The Astroherbalism Apothecary: Crafting Herbal Charms for Your Sun Sign

I've written about the gifts of our Sun sign and how we can connect with that energy of our birth chart through a simple tarot practice - and now it's time to explore working with our Sun sign plant allies in magickal practice.

Building upon the energy of exploring our birth chart, I wanted to explore some astroherbalism techniques to help you craft elixirs and potions that support the energy of your Sun sign. As the Sun sign is a common starting point for many folks to western astrology, I'd thought it would be a good place to start, but I'll be continuing this series exploring the Moon sign and Ascendant, too.

While you'll find a few recipes in this post, what I really want to share with you is the framework of how we would approach creating your own unique potions, elixirs or herbal charms for your Sun so that you feel inspired to use what is readily available to you. We'll start by naming the ways our Sun sign affects our energy and then look at the common ways that Sun energy might need support in our life because its been blocked or undernourished. I'll provide you with some suggestsions to help you craft your own charms, and then leave you with a Sun sign ritual to support your magickal workings.

Let's get crafting in the astroherbalism apothecary!

As an herbalist, I work with astrology as a story-telling-listening tool and a way to help folks get to know and name the healing needs of their body (and by "body" I mean physical form, emotional and mental experience, the psychic body, and so on). Within traditional western herbalism, the Sun represents our inherent energy. There is no "good" or "bad" inherent energy, just the baseline energy that we're born with and our Sun sign helps us understand the ways that our energy flows throughout our life. Some of us, for example, have energy that is quick to show up and quick to disappear, while others have energy that is slow to arrive and meandering when it does get here. We bring this inherent energetic signature with us into all of our life experiences, including our experiences of wellness, discomfort, illness, and healing. 

Throughout our life we learn how to tend to the needs of our energy and develop skills to interact with the world that not only feels good to us (if at times challenging, but in a way that is helping us to stretch and grow more into who we are) but is sustainable. 

When it comes to supporting our Sun sign there are three primary paths that I work with: recipes that energize, recipes that soothe, and recipes that nourish. Below you'll find a brief description of each path of support as well as key phrases that help you identify your Sun sign energy needs. I encourage you to read these phrases aloud and if something resonates, to consider pursuing that path of magickal healing. Once you've identified what type of path will be most useful for you at this time, you can choose a few suggested herbs and then follow the guide below to creating your custom Sun sign charm with.

image via @mickeydziwulski

Energize Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that help to awaken, enliven, and generally stimulate Sun sign energy that may be sluggish, recovering from stress and/or illness, and in general need of waking up. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of an energizing charm include:

• I feel like I can't get going. 

• I feel stuck in one place. 

• What's the point?

• I don't feel inspired or creative.

• I just feel "blah" all the time.

Herbs for an Energizing Charm

For a charm that is helping to energize and wake up our Sun current, we want to work plant allies that are stimulating, inspiration-inducing, and energetically bright. From a magickal perspective, seeds and fruits are especially energizing, which is why I love incorporating plants into my Sun charms that are brightly colored and grow prolifically like Calendula (Calendula officinalis) not only in flower form, but in seed form as well. While you should check out the "Remedy Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign, in general, brightly colored, especially in warm and sunny tones, plants that grow easily in a variety of conditions, as well as spicy or strong tasting plants, are great options. Here are a few energizing Sun plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

• Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)

• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

• St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

• Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

If they are already in your collection, you might consider adding any of the following stone allies to your energizing Sun charm including Citrine, Clear Quartz, Carnelian, Red Jasper, and Tiger's Eye. You can also consider choosing bright and warm color tones for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @rayhennessy

Soothe Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that help to soften, relax, and create a sense of calm for Sun energy that is in excess leading to feelings of agitation, anxiousness, and general overwhelm. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of a soothing charm include:

• I'm so anxious!

• I don't fit in anywhere.

• I need a hug (or other comforting experience).

• I just feel on edge all the time.

• No one gets me.

Herbs for a Soothing Charm

Focus on herbs that help to diffuse excess Sun energy, helping to ground and center us. From a magickal perspective, roots and barks of plants (always sustainably harvested), have an inherently grounding energy which is why I love solar plants like Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) for soothing solar charms. While you should check out the "Remedy Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign, in general herbs that are cooling, including cooling colors such as blue or purple flowers, grounding, and relaxing are excellent options. Here are a few Sun energy soothing plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale)

• Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• Burdock (Arctium lappa)

• Borage (Borago officinalis)

• California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

• Rose (Rosa spp.)

• Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

There are also a variety of stone allies you might consider working with to help soothe your Sun energy if you already have them available including Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Bloodstone, Obsidian, Amethyst, Citrine, and Flourite. You might also consider choosing cool color tones for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @kiendo

Nourish Your Solar Energy

Herbs and essences that tend to the fundamental needs of our Sun energy, helping us feel energetically fed and supported in our energetic needs - a Sun sign tonic. Key phrases that indicate you might be in need of a nourishing charm include:

• I feel burnt out.

• Everything feels like too much.

• I'm exhausted.

• Who's going to take care of me?

• I could really use a break right now.

Herbs for a Nourishing Charm

Focus on herbs that feel comforting and inviting, helping us to come home to our solar self. From a magickal perspective, flowers and leaves carry nourishing energy and I'm particularly fond of plant allies like Rose (Rosa spp.) to help nourish solar energy.  While you should check out the "Guardian Herbs" section of your astroherbology profile for your Sun sign to help you explore nourishing herbs for your particular Sun energy, in general focusing on vitamin and mineral rich plants, herbs full of gentle but warm color, and herbs that you enjoy the scent, taste, and/or feel of can be good options. Here are a few Sun energy nourishing plant allies to consider connecting with:

• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

• Linden (Tilia europea)

• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

Stone allies that you might consider working with to help nourish your Sun energy, if you already have them in your collection, include Citrine, Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Pink Tourmaline, and Magano Calcite. You might also consider choosing gentle and warm colors - such as rosy pinks, soft oranges, warm yellows - for any candles, fabric, bottles or other items that you incorporate into your charm.

image via @daiga_ellaby

Creating Your Sun Sign Charm

Decide the form that your Sun charm will take (i.e. a spell bottle, a charm bag, a solar altar, or something else entirely) and gather all of your ingredients and items needed as well as a candle and candle holder. If you are able to perform this charm on a sunny day, even better, but it's not necessary for success as often we need to recharge our solar energy because sunny days have been far and few between. Ground and center (perhaps with a tree of life meditation) and settle into sacred space through your preferred method. Lay the items for your charm out before you, along with your candle. Light the candle by saying:

By the light of the Sun
By the light of the fire
By the light of my heart's
honest desire
I work my magick
I cast my spell
To {charge, soothe, nourish} my energy
That all may be well.

Visualize the light of the candle (and the Sun if you are outside) growing and expanding, meeting with your own solar energy. Let the light fill up the places of your solar aura that need healing, helping to fortify your Sun energy. When ready, begin to craft your charm, naming aloud the purpose of each item that you are adding to it such as:

Calendula for energy and strength
St. Joan's Wort for hope and joy
Lemon Balm for clarity and community

Once the charm has been made, pass the charm through the flame six times, visualizing the light of the flame and the sun being gathered up into the charm. Then pass the charm between you and the the candle flame, reciting at least six times (or until the energy needed is raised) in a rhythmic fashion:

By light, I am {energized, soothed, nourished}
My Sun renewed
Round and about
Through and through

When you feel the energy has been raised, press the charm to your heart and exclaim: 

So mote it be!

You can now use your charm as you please, carrying it with you or setting placing it in an auspicious place in your home. The charm can be re-charged by putting it under sunlight and/or repeating the sun charm ritual as needed.

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While I love connecting folks with healing modalities, plant allies, and magickal practices, I've come to realize that a lot of my work is learning how to be an effective resource library and to help folks connect with their healing community. I find that astrological language can be an excellent tool for that, especially for marginalized folks who've been injured within medical systems - physically, emotionally, spiritually - feel hesitant to access the care they need. 

It was my own magickal practice that led me to re-membering, after being raised under the deep shadow of capitalism that tries to sell us the lie of the isolated individual solely responsible for earning their "wellness," that healing is a community act, that we all deserve healing resources (including accessing the work of mental health professionals) by simply existing. If you have read through this post and feel some resonance with a statement that you weren't expecting or feelings that feel hard to sit with, I invite you to seek out some of the incredible community-centered healing resources available to you (you can find a short list at the end of this post to help get you started). Part of working with paths like modern astrology is recognizing where the story of our birth chart is pointing us towards - including the types of collaborative healing spaces and skills that would benefit us the most during any and every stage of life.

That's magick, friends, clarifying our intention, naming it, asking for what we desire, and letting love open the path back home to ourselves and our community.

If you are looking to learn more about your Sun sign come this way and you can check out my astroherbology archive for an abundance of resources for your studies and practice. 

May your inner Sun shine brightly!

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

Vitality: A Tarot Spread for Your Sun Sign

The Moon and our Moon sign is something I've explored a lot as lunar-focused rhythms of astrology and healing are ones that I find interesting and useful. The Moon, though, is just one part of the story of astrology and in western astrology the Moon forms an important triad with our Sun sign and our Ascendent (also known as our Rising Sign). 

There are whole books dedicated to exploring the meaning of the Moon, the Sun, and the Ascendent, drawing upon thousands of years of tradition, but the metaphor I've found most useful in understanding these aspects of our birth chart (and ourselves) is to start by imagining a river.  

image via @mateusjatenee

The water of the river represents our Sun sign. How much or how little water there is, the speed and velocity of the water, what the water is able to carry by the strength of its flow, all represent our inherent energy. Within medical astrology the Sun helps us to understand our baseline energy and the way that our vitality most easily manifests. Our Sun sign also helps us to understand where we are prone to burnout, exhaustion, and overdoing it. Our energy is shaped by much older sources of water from high up in the mountains (i.e. our ancestry and genetics), but there is much more that goes into the energy of who we are and our willpower beyond inherited biology. Some people's energy is more like a slow and ambling river, wandering through the countryside. Other people's energy is wild and rushing, moving quickly through the landscape. There is no "good" or "bad" energy and, while there is a pace that our energy can feel most comfortable in, our energy is changed and shaped by our life experiences.

The banks of the river, the rocks in the water's path, the fish and river life, and everything that affects the flow of water is our Moon sign. Our Moon represents the ways that our energy is shaped not only by our internal workings (i.e. our mental physiology, our nervous system, our emotional experiences), but external factors, especially those experienced in our early years (i.e. the type of family culture we were raised in). Our energy is shaped by and shapes our environment. There are riverbanks that feel familiar and suddenly a boulder drops into a quiet part of our river path, disrupting our flow. The boulder shapes the flow of the river (i.e. a new conscious awareness), but the water also shapes the boulder over time, too. There might be two people who have energy that is quick and rushing, but one person's river is relatively smooth and calm on the surface, leading out to the sea, while another person's river is full of rocks and jagged turns, ultimately dropping over a cliff to create an incredible waterfall. All of our rivers are shaped by the circumstances we were born into, culture, society, and our lived experiences. In this way, the Moon represents how our inherent energy (Sun) is shaped into consciousness, helping us to form our own sense of what feels supportive, comfortable, and true to ourselves as well as what feels unsettling and unsafe. 

Finally, our Ascendent is the spirit of the river itself, representing how we want to be perceived and how we are perceived. A group of people will visit a river and each one may have a different perceptive experiences. Some may take delight in the wild, frothy noise of a rushing river, while others might look out and see a dangerous, unstable energy that must be approached with caution. The spirit of the river might want to be seen as a wild and untamed thing, keeping people at a distance, because this is how they have learned to protect themselves and it has kept them safe from undue interference. Or the spirit of the river might try to create soft riverbanks that feel inviting and gentle, working hard to reshape their rocky edges, wanting to be known as a welcoming place. The spirit of the river is hindered and aided by its inherent flow (i.e. it's Sun sign energy) and instinctual expressive shape (i.e. it's Moon sign energy), but throughout life will shift and change as they engage with the world and the world engages with them. 

In other words, our Sun sign represents our energy and vitality, our Moon sign represents expression of our energy, including our personal stories and memories, and our Ascendent represents the engagement of our energy. The Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are shaped by their placement in our chart and their relationships (i.e. aspects) to other planets and celestial objects, but getting a sense for these three parts of your birth chart is a really good way to start to understand your personal astrology.

So with our mini astrology lesson done, let's look at your Sun sign with a tarot spread that can help you to understand your inherent energy, support systems you might consider, and pitfalls to avoid.

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Vitality: A Sun Sign Tarot Spread

Begin by pulling out the Sun card from your tarot deck and set it out at the top of your reading space. If you like you can place candles around it and build a solar altar full of items representing Sun energy and your own Sun sign. You might include solar plant allies like Calendula (Calendula officinalis), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Sunflower (Helianthus spp.), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and St. Joan's Wort (Hypericum perforatum).  Focus on creating a space that feels welcoming to your energy.

Card 1: Radiant

This card describes your inherent energy. It can be helpful to observe the elemental signature of the card. Fire and Air cards, for example, tend to represent energy that is quick to manifest, though might not be the most sustainable or prone to last, while Water and Earth cards can represent energy that is slower to move and manifest but with greater longevity and endurance. For those of you familiar with the astrological correspondences of the tarot, you can draw on this knowledge, too.

Card 2: Protected

The characters and landscape of this card can help to describe the sort of people, places, and situations that your energy feels most supported and able to flow easily through. Pulling the 10 of Cups, for example, may represent the way that you feel most recharged and able to act from a place of steady energy when you are surrounded by good friends and family. In other words, an energy that feels protected and nourished by the company of others. Tell a story of how you want to be protected.

Card 3: Hindered

This card highlights the situations, people, and experiences that hinder, harm, and/or drain your energy. In many ways, this is an "obstacles" type card, just on a grander scale. Sometimes this card represents a very present situation that is obstructing your energy, other times it can refer back to an event that has had a lasting experience on how you change the shape of your energy to meet an expectation (making others feel more comfortable, trying to protect yourself the best way you know how, and so on). Often this card represents an ongoing type of experience, person or situation to be mindful of. Realizing, for example, that while many of your friends love a big weekend out, your energy needs more downtime at the end of the week to be able to recharge if you pull the Four of Swords.

Card 4: Hidden

This card gives us a peek into an aspect about our energy that you may only be coming to understand or is still well hidden from you. Reasons for why a part of our energy may be hidden from you can be many including being taught to hide your energy away, experiencing a significant life event that brought this aspect of your energy to the forefront of your consciousness, and just the natural change that happens through your own growing and changing. At first this card might be difficult to interpret and that's ok - it is a card that is meant to give you a glimpse, not a whole explanation, and it might be the first time you're getting a look at this particular aspect of your energy. Other times it can affirm what you've been exploring about yourself and what you've learned so far. It might be a card that you meditate on for the next lunar cycle if you're feeling particularly intrigued by its meaning.

Card 5: Unencumbered Joy

The traditional Sun card imagery from the Smith Waite tarot shows a joyful child, unencumbered in their energy and safe in their self-expression. It is how we all deserved to be loved and cared for as children. This card represents the ways that you feel unencumbered in your joy, freely able to express your energy. 

Of course, it is not unusual for a challenging card to show up here and it can represent a few things. First, there might be an image or symbol on a card that is traditionally interpreted as challenging but that brings an immediate sense of joy to you - it's more than ok to focus only on that part of the card. Second, there might be an overwhelming feeling that makes it hard for you to connect with your joy - shame, doubt, fear, and so on - and this card can be a place to recognize the current story you hold about your ability to access joy. 

A simple act of magick you can perform when pulling a challenging card in this position, either during or after your reading, is to take a challenging card in this position and to cover it with another card, of your choosing, from your tarot deck that represents joy to you. Visualize the challenging card being buried deep in the earth as a seed of experience that has risen to the surface and transformed into something new, as represented by the card of joy you chose. Our roots shape us, but they are not our fruit - choices and possibilities, kind-hearted interventions, are always present to us in our growth.

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While there are so many techniques of discernment and knowledge-gathering within astrology, just becoming familiar with your Luminaries and Ascendant will open up a significant gateway to the part of existence that makes up who you are. If you want to learn more about the signs in astroherbology, including the healing qualities of your Sun sign, come this way. If you’re looking for a reading for your Moon sign, find it here, and here is the post for your Ascendant.

For those of you intrigued by the connections between plant allies, the tarot, and healing practices, you might enjoy The Tarot Apothecary.

The great strength of astrology in healing work is providing us language to tell our story from a more empowered and inspired place which is what I hope this Sun-sign inspired tarot spread helps you do. Remember, the myths are still being written, as they always have been, by people like you and me, so keep telling the stories that need to be told.

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

A Year of Healing Stories: Celebrating the Zodiac Seasons

In 2022 I spent a year writing about the seasons of the zodiac, complete with rituals, recipes, and tarot spreads for each of the twelve signs. Working through the celestial seasons of the year and trying to codify practice and folklore into a useful format for readers like you, lead me to reflect on and nurture my own seasonal practice. Throughout the year I found myself trying out new and reconfigured rituals, ways of connecting with my tarot work, and letting myself experiment with my practice in all sorts of ways.

So I'd thought I'd share with you some of the ways that I observe the seasons of the zodiac as well as why this way of working with time and space can be useful in our healing work.

If you've been wanting to incorporate astrological knowledge into your healing and tarot practice but feel overwhelmed by the idea (Why does this feel like spiritual math and the answer is always look within, but not there within and only when Uranus is not quincunx to Saturn?! What the heck is a decan and am I supposed to be walking with it?), starting with a the seasons of the zodiac may be a gentle but informative path to pursue.

image via @dariobroe

A Year Full of Stories

How we observe and engage with time says a lot about our healing work. Time is not only defined by cultural differences (i.e. observing a solar or a lunar calendar to mark the turning of the year) but also by social norms (i.e. the nine to five workday or whether or not there is a socially acceptable period of rest in the middle of the day). There is so much religious thought and custom dedicated to defining not only the length of time for different matters (i.e. the world was literally created in seven days versus seven days being a metaphor) but how we should spend our time (i.e. we have one life to live and it should be focused on the eternity of the afterlife versus this is one of many lives and we'll be back again). Every season can bring different expectations of what we should be doing with “our” time, that it can sometimes feel challenging to know how it is we want to be at any given moment of the day or night, much less the year.

So what are astrological seasons (aka seasons of the zodiac or zodiac seasons) and how do they fit in with healing work and learning to connect with time in a different way? In short, the astrological seasons are when a planet transits from one sign of the zodiac into another. The length of time that a planet is within that sign is a "season." The astrological seasons that are often referenced on social media and in popular books on astrology are usually solar seasons or seasons of the Sun. The Sun changes signs or seasons every calendar month and since the Sun is one of the most influential energies in the birth chart, it's one that we tend to pay attention to, but every planet has seasons for different lengths of time. The start and end of the solar seasons change by a few days each year, but they all start and end roughly around the 19th to 23rd days of the month. The Sun starts its annual journey through the twelve signs of the zodiac when it enters the sign of Aries around the 19th to 23rd of March.

For me, astrological seasons are a relatively neutral way to think about and define my experience of time. They help us to understand that there is time and space for all aspects of our lives to be experienced, taking out the idea of “using time wisely” within the narrow confines of productivity, success, and growth defined by institutional and cultural systems imposed upon us. I also enjoy the playful aspects of seeing time through the lens of myth and metaphor, instead of time being viewed as a transactional experience to be spent, saved, and used “wisely.”

When sitting in a consultation, I try to pay attention to how my client is speaking about time and space. Do they feel like they don't have enough time and space? Have they been sick forever and don't remember when they felt not sick? Do they feel like they're wasting time or are they overwhelmed by the increasingly large number of their age? Are they worried they are not using their time wisely or feel like they are losing time to activities such as social media or a job they don't like? There is so much interesting information to be heard in the stories people are telling themselves and others about time.

tarot deck shown is The Herbcrafter’s Tarot

As a witch and Pagan herbalist, part of my calling is not only helping to facilitate connections between plants and their people, but to help folks re-connect with the land and themselves as land. I do this in a number of ways including using seasonal remedies and including seasonal activities and observations as part of my wellness recommendations. While I talk of the wheel of the year and other tradition specific holy days with my Pagan clients, many of my clients come from varied social, religious, and cultural backgrounds, so I try and have a variety of myths and stories that I can use to help get them excited and interesting in how they engage with time. Here is where the seasons of the zodiac can really shine as a storytelling tool.

The language of astrology and specifically astrological seasons (i.e. Aries Season, Scorpio Season, Pisces Season, etc.) are one of those forms of storytelling that I draw upon. I find it useful to engage with the year as a series of stories, tied to the land, the planets, and the stars, as a way to find my unique rhythm and pace. These myths help me to release other people's notions of what I should or should not be doing with my time that doesn't work for me and my family. It's also another way to reshape difficult parts of the year as something you're part of and less of something that is happening to you. In the northern hemisphere, for example, Capricorn marks a time of deep winter and for some folks struggling with sadness during these darker and colder parts of the year, it can be interesting to work with the story of Capricorn. Capricorn is a sign that enjoys a certain level of stillness and structure, but it's not only in a linear productive sense (which can be over-focused on as desirable qualities under capitalism). Sometimes the myth of the goatfish is the creature that sits at your window on a still winter's night, saying, "In the quiet and the dark, we can build what we've been dreaming of before anyone can catch us."

For other folks, the myth of Capricorn they might be learning to connect with is learning about the power of slowing down and exploring deep - a muscle that not everyone is encouraged or granted the safety to explore in their younger years. For those familiar or interested in astrology, I like to point to the place where a season lands in their birth chart. "Look here!" I might say, "Capricorn is bringing energy to your Fourth House of home, which is not only the place that you live, but your experience of your body as home. Does that area of your life feel particularly tender or challenging during the winter months?" So many conversations and explorations can be started by looking at our own personal constellations of stars and planets. If a story like Capricorn feels useful to a client, I might draw on appropriate Capricorn herbs and remediation techniques to help support them further. Through our exchange of stories, I can also recommend further resources and healing modalities for clients to look into, such as somatic therapy and bodywork to help with the stagnant energy they might be struggling with in winter. 

Personally, when I began to be more mindful of the astrological seasons I found a lot of relief in being able to name, in ways that felt empowering to me, what it was about certain points of the year that felt challenging. It's the difference in being able to live my myth instead of trying to fit in with a story that has been told to me. 

If you're interested in exploring a seasons of the zodiac approach to the year, I suggest starting by making note of one or two months of the year that you find to be most comforting and enjoyable versus one or two months that you find to be the most challenging. Then, compare those months with the astrological seasons I've listed below and read more about the one or two signs and how their stories may help you understand your own.

Solar Seasons of the Year

Aries: End of March (Equinox) to end of April
Taurus: End of April to end of May
Gemini: End of May to end of June
Cancer: End of June (Solstice) to end of July
Leo: End of July to end of August
Virgo: End of August to end of September
Libra: End of September (Equinox) to end of October
Scorpio: End of October to end of November
Sagittarius: End of November to end of December
Capricorn: End of December (Solstice) to end of January
Aquarius: End of January to end of February
Pisces: End of February to end of March

Seasonal Rituals & Practices

Seeking Elemental Balance & Meeting Our Star Bodies

Each sign of the zodiac has a corresponding element of Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. Aries is a Fire sign and brings fiery energy into the season and whatever area of our life it is illuminating into your birth chart. If you're trying to bring more fiery energy into your life, for example, you might try engaging in fiery and energizing activities during Aries season such as energetic movement to fire magick as well as engaging in activities that feel exciting and adventurous. You might incorporate appropriate-for-you fiery herbs into your routine from spices and more stimulating herbs to digestive tonics. If you struggle with too much fiery energy and find Aries season to be overstimulating, you might try cooling and tempering activities such as gentle movement, forest bathing, activities that feel emotionally regulating, as well as relaxing herbs and liver tonics. 

Signs & Their Elements

Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

A simple way to start with elemental work is to ask yourself the following series of questions, and not only think about the answer, but try to feel your answer, too.

• Do I feel like I have enough {element} in my life?

• If not, what can I do that is {fiery, watery, earthy, airy}?

• If I feel like I have too much of {element} how can I balance it with {opposite element}?

Every sign of the zodiac is associated with parts of the body and it can be an interesting somatic experience to explore the corresponding parts of your body for each season of the zodiac. You can learn more about the signs of the zodiac and our bodies over here.

Seasonal Tarot Readings

I enjoy beginning a new zodiac season with the corresponding tarot spread (you can find links to all of my astrological season tarot spreads in the Solar Seasons of the Year list above). For me, these readings aren't about predictions or trying to peer too far and back in time, but about reading the energy of the next cycle of the zodiac. It is also about connecting with the energy of the season on a personal and energetic level. The reading is contemplative and somatic: I write about my reading and I also feel it out without trying to put it into words.

Side Note: if you've been in a bit of a tarot funk, I recommend these (or similar) seasonal tarot spreads to help you move energy and inspire your intuition in a relatively low stakes sort of way.

These seasonal readings can also be using the same spread each month (i.e. the Celtic Cross for Aries season, Taurus season, Gemini season, and so on). If you're trying to work with solar energy in your life, doing a regular reading when the Sun changes signs can be a rewarding practice.

Alternatively, I've really enjoyed doing a zodiac season reading at the end of the season (i.e. when Aries season is coming to an end and Taurus season is about to begin). This is a spread to help you reflect on the energies of the past month as they manifested in your life and can sometimes be a more useful approach if you're new to the idea of zodiac seasons. 

Alternatively alternatively, you can do a reading at the beginning and end of the zodiac season. I would do this when a month has been particularly intense or if I'm trying to better understand a particular sign of the zodiac better (i.e. what the heck is a Taurus and why is it in my ninth house?).

book shown is the stargazing notebook by the unemployed philosopher’s guild

Birth Chart Meditation

After I've done my reading, I'll pull out my birth chart and look at what is happening in the area of my chart that the current zodiac season is illuminating. Aries in the Third House, for example, might mean taking note of what is happening in your life in regards to your curiosity, your ability to communicate ideas and concepts about yourselves and your world, as well as paths of learning that we may be on or want to be on, and relationships with siblings (including chosen family siblings). If you have planets in this area of your chart you might explore what they signify when they're in the sign of Aries. Finally, consider how the energy of Aries has informed your understanding and experience of Third House issues (i.e. you might learn best in an active environment or are someone who needs to move in order to think). If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you can download my free guide to The Moon in the Houses in the subscriber’s only resource page, which can be used more broadly for understanding the general emotional energy of each House.

Again, I'm not trying to practice any sort of predictive astrology, but to familiarize myself with what energy might be stirred up, what concepts might be illuminated, and what shadows revealed while the Sun traverses this part of my birth chart and life. If you're just starting to learn about your birth chart, a practice of seasonal observation like this can be a great way of exploring the energies of the stars and planets at the time of your birth. 

Plant Allies

I try to work with the seasons in my herbal practice as much as possible, working with plants as they spring up on the Land around me. So it's easy to work with Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) to temper the energy of Aries during Aries season (which arrives in late March in the northern hemisphere) as Lemon Balm is one of the first plants to return after winter.

When working with plant allies for the zodiac season, especially if you're new to the practice, I would start with the herbs you already work with and learn about their astrological correspondences. It can be a fascinating practice to notice the type of astrological energies you're inherently drawn to in your choice of plants to work with each season. See the "Additional Practices" section below for some more ideas for working with plants.

Tarot deck shown is Thea’s Tarot by Ruth West

Additional Practices

Depending on the season, the time and energy I have, and honoring the human urge to arrange things in such a way that feels pleasing and spiritually harmonious, I might build an altar for each season. An astrological tarot altar might include traditional and personal images of the current Sun sign, symbolic connections to your birth chart, and anything else to represent the ways that you're working with the energy of the season, including symbols for what you're trying to call in or release from your life. An altar to help you connect with the energies of Virgo Season, for example, might include images of healing spaces, bowls of grain, and an item or two representing an area of your life that you’re calling in healing energy.

I love altar building and in addition to being a beautiful thing to do, I think that altars serve as excellent tactile representations of abstract information and can be a great practice for folks who are learning about astrology for the first time or expanding their knowledge into a specific aspect of the art.

You can also wear your altar and incorporate the energy of the season into your clothing and adornments. A specific piece of jewelry might represent the energy of Virgo to you, for example, and you might wear it everyday for the season.

I've also enjoyed making herb bundles and/or flower and gem essence blends based on my zodiac season tarot reading and my own emotional needs for working with specific energies of the zodiac. Solar seasons of the zodiac are roughly 30 days which is generally considered a good length of time to work with a flower essence. You can even choose to work with Bach's recommended essences for each sign (i.e. The Twelve Healers, Bach’s original guide to his essences and the zodiac is available for free via the Bach Centre), but I encourage you to work with what you already have as this can prove useful energetic insights with essences you're already in relationship with.

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What would your year feel like if time were a river of starry-hearted stories?

I hope that this post has brought some inspiration to your practice. If you want to explore more about the individual energies of each sign of the zodiac, come this way. You can also check out my entire seasons of the zodiac series.

If you’re looking for inspiration for a lunar practice, I’ve written about that, too.

May your year be a story ever-unfolding, helping you connect with the land and your community, as you find your way through your myths.

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

Seeking Horizons: Tarot and Tea for Sagittarius Season

Welcome to Sagittarius Season and my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

The season of Sagittarius guides us from the end of one season to the next (from autumn to winter in the northern hemisphere and from spring to summer in the southern hemisphere), moving as a traveler does onto the next adventure. The horizons are calling when Sagittarius season arrives and we learn about our world by journeying to places where disparate energies meet and figuring out who we are by how we meet them. Where Scorpio season can bring the intensity of sticking around to figure something out, Sagittarius brings an equally intense restlessness to explore something elsewhere. 

Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign which means that it carries the energy of adaptability, philosophizing, and curiosity (Gemini, Virgo, and Pisces are all mutable signs as well). Mutable signs like Sagittarius help us to welcome change as a regular and much-needed part of life - and Sagittarius is particularly excited about what adventure awaits with any change expected or not. The deep reflective nature of Scorpio season has given way to the need to move and change environments, views, and perspectives that Sagittarius season brings. The season of Sagittarius helps us to test out the philosophies we explored during Scorpio season and see how they hold up in unfamiliar environments and situations. Sagittarius helps us to learn where our daring lies and the core of who we are when we step out beyond our comfort zone.

With Sagittarius energy we learn about what experiences we are lacking in order to grow. It's not that Sagittarius energy is particularly good at pinpointing specifically what needs to be known in order to develop as a person, but it does carry the energy of the open-hearted explorer who is willing to give many experiences a try in an effort to learn what it is they need. The energy of Sagittarius is of optimism and hope, which is vital to cultivating change in the world and discovering creative solutions for complex needs.  Sometimes too much Sagittarian energy can lead to mistaking excess bravado for expertise leading to an insensitivity towards the needs and experiences of others. Or forgetting that they're not the only traveler on the road and the world is not simply there for them to discover themselves - but to be discovered and known, in turn, within community. Learning how to use the fiery energy of Sagittarius as a guiding lamp helps to control the more rash impulses of Sagittarian energy. For it is through the energy of Sagittarius that we experience wisdom only gained through moving beyond the known into the unknown. 

Seeking Horizons
Sagittarius Season Tarot Spread

The energy of Sagittarius can often feel like you're constantly being pushed towards the next horizon - which can be really exciting or really exhausting or a bit of both depending on what your life is like. New places, perspectives, and peoples are the siren call of Sagittarian energy and Sagittarius helps us to move beyond what we know so that we might know more. To move freely requires us to first understand what freedom means in our lives.

Sagittarius asks us, "What makes you feel free?"

Ultimately, Sagittarius teaches us about liberation - liberation from restrictive beliefs (both our own and those of others placed upon us), liberation from suffering, liberation from our own fears. It's a big task which is why the energy of Sagittarius can feel so restless and constantly in motion. But at the center of all its seeking, Sagittarius keeps an eye on both the horizon and the compass which points the direction home again to where all are free and none suffer. So with those big ideas in mind, the following tarot spread helps us to name the horizon that we're seeking and grow our capacity to experience liberation in our life.

Card 1. That Which I'm Seeking

This card helps us better understand horizons we are currently seeking in our life and what they mean to us.

Card 2. That Which Seeks Me

Just as we seek, so we are sought, and this card highlights the energies that are calling to us that we may or may not be aware of, but which seek to help us in some way on our journey.

Card 3. That Which Blocks My Vision

This card shows us something which blocks our ability to move freely to whatever horizon is calling to us.

Card 4. That Which Protects My Light

This card helps us understand what in our life protects the lamp which guards our inner light, our inner compass. Often this is something which we could affirm more about ourselves and our life and welcome in with greater intentionality.

Card 5. A Message for Sagittarius Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Sagittarius season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Sagittarius season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Hips

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your hips, including physical experiences and energetic ones, what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @jackieboylhart

A Tea for Sagittarius Season

How do we nourish the energy of Sagittarius? Traditionally, Sagittarius guards the hips, thighs, sciatic nerve, and autonomic nervous system (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Sagittarius). As a season of the body in motion, the mind philosophizing, the spirit traveling, and the emotions seeking, Sagittarius needs a well-rounded, going-to-meet-a-lot-of-needs sort of tea. Fortunately, herbs like Sage (Salvia spp.) act as a panacea, being endlessly useful for any number of ailments, but also just supporting the wisdom-seaking needs of Sagittarius. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) helps to temper the energy of the season while supporting Sagittarius' inherent hopefulness and tending to the nervous system as well. Finally, Calendula (Calendula officinalis), brings in a spark of brightness to the blend, while also contributing much needed anti-inflammatory qualities to take care of the body in motion.

• 4 parts Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• 1 part Sage (Salvia officinalis)

• ½ part Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Sagittarius). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @dmjdenise

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♐️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Sagittarius? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series. If you want to dive deeper into the world of tarot, plant allies, and astrology, come this way.

While I didn't mention it in the tea recipe, another herb that I love for Sagittarius season and for Sagittarian energy in general is Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) which has long been associated with traveling as the leaves provide a comforting pad to walk on. The herb is useful for alleviating musculoskeletal pain as well as being a great respiratory tonic (which is needed when exposed to new germs among new places).

May your Sagittarius season find you in the right place at the right time having just the right amount of adventure.

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

Diving Deep: Tarot and Tea for Scorpio Season

Welcome to Scorpio Season and my latest post on tarot practices and herbal allies for the twelve seasons of the zodiac (you can learn more here).

Scorpio is a sign of depth which is reflected in the fact that its season arrives during the depth of autumn (for the northern hemisphere) or spring (for the southern hemisphere). Past the balance of Libra, which always seeks to balance multiple needs at once, Scorpio draws us beneath the surface and into what interests us most, to know ourselves and our worlds intimately. If Libra is an exhale, and the harmonizing of sound and breath in the wider community, Scorpio is the inhale, drawing in the relationships and patterns of relating that are most present and powerful in our lives.

Scorpio is a fixed water sign which means that it carries the energy of steadfastness, intensity, and strength (Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius are also fixed sign). While cardinal signs like Libra may introduce us to a new season, a new perspective, a change of pace, and mutable signs like Gemini may entice us away to a season or place over there, fixed signs like Scorpio help us to settle and get to know a season through and through. If Libra season helps us to recognize that there is so much beauty to know in the world, it is in the season of Scorpio that we form a long(er) term relationship with whatever beauty we are drawn most intensely to (and the beauty that draws itself most intensely to us). The season of Scorpio helps us to discover what it is that we are most curious about and what we want to learn about in-depth. Sometimes this is part of our life calling, sometimes it is a passing but important lesson, but the energy of Scorpio is always felt most acutely when we allow ourselves to be as focused and invested in something as we are called to be.

Learning and living our intensity is not always easy or comfortable. Allowing ourselves to be drawn into that which most interests us (including our own understanding of ourselves and our identities) can create schisms between the life that we were once living and the life we are beginning to live anew. But that's the nature of the season. For fixed sign seasons, where we are in the depth of a particular earthly season, there is no denying that what once was has passed and our new reality is here (i.e. the heat of summer has long given way to the cool damp of autumn and we need to change our habits accordingly). Sometimes our intensity drives us instead of us using it like a compass. Other times fear or shame is stirred up as we realize that the space we need for our curiosity and life calling isn't available in our current life. Too much intensity can cause rigidity, hubris, and an overdeveloped need to control our surroundings - things to guard against on any Scorpio adventure. But with care, the season of Scorpio can help us open up to the wonders of the world that can only be discovered when we spend time in the depths of wondering.

Diving Deep Scorpio
Season Tarot Spread

The quickest way to block Scorpio energy is to deny the time and space it needs to percolate, explore, and engage with an interest. Stagnated and frustrated Scorpio energy is something that shows up a lot in healing work. Many of us live within cultural systems that keep us overworked and underpaid, starved of time to just pursue that which we're interested in. Other times we've been skimming the surface of interests for so long that we don't know where to look to go deeper. We sense that a door to the mysteries we seek is out there somewhere, just beyond our peripheral vision, but it remains hidden. Scorpio energy helps us to understand that one of the ways to find your hidden door is to know what must change in order to unlock it.

Scorpio asks, "What needs to be transformed in your life for you to live more deeply?"

Understanding the need for transformation in our lives helps us to find the key which opens up the door of our curiosity to worlds we've yet to know. Intuition is required, compassion always, and more than a bit of bravery. The following spread helps us to find the hidden door to the places and spaces that we are being called to explore in more depth in our lives.

Card 1. The Hidden Door

This card helps you to glimpse at the hidden door which is calling to you. Listen to your intuition with this card, as its true message may be buried beneath the noisiness of your analytical mind.

Card 2. That Which Hides the Door

A card to help you understand what hinders your ability to live more deeply as you are called to, including pursuing the transformation that is necessary in your life.

Card 3. That Which Needs Transforming

This card illuminates the part of your life - a habit, a pattern of thought, a relationship, and so on - that is in most need of transforming.

Card 4. That Which Opens the Door

A card which gives a glimpse of what you need in order to open the hidden door and move through it. Sometimes this card will make startling sense, other times it may seem opaque in its meaning - take note of it either way and allow its meaning to come to you in other avenues of your life. Think of this card like a bit of a spell, something to start the process of unlocking your hidden door.

Card 5. A Message for Scorpio Season

A general message, signs to pay attention to, and perhaps next steps to take as we move into Scorpio season. This card can highlight energy which you might bring more into your life during Scorpio season so that you are better able to connect with the energetic flow of the next month.

Bonus Card: That Which Guards the Reproductive System

If you feel connected with the philosophy of astroherbology you can pull an additional card to help you understand the current energies of your reproductive system, including sex organs, including physical experiences and energetic energies and what tension or wisdom you might be keeping there. I encourage you to take a somatic approach with this card - when you pull it and see the energy, follow the feelings and sensations that it evokes from your body to understand its meaning. 

image via @klim11

A Tea for Scorpio Season

How do we nourish the energy of Scorpio? Traditionally, Scorpio guards reproductive function as well as our sex organs (click here for a full list of traditional correspondences for Scorpio). Much of Scorpio energy feels intense because it is about the propagation of life and the desire to live. For all their beautiful intensity, Scorpio is able to locate the tenderness of the world (and our individual lives) with great precision. When supported, the energy of Scorpio can be one of great repair as our curiosity leads us to finding out what needs most healing in our life and how to go about doing it. Thorn magick plants like Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Rose (Rosa spp.) which simultaneously protect and open the heart are wonderful Scorpio plant allies. Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum) brings in much needed flexibility of spirit through its adaptogenic qualities as well as helping us to guide the intensity of Scorpio energy instead of being overwhelmed by it. All herbs support our ability to open up to that which we desire most - a very Scorpio trait indeed.

• 4 parts Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• 2 parts Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)

• ½ part Rose (Rosa spp.)

These proportions are only suggested guidelines, so feel free to play around with them to your liking. As you make your tea, slow down, breathe deep, and infuse the blend with your intentions for the season (or whenever you’re drinking this tea to connect with the energy of Scorpio). If you’re looking for more breathwork practices to help you connect with the energy of the season, come this way.

image via @francesco_ungaro

Seasonal Reflections

What does the land feel like, look like, smell like this season?

What is coming to the surface from within me?

What is receding within me?

What am I feeling grateful for?

What am I grieving for or feeling challenged by?

What am I feeling inspired and where is it calling me to this season?

What am I calling to me?

What am I called to give?

♏️

Want to learn more about the magick and astroherbalism of Scorpio? I’ve written a full profile on the sign for you to enjoy. You can also check out the rest of my seasons of astrology series. Looking for some more visual inspiration? Come have a look at my mood board for Scorpio season.

Another Scorpio herb that I think is a useful one for many folks is Nettles (Urtica dioica). If you're going to be plumbing the mysteries, it's good to have the herbal equivalent of a multivitamin on your side, and Nettles is just that and more. For those who struggle with the inflexibility that Scorpio energy can bring or an intensity that feels run amuck, consider connecting with Vervain (Verbena spp.).

May your Scorpio season be full of revelation and many interesting things to learn more about.

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