My Favorite Daily Tarot Practice

One of my favorite tools for cultivating mindfulness and a sense of wellness day-to-day is the tarot. I use tarot not only as a tool of divination but as a tool of healing, incorporating the cards into my meditation and breathwork practice, as well as into practices of sacred inquiry. As someone who likes meditative practices that include tactile experiences - such as meditative knitting or labyrinth walking - I find the acts of setting up a space to read tarot, holding and shuffling the cards to be pleasing. For me, a daily practice needs to be one that is pleasurable, relatively effortless, and something that creates a sense of steadiness along my path. So I've created my daily healing tarot practice with these things in mind.

To be honest, it took me a while to find the "sweet spot" of a daily tarot practice. I've gone through periods of my life where the idea of pulling a tarot card each day as a divinatory reading (i.e. what might be coming my way today) was far more stressful than helpful. Or a daily tarot practice felt more like navel gazing rather than useful, ruminating over a singular issue for far too long. Other times, when things felt particularly stressful, I could slip into the all too common problem of hoping the cards would tell me explicitly what I should do next. So for a long while I only pulled out my cards to either admire their art (something which is a valuable part of tarot - the way it brings beauty into our world) or only for big occasions. Looking back I realized I needed this fallow period and when I was ready again to work with the cards on a more regular basis, I developed the following daily practice.

My daily tarot practice is not strictly divinatory (i.e. looking to foretell future events or reveal hidden ones past and present), but it does help to illuminate and hopefully provide clarity in certain areas of one's life. The purpose of my daily tarot practice is to provide clarity about and support for my current energy. It's low pressure, contemplative in nature, and meant to help me feel connected to the wider web of community. 

There's also a practical nature to a daily tarot practice. If you're new to tarot and learning the meanings of the cards, a daily tarot practice is a great way to learn the cards and practice interpretation on a regular, low-pressure basis. For healers and magickal practitioners, a daily tarot practice can be part of your spiritual practice of energy balancing and psychic hygiene. If you keep notes about the cards you draw it can be a great reference to look back at over the years to see the type of cards that came up seasonally or around certain sabbats and Moon phases.

But before you create (or re-imagine) your own daily (or daily-ish) tarot practice, it's good to ask the question: Why? Not knowing your why can lead to muddled energies, but you also don't have to have a complex why. Your why could be that you like the idea of a daily tarot practice, it's not something you've done before, and it's something you want to try. That's a good starting place. Or you're an old-timer whose been reading the cards for years, but your practice feels stagnated and a daily draw seems like a good way to reinvigorate it. So take a moment to ask yourself:

• Why do you want a daily tarot practice?

• What are you hoping to learn?

• What is the energy you're trying to cultivate?

• What are you hoping to feel with a daily tarot practice?

With our curiosity piqued, let me show you my daily tarot practice and hopefully it'll inspire your own.

Cards shown are from the Oak, Ash & Thorn Tarot by Three Trees Tarot

My Daily Healing Tarot Practice

Before any cards are laid out before me, I like to take a few moments to orient myself to the sacred. What this looks like for me is some simple breathwork to connect with my current energy as well as my own devotional practices. Breathwork, simple body movement, free dance, guided visualization, prayers or affirmations, and more are all ways that we can acknowledge and resonate with the sacredness that lives within all things including ourselves. Part of what makes tarot so magickal and healing is that it can often deliver messages to us when we are most open to hearing them. Orienting oneself to the sacred helps us to hear what needs to be heard and feel what needs to be felt.

I like to lay out a cloth that I then lay my cards on, light a candle, and maybe some sacred sounds. It's another way of signaling to myself that I'm deserving of taking time and space to reflect on my needs so that I can better show up in community spaces amidst all the needs of everyone else. As creating peace in my personal life, the communities I move through, and the Land I live with is an essential part of my wellbeing, creating a beautiful space for my daily meditation and tarot practice reminds me that it is a beautiful thing to practice peace daily. Here is where you might need to reflect on what it is you're trying to cultivate regularly by having a daily tarot (or meditation or prayer or whatever) practice.

I then begin to pull cards, pulling three in total.

The first card represents my current state of energy. It is my personal weather report on my energy and current experience of self. There is typically nothing too surprising about this card, but the images and meaning of the card can often offer another perspective or helpful language to describe my current state of energy that I may have been struggling to find. Sometimes I write in my journal about this and the following cards, but that's usually only when I'm dealing with a particularly sticky pattern of energy and healing need. Usually, I try to simply summarize and speak out loud a short description of my energy as reflected back to me from the card. The speaking out loud is part of the healing work of these daily spreads (or equivalent outward self-expression - such as signing, typing, writing - the goal is to move thoughts from our inner to outer worlds). 

Cards shown are from the Oak, Ash & Thorn Tarot by Three Trees Tarot

Here are some examples of simple card summaries:

• Queen of Pentacles: I am feeling abundant and steady in my energy after a period of growth and hard work.

• Temperance: I am seeking to find a sense of balance and peace in a world that feels chaotic.

• Page of Wands: I am reconnecting to my creative potential after a period of creative fallowness and frustration.

The next two cards are in direct relationship to the first card cast. I pull one card to help me understand what supports my energetic needs and another card to help me understand what hinders my energetic needs. I like that terms like "helps" and "hinders" are relatively neutral but describe deeply personal experiences. What is helpful to me might be cumbersome or hindering to you and vice versa. Nor are things that might hinder me one day bad (i.e. too much socializing that leaves you feeling drained) be inherently bad because on another day they might be exactly what you need energetically (i.e. a social gathering that leaves you feeling energized and happy). It is the same with the help card.

Oftentimes the help and hinder cards support work that I'm already doing around boundaries, relationships, work and rest balance, and so on. They are more often reassurances rather than revelations, though sometimes they are a bit of both, and frequently the cards relay information to me in a way that re-inspires my way of understanding a certain situation or experience of mine.

Cards shown are from the Oak, Ash & Thorn Tarot by Three Trees Tarot

So let's look at some examples of help and hinder cards in relation to the sample cards above:

For the Queen of Pentacles:

What Helps: With the help of the King of Pentacles I am reminded that thinking beyond this period of abundance and growth is a form of self-care and I should look for connections today with a trusted friend or mentor about the abundance in my life. 

What Hinders: With the Moon I am reminded that even in times of growth, rest is necessary and to make sure to make time for extra rest today.

For Temperance:

What Helps: The Ten of Cups reminds me to connect with family and friends to help find balance in my life - it is time to reach out and ask for help because there are plenty of folks in my life who are willing to help.

What Hinders: The King of Swords warns me of being too analytical in my pursuit of balance and thinking myself into a state of confusion, reminding me that balance is achieved through collaboration not through proving I can do it all on my own.

For the Page of Wands:

What Helps: The Knight of Wands encourages me to be brave in my creative pursuits after a period of self-doubt. 

What Hinders: The Ace of Cups suggests that there is a need for more self-reflection on my fear around creativity and to not avoid understanding those fears better because I'm afraid I've "lost" my creativity.

Sometimes I pull an extra help or hinder card if the message feels muddled, but that is on a rare occasion and something that I try not to do as the point of this practice is to be short and simple. Oftentimes if I'm feeling perplexed by one of the cards pulled I'll revisit them at the end of the day or make note of them in my journal to look back on later. Their meaning always becomes clear even if that clarity arrives at a later date.

After all three cards are pulled and guidance is spoken out loud, I end with a few more deep and centering breaths and then that's it! 

Cards shown are from the Oak, Ash & Thorn Tarot by Three Trees Tarot

A Few Thoughts

As you can see there is a lot of room for creating a daily healing tarot practice that fits you and your needs the best. For the help and hinder cards you might choose to pull an oracle card that has a direct message. Or you might want a more expansive energetic snapshot and pull a card each for mind, body, and spirit or for each of the energetic centers of your body. While I tend to pull the first card as a general energetic overview, you might have a specific issue or area in your life that you want to focus on - do it! You're developing a tarot practice for you and the way you think and feel, so adjust your approach as necessary.

In addition to being a lovely way of encouraging a sense of wellness in an effortless sort of way, my daily tarot practice has been a fun way to get to know new-to-me decks that come into my collection. Reading with a new deck in this gentle sort of way has been a rewarding way of getting to know the world, characters, and energy of a new-to-me deck while exploring my own energetic landscape.

Most importantly, my daily healing tarot practice has helped me to fall in love with using the tarot everyday again. I needed to take the pressure off of reading the cards as a form of divination or even intense self-reflection while still being interesting over a long period of time and this practice does just that for me. The boundary of these types of readings are meant only for the next 24 hours, I'm not trying to gaze too far into time and space in any direction, and I get to check in with myself in a way that automatically comes with much needed reassurance and guidance.

I hope you find the sweet spot that is your very own tarot practice, whether it's casting cards daily, at the change of the seasons, once a year or whenever the Moon is new.

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If you're looking for more tarot spreads to inspire your practice, here you go. For those of you interested in exploring further ways of developing more healing practices with the tarot, I have a post for you. I've also written about developing a healing practice from a lunar perspective if that is more of your style.

For me, my tarot practice is intertwined with my herbal practice and if you want to learn more about that you're invited to join me in The Tarot Apothecary.

I hope you create a daily (or sometimes or whenever) tarot practice that supports you and who you are becoming.

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

Being of Service: Tarot and Tea for Virgo Season

Welcome to Virgo Season!

This is my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

Virgo straddles the seasons, marking the end of summer and the start of fall in the northern hemisphere and the end of winter and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. There are a few symbols for the sign of Virgo, including a sheaf of wheat, representing the health and abundance of the harvest and deep connection to the land, as well as the Virgin, representing someone who is unto themselves and imbued with the powers of self-determination. One of the symbols proposed for Virgo was the donkey which gives you an idea of the stubbornness and steadiness associated with the sign. The energy of Virgo season is very much one of getting on with it - the weather is changing and so must we. While Leo season can have the feeling of endless summer, Virgo season brings in a very practical air of preparing for the needs of community and the structures (including homes, workplaces, third spaces and so on) that need tending to. 

Virgo is a mutable Earth sign and carries the energy of meeting the needs of self and community as they arise (Gemini, Sagittarius, and Pisces are also mutable signs). In other words, they know what healing herbs and spices need to be added to the soup pot to best serve whoever is coming to tonight's potluck. Whenever I think of Virgo, I think of living, breathing, community-centered healing spaces and temples, where folks can be welcomed in, cared for, fed, and nourished on a soul level. In comparison to other earth signs, where Taurus might be deep in the garden tending to the flowers and the fruits needed for the community meal and Capricorn is calculating what it's going to take to keep the community healing space operating, it is Virgo at the front door, welcoming folks in and adapting their greeting depending on who arrives.

With Virgo we learn what it is we are called to be of service to, where it is we can facilitate most healing in the world, and, from a shadow perspective, what it is we fear is "unfixable" about us or we are afraid to reach out for help about. Sometimes Virgo energy can make us feel anxious - there is so much need for healing in the world, where do we even start - and some of us cope by overworking and burning ourselves out. Other times, there can be an overdeveloped sense of paticularlness (it needs to be done just so!) and avoidance of acknowledging that all of us need and deserve to be cared for and loved upon. Exploring the energy of Virgo is an opportunity to hear more clearly our calling in life as well as more consciously connect to our own tender and vulnerable needs to be helped and supported.  

Being of Service
Virgo Season Tarot Spread

Learning what it is we feel called to do and be in the world, and where it is we will contribute to healing our communities, is a lifelong practice of self-reflection shaped by the mirrors of the relationships we are in (including with people, creatures, land, sea, and sky). Will a single tarot spread tell you what your calling is? No, but the following tarot spread is not trying to tell you anything, but rather affirm what it is you already know deep down within. The great gift of Virgo is that the energy of the sign helps us to put into practice our calling. We might know what our calling is, but how that is going to manifest will shift and change as we grow into understanding the sacredness of our service. 

Virgo asks us "Where are you called to serve?"

I am called to be an herbalist, for example, and early on in my career I was called to make herbal remedies and run a small private practice, whereas now my focus is more on teaching other people how to make their own remedies and focus on community spaces of learning, reflection, and connection. In another decade the shape of my service will have changed again which it's why it's so important to have self-inquiry practices (like the tarot spread below) to help us reconnect with what it is we are called to do and be, the support we need in order to be of service, and the current shape that our practice is taking.

Card 1. That Which Calls to Us

This card helps us to better understand what our calling is. Often this card highlights the theme of our calling (i.e. pulling the Three of Swords symbolizing being of service to those in the process of grief or heartbreak), but sometimes it can be more literal (i.e. pulling the High Priestess which speaks to your calling to take up spiritual vows and commit to esoteric studies). Dissonance or confusion with this card often points to one of two things: first, maybe it's not the right time to be doing this reading or second, there is internal resistance to your calling which is being reflected back to you in the card.

Card 2. The Shape Of Our Service

This card helps us to understand the path that our calling is currently taking us on. If you pulled the Three of Swords for your first card and pull the Queen of Swords or Cups for this card, perhaps you're being called into the role of a therapist. Generally, this card reads as a "next steps" card to the first - you understand your calling better, so now what?

Card 3. That Which Needs Nourishing

It can be easy (often exciting!) to focus on what we are called to do and be in the world. It's often much harder to consider all of what it's going to take to keep us well as we answer our call. This card highlights areas of your life that need more nourishment.

Card 4. That Which Needs Asking Of

This card helps us to understand the parts of our calling that we need to be reflecting on and understanding better. Answering a calling is not just about being of external service to the world, but the inner transformation that happens as we understand ourselves better through our service.

Card 5. A Message for Virgo Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Virgo season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Virgo season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Powers of Digestion

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your digestive system and the nervous system as related to digestion, 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 @ireneivantsova

A Tea for Virgo Season

How do we nourish the energy of Virgo? Traditionally, Virgo guards the digestive system of the body including the intestines, digestive enzymes, and the connection between the gut and the brain (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Virgo). The energy of Virgo is a nutrient rich meal that satisfies not only the hunger of the body, but the hunger of the spirit. In order to enjoy nutrient rich meals, we need to be able to properly digest and process whatever nutrients come our way. Virgo energy benefits from supporting the process of rest and digest that so often gets disrupted in our modern culture. So the foundation of our blend is beautiful Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) which helps us to process our internal and external experiences (i.e. digesting our environmental, emotional, and physical experiences). Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) brings in digestive support as well as calming the nervous system while Skullcap (Scutellaria recutita) continues to nourish the nervous system and bring in clear-headedness. Alternatively, if your nervous system is struggling to rest and sleep, you might replace Skullcap with Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) to help create a deeper state of restfulness.

• 2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• ½ part Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) or Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

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

image via @floppypaste

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?

♍️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Virgo? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

Another Virgo plant that I didn't feature in my tea but really love, is Peppermint (Mentha piperita) - you can find a full profile of the herb here. If you struggle with some of the more anxiuos energy of Virgo my favorite calming nervine remedy is Milky Oat (Avena sativa) and it might be some time for some lunar-inspired rest.

May Virgo season be a time of healing and restoration, of uplifting healing spaces, and community joy.

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

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

Continuing my series of creating your own seasonal wellness apothecaries, we've arrived at the height of heat and light - summer. During summer it's a time of being excited (to varying degrees for varying folks) about the increase of the aforementioned light and heat as well as more time spent outdoors (sometimes alongside creatures that bite and sting). Just as with any other seasonal wellness apothecary, a little bit of planning ahead means that more time can be spent enjoying the weather with easy remedies close at hand should the need for herbal care arise.

As with my winter and spring apothecary posts, I've organized my recommendation by herbal actions such as cooling herbs for post-sun recovery. As always, 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. I also think it's a good idea for all herb folk (whether professionals or home herbalists) to get first aid training including wilderness first aid if you like being out and about beyond city limits.  

Ready for some summertime healing? Let's explore some of the common ailments and the plant allies we can connect to during the season of summer. 

image via @baraajalahej

Cooling Off: Supporting the body post-sun exposure 

Herbal Actions: Cooling, anti-inflammatory, alterative, emollient, and demulcent

With the risk of sounding like an afterschool commercial, the best way to stay sun safe is to stay sun smart. Stick to the shade, keep hydrated, wear sunscreen and/or cool protective layers, and respect the power of the Sun. The following plants are great friends for cooling off (and not burning out) after long summer days. 

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) : My favorite herb to use topically after a day spent in the sun. The inner gel of the plant is cooling and moist, alleviating inflammation in the body both internally and externally. While I have become wiser in my sunways as I get older, when I was younger Aloe Vera saved me from many a sunburn. I also find that in addition to alleviating the physical discomfort of sunburn Aloe Vera can also be a useful ally when dealing with the emotional stress of burnout.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): I turn to Lemon Balm again and again throughout the warmer months of the year. It is gently cooling and tastes like summer to me. I like using it in my daily teas, but also as a skin wash or addition to an herbal bath after a long day in the heat. Lemon Balm also helps us deal with the stress that summer can bring, especially around expectations of being social. If you've overdone it in the heat and find yourself dealing with heat exhaustion, Lemon Balm can be a great ally to have at hand. In addition to drinking the tea (best to let it cool to room temperature if you're recovering from heat exhaustion), I like to use it as part of a cool compress at the wrists and back of the neck. If I know I'll be out in the heat, I make a jar of Lemon Balm tea at the beginning of the day so that when I get back it'll be ready for me to drink and use in compresses if need be.

Borage (Borago officinalis): In my training as an herbalist I was taught to make Borage ice cubes for the summer where you freeze Borage flowers in ice cube molds and then add them to your water throughout the day. Whether or not this is the secret to staying cool (honestly, room temperature water is more helpful than iced when it comes to regulating body temperature, generally speaking), it sure looks pretty in a glass jar. Borage is a wonderfully cooling plant ally and can be a delicious treat when you're cooling off in the shade.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): Yarrow is a classic fever reducer in traditional western herbalism and can be equally useful in cases of heat exhaustion when lowering the body's temperature is needed. Use as a tea, in a cool compress, or in a cool foot bath.

Other cooling herbs to keep close by are Lavender (Lavandula spp.), Rose (Rosa spp.), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), and Milky Oat (Avena sativa).

Unbothered: Caring for the skin during the summer months against bugs, bumps, and more

Herbal Actions: Anti-inflammatory, alterative, and nervine tonics

Some of the first herbal remedies I made were topical herbal oils for uses on my bruises and sore muscles that I got as an athlete. While I was impressed by the results, I loved the process of creating these special blends, applying them, and taking care of myself in ways that I didn't always feel looked out for as an athlete. For me, working with plant allies to care for our body's largest organ, the skin, is an act of love.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.): Lavender is one of the few essential oils that I use on a regular basis because it is so helpful for reducing the itch and discomfort of bug bites. The essential oil can be applied in small amounts directly to the skin (for most essential oils this is not safe and not recommended). I also use compresses of the flowers for skin health and recovering from bumps, bruises, bites, and rashes. It makes a wonderful addition to herbal baths as well as a great summer hydrosol to keep in the fridge and use as needed throughout the day.

Plantain (Plantago spp.): If a bump has occurred some variety of Plantain salve is pulled out and applied. Plantain is an easy and inexpensive herbal remedy to use for bumps, bruises, sprains, and strains. Topically, Plantain is a powerful remedy, helping to draw out toxins from the body, heal damaged tissue, alleviate pain, and generally serve folks well when it comes to wound care. If Plantain is growing nearby when you or someone is bit by a bee or other insect, crush up a Plantain leaf (I was taught to chew it) and apply it to the bite for pain relief and reduction of swelling. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of Plantain on bee stings having to use it myself when I was stung by a bee between my toes. Using Plantain I was able to make the walk back home. Want to learn more about beautiful Plantain? A complete profile is available in The Plant Ally Library.

St. Joan's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): I like using a combination of St. Joan's Wort and Rose (Rosa spp.) herbal oil as a post sun skin treatment. I like to apply the herbal oil after a shower (so that the oil helps to contain the oil and keep the skin hydrated) or after spraying the skin with a hydrosol like Rose. St. Joan's Wort is wonderfully soothing to sunburns, reparative to the skin in general, and also helps to nourish the nervous system. It's great for bumps and bruises, too.

Other herbs to keep handy are Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Catnip (Nepeta cataria) as a natural mosquito repellant, and Milky Oat (Avena sativa). The latter is especially useful for calming an overstimulated nervous and sensory system due to the irritation and increased sensation of bug bites and/or injury.

Opening Up: Nourishing the heart

Herbal Actions: Cardiotonics, circulatory tonics, and nervines

Any season can be a season of opening up the heart, but there is something about the expectation of adventuring, dreaming, and socializing in the summer that can call to some extra herbal support when it comes to issues of the heart.

Rose (Rosa spp): Any season can be a season of opening up the heart, but there is something about the expectation of adventuring, dreaming, and socializing in the summer that can call to some extra herbal support when it comes to issues of the heart. Rose is my favorite heart-opening, love-supporting herb not only for its thorn magick, but for the ways it helps to soften the hard edges of our emotional experiences in all the right ways. Rose has the added benefit of being a cooling herb and I add it to my morning tea during the hot summer months. A Rose hydrosol is especially pleasing sprayed on the skin throughout the day during the summer months.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): The magick of Hawthorn is something that is hard to describe. It is a wonderful cardiotonic and I've used it in a wide range of heart health needs including helping to reduce stress that cause some heart issues in the first place. Hawthorn is an herb which helps us to love again after a period of heartbreak. We learn to live heart first with Hawthorn as an ally and to meet the uncertainty of what comes next with the steadfastness of trusting our own heart's trusty rhythm.

Other heart herbs to consider working with are Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), Cacao (Theobroma cacao), and Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa).

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Friends, I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite plant allies of for the summer months. Be sure to check out the rest of the series on creating seasonal wellness apothecaries. Next in the series I’ll be looking at some of my most beloved plant allies for the autumn months.

If you’re looking for some more summertime inspiration, I write more about summer wellness over here. What’s my favorite summertime drink, you might be wondering? Swamp tea, of course! Or is it rainbow lattes? And, as always, there are summertime tarot spreads for Midsummer and Lughnasadh for all your divinatory needs.

May your summer be sweet and full of all the right sorts of adventures!

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

A Gentle Tonic: Thyme Plant Profile

Friends!

I’m excited to share with you not only this new plant profile featuring beloved Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), but you now find and download all of my profiles from my newest offering - The Plant Ally Library! You can download a copy of the Thyme plant profile for free as a thank you for all your support over the years and I’ll hope you’ll check out The Plant Ally Library if you’re looking for the full collection of every plant profile I’ve ever written.

But now it’s time to talk about Thyme and why they are such a generous healer and friend of many a household. I love recommending plants like Thyme to you, dear reader, because they are naturalized in many parts of the world and easy to come by in markets or to grow on your own. Thyme is a plant that I rely on during the winter months and a steady ally for alleviating stress. So join me in learning more about a common herb with indispensable healing gifts.

image via @melanie_hnd

Thyme
(Thymus vulgaris)

Common + Folk Names : Common thyme, garden thyme

Tarot Cards : The Hermit

Element : Fire, Water

Zodiac Signs : Taurus (Guardian), Virgo (Guardian), Capricorn (Remedy)

Planets : Mars, Venus

Moon Phase : Waxing Quarter Moon

Parts used : Aboveground plant

Habitat : Native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but widely naturalized.

Growing conditions : Full sun in well-drained soil on the drier side.

Collection : Collect early in spring before flowering.

Flavor : Pungent

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Dry

Tissue State : Damp/Stagnation, Damp/Relaxation, Cold/Depression

Constituents : Vitamin B, vitamin C, chromium, essential oil, labiatic acid, antioxidants, manganese, tannin, flavonoids, saponins, triterpenic acids

Actions : Anthelmintic, antibiotic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitussive, aromatic, astringent, bronchodilator, carminative, decongestant, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, immunostimulant, rejuvenative, rubefacient, sedative (in small amounts), stimulant (in large amounts), vermifuge, vulnerary.

Main Uses : Thyme is one of my favorite kitchen garden remedies - I always have the fresh herb growing in my garden or at least dried leaves stored in my apothecary cupboard. It's an herb I turn to again and again in the winter months as a gentle daily tonic to strengthen the immune system, clear the airways, and as a warm digestive support during the feasting of winter months. I also turn to Thyme again as winter is receding and spring emerging to help strengthen my respiratory system so that I'm ready for the breath of fresh air that a new season brings. In fact, I add Thyme to most of my respiratory tonics because it is pleasing in taste and effective in its actions as a decongestant expectorant (i.e. being able to clear out mucous and help coughs be more effective). It is one of my favorite allies in removing respiratory infections from the body. 

Thyme strengthens the immune system without being over-stimulating and protects against bacterias and microbes. It shows up in a lot of cold and flu blends, especially ones to alleviate fever, because of its immune-supporting nature but also because it opens up the airways, relieves inflammation, improves circulation, and helps to reduce fevers as a diaphoretic (i.e. it induces sweating to help cool the body). Thyme is a helpful aid for dry and hacking coughs, sore throats, general congestion, and asthma. Traditional western herbalism folklore tells stories of Thyme as one of the four ingredients in the infamous Four Thieves Vinegar which was said to protect thieves from getting infected with the plague when they were robbing houses of the deceased. (1) This speaks to Thyme's well-respected position within the traditional western herbalism materia medica as a reliable ally against infections and illnesses of all sorts.

I also like to use Thyme for nervous system health. Thyme is not classically categorized as a nervine, but it certainly acts like one, helping to relieve tension and mental exhaustion. It helps to bring heightened energy down and loosen tension. I like to include it in breathwork blends because it's both wonderfully aromatic and enhances the physical breathwork experience. I love what Herbalist Karen M. Rose has to say about Thyme and the breath: "It helps us develop a better relationship with time, connects us to our breath, and keeps us in the present. It is excellent for the fear associated with the out-breath release, causing tension and spasms in the lungs." (3) Thyme helps us to settle into our practice while gathering our inner resources and loosening our belief that there is not enough time for all the work that needs to be done. The herb also helps to improve memory, cognitive function, and concentration.

Thyme is a helpful herb for digestion. Look for signs of cold and sluggish digestion alongside poor absorption of nutrients. It can be a helpful herb to support the recovery from eating something you are allergic too accidentally (i.e. a sensitivity to a food that causes discomfort - Thyme is not a treatment for serious allergic reactions like anaphylactic shock) and for folks who are starting to adjust their diet after identifying allergens.

Use Thyme topically for skin conditions like athlete's foot, ringworm, and candida. Helps to clear up dandruff and improve overall scalp health. Use as a wash for insect bites and wounds, and as a compress or in a salve to help open up the airways. An excellent herb for herbal steams and baths. Create an herbal oil to use for sore muscles and aching joints.

image via @fanjatastisch

Magickal Uses : Thyme is mentioned in both magickal and medical texts as an herb that aids in protecting against and relieving nightmares.  Interestingly, English Herbalist Thomas Bartram simply lists the word "Nightmare" in his description of Thyme without any elucidation and Scott Cunningham notes that it is an herb which aids sleep in addition to preventing nightmares. (2) Thyme is an herb of cleansing ritual spaces prior to rituals and is a good offering to holy ones. Add to healing spells of all sorts. It's an herb traditionally associated with courage and can be used in spells to increase the bravery of the practitioner. Herbalist Karen M. Rose mentions that Thyme is an herb associated with the Dead.(4) Use in funerary rites and to aid the grief process.

Thyme is a plant of the Good Folk and can be planted in the garden to call them in and honor their presence. Place morning dew found on Thyme on your eyelids and lie upon a hill to try and meet the Good Folk.

The Thyme Personality : I think there are two folks primarily aided by Thyme - the first is the person who carries so much tension that it is affecting their ability to breathe deeply (see Thyme and breathwork description above) and the other is someone who may have been described in generations as a bit fae. They occupy a space between the worlds more comfortably than most, can easily drift off into daydream (often as a coping mechanism), and see things from what others consider to be odd angles. Thyme folk have often been belittled and bullied for their perceived oddness and can sometimes even feel like they're not quite human. Some readers are thinking right now, "Sounds like you're describing someone who is neurodivergent" and you're not incorrect and Thyme may be a good ally for many a neurodivergent folk. The Thyme mind can seem out-of-step with mainstream culture when perceived by members of that culture and try to protect themselves by denying their differentness or falling so deep into it that they struggle to connect with other folks. As an ally, Thyme helps folk to arrive in the moment that they are in and create useful touchpoints or anchors to this world so that they can more easily move between their inner world and the outer world that they exist in. The movement of Thyme is one of fluidity, adaptability, and respect for the individual's experience. Thyme helps them to recognize their magick for the precious thing that it is and learn how to breathe deep into it, reassuring their nervous system, their heart, their self-perception that their difference is a gift.

Contraindications : Generally regarded as safe but avoid large amounts during pregnancy.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage.

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If you want to download an easy-to-print copy of this plant profile come this way. Learn more about Thyme as an ally in community healing work and as an herb of Capricorn and Taurus.

If you’re interested in the connections of time and Thyme perhaps you’d like to practice some time travel either to the future or the past.

Finally, you can find my growing collection of free plant profiles over here and all of my plant profiles in The Plant Ally Library. Thanks for helping support this space as a garden of knowledge-sharing and plant allyship - may we grow together for many seasons to come!

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

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Footnotes

(1) Plot twist: Thyme probably wasn't in the original recipe. 

(2) Thomas Bartram, Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (London: Constable & Robinson Ltd, 1998), 421, and Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 243.

(3) 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), 42.

(4) Rose, 42.

Daring Bravely: Tarot and Tea for Leo Season

Welcome to Leo Season!

This is my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac and you can learn more about the whole series here.

The season of the Lion begins as summer slowly softens into the start of harvest season, where autumn still feels a long way off but we also know that summer's show is soon to end. In the southern hemisphere, the season of Leo is about the warming of the year as winter recedes and the promise of spring begins to come onto the stage. If Cancer is a season of (re)collecting and memory (whether under the bright exposure of a summer sun or within the long shadows of a winter night), the season of Leo is about learning how to fully express what has been found and has been defined as important, sacred, and necessary in our lives.

Leo is a fixed Fire sign which means that it intensely embodies the energy of a season. In other words, Leo helps us realize that we're here so how are we going to show up? Leo is one of those signs that often gets a less than flattering reputation but since all of us have all of the signs in our charts, I hope that we can expand the narrative of the Lion beyond dismissing its energy as needlessly dramatic. (1) Whether we're in the depths of summer in the northern hemisphere or winter in the southern hemisphere, Leo Season is a time to explore what has been dismissed (by ourselves and/or others) in our lives, what we've hidden away because we're afraid of shining too brightly, and what it's time to reveal.

Leo can ask us to do some brave (and scary) things like stand up for what we believe in, disrupt dangerous and harmful narratives, rewrite stories that no longer serve us, and help to create a stage in which more stories can be told. Leo energy helps us to recognize that everyone is putting on a performance of some sort and we're all in the process of performing from a place of greater authenticity and desire - so it's time to face what we're afraid of being seen as and have others see in us. When we learn how to work with Leo energy we learn how to thrive in our self-expression, help create and hold space for others to thrive as well, and learn how to perform from places of authenticity.

Daring Bravely
Leo Season Tarot Spread

The guardian planet Leo is the Sun which defines how much energy we're comfortable holding and expressing. In other words, through the Sun we understand our capacity for doing and being in the world, what our limitations are, and where our energetic sweet spot lies. For Leo, the world's a stage, and understanding our Sun is to know where we are inherently most comfortable on that stage: Are we in the center performing a monologue? Behind the scenes styling props? Working with the audience or performers themselves? Writing the script? Doing building maintenance? Even though we have a solar sweet spot, throughout life we're not always where we want to be and it takes communication, honesty, and bravery to move about the stage to where we feel most at home. Leo energy helps us to define what it is we want to be guided by (i.e. writing a script that works for us, decorating our stage with props that support us, finding castmates we love and who love us) and grow our the expansive power of our hearts with that knowledge. But all that growing and heart-opening stuff can be scary.

Leo asks us "What are you afraid to express?"

Since there can be so much smoke and mirrors within a performance, it's important to know what is real and truthful, including what is you and what is someone's else's expectation of you. Leo is a skilled sorter of shadows and helps us to understand what truth we need to express about ourselves and when it's time to remove our masks. The following spread helps us to seek out our bravery through understanding our fear while at the same time reaching out to find our strengths.

Card 1. That Which Set the Stage

This card is an overview of the part of how supportive your life feels for being able to perform your story (i.e. show up in your life in the ways you are called to move through the world). Refer back to the Gemini Season spread if you need more insight on telling your story. You can choose to read this card as a general overview of your life's landscape or focusing on one particular area of your life (i.e. work life, a specific relationship, and so on). 

Card 2. That Which Is Feared

This card highlights the fear that is showing up in your life right now and appears to be an obstacle in your path. It is meant to help you name your fear out loud and see it for what it is instead of avoiding acknowledging it or growing it beyond proportion to reality. Sometimes this card can describe the mask you created for yourself in order to protect yourself from your fear coming to be.

Card 3. That Which Is Brave

This card helps you to recognize the strengths you carry and how acknowledging these strengths is a practice in cultivating bravery. 

Card 4. That Which Opens the Heart

This card suggests a path into heart-opening work, where you can begin to show up as the story you want to tell in the world, living beyond your fear and into your bravery.

Card 5. A Message for Leo Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Leo season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Leo season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Heart

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

A Tea for Leo Season

How do we nourish the energy of Leo? We make beautiful teas with bold colors full of heart-opening herbs. Traditionally, Leo is a sign of the heart, the chest, and the movement of energy throughout the body (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Leo). I've chosen Rose (Rosa spp.) to bring a heart-opening energy into our tea and paired it with Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna) which acts both as a physical and energetic tonic to the heart body. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) brings warmth and opens the chest, expanding energy from the heart outward. Rosemary is also helps to cultivate strength of will and courage in the body. Blended together, these plant allies create a sweet and bold brew ready to support all of your courageous endeavors.

• 4 parts Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• 2 parts Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

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

image via @kent_pilcher

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?

♌️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Leo? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series.

Though I didn’t include them in this particular Leo tea recipe, Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is one of my favorite Leo plant allies and heart tonics - I’ve written a full plant profile on them for you to explore. Want to learn more about beloved Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)? I’ve written an exclusive plant profile for my patrons.

And since Leo tends to bring the energy of gatherings and bringing folks together, here are some of my favorite plant allies to support social connections without burnout.

May your Leo season be bright and sweet, full of heart light and brave connectivity.

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

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Footnotes

(1) I feel like Leo, along with Scorpio, gets a lot of hassle as a sign as folks try to frame the Lion as a drama queen and Scorpio as wildly promiscuous. In the overculture, modern astrology is seen as the domain of women and those deemed too effeminate, so these little misogynistic narratives seep in to keep Leo's confidence in check and shame the sexuality of Scorpio (because confident, unashamed womxn and femmes are a threat to the powers that be).

The truth is that all the signs are prone to drama, just in different areas of life, but Leo Sun signs can tend to be more honest and unabashed about their needs and desires in public - which is a big no for womxn and femmes in our culture. Sexuality is a universal experience, too. Scorpio Sun signs are not more or less sexual than any other sign of the zodiac - they just happen to be intense creatures in relationships of all kinds, sexual or not, because they’re more often interested in the diving into the depths than surface matters.

Fortunately, astrology stories are being rewritten and expanded upon in beautiful ways these days, so these misogynistic binds will continue to be undone as kinder cultures emerge. But let's continue to disrupt these stories (and give our Leo and Scorpio stars some breathing room to grow into who they want to be) to strengthen our communities as we dream a new world into being.