out Your Why

The best place to start, with the making of something you hope will endure and enrich your practice for years to come, is to ask yourself why you want to do something like this in the first place. Here are three questions to get you started:

Why do you want to create plant profiles? 

What will you use them for (i.e. primarily for personal reference, to hand out to clients and/or students, to keep for the next generation)? 

What would it feel like to have a collection of your very own plant profiles created by you?

I recommend answering these questions out loud or writing them down (and then speaking them out loud if you want to be particularly thorough). The speaking out loud or moving in answer (such as through writing) is a way to help wake our brain-hearts up and get us engaged with the activity at hand.

How you answer these questions will also shape the structure of your plant profile. Profiles that you intend only for your own personal use can be as idiosyncratic as you want them to be - no one else needs to be able to decipher them or understand what's in them. They are purely for you to enjoy. Whereas profiles that you're creating with the intention of sharing them with others benefit from having a relatively clear and uniform structure that can be easily explained and act as a teaching tool. 

You don't have to know exactly what you want your plant profiles to look like and how personal versus communal you want them to be - you'll find your stride as you play around and experiment with structures and forms that work for you.

The One Thing Every Plant Profile Should Have

And recognizing that I just spent a bunch of time talking about making a plant profile uniquely your own, there is one part of a plant profile that I do find to be vital for everyone if you're planning on ever letting another person read it: latin binomials. Latin binomials are unique names assigned to different species that are (usually) unchanging and help folks to know that they are talking about the same plant across different languages. When you read a plant profile, mine included, most will list the name of a plant that many are familiar with (i.e. Sage) and then in parentheses and italicized you'll find the latin name (i.e. Salvia officinalis). The name "Sage" is known as a Common or Folk Name - these names change across languages, cultures, and regions. Common and Folk Names are an important part of herbalism as they preserve tradition, communicate ideas about plants often in an easy to comprehend way, and they are a living lexicon that is constantly being added to. Latin binomials help us to communicate across languages and regional differences. What someone calls Sagebrush in one region might be called Desert Mugwort in another and it's the unchanging Latin binomial (in this case Artemisia tridentata) which helps herbalists to identify what plant everyone is referring to.

You don't have to have Latin binomials memorized (though having familiarity with them is useful), but you should have them written down. Now, if you never plan on sharing your plant profiles with anyone else, including Latin binomials might not be a priority for you. That's fine, I just think it's useful and important to include them in plant profiles that someone else might see.

Ok, that's it for the strong suggestions - onwards to more choose your own adventure type ones! 

Styles + Structures

So what do you put in a plant profile? There are a few ways to help you figure this out. One is to start by copying the structure of your favorite herbalist. I've been using the same structure for years in my plant profiles (and you can find a printable template for the structure if you sign-up for my newsletter and access the member's only posts). My structure is a combination of my own needs with the plant profiles structures of my teachers and favorite materia medicas. Since I'm writing my plant profiles to be used as teaching tools, they are on the longer side, use language that is on the more accessible side of the spectrum (as opposed to relying too heavily on medical and scientific language), and include stories, personal anecdotes, and metaphor. I write my plant profiles in this way because I enjoy the structure I've created and this is a style that my international, multilingual student population connects to and expects.

The plant profiles that I most often reference as a practitioner, however, are usually very different from the ones I write. I appreciate brevity, quick guides and lists, and precise summaries, because when I'm sitting with clients I don't have time to read through a long plant profile to find the information that I need. Some of my most referenced materia medicas using this style are listed in the footnotes below. Your own needs as an herbalist might lean towards much more succinct than my teaching-focused plant profiles that you find on my site. That's good to know so you don't feel the pressure to write a full length essay for every plant profile you create.

While you'll find variations between plant profiles by different authors here are the basic components that appear again and again:

• Common and Folk Names

• Latin Binomial

• Parts Used (i.e. use the leaf versus the root of a plant)

• Herbal Constituents: the active phytochemistry the herb)

• Herbal Actions (i.e. a list of what the medicinal actions are of a plant using terms like anti-inflammatory, lymphatic, cholagogue, and so on)

• Main Uses (i.e. the internal and external medicinal uses of the plant)

• Dosage Recommendation

• Contraindications and Drug Interactions 

In addition to the above components, you'll find additional listings in a plant profile depending on tradition, diagnostic techniques, cultural need, and personal preference, including:

• Indications (i.e. a list of physical, emotional, and mental indications that a plant may be of use. For some folks this shows up in the Main Uses section of a plant profile while others list it out separately for quick reference.)

• Habitat (i.e. the places that the plant is found in uncultivated spaces)

• Growing Conditions and Collection

• Flavor or Taste

• Temperature

• Moisture

• Tissue States

• Doshas

• Personality Indicators (i.e. the "Chamomile Personality")

• Doctrine of Signatures

• Magical Uses

• Tarot Correspondences

• Elemental Correspondences

• Astroherbalism Correspondences (including zodiac signs, planets, and lunar correspondences)

• Combine With or Works Well With (i.e. herbs or therapies that the plant being written about works with)

• Recipes

• Emojis (a fun and modern shorthand for the emotional states that an herb best serves)

Here is where you get to pick and choose a structure to fit your needs. As a teacher, the long-form style of plant profile that I write is important for me: it helps me to gather my thoughts and experiences about a plant into some sort of cohesive narrative which I can then use as a tool and resource for my students. When I'm learning about a new plant in books, I appreciate longer profiles full of stories and some of my favorite herbal books don't follow any of the structures I've talked about but rely on personal narratives and mythology to convey a plant's healing qualities. As a practitioner my needs are slightly different which is why my short form plant profiles that live in handwritten form in my notebooks before they become (if they ever do) profiles I share with the public, emphasize actions and indications alongside the energetics of traditional western herbalism that I work with including the elements, tissue states, and astroherbalism. Knowing your needs and interests as an herbalist will guide your structure, so spend some time investigating them.

Once you've chosen your structure there are even more ways to personal how you write out a profile including whether or not your profiles are kept digitally or written down within a book or binder; using shorthand symbols or abbreviations (I do this for astrological information); and whether or not you include images with your profiles. For my studies, I rely on pen and paper, but all of my plant profiles are eventually typed up. I also keep an additional spreadsheet that has herbs categorized for quick reference, but that is something that I rely on primarily for keeping track of information as a teacher. But that is probably beyond the needs of most of you reading this, but if you like color coded spreadsheets, please know you can incorporate that into your herbal practice, too.

You can also create plant profiles that are less word-filled and more art-filled. Color, symbolism, and your choice of art medium (from painting to textile art and beyond) can convey all sorts of meaningful and intuitive information. Conveying information about herbs and healing practices through images with multifaceted meanings is an ancient form of communication and if that is the sort of plant profiles you feel called to create, go for it!

Adding Your Stories

Every herbalist has a unique relationship with the plants and I think that it's a useful and beautiful thing to include some sort of personal narrative or signature in your plant profiles. Even if you're primarily creating your plant profiles by collating information from the writing of others, I think that if you're going to the effort of creating a profile it benefits all who read it to understand your approach, interests in the plants and their medicine, and personal anecdotes.

Who I am and my relationship to our plant kin is interwoven into the structure of my plant profiles. As a traditional western herbalist practicing the full spectrum of what our tradition has to offer, I include standard profile components like herbal actions, constituents, growing conditions, and so on alongside magickal uses, astrological correspondences, and the tradition of writing about the personality signatures of plants that I was taught by my teachers. All of these components inform my practice and so I include all of them in my plant profiles. Talking about plants as living beings and not just allies but elders and teachers is another important aspect of my plant profiles because that is inherent not only to my herbal practice but my spiritual practice.

I also include personal stories and anecdotes from my years of practice as well as the stories shared with me by others. Many of these don't necessarily make it into my public plant profiles, but they are included in my own notes that I'll pass to my own family and those apprentices who study with me.

I am incredibly grateful for the scientific studies on plant medicine that help us to better understand the ways that plants work in our bodies and the environments we live in. I also think that it is so important for individual herbalists to record anecdotes and stories about our plant allies. These are teaching stories that keep plant medicine a practice of the people which will help it survive and thrive for generations to come. If you ever have the opportunity to go to a gathering of herb folk (or just get to spend time with a plant story filled person) and get to sit around listening to and offering stories of plants I hope you can experience what I have time and time again - the power of the story of a plant to heal, inspire, and guide. If it feels right to put a story experienced or gifted to you on paper, I hope you do.

Oral Traditions + Audio Recordings

There is something that is captured via audio or video that can't quite be held by the written word. Audio recordings also help us to record songs and rhythms gifted by the plants that would be difficult to translate to paper. So if you're called to record oral traditions and your plant profiles as audio files, I encourage you to. I dream of an herbal library that is full of all sorts of resources from audio recordings and books, paintings and soundscapes, documentaries and textile arts, and so on that help to convey the long relationship between plant and people. When we spend time making our own records we are helping to create a legacy for others to benefit from (and make it harder for these things to be forgotten or taken away). 

My tips for audio recordings are simple. Label your digital files and organize them. Do this upon recording so you don't have to manage a bunch of unlabeled or improperly labeled audio files later on (because sorting through audio files can be an arduous task - please make it easy for yourself). If having a searchable database is important to you, create a document or excel spreadsheet with the name of the plant and the key actions and other meaningful correspondences written down so you can easily search for them later.

Storing Your Stories

Finally, consider how your plant profiles will be stored. You want to be able to use these profiles with ease in your practice so make them easy to access. I spend much of my working day on the computer, so it makes sense for me to have a digital archive of my plant profiles that I can easily access. My handwritten profiles are stored in notebooks that I keep within easy reach on my bookshelf. Additional information is stored in binders as well as simple paper files. I'm currently working on creating a completely handwritten and illustrated herbal for my own joy as I've always been intrigued and inspired by the handwritten herbals and grimoires of old and hope to contribute to this art as a sign of gratitude. One day, I hope this'll sit next to my altar, opened to  a page showing a beloved plant ally.

Plant profiles are living documents, meant to be amended and added on to as the need arises. I used to feel that I had to get my plant profiles "right" on the first go around and now I enjoy reading through old profiles noticing what has evolved, changed, and stayed the same through my many years of practice. Let there be flexibility, patience, and play in your practice. And most importantly, listen to the plants all along the process. As Cree and Métis herbalist and ethnobotanist Mary Siisip Geniusz says, "Plants have so much to give us, all we have to do is ask." (1)

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If you're looking for some visual inspiration check out my pinterest board for creating your own herbal. Other sources of inspiration include historical herbals and journaling spaces like the bullet journal and art journal communitites. But remember, it's more important to go ahead and make a plant profile then try to be a "perfect" enough writer or artist to accomplish the task. 

Are you feeling inspired to create your own plant profiles? I hope so and I also hope that you  find the same enjoyment with your own growing collection of plant profiles.

May your work become a living book of green wisdom and to be of benefit to yourself and those you serve.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

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Notes

(1) Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have To Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings by Mary Siisip Geniusz is a beautiful example of a plant-led and culture-centered book of stories and plant profiles. I hope you have the chance to read it.

The following are a few, though certainly not all, of my favorite materia medicas that I reach for again and again when I need information quickly (i.e. in a client setting): 

Dispensing with Tradition: A Practitioner's Guide to using Indian and Western Herbs the Ayurvedic Way by Anne McIntyre

The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine by Brigitte Mars

Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram

300 Herbs: Their Indications & Contraindications by Matthew Alfs

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Finding Freedom: Tarot and Tea for Aries Season

Hello, friends! You can find links to the full zodiac seasons series below!

One of the aspects of astrology that I enjoy the most is not about predictions or the shaping of personalities, but the alternative way of observing time that it offers. As a practitioner of an earth-based religion, there is a lot of emphasis on participating in the cyclical and spiralling nature of time which often means gazing beyond the confines of a calendar mandated by decree by imperialist powers. (1) Since astrology, and especially lunar astrology, is one of the oldest forms of marking the passage of time and season, it can be a fascinating and inspiring calendrical system to use. When we use a system like astrology to observe time, we're connecting to something that would be familiar to many of our star-gazing ancestors, and I find it grounding to find myself in time by engaging what is happening on the earth beneath my feet and the skies above my head (practicing the hermetic axiom As Above, So Below).  

Observing astrological time, I know that when the Spring Equinox rolls around, we are entering Aries season which is the first sign of the zodiac (for those in the southern hemisphere, Aries season coincides with the Autumn Equinox). When you read about "Aries Season" or "Leo Season" online they are referring to the period of time that the Sun is moving through a particular zodiac sign. Each season of the twelve sign zodiac lasts for about a month and are always sequential (i.e. after Aries season comes Taurus season, then Gemini season and so on).

The first day the Sun moves into Aries is the first day of Spring (i.e. the Spring Equinox which lands around March 19 - 22 each year). So I know that as the Earth is beginning to shake off the last remnants of winter, as the trees become ever more green with leaves, and as flowers are starting to appear throughout on the land I live with, that this is also the time when the Sun is moving into the sign of quick-moving, energetic Aries. I feel deeply interconnected with life when I make these observations, when I ask myself what is the spring of the place that I live in, and what does the season of Aries mean in the particulars of the space that I dwell (including my body). 

For this year, I wanted to offer a practice of observing space and place, so that you might feel grounded and connected to the land you live with as a practice of love and resiliency. To observe is to engage is to remember yourself back into the interconnectedness of life. Beginning this month with Aries, we'll move through the twelve signs of the zodiac as I have done twice before with you, first through my Astroherbology series and then through my New Moon series.

Zodiac Season Series

I have made note of the terrestrial season in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH).

NH: Spring / SH: Autumn

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

NH: Summer / SH: Winter

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

NH: Autumn / SH: Spring

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

NH: Winter / SH: Summer

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

For each season of the zodiac you'll find a tarot spread and a tea recipe to inspire your practice as well as a repeated set of prompts that you can journal with (or discuss with friends or covenmates) to help you be grounded and centered with the seasonal changes around and within you. 

The tarot spread can be used during Aries season or any time of the year that you feel a need to connect with the energy of the sign. Every sign of the zodiac is in our birth chart, every star is shining on each of us, and though they move through the sky, revealing and hiding themselves from view, we can always connect with the specific energy of a sign. As someone who practices the art of astroherbology, I've also included an option in each spread to incorporate some body-based star wisdom. Same for the tea recipes you'll find in this series - they can be used throughout the year whenever you need them!

Feeling excited? Then let's get started with our friend, Aries the Ram.

Aries is a sign of impetus and change. Like the two other fire signs of the zodiac, Aries assists us in figuring out what helps us get free.

Aries asks us, "What would you do if you decided to let go of fear just go for it?"

While just going for it isn't always the practical or reasonable approach, what answering this question does is help you connect with your courage, something which the energy of Aries can help us to define. The following Aries Season tarot spread helps us find sources of energy to inspire us, identify what is blocking our energy, and connect with our courage to help us move into our freedom.

Finding Freedom
Aries Season Tarot Spread

Card 1 & 2. That Which Energizes You

These cards are the head of the Ram, the symbol of Aries, and help to highlight the things which energizes you most, including things, people, creatures, and places which inspire you. These are things which you might seek to bring more into your life during Aries season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Card 3. That Which Blocks Your Energy

The gift of Aries is to live with unhindered energy so that we are able to ebb and flow as we need to. This card highlights how our energy gets blocked, especially during the recent past and present. Pay attention to the relationship between this card and the two preceding cards.

Card 4. That Which Frees You

This card can help you connect with the answer to the question posed earlier - "What would you do if you decided to let go of fear just go for it?" Here we can explore a practice or practices which helps to free up our energy and inspiration.

Card 5. A Message for Aries Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Aries season.

Bonus Card. That Which Guards the Head.

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your head, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning.

image via @bakdandraw

A Tea for Aries Season

How do we nourish the energies of Aries? As an energetic sign that is quick-acting and traditionally guards the head (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Aries), we need herbs that will help us keep our cool without losing the spark which inspires us. Nettles (Urtica dioica) is a great herb for the change of the seasons, helping to nourish our bodies as an herbal multivitamin, improve circulation, and clear the head of any end-of-season fog. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) helps the busy bee energy connect to the community song of the season, supporting the energy to do and go alongside the need to plan and rest. It's also supportive of brain health helping to strengthen Aries energy in our body. Finally, Rose (Rosa spp.) rounds out our blend, bringing red Aries energy into the visual magick of our tea, along with their ability to open us up to possibility.

To make your tea combine the following herbs:

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• 1 part Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• ¼ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Aries). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @anniespratt

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

᠅

Here’s to the start of a new turn of the zodiac wheel and the start of a new season!

I hope that you’re feeling a little more inspired at the start of Aries season knowing that there are plant allies to connect with and tools to explore the energy within and around you.

If you’re looking for more information about the magick of spring, come this way. Here’s a recipe to support your spring dreaming and a more in-depth tarot spread for the season of Ostara. Enjoy!

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

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Footnotes

(1) The Geopolitics of Gregorian Calendar is a short summary read if you want to learn more.

The Heart Deserves to Be Held: Motherwort Plant Profile

I’ve been planning on sharing this plant profile with you for a few months, corresponding with the release of my newest course, Solace: Herbs & Essences for Highly Sensitive People (which has been a joy to create and if you have a moment, please check it out). The time has arrived and I sit here writing this, heart-breaking, as the world moves closer to what seems like another wave of impossible horror that has become all too real again.

Sometimes it feels like there are too many wars, too many social and environmental battles, too many things which need to be fought, and too little hope that anything can be won.

That old and ancient part of my brain tries to calculate what it can do, singly, and with great effort, to turn the tide. Counting resources, making maps to find hidden answers, calculating transactions of courage and desperation. It’s a part of many of our brains that has been overactive for years now as the world seems to be coming undone over and over.

And yet, an even older part of myself, the most ancient heart and seat of primordial consciousness reaches out and finds a vast collective reaching back. It takes many hands to hold a heart throughout a lifetime, to support its growth, to mend its wounds, to tend to its spark of life. And I start to remember… It is not about moving beyond the collective to become something individually extraordinary, but to tend to the weave and weft of our community web so that when a need of any one of us arises, deft hands of support mend and repair, hold and affirm, strengthen and love.

So I continue to do what I am called to do alongside the new things which must be adapted to. I teach about plants and the ways they connect us to our humanity, to our experience of and being Land, and the ways we care for ourselves when it seems like we’re all having to learn to breathe underwater. Because the point is not to win and be right and righteous, but to live fully in the immensity of the collective during times that seek to make us feel divided and small.

Maybe Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) knew that they would be needed now and planted the seed in my mind to wait to write about them until this late winter season. It’s the sort of magick that Motherwort is known for. They are in so many ways one of the best allies to be offering insights about right now and I hope you’ll find some inspiration and comfort with the healing gifts they carry.

image source

Motherwort
(Leonurus cardiaca)

Common + Folk Names : Lion’s ear, lion’s tail, throw-wort, parentwort, niibiishikaabijigan

Element : Fire, Air

Zodiac Signs : Leo

Planet : Sun, Venus

Moon Phase : Full Moon

Parts Used : Aerial parts

Habitat : Native to Europe and western Asia, naturalized worldwide.

Growing Conditions : Partial shade to full sun with light, sandy soil.

Collection : Collect the flowering tops. 

Flavor : Pungent, bitter

Temperature : Cool

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Tension, Dryness

Constituents : Beta-carotene, calcium, potassium, flavonoids, citric and malic acid, alkaloids, bitter glycosides, caffeic acid, essential oil, phytoesterols, tannins, resin, triterpenes, leonurine, vitamin A. 

Actions : Antispasmodic, antifungal, antirheumatic, anxiolytic, cardiotonic, hypotensive, diaphoretic, hemostatic, hypotensie, astringent, bitter, parturient, emmenagogue, nervine, sedative, vasodilator, thymoleptic, immunostimulant, antiviral, antibacterial.

Main Uses

Motherwort is a classic heart tonic in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica. Look at its Latin binomial and you’ll get insight into the herb’s qualities as a “Lion Hearted” herb. 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” or compassionate parenting. The herb reduces high blood pressure, alleviates palpitations and hypertension, and generally strengthens the heart’s tone. It also reduces high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.

The herb’s connection to the heart is also closely linked to the uterus, making it an herb of the birthing room, helping to start labor, relieve the pain of childbirth, and prevent postpartum infections. Look for signs of emotional distress during labor where the birthing parent doesn’t feel like “they have the heart” to continue on with labor because they feel tired and worn down (the flower essence is especially useful in these situations, too). The herb and/or essence is also useful for midwives, birth assistants, and doulas to take while supporting labor and postpartum. After labor, Motherwort also helps with the birth of the placenta. It is a wonderful herb to include in postpartum blends to prevent and alleviate postpartum blues and depression. On an additional level, herbalist Karen M. Rose notes that Motherwort "teaches us to flow from the heart, addressing deep rooted ancestral trauma stored in the womb." (1)

Historical image of Motherwort from Theatrum Botanicum - source

As we’ll look at further in the Motherwort Personality section below, Motherwort is an ally that helps folks to connect with the energy of a nurturing parent who is unwavering in their love and kindness. It is one of my favorite plants to recommend to all folks who are going through the work of reparenting themselves and especially highly sensitive people who may have been rejected in some way by caregivers and/or peers because of their sensitivity. Listen for language that the inner child needs caring for.

The other medicinal reproductive qualities of Motherwort include helping to bring on delayed menses and to relieve cramp and back ache. The herb is good for PMS that brings on feelings of agitation, frustration, and anger, as well as other signs of heat, such as hot flashes and menstrual headaches. During perimenopause and menopause, Motherwort can act as an ally in these times of change both emotionally and physically (such as helping to alleviate hot flashes). Motherwort can also be used in a douche or vaginal steam for infections such as candida and bacterial vaginosis.

Motherwort is a useful herb for pain-relief and management, alleviating conditions such as neuralgia, sciatica, rheumatism, and postpartum pain. As an herb with powerful emotional uplifting qualities, Motherwort helps relieve depression and has been used in the treatment of bipolar conditions. The herb works on the sympathetic nervous system, bringing calm and soothing energy, which can help to alleviate nervousness, insomnia, restlessness, and general anxiety. It is especially useful for all of these reasons during menopause. 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.

Digestively, Motherwort is a bitter with a side of joy. It is excellent for those whose digestion gets tied in knots because of anxiety and nervousness. Think of folks who would be best served by receiving some of their parent’s best home cooking. The herb stimulates digestion, awakens the metabolism, and helps with the absorption of nutrients. As a cooling herb it alleviates overly hot and acidic digestion which can lead to heartburn. 

Other uses of Motherwort include during times of fever, ‘flu, and cold when there is debility and exhaustion. It is especially good in the recovery period. The herb calms an overactive thyroid. In general, Motherwort is calming to many body systems, especially when there is a notable influence by anxiety or nervousness. 

Magickal Uses

Motherwort is protective in general but especially during pregnancy and childbirth. Keep 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. Motherwort has a long folkloric tradition of being allied with those who identify as womxn. Herbalist Deb Soule has wise words to share about the connection between womxn-identified folk and Motherwort and what she writes is similar to the oral traditions that I was taught (2) about Motherwort, too:

Leonurus cardiaca means lion hearted. I think motherwort is strong medicine for women to put in dream pillows, to have in dried flower arrangements near our beds, by the telephone, in our workplaces, and to have growing in our gardens. We need courage to heal the various ways we have been wounded and have not been allowed to be the powerful, intelligent, wise women that we are. Motherwort gives us courage to be our true selves and to develop a strong heart, like the lion's heart. Strong hearts filled with courage are able to do anything. It takes a lot of courage to mother ourselves and children in a world that does not yet entirely value mothering, women, and children. (3)

image source

The Motherwort Personality

ARGH! The Motherwort person groans and shouts. They are impatient and snappish, letting folks know they are irritated and unhappy. Their heart races, there is redness in their face, and they can’t seem to rest and calm down. Motherwort folk are frustrated and agitated. Their heart feels heavy, over-heated, and wild. They may even be feeling heartbroken. Sometimes their anger is quiet and smoldering, but it is still burning them up. Motherwort is for the frustrated folks crying hot tears. The herb will help them cool off, calm down, and find their peace. Perhaps as children anger was the only way to feel heard and/or to feel safe, but now it is an overdeveloped force that needs to be balanced with other tools of emotional expression.

They will not find their peace by fighting their way towards peace and Motherwort will help them lay down the parts of their anger that is no longer serving them. Motherwort helps folk to connect with the energy of a nurturing parent who is unwavering in their love and kindness - sometimes it helps us to connect with an actual parent, but more often it helps us to reparent ourselves. In the end Motherwort teaches gentleness, especially gentleness towards themselves, by showing gentleness, so they may be gentle towards others and find the connection they are seeking in appropriate ways.

Contraindications : Do not use in cases of menorrhagia. Use only in the last part of pregnancy with supervision of an herbalist as it can start labor.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard Dosage, but drop dosage is a common recommendation for Motherwort, especially for emotional support: 1 - 3 drops (1:2 fresh or 1:5 dried 60% alcohol extract), 1 - 3 times daily.

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I hope this post finds folks who are need of the type of support that Motherwort can provide. And in the spirit of supporting the collective, here are a round-up of resources for supporting the people of Ukraine.

Let's continue to work for peace, share resources, and take care of one another.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

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Footnotes

(1) Karen M. Rose, The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine (Beverly, MA: Quarto Publishing, 2022), 110.

(2) I imagine the Deb taught teachers of my teachers somewhere along the line of feminists (particularly queer ones) reclaiming bodily autonomy and reconnection to land through working with plants. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Deb and the land she lives with, Avena Botanicals, and she embodies so much of what she teaches about Motherwort. She helped me see myself as an herbalist, as a dyke who loves the land, which carried me through what would be a very straight world for the first few years of my herbal studies and I am so grateful for that courage.

(3) Deb Soule, The Roots of Healing: A Woman's Book of Herbs (New York: Citadel Press, 1995), 120.

Bathing with the Moon: Herbal Baths for the Lunar Phases

One of my favorite forms of herbal medicine and magick is the herbal bath. Simple and inexpensive, requiring no fancy equipment, and with the ability to use both fresh and dried herbs, herbal baths are a beautiful form of self and community care. Basically, herbal baths are teas that you bathe in. If you don't have access to a bath, you can use them as shower rinses, too. Herbal bath blends are incredibly fun to make with little ones in your life, coven mates, and magickal kin, as well as by yourself before your altar, amidst the plants of the garden, or in the quiet of your kitchen. 

I've been using herbal baths as part of my Moon practice for many a year and they help me to embody a slow magick that spirals and flows, ebbs and rests, and strengthens the energetic and physical body against the pressures of endless work, productivity, and cultural expectation. Bathing with herbs is a deep ancestral practice, an honoring of our ancient bodies' need for warmth and feeling held, and a way to pause while cocooned in the waters of life. What I hope is that your Moon baths and observations of lunar time are richly radical, imbued with the magick of change, and an ongoing act of liberation, free from the idea that self-care is a cure-all (it's not) or that any of us has to go it alone (thank, Goddess).

image via @masonkimber

What follows are general guidelines and then a few suggested recipes guided by the traditional western herbalism that I practice as well as my Pagan spirituality. As with all herbal medicine and magick remember that practicing an earth-affirming path of healing asks us to use what we have, adapt what we need, and carefully consider how and when we acquire resources. In other words, if you don't have Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) easily and responsibly accessible, that silvery Sage (Salvia officinalis) in your cupboard might do just as well. Systems of correspondences (i.e. why certain herbs are assigned to different Moon phases) are useful in that they connect us with the energy of tradition but our relationship to an herb and our need for a type of blend is just, if not more, important which is why innovation is a powerful magickal tool.

I've also included items beyond herbs that you might want to incorporate into your lunar bathing rituals - none of these are necessary but I do hope it inspires you to think about the crafting of your herbal bath and ways that you can bring beauty to it. A jar full of lunar herbs is an altar in miniature, the act of bathing a ritual, and the re-emergence from the waters a sort of gentle rebirth. The care and intention that we approach our herbal baths is as much part of the magick as any herb or stone we might be working with.

A final few notes. There are lots of phases of the Moon that you can observe, but I'll be focusing on the New, Full, and Dark of the Moon which is when I'm most likely in my own practice to have a lunar bathing ritual. You'll also find that I use a lot of the same herbs, in different proportions in the recipes - that's because these are my personal allies and the plants that I have kinship with. I'll list different herbs for each lunar phase, but you don't have to use different herbs for different phases but should feel free to work intimately and consistently with your beloved plant allies in different combinations. Finally, here is my basic herbal bath recipe and guidelines for herbal bathing.

image via @straz

The New Moon

In traditional western herbalism, herbs of the New Moon are considered hot and moist. Energetically what this is trying to communicate is that we are in a period of enlivening activity (i.e. life-giving heat) and these are the conditions needed to grow and develop (i.e. the moist warm soil needed to grow seeds). Magickally, the New Moon is considered a time of new beginnings, an auspicious period for starting new projects, work manifestation magick, and it's also a good time to energize any aspect of your life including spells and charms. The New Moon also carries the energy of endings (as a new cycle begins so an old one must end) which helps us to part with and give up that which is no longer needed in our life, so cleansing magick and cord cutting rituals are especially auspicious. For a more herbal medicine based perspective on New Moon herbs, come this way.

A quick note on timing. Different folks determine the New Moon at different times of the lunar cycle. For some, the New Moon is when the Moon is completely dark and not visible in the sky. For others, like myself, the New Moon is when you can see the first sliver of the Moon in the night sky after a period of complete dark. This was what I was taught and it also allows me to observe the period of the Dark of the Moon as an important and separate aspect of the lunar cycle. But there is no right way - it's all made up by people just like you and me, so follow what works for you. 

New Moon Herbs: Angelica (Angelica archangelica), Basil (Ocimum spp.), Elder (Sambucus nigra), Lavender (Lavandula officinalis), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Peppermint (Mentha piperita),  Sage (Salvia officinalis). Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris or your local variety) is considered a Moon herb for all phases.

My favorite herb for New Moon baths is Basil (Ocimum spp.) and especially Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum, tenuiflorum). I love how effective Basil is at moving energy throughout the body which helps to connect with the upwelling of energy present at the New Moon. It is also a great ally for removing unwanted energy and also helps to protect our energetic boundaries for the cycle ahead. 

New Moon Herbal Bath

• 2 parts Basil (Ocimum spp.)

• 1 part Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa damascena)

image via @gkumar2175

The Full Moon

Cold and dry herbs are the traditional correspondence found in western herbalism. Energetically, we're looking at the completed structure that is solid, livable, and created to last. No longer in the phase of ideas and creation, the Full Moon rises in the sky, a source of heightened and potent energy, fully realized. Magickally, the Full Moon is one of the most auspicious times to work magick, charge up charms, amulets, and other tools of the trade, as well as gather together with other magickal folk in reverie and celebration. For me, the Full Moon has always felt like a time of deep connection with my Witch ancestors, my current Witchen Kin, and those Witch folk who will emerge long after I'm gone. Watching the Full Moon rise in the sky has filled me with hope and a sense of holiness again and again and it feels like a prehistoric sort of ritual. Blessing the self, working magick for community healing and justice, and re-dressing the body in an energetic mantle of sacredness are all auspicious to do when the Moon is Full.

Full Moon Herbs: Lavender (Lavandula officinalis), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), Mugwort (Artemisa vulgaris), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Plantain (Plantago major),  Sage (Salvia officinalis), Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris).

It's hard to choose between Milky Oat and Rose as my primary Full Moon herb - so I won't! Milky Oat and Rose are some of my dearest teachers and to work with them at the Full Moon feels like traveling to a sacred circle of healing and magick. Milky Oat is my most beloved of nervous system herbs and acts as a tonic for the soul, helping us to feel held and nourished at any time and especially during the heightened energy of the Full Moon. The seeds feel like packets full of Moon milk. Rose is an herb of unfolding mystery and magick. The flower helps us to connect with the old and wise parts of ourselves having been with our species for millenia. To be held in our unfolding is why I like using these herbs together. 

Full Moon Herbal Bath - Restorative

• 2 parts Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• 1 part Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa damascena)

Full Moon Herbal Bath - Enlivening

• 1 part Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• ½ part Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• ½ part Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)

image via @adilnapreda

The Dark of the Moon

I almost always make my Dark of the Moon herbal bath blend a few days before since I don't typically make any sort of herbal remedies when the Moon is Dark. For me, Dark of the Moon work is usually of two varieties: deep rest or shadow work. The Dark of the Moon is a time to retreat from the world, go deep within (including deep rest), and recenter yourself before re-emerging into the world with the New Moon.

Dark Moon Herbs: Elder (Sambucus nigra), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Lavender (Lavandula officinalis), Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), Nettles (Urtica dioica), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Mugwort, my dudes. Mugwort is an herb that I love and can only use in small doses because of how powerfully it works on my body and through my energetic systems. I have learned this in unexpected and humorous ways again and again, so I make sure to approach Mugwort with a lot of respect as She is a powerful herb. In Anglo-Saxon tradition, Mugwort is called Una, oldest of herbs, and I feel that in my bones (here is a great in-depth look at the Nine Herbs Charm - you really should read the original out-loud to get a sense of just how rhythmic it is). The herb works to connect us to the liminal, enhance our dreamscapes, and loosen the spirit from the body if travelling through the worlds is what you require. In general, beyond my own sensitivity to the herb, I think that Mugwort is best enjoyed in small doses and I think it is more effective for dreamwork (especially lucid dreamwork) and promoting rest when smaller doses are used.

Dark of the Moon Herbal Bath - Rest & Dream Work

• 1 part Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)

• 1 part Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

• ½ part Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Dark of the Moon Herbal Bath - Shadow Work

• 1 part Elder (Sambucus nigra)

• 1 part Rose (Rosa damascena)

• ½ part Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

image via @priscilladupreez

Additions to Your Herbal Bath

Add an herb for the Moon sign. When I am trying to work with the specific energy of the sign that the Moon is in, I add in an herb associated with that Moon sign. You can find affirmations as well as links to full profiles of each sign of the zodiac here. You can also choose to always add an herb for your Moon sign into each bath blend.

Salt and epsom salt. Adding salt or epsom salt to your bath can be a way of helping us connect to our oceanic origins (in the case of salt) or assist with pain relief (in the case of epsom salt). 

Honey. Honey is not only good for the skin but helps to sweeten the energy of whatever spell you're working.

Milk. Oat milk (preferably homemade) or your choice of milk is a beautiful addition to the bath and adds additional skin-soothing properties to the experience. Within folk magick milk is associated with the Moon because of its bright white color. 

Stones. Along as you check to make sure that they are water-safe, gemstones can be added directly to your bath water. Or you can place them in your herbal blend to add their energy to the mix before water is added. Silver coins are another traditional addition to lunar blends.

Add moonwater. Adding water charged by the Full Moon or whatever Moon phase you're working with can be a powerful addition to your bathwater.

Flower or gem essences. Flower essences and gem essences are a simple way to support the emotional body. You can add in the flower essences of whatever herbs you're working with (something I love to do) or different essences.

Invoke the spirits, call your guides. I bless the water and call in certain holy ones of the waters before I bathe. It is part of transforming the mundanity of my bathroom to a energetic temple holding space for my ritual submersion. On a practical level, speaking sacred invocations and other holy words before immersing myself in my bath is a way to help shift my consciousness to the magickal working at hand.

Work with Nines. Hearkening to the magick of planetary squares, the primary sacred number of the Moon is nine. So you can stir your blend of herbs nine times, chant a spell over them nine times, or any other variation of working magick nine times. I like the addition of mindfulness that this adds to my practice, helping me to focus on the work at hand.

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I hope you're feeling inspired to draw a bath (or magickal shower) next time you're feeling like working some lunar magick. Lunar baths are also a wonderful addition to lunar magick in general and I've written a whole series on the Moon phases and magick. You can find posts for all the phases below:

• Dark of the Moon

• New Moon

• Waxing Quarter Moon

• Full Moon

• Waning Quarter Moon

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into lunar healing and magick, how about learning about your personal lunar holy day each month or a path exploring your gifts as a healer?

Wherever the Moon cycle finds you, may your baths be lunar and your magick abundant!

This post was chosen by and made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎