Autumnal Equinox: Herbs for Balance

The Autumnal Equinox is a mark of the end of summer and the return of the dark of the year.  From the equal balance of night and day, we now journey towards longer nights until the longest night of all on the Winter Solstice.  The Equinoxes are a time for us to nurture our ability to balance the complexity that makes us who we are - and that is a lot of work!  The Autumnal Equinox is an opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath, honor the work of the year so far and carry summer heat through to winter fires.  We have a few herbs in the Apothecary that we consider great friends during this season as they are particularly inclined to help us find balance during the early days of Autumn.

P.S. Check out our post on recipes for the Autumnal Equinox!

Hawthorn from wikipedia.org

HAWTHORN Crataegus monogyna: We've written about Hawthorn before and using it as part of our Autumn cold and 'flu preventative routine, but we wanted to highlight what makes Hawthorn, especially its berries, such a particularly powerful herbal ally for the Autumnal Equinox.  Hawthorn is an herb of boundaries and perforation, excelling in circulating the energy of the body through all its parts.  As we balance between night, day and the turning of summer to fall, Hawthorn helps us to adapt to change, by addressing and preventing stagnation.

Skullcap from wikipedia.org

SKULLCAP Scutellaria lateriflora: Skullcap and the next herb on our list, Horsetail, are both herbs of Saturn, the planet that works its force most strongly during the Autumnal Equinox.  It is an herb of rest and a nervine that addresses issues such as nervous headaches, anxiety, insomnia and muscle twitches.  Skullcap helps us welcome in the darkening of the year, soothing stress and the tense muscles that sometimes develop when folks pummle through their days and sleep little at night.

Horsetail from wikipedia.org

HORSETAIL Equisetum arvense: A potent source of silica, Horsetail is an ancient plant that helps the body to expel toxins and is a tonic for the kidneys.  While Horsetail is a plant best wildcrafted in the spring, it can be dried or tinctured and used later in the year and is especially strengthening as the seasons turn from the dry of summer to the damp of fall.  It has survived since the time of dinosaurs and can certainly help us move through the turning of the light of  the year to the dark.

Try using these plant allies as teas, tinctures, essences, in baths, hang them about your home and carry them with you to imbue your senses with balance, your spirit with the grace of changing.

P.S. Check out our post on recipes for the Autumnal Equinox!