The Lunar Mansions & the Language of Healing

I love our story-telling instinct as a species and all the ways we continuously give old stories new meanings - including the myths we find within astrology. The following is an excerpt from one section in my course The Lunar Apothecary where we explore the 28 Mansions of the Moon from an intersectional and accessible lens, growing our library of language as practitioners to support the healing journeys of those we serve.

The Lunar Apothecary is my in-depth course for herbalists and healing practitioners to discover their unique gifts and who they are as healers using the lens of lunar herbalism and astrology as our guide. If you like these sort of tutorials, where the healing side of astrology is embraced as a modern tool of self and community exploration full of insights and empowering myths, you're invited to join our starry-hearted circle.

Now, admittedly, Lunar Mansions can appear obscure and complex if you've never encountered them before. But, really, they're just another place in the landscape of our birth chart and if you have any interest in the liberatory storytelling practices of astrology, I think you'll find the Lunar Mansions to be rich with the language of healing, interdependence, and hope. So let's explore these lunar places of wisdom together!

image via @rebylulu

The Path of Lunar Astrology

How can one of the oldest forms of astrology - the Lunar Mansions - be a meaningful tool for herbalists, healers, and those we serve? 

The Lunar Mansions (aka the Mansions of the Moon) are an ancient form of astrology found across astrological cultures. The system consists of 28 Lunar Mansions with each of them representing the Moon in one or more signs of the zodiac (i.e. the First Mansion occurs when the Moon is in the sign of Aries while the Third Mansion is when the Moon is at the end of Aries and beginning of Taurus). Intimately tied to the pre-fixed calendar ways of measuring time, each month the Moon passes through all 28 Mansions, roughly passing through a Mansion every 2 ½ days. 

For generations within traditional western astrology, the Lunar Mansions were primarily used as a tool of magickal elections (e.g. establishing appropriate timing for the making of remedies, performing a specific ritual or spellwork) but stem from the ancient tradition of the lunar zodiac - a much older form of astrology than the solar zodiac that most folks in the global west are most familiar with. Astrological traditions such as Vedic astrology still rely on the Lunar Mansions (or nakshatras) as a central part of chart interpretation, as the Mansions help to tell the story of a person's inherent intelligence, life events, and ways to understand a person's constitution (aka dosha). While Vedic interpretation of the Lunar Mansions is beyond the scope of our studies, it's a path of study well worth pursuing if you're feeling called to it.

For our time together, I'd thought that it would be interesting to explore the Lunar Mansions in two ways. First, is to write more about the Mansions of the Moon from a natal perspective or what it means to you personally (or a client you are working with) to have your natal Moon in a particular Mansion. In other words, we'll be looking at the configuration of the Mansions of the Moon at the time of your birth (and if you need help finding the Moon in your birth chart to begin with, come this way). The second path we'll be exploring is the relationship between the Mansions of the Moon to the Houses of the birth chart as a way of understanding how we can engage with the energy of each Mansion in our life. If the Houses represent areas of our life - such as relationships, family, career, health, and community - the Mansions represent the way we feel most ourselves in this part of our life.

Let's start by understanding the meaning of the natal Lunar Mansion.

image via @diaduit

The Natal Lunar Mansion

So what does our natal Mansion of the Moon mean? Our natal Lunar Mansion is the Mansion the Moon was in at the time of our birth. In some ways, our natal Lunar Mansion is like our lunar hometown. One of the ways that I like to think of natal Lunar Mansions is that they act like a regional accent on our Moon sign - there are so many ways to express ourselves emotionally and our accent, community slang, and cultural dialects all shape that. 

Each Moon sign will show up in only one of three Mansions. So, for example, if you are an Aquarius Moon your Mansion will either be the Twenty-Fourth, Twenty-Fifth or Twenty-Sixth Mansion. An Aquarius Moon born in the Twenty-Sixth Mansion will have slightly different energetics than a Twenty-Fourth Mansion or Twenty-Fifth Mansion Aquarius Moon. Once you've found your Moon sign and degree, you'll be able to find your Lunar Mansion (find a list of all the Mansions and their signs and degrees over here).

If the Moon represents our feeling self and the unfolding awareness of how we process consciousness (i.e. our inherent, ever-changing perception filter), the Lunar Mansion is the space which shapes our understanding of ourselves as conscious and emotional beings. Imagine being born into a room and hearing your sounds echoed back at you when you cry, laugh, chatter, and shriek. These noises are going to sound a lot different in a room that is full of furniture and plants and other peoples stuff versus a monastic retreat. Your natal Lunar Mansion, shaped by the phase of the Moon and the place it is in your birth chart, as well as the planets and stars within it, is the home of your emotional discovery.

A natal Lunar Mansion can sometimes define the structures and patterns that, for better or for worse, draw us in and speak to us emotionally. These include our own inner patterns and experiences that shape what we are often what we are drawn to externally (e.g. not only our own pattern of risk-taking, but the risk-taking behavior of others). The ideas and concepts within the Lunar Mansions are one that a native (i.e. someone born into that Lunar Mansion) is often able to spot quickly or at least responds to on an emotional level, whether consciously or subconsciously. In other words, our natal Mansion of the Moon can be a pattern that we find ourselves exploring, coming up against, and having reflected back at us again and again. 

The natal Lunar Mansion of our sample chart of an imaginary fellow traveler named Celina is in the Twenty-Third Mansion (see chart below). For her, she might find herself continuously drawn to people, places, and ideas that explore concepts of liberation through challenging circumstances (including healing crises and illnesses that are interpreted as initiatory in certain spiritual traditions), recognition of and/or exposure of unknown truths and untold stories, and radical change as a tool of healing. And as we explore each Mansion of the Moon throughout our course, I'll be highlighting examples of how individual Lunar Mansion concepts and patterns might show up in the lives of those born into them. 

Stories from the Path

For our journey together, I'll be creating natal Lunar Mansion guides that include four sections exploring different aspects of the Lunar Mansions in our lives. 

The first section is called Concepts & Patterns and describes the types of ideas and experiences that someone with this natal Mansion might be drawn to. Referring again to the sample chart of Celina, the influence of her natal Twenty-Third Mansion in her life may have led her to pursue a career in journalism, writing stories on underreported issues of health access and medical discrimination. She would be drawn to these areas of work not necessarily because these are areas of inherent talent and skill, but because these are career paths that keep her close to the things she is more interested in. Or the influence may be more subtle, where Celina finds herself most compelled and transformed by stories exploring cultures colliding in medical spaces where what begins as a crisis of cultural misunderstanding eventually leads to restorative paths of cultural competency and celebration, consuming media like this on a regular basis. The stories of the Twenty-Third Mansion help Celina to better understand her Capricorn Moon nature - they are concepts and patterns that she most easily recognizes her Moonself in.

The second section is a brief description of someone born into a specific Mansion that I've called Natal Possibilities. This is an expansion on the Concepts & Patterns section where I try to illustrate ways that these interests, callings, and ideas may manifest in their life. These are possible ways that a Lunar Mansion's energy may inform the inner and outer life of a person born into that Mansion. These are meant to be possibilities, not absolutes, and hopefully they inspire your own explorations and descriptions of each Mansion.

The third section is called Client Care and is where I imagine the types of practices I might suggest to a client if we were working together to help them understand and connect with their natal Lunar Mansion. Astrology is not a diagnostic tool, but a storytelling one, and often these celestial practices are about exploring archetypes and concepts that a client might be drawn to, encouraging them to see how their inner and outer worlds might be shaped by their natal Lunar Mansion. We're essentially trying to point out (and celebrate!) that lunar regional accent of theirs. What I find so interesting about natal Lunar Mansion work is that often these concepts and patterns, when pointed out to a client, are ones that they are already exploring in therapy and/or concepts that they have a strong emotional reaction to when pointed out. As always, these sorts of explorations are meant to be done within the reach of your practice as an herbalist, astrologer, and/or training as a health practitioner and not beyond. Be sure to have resources ready to recommend to folks during any sort of client consultation such as lists of mental health professionals, community support services, therapy groups, mutual aid groups, biomedical resources, and so on that you can hand out. Knowing your professional limits and helping folks access the resources they need is an act of healing and solidarity. Beyond natal readings, this section can also be useful in looking at transits and how the Lunar Mansions show up in the Houses.

image via @sunnisahil

The final section - Phases - is a bit experimental, but one that I'm interested in exploring if you're up for it! It looks at the energy of Mansions within the framework of the waxing Moon (i.e. from the New to Full phase) and the waning Moon (i.e. from the Full to New phase). In my personal practice I've noticed subtle differences in the energy of the Mansions when the Moon is waxing or waning and I'd thought I'd share some of my notes with you. I've not come across anything about the relationship between lunar phases and the Mansions in the traditional western astrology resources I have access to (that's not to say it's not out there) so these ideas aren't based on any precedent beyond general lunar astrology knowledge and I hope they inspire your own explorations. Using only two categories of lunar phases is not meant to be overly binary, but an attempt to highlight ways to bring in energies of the Mansion (which align magickally with the growing New to Full Moon) as well as the shadow work side of the Mansions (again aligning with magickal energy the waning light of the Full to New Moon). However, I don't want to give the impression that I work with the phases of the Moon or the Mansions in such a strict way and that you should too. In other words, can you explore some of the more challenging aspects of the Fifth Mansion when the Moon is waxing? Yes! Does the Dark of the Moon always mean you have to be doing gritty shadow work with a Mansion? Nope. 

The image in my mind as I was thinking of when creating the lunar phase parts of these profiles was of a space being illuminated or shadowed by growing or diminishing light of the Moon. As an energetic space like a Lunar Mansion grows darker and our circadian rhythms of rest kick in, we might start to let down our defenses (including the masks we wear and the identities we present to the world). We are often less apt to hide away from certain truths about ourselves and our world. This is not a bad thing, but in fact, a really important part of the healing integration process - the resting body and its ability to process, bring to the surface, and release what needs letting go of. As the light fades and shadows set in we also have an opportunity to examine what it is that is driving us, including our hidden dreams and needs, our insecurities, and our fears. This is what I was hoping to describe with my Full to New Moon category. 

Alternatively, a space where light is emerging, leading to a well-illumined place where it is easy to see what needs seeing, can offer sharp clarity as well as dispelling shadows which haunt us instead of offering healing. This is the type of energy I was hoping to describe with my New to Full Moon category.

All of this is to say that I hope you feel freedom to engage with the energies of the Mansions, whatever aspect of their story interests you and no matter the phase of the Moon, in a way that feels beneficial to you and those you serve. Align yourself with practices and philosophies that feel resonant and empowering and cast other practices aside like seeds for someone else to enjoy the blossom of. So much of our healing work is recognizing that while we are always whole and the Moon is always full, just like our perception of the Moon in the sky, our ability to perceive our wholeness shifts and changes through the different phases of our life.

As always, I hope that these explorations of Mansions and lunar lands help you feel more confident and more at home through your wonderings and wanderings.

image via @she11c0de

In Practice

So how can all this information be useful to you in your personal practice and your practice with clients? In one way it's another useful layer of information to add to your monthly lunar weather report which will become more clear once we explore the relationship between the Lunar Mansions and the Houses. Working with your natal Lunar Mansion can be a way of understanding how your inner Moon interacts with the world - what it is drawn to, where your Moonself finds itself reflected back, compelled towards, repulsed by, and so on. But you also don't have to keep track of the Mansions on a regular basis - simply exploring their energies and archetypes every once in a while can lend a lot of fodder for your stories.  

With clients that you're working with from a lunar-centered perspective, helping them to understand more of their Moonselves through their natal Lunar Mansion can be exciting and affirming work, adding a level of detail that can feel more personal than just knowing their Moon sign. The Lunar Mansions offer more myths to draw on for our clients to explore the worlds within and around them.

Mostly, I hope that this deeper exploration of the Lunar Mansion adds further inspiration to your practice and add a layer of meaningful and useful complexity to your work.

The Lunar Mansion Profiles

The following profiles of the first three Lunar Mansions are an excerpt from the full series of profiles within The Lunar Apothecary. Enjoy!

image via @lukeporter

The First Mansion

✨ 0°00' Aries to 12°51' Aries ✨

Concepts & Patterns: The warrior and warriorship, sacred conflict, and conflict for a real and/or perceived cause. The power of anger. Fighting on behalf of others (social justice, the fight of advocacy work, being the protector in personal relationships).

Natal Possibilities: Here is a Mansion that is Aries energy through-and-through with the guardian planets of Mars and the Sun helping to further energize Aries. One of the archetypes of the First Mansion is the warrior who is ready to leap into sacred conflict for change. The energized-and-ready warrior archetype is a common disposition that many First Mansion Moonfolk have that they explore their world through. The First Mansion hums with energy with a frequent voice echoing through the space encouraging all within to "go for it." Those with a First Mansion Moon can be drawn to other folks who share their spontaneity and risk taking, but also find a lot of fulfillment in exploring why it is that folks take risks and how risks are defined differently for each individual. Caution, a word that many First Mansion Moonfolk aren't particularly fond of, needs to be taken around getting caught up in toxic patterns of "move fast and break things" that has erroneously been seen as an ideal format for innovation. The brilliance of First Mansion Moonfolk really shine when they are able to look beyond the comfort of demagogues and cultural norms to the intersectional, life-supporting innovation all around us.

Client Care: Exploring the warrior archetype, including in films, shows, books, cultural and ancestral lineages. Defining a sacred warrior and creating space to invite that energy in. Connecting with plant allies that balance energy, tend to the nervous system (Aries folk of all types often need extra support for their nervous system), and invite in rest. 

New to Full (Waxing Energy): Energizing the area of our life that the First Mansion has transited to, removal of energetic blocks, the healing power of anger, the expression of will, and/or the cultivation of joyful spontaneity.

Full to New (Waning Energy): How we have hidden away from, been wounded by, or misunderstood for our own or the warrior tendencies of others, our anger, our risk taking, and/or our social justice agitating. Uncovering hidden influences of the warrior in our life. The shadow of the warrior turning into someone who lashes out in destructive ways.

Journal Prompts:

• I feel most alive when ___________.

• I am lacking momentum in ___________.

• I feel most connected to the energy of the warrior when ___________.

image via @rocinante_11

The Second Mansion

✨ 12°51' Aries to 25°42' Aries ✨

Concepts & Patterns: The politician and politics. Accessing structures of power and authority, including finding the "best" system of power (including governance, within relationships, between divided communities, etc). Defining bravery and courage. The power of will-power. Reconciliation through recognition. Compassion as a tool to topple tyranny.

Natal Possibilities: In the Second Mansion, the energy of Aries is both tempered and expanded by the presence of Jupiter transforming the headstrong energy of Aries into a community effort - now with slightly more planning! One of the distinctions between the Second Mansion and First Mansion Aries folk is that the First Mansion often focuses more on the individual, whereas the Second Mansion is a little more interested in community (often as co-conspirators or finding out who is in charge). There is the energy of the Warrior, wizened and shaped in battle, seeking something different, but still interested in change. Second Mansion folk learn a lot about themselves by understanding power structures and defining their role in them, including seeking feedback around who they are and the scope of their consciousness through advancing through these structures of power. Some Second Mansion Moonfolk have an interest in studying political structures, especially those born of anger and/or righteousness. Second Mansion Moonfolk must guard against the cynicism that can develop from what can feel like hopeless striving for change (whether on a personal and/or political level) as well as making sure that they have a healthy way to express anger so that it can transform into a power that carries instead of consumes. When they stand in their power, Second Mansion Moonfolk have the ability to shine like a beacon, illuminating paths before and yet to come, on what is possible if risk is taken together.

Client Care: Exploring the politician archetype, including in films, shows, books, cultural and ancestral lineages. Defining what a politician is and their role in society broadly and your personal identification with (or aversion to) political craft. Connecting with plant allies that help to regulate energy throughout the body (i.e. herbs that support homeostasis), nootropics, and working with plants in partnership with one another (i.e. how Piper nigrum enhances the bioavailability of Curcuma longa). 

New to Full (Waxing Energy): Helping us understand structures of power and our position within them in the area of our life that the Second Mansion is in, exploring the powers of persuasion, changing perspectives, and bringing people into a cause, and/or courageous performance.

Full to New (Waning Energy): How we have hidden away from, been wounded by or misunderstood by our or others' politician tendencies, old and hidden anger, bitter circumstances and/or imbalances of power (personal, institutional, and cultural). The shadow of the politician turning into someone who is hungry for and corrupted by power.

Journal Prompts:

• My relationship to figures of authority is ___________.

• I am ready to release anger about ___________.

• I think it is courageous to ___________.

image via @alex_povolyashko

The Third Mansion

✨ 25°42' Aries to 8°34' Taurus ✨

Concepts & Patterns: Mystics, teachers - especially in the area of sensual pleasure, transformative processes requiring knowledge and skill. The power of the dreaming world drawn into the material one. How knowledge can become a shelter, seeking out and learning of pleasure, while creating wise and discerning boundaries.

Natal Possibilities: Within the Third Mansion, the fire of Aries is tempered and shaped by the grounding, earthiness of Taurus. Sensual pleasure is one of the key concepts of the Third Mansion (the fires of desire transformed into something that can be felt and physically known) and this is something that many Third Mansion Moonfolk find themselves drawn to again and again. Sensual pleasure can mean many things and is not always about sexual pleasure, but about our physical senses experiencing gratification of some sort. In particular, Third Mansion Moonfolk are interested in exploring what society tells us is pleasurable versus what actually is pleasurable to individual people, often drawn to practices and teachers that promise this knowledge. There can be a fascination with communities that center-pleasure, from ethically-centered communities including those that use the promise of pleasure in ways to manipulate and control. In many ways they are drawn to the path of the mystic who promises release from suffering through experiencing the pleasurable holiness of the divine made manifest in the physical world. While there is so much to learn from pleasure, Third Mansion Moonfolk must be careful to not define lack of pleasure or discomfort as "failure" but to make room not for life to be lived in all of its experiences. Third Mansion Moonfolk can be incredible examples of groundedness, living a life of pleasurable boundaries and informed consent, secure in their ability to express what they need and helping others figure out the same.

Client Care: Exploring the mystic archetype, including in films, shows, books, cultural and ancestral lineages. Defining mysticism and sensual pleasure and creating space to invite that energy in. Connecting with plant allies that help us connect with sensual pleasure and mystical experiences through physical connection.

New to Full (Waxing Energy): Energizing the area of our life that the Third Mansion has transited to, helping us to understand what is pleasurable (and not) in this area of our life, removing blocks to that pleasure, and/or helping us to cultivate sensual pleasure.

Full to New (Waning Energy): How we have hidden away from, been wounded by, or misunderstood for our own mystic qualities or the mystic (guru, holy teacher, etc) tendencies of others, our denial or shame regarding our own pleasure, and/or how our inherent need for pleasure has been taken advantage of. Uncovering hidden influences of the (dishonest) mystic in our life. The shadow of the mystic turning into demagogues, abusers, and false teachers interested in their own unethical gratification.

Journal Prompts:

• I feel most sheltered when ___________.

• My sensual pleasure needs ___________ to thrive.

• I tend to overindulge in ___________.

🌙

If you’re new to the Mansions of the Moon I hope your interest has been piqued! If you’re familiar with the Lunar Mansions, I hope you enjoyed this story-focused perspective and that it continue to inspire your own astrological tales.

If your natal Lunar Mansion wasn’t one of the first three, you can find the complete collection of Lunar Mansion profiles (and much more!) in The Lunar Apothecary. And for more posts on all things lunar, check out my Moon Studies Archive.

May the language you need for your work of healing be easily summoned, your stories freely given, and words exchanged like blessings as the Moon waxes and wanes.

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

Creating a Personal Curriculum: Herbalism Edition

Have you heard about personal curriculums?

For those who are not yet familiar with the idea, a personal curriculum is meant to be an antidote to the current content overconsumption but information-deprived era of online social spaces by committing to slow, deep, and inquisitive learning practices. To say that I - a 900 year old moss hag and keeper of this ever-growing archive of community resources -  love this movement is a dramatic understatement. A community response that encourages curiosity and the joy of learning to counter advertising-driven "social" spaces online and the concurrent dismantling of offline third spaces? Yes!

I try to encourage this sort of curiosity that inspires people to create their own interest-based curriculums throughout my writing (whether in my courses or my book). In fact, when I was first planning out Worts & Cunning Apothecary and what I wanted it to become I wrote down "curiosity" as one of my core values. I believe so strongly that curiosity rooted in compassion is a vital skill to cultivate as an herbalist. Curiosity helps us to notice when we need to learn more, have the grace to admit such a thing, and then to have the initiative to pursue understanding. Curiosity is a central ingredient in the spell of collective liberation. 

So with all that in mind, I'd thought I'd share some ideas for personal curriculum courses of study as an herbalist - imagine these as classes you might choose from a course catalogue if Worts & Cunning Apothecary was a university (called Mugwort Commons, of course), complete with academic terms based around the equinoxes and solstices. Choose one or more courses that you're excited about studying for the time frame that works best for you whether that be a lunar cycle, from the solstice to the equinox or even a full turn of the wheel.

And, yes, I've created fake course catalog style signifiers for each course like HERB101 and ANC201 because I'm imagining whole school departments in this pretend university of ours. The current departments at the university (with plans for expansion) are:

• Herbology (HERB)

• Apothecary Arts (APOTH)

• Ancestral Studies (ANC)

• Literature & Media Studies (LMS)

• Critical Social Thought (CST)

• Herstory, History, & Theystory (HER)

• Community Practice (COM)

• Department of Rest (REST)

Pages shown from The Plant Ally Library

Mugwort Commons: Solstice Term Courses

🌿 Foundations: A Plant Ally Study (HERB101)
A great course to take if you're not sure where to start and want more structure to your studies. A plant ally study can consist of completing my (increasingly ancient) Plant Ally Project or simply choosing one herb to study and work with for the term. Begin with What Is A Plant Ally? as your first lesson.

🌿 Foundations: Materia Medica Study (HERB102)
Choose one materia medica or herbal book to read through and take notes on, including what you felt about the author's approach (both in philosophy and organization) as well as further areas of study inspired by your reading. Practical applications of recipes or other practices from the materia medica are encouraged, as well as beginning to create your own materia medica. Adaption: You can easily adapt this class to any book on healing arts or broader discussion on health and wellbeing.

🌿 Apothecary Arts: Create An Indispensable Herb List (APOTH201)
Create your own list of indispensable herbs through studying the herbs you choose and creating your own plant profiles to reference. Additional credits can be earned by creating and/or writing down recipes for each of your indispensable herbs. For magickally minded folks, an altar with all of your indispensable herbs present or represented can be created and added to throughout the term.

🌿 Apothecary Arts: Create An Equinox Apothecary (APOTH202)
Depending on whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere, choose to create season specific remedies for your autumn apothecary or spring apothecary. 

🌿 Herbal Names, Herbal Stories: From Common Names to Herbal Novels (LMS201)
A media and literature course exploring the ways that herbal knowledge is shared through myth, folklore, modern stories, and all varieties of media (including podcasts, movies, and television shows). Students can choose to learn about the folklore of a plant ally you are studying (such as the meaning behind the common name of Alchemilla vulgaris and the myths of healing surrounding the plant). Additionally, students can seek out and access media featuring herbal practice and herbalists to inspire their own practice and learn about the original folklore that inspired such portrayals.

🌿 The Herb Bundle: Starting on the Ancestral Path (ANC201)
Connecting to ancestral practices through your herbal practice is powerful and this course focuses on exploring the traditions of people and place in your ancestral line. This class focuses on regional studies (so finding a book on herbs the regions that your ancestors lived), cultural studies, and incorporating ancestral herbs into your current practice.

🌿 The Crossroads of Practice: Intersections of Culture, Identity, and Power (CST301)
For those wanting to understand systems of power, privilege, identity, and oppression within our current medical models and why people seek "alternative" paths like herbal medicine. The course focuses on exploring the social dynamics of power and privilege so that students can strengthen their intersectional perspective on healing and ability to competently and compassionately serve those that seek their services. Examples of areas of study include: the impact of race and class in accessing and receiving competent medical care, the impact of generational trauma on descendents, exploring one's privileges and oppressions, and creating inclusivity in herbal clinics, gatherings, and classroom spaces.

🌿 A Time & A Place: Era or Event-Specific Herbal Practice (HERS301)
For students interested in the history of herbalism and how herbs were used in certain periods of time. Examples of areas of study include: herbalism and the influenza epidemic of 1918, the rise of Thomsonian herbalism, herbal practice in the ancient world (with a focus on a specific region and period of time), herbalism in the era of Nicholas Culpeper, and so on.

🌿 Community Studies: In the World Practice (COM102)
This course focuses on bringing your herbal practice into the world including activities like starting an herbal garden or spreading seed bombs, creating or attending a plant walk or visiting a plant filled place, starting an herbalism focused little library, creating or joining an herbal study group, making and donating remedies to herbal calls to action, and more. The focus is to be on creating community ties, meeting up with people, and engaging with community. 

🌿 Moss Beds & Crescent Lounges: A Seasonal Rest Seminar (REST101)
A course dedicated to finding ways to rest and slow down this season, prioritizing screen-free activities and extra credit if rest occurs outdoors. Students gently observe the seasons as wellsprings of inspiration for their rest practices. Connecting with Sacred Ones of dreams, rest, and healing sleep is encouraged, as well as working with plant allies that help relax the body. Completely optional post-seminar activities might include creating digital or physical resources for clients or community members on rest-centered practices of healing and plant allies.

🫖 🌿 📖

If you enjoy this post and not just herbal-focused but magickal-focus personal curricula, come join my sweet patreon community where this series lives. Not only will you be supporting my ability to continue to create free and low-cost resources on herbalism and magickal practice, but you get to hang out with other curious and folk while getting access to hundreds of patreon-exclusive posts.

For those of you looking for more seasonal guides to your herbal studies, you might like the  create your own apothecary series or having a browse around my plant allies archive. You can also check out my herbal resources list for more ways to study herbalism through the abundance of free resources and gatherings out there.

Wherever your studies take you, I hope that they lead you to a greater sense of connection with the world within and around you, inspired by what you discover there. 

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

Tarot for the Unruly

Tarot charmed me from the start.

I've been completely enamored with this oracle of 78 pieces of paper ever since I got my very first blue box tarot set with a Waite-Smith deck tucked inside, reading the cards and teaching classes about tarot ever since.

When I'm not reading tarot, I enjoy reading tarot books, perusing a tarot blog or two, and watching an occasional tarot vlog.¹ I genuinely love learning about how people's personal approaches to tarot as well as the history behind some of our most beloved tarot spreads. Tarot is a point of connection, conversation, and, if the flow is right, a lot of clarity. 

One of the things I love most about Tarot is that inherent in its tradition is an encouragement to deviate from tradition. What started as a fancy parlor game for nobles (full of humorous and slightly seditious imagery), shared roots with the developing game of playing cards, and soon found its way into becoming something that might predict the future (be it by the reader's intuition or some spirit behind the cards) or at least provide for an entertaining evening with friends. And that's not mentioning all the modern development of excellent memes that have expanded the tarot lexicon.² Through all its transmutations, tarot is one of the few traditions I've come across that is a comfortable home for both the precious rule-collectors and the gleaming-eyed rule ignorers. 

As it's been a while since I wrote a general post about tarot instead of a specific sort of spread, I wanted to share with you some of the ways we can embrace the unruly, tradition-redefining, and new-guidelines-creating energies that tarot offers. Most of the suggestions are meant to be approached with a sense of play, a bit of adventure, and as much of a nonchalant attitude about the results as can be mustered. Additionally, a lot of these suggestions are meant to be breaks from your normal - more of a "vacation" practice to stir up fresh energy in your tarot routine rather than trying to adopt a new fixed approach to reading. Have fun! Play with friends! Allow your deck to breathe and tell you new stories! Let yourself approach tarot with the intensity of someone who's very excited but has no knowledge of tarot and even less interest in doing things "right." It's all made up anyway so participate in making-up of it all!

background image via @efsane17

Don't write it down.

I actually think that writing down your tarot readings and interpretations as you're learning the tarot is pretty invaluable (and especially the writing bit or maybe even an audio-to-text option rather than typing). And then there are moments where it can be helpful to take a break from writing any of it down - including to do a reading, interpret it, and then forget about it. 

One of the ways we hinder ourselves as readers is not letting there be enough time for the cards to be interpreted. I'm not suggesting marathon, multi-hour readings, but taking a gander at the cards, having your initial interpretations arise, and then not doing anything else with the cards for a bit, especially if a reading feels unclear. You can even announce to yourself (and your guides if you work that way) about reading a spread, "Thanks for the reading! Let me know if you have anything else to add later!" and then let new insights arise over the next few days, with a relaxed intuitive gaze instead of trying to go out and find answers. A relaxed intuitive gaze  is a good muscle to develop as readers, not just for reading cards, but for approaching the unknowns in life with a healthy dose of respect and appropriate distance.

Don't look it up.

Now this suggestion only works for those of you who actually read your tarot books, whether a deck's accompanying little white book (LWB) or a 1990s feminist tarot tome that can double as a brick, and not my wee feral friends who immediately traded their LWB for a biscuit. 

I love reading a tarot creator's thoughts and intentions behind a card's styling, especially when it's filled with personal story, and I've learned so much over the years from these types of books. But I think that there is a benefit to doing readings without picking up the guidebook, if only for a short period of time, before looking up correspondences again. If you feel like you don't know what a card means or you're interpreting it wrong - that's great! It's ok to feel reasonably uncomfortable as you stretch out into a new way of connecting with your tarot deck. 

But if you really, really want to use a book in your readings, then check out my next suggestion.

image via @gopinathgopu

Look it up, but in the wrong place.

Congrats! You can pull a book out during your readings again! 

But it can't be a book on tarot. Better yet, it should be, at least on the surface, far removed from the world of tarot. Your great-aunt's tofu extravaganza cookbook from the 1970s? Perfect! A collection of medieval graffiti? Go ahead! A memoir of a crayfish veterinarian? You're on the right track!

To use your book of choice, choose a card to read for and then open your book at random. Read for your interpretation, letting whatever funny little intuitive insights pop-up to help you along your way! 

Pigeon readings only.

Instead of doing readings for yourself I want you to get real nosy about your neighborhood pigeon's work-life balance. Or do a daily draw for your favorite tea mug. If you want to read for people, recruit your friends or participate in social spaces of tarot communities where folks practice their spread reading skills.³ Mostly, I want you to either choose a time frame (such as a full lunar cycle) or a certain number of readings (13 readings for others) before you start reading for yourself again. Here are the some suggested guidelines:

• You're not aiming for grand intuitive breakthroughs (especially not for pigeons, they hate that), but just slinging cards in a way that's not about you. You can even preface your reading given to others by letting them know that this reading will be a very unserious, but always kind endeavor. 

• If you never read tarot books when doing readings, pull one out for this practice, and vice versa.

• Pay attention to the cards that you're emotionally attached to, that bring up big feelings for you, even when you're reading for your coffee mug.

background image via @micheile

Interpret first, cast cards second.

Have a question you really need an answer to? Looking for clarity on an issue? Choose your spread and before you cast a single card, write down all of your interpretations for each card position. These interpretations can be:

• Super serious where you're trying to actually tap into your intuitive gifts.

• Super silly where you're trying to actually tap into your intuitive gifts.

• Trying to predict what you want the cards to say.

• About facing your fears and writing down what you don't want the cards to say.

If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of writing an interpretation without something in front of you to interpret, choose lyrics from songs you've been listening to lately or let yourself be truly absurdist in your approach and start reading descriptions from items in your pantry. Remember, we're not trying to be Pythian priestesses - we're aiming for the street market energy outside their temple.

Once you've completed your interpretations, cast your cards, and compare notes. Where is there overlap? Where is there strange synchronicity? Where is there dissonance? Be open and curious, comfortable with the fact that it may appear to be more of a jumbled mess than a coherent casting. It's more of a practice of paying attention to where you're already at before you cast a spread.

Lose your cards and find your answer. 

So this takes a bit more effort and the willingness of a few friends (preferably magickally-minded), but it's a lot of fun. You need to be willing to know that you're going to be losing a few tarot cards in the process or you'll need to plan ahead and print out or draw pictures of a deck ahead of time. Choose a spread, give your friend(s) your tarot deck (or pictures of tarot cards), and sit back and relax. Here's what your friend(s) will be getting up to:

• They'll choose a starting point in the designated area that the spread will be cast - this could be a block or two, your neighborhood street, your college campus. Basically, where it is safe enough to wander about a bit looking for tarot cards.

• When they've chosen the place for the spread to begin, they'll shuffle the deck, choose a card for the first position, and post it there. 

• They'll find another place based on vibes or something meaningful or because there's shade and they want to have a little sit down. Shuffle again and post a card.

• Your friend(s) will repeat this process until the spread has been cast and all cards posted.

Now, they can choose to make a note of where every card is posted, but eh, it's not so necessary. The next most important step is to let you know that the spread is cast, the cards are in the wild, and whether you choose to try to find them right now or over the next few days is up to you. 

Are you likely to find them all? Probably not, but that's part of the magick of a Lose Your Cards approach - you have very little control over the whole thing, but a lot of opportunities to participate in a game of noticing and finding as part of gaining clarity for whatever question you may have asked.⁴

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I hope you found these less common recommendations for your tarot practice to be a fun exercise in imagining ways of bringing in more playful, challenging-in-a-good-way, and maybe even a little unruly energy to your practice. While tarot is a lot of things, it can be an incredible tool of insight and storytelling, helping us to explore some of the more tender parts and shadowy edges of our experiences. We try to find clarity where there's confusion and insight when the path ahead seems murky - and a practice like that needs interjections of play and plenty of opportunities for expanding our perceptions in order to be sustainable. 

If you're looking for more tarot resources, have fun perusing my tarot archive where I have tarot spreads for the cycles of the season, both terrestrial and celestial, as well as castings that are a bit more experimental. 

For all of my tarot friends - the ones with the rules and social contracts that keep us humming along and the ones who show up with strange and noisy suggestions that might just work - I hope your castings are as surprising or comforting or revelatory whenever you need them to be.

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

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1. Please bring back webrings on a grand scale so I can enjoy traveling through tarot-based websites like that again.

2. The "DUMP HIM" meme is an early viral favorite and just communicates the energy of certain readings in a way that only a visual medium can do.

3. I don't have a connection to Moonlight World or the folks behind it, but let me tell you that this is what I thought the internet would look like in the future when I was a kid. I think it's a really clever set-up and I love that they're growing the social aspects of the site in a way that is connection-driven, not algorithm-based.

4 One of the most magickal qualities about tarot, in my opinion, is it’s ability to create a third space wherever a deck is brought out (or a card is spotted) - take advantage of that energy!

The Gifts of Summer: An Herbalist’s Perspective

Every season holds a song, each of us carrying a basket-full of lyrics gathered from where we’ve been, pulled from dreams of what we might become. Our lyrics are gathered from cultural wisdom, spiritual tradition, family inheritances, friend-group celebrations, national holidays, and more. Sometimes we don't know how something ended up in our seasonal basket, other times we know exactly when and were we carefully placed a word in our bundle.

As I was writing The Apothecary of Belonging: Seasonal Rituals & Practical Herbalism, I thought a lot about the stories that shaped me in my early days of not-quite-a-teen witchcraft and early herbal practice. They were stories full of wildcrafted words that described gatherings of magickal folks, ruminations of druids, mythmaking of queer witches, discordian glitter rituals, and the power of ritual as resistance. Working within a word count (what tis a word count? I wondered, adding yet another podcast, nary a thought to words or their counting) and trying to write a book that felt relatively cohesive, I eventually decided to focus some of my effort on a handful of words to draw upon for each season. These words like gratitude and shelter are ones that inform my personal herbal practice but felt broad enough to both work for many and, more importantly, inspire folks to rummage through their year-wheel baskets for the lyrics of their own seasonal songs.

What follows is one part from the summer section of my book, where I explore a theme of the summer season that shapes how I work as an herbalist and magickal practitioner with an earth-centered practice. My hope is to inspire folks to spend time reflecting on the roots of their own practices, the lyrics, ideas, and myths of each season that they've inherited through their upbringing, and the underlying energies which support their longevity as practitioners. 

So, friends, join me on the path of gratitude as we wonder through the heat and shade of summer, meeting ancestral plant allies, and finding reverence for our interconnectedness.

Book shown is The Apothecary of Belonging

Gratitude

Summer is here - the starkness of winter is a distant memory, the busyness of autumn not yet arrived, and the tender life of spring grown into something a little steadier, more confident, more robust.

It can be easy to feel grateful during the long, languid days of summer when life and time are abundant. Summer can enchant us with its song of plenty, and one of its strongest rhythms is gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful practice of observation, community-building, and land-reconnection, helping us recognize what makes us glad-hearted. The early plants of spring have blossomed into the steady growth of summer, giving back to the soil as they root deeper into the earth, yet still full of promise for the harvest ahead. When we meet summer in our own inner landscapes, we feel more confident in who we are and the gifts we bring to our lives and communities.

When I think of gratitude, I think of summer bonfires lighting up across the land, from backyards to hilltops, between sacred stones and shorelines, in hearths and in hearts. Bonfires make me think of all the ways gratitude and listening to what other folks are grateful for can help us become generous of heart and action. Starting from at least sixty thousand years ago during the Old Stone Age, our ancestors have been working with plants as medicine. It was during this same period that we also find some of the earliest examples of art, from sculptures like the Venus of Willendorf to cave paintings of animals, geometric shapes for decoration or to mark maps and calendars, and generations of stamped and stenciled handprints. Around ancient cookfires, stories were shared, advice given, food passed, and something created between people that wouldn’t exist without the exchange of ideas and knowledge. My gratitude for these ancient peoples and their observations of the world that led to the development of traditions like herbal and modern medicine can sometimes feel overwhelming - what a profound lineage we are all born from. 

I am grateful, too, for the land that has provided for generations and to all of our beyond-human kin, knowing that there were many moments when our ancient ancestors observed how animals interacted with plants in order to understand their uses. It is incredible what knowledge has survived, shared first by storytelling and in the libraries of cave art. Cultivating a gratitude practice is a powerful act of ancestral healing, and it can help to work with plants that have been on our planet for millennia, such as Rose (Rosa spp.) and Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), when trying to connect with our long human legacy.

image via @jessicafadel

I was first introduced to the practice of gratitude as a teenager, reading in one of my books on magick about how gratitude was recognizing the abundance that already existed in your life in order to grow more of it. Every evening before bed I would link paper clips, each representing something I was grateful for that day. These long lengths of little metal clips helped me notice and hold in my hands - and begin to feel in my body - those things that held me in my life, softening the shoulders of teenage angst, giving myself some perspective, and eventually leading me to explore the world of class, access, and the politics of labor throughout my youth and young adulthood. Gratitude is a skill that can be developed, giving people of all ages, but especially younger ones, the space to get to know themselves as individuals while recognizing cohesive family and community structures for them to thrive in as interconnected and beloved members of a greater whole.

For too many of us, though, the closest we got to a gratitude practice was through being instructed (mostly by older folks in positions of authority) to be grateful for whatever it was they provided. Being “grateful” in these circumstances was a way to force conformity rather than an invitation to an actual connection. In its more pernicious form, demands for gratitude from those around us can take on an air of toxic positivity or be a thin excuse for abusive situations. Untangling the “you should be grateful” pattern is an important part of developing a true embodied gratitude that protects us from developing a hostility towards sharing the abundance of our ocean planet. A gratitude practice should be an invitation to expansiveness and a way for the land of our bodies to experience the vital wellspring of summer’s long-lasting hope.

Sometimes, the idea of a gratitude practice feels less like a gentle summer stroll and closer to feeling exposed under the scorching midday sun. Gratitude can be a challenging practice because it is an exercise in observation, recognition, and naming, leading us to consider our inner and outer worlds with more nuance, recognize what feels abundant and lacking in our life, and name why that is. For folks just starting to explore the dynamics of access and oppression, institutional and interpersonal systems of power, and our many identities - all of which are necessary for creating an enduring healing practice - I encourage developing a gratitude practice because it can be all too easy to get lost in an ocean of guilt, despair, and/or shame when we don’t have sight of the shoreline.

And all these brave explorations, these complex experiences of inheritance and lived experience, and these generations of trauma intermingled with generations of wisdom can be a lot to hold. Even though our ancient ancestors passed down wisdom, not everything old is good, so traditions need to be renewed through cyclical and collective reexamination. Plant allies like Rose (Rosa spp.), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) can help us navigate our experiences and refine our discernment while soothing our heart and nervous system.

image via @a_d_s_w

Gratitude is our sightline, reminding us why we get into the work of restorative healing. With all of its mystery and uncomfortable vulnerability, it is through gratitude that we remember why we are doing all this. Looking out over the land in summer, it can be easy to spot abundance, and just like in the cold depths of winter, under the shadeless heat of summer we can easily identify any lack. Summer is a time of pausing and planning. We can pinpoint where resources are lacking, what needs to be built for the dark of the year, and move together in a spirit of gratitude that helps us to see what skills we already have, while carrying the stories of our ancestors alongside the bold, unhindered wisdom of our youthful descendants. What gratitude in your life helps you keep sight of the shoreline and your safe harbors?

I know so many folks called to the path of healing and restorative justice because of their deep gratitude for the people, places, and nonhuman kin who were there at their most vulnerable moments. Gratitude is hope in action and the foundation of reciprocal relationships, guiding us through some of our most challenging conversations. In my own practice, the opportunities for gratitude are endless! I’m grateful for the trees and hedges that sheltered me as a kid, the people who’ve done this work before me, who taught me how to listen, speak my heart, and spot places for connection. I’m grateful for those who’ve shown up in my consultations and classrooms asking for help and seeking knowledge and those who have made space for me to show up in all my unsteadiness and for being shown when I need to get out of the summer’s glare and into summer’s shade. In my practice of gratitude I try to answer the question: What are the ways that I am showing reverence and gratefulness to the land, the people, and beyond- human kin who I am interconnected with?

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Physically, at the end of spring and beginning of summer, we might need to rebuild our energy after a season of allergens has left us depleted and run-down. Many summer herbs are not only nutrient-dense but reenergizing for our body systems, helping us store vital energy for the rest of the year. Incorporating, as well as making remedies of, nutritive nervines, cardiotonics, and adaptogens can help us flow through summer with ease as well as protect us against illness during colder months.

Find more resources for your summer practice:

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

☀️ Sweet Spring, Bright Summer: Herbal Remedies for the Waking Season

☀️ Joyful Summer, Golden Autumn: Herbal Remedies for the Bright Season

☀️ Why Swamp Tea is the Best Tea for the Summer

☀️ Bonfire Offerings: A Summer Solstice Tarot Spread

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I hope you’re inspired to explore the ways you experience summer (or any season) and how this shapes your perspective as an herbalist or plant folk or magickal practitioner. If you like this sort of writing and want to explore more seasonal practices with me, consider checking out my book.

Friends, I hope your summers are sweet and gratitude illuminating life around you with its golden, dreamy glow.

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

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.