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

After a long summer, where it seems that everything might be gold and green forever, and the winds of autumn have yet to sweep in and pull the last of summer's fruit to the earth, I think of the ways that these spaces between seasons are a good time to check in on the boundaries within and around us.

While boundaries can sometimes evoke feelings of absence, pushing away, and borders, I find it more helpful to understand boundaries as an essential form of nourishment. To resist our need for boundaries is to go hungry - when we deny or ignore our own boundaries we can be left hungering for the protection and nourishment of ourselves and our dignity that sturdy boundaries provide. Testing and having our boundaries tested, in nonviolent, even playful ways, is a normal process of development, when we get to say no and figure out what our yeses look like as we develop our sense of self. The seasons of the year and the seasons of life are full of boundaries and edges, places to explore to know ourselves and our worlds better.

I find that the transition from one season to the next are times of boundary testing, seeing what has thrived, what has struggled, what has grown, what has been dreamed up in the past season, and how that will carry us through the next. There are the practical boundaries of the places we live in, the ways we feed ourselves, sources of income, and the day-to-day needs of our wellbeing.¹ There are also the less tangible, but equally necessary boundaries of the dreams we've protected, the discernment we've developed in our relationships, and the ways we respect the shape of our energy and healing needs. Tying the practice of boundary-making and re-shaping to seasonal tides helps us to create a cyclical rhythm to our boundary work instead of a one-and-done approach that can leave us feeling disappointed or exposed if we find ourselves having to create or renew a boundary.

Boundary work shows up in all sorts of interesting ways in herbal consultations and classrooms. There are the boundaries that I establish as a practitioner and teacher that helps define what I do and do not offer long before a client or students enter a space, the boundaries that respect the freedom of movement and encourage the curiosity of students and clients, and boundaries that respect the various relationships created in these learning spaces. There are boundaries of time spent together, boundaries of privacy, sensory boundaries, and the unique boundaries that will always arise at any given consultation, class or event. I make sure that I reflect on, renew, and adjust my boundaries frequently throughout the year not only for my wellbeing, but for the wellbeing of those I serve.

If you're a practitioner, what are the personal and professional boundaries that you hold in classes and consultations? If you're a client or student, what are your own boundaries and can you easily identify the boundaries that your teacher and/or practitioner holds?

image via @eilisgarvey

As the wheel of the year turns and one season shifts to another, I imagine boundaries less as fixed and stoic walls between me and a person or experience, and more of practices that shelter and strengthen me so that I can fully arrive in the coming season. As summer's long days give way to autumn's golden glow, I check-in with what it is I need to make sure that I'm able to make it - physically and energetically - to all of the harvest festivals that I want to attend in the coming months, including being able to show up to those celebratory harvests of personal accomplishment. In other words, my boundary work is less about building a wall and more about making sure that the path ahead is clear so that I can return again and again to beloved community and the experiences that I treasure most. 

So as summer transforms into autumn, I've collected a few of my favorite recipes for the bright season to help us store up light and energy for the rest of the year, strengthen our edges so that we better know what it is we are feeling and want to be held, and find ways to feel steady and sure in our practice.

Summer to Autumn Remedies

The following recipes are formulated as teas but can easily be made into herbal extracts, baths, or other forms of herbal remedies. I’ve crafted them with the transition from (roughly) Virgo to Libra season in the northern hemisphere and from (roughly) Pisces to Aries season in the southern hemisphere, but they can easily be adapted or used throughout the year.

image via @anniespratt

For When You Need To Store Energy

Summer is long where I live and sometimes the heat can feel neverending, but I've also lived in places where summer is sharp and quick, quickly bowing to autumn's splendor. I've learned that no matter what type of summer I may be living with, learning how to pace yourself in the heat and store up the season's light for the rest of the year is a good skill to cultivate. I like to work with plant allies that help strengthen our cardiovascular system (like Taraxacum officinale), build up the blood (like Crataegus monogyna), and increase our body's capacity to effectively manage our energy (like Ocimum sanctum), helping us to feel strong throughout the year.

• 4 parts Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• 2 parts Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)

• 1 part Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

image via @anniepratt

For When You Feel Ungrounded & Uncertain

If we feel disconnected from the earth of our body and the earth of the land, uncertain about what next steps to take, and generally uncentered, it can make setting and maintaining boundaries challenging. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is such a beautifully earthy time of harvest and connecting with the nourishing energy of the land. Herbs like Sage (Salvia spp.), Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) help us feel centered, connected, and grounded in our bodies with the added benefit of strengthening our immune systems as we move into cold and flu season.

• 2 parts Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• 2 parts Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

• ½ part Sage (Salvia spp.)

image via @anniespratt

For When You Foundation Needs Strengthening

Taking care of the structure of our body - our musculoskeletal system and skin - helps all other healing herbal remedies, wellness practices, and opportunities for joy grow more easily in our lives. Vitamin and mineral rich herbs like Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and Nettles (Urtica dioica) help to nourish and rebuild energy while sun-bright flowers like Calendula (Calendula officinalis) help the skin to glow from the inside out. 

• 3 parts Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• 1 part Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

• ½ part Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Lemon juice to taste

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Three simple recipes to help us move from summer to autumn with our dreams held close and our energy sheltered. You can find more seasonal inspiration for your practice by checking out my summer wellness apothecary and autumn wellness apothecary posts. You can also explore my series on herbal and magickal suggestions for every season. If you’re looking for more between-the-seasons guides be sure to check out:

• Slow Winter, Soft Spring: Herbal Remedies for the Quiet Season

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

May these days of shimmering glow settle all around you, so you may carry this light like a lantern into the dark half of the year, steady on the path illuminated all around you.

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

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Footnotes

1. Ideally, these would be needs that we didn't have to earn, but already have as an inherent part of a society's social net of safety and welfare. May we continue to call such a world into being.