Quickening: Herbs of Imbolc

Whenever I sit to think about a wheel of the year festival, nearly every time I'll find myself thinking, "Ah, [insert festival name] is one of my favorite festivals." Now, it is quite likely that all the festivals have been at one time or another my favorite - it is far more likely, if I'm honest, that they are simply all my favorite at once.

So, let me tell you why, right now, Imbolc is one of my favorite festivals of the year.

I begin dreaming about Imbolc around Samhain when, with my beloved community, I celebrate the new year. As part of my new year festivities I think of what I hope to learn and sink deep into with the coming year. I take these ideas with me down the inward spiral towards the Winter Solstice, shedding some, keeping others, realizing what my commitment my require and how I need to prepare myself. By the time Imbolc comes around my dreams are firmly stirring in my belly, my central core, and I am ready to make the vows of my practice for the coming year, until next Imbolc comes round. I love making vows - I do not make them often, nor lightly, but I find them freeing when I am able to speak of what I am seeking, who I wish to grow into, and how I am planning on remaining accountable - I get excited about the adventure ahead.

What about the plantfolk of Imbolc?

The word Imbolc is from the Gaelic for "in the belly" and speaks of the promise of spring, even when winter lingers. Think of the earth stretching before arising from her winter bed and her blood warming beneath her skin of soil. Astrologically, Imbolc marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox at 15 degrees Aquarius. In astroherbology, Aquarius guards body systems such as the lower legs, including calves and ankles, electrical impulses of the nervous system, the adrenal system, and the circulation of blood. We now have a few clues as to what plantfolk we might call upon around the time of Imbolc, including grounding nervines, nourishing adrenal tonics, and blood-strengthening herbs.

NETTLES (Urtica dioica) I came to know Nettles when living in Portland, ME (If you've never been, you should go. I'll wait here, no worries.). It was through Deb Soule of Avena Botanicals, both in her writings and meeting her in person, that I learned about these stinging jewels as a nourishing daily tonic. Nettles restore vitality, help us adapt to stress, lend their gentle cleansing quality to promote healthy hair and skin, and are useful for easing symptoms of seasonal allergies. I've found Nettles to be very strengthening to the adrenals, especially when burnout has already occurred or someone is on the verge of burnout. Kiva Rose specifically recommends Nettle Seeds as an adrenal tonic. Nettle leaf is particularly accessible with its mild taste, and who doesn't love a cup of beautifully green goodness? Nettles are drying, fiery, and help to build and cleanse the blood which is why, along with their adrenal tonic qualities, I find them to be a great herb for the Imbolc season. Sometimes Nettles are used in traditional sauna settings, where they are bundled into switches either alone or with other medicinal plants such as Birch, and hit on the body to invigorate the skin, bring blood to the surface, and transfer the greening vigor of the plant to the body of the person being whacked. And, yup, for those of you following along you'll see that I also recommend Nettles as a Spring Equinox herb - it's just that good. Magickally, Nettles add energy to ritual and spellwork, act as a protective barrier, can be used to bless ritual tools like the athame, and the herb is guarded by the planet Mars.

MACA (Lepidium Meyenii) I realize that Maca has appeared more than once as a recommended herb on our little blog and, guess what, we're talking about the tuber again for the season of Imbolc. Maca is excellent for the adrenals, helps the blood breathe, wakes up our metabolism, assists in mental clarity, and is one of my favorite adaptogens. The tuber is very nutritious containing an array of vitamins and minerals. Think about how you're feeding your body after the sojourn of winter - Imbolc calls us to cleanse, wake up mindfully, and give our bodies simple but strengthening food.  Some folks don't like the taste of Maca, but sometimes what has happened is that a Maca concoction, whether a hot chocolate with Maca in it or a raw chocolate bar containing Maca has been allowed to sit too long and the Maca has gone bitter and very drying. Maca concoctions should be consumed soon after they are prepared before the taste of the herb goes off.

GINGER (Zingiber officinalis) Imbolc is a fire festival, so we must have a fiery and warming herb (compared to our fiery but cooling herb, Nettles) such as Ginger as part of our festivities. Another sturdy root, Ginger warms where their is cold, from tense muscles to general chilliness. If you have chronic cold feet and hands, consider a hot foot and hand soak with fresh Ginger. Divine! Ginger moves the blood, stimulates digestion, and can be used as a fresh compress on cold muscles and on the chest in cases of stagnation, helping to break up mucus. Where sluggishness dwells, think of using Ginger, whether it is sluggishness in a specific organ or a general energetic slowness. Matthew Wood shares a piece of wisdom from Margi Flint about Ginger connecting birthing folks to their children and encourages those present at the labor to share in drinking Ginger tea to promote a sense of connection with the labor. At Imbolc we connect to the land in labor and a piece of Ginger on your Imbolc altar can symbolize the child of spring about to be born.

LEMON VERBENA (Aloysia citriodora) Flower Essence

I recommend Lemon Verbena to many folks who either have their Sun or Moon in Aquarius, however, it can be useful for many folks at Imbolc since it is an essence that brings out the best of our exuberance, vitality, and encourages us to live life with bucketloads of laughter. As an Aquarian plant, Lemon Verbena helps us to break through outmoded forms of thinking that have led to conflict, stagnation, and resistance in our lives. Medicinally, Lemon Verbena is antispasmodic and is especially useful for cramping stomachs brought on by emotional tension. It is cooling and calming, soothing both to the nerves and helpful in the dispersal of fevers.

MANZANITA (Arctostaphylos spp.) Flower Essence

A sturdy plant, Manzanita is an excellent essence of integration, specifically the the integration of spirit with matter. The dark half of the year can be very inward-focused and sometimes we travel so far inward we seem to flow beyond the material into the galactic. Imbolc calls us back out after the journey inward. Manzanita helps us to anchor back to the physicality of the present, the changing season, and the importance of giving our spirit a rooted compass so we don't lose our sense of self. Our friend Manzanita helps to restore faith in our body - so many of us struggle with disordered ways of understanding our body that can lead to self-loathing and low self-esteem. The plant is particular powerful when supporting those working through and recovering from eating disorders. Manzanita reminds us that we are not broken and while our bodies can feel challenging, we can reside in them on our terms, with beauty and purpose and compassion.

Evergreens such as Pine and Cedar are also welcome during the Imbolc season, helping us to release the last remnants of bronchial complaints, rebalance our nervous system, and bring warmth to our bones. Also, consider Flower Essences such as Snowdrop and Daffodil which both appear around Imbolc, harkening the early approach of spring.

I wish everyone a bright and blessed Imbolc! May your light be bright, may your community be strong, + may the promise of awakening earth enliven your spirit!

The Quick + Clever : Lemongrass

A home surrounded by Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratum) is protected from snakes. Lemongrass clears the aura of harmful energy and changes bad luck to good, opening the way up to success and good opportunities. Add Lemongrass to blends to promote psychic vision and for the success of divination as the herb will also add clarity to the messages being received and given.

Lemongrass folks need to find their luck again. They may stumble over their words, feeling inadequate when it comes to articulate their feelings, ideas, and ambitions. Sometimes they resort to being dishonest, even when they are just little white lies, in an attempt to break through what can feel like a communication barrier. Lemongrass folks both struggle to communicate and to receive messages - sometimes they can be sharp going after the messenger and end up not paying attention to the actual message. Dampness and inflammation (the Damp/Stagnation tissue state) is a common complaint often materializing as sluggishness and a feeling of swelling. When Lemongrass folks are able to dry out and claim the beneficial qualities of their blocked Mercurial energies, their communication becomes unblocked, their become more flexible in mind and body, and are able to become messengers themselves.

Most folks are familiar with Lemongrass as a culinary ingredient that is found in many southeast Asian dishes like Tom Kha (yum!). While I'll be discussing Lemongrass from a primarily Traditional Western Herbalism (TWH) perspective, I encourage you to explore the ancient and diverse cultures of southeast Asian herbal traditions that have long used Lemongrass as a standard herb in their Apothecary traditions including, but certainly not limited to, the Jamu healing traditions of Indonesia, Ramuan of Malaysian, and as well as Thai herbal healing traditions.

Lemongrass makes a wonderful tea and eases indigestion with its sweet lemony taste and delightful fragrance. The herb also has constituents that protect against blood platelet aggregation, protecting against clots. In TWH Lemongrass is typically classified as a cool and dry herb, so it would be helpful in addressing Hot and Damp tissue states. I have seen, however, Lemongrass categorized as hot and dry in Malaysian practice. For me, Lemongrass has less of a refrigerant quality as it is gently calming but has a taste that contains a fiery edge within it (like a combination of mild ginger and lemon). Depending on what herbs it is combined with you can pull out Lemongrass' cooling or heating qualities. As a drying herb, soundly in the element of Air and under the guardianship of Mercury, there is a quality of cleverness and dry wit to Lemongrass that underlies its initial sweet taste and scent. Lemongrass is both one thing and then the other, which lends it to being a useful herb when transitions and initiations are occurring in your life and you are taking up new identities, especially when these identity shifts are accompanied by the change of physical appearance.

There are some very early studies that Lemongrass may induce apoptosis in some types of cancer which essentially means that the cancer cells destroy themselves. Some folks have begun to use the herb as a cancer preventative and I find that it is a great addition to your rotation of daily teas to keep your cells happy and healthy. The herb is used as well for common household complaints such as colds, the 'flu, fevers, insomnia, and diarrhea (remember it is drying and an astringent). The flavor of Lemongrass helps "the medicine go down" so to speak, as its sweet flavor can alleviate some of the stronger tastes of other necessary medicinal herbs (another Mercurial quality of delivering what can feel like difficult and challenging, but very necessary, messages).

The essential oil is used as a disinfectant, containing antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Add a few drops to your countertop cleaners for a good scent and swift action against bacteria!

Topically, Lemongrass has many uses from reducing inflammation, treating boils, cuts, wounds, as well as helping swollen gums. The herb is used in prenatal massage blend oils as part of the Ramuan or Malaysian tradition of herbal healing as well as being used in postpartum baths to promote healing by reducing swelling and promoting blood circulation. I have made a gorgeous smelling herbal oil by infusing coconut oil with fresh Lemongrass and then adding drops of Lemongrass essential oil (check out my Herbal Oil Tutorial). I use it for conditions of inflamed tissue such as lower back strain, tendonitis, and assisting in repairing connective tissue tears. Lemongrass is also an insect repellant, so you can take care of your aching muscles after a long day outside without having to continuously swat away those biting bugs!

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Connecting With Our Plant Allies

One of the most common emails I get (besides “Who are you and where do you come up with the names behind your products?! Zombie bait, what?!”) are ones that ask me about my path of becoming an herbologist and how to start working with herbs. I wrote about 10 ways to start your herbal studies, but I wanted to focus more in-depth on a subject central to the craft of the herbologist – cultivating our relationship with the plant medicine.

As I suggested in the previous post about herbal studies, I recommend starting with one herb. You do not have to work exclusively with only one herb, but choose to work with one herb consistently for an entire year. You should, though, spend at least some time working only with that herb in order to understand its full complexity. You may choose to work with an herb that you already feel a resonance with or something that you spot growing down the street from you. You may dream of an herb, study a plant that has a long history of significant use within your culture or choose an herb that may have a beneficial impact on a particular health imbalance. The importance of working with one herb regularly for an extended length of time is manifold:

• Many herbs are best able to impart their healing qualities over the long term when used consistently in small doses.
• Just as it takes time to build meaningful relationships with humyns, so too does it take time to build honest relationships with plants.
• If you are able to grow or find the herb in the wild, observing its physical journey through the year provides us with many lessons about its medicinal uses and magickal gifts.
• Finally, commitment is an excellent skill to be practiced by the herbologist.

In my own practice, both personal and professional, I work with a handful of herbs at a time, and while I enjoy a complex tea blend or a raw cacao concoction with multiple herbs dancing in wild harmony, when I am learning about a plant or dealing with a chronic health imbalance, I generally stick to one or two herbs. We are in the midst of an herb revival within North America, as well as many other parts of the western world, and that means that there is an abundance of information and access to a wide array of plant medicine. I tend to think that we will learn more about ourselves and the plant medicine we are interacting with if we treat our practice with the rhythm of a slow, regular tea time conversation as opposed to a social media aggregate of endless stream of herbs shuffling through our lives at a rapid pace.[1]

It is pleasurable and useful to recognize the affects of individual plant medicines on our mind, body, and spirit. Working with one or two herbs at a time allows for greater clarity and distinction between the subtleties of difference between herbs with similar healing qualities. Moving steadily in our relationship with plant medicines, we begin to build our knowledge of the energetic signatures of herbs along with their physical qualities. These energetic signatures combined with their physical qualities is one reason why one herb will be so successful for Person A, but seem to have little affect for Person B in a similar situation. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), and Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) are all remedies for migraines, for example, but each have unique energy signatures that affect our physical, emotional, and mental systems differently.

As you begin working with a chosen plant medicine (whether you chose them or they chose you), I offer the following considerations for your journey together, based on the idea of recognition, engagement, and kinship.

Recognition

• Recognize your needs.
  • What our your needs, wants, and desires in your relationship with the plant medicine?
  • Are you seeking a cure or kinship?
  • Recognize the plant’s needs.
    • What are the needs, wants, and desires of the plant both within and apart from the relationship you are seeking from it?
      • If you are growing the herb, what are its growing needs? How is it sustainably harvested and/or wildcrafted?
      • Create a supportive environment for the plant to express itself to you.
      • Be able to identify the physical and energetic characteristics of the plant as it grows, how it tastes, smells, and feels.

Engagement

• We must be accountable to our interdependence with the plant world and how we engage plant medicine is a reflection of our understanding of our interdependence.
• Maintain a willingness to experience the world from the plant’s perspective. In turn we are better able to empathize with those we serve as herbologists and healers.
• Engage with your plant ally every day, every night, whether greeting them in your garden, meditating with them, using them as internal or external medicine, and/or some other practice.
  • Learn about the historical, mythological, and modern uses of the plant medicine.
  • Sing sacred songs, draw, write poetry, dance, and engage in pleasurable experiences with your plant.
  • How do you and the plant make medicine?
    • When you harvest the herb, when do you do it, where do you do it, and how do you do it? When you purchase it, how do you do it, and from whom?
    • Try creating different types of medicines – from teas to tinctures – with the plant.

Kinship

• As you work with a plant ally, you become accountable to one another.
  • How do you remain honest with yourself and your plant ally on your healing journey?
  • How do you create sustainable structures of healing whether through the principles of permaculture, mindful wildcrafting, social justice organizing or similar practices of interconnectedness?
  • How do you honor the medicine of your plant ally?
    • Perhaps as a herbologist, storyteller, medicine-maker, teacher, ritual-facilitator, rabble-rouser, or heart-opener?

Each of us will engage our herbal practice with different insights, experiences, and personal skills that shape every aspect of our lives and relationships. As an herbologist, with my experiences as a Pagan, queer, feminist, multi-racial, tea-loving womyn living in the United States with the myriad of privileges I have and lack access to, my relationships with my plant allies is rooted in these experiences - a foundation of legacy and futuredreaming. The process of working with plant medicines is about learning the ways that I may help facilitate healing between plant and people and creature, but also is about my own personal journey and how I relate to the world within and around me.

I hope that your own journey with the plants of our ocean planet is sweet, challenging, ecstatic, luminous, and balancing, and that you grow in your own wild and greening healing energy.

Be well, clever friends!

[1] Can we take a moment to imagine the Twitter account or Tumblr of some of our favorite plant medicines? Hawthorn will always be posting the latest heart-warming video about puppies, while Cacao keeps posting an endless stream of abstract party photos involving a lot of nudity, and Elder’s stream would be sorta spooky, badass, and intriguing.

The Clarifying Beat: Eucalyptus

from botanical.com

The dancing trees of the Eucalyptus are unmistakeable in their form and scent.  As medicine the Eucalpytus tree, specifically its essential oils and leaves, has been used as a plant of healing and purification for a very significant part of our humyn history.  The tree is said to guard against all forms of illness and the leaves are useful when placed in the body of a healing poppet.  Hand a branch of Eucalyptus above one who is afflicted with illness to bring about a speedy recovery.  Wear the pods of the Eucalyptus as charms of protection.

Whenever I think of Eucalyptus I think of koala bears (more on that later), but more importantly, dancing.  The grace of a windswept dancer curling their toes against dust of earth and stars.  Extending their breath along the lines of their arms, the straightness of their spine, the sturdiness of their thighs.  Much of Eucalyptus' powers lie in its ability to center and call us back to our inner beating rhythm.  As a remedy, Eucalyptus is useful for those of us who are seeking our true rhythm beyond the drudgery of schedules that keep us distracted from our passions, our desires, and our calling(s) in life.  So many folks are seeking "the best new thing" whether it be the newest diet, a popular exercise regime, the latest spiritual practice, and with so much noise the resounding beat of our own healer remains unnoticed and, at worst, ignored.  Along comes the dancing trees of the Eucalyptus, who clears our visions, strengthens our breath, and with its fragrant sharpness helps set us on a path of authentic renewal and adventure.

As someone who spent a great deal of their childhood as a koala bear, I have a great fondness for Eucalpytus.  I spent part of my adolescence playing beneath the dancing green leaves of the Eucalyptus - its clarifying scent and the way the wind sounds moving through its branches remind me of my earlier adventures into herbal medicine and magick.

Eucalyptus has been used for tens of thousands of years in Australian Aboriginal medicine - it is a plant that has taken an interest in humyn affairs for a long while and it deserves a great deal of gratitude.  Some of the primary uses of Eucalyptus in modern Western herbalism is as an expectorant, helping to move colds, pneumonia, and bronchitis out of the chest, to clear-up and prevent viral infections, and as an astringent.  Dilating the bronchiales of the lungs, Eucalyptus moistens mucous membranes and helps regulate mucous secretions.  Excellent for other respiratory complaints such as asthma, coughs, the 'flu, and sinus infections.  Use the leaf  in a tea and, along with the essential oil in steams, diffusers, and chest rubs.

The essential oil is especially excellent to use for promoting mental clarity - it has a sharp heat that burns away the feeling of being in a stagnant swamp of mental muddledness.  Overall, the essential oil is tonifying on the nervous system.

Use topically as a warming chest rub and as a diluted oil for rheumatic pain, aching joins, stiffness, neuralgia, and bacterial skin infections.  Apply the diluted oil to blisters, burns, herpes sores, scratches, and wounds.  For those folks who have excessively oily skin (remember that some oil is good and healthy for our skin) or acne might consider using Eucalyptus is facial toners and steams.  As a diluted gargle, Eucalyptus is great for cold sores in the mouth.  Try mixing the leaves of Eucalyptus with  honey as a general syrup for respiratory ailments.  Burn the oil as an insect repellant and use in anti-flea washes for pests.  For my textile friends, Eucalpytus can be used as a dye, producing shades of green, brown, and orange.

I, Courage: Borage

John Gerard, a popular herbalist of the 16th and 17th century (and becoming popular again on Facebook), provides us with the translation of wonderful maxim of Borage which was said to be recited by Roman soldiers preparing for contests of strength:

Ego borago gaudia semper ago. I, Borage, always bring courage.

The blue flower of the courageous Borage was embroidered onto the clothing on knights going off to battle to protect them and strengthen their resolve and worn in buttonholes to the same effect.  Spike the tea of the one who you wish to propose to you with Borage to infuse them with the courage to finally ask.  Known also as  Cool-tankard, the flowers were used in drinks for their cooling effect before ice was a widely available and used commodity.  A tea will induce psychic powers as well as improve one's outlook in life.

Borage can be, in many ways, the "shining armor" we need to assume our warriorhood, reclaim our lives, and our sense of self.  For those who are suffering nervous exhaustion, especially "menopausal women who are overworked and totally exhausted," but any person who seems to be suffering from adrenal burnout and is emotionally spent will benefit from Borage.(1)  Borage has an uplifting and lightening affect that is a wonderful remedy for despondency and those who might say often, "I just can't take it anymore" but aren't entirely sure who "I" is or what it is they can't take.  Borage is an  herbal ally that strengthens the will and the knowing of self, reinforcing crumbling boundary walls and infusing the spirit with the brilliant hope that comes from uninhibited courage.  

When the body is overworked, the mind muddled, and the emotions frantic, the steady drumbeat of Borage can help to restore an overwhelmed nervous system and rebuilding strained adrenals.  With its cooling mucilaginous abilities, Borage is helpful for overheated conditions such as fevers and infections, as well as asthma, general colds, and hot, dry coughs.  Borage keeps the sweat pores toned which protects against chills and fevers that try and settle in a wet, stagnant environment.  For the pregnancy, Borage ripens the cervix for labor and supports breastfeeding by increasing milk flow

Borage is of course useful for depression and I am especially fond of using it for depression that situates itself during transition periods: the postpartum periods, departures (such as leaving home or college or going off to war), and general life passages that require us to look honestly at who we are and what we are doing.  The shift that Borage is particularly good at triggering in persons of a melancholic persuasion is the ability to love what we are responsible and accountable to which may mean a reassessment of priorities to be able to come to that emotional space.

Externally, Borage is good for dry skin as well as rashes, eczema, varicose veins, and can be used as an eyewash for irritated and inflamed eyes.  The flowers are delicious and can be added to salads and drinking water.

(1)  Rosari Kingston, MNIHM as cited in Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2008. (2008): 146.