Listening to Hawthorn : A Heart-Opening Podcast

Clever ones, I'm on a podcast!

But how did I get there?

First, let me introduce you to Natasha Richardson, the wise herbalist behind London-based Forage Botanicals.

Natasha Richardson of Forage Botanicals

She got in touch with me about a year ago as she was going to be visiting my part of the world and suggested we meet up. I'm so glad we did because a) she's a very clever herbalist, b) she's very funny, and c) she's creating incredible healing spaces infused with the sort of slow down, get connected, and find yourself energy we need these days. Yeah, I signed-up for her fan club on the spot. 

A little while ago Natasha started a beautiful herbal home-study course called Listen which is like walking into a dream-garden of herbal wisdom with some very practical tools for the developing herbalist. She also has a podcast of the same name that is free for everyone whether or not you are part of her Listen community. Each podcast features a single herb and an conversation with an herbalist about the healing qualities of the plant being discussed. A few months back she invited me on to share my thoughts about Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which I thought was very fortuitous since I have just spent the past few years in relationship with the plant in the context of my own family's healing needs. 

I also felt a moment of slight overwhelm because this would be the first time I would be on someone else's podcast (I record podcasts of my own for the Lunar Apothecary) and while I would happily stand up and speak in front of a room full of folks, one-on-one stuff has always been way more intimidating (I'm going to say it has something to do with my Leo Moon - discuss). But Natasha is such a kind spirit and so much fun to talk to and I had first learned of Hawthorn's healing gifts through a conversation with an enchanted Hawthorn herbalist so I knew that my nerves needed to take a backseat to some necessary storytelling. The whole podcast was, in fact, a Hawthorn-style conversation as my nervousness gave way to laughter gave way to insight. And now I've done my first podcast interview and hope to do more (with less "ums" and "you knows"). 

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) via wikipedia

You should immediately download the whole Listen series - I have had so much fun listening to it myself and how many times do we get to sit in on conversations between passionate plant people talking shop? It's amazing! And if you love the free resource that Natasha is providing, be sure to support her other work, whether signing up for her Listen herbal home-study course, one of her amazing workshops or give yourself the gift of clarity on your healing journey by scheduling a wellness plan. Looking for some visual inspiration? Be sure to connect with Natasha via her dreamy instagram.

So without further delay listen to my personal story with Hawthorn, it's healing gifts during times of transition, and how it helped me to have some incredibly heart-opening experiences with my own family.

Have you had any experience with Hawthorn?

Post your stories in the comments below!

The Plant Allies of Winter: Creating A Winter Wellness Apothecary

The sniffles. The 'flu. The cranky tummy. The hacking cough.

All travel around quicker than a skittish reindeer during the winter and while many of us might want to turn to herbal remedies for some help, it can be hard to know what herb to choose - especially when you're feeling under the weather. 

With a bit of preparation, you can create an easy-to-use winter apothecary for common seasonal complaints. It all begins by getting to know your winter plant allies and selecting a few that you become comfortable working with. One herb often serves many needs (because plants are galaxies of healing, blessed be!) and you don't need to know a hundred herbs, but just a handful, to help you keep well during the winter. Each herb listed below is in at least two categories if not more to help you find a few herbs that will work for a multitude of complaints. I have not created an extensive, never-ending list of herbs for each common winter ailment listed below because I am hoping to encourage focused simplicity in your practice. However, you might already use an herb for one or more of the categories below that is not listed and you are very much encouraged to incorporate it into your list of indispensable winter herbs. 

Since Creating A Winter Apothecary is part of the free Plant Ally Project series (check out the Thirty Day Challenge for a more in-depth herbal experience), I'm going to offer suggestions for herbs that you might check out but it's up to you to meet the plants and build a custom winter apothecary for you and your loved ones.

Subscribers to my Magick Mail get a free worksheet and quick guide to organize their winter apothecary and easily reference what herb they might need for whatever winter illness issue that might arise.

Creating Your Winter Apothecary

• Begin by reading through the list of herbs below in each of the ten categories. I've listed when I've written about each herb, but you can also start with my Winter Wellness: Healing Herbs for the Dark of the Year which profiles some herbs on this list.

• After doing some research, choose one herb from each category. You might end up with 10 different herbs to work with, but most likely you'll have less since each herb can be found in more than one category.

• Learn about the best way to prepare your herb as a remedy. I've listed common remedy preparations in my Plant Ally Project Thirty Day Challenge. If you're looking for more in-depth and diverse herbal remedy tutorials check out the Lunar Apothecary.

• Gather together your chosen herbs and have them in an easy to access space in your home. I encourage you to add labels to their containers (whether a loose herb jar or a tincture bottle) that indicates what the herb can be used for as well as dosage. You might have a jar of Sage (Salvia officinalis) and label it with the following description: "Good for wet coughs + excess phlegm, congestion, sore throats, and indigestion. Dosage is 1 teaspoon per cup of water."

• Create your own Winer Apothecary "cheat sheet" with my free worksheet and quick guide available to my Magick Mail subscribers.

Herbs for Preventative Care or Daily Tonics

Let's start with some daily winter tonics which are nutritive, generally warming, and often immunomodulating (as opposed to immunostimulating - which we'll look at later). These are herbs that can be taken on a daily basis throughout the winter. 

• Elder (Sambucus nigra): Read more about Elder in my Tree of Medicine and Winter Wellness post.

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Read more about Ginger in my Aries Astroherbology Profile.

• Milky Oats (Avena sativa)

• Sacred Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) by Alexis J. Cunningfolk

Herbs for Dry + Hacking Coughs

Moistening or mucilaginous herbs are of great help when the respiratory tract is dry and irritated. Many of these herbs have additional nervine qualities which help to relax the tension brought on by irritation.

• Elecampane (Inula helenium)

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica): Read about Angelica in my To Ignite the Imagination post.

• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• Vervain (Verbena officinalis)

Herbs for Wet Coughs + Excess Phlegm

Herbs that are astringent can be excellent allies in drying up excess damp and phlegm in the system. They help to tone, tighten, and restore tissues to their optimal state, preventing or helping the body to recover from infection or prevent it from settling in the body.

• Elecampane (Inula helenium)

• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

• Sacred Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Herbs for Sore Throats

Similar to herb for dry and hacking coughs, herbs for sore throats are generally moistening in nature. Some are more drying and others are more moistening while others are neutral in temperature. Many are also anodyne in nature, meaning that they offer pain relief, which is an added bonus when dealing with the discomfort of sore throats.

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica): Read about Angelica in my To Ignite the Imagination post.

• Cleavers (Galium alparine): Especially useful when the lymph glands are swollen.

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• Vervain (Verbena officinalis)

• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Herbs for Drippy Noses

Herbs that are warming, astringent, and tonifying to the mucus membranes can help take care of the drippiness of an unhappy nose.

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Read more about Ginger in my Aries Astroherbology Profile.

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica): Yerba Mansa is a tophorestorative for the mucus membranes which is why it is great for both drippy and congested noses.

Herbs for Congested Noses

Herbal expectorants help the body cough, sneeze, and release excess mucus, clearing out congestion and helping us breath clearly again. Pay attention to the color of your mucus. Yellow mucus indicates heat (think of sunny warm yellow) and more cooling expectorant herbs are useful while clear or white mucus indicates cold (think of snowy cold white) and warming expectorant herbs are a better choice.

• Elecampane (Inula helenium)

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Read more about Ginger in my Aries Astroherbology Profile.

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Read more about Peppermint in our Winter Wellness and Quicken the Mind.

• Sacred Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) by Alexis J. Cunningfolk

Herbs to Cleanse the Lymphatic System

Our hard-working lymphatic system can get clogged down leading to uncomfortably swollen glands that can't properly process blood and fluid which means white blood cells are transferred less effectively throughout the body. Adding lymphatic cleansers to cold care blends can be very helpful in promoting a speedy recovery or preventing a virus from settling in the body in the first place.

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Cleavers (Galium alparine)

• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Herbs to Stimulate the Immune System

The following herbs are known as immunostimulators meaning that they stimulate the immune system into action and are best used for a the short run when you're dealing with a cold or 'flu or in a higher risk situation for exposure (such as air travel or hanging around kindergarteners).

• Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

• Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

• Elder (Sambucus nigra): Some folks categorize Elder as immunostimulating as well as immunomodulating. What Elder does is disrupts a viruses' ability to replicate and while that does stimulate the immune system into action, I have not found Elder to be more useful as tonic than a short-term herb for acute symptoms (though it still is effective in the short term because it's a pretty darn amazing plant). Read more about Elder in my Tree of Medicine and Winter Wellness post.

• Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Herbs for Fever + Achiness 

Fevers help our bodies to burn off infection and as long as they stay within a safe range (when a fever in an adult is consistently 103° or higher and lasts for three days or more it is time to seek medical help). Yet, fevers can come with accompanying discomfort including aches and pains which may be relieved by the herbal remedies listed below.

• Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum): Especially useful for when the bones feel achy otherwise known as "break-bone fever."

• Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

• Elder Berry (Sambucus nigra): Read more about Elder in my Tree of Medicine and Winter Wellness post.

• Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra): When restlessness and irritability is present. An Elder Flower foot bath can be helpful for those who are having difficulty sleeping. Read more about Elder in my Tree of Medicine and Winter Wellness post.

• Elecampane (Inula helenium): Read more about Elecampane on my Winter Wellness post.

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Read more about Ginger in my Aries Astroherbology Profile.

• Milky Oat (Avena sativa): While not an herb specific to fever it can be very useful in recovering from a fever when there are signs of adrenal burnout, fatigue or if the illness has been brought on, in part, because of not allowing oneself to take time grieve a loss.

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• Sacred Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• Vervain (Verbena officinalis): For type 'A's who don't know when to stop and need to relax in order to heal.

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Herbs for Indigestion

Whether indigestion that has come with the 'flu or from a sluggish system burdened by too many rich winter foods, the following herbs, many of which are considered digestive bitters, can help to improve intestinal tone, relieve gas and cramping, and help to rekindle the digestive fires.

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis): Especially good for inflammation along the intestinal tract as well as stomach ulcers.

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Read more about Ginger in my Aries Astroherbology Profile.

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

• Sacred Basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

🌿

I hope you're feeling inspired to create your own Winter Wellness Apothecary! I’ve created guides for all of the seasons to help support your herbal year:

• The Spring Wellness Apothecary

• The Summer Wellness Apothecary

• The Autumn Wellness Apothecary

May your winter be full of joy and beautiful connections, with plants, people, and the magick of the ending year.

To Ignite the Imagination : Angelica Plant Profile

It has been a while since I posted a full plant profile, but as part of the Plant Ally Project: Thirty Day Challenge, I wanted to share with folks what a full plant profile in my personal materia medica looks like. The following format is not only what I use for my personal materia medica, but is also the style of plant profile that I hand out to my students both online and offline. For ease of online reading I have changed the order of how I list information on my printed materia medica for those of you who are really curious. I also add additional space for notes at the end of my materia medicas for quickly jotting down thoughts and observations.

I love getting to look at other herbalist's plant profiles and how they organize information. I usually am inspired to add to or adjust my own plant profiles after viewing them. While the following plant profile of Angelica is my long form version, I do create two other styles of plant profiles. The first is my one page, at-a-glance form that I create when first meeting a plant and for easy reference later on. The second type is half-way between the short and long form and is my homage to herbals of antiquity where everything is drawn and written directly into one hard-backed book (unlike my long and short form plant profiles which I keep in three-ring binders) and is as much a Book of Shadows as it is an herbal guide or plantbook. I'll be posting a free ecourse on creating your plantbook in the future!

If you're just starting out on creating your own plant profiles, a few tips:

• It takes time and experimentation to figure out what works for you. You might love the style I've created below or find it doesn't have the flow you're looking for. It took me a few years to find a style that I really liked and wanted to use consistently.

• Write in your own words. I reference multiple materia medicas when creating my own plant profiles, in addition to recording my own personal experience with the plant. Instead of copying and pasting, I try and use my own voice and language. When I do copy passages, I cite the source so I can reference back to it easily (for those grammar nerds who are afraid I might not know that I'm not doing it correctly, you'll notice below that my citations below are my own hybrid style). You can check out my favorite herb books, including the materia medicas that I most often reference, on my LibraryThing.

• Have fun! Putting together plant profiles should be fun, not a chore. If it feels burdensome change the way you're doing it until it becomes a pleasure. Be creative as you like - these plant profiles are for you and your practice so don't worry about how well someone else might like them.

Other items that you might find in my personal materia medica would be poems and images (often cut out of magazines or postcards that I've found) that I tuck in with my plant profiles. I love being able to add as many avenues of storytelling when it comes to connecting with plant allies and helping others do the same. Be sure to check out the Plant Ally Project: Thirty Day Challenge for examples of plant-inspired poetry and how to put together your very own materia medica!

Common + Folk Names : Angelic herb, archangel, masterwort, holy ghost root, wild celery, choraka, ground ash.

Planet : Sun (particularly when placed in Leo), Jupiter, Moon

Element : Fire

Sign : Leo, Pisces

Moon Phase : Full Moon, New Moon (traditional)                       

Parts used : Root, leaf, stem, seed

Habitat : Native to Europe, North America. Enjoys swampy and marshy areas, including meadows.

Growing conditions : Enjoys deep, moist loam and partial shade. Grow near water if possible and keep soil damp.

Collection : Harvest from mature plants (2 or more years old). Maude Grieve, however, recommends harvesting the roots in the first year. Harvest stems in April and May and leaves before flowering. Harvest roots in the fall.

Flavor : Pungent

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Oily, through some sources say Dry.

Tissue State : Dry/Atrophy, Cold/Depression

Constituents : Flavonoids, furanocoumarins, essential oils, coumarins, acids, caffein acid, citric acid, fatty acids, phthalates, sugars, resins, sterols, tannins, vitamin C.

Actions : Alterative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, antiemetic, antispasmodic, aromatic, antioxidant, astringent, bitter, circulatory stimulant, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, hypotensive, hepatoprotective, nervine, rejuvenative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, uterine stimulant.

Contraindications : Not for use in pregnancy and those with bleeding disorders, GERD, reflux, peptic ulcers, hypertension. Use with caution with diabetics as the plant can increase blood sugar levels. Large doses affect blood pressure, respiration, and can overstimulate the nervous system. Avoid in cases of heavy menstruation. Avoid a week prior to surgery. The fresh root of Angelica atropurpurea is said to be toxic and should only be used dried.

Drug interactions : Avoid with Warfarin, salicylates, and anticoagulants (McIntyre).

Dosage : 1 - 10 drops (1:2 fresh root or 1:5 dry root 75% alcohol extract), 1 - 3 times daily. As a tea, 1 teaspoon of root, soaked overnight, per cup of water.

Angelica archangelica by Kat

Main Uses

Angelica is a classic herb in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica with long uses for digestive complaints, fever (including typhus), and menstruation. As a digestive tonic, Angelica stimulates sluggish and cold digestion. Look for additional signs of gas, distention, and colic. Lack of appetite may stem not only from digestive complaints, but from sluggishness of the spirit and low vitality. Angelica is specific to hypochlorhydria, which is a condition of the stomach in which the production of hydrochloric acid in gastric secretions is low. The bitter content and sugars present in the herb help to stimulate the appetite and produce bile necessary for digestion. Angelica also helps clear toxins from the gut and assists with the metabolism of fats. Angelica should be used with caution for those with diabetes as it can raise blood sugar levels in the blood and urine through its stimulation of the adrenal cortex which releases cortisol in the system. The scent of the crushed leaves can alleviate nausea.

As a warming and oily herb, Angelica helps to move oils and fats through the body more effectively, including their metabolism and break-up of excess fluids. As an expectorant, Angelica is useful in cases of excess phlegm in the lungs. It is especially good when a respiratory complaint is worsened by cold or an illness has turned into a low-level chronic cough leading to exhaustion. The herb also works on the lymphatic system, clearing out congestion through its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory actions. Use in cases of sore throats, where the throat is raw, and for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma - especially if these conditions are made worse by cold. Angelica’s anti-inflammatory qualities can also be used in cases of arthritis and gout. The herb is also a diaphoretic, opening the skin and improving peripheral circulation. 

Angelica calms both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, finding balance between the two. The herb calms anxiety and helps to rebuild the protective sheaths of the nervous system as part of its ability to move oils effectively through the body. As a brain tonic, Angelica improves mental clarity, uplifts the mood, and stimulates the imagination. It can be a helpful part of someone’s herbal and healing regimen for depression.

Angelica is a useful herb for congested, cramping, and cold menstruation. The herb offers pain relief and regulates the cycle. It can help bring on delayed menses and is useful in the treatment of amenorrhea. After birth, Angelica has been used traditionally to expel the placenta and bring on milk. The essence of Angelica is excellent to have on hand for any type of life passage including death, birth, and initiations. It can also be used as a tonic to help the spirit return to the body after a traumatic or shocking experience.

In general, Angelica offers a reparative action throughout the body as a circulatory tonic. While I haven’t used Angelica for this yet, it is said to reduce the desire for alcohol which would make it useful for folks dealing with alcoholism. I think the herb would be good to use with those family members and partners who are affected by their loved ones alcohol abuse as well, as it is supportive of the nervous system and helps all parties imagine a new path forward and bring on optimism for recovery.

Externally, the oil of Angelica can be used in massage blends to relieve joint stiffness and pain. It can also be used in baths with the same effect. Brigitte Mars recommends using Angelica for victims of electric shock by giving them a Angelica sponge bath using gentle upward strokes (Mars, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, 33). Additionally, Angelica oil can be used in magickal salves for trance work. 

Magickal Uses

Angelica connects us to our spiritual nature, whether that is through our guardian angels, our guides or our ancestors. Furthering the plants connection to the imagination, in the language of flowers Angelica represents inspiration. Traditionally, Angelica was used in protection spells against poisoning, contagion, and malefic witchcraft. Culpeper recommends harvesting the herb when the Sun is in Leo.

The plant has a connected to the archangel Michael, where its latin binomial stems from, after being revealed to a monk in a dream during a time of plague. Additionally, the herb may be associated with Archangel Michael as the flower blooms around the day (May 8) of Michael the Archangel. The herb is sacred in Saami culture and is used as part of their religious ceremonies. I use the extract as a base for blends meant to enliven psychic centers of the body.

Angelica archangelica from Franz Eugen Köhler's Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Angelica Personality

The Angelica spirit has forgotten that they have a spirit. The world feels like a cold, sunless, and unkind place. They lack trust that they will ever feel better and part of that lack of trusts stems from an inability to connect with their vision for a brighter future. Generally speaking, a trauma has occurred and they have not yet dealt with its reverberations in their life. The spirit, in a sense, has been squeezed into a tight space. Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol may have become an unhealthy coping mechanism. Angelica helps reconnect them to their spiritual world, unfurls the spirit, and acts as a nourishing tonic for the imagination. It is an herb of transitions, too, so it not only helps them to imagine a new possibility for themselves, but then to transition towards their vision with ease. 

Remedies + Charms

Typhus Fever Syrup
Traditional from Maude Grieve

Pour a quart of boiling water upon 6 oz. of Angelica root cut up in thin slices, 4 oz. of honey, the juice of 2 lemons and 1/2 gill of brandy. Infuse for half an hour.

Tarot Elixir
Alexis J. Cunningfolk

I created the Tarot Elixir for students of my tarot class to enjoy before conducting readings. The Tarot Elixir awakens our psychic centers and helps us think creatively when engaging with divinatory tools. The essence is best made when the Moon is in Pisces.

To 1 ounce of Angelica Root extract add the following essences: 

• 3 drops Nuummite Gem Essence

• 3 drops Pink Yarrow Flower Essence

• 3 drops Angelica Flower Essence

Plant Ally Project Thirty Day Challenge

Welcome to the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge!

Just what is the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge? I’m glad you asked!

This project is for those who:

Are ready to learn how to build meaningful and powerful relationships with a plant ally. Plants are powerful whether or not we’re involved in their lives. Yet, when we do choose to journey more mindfully through the world of the green kingdom as herbalists and plantfolk, learning how to connect with a plant beyond the ground up material in a tea bag can have a profound affect on who we are and how we connect with the world around us. The Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge is about growing, celebrating, and honoring our plant allies and plant selves beyond knowing what something is used for and into the realm of how do we live meaningful and useful lives.

Want to transition from a casual interest in herbal medicine to a more invested one. I After a few weeks or months, maybe even a year, of dabbling with plant medicines, you’re feeling a calling to connect with the plant world and your herbal practice in a more committed way. The Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge will help you stretch your herbal muscles, teaching you the many ways of connecting with a plant and its medicinal and magickal qualities. In the process you’ll learn more about who you are as an aspiring herbalist and what gets you really excited about your growing practice.

Are seeking to reinvigorate and find new inspiration in their herbal practice. An herbal practice is just that - practice - and sometimes practice gets monotonous and uninspiring. Hopefully, the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge will re-inspire the ways you connect with your plant allies and your herbal practice.

During the challenge, some days will be busier than others, so I encourage you to read through the whole list before starting your journey so you can plan ahead for busier days (such as buying the supplies you’ll need for making tinctures or tea). You won’t need much to participate in the challenge: a notebook, some simple drawing supplies will get you started, and later on you’ll be asked to seek out your plant in the (urban)wild and procure a dried or fresh plant material by either ethical wildcrafting or from a reputable source.

I encourage you to have fun with your Plant Ally Project, comment below with questions and discoveries, and enjoy the process of humbling yourself to the wild and growing your fierce green heart.

Keep scrolling to find all of the details for the project as well as a quick guide computer wallpaper for you to use. Be sure to share the Plant Ally Project with your friends and post about your adventures with #PlantAllyProject. I can't wait to see what plants you meet!

---

Use the following quick guide wallpaper to help you keep track of all 30 days of the Plant Ally Project.

---

Day 1: Set your intention for the month.

I have found that getting clear on what it is you hope to accomplish at the beginning of a project helps see it through. What are you hoping to learn in these thirty days? How will you be challenging yourself?

Will you learn everything about your plant ally in 30 days? Nope. And that’s wonderful. What you can accomplish in 30 days, however, is significant and meaningful. You can connect with a green ally in ways that will continue to shape and form your practice for years to come. The adventure, clever one, is just beginning.

I encourage you to write your intention down in a place that you will see it often. You might put it in the front of your journal for your Plant Ally Project or tape it to your mirror. Make sure you are affirming it often for it to serve as a tool of change and success.

One final note. It might seem like a lot of work some days or a big commitment to work with one plant for 30 days. There is an art of sacrifice involved in the pursuit of knowledge, which may include sacrificing free time spent on the computer or watching tv to pursuing your herbal studies. Or rearranging your schedule to allow more time for your herbal medicine-making. I would encourage you to be mindful of the work ahead and how committed you are to it, even if it involves a bit of sacred sacrifice. What are you willing to give in order to receive?

Day 2: Choose the plant you’ll be working with or let it choose you.

You might already know what plant you want to work with for your 30 day Plant Ally Project. It may be the mint growing in a pot on your windowsill or the Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) spreading out in the marshy land in the park by your house. Or you might have no idea what plant you want to work with! If you’re in the latter situation, you have a few options for choosing the plant to work with. The first is simply looking around your garden or neighborhood for local flora. Or you can flip open one of your herb books and see what plant profile you land on. It might be fun to look at the ingredients of some of your favorite tea blends and choose an herb from there. You might choose an herb that is culturally significant to you and, even if it has not been used in your family in modern recollection, was probably used by your ancestors.

My one tip is that once you choose an herb for your Plant Ally Project is to stick with it. It can feel overwhelming and exciting to know that there are hundreds of thousands of herbs for us to learn about. Right now, you are making a commitment to connect with one herb over the next 30 days, and while this does not exclude working with other herbs, it does place emphasis on one plant relationship in particular. For those of you who may feel like they’ve chosen the “wrong” herb after a few days, I strongly encourage you to follow through with your original commitment. Herbs that are difficult to decipher or might take a bit of extra study on our part can appropriately challenge our analytical and emotional skills to connect with the plant world.

Day 3. Learn the latin binomial + folk names of your plant ally.

One plant can have a multitude of names and it is important to be familiar with the Latin binomial as well as common or folk names for a plant. Latin binomials allow herbalists to identify the same plants regardless of language differences. Latin binomials can also help us learn about some of the folkloric stories associated with a plant as well as its medicinal qualities. Motherwort, which Latin binomial is Leonurus cardiaca, tells us about the plant’s association with the heart in two ways. First, Leonurus, connects to the plant’s astrological correspondence of Leo the Lion which traditional guards the heart. Cardiaca again refers to Motherwort’s affinity for heart health.

Day 4. Learn about the habitat of your plant ally.

Where is your plant native to? Where has it naturalized? Does it grow locally? What type of environment does it thrive in?

Day 5. Learn about how to harvest your plant ally.

What are the ideal harvesting conditions for your plant? What time of year? What parts of the plant are used medicinally? Should you harvest from a mature plant?

Day 6. Smell and taste your plant ally.

One of the easiest and most essential ways of connecting with a plant ally is to breath deep its scent and to taste its flavor. If you have access to a fresh plant (and it is safe to nibble on the fresh plant) use that, but you can also used a dried plant. Be aware, though, that a dried plant will often smell and taste different than when it is fresh.

What does the plant smell like? Sweet? Pungent? Strong or soft? What does the plant taste like? Does it dry the mouth or encourage the production of saliva? Taste is a way of understanding a plant’s medicinal qualities. Astringent plants, for example, dry the mouth while bitter plants often produce saliva.

Bonus! Learn about the tastes within Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine traditions.

Day 7. Read three different materia medica profiles on your plant ally.

You have already been reading about your plant in order to complete the last week’s tasks, but now it is time to read multiple materia medica profiles about your plant ally to understand the multiple ways of engaging its healing qualities. Check out my LibaryThing materia medica catalog for book recommendations as well as free resources such as botanical.com which is the complete materia medica of American herbalist Maud Grieve. Searching for {your plant’s name} plant profile online should also turn up resources. Remember, though when searching the mighty internets to find reputable sources. It is amazing the wide range of (mis)information there is about herbs online, so I encourage you to purchase or check-out from your library a few quality materia medicas to start your herbal studies as opposed to relying solely on search engines.

Day 8: Meet your plant ally in person.

You may have already done this, but whether or not you have, spend some time connecting with a live version of your plant ally. It can be a plant growing in a garden, in the wild or in an urban park. Spend time being still with the plant, observing its environment, and talking aloud or silently to it. You might be surprised by what the plant shares with you!

If such is not possible at the moment due to the season or accessibility, reserve this exercise for another day and spend time connecting with an image or remedy of your plant ally.

Day 9: Draw a picture of your plant ally.

One can learn a lot about a plant from drawing it because the act of drawing engages our observational skills in new ways. It doesn’t matter if you can “draw well” or not. If you can hold pen to paper you will be able to roughly sketch a plant. I encourage you to get creative and use color, adding energetic observations, and any other doodles that you find inspiring. Have fun with it!

Day 10: Study the best ways to prepare your plant ally medicinally.

How to extract plant medicines depends on the constituents of a plant and whether or not they are extracted in water, alcohol, oil, vinegar, or additional menstruums (which is a word for a solvent that is used in extracting medicinal constituents from plants). Learn what the best method of preparation is (such as an infusion versus a decoction) and whether your plant ally can be used externally, internally or both.

Day 11: Make a tea or decoction of your plant ally.

Your first medicine-making day! Depending on what you learned yesterday, create a tea infusion or decoction of your plant ally. I recommend that you do not add other herbs to the tea - simply create a one herb infusion or decoction so you can fully appreciate the taste, smell, and effect of your plant ally in your body. Pay attention to the initial taste, the aftertaste, and how the herb feels in your body. Do images, memories, or words come to mind? Spend a half hour or more in contemplation with your tea.

Day 12: Learn about your plant ally’s magickal qualities.

Some materia medicas will include a plant magickal qualities or folkloric stories, but there are also materia medicas dedicated to the magickal qualities of plants including Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, A Compendium of Herbal Magic by Paul Beyerl, and The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Revised by Susan Gregg.

Whether or not you are a practitioner of magick, learning a plant’s magickal qualities and accompanying folklore can enrich not only our understanding of how our ancestors connected with the plant and the plant connected with them, but there is often insight into a plant’s medicinal qualities. Plants used in love spells, for example, are often aphrodisiacs and affect the sexual organs, libido, and/or nervous system (such as Damiana Turnera diffusa).

Day 13: Learn about the astrological correspondences of your plant ally.

You may have already discovered the astrological correspondences of your plant ally yesterday, but if not spend today learning more about them. Traditional Western Herbalism and astrology were intertwined for centuries and it has only been in recent generations that the two arts have been split apart.

A physician without a knowledge of Astrology has no right to call himself a physician.  - Hippocrates

Learning the astrological correspondences of herbs further deepens our language to be able to talk about herbs and understand their healing qualities. It also helps us to understand better traditional western herbal energetics and why certain herbs have been classified in certain ways historically (and whether or not that still makes sense today). Books discussing the magickal quality of plants often has astrological correspondences list as well, but you should also check out the historical works of Nicholas Culpeper including his still in-print Herbal. You can also check out my Introduction to Astroherbology which includes additional online and offline resources.

If no astrological information exists for your plant ally, that’s ok! You can either have fun doing a little research and assign your own astrological correspondence (check out my ongoing Astroherbology series and especially my blog on the Astrological Body for insight) or maybe get in touch with your favorite medical astrologer for some guidance.

Day 14: Learn about your plant ally’s emotional qualities.

Plant medicine affects the whole spectrum of our lived experience whether physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, because it is a holistic medicine which recognizes that all of our parts are interconnected. Just as plants have medicinally healing qualities, they have emotionally healing qualities. Books on flower essences are great places to look when researching the emotional qualities of plants as well as materia medicas which take into account the emotional symptoms of dis-ease.

My recommendation for learning a plant’s emotional qualities is to ask the plant directly. I usually enter into a light meditative state and gently ask the plant to share with me its emotional story, sometimes while ingesting plant medicine (such as a tea), but not always. Sometimes I get words, other times images, and most often I feel the response in my body. Make sure to record your experience and don’t rush to “validate” or compare it to the writings and experiences of others. I will say, though, that very often there is overlap between one person’s emotional experience of a plants and another’s.

Bonus! Create a flower essence from your plant ally. Flower essences are easy and accessible forms of herbal medicine. You can find out how to make an essence of your own here.

Day 15: Take a break!

You’re halfway through your Plant Ally Project and it’s time to take a break! You deserve it. Sit back and relax, clever one.

Day 16: Make a tincture or glycerite of your plant ally.

Tinctures and glycerites are great for creating high-potency herbal medicines that have a relatively long shelf life (alcohol extract tinctures can last for many years, while glycerites can last up to 2 years). There are two primary ways to create an extract; the first is the folk method and the second way is by weight-to-volume measurement. Below I have listed out a simple folk method to create an extract. Some plants require a higher percentage of alcohol to extract properly and not all plant constituents extract well in alcohol (such as vitamins and minerals). You can learn more about plant constituents and extractability here. Michael Moore has a some amazing free resources on his website including clinical manuals with extraction recommendations. Lisa Ganora is one of the leading herbal experts on plant constituents and you can check out her short guide to solubility and choosing appropriate menstruums (PDF). For further herbal medicine-making study James Green has written a great book called The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual which I highly recommend.

Simple Folk Extraction

For both extractions (either glycerite or alcohol) you should have a clean jar with a well-sealing lid. Add in your fresh or dried plant material into the jar. You can add the plant material in whole or chop it up to help the extract penetrate the cell walls of the plant and pull out the plant medicine. You’ll want to mix some water with either your alcohol or glycerite - a few dashes is usually sufficient. If you’re using fresh plant material with a plant that has a high-water content be sure not to add too much extra water and compromise the levels of alcohol or glycerite needed to act as a preservative. For glycerites, be sure to mix the water and glycerite together before adding it to your herbs.

Pour your alcohol or glycerite over the herbs so that there is about ¾ of an inch of the menstruum floating above or below the herb. Let your extract brew for at least three weeks - I brew most of my extracts for a minimum of one complete moon cycle, but usually three moon cycles in total. Shake your extract daily and speak to it, charge it up with song, or keep it in a sacred spot in your home. Be especially mindful of glycerites and air bubbles which can lead to spoilage. When it is ready to be decanted, use a nut mylk bag (my favorite method), a fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth to separate the extract from the plant material. I think it is important to respect the plant body remains and to compost it or add it back into the earth in some way. Now you have an extract! Extracts of both varieties are best stored in dark bottles away from direct sunlight and in a cool location. It is especially important to keep glycerites cool - I keep mine in the refrigerator. If you are not worried about keeping a glycerite alcohol-free you can always add in some alcohol during or after the brewing process. Honey and maple-syrup can be added, too, to alcohol extracts during or after the brewing process to sweeten the tincture. As for dosage, you should research what is the recommended dosage for your plant ally in your materia medicas. In my own practice, I use drop dosages, which is traditional within western herbalism, and in general recommend a dosage of 1 - 10 drops up to three times daily for many of my extracts.

Day 17: Meditate with your plant ally.

For those of you who practice mindfulness, meditation or other contemplative practices, or those of you who have been wanting to start a meditation practice, meditating with your plant ally will hopefully sound like an exciting endeavor. For those of you who read that line and thought, “I can’t meditate!” I would like to first reassure you that this is a common response to many folks who go on to find out that they can indeed meditate. Furthermore, we fall into meditative patterns every day without even knowing it. Have you ever daydreamed? You’ve meditated. Have you ever zoned out while walking, exercising or washing the dishes? You’ve meditated. Have you have taken a break from an overwhelming situation to close your eyes and take a deep breath? You’ve meditated. The folks who may not be able to meditate or should not meditate are those experiencing certain states of psychosis and should seek out the assistance of their health care team to figure out what is best for them and their health.

Meditating with plants is a gorgeous experience and I really encourage everyone to try it out. It can be as simple as sitting with your plant ally, either next to it in a physical context whether as a living plant or plant material such as the dried herb, an extract, oil, or tea, or visualizing the plant in your mind’s eye. You can close your eyes or softly gaze at the plant. Energetically greet the plant before beginning - ask to be invited into their space. Meditating with plants (heck, meditating with anyone!) is an opportunity to open up to the plant beyond the written or spoken world and into intuitive connectivity. You can spend just a few minutes meditating with a plant or a whole afternoon. Do what is comfortable and in a way that encourages openness and vulnerability between you and the plant. Afterwards, be sure to offer the plant something in thanksgiving, whether some water, a song, some sacred incense or another heart-centered gift.

Day 18: Find a poem, quote, song, painting, that embodies the quality of your plant ally.

After your meditation experience with your plant ally, you have hopefully received additional insight about the plant and your growing relationship. Spend some time today finding a poem, song, painting, or additional media that embodies the qualities of your plant ally. For example, I think the following poem by Mary Oliver speaks to the amazing gifts of Milky Oats (Avena sativa).

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Mary Oliver

You might choose to keep the a copy of whatever you find on your altar or in a place in your house where you will see it often. Herbalism is not just a science - it is an art. It is through art that we can find profound healing and when we are artfully able to speak of our plant allies we move beyond the habit of “{x} plant does {this}” to “let me tell you a story of Chamomile, the littlest brightest sun.”

Day 19: Plant personalities. Who in your life is most like your plant?

In my personal materia medicas I include a section on the plant personality which describes both the personality of the plant, but also the personality of a person best served by the plant’s medicine. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), for example, is a plant for a colic-y child (or adult) who complains of an upset stomach when their emotional world feels unbalanced. Elder (Sambucus nigra) is known as the Elder Mother in many European countries and she has a fiercely protective, no-nonsense personality so she is often good medicine for folks who have difficulty setting up boundaries and are invested in self-deluding practices that don’t serve their health and wellbeing.

Discovering plant personalities doesn’t always feel intuitive at first, but that is why it is good to reference back to the work you did on Day 14 when you learned about the emotional qualities of your plant ally. You might discover that you are the plant personality that your plant ally best serves or a close friend or family member. Plants come into our lives most often for a reason, even if we don’t understand for many years to come, and exploring plant personalities can be one way of discovering why we are drawn to our plant ally.

Day 20: Create your own folk name for your plant ally.

As discovered on Day 3, most plants have a few, if not a multitude, of common names. Create your own folk name for your plant ally based on your experience so far with them. They may have already shared a name that they like to be called with you. Have fun with it and reference back to Day 18 if you need further inspiration.

Bonus! Create a folk name for you.

Day 21: Read a new materia medica profile on your plant ally.

Today it is time to find a new materia medica profile to read about your plant ally because tomorrow you’ll start creating your own personal materia medica.

Day 22: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 1

Whether or not you continue to write your own materia medicas throughout your practice, it is important to learn how to gather information on your plant ally, synthesize that information, and add your own experience and study to it. Reference your favorite materia medicas found in books and online for creating your own, including the type of information included, as well as formatting.  I've created a materia medica for Angelica (Angelica archangelica) as an example of how I typically create my plant profiles. For part one of your materia medica complete the following information about your plant ally:

• Name (folk + latin binomial)

• Habitat, Growing Conditions, and Harvesting

• Parts used of the plant for medicine-making

• Flavor

• Plant Constituents

Optional:

• Astrological information

• Energetics

Day 23: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 2

Today you’ll continue to work on your materia medic, focusing on the heart of the materia medica.

• Herbal Actions

• Main Uses

Day 24: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 3

Our final day of materia medica crafting!

• Magickal Uses

• Contraindications

• Drug interactions

• Dosage

Optional:

• Plant Personality

• Recipes + Charms that feature your plant ally

Day 25: Create a plant ally charm.

You’ve completed your materia medica, meditated with your plant ally, and learned about its many uses, now its time to stretch your magickal muscles and create a plant ally charm. You might choose to create a small herb bundle to wear around your neck or keep on your altar. You might make a charmed herb candle or an herbal dream pillow including your plant ally. Engage with your plant ally magickally and follow the path of enchantment that unfolds!

Day 26: Write a plant ally song or poem.

Take time today to write down a song or poem, whether short or long, for your plant ally. It may be a song of thanks or medicine-making. You might write a poem describing the plants healing qualities. Or a short rhyming verse calling on spirit of the plant. What do you want to say to your plant ally?

Day 27: Create a Plant Ally immersive experience.

You’ve created a charm and written your poem, now it is time to immerse yourself in the world of your plant ally. If appropriate, create a bath using your plant ally or bathe with them in your shower. You could also burn the plant as an incense and sit in meditation with them or create a room and body spray with the plant’s essential oil. If you are so inspired, create a ritual of connecting with your plant ally where in addition to the immersive experience, you speak aloud your poem, create medicine, and charge up your charm. The path you choose is up to you...

Day 28: Write about your unique ways of connecting with herbal medicine.

We are very near the end of our 30 day challenge. What have you learned about yourself and the ways that you connect with plant medicine? What has your plant ally taught you? Are you super exciting about creating plant medicines? Do you want to grow a garden of herbal wonder? One day do you think you want to serve others as an herbalist in a private or community practice? Describe what it is about your experience of herbal medicine that gets you excited.

Day 29: Write your values as an herbalist or user of plant remedies.

I think it is important to know and state your values as a humyn creature living on our ocean planet, especially when entering into a mindful relationship with the powers of the plant world. Spend today creating a set of values that describes who you are as an herbalist or user of plant remedies and how these inform the ways that you move through the world. You can read my values here.

Day 30: Review your month!

Wow! Congrats! You did it! Take time to review your month and take a look at all that you have accomplished. Make sure to leave a comment below about what plant ally you worked with and your experiences, including favorite recipes, herbal wisdom insights, and recommended reading.

Winter Wellness: Healing Herbs for the Dark of the Year

Ah, winter.

I really do love the dark of the year. Perhaps it is the winter fog rolling in from the shoreline. Or the quiet that snowfall can bring. Maybe it is because this is the time of year where getting introspective can feel so right. A time when lighting candles and pouring tea takes on a special glimmer.

And sometimes winter is hard. It is cold and dark and your car has become frozen in a block of ice. There are familial obligations that can be awkward at best and sometimes treacherous. We can get caught up in the flurry of doing as the seasons transition. For me, this winter holds a certain bittersweet sadness. I lost my beloved Grandpa earlier this year and not only will we be marking the first birthday of his without him, but all of our winter holiday-making will be somehow less bright. Which is ok. We have periods of sorrow in our lives which need as much space and care as those moments of profound joy. I have written about herbs for grief, heartache, and tragedy and these are herbs that remain close allies to me and my loved ones in this time of figuring out what we do with the spaces left behind by those who have been there for so very long.

Still, though, I really do love winter and the herbs I turn to again and again during the dark year. I have written about herbs for the Winter Solstice as well as recipes but I wanted to add to my list of winter-time herbs since there are so many excellent ones to choose from. Because that's what we fill those spaces with and those long winter nights - the love of steadfast companions, the joy of our wellness, and the curiosity of creatures wanting to learn more about our extraordinary planet we call home. Because my Grandpa, a Marine who wore holiday teddy-bear sweaters with puffy paint, who was gruff and grumpy, who could read your story in a handshake, and who loved wolves (the animal), jaguars (the car), and Star Trek (the best), would be asking for his "herbal drops" whether or not I was feeling winter joys or winter blues. Thanks, Grandpa, for keeping it all in big, wild, heart-centered perspective.

The following are some of my favorite herbs for the winter. If you're looking for further resources learn how to create your own home apothecary for the winter season or learn about herbal and magickal practices for winter. And if you're still thinking, heck I would love even more inspiration and recipes for the Winter Solstice, especially if it involves recipes inspired by Krampus and blends of great merriment, then access The Winter Apothecary ebook (and all of my ebooks) by becoming a patron.

Elderberries from wikipedia

Elder (Sambucus nigra) ♀♇

Folk names include: Tree of Medicine, Danewort, Fever tree, Hyldemoer

Uses: The list is long but includes alterative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, digestive, expectorant, rejuvenative, vulnerary.

Contraindications: Excess fresh berries can have a laxative effect. While Sambucus nigra is generally safe, other varieties of Sambucus are poisonous, so properly identify before using.

Elder is a delicious winter remedy. I use the berries and flowers in my Cauldron Polish Cold Care Elixir and the flowers make an incredibly delicious glycerite. The herb has a big reputation as an amazing healer and the Elder Mother lives up to her reputation. Elder is effective in bringing relief when winter colds and the 'flu has come to visit, as the plant is powerfully antiviral. The berries and flowers are diaphoretic and diuretic which means they help us to release toxins and as an alterative they assist the body in returning to homeostasis. Elder is drying, too, without being too warming. The flowers, taken internally as an alcohol extract or glycerite, are especially useful in cases of ear infection. British herbalist, Andrew Chevallier, recommends Elder flower combined with Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis) for headaches that come about because of the cold or a chill.

If you are brave (or foolish) enough to sit under an Elder Tree on an important night of the year (namely, Midsummer and Samhain), you just might see the Good Folk march by in all of their finery. The spirit of the Elder is a gatekeeper between the realms of life and death - she is fiercely protective and very no-nonsense. Burning Elder wood is considered very unlucky but it can be worn as an amulet for protection (especially against lightening which apparently was something to be really worried about back in the days when these charms were being written down in old grimoires and herbals). The herb planted in front of the home or used in charms keeps away harmful and unkind spirits.

I think Elder is really useful as a preventative tonic - it is such an appealing flavor that it can be added to teas, made into syrups and electuaries, and made into a simple jam. I don't think I've ever used Elder as an alcohol extract because it is such a pleasure to use otherwise, but if you do prefer alcohol extracts, standard dosages apply. Remember, a dose of Elder a day keeps disgruntled yetis away.

Peppermint (Mentha spp.) ☿ ☽

Fok names include: Lammint and Brandy Mint.

Uses: Analgesic, analstetic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, emmenagogue, expectorant, vasodilator.

Contraindications: Avoid during acute gallstone attack.

Soothing but enlivening, I really enjoy a good cup of mint tea any time of the day. The scent, taste, and healing qualities clears the head, clearing the cobwebs from the corners of our minds. I use peppermint most often in digestive blends when the stomach is cramping (combine with Fennel (Foeniculum officinale) for a simple and sweet tasting digestive tea). Peppermint is also useful in cases of nausea, gas, and general indigestion.  Additionally, I use it quite often in cold and 'flu blends for its antiviral, clearing, and calming qualities. Combine with Elecampane to assist in clearing up unproductive and phlegm-y coughs. Deb Soule recommends preparing a hot tea of Peppermint combined with Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Elder Flowers, and Catnip as an old-time and effective remedy for bringing down fever.

Topically, Peppermint is soothing to sore muscles as a compress and can also be used in steams to clear sinuses, ease asthma, and to ground a shocked system. It makes a great addition to all natural and mouth washing blends as well as in toothpaste powder blends. Use a cool compress for rashes and hives, to bring relief to the feverish, and to smell really nice.

Peppermint is used in all sorts of ways in magickal work from blends to induce visions to love spells and healing charms. I like Peppermint in money and abundance charms - the herb grows abundant and once it takes root it is there for good - definitely a good quality when it comes to prosperity! The plant is guarded by Mercury which makes sense given its use for both enlivening and soothing the senses as well as clearing stagnation. I also place Peppermint under the guardianship of Moon not just because of its digestive-emotive qualities, but it's cool, fresh taste is silvery and quick.

I think tea is the most pleasant way to enjoy Peppermint. Fresh mint and honey makes a delicious syrup, so you should probably do that, too. Alcohol extracts are standard dosage if you prefer such a route.

Elecampane Root (Inula helenium) ☉☿ ♅

Folk names include: Elfwort, Horse Heal, Wild Sunflower, Scabwort, Velvet Dock.

Uses: Expectorant, digestive, diaphoretic, carminative, mood enhancer.

Contraindications: Do not take if pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not use externally if there is history of allergic contact dermatitis.

The yellow flowered Elfwort is primarily used as a warming lung tonic and it is an excellent winter ally when bronchial complaints of the damp variety are around. I'll admit that I was first attracted to learning more about Elecampane because it had a common name of Elfwort and an association with Witches. It has since become a consistent ally in my Apothecary. You'll notice that the Latin binomial includes helenium which has been said to be linked to Helen of Troy, the yellow flowers supposedly represent her tears. So, we have a plant that is a lung tonic and possesses a story of tears. It is good to know then, that the lungs are energetically the seat of sorrow and grief. Sometimes, when sorrow or grief is unexpressed it can transform into weakness or health imbalances in the lungs. Elecampane's myth tells us then about it's energetic and medicinal signature - it is a plant fit for damp lung complaints, but especially where sorrow and grief is present. Breathlessness, wheezing, asthma and migraines brought on by the cold, and a wet cough are all signs that Elecampane may be useful. The herb loosens phlegm and soothes irritated respiratory passages. The herb can be used both for acute complaints and as a preventative tonic.

Traditionally, herbalists like Hildegard von Bingen have recommended Elecampane be prepared as a wine extract and, in general the plant is well prepared as a sweet cordial or digestive blend for before and after meals. As a digestive herb, Elecampane is useful in cases of sluggish, cold, and weak digestion, relieving gas and gently stimulating digestion. Additionally, Elecampane brightens the mood, especially of those who are given to a nervous disposition. The herb has historically been used topically for skin complaints such as acne as well as hip pain, including sciatica, and the bites of insects and snakes.

Magickally, the herb is used in protection sachet against harmful energy - especially ill energy brought in by cold winds. As a wort of Elves, it protects against the more mischievous energy of our Hidden Kin, creating a shield against elf-shots and similar unpleasantries. You can also use the herb to enhance your psychic visions and to bring true love your way. Elecampane is said to be guarded by the Sun, Mercury, and/or Uranus depending, and each makes sense. The Sun not only because of Elecampane's yellow and bright flowers, but because it is warming and assists with overall heat and vitality in the body. Elecampane's Mercurial energy appears in it's drying abilities and usefulness for those who tend towards nervousness and are poorly affected by the cold, while Uranus speaks to Elecampane's ability to balance conditions of digestion, circulation, and the erratic nature of elf-shots. Read more about Elecampane and its healing qualities.

The root can be used in a decoction and sweetened with honey. More commonly, the alcohol extract is used (1:2 fresh or 1:6 dried) and dosage ranges. If you are using Elecampane as a tonic and preventative, I would recommend lower doses of 1 - 10 drops daily, while with chronic complaints the dosage can be increased to up to 30 - 40 drops up to 4 times daily. Personally, I recommend low drop dosages, but follow your training and body's needs.

🎄

I hope you enjoyed meeting these winter plant allies! I’ve written a lot about winter wellness, herbs of the season, and more since writing this post in 2014 so be sure to check out the following posts if you’re looking for extra inspiration:

• How to Create a Winter Wellness Apothecary

• Healing & Magickal Practices for Winter

• Winter Warmer: A Gentle Adaptogenic Tea

• Darkest Night: A Winter Solstice Spread

• A Might-Do List for Yule

Wherever the season takes you may it be full of merriment and joy!