Plant Allies & Herbal Recipes for Headaches

Headaches are a pain.

(Thank you, sorry, I'll see myself out.)

Headaches are not only a common pain but a common complaint through the ages. Our ancient and not-so-ancient ancestors came up with all sorts of remedies - both effective and dubious - to alleviate the common headache with ancient herbals and folklore full of suggestions. Fortunately, there is quite a collection of herbs for headaches ranging from analgesics to nervines, digestives and circulatory tonics.

While there are many sorts of headaches ranging from the dull to the debilitating and occurring because of underlying illnesses, hormones, allergies, medication use, physical trauma, disability, and more, we’ll be focusing on those cause by stress and tension. Other types of headaches require a lot more specialized one-on-one care than can be effectively communicated through a blog post and if you're experiencing chronic headaches especially when combined with symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, blurry vision, you should visit your health care professional.

While I’m focusing on herbs for stress and tension headaches, many of the plant allies on the following list would be useful for all sorts of headaches since stress and tension are often contributing factors to whatever else is happening to bring on a headache. I’ve also included sensory overwhelm and general high sensitivity within the realm of stress and tension headaches as it is an area of focus that is near and dear to my heart.

image via @kkalerry

Plant Allies for Headaches

🌿 Lavender (Lavandula spp.): Lavender it is a wonderful overall headache remedy and nervous system tonic. Headaches and migraines brought on by nervous tension are well-served by Lavender as well as headaches that accompany a cold or the ‘flu. Indications include overstimulation, crankiness, headaches made worse by physical heat and bright light, feelings of overexposure, agitation, nervousness, and insomnia - especially for overheated conditions such as anger and irritability. A little goes a long way with Lavender and it works well blended with most other herbs on this list.

🌿 Milky Oat (Avena sativa): My favorite nervine, Milky Oat helps alleviate headaches by settling the nervous system and helping us find equilibrium. It is one of my most recommended plants to folks and makes an excellent addition to most headache blends. Indications include general fatigue, loss of hope and inspiration, stress and anxiety, trouble sleeping, and a general feeling of discombobulation in the body.

🌿 Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Like Milky Oat, Lemon Balm is an herb that I find to be most effective when taken over an extended period of time. It's a great herb for those who have been sick and are trying to work through that post-illness malaise where body aches and pains - including headaches - are getting better but still lingering. It's also one of my favorite plant allies for headaches brought on by social anxiety and all those big life transitions where tension is high. Additional indications for Lemon Balm include chronic stress and desiring connection but struggling to show up in relationships of all kinds.

🌿 Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): A great plant ally for hyperactivity in general, including busy thoughts (including busy anxious thoughts that cause tension), restlessness that disrupts sleep, and people who are on their phones too much (contributing to tension headaches) and are looking for plant ally support for their nervous system as they learn how to look less at their screens. Other indications include headaches that arise from indigestion including a nervous stomach, muscle spasms, and overall body tension. 

🌿 Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis) : Wood Betony is a great option for headaches that stem from nervous tension. The herb helps to draw energy down from the head by regulating circulation so that heat and stagnant energy doesn't lead to pain like sciatica or neuralgia. In addition to general pain, Herbalist Anne McIntyre specifically recommends Wood Betony for trigeminal neuralgia or intense facial pain - but you should be sure to check in with your health practitioner if you are experiencing either of these symptoms.¹ Other indications that Wood Betony might be useful include dizziness, brain fog, and nightmares.

🌿 California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica): A great plant ally if disrupted sleep is one of the contributing factors to your headaches. One of the ways that California Poppy helps us to get a good night's sleep is that it brings energy down from the head to our roots, calm racing thoughts, and reducing pain that can accompany restlessness. California Poppy is a nervous system restorative and when combined with other herbs like Milky Oat (Avena sativa) it can be used in low doses on a daily basis to help recover from burnout or a period of intense stress. Consider combining with herbs like Vervain (Verbena officinalis, hastata) if there is excess tension and a tendency to overwork or Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) if there is excess anxiety and racing thoughts.

🌿 Vervain (Verbena spp.): A classic remedy for tension headaches and for good reason! Vervain can be used both internally and as a compress for the neck and shoulders to help alleviate tension headaches brought on by stress and overwork. With tension headaches with a lot of mental chatter, I like to combine Vervain with Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). Where there is lack of pleasure because tension gets in the way, I like to use Vervain with Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) and Rose (Rosa spp.).

🌿 Sage (Salvia officinalis): Sage is well-known as a circulatory tonic, but I would further classify it as a “processing” tonic in that it not only helps to move blood, heat, and information throughout the body, but it helps us to process these parts of ourselves as well. The herb moves energy downward from the crown of the head through the feet which is one of the reasons that Sage helps to calm us down, alleviate headaches, get restful sleep, and experience good digestion.

🌿 Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Headaches that accompany colds or allergy season that bring along sinus congestion can often be helped by Peppermint. The herb's circulatory tonic qualities help to move energy throughout the body, alleviating trapped tension that can give rise to headaches and brain fog.  Headaches caused by indigestion are another sign that Peppermint may be of use. 

🌿 Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus): A useful herb that can help to alleviate headaches that might arise after physical exertion including working out (though if you're getting headaches after every time you work out, something needs to change in your exercise regime or a check-up with your health professional may be needed). A relaxing nervine, Cramp Bark is often useful for folks where heat provides relief. Cramp Bark helps to reduce “nervous tension due to the gentle warmth that it imparts to the nerves and brain.”² The clearing warmth of Cramp Bark can also be applied to states of stress that are alleviated by feeling held and comforted. 

image via @aaroncook

Suggested Practice

I will be focusing on herbal suggestions for headache care, but if you want some more general recommendations for reducing stress in your life (with plenty of plant ally suggestions), you might enjoy my series on supporting our sensitive natures.  

The most helpful tip for headaches brought on by stress and tension is to take your herbal remedy at the earliest sign of headache. Early use of herbs at the first sign of a headache can be key to stopping a headache from fully arriving or lessening the length and intensity of one if it does show up. 

My second most helpful herbal tip is to begin to incorporate nervous system tonics into your daily routine. Many of plant allies listed above are also nervines (aka nervous system tonics) and can be taken over an extended period of time to help our body recover from stress. If you don't know where to start, Milky Oat (Avena sativa) is a good plant to consider. Of course, you want to incorporate other modalities like breathwork and life changes to alleviate stress, but naming your need and working with plants conscientiously with your need can be a help keep you focused on your path.

Finally, make it easy to access your herbs in order to take them regularly. If that means leaving your jar of tea or bottle of tincture on the counter where you'll see it each morning while making breakfast - great. If it's carrying premade tea with you - lovely. Consistency in using your herbal remedies is important. If you need to leave up post-it notes to remind you - excellent. In other words, it's important to drink your tea or take your tincture, so make it easy to do. 

image via @mary_borysova

Herbal Recipes for Headaches

While you can easily make your own recipes based on the plant allies I've suggested, sometimes it's nice to have a recipe to work from instead of having to come up with own from scratch. These are a few sturdy ones, covering a wide-range of tension-style headaches but with a focus on easy-to-find herbs and only a handful of ingredients.  

🌱 A Tincture for Tension Headaches 

A relaxing blend that alleviates tension throughout the body, helping to draw stagnant energy out from the head, and prevent or alleviate headaches. I've added an option of adding California Poppy which I find works well in small doses during the day without causing drowsiness. If you are sensitive to more sedating herbs, then you can leave it out.

• 1 part Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis)

• 1 part Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)

• 2 parts Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

• 2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Optional: ½ part California Poppy

Suggested dosage: 20 drops at first sign of headache or 10 drops up to three times daily.

🌱 A Tea for Tension Headaches

Some of my favorite plant allies for alleviating headaches all in one place. Pleasant tasting and easy to enjoy throughout the day and evening, this tea can be used on its own or combined with a tincture like the one suggested above (such as taking a dose of tincture at the onset of a headache and following it up with this tea). 

• 2 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 2 parts Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• 1/2 part Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Suggested dosage: 1 heaping teaspoon of tea per cup of water. Up to 2 - 3 cups daily.

🌱 Nervous System Tonic Tea or Tincture

A daily nervous system tonic is so important when trying to reduce the frequency and intensity of stress and tension induced headaches. The following is a great daily tonic complete with vitamin and mineral rich herbs, relaxing nervines, and plants with a reputation for increasing our body's ability to access joy. I like making a quart jar of teas like this first thing in the morning, making it easy to enjoy throughout the day.

• 2 parts Milky Oat (Avena sativa) 

• 1 part Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• ½ part Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

Suggested dosage: 10 drops up to three times daily. 1 heaping teaspoon of tea per cup of water. Up to 2 - 3 cups daily.

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If you're looking for more recipes, check out my archive which includes stress-alleviating recipes like my favorite tea for winding down and teas for when we're feeling tired whether from burnout, sensory overwhelm or disruptions to our sleep cycle. You can also find complete plant profiles for all the herbs I wrote about today and many, many more in The Plant Ally Library.

For those who feel like their headaches may be tied to issues of sensitivity and overwhelm, you might enjoy Solace.

May you connect with the plant allies and practices that reduce pain in your life, sweep away the stress, and help you find a way of moving through the world that feels steady and hopeful.

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

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Footnotes

1. Anne McIntyre, The Complete Herbal Tutor: The Ideal Companion for Study and Practice, (London: Octopus Books, 2010), 159.

2. Stephen Taylor, The Humoral Herbal: A practical guide to the Western Energetic system of health, lifestyle and herbs (London: Aeon Books, 2021), 286.

Chosen Family: A Tarot Spread for Finding One Another

I spend a lot of time in my work exploring belonging: how we recognize it, embrace it, and making more space in our lives for feeling it with one another.

One of the ways of experiencing belonging - of having our belonging recognized as whole, holy, and inherent - is through our encounters with chosen family. When we're seeking out new relationships and trying out new patterns of how we relate to others, being able to get a sense of how that new style of relationship might feel in our bodies can be a helpful. One of my favorite tools for finding certain sorts of feelings in the body is the tarot.

The tarot is a multifaceted tool with plenty of historical paths to follow, magickal elements to study, and somatic experiences to explore. Made up of 78 cards that seek to both embody universal experiences yet be open-ended enough to be endlessly customizable to individual lives, the tarot can be utilized in our quest for deeper connection with people we already know and those that we've yet to meet.

Chosen family refers to people in your life that you're not related to biologically but who you have a deep, healthy familial relationship with built on mutual respect, kindness, love, and care. Sharing resources, looking out for one another, and affirming each other's dignity are all hallmarks of chosen family and are typically in response to not receiving this kind of care and consideration in your family of origin. However your chosen family comes together, participating in the act of making and being part of a chosen family is one of the ways we let ourselves be seen and held while learning to listen and perceive more deeply. For many, queerness and chosen family are woven together and from my own experience as a queer kid chosen family was a matter of survival and now, as a queer adult, chosen family remains a sanctuary. But anyone can experience chosen family and I've found it amongst my Pagan and Witch friends as well as in a variety of other identity-affirming groups.

Chosen family shows up all throughout the keystone tarot developed by A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith not least because of Pamela Colman Smith's experiences with queer chosen family and, perhaps, A.E. Waite's experiences with the hermetic orders he belonged to.¹ For me, tarot has always been a tool of learning about and seeking connection not just with our inner worlds, but the people, places, and creatures of the world around us.

So let’s cast some cards and explore what sort of chosen family we’re seeking, the healing we’re looking for, and the hope of community that we’re cultivating.

The Chosen Family Tarot Spread

The following tarot spread helps us to understand the feeling of chosen family we're seeking and the type of relationships that feel missing or underrepresented in our lives.

Just the act of identifying the types of relationships we're yearning for can be healing - we're letting ourselves hope for connections that we may not have experienced before or had little of. After identifying the chosen family we're seeking, this spread leads us through understanding why we're seeking that connection and then tapping into the collective energy of chosen family - that magickal web that helps us to find each other - to receive supportive guidance.

Doing this spread again and again through the years can help you develop a deck-within-a-deck of helpful figures that you can call upon when looking for specific insight on your healing journey - you’ll find more suggested practices like this below. I’ve also included three sample spreads to illustrate the ways that this spread can be approached.

Note: While I love a precocious beginner, I do think that this tarot spread works best for folks with a firm understanding of the tarot (or oracle deck you're using), it’s structure and meaning, and a strong working relationship with the cards. Because we are seeking a somatic experience, where we feel the kind of relationship we're looking for, having a connection with your deck of cards already, where you've previously had somatic experiences with them, will serve you well.  

✨ Card 1. Choosing Our Family

Begin by choosing a card (or two) to represent the sort of chosen family you're seeking. A card for this position might come to mind easily, but if you're having a harder time choosing, here are two suggestions. First, you can look through every card in your deck, asking yourself "Who’s the family I'm seeking?" and choosing a card that feels right. Second, is to spend time journaling and/or meditating on the chosen family you're seeking and then choosing a card. There is no right or wrong card and there is a lot of room for play when it comes to your choice. Here are some examples of reasons folks might choose certain cards:

Natasha just wants someone to tell them how it is - gently but fiercely - and help them sort through the complicated dynamics with her biological family. She chooses the Queen of Swords as her first card.

Amira wants to feel part of a friend group that values in-person get-togethers and supporting each other's creative pursuits. They choose the Four of Wands.

Leo really wants a friend who is as excited about going on hikes as they are for sitting around with tea talking about everything from a favorite band to their favorite megaliths. He chooses the Empress as his found family card. 

background image @iamthedave | tarot deck shown is the Weiser Tarot

✨ Card 2. Finding Our Healing 

The next cards will be chosen at random, using your preferred shuffling method. The second card represents the healing that we are seeking with the family we’ve chosen in card one. We seek our chosen family to get a need met that we're not experiencing with our family of origin - this card helps us to name that need more clearly. Continuing from our examples above:

Natasha pulls the Page of Swords which speaks to her younger self's confusion within her family of origin who relied on unspoken rules and sharp criticism in place of open communication. The Page of swords represents the part of Natasha that craves clear communication in relationships and wants to trust that people can be open and honest in their communication style.

Amira pulls the Four of Cups and recognizes the ways that they felt bored and out-of-step with her family whose older siblings and parents didn't show curiosity around any of Amira's interests that didn't align with their own. It led to a pattern of Amira believing that they aren’t interesting enough to be part of anyone's friend group. 

Leo pulls the Five of Wands and laughs. His family was constantly in a state-of-disarray, especially when it came to doing anything outside of their normal routine. It made the idea of going out and doing things feel stressful not because of the stress of the unknown, but knowing that arguments and hurt feelings would be inevitable. 

background image via @tcooper86 | tarot deck shown is the weiser tarot

✨ Cards 3 - 6. Embracing Our Connection

The last three cards, pulled at random using your preferred shuffling method, represents a message of clarity from your chosen family card to help you embrace your instinct and desire for connection with people out in the world. These cards might point to next steps to take, new ways of thinking to consider, and other healthy actions to take in your life to make finding and embracing chosen family that much easier. Here's a brief rundown on the cards our example readers have pulled:

Natasha pulls the 10 of Swords, the Ace of Swords, and the Ace of Pentacles. She interprets this as the Queen of Swords saying that her family's approach to communication was almost comically useless but led to a real deprivation of language which carries a deep wound in Natasha's heart. It also shows how Natasha struggles to explain this pain to others, feeling overwhelmed by the task, but the Queen of Swords points out that there is hope on the horizon with the sunrise and Natasha's quest to learn beyond the limitations of her family of origin. The Ace of Sword points Natasha to continuing to strengthen her communication skills, to speak clearly of what she wants. "Let them know what you want! Ask for what you need! Say no! Say yes! Embrace that voice of yours!," the Queen of Swords speaks. The Ace of Pentacle encourages Natasha to seek out that feeling of being held in a relationship, being cared for, and having communication not just be about talking but feeling heard. 

Amira pulls the Five of Pentacles, the Three of Pentacles, and the Three of Cups. The Five of Pentacles points to that deep fear that Amira will always be on the outside, begging for social scraps. The interesting thing about the Five of Pentacles is that there are two folks in the card, reminding Amira that they're not alone in their fear and there are a lot more folks like them than not. The Three of Pentacles encourages Amira to show off their interests more, not less, and to embrace the perspective that there is enough interest to go around - that Amira doesn't have to live in a place of feeling like there is scarcity when it comes to connection. The final card is like a zoom-in on the Four of Pentacles and carries a lot of hope and encouragement - "We're here waiting for you, Amira! We can't wait to finally meet you!" 

Leo pulls the Eight of Wands, the Queen of Pentacles, and the Ten of Cups. The Empress points to the Eight of Pentacles and Leo's constant vigilance to conflict in his relationships and his need to guard against them. "What if you practiced laying that wand down, sneaking through the gap in the fence, and letting yourself visualize peaceful encounters more than strained ones?," the Empress suggests. The Queen of Pentacles points to practices that Leo might consider adopting including restorative stillness and the joy of being in a place rather than worrying about getting there. Finally, the Ten of Pentacles points to not only the hope and real future of chosen family awaiting Leo, but that he should seek out examples of how a healthy family acts in order to be able to spot it more readily in his current and future relationships. 

background image via @lkmatt | tarot deck shown is The Weiser Tarot

Future Practices

As mentioned at the top, working with a spread like this more than once helps us to develop our own deck-within-a-deck of useful allies - the spirits of our chosen family - to call upon when we need clarification. Natasha's Queen of Swords becomes a source of plain-speaking with things feel confused in her relationships. Amira's Four of Wands is a reminder of the vast possibility for community, illuminating all the pathways to get there. And Leo's Empress is a source of calm and reassurance, pointing out helpful ways for Leo to ground, center, and put everything going on around him into perspective. If you have a chosen family card that you want to work with you can always pull it out to do the Chosen Family spread again, but you can also pay close attention to whenever that particular card is showing up in another spread. You can also do a quick reading with any of your chosen family cards by looking for the card in your deck and reading the card before and after it as a message from them.

And if you're the altar-making type or love to cast a spell, cards from this spread easily lend themselves to an altar or spell calling in chosen family. It can be easier to follow up these type of self-reflective tarot spreads with actions when you have a sense of what these new types of relationships might feel like in your life, because feeling something can make it all the more real. So cast your cards, but also go to that game night that you've been planning on. Magick and real-world action go hand-in-hand!

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I hope you enjoyed the Chosen Family Tarot Spread and are feeling inspired by the ways we can approach tarot not only as a tool of self-reflective, but as impetus for connection.

If you’re looking for more tarot spreads, be sure to check out my tarot archive. There is over a decade of tarot spreads and tutorials for you to enjoy! And, if you interested in exploring the intersections between healing and belonging, come this way.

Finally, friends, I hope that your life is rich with people that love and support you and that you are able to be the chosen family to others in a big-hearted way. And if you’re feeling lonely right now, I hope that loneliness dissipates with the arrival of chosen family at the crossroads of wherever it is you are.

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

📚

Footnotes

The tarot deck shown is the Weiser Tarot.

1. Though orders like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn seemed more an intense interpersonal drama than a healthy chosen family. There were so many big personalities and feelings - intermixed with all the effort for costumes and rituals and arguing about secret texts - and including some truly incredible scam artists hanging out around the edges. But this also might just be a description of much of western esoteric tradition…

The Moon in the First House: A Study in Lunar Astrology

Each month, the Moon journeys through the Twelve Houses of our birth chart - the mountain vistas and drylands, the caverns and ravines, the meadows and shorelines, the ancient woodlands and jungle terrain - illuminating the hidden currents that flow through each one.

Continuing our series on lunar astrology, I wanted to share with you the guide I wrote about the Moon visiting the First House. This is part of a year long series exploring the Moon in each of the Twelve Houses of the birth chart that students of The Lunar Apothecary and my patrons have access to. My hope with series like these is to not only provide practitioners with additional storytelling tools for their practice, but make astrology feel like an accessible form of reflection and connection.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read my guide to the Moon in the Houses to better understand what I’ll be sharing about the First House. But, briefly, rather than focusing on the Natal Moon (e.g. the place where the Moon was located at the time of your birth), we’re exploring the transiting or visiting Moon. If the Full Moon is in Virgo, for example, the Moon in the Houses guide is meant to help you understand what energies the Full Moon in Virgo will be stirring up in your birth chart (or the birth charts of the clients you work with).

I’ll be sharing the guide to the First House, but if you’d like access to the full series please check out The Lunar Apothecary or consider becoming a patron. Not only will you get access to a ton of exclusive resources, but you’ll be supporting my ability to offer the majority of what I do for free or at a low-cost.

The First House is a place of important storytelling in astrology - it sets the stage for the rest of the birth chart, containing not only the Ascendent or Rising Sign, but acting like a compass for the rest of the energies we find in all the other Houses. A lunar visitor to our First House (which will happen at various times throughout the year whenever the Moon is in the sign of our Ascendant) can illuminate our depths in ways that can help us understand the wisdom of our feeling-body and the waters of our intuitive pattern-sensing self. It’s a great place to start our journey, so let’s begin!

image via @sonance

The First House

Key Concepts: You, individual identity, self-expression, inherent vitality, health constitution, and physical form. Who am I and what am I feeling? 

Guardian Sign & Element: Aries & Fire

House Type: Angular

Lunar Phrase: I am feeling…

Lunar Focus: The Moon focuses on or reveals how we intuit information as well as how we express what we feel (or want to feel) through our physical appearance throughout different areas in our life.

Healing Opportunities: Re-examining how we want to be perceived in the world versus our own perceptions of ourself. Calling home all parts of ourselves back to our bodies. Ritual styles that speak to our unique sense of self. Reconnecting with a sense of wonder and possibility for life. Gathering up energy to start a new project that is meaningful to who we are and want to be. Releasing outmoded ways of being that no longer align with who we currently are. Sacred body blessings of all kinds. Naming and renaming ceremonies.

Inner Landscape: The place where you feel most free to be able to express yourself wholly and completely, without reservation or fear, but with ease and encouragement.

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Note: Your Rising Sign or Ascendant will always be in your First House. While the Ascendant, the sign which shapes our perception of the world and how we want to be perceived, is not the focus of this profile, it is inherently tied up with the energy of the First House and is worth exploring further.

It is from the First House that we look out across our birth chart. While we'll find ourselves engaged with the energy of other Houses throughout our life, it is from the First House that we first woke up at the dawn of our life. Representing our self and the perspective from which we view our life and experiences, the First House is where we are able to gain the widest vision of our inner world. In other words, the First House is our most comfortable vantage point at which to view the rest of our life.

We get to know ourselves in all areas of our chart, but it is in the First House that we come to know what it is we inherited (from our inherent vitality, physical features, and genetic disposition) as well as how we choose to adorn and express ourselves. These choices shift throughout our life as they're are based partly on what we've chose to leave behind or carry forward from what we've inherited biologically, emotionally, culturally and spiritually as well as from our ongoing lived experiences. Through the First House we understand ourselves as individuals within the collective from our families, relationships of all kinds including with place and beyond-human kin. While other parts of the birth chart can feel like places we visit or where we are visited upon, the First House carries the energy of the self, where we are at, and the place from which we perceive everything happening in our life. For that reason, planets that show up in the First House feel more tied to our sense of self than when they appear in other parts of the chart. If we were to imagine that every planet (or celestial body like an asteroid) in our birth chart has an audible tone, the ones that are in the First House are the tones we hear the clearest and most consistently.

The Moon in the First House illuminates the deep, true-to-us stories and beliefs that we carry within, share with few people, but that shape our instinctual reactions and the intuitive impulses, both internal and external, to the world around us. Lunar illumination in our First House helps to draw these stories out from deep within us so that they can dance closer to our skin, letting us see how these stories find resonance or dissonance with our current self-expression. The Moon draws close and asks us to consider the shape of our individual spirit and what that spirit is feeling in our current life. What are the stories we are relying on to perceive ourselves and what we want others to perceive about us? If the First House represents us awakening to the world and then making choices in how we want to participate in it, the Moon asks us to check in with what feelings are behind our choices and initiatives.

The Moon in the First House helps us explore the tension between our private self and our public self, including our private self that feels called to the path of the herbalist or healer and the public self who is that herbalist or healer in the world. As we work as herbalists, it's important to know where our edges begin and end as we work with clients so that our story doesn't get muddled up in their needs. There is an inherent and ongoing exploration of personal boundaries within the First House as we examine what parts of the world outside of us we invite in, what we keep out, and what we are reconsidering. The return of the Moon to the First House, especially when in the Full Moon phase, is like sitting down with a precious and beloved companion - It's you! I see all of you! How beautiful you are! 

If we are struggling with our sense of self and self-expression, the appearance of the Moon in the First House can be a helpful spotlight directing us towards the stories that carry the hope of liberation for us. Working with the New Moon or Dark Moon in our First House can help to clear out the old myths and welcome in more empowering tales of wonder. 

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Lunar Affirmations of the First House

🌕 The Full Moon: I energize the fullest expression of my self so it may flow unhindered throughout my life.

🌒 The New Moon: I clear the path around me and make space for my self-expression.

🌑 The Dark Moon: I let go of self-censorship and old stories, embracing the wisdom of discernment.

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Sacred Inquiry for the First House

• I most easily express myself when I feel ___________.

• My intuition is strengthened through ___________.

• I express my Moon through my physical experience by ___________.

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Lunar Rituals of the First House

Think about your favorite types of rituals, the loveliest experiences where you feel most in tune with who you are and your magick - these are the rituals of the First House. There is value in putting in the effort to invite all parts of yourself to a First House ritual, whether that is getting dressed up, doing a more complex spiritual cleansing practice beforehand, playing your favorite album at top volume while working candle magick, etc. Whatever your ritual might be, let it be you. 

• Body blessings to help you embrace healing self-expression

• Rituals working with your ascendant energy

• Wayfinding rituals to help you return to your self

• Uncrossing rituals to help remove obstacles that hinder your self-expression

• Energy hygiene rituals to support your work as a practicing herbalist

• Soul calling and retrieving rituals

• Rituals to call in newness

• Celebratory rituals honoring changes and transitions

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First House Remedies

• Ascendant/Rising Sign supporting blends including teas, flower essences, and baths

• Aries remedies of all kinds, including remedies for head, face, eyes, hair, blood, and brain

• Elemental fire remedies of all kinds

• Body & hair oils

• Facial toners

• Perfumes and remedies that have strong scents aligned to your preferences

• Herbal remedies that support strong personal boundaries

• Daily blends aligned to supporting your unique energetic needs to achieve a sense of ease and balance (e.g. daily tonics that are energizing versus relaxing)

• Plant allies that support sense of self, gifts of discernment, and self-expression 

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What astrological myths are you most drawn to?

When we approach astrology as storytelling and mnemonic device that connects us to our herbal ancestors while contributing to the ever-expanding present, it can be such an interesting and healing tool to work with. While I choose to focus on the lunar aspects of astrology, especially as tied to herbal practice, astrology is a vast library of myth and to draw upon and I hope you’re feeling inspired.

If you’d like to explore the other Houses of the birth chart, you can find the complete series in The Lunar Apothecary as well as in my patreon community. And for other lunar-focused resources, check out my Moon Studies archive or my Astroherbology archive for a broader astrological focus.

Until we meet again, whether under the light of the Full Moon or the sliver of silver at the New Moon, I hope all your lunar journeys are revealing, full of magick, and thick with myth.

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The Waking Earth: Herbs for Allergy Season

Let's explore plant allies for allergy season!

There are many herbs that can help alleviate allergy symptoms brought on by seasonal changes and the pollen from plants that are abundant during the warming and warmer parts of the year. Herbal remedies can offer a non-drowsy, whole body approach to allergy season that help us navigate this time of the year with greater ease.

The most effective herbal protocols for seasonal allergies, in my experience, is one that aligns with the seasons, where remedies and practices build upon themselves to help the body¹ pull on the nourishment of the past seasons to move through the present one with greater ease. In other words, herbal remedies for allergies are most effective when used in conjunction with other simple practices (some of which are listed below) rather than used exclusively on their own.

image via @anniespratt

Laying the Foundation

For allergy relief, it's best to start preparing in the weeks before allergy season starts. We begin with lymphatics (e.g. lymphatic system tonics), add in nervines (e.g. nervous system tonics), and start incorporating general and symptom-specific antihistamines.

Lymph tonics start showing up in the land around us during late winter and early spring. All those wild and weedy plants that pop up at the end of winter and beginning of spring, such as Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) and Cleavers (Galium aparine), are a great way to start incorporating lymph system tonics into your daily tea blends. Overall, we're wanting to add herbs that are gently energizing and tonifying to the body including lymph system tonics, blood building herbs (which is an old herbal way of describing plants which help with building up vitality, including preventing anemia, as well as broader neurological diseases and early concepts of mental health conditions), and herbs that help get our energy moving after the slowness of winter. 

I also recommend that folks work with 1 to 2 nervines (Melissa officinalis and Avena sativa are two of my favorites) as well as a general antihistamine herb like Nettles (Urtica dioica) or Butterburr (Petasites hybridus) that can be taken daily two or three weeks before the arrival of allergy season.

image via @amylynngrover

Plant Allies for Allergy Season

Once allergy season has arrived, you can start incorporating more symptom-specific herbs. I've listed some of my favorite plant allies for allergy season below, many of which are recommendations from my book The Apothecary of Belonging: Seasonal Rituals & Practical Herbalism.

In addition to exploring the herbs below, when you can try to incorporate herbs that are local to the land you live with - local plants can sometimes help us adjust to our local environment more effectively.

🌿 Nettles (Urtica dioica): A nutritionally dense plant ally, Nettles is a great herb to work with in strengthening and nourishing our body. Indications include general seasonal allergies, fatigue, and adrenal stress. Nettles has antihistamine qualities and is traditionally described as an herb that helps to "build the blood" which not only speaks to the herb's iron content, but Nettle's overall nutritive and energizing healing qualities.

🌿 Goldenrod (Solidago spp.): Goldenrod is a great choice of antihistamine when allergies manifest as sinusitis, respiratory inflammation, and excess mucus. Further indications include asthma, stagnant digestion, adrenal fatigue, sore throat, eczema irritated by allergies (it makes a great salve for rashes), and asthma.

🌿 Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): A good tonic herb, Lemon Balm helps to protect against overwhelm, whether that's feeling overwhelmed by change, social situations, the effects of allergies or whatever else is looming large in your life. Indications include itchy eyes and skin (use both internally and externally as a skin wash or steam), hay fever, and sinus headaches.

🌿 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 allergy-induced brain fog, and alleviate any allergy related pain due to inflammation.

🌿 Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): The arrival of Dandelion on the land I live with is a time of celebration! Dandelion remedies made during the spring carries the energy of the season throughout the year. A wonderful general ally for allergies, Dandelion helps to reduce sinus inflammation and expel excess mucus (along with the allergens it carries). Additional indications include neck pain, low-grade spring fevers or feeling overheated, and conditions that improve with movement (including receiving bodywork) and worsen when trying to be still.

🌿 Yarrow (Alchemilla millefolium): While you can use Yarrow as a tea, tincture or capsule, the flowers and leaves are one of my favorite topical treatments as a steam for allergy relief, helping to alleviate allergy related headaches, asthma, and congestion. I also love Yarrow in an herbal shower rinse or bath. Indications include water retention, poor circulation, low energy, red splotchiness of the skin, conditions that worsen in air conditioned environments, and exposure to environmental pollutants (including wildfire smoke).

🌿 Butterbur (Petasites hybridus): A lovely antihistamine, Butterburr works best when you start to take it a few weeks before allergy season arrives. Indications include asthma, hay fever, allergy-induced headaches, and skin conditions brought on or aggravated by allergies.

🌿 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. Indications include dry and spasmodic coughs, general lung weakness, and hoarseness.

🌿 Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina, avium): Wild Cherry can help to sedate hacking, repetitive coughs and can be especially useful in the evenings when you are trying to relax. Indications include a sharp, hacking cough, indigestion, and sore throats. 

🌿 Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): Sometimes a gently sedating herb is what is needed in the evenings when allergy symptoms are making it hard to settle down and rest. A little goes a long way with Passionflower, but in addition to sedation, the herb also has anti-inflammatory and pain-alleviating qualities. Indications include insomnia, spasmodic coughs, and busy, chattering thoughts.

image via @anniespratt

A Full & Supported Practice

Once you've got your nervine and your allergy-specific plant ally, you can begin to add in other herbs to help to reduce symptoms, strengthen body systems, and provide overall support. For example, I recently recommended Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) combined with Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) for a dry, hacking cough that was disrupting a person's ability to work. Mullein works on the respiratory system, while a small dose of Marshmallow brings that extra bit of mucilaginous relief to calm and quiet their high and tight respiratory system.

For times that you know are going to be high allergen days, you can take a standard dose² of Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) in the morning for extra support. But Echinacea should be taken only a few days here and there (and no longer than 7 days in a row) because it is immunostimulating and can create stress on our immune system if used for too long. When taken occasionally on high allergen days, Echinacea can be very helpful in preventing more intense and debilitating allergy symptoms.

My additional recommendations are: 

• Use a neti pot daily in the morning

• Salt water gargle mornings and evenings (combined with oil pulling if you like)

• Change sheets weekly (and your pillowcase more if you need to)

• Use a physical barrier like a mask to help protect your respiratory system on high allergen days when you still have to go out.

While not all of these beyond-herbs recommendations will work for everyone, use what does, and consider other ways that you can physically remove from your environment and reduce exposure to allergens.

Allergies can be tricky, so it can take a moment to figure out what herbs work best for you. Having a general structure of preparatory lymph tonics and antihistamines, followed by a combination of nervines, antihistamines, and symptom-specific support (i.e. mucilaginous herbs for dry conditions or astringents for damp conditions) can be helpful place to start.

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If you like this style of an indications-based guide to plants, you'll likely enjoy the herbal recommendations organized by season you'll find in my book.

And if you're looking to connect with the seasonal energy of the year you might enjoy my winter to spring or spring to summer recommendations. I also have a full post on the plant allies of spring and how to create a spring apothecary.

I hope you found this guide to plant allies and ways to work with them to alleviate the stress of allergy season useful. May you enjoy the bright half of the year more thoroughly (and with less runny noses and itchy eyes) with your plant allies at your side.

This post was made possible through patron support.
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Footnotes

1. I use the term body here in its most expansive term including our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.

2. In general, a standard dose for an alcohol extract (aka tincture) is 20 - 60 drops (or about 1 - 2 dropperfuls). Whenever working with herbal remedies, it's important to look up contraindications, adjust protocols based on your medical needs and either follow guidelines recommended on the bottle and/or the guidelines from your herbalist or qualified health practitioner.

The Resting Body: Herbs for Sleep & Relaxation

Winter is winding down but the long enough nights of the season of Imbolc remain and I'll be indulging in as many of the quiet dreams of these still dark days as I can.

It's been a colder and grayer winter than recent years and I love this break from the rest of the year's endless sun. And while I'm trying to get just a little more time under the blanket of this gentle winter coming to an end and spring's raucous start, I also wrestle, like so many of us, with a restlessness that spits and hisses within me, pointing to a thousand (a million, a multitude) of reasons to sprint through the season, to try and dig a deeper well for the profound and thirsty needs among us. 

It can be really easy to give into the fearful noise that I carry within me, trying to convince me that taking a break will actually break something. I can spend a lot of time on that tumultuous shoreline, battling between a protective instinct that can be too easily fed by anti-rest culture and the thunderous waves of all that needs feeling through. But, I ask myself, why have I worked so hard to create shelter in my practice and to extend that shelter to others, if I won't let myself go inside and rest?¹ 

I've learned (slowly, slowly) that refusing to rest is to willingly engage in its forgetting and risk losing the words for rest and all its stories. 

image via @anniespratt

These body-felt words of rest that helped me to slow down and illuminate what was possible on my own healing journey, are too generous a gift from peers and partners, elders and guides, to not nurture them within the shelter we're all building together. We hold each other's possibilities, carrying these gifts of what-can-be through the seasons of our lives, offering them to fellow travelers as the wheel turns, and remembering a future where these words are abundant in the stories we tell. If the season of winter (or any season of the year) offers rest to me now, I'm learning to welcome it, knowing that it serves as practice for offering deep rest for others in the seasons ahead. And I'll still find myself on a noisy shoreline some days, but that's part of the practice, too - rest often arrives with the ruckus of a storm, making the everyday work of shelter, of story making, and little rests that much more powerful. 

Caring for the resting body is a central focus for many herbalists since it is through deep rest that so much of the healing work of our body occurs. Addressing disruptions to the cycles of rest and sleep in a person's life is an important part of supporting the ways that the healing gifts of plants move through our bodies. Our plant allies, like with most recommendations you'll receive from an herbalist, are only one part of supporting our cycles of rest, but they can make all the other restful practices we may be adopting that much more successful. 

So with all that considered, please enjoy the following excerpt from The Apothecary of Belonging all about my favorite plant allies for rest and sleep.

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Book shown is The Apothecary of Belonging. Deck shown is My Friend Fire by mari in the sky.

The Resting Body:
Herbs for Sleep & Relaxation

Herbal Actions:
Sedatives, soporifics, nervines, and adaptogens²

Creating a practice of rest and deep sleep is foundational to well-being. The roots of restlessness, exhaustion, and insomnia can range from the relatively simple to the complex, as our sleep cycles can be disrupted by illness, stress, structural racism, lifestyle changes, family obligations, adventure, and more. Here are recommendations for classic sedating herbs as well as nervous system tonics for more complex needs. With sedating herbs like Valerian (Valeriana spp.), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), and California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), I recommend starting with small doses (10 drops up to three times daily) before trying a standard dosage. As always, look up contraindications and consult with your health practitioners before adding herbs into your sleep routine.

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California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica): If you’re looking for an herb to reset disruptive sleep patterns but others like Valeriana spp. or Passiflora incarnata leave you too drowsy, California Poppy might be good to work with. California Poppy is less sedating but still relaxing, helping to draw energy downward. Indications include insomnia, tension headaches, bed-wetting, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a dysregulated nervous system.

Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus): A favorite relaxing nervine to help return the body back to a state of rest. Eleuthero reduces stress, regulates the endocrine system, and strengthens our inner vitality. Indications include hypersensitivity, nervous exhaustion, PTSD, ADHD, adrenal stress, and recovering from intense physical exertion.

Sacred Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum): A preferred nervine to alleviate tension and anxiety contributing to restlessness and disrupting sleep cycles. Indications include excess stagnation, brain fog, weak circulation, and sore muscles.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): I love recommending Lemon Balm for finding that restful flow state during waking hours leading to easier periods of rest and sleep. Indications include tension, hypersensitivity, overextension of energy, stress, and postpartum.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): A classic remedy for overworkers, the overworked, and those with difficulty taking a genuine break or rest without feeling anxiety or panic. Passionflower is excellent for insomnia, bringing in restful sleep, and helping you wake up refreshed. Indications include insomnia, muscle spasms, tremors, hiccups, pain, inflammation, and feeling easily overheated at night.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): A great nervous system tonic and rest aid for those who start to fall asleep but get woken up by anxious thoughts. Indications include anxiety, overthinking, nervous exhaustion, and neuralgia.

Valerian (Valeriana spp.): When Valerian is effective, it’s great for calming the nervous system and bringing on sleep, especially when there are connected issues of anxiety. For a small percentage of folks, however, Valerian can bring agitation, so start slow and if Valerian isn’t a fit, try Eschscholzia californica. Indications include insomnia, tension headaches, muscle spasms, PTSD, and ADHD.

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If you're looking for more resources on incorporating plant allies of rest and sleep into your practice, here is my favorite relaxing tea blend. I also love recommending herbal baths and shower rinses to support cycles of rest and relaxation. Our Moon sign can be an interesting well of stories about rest to draw from - if you're curious, you might start with this post on restorative healing with a lunar focus. If you enjoyed the style of this post and would like to support my work, purchasing a copy of my book goes a long way in doing just that - thank you so much!

Friends, thank you for the words you carry and the stories of rest you've created and shared - may the season of rest always be easy to access, an everglowing brightness in your heart.

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

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Footnotes

The book shown in the photo is The Apothecary of Belonging: Seasonal Rituals & Practical Herbalism. The beautiful deck shown is My Friend Fire by mari in the sky.

1. Since I work with a lot of fellow herbalists, activists, and organizers there is always a point where I find myself asking them some variation of this same question. And the only reason I've become better at asking it of myself is I’m trying to set a good example because it is something I still struggle to remember, too!

2. Ah, the term adaptogen. I wrote this book about three years ago and by the time I got to final edits I was questioning whether or not to use the term adaptogen. I decided to ultimately include the term in my book because I was both admittedly very tired of edits and it didn't feel like a make-or-break sort of thing to have to rework in the book. I still don't think it is make-or-break, but if I were to rewrite the book now, I'd probably take out the term adaptogen. Mostly, this is because I think the term is increasingly misused by the "biohacking" and "wellness" influencer types who are trying to promote herbs we've categorized as adaptogens as some sort of super drug (and promoting some really questionable use). But more importantly, I don't think the term is that useful anymore and we can use other more accurate terminology in its place (such as stimulating nervines for many plants classified as adaptogens).

When I was coming up in herbalism, adaptogens were considered a newly discovered type of herbal action - with whole books dedicated to the subject assigned as recommended reading in my courses - but even I remember as an herbal student reading about the less than ethical Cold War trials for these plants and feeling a bit concerned. I don't think the term adaptogen is going anywhere, but I'm more cautious using it these days, even though it has been a favorite term to describe that dynamic nervine nature of some plants like Ocimum tenuiflorum (you'll find other terms like "amphoteric" used among herbalist to describe herbs like Ocimum tenuiflorum or Mentha piperita that are either relaxing or stimulating as needed). But it's good practice to continue to be mindful and more expansive about the terms we use for plants and their actions, hence a two-paragraph footnote on the term adaptogen…