Alleviating Suffering of Body & Spirit: Boneset Plant Profile

Now, friends, here is a plant profile that I’ve had on my list of “plant profiles to write” for quite a number of years. It remained on the list as opposed to be written because it’s not the most widely available plant and it’s rather specific, if effectively so, in its use. So Boneset (Eupatorium perfolium) waited on my ever-growing plant list as other plants were written about and my patrons requested specific profiles they were wanting to see.

And then the most recent global pandemic arrived and Boneset, along with other pandemic plant allies, and the people who used became something I was increasingly interested in.

To be clear, I am incredibly grateful for and supportive of all the interventions that we have developed as a species to keep ourselves and our communities healthy, including masks and vaccines. Also, the resources below are in regards to an influenza pandemic and not a covid-based one. I was simply curious about how our herbal elders of pandemics past used the plants they had available to support community health, alleviate suffering, and prevent unnecessary death.

The first resource I stumbled upon was the Influenza Encyclopedia created by the University of Michigan. It’s an extensive archive of reports, medical articles, and more about what life was like, the treatments provided, and health measures taken during the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 in the United States. Here is where you can find articles from The Eclectic Medical Journal which discusses herbal treatments.

Then I came across Kathy Abascal’s excellent book Herbs & Influenza: How Herbs Used in the 1918 Flu Pandemic Can Be Effective Today. When my household and community was dealing with a robust strain of influenza a few years back, I learned about plant allies in this book that I hadn’t read about before that are now some of my favorite remedies when dealing with colds and the ‘flu.

All of this is to say that Boneset is an important very specific sort of ally that many would benefit from and has proven itself to be a plant that is useful during periods of significant human suffering.

So, let’s meet Boneset.

image via SB Johnny

Boneset
(Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Common + Folk Names : Agueweed, crosswort, feverwort, sweating plant, tedral, thoroughstem, vegetable antimony, wild isaac, hierba de chiva, ayapana, ogaakananiibiish

Tarot Cards : The Devil

Element : Water

Zodiac Signs : Capricorn (Guardian Herb)

Planets : Saturn

Moon Phase : Full Moon

Parts used : Aerial parts

Habitat : Native to wetlands of North America. 

Growing conditions : Grows in damp areas and wetlands. Prefers rich soil, damp conditions, and full to partial sun.

Collection : Harvest before flowering.

Flavor : Bitter, pungent

Temperature : Cold

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Heat/Excitation, Damp/Stagnation

Constituents : Sesquiterpene lactones, polysaccharides, flavonoids, glucoside, diterpenes, gallic acid, sterols, essential oils.

Actions : Aperient, antispasmodic, astringent, bitter, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant, febrifuge, immunostimulant, laxative, peripheral vasodilator, stimulant, tonic

Main Uses

I remember having a fever as a child where it felt like my bones were breaking - it was miserable and I’m sure many of you have experienced such discomfort. So when I learned about an herb known to treat "bonebreak fever" I was curious (though not looking forward to) being able to use the herb myself when I experienced a similar fever again. A few years back another bonebreak fever arrived and I remembered that I had a bottle of Boneset tincture in my herb cabinet. The herb was a blessed ally to have and reduced the severity and time that I was in pain as well as helping to “break” or relieve my fever. It's now an herb that I gratefully recommend to my family and community when a bonebreak fever shows up for them. 

Boneset has long been used within Indigenous communities in North America and was introduced to European Americans herbalists and physicians who would use the plant during influenza pandemics (I highlight Anishinaabe knowledge of the herb below). The herb is regarded as a generally safe as long as it is not taken in high doses (in which vomiting may occur) and was highly valued by early twentieth century doctors and herbalists. (1) The herb alleviates pain, high fever, and acts as a valuable expectorant when there is a build-up of catarrh in the system. Boneset has a cleansing quality to it which means that in addition to reducing mucous caused by illness in the systems, it also helps to clear toxicity in the body such as infection as well as general congestion. 

As an expectorant, Boneset helps to open the airways and alleviate coughs. It is stimulating, too, which makes it a helpful ally to those who are too weak to cough strong enough to expel phlegm and are experiencing trouble breathing. The pulse indications as established by the Eclectics for Boneset are "patients with a full and large pulse, with the pulse current exhibiting little waves." (2) I can also attest to the traditional recommendation of giving Boneset frequently at the earliest onset of symptoms to reduce or avoid influenza altogether. I often combine Boneset with Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa) and this has historical precedence as a frequent combination for influenza patients. In the 1930s Maude Grieve (or her editor, fellow herbalist Hilda Leyel) noted that Boneset was used by African American communities in the American South for fever "as well as its tonic effects." (3) I've given the traditional recommended dosage and recipe for Boneset in the dosage guidelines below.

Anne McIntyre recommends using Boneset as a body wash which can be a good way to administer the remedy to children. (4) In addition to fever, Boneset is useful for alleviating respiratory infections especially when it is taken at first indication of infection and when there are accompanying aches and pains. Boneset is immunostimulating helping to protect the body against bacterial and viral infections and it has also been shown useful in alleviating the pain of autoimmune conditions.

One of the other traditional uses of Boneset is as an herb to take when a bone has been broken. Anishinaabe elder, teacher, and ethnobotanist, Keewaydinoquay taught that "[B]oneset's chief virtue is that it is specific for the periosteum tissue around the outside of a bone. When a bone is broken this tissue may be cut. For the bone to regrow properly, this tissue has to be mended, and this plant helps the body do that." (5) To support the healing of a broken bone, the herb should be ingested in tea form and Keewaydinoquay's apprentice, Mary Siisip Geniusz recommends combining the Boneset with calcium rich Nettles (Urtica dioica) for best results. The herb should also be applied topically as a poultice to aid healing according to Keewaydinoquay's teacher, the mashkikiiwikwewag, Nodjimahkwe. (6)

Boneset also has use as a digestive aid as its bitter flavor helps to regulate the bowels and aid the process of digestion. As with helping to clear congestion from the lungs, Boneset clears a "congested" digestion. Look for signs of slow digestion and constipation as indications that Boneset might be useful. 

image via @nagaranbasaran

Magickal Uses

Connect with the herb as ally when exploring the energies of and pathworking The Devil card in tarot. Use in Saturnian rituals and acts of magick. Scott Cunningham records the use of Boneset as an herb of protection and exorcism which align with the herbs medicinal qualities as well as being a plant of Saturn. (7)

The Boneset Personality

Those who would be aided by working with Boneset, especially in essence form, are often suffering under oppressive and untended to trauma (imagine a bonebreak fever of the spirit). They show signs of unending exhaustion and, on an energetic level (and sometimes a physical one, too), they struggle to take a deep breath. They are laboring under a congestion of the spirit and working with Boneset can help to clear out some of that stagnant energy. One of the aspects of healing that can feel particularly treacherous to Boneset folks, is having to find themselves in a position of vulnerability and being cared for by community and by those folks who have their welfare in mind. Boneset can help folks to repair their ability to feel empowered in giving consent and establishing healthy boundaries. Much of the work of Boneset healing is Saturnian in nature - foundations are being formed, skillsets are being tested, and resiliency established. It’s a useful herb for many during a Saturn Return. On the other side of a healing crisis, Boneset folks can emerge feeling energized and able for the first time in a long time.

Contraindications : Large doses can lead to vomiting and diarrhea. Use no more than five days consecutively and then take a break.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage. Frequent doses of Boneset, especially when combined with Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa) for influenza is a traditional remedy and I've given a full description of a influenza pandemic doctor's recommendations as below for reference:

A physician who saw ten to 35 influenza patients during the epidemic began treatment by mixing two teaspoons of boneset and one teaspoon of pleurisy root in a cup of hot water. This was given immediately with a second does 15 minutes later, a third half an hour later, and a fourth dose an hour after the first dose. He reported that this treatment typically reduced a fever of 103 - 104 degrees by three to four degrees in a few hours. (8)

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I hope this exploration of the healing gifts of Boneset not only proved useful for your own practice but was enjoyed by those of you whose Venn diagram of herbal medicine and history is a circle.

If you’re interested in learning more about herbs for cold and ‘flu season, check out my post on creating a winter wellness apothecary. If you’re interested in learning more about the modern community health response to our current pandemic with an herbal focus, check out my resource page.

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

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Footnotes

(1) Kathy Abascal, Herbs & Influenza: How herbs used in the 1918 Flu Pandemic can be effective today (Vashon, WA: Tigana Press, 2006), 63.

(2) Abascal, 63.

(3) Maude Grieve, A Modern Herbal: Volume I (New York: Dover Publications, 1971), 119.

(4) Anne McIntyre, Dispensing with Tradition: A Practitioner's Guide to using Indian and Western Herbs the Ayurvedic Way (Cheltenham: Artemis House, 2012), 57.

(5) Mary Siisip Geniusz, Plants Have So Much To Give Us, All We Have To Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2015), 213.

(6) Geniusz, 214.

(7) Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 63.

(8) Abascal, 65.

Living Our Stories: Tarot and Tea for Gemini Season

Welcome to Gemini Season! Join me as I explore tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (and you can learn more about this series over here).

With the change to the season of Gemini, we meet the first Air sign of the zodiac, having already traveled through the fiery energy of Aries and the grounding strength of Taurus. In the southern hemisphere, Gemini marks the last period before we enter autumn, and in the northern hemisphere, Gemini carries us through the end of late spring into summer. In astrology, Gemini is known as a mutable sign which tells us that we are dealing with energy that is changing and adaptable (Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are also mutable signs). In many ways, we are living in intensely Gemini times with social media, perpetual news cycles, and more information (and disinformation) being accessed with greater ease by large parts of the population more than ever.

Gemini is a sign of duality, its symbols the sacred twins, but its symbol could easily be a double-edge sword as the same words and stories which liberate can also cut down and oppress. With Gemini we have the opportunity to explore the stories we're telling, what we're being told, what we are perceiving (and the lenses by which we're looking) and how we're being perceived in turn. So super simple stuff, right? Fortunately, Gemini holds plenty of paths of wisdom that we can take.

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Living Stories
Gemini Season Tarot Spread

One of the greatest gifts of Gemini is its ability to adapt. While Gemini is traditionally associated with the respiratory system, arms, and hands, I also associate the sign with the neuroplasticity of our brains. We tell ourselves and are told so many stories about who we are, our capabilities, what it is possible to achieve, how we've already failed, the burdens of our ancestors, the hopelessness of our descendants, and so on throughout our lives. Combine that with traumatic experiences and these stories can carve deep neural pathways in our brains that can begin to feel unmovable and unrepairable. (1) For many, one of the important steps of healing from trauma is moving from telling one version of a story about ourselves that feels unquestionably true (i.e. "I'm broken and worthless") to something which is more authentic and supportive of our wellbeing (i.e. "My worth is unquestionable, my wholeness secure"). Here is where the storytelling gifts of Gemini and its ability to adapt and change can support us. 

Gemini asks us, "What is the story you want to tell?"

The following spread is about helping us connect with our living story, whether we're processing personal traumas, dealing with the reverberations of collective trauma, connecting with our inner child or just doing the work of exploring our own stories, whatever emotions they evoke, with the goal of feeling more empowered by what story we're telling about ourselves.

While tarot spreads are wonderful tools of self-exploration, you deserve to receive professional therapeutic support when exploring difficult and challenging experiences and I hope you access help through the growing number of mental health services available. You deserve to be held, whole and holy, as you process through what it is you have lived through.

Card 1. That Which Is Being Spoken

What are you saying about yourself? If you want you can pull a card for what you're saying to yourself (inner dialogue, etc) and another for what you're saying about yourself to others. If a challenging card comes up here it can be a reflection that the story you're telling isn't in alignment with your inner truth and desires, indicating that you might need more support moving forward when it comes to affirming and empowered self-belief and expression.

Card 2. That Which Is Being Heard

This card highlights the stories about you that are the most persistent in your life. These might be cultural stories, opinions that you've adopted from social media, stories from parents, teachers, peers, and so on. 

Cards 3 & 4. The Living Story 

Instead of casting these cards as you usually would, you are going to look through the deck and purposefully choose two cards that symbolize the story that you want to be telling. Of course, if you're feeling fatigued with decisions, you can still cast these cards by shuffling and a random draw, but if you have the energy I encourage you to choose them with intention. If you're looking for some guidance, these cards might address the obstacles of the previous two cards. After you choose these cards proceed to read them as you would any other card in a spread as cards describing a living story that wants to be told. 

Card 5. A Message For Gemini Season

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

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Lungs

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your lungs, 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. 

image source

A Tea for Gemini Season

How do we nourish the energy of Gemini? The energy of Gemini challenges the quickness of Aries, and while their speed can be welcome when we're trying to solve a problem, express ourselves or communicate a new idea, most times Gemini energy benefits from remedies that softens and relaxes. Gemini is also the guardian of the lungs, the arms, the hands, and the nervous system (click here for a few list of traditional correspondences of Gemini) and I've included herbs which also support these body systems. 

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a wonderful plant ally that meets us where we're at when it comes to energy - it soothes and relaxes when we're too overstimulated but energizes and enlivens when we're feeling sluggish. Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is my favorite herb to help nourish our nervous system while quieting the noisy, distracting, and chattering part of our brain. My favorite nervous system tonic is Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and a plant ally I often recommend to Gemini folk who tend to overwork their nervous systems. Combined, these three herbs help us to welcome in the season of Gemini with calm so that we can reap the benefits of clarity that this season can bring. 

To make your tea, combine the following herbs:

• 2 parts Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• ½ part Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

• 1 part Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

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 Gemini). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image source

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?

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I’ve been writing about the intersections between plants, stars, and planets for years, so if you’re feeling inspired to keep reading about all things astroherbalism, check out the Gemini Astroherbology Profile as a great next step. For those wanting some visual inspiration, I have a whole collection of Gemini Season images for you. If you’re looking for more information on using tarot as a tool of healing, come this way. And I’ve also written about my favorite plant-themed tarot decks (tarot is a very Gemini sort of divination system).

You can also learn about how to set-up your own Gemini season apothecary full of spring remedies.

Wherever the season of Gemini finds you may all lines of communication and clarity be open to you, all paths full of the right sort of people, places, and creatures!

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

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Notes

(1) If you're seeking resources for healing from this sort of trauma, EMDR is a well-researched form of therapy that helps folks recover and move on from the distress of trauma. This is the one form of therapy that I have recommended to clients again and again over the years, so if you're feeling like you're ready to get some support for your experiences of trauma, I hope you seek out the right practitioner for you. You deserve to be supported and your suffering eased.

The Plant Allies of Spring: How to Create a Spring Wellness Apothecary

Forever ago I wrote a blog post on creating your own herbal apothecary for the winter months, but it's not just winter that I'm adjusting what's on my apothecary shelves. Every season brings new needs and new herbs growing on the Land, so I thought it would be useful to write about creating home apothecaries for wellness for each of the seasons.

As with my winter wellness suggestions, I've organized my recommendations into general herbal actions that I find useful in the springtime such as anti-inflammatory herbs for allergies. I've tried to highlight herbs that are easy to access (especially in North America, where I am writing this from) and/or inexpensive to grow yourself, but hopefully you'll feel inspired and able to work with herbs local to your area.

So with that in mind let's explore some of the common ailments and remedies for the season of spring!

image via @merrij

Finding Balance: Managing Seasonal Allergies

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, anti-catarrhal, and respiratory tonics

Here's my caveat about herbs and allergies: I do think that many folks benefit from working one-on-one with a local herbalist to help figure out your allergies and reactivity because a) allergies can be tricky to figure out and the individualized care a practitioner can offer can be essential, b) there are often layers of reactivity occurring (including food allergies and neuroplastic reactivity) that need exploring and c) a local herbalist can help you work with local herbs which is often very beneficial to alleviating allergies. 

All that said, there are a lot of herbs that are generally useful for allergies and helping the body be less reactive and inflammatory during allergen abundant times like spring. The following herbs are protective against seasonal allergies, energize body systems, and generally help the body move from winter to spring. 

Nettles (Urtica dioica): A nutritionally dense plant ally, Nettles is a great herb to work with in strengthening and nourishing our body. It has antihistamine qualities and helps to "build the blood" which speaks to both its iron content, but the herbs overall nutritive and energizing (but not stimulating) healing qualities.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.): A beloved ally for helping to alleviate seasonal allergies, Goldenrod is adept at relieving congestion and sinus pain.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): A good tonic herb, known for bringing joy and life to those who ingest it. Lemon Balm helps to protect against overwhelm, whether that's feeling overwhelmed by change, social situations, spring allergies or whatever else is looming large in your life. 

Peppermint (Mentha piperita): If you're feeling particularly sluggish this spring, turn to Peppermint to help sweep away the remaining drowsiness of winter so you can connect with the energy of the new season. The anti-inflammatory qualities of Peppermint help us to breathe deeper, reduce the brain fog that often come along with allergies, and infuse us with some hope that this too shall pass.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The arrival of Dandelion on the Land I live with is a time of celebration. There will be medicine that can be made again for the year ahead and enjoying Dandelion medicine during the early days of spring is like filling up the body with spring energy from the inside out. Dandelion helps to reduce sinus inflammation and expel excess mucus (along with the allergens it carries). 

The Internal Fire: Nourishing Digestion

Herbal Actions: Bitters, cholagogues, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, carminatives, and nervines

One of the most important ways of supporting health from a traditional western herbalism perspective, is supporting the digestive fire (or metabolic processes) of the body. After the slowness of winter and the long stretch of cold, in the spring we want to support the building up of digestive effectiveness as we become more active and the days heat up. Finding the right digestive herbs for your constitution can take a bit of effort (which is why working with an herbalist one-on-one can be so valuable - you deserve such support), but when you find your digestive plant allies, it can be life changing. 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The roots are a good overall spring tonic, helping to wake up our winter bodies to the season of spring. I like to drink a decoction of the roots during early spring (sometimes with a recipe like this) and enjoy making and taking my own whole plant Dandelion tinctures (i.e. the roots, leaves, flowers of Dandelion) to enjoy throughout the year.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Another good overall spring to summer tonic and digestive aid, I especially like recommending Chamomile for highly sensitive people who tend to get upset stomachs when experiencing disruption to their day and routine (including struggling with the change of season). Chamomile is also a plant ally for folks who tend to have an overactive or fast digestion (may be indicated via signs of cramping, diarrhea, and gas). 

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): Deeply reparative to the digestive system and often a good ally for folks who suffer from bloating, fatigue, and gas after meals.

Rose (Rosa spp.): A helpful ally when it comes to supporting the microbiome of our gut, acting as a prebiotic as well as supporting digestion through the promoting the production of bile. 

Other digestive spring aids include Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Ginger (Zingiber officinalis), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and Sage (Salvia officinalis).

image via @victorserban

Waking Up From Winter: Brain Fog & Brain Tonics

Herbal Actions: Nootropics, nervines, and adaptogens along with herbs for digestive health to support the brain-gut axis.

The winter season has hopefully brought some much needed slowness and rest to your life. Just like getting up in the morning after a long night's sleep, waking up from the winter months can take a bit of time. I like to reach for herbs that support brain health and mental clarity, helping to sweep away the cobwebs of winter so that I can best enjoy the energy of spring.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): My favorite ally for alleviating brain fog and helping to promote mental clarity. It's also a plant ally known to bring joy and support our ability to feel part of the world and not be overrun by it - something which can feel especially useful between the slowness of winter and the speediness of spring.

Sage (Salvia officinalis): A classic brain tonic, Sage is known as an herb of wisdom, promoting mental clarity and discernment.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa): A great ally for those feeling exhausted and not ready to be doing much of anything, much less transitioning into a new season. A supremely generous tonic for the nervous system as well as supporting our mental health.

Other brain tonics include Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica), Gingko (Gingko biloba), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Springtime Colds & Fevers

Check out my winter apothecary post for recommendations on herbs for different types of colds, coughs, and fevers.

Breathing Deeply: Respiratory & Lung Health

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatories, demulcents, astringents, aromatic, and expectorants.

Honoring the breath is an important part of my personal and professional practice. I've written about breathwork and the herbs that support breathwork practices, all of which can be incorporated into a spring apothecary.

Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum): If you have the sort of spring allergies which cause a lot of damp and mucus, drying Yerba Santa might be a good ally for you. It's a respiratory tonic and nervine helping us to connect deeply to our breath and nervous system.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): If you've had a long season of being sick this past winter, Mullein can be a great ally, especially if there is a lingering cough. I like combining Mullein with Elder (Sambucus nigra) and Peppermint (Mentha piperita) for a lung-opening, immunomodulating blend. A helpful ally for those whose asthma is irritated by the increase in heat and allergens that spring brings.

Elecampane (Inula helenium): A good herb for seasonal allergies and stubborn coughs of all sorts. 

image via @jiihu

The Body In Motion: Supporting the Lymph Nodes

Herbal Actions: Lymphatic, alterative, anti-inflammatory, and astringent

Some of the first herbs to spring up after winter are ones that support lymphatic health, helping to drain congested lymphs and reduce overall inflammation. Often considered weeds by the general public, these herbs deserve respect and can be a beautiful and inexpensive way to access herbal medicine. Be sure to leave enough herbs to go to seed and continue to spread out across the Land to where they are most needed.

Cleavers (Galium aparine): These sweet and sticky herbs help to support the activity of white blood cells clearing out congestion in our lymph nodes. These are best taken fresh either as a tea or blended into smoothies.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis): If you're in a state of lymphatic congestion, Calendula can be a beautiful ally to work with. The bright flowers shine through our system, chasing out shadows of sluggishness, helping to promote lymphatic drainage and circulation.

Dandelion (Taraxacum offcinalis): Dandelion helps to repair and support the filtering systems of our body including our liver, kidneys, digestive tract, and lymph nodes. The herb helps to promote the production of lymphocytes which makes it a wonderful lymph tonic to work with throughout late winter and early spring.

Other lymph tonic herbs include Chickweed (Stellaria media), Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), and Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens).

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There you have it friends - herbal allies for the spring season! I hope you're feeling inspired to build your own home apothecary using a few easily accessible herbs to support your health and the health of those you serve. In my own life, spring is a time of trying to use up last year's stock of herbal remedies so that I can make space for new ones, long and lovely hours in the garden, checking in with the energy of the season, and working all sorts of springtime magick.

You can also learn about the seasons from an astrological perspective, starting with Aries. If you’re in the southern hemisphere the start of spring is marked by Libra.

I hope that you find the rhythm of seasonal change that works the best for you and your loved ones, so that you can thrive in times of change and feel nourished by the possibility of what is coming into being.

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

My Favorite Tarot Decks for Herbalists & Plant Folk

As an herbalist who reads the tarot (and a tarot reader who talks with plants), I'd thought I'd share with you some of my favorite tarot decks with herbal themes. I’d also thought it also be of interest to folks who are following along with my project of the year - tarot and tea practices for each of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

We are living in abundant times when it comes to tarot decks and many feature botanical imagery, but the connection between tarot and the plant world is nothing new as the cards have long been connected to plant lore, healing, and magick. As an herbalist, I use tarot in my healing practice and as a tool to help folks connect with plant allies. While, the deck that I most often use for myself is the very first deck I ever purchased - my beloved Smith-Waite Tarot that came in the blue box set - is full of botanical imagery and meaning, it's not the only deck I turn to when looking for plant-rich imagery.(1) When I'm in the mood for something a bit different or reading for or with others, the following decks are what I've been turning to in recent years. 

These are certainly not the only plant-themed tarot decks out there and I'm planning on a second part to this post where I also include a few of my favorite oracle decks (in which there are many, many more of them when compared to tarot decks). I've also tried to include a mix of mass market and indie decks, being mindful of the varying budgets of my readers who might be interested in picking up a plant-centered deck of their own.

So let's meet the cards!

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert & Latisha Guthrie

The Herbcrafter's Tarot

Here's the thing. For years and years I wanted a tarot deck that was made for and by herbalists that I could connect to. When I was gifted a copy of The Herbcrafter's Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert and Latisha Guthrie out of the blue (not by the creators themselves, but a friend of a friend), I felt such expansive joy. Friends, this is a lovely deck and it arrived at a particularly potent turning point in my own practice. My first reading with the deck was at twilight, sitting amongst Roses (Rosa spp.) on the Land I live with and it reads like a dream. In fact, I highly recommend reading with this deck outside if you can, especially the first few times you work with it. 

The art of The Herbcrafter's Tarot is rich and evocative, relying on a relatively uncommon medium for tarot decks (colored pencils), that Colbert is recognizable for (she is the creator of The Gaian Tarot, a diverse and inclusive deck published little over a decade ago). The deck celebrates the mixed heritage of the designers (Celtic and Mexican-American), including renaming the court cards with Spanish names and with the landscapes that appear throughout the deck. The guidebook is lovely, with a number of ways to connect with the cards both through key ideas, longer description, and activities inspired by the plants featured on each.

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert & Latisha Guthrie

The court cards are some of my favorites in the deck. Instead of having human figures throughout the deck, the cards focus on plants and their habitats, including wild places and home spaces like altars and kitchens. It's only on the court cards that we see just the arms or hands of folks - no faces or any other parts of the body - and they are young hands, old crone hands, working and resting hands. They are some of my favorite interpretations of the court cards of any deck I've worked with. While the absence of human figures doing things in most of the cards might feel intimidating to read to some, the cards are so beautifully thought out in their composition that the plants are alive and singing with story. The deck evokes a feeling of being present to the work of herbcrafting in a way that I've not experienced with another deck.

Of the three decks I'll be in this post, The Herbcrafter's Tarot is the most obviously plant-based one and is explicitly made for and by herbalists. This is the deck I've started to bring with me to in-person classes and the one that I find myself just shuffling through because I enjoy the art so much. It's also obviously designed by an herbalist who understands both the practical as well as magickal uses of plant medicine which I really appreciate and is not always a given with cards that feature a lot of botanical imagery. I really can't recommend this deck enough and I hope you get to hold a copy in your hands one day.

The Future Ancestor’s Tarot by Alexa Villanueva

The Future Ancestor Tarot

There's something really special about The Future Ancestor Tarot by Alexa Villanueva of Lexa Luna Studio. The deck was created during 2020 and carries an energy of making space for and exploring grief, as well as what it means to connect with our beloved living ones when they have traveled to the land of the ancestors, and what our own ancestral becoming looks like while we're still living. 

Of the three decks featured in this post, The Future Ancestor Tarot has the simplest aesthetic and yet no meaning or depth of interpretation is lost. There are calm gestures, furrowed brows, sweet embraces, and the difficult to name feeling that comes from experiencing profound peace amidst a storm of grief. These cards convey, through their images and energy, the feeling I often experience when sitting in a herbal session or class with someone. I know that this is in part because I purposefully make space for grief to be expressed and explored during these times and so often grief arrives as an honored guest in these moments, and The Future Ancestor Tarot seems to treat grieving with the same reverence. And that's also why it's such a sweet and joyful deck for me - it makes space for the difficult moments, so that we can experience all of our feelings with as little fear as is possible in any given time.

The Future Ancestor’s Tarot by Alexa Villanueva

Then there are the plants on each card which makes these bits of paper and the characters and spirits which inhabit them that much more alive. The renamed court cards feel particularly suited to my own herbal practice and I'm sure will resonate with many of you. The Pages have become the Students, the Knights are Explorers, the Queens are Listeners, and the Kings are Makers. The renamed Queens feel particularly powerful and they are some of my favorite cards, which is not traditionally the case for me with Queen cards in other decks. And speaking of favorites - The Star card is one of the images from the tarot that I love the most and The Star in The Future Ancestor Tarot is so beautiful that it makes my heart break open just a little wider every time I see it.

I think that this deck would sing well to those folks who appreciate a more intuitive than strictly traditional approach to tarot. The images reference the RWS system enough to guide you, but are also so unique and inviting for those who like a more open-ended approach to tarot. Just in life, the plants featured on each card are constant companions that we share space with and every card in this deck feels like there's a secret recipe hidden within them.(2) One of the other reasons I like this deck so much is that it is visually similar to my favorite black and white tarot deck, Thea's Tarot by Ruth West. The Future Ancestor Tarot feels like the soft little sibling or nibling of Thea's Tarot and I hope that comes across as the compliment that it is. The energy of the deck is so inviting and would be wonderful to use with clients in one-on-one sessions or with a whole class of plant-hearted folk. Currently, the deck comes with a little one page guide, but you can also join me in supporting Villanueva as she writes the full guidebook to the deck which I'm looking forward to reading!

The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot by Phyllis Currott & Danielle Barlow

The Witches' Wisdom Tarot

Look, there was little doubt that I wasn't going to love a deck produced in collaboration by Phyllis Currott (I re-read her autobiography over and over again as a young witch) and Danielle Barlow (a Dartmoor based artist who I've been a fan of for years and years). First, I like the deck because it experiments with the RWS system in interesting but meaningful ways, which helps readers to approach familiar systems in new ways. I like fresh takes on old practices and The Witches' Wisdom Tarot does this while still feeling traditional. The deck really shines with Barlow's depictions of plant and animal life which show up on every card and Currot's interpretation of the cards feel full of the wisdom carried by an elder of the Craft without becoming stuffy or rote.  

As an herbalist, I appreciate how much the botanical images correspond with the meanings of each card. Sometimes herbal decks can feel more like flashcards than living oracles, but The Witches' Wisdom Tarot avoids this with Barlow's paintings which reflect her own love and connection with plant and animal life. The Ace of Water (Cups) card, for example, is so beautifully depicted as a lush and watery space, capturing the movement, complexity, and sensitivity of the emotional worlds that the Cups represent in tarot. I just love the life and lushness of The Witches' Wisdom Tarot and the way that it reflects the spirit of interconnectedness between all living beings. 

The Witches’ Wisdom Tarot by Phyllis Currott & Danielle Barlow

If you're a Witch (and especially some variation of Pagan Witch), this might be a deck that speaks the most to you out of the three I've featured today. The Witches' Wisdom Tarot is a world unto its own that draws you in and it's a space that I love to visit. It's a deck that is meant to be journeyed with, displayed on your altar, and included in acts of magick. 

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Do you have a favorite plant-inspired or botanically focused deck to work with? Are you feeling inspired to work with one that I've described above? 

If you're looking for more posts about tarot, including a whole collection of spreads, come this way. I've also written a whole post on incorporating tarot into your healing practice and if you're wanting to learn about the intersections of herbal medicine and the tarot, I explore that in-depth in The Tarot Apothecary.

Wherever your tarot journeys take you, may you experience revelation and the sort of reconciliation that occurs when we're able to sit with ourselves and realize that we're sitting in a vast web of life - all of us just singing our spirits home.

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

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Notes

(1) The set is called The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack and is still available today. There are so many versions of the RWS deck out there these days, but this remains my favorite version because it's the one I grew up with. The Smith-Waite Tarot Centennial Deck is a close second and I actually carry the tin version of this deck with me wherever I go.

(2) And yes, I'm thinking I might try and summon them from the liminal space that they live in and create a book of 78 tea recipes for my own enjoyment…

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?

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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.