INTUITION & TRANSFORMATION: THE HERBAL FOLKLORE OF SAMHAIN

“I am the hallow-tide of all souls passing, I am the bright releaser of all pain, I am the quickener of the fallen seed-case, I am the glance of snow, the strike of rain, I am the hollow of the winter twilight, I am the hearth-fire and the welcome bread, I am the curtained awning of the pillow, I am the unending wisdom’s golden thread.”

— Song of Samhain, by Caitlin Matthews

Darkness. To some who fear the unknown, it may be considered evil or scary. To those with an appreciation for mystery and magick, darkness is something to be revered and celebrated. Samhain is the fire festival that takes place at the end of the harvest season, and marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, midway between the autumnal equinox (Mabon) and the winter solstice (Yule). Also known as the “Witch's New Year,” Samhain is often synonymous with All Hallow's Eve or Halloween (October 31) and is considered to be a time when spirits come out to play (in a good way!). This otherworldly celebration also falls, astrologically, in the dark corners of Scorpio season. Scorpio is the zodiac sign associated with shadowy intuition and connection to the spirit world, with death, transformation, and rebirth. For so many reasons this is a time of liminalism; a wonderful chance to connect with those who have passed through the veil, to pay respects, and perhaps ask for their support in our lives. 

In pagan traditions, there are many deities associated with the final harvest, the borderlands between light and dark, and between life and death. Connecting with ancient icons and symbols associated with this season is a great way to celebrate the beautiful shift from light to shadow. One of our favorite and most beloved deities is Hecate, one of the embodiments of the Triple Goddess – the maiden, mother, and crone archetypes – each of which symbolizes a separate stage in life, season, and phase of the moon. Most prominently correlated with the crone archetype of wisdom, freedom, and personal power, Hecate is the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the dark moon. She is also known for her knowledge of herbal medicine, poisonous plants, and she oversees boundaries or crossroads (e.g. the veil between worlds).

Appropriately, at Samhain, the veil between worlds becomes thin and the liminal space between the living and the dead blurs, allowing us to reach through to the other side. Our intuitive powers grow while this portal opens, and if we allow ourselves to see not with our eyes, but our minds, new vision into the ether may reveal itself. Our ancestors were quite familiar with plants thought to enhance psychic abilities (plants that Hecate knew a lot about!). These herbs were used to open channels to the otherworld. Two such intuitive herbal varieties, long associated with psychic enhancement and All Hallow’s Eve, are mugwort and wormwood.

Both herbs are thought to increase intuitive sensitivity and wormwood is considered moderately poisonous (see disclaimer)! Belonging to the genus Artemisia, and native to Europe and North Africa, both species are naturalized in North America. Mugwort (A. vulgaris) can be found lining old fields, along roadsides, and popping up anywhere humans inhabit. Mugwort may derive its name from the fact it was once used to brew beer, and contains nervine properties that relax and release tension, similar to hops. Wormwood (A. absinthium) is most renowned as an ingredient in traditional absinthe recipes. Absinthe consumption is associated with hallucinations (or perhaps a peek into the otherworld!), historically thought to be derived from the high content of the compound thujone in wormwood. However, absinthe was also extremely high in alcohol, which may have contributed to the effects experienced when imbibing la fée verte (the green fairy). 

Creating a bundle of these herbs to place on your altar, or to burn, may still impart the intuitive energies of the plants. In conjunction with the presence of these herbs, you may find yourself drawn to intuitive readings and divination using tarot cards, crystals, or scrying mirrors. With your third eye (the sixth chakra, Ajna) open and receptive, now is a good time to experience what psychic and intuitive impressions arise when you practice these arts. The Death and High Priestess cards in the traditional Rider Waite Tarot Deck, are two Major Arcana cards associated with both intuition and Samhain. The Major Arcana represents overarching life lessons, and the High Priestess reminds us to trust our intuition and to honor the divine feminine as well as our subconscious thought process (shout out to our girl, Hecate!). This card provides appropriate focus during this highly energetic time when the veil is thin. The Death card heralds change: an end allowing a new beginning. The festival of Samhain is a celebration of death and rebirth, so this card is an excellent portent of what may come.

As the air becomes colder, we feel the impending winter on the wind. Samhain is the last harvest, and the time to prepare for hibernation. Many herbs and spices of the season are of the “warming” variety. Their herbal actions and constitutions create heat within the body, keeping us warm and our spirits lively. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a warming herb that has been considered by many cultures, across thousands of years, to be a sacred herb tied to memory and remembrance, in celebrating both life and death (how apropos!). It is often used in cooking, in making herbal medicines for digestion, and can be an interesting and savory addition to a mulling herbal bouquet for wine or cider.

Mulled wassail (often associated with Yule) is also a traditional drink for Samhaintide. Because apples were recently harvested and fermented into cider and other beverages, Samhain was often the season for this treat. Try blending cider or red wine with rosemary, cinnamon sticks, cloves, freshly sliced apples and oranges for a delicious and warming beverage. Keeping the wine on low on your stove or in a crock pot will prevent you from burning off the alcohol. Fresh cider can be prepared similarly and when you are ready to serve it, you may choose to add a shot of your favorite liquor (rum and whiskey work well) to your mug. Of course, it is also delicious on its own! 

Whether you are celebrating the bounty of the year’s harvest, honoring ancient deities or ancestors, or going inward on your own journey, Samhain is surely a potent time of year to manifest magick in your life. It is important to remember though, that while ritual crafting with intuitive herbal allies can create an awe-inspiring experience, it must always be done with care and supported by knowledge and expertise. All of the above statements and information about intuitive herbs are for historical knowledge only, and ingesting these herbs is not recommended. However, the folklore around these herbs and associated with the final harvest may bring about new intentions in your life as you reap what has been sown, cut away all that does not serve, and hunker down in preparation for winter and the return of the light at Yule.

THE POWER OF MOTHER OCEAN AND HER COASTAL FLORA

As the sun rises higher and higher and the days become longer and hotter, a natural drive toward the cooling waters of the North Atlantic, here in New England, begins to emerge. The human fascination with water is as old as we are. Modern science has even determined that being in, near, around, or adjacent to water does amazing things for our central nervous system and our emotional wellbeing. Simply stated: being near water calms us and makes us happy.

As Summer Solstice draws near, we personally find ourselves gathering with our friends to cool off in Mother Ocean. We know we are very lucky to live in a coastal community with easy access to the shore. A shoreline that supports so many wonderful and healing plants that come to life in June. The strawberries ripen to the most perfect juicy red in the coastal fields under the Full Strawberry Moon, and the wild rose (Rosa multiflora) unveils her fragrant beauty and permeates the night air as you cruise by with your windows down. Closer to the sand dunes, where two worlds meet, beach rose (Rosa rugosa) begins to show her flashy pink petals in the dune grass, beach pea, and other sturdy plants that keep the sand particles of the coastal dunes stable in an ever-shifting landscape of in-between. 

Beach Rose Toner
Both wild rose and beach rose are edible. You will of course want to make sure you forage in an area free of pesticides and pollutants. While a freshly picked June strawberry is a treat all on its own, you can incorporate these abundant wild roses into a treat for your skin! A favorite of ours is to further infuse a rose hydrosol (or “flower water”) with fresh rose petals! Any organic rose hydrosol will do (they are readily available from herbal supply companies). In a mason jar, add your fresh petals and steep only for a few days in the hydrosol. Make sure you add enough to cover the petals completely. Because the material is fresh, do not let it sit too long. You could also infuse apple cider vinegar with rose petals in a similar way and add that to a commercially produced hydrosol. However, many people do not like smelling like vinegar even though it's glorious for your skin. Once the hydrosol and/or vinegar mixture is ready, you can fill a small spray bottle about ⅔ full. If using vinegar and hydrosol, add about ¼ infused vinegar and fill the rest of the way to ⅔ full with hydrosol. From here, a humectant such as pure organic vegetable glycerin (again, available from many herbal and skin care supply companies) is a great addition. You can fill the sprayer almost to full, leaving room for a few more ingredients. A few drops of almond oil, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil (rose, lavender, and frankincense are all great for your skin and smell wonderful) added to the spray bottle will give you a cooling and moisturizing skin toner for the hot summer days ahead. Give it a good shake before spraying it on freshly washed skin. 

Moving from the dunes into the cooling spindrift of Aphrodite’s realm, we feel the pulse of tide and with it marvel at all that is offered along the rocky intertidal zone. With each ebb and flow of ocean water, organisms adapted to both marine and terrestrial life, feel the nourishment and cleansing of seawater: full of trace minerals and salt ions we cannot get from our terrestrial world. With this, the ocean offers us a peek into hers. 

Sea Greens for Glowing Skin
One of the best and most accessible seaweeds that we love harvesting and using in our botanical products is irish moss (Chondrus crispus). You can find this species in shallow water, usually attached to rocks and sometimes free floating after the tide has freed the fronds. It’s small and fan-shaped and ranges in color from yellowish-green to red to dark purple. Irish Moss is very rich in iodine, sulfur, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It is wonderfully softening, protecting, and hydrating for your skin. You will find this treasure along the shoreline all summer long. 

If you harvest a batch of it, give it a quick rinse with seawater (removing any rocks and debris) and dry it for a few days, then fill tea bags with the dried plant matter. You can simply use it as a quick easy mask by rehydrating a tea bag in warm water, and massaging the tea bag onto your face. It will leave a gel-like film on your skin, which you can let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it off. This seaweed mask will leave your face feeling unbelievably smooth and soft! We have also conjured up a lovely powdered mix with some other healing ingredients for an even more moisturizing (and deliciously herb-scented) mask as detailed below! 

Mermaid Magick Seaweed Mask
After collecting and drying your irish moss, place about ½ cup in a coffee grinder or food processor with ¼ cup of dried lavender and ¼ cup dried sage, then pulse grind into a coarse powder. Add 2 Tbsp of bentonite clay and 1 Tbsp of aloe powder and mix thoroughly. If stored in an air-tight jar in a dry place, this powder will last a while. Each time you want to treat yourself, measure out a teaspoon of the powder and slowly add enough warm water to form a spreadable paste. Massage onto your face (avoiding the eyes) and leave on for 15 min, then rinse off with warm water. The rose toner would be a great follow up after this mask and before you moisturize! 

Summer Rituals for Mind & Body
With so many beachside beauties to admire, forage, and craft into healing botanical treatments throughout the summer growing season, it’s difficult not to succumb to sensory overload. We’ve only barely scratched the surface here! In the interest of seeking balance, another satisfying summer morning activity for the mind and body is an introspective oceanside meditation. Meditating at the cusp of a seasonal shift (in this case, the Summer Solstice) can be especially powerful and a wonderful way to experience the energy of the natural world. Later in the summer at Lammas (August 1, the first harvest) you may find yourself returning for an especially powerful time to meditate in nature. Additionally, meditating at sunrise is uniquely beneficial for gaining focus, relieving stress, and the effects may resonate throughout the day by keeping your mind fresh and clear. 

Settling into a comfy warm spot on an empty beach at sunrise is a soul-soothing feeling like nothing else. Of course, if you don’t have access to a location such as this, any outdoor space that calls to you will do. Once settled, close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing, becoming more conscious of each breath. Imagine your lower body melting into the warm sand and feel grounded. With a tall spine, stack your head and shoulders over your hips and allow the crown of your head to merge blissfully with the bright sun and morning sky. Feel this nourishing energy of expansion and growth emanating from Mother earth, and imagine that you are one with her and her healing powers.

Take 3 slow deep breaths in through your nose, and out through your mouth, pausing to feel the breath turn at the top of the inhale, and at the bottom of the exhale. Imagine a warm energizing yellow light expanding around your entire body. With every inhale, comes a feeling of calm focus, and with every exhale you softly release any tension. Remain cradled in this life-giving energy for as long as you like and continue to breathe. When you are ready to return to your physical consciousness, offer the earth and the ocean a small gift of gratitude from your heart directly to them. From here, calmly allow your awareness to return to your body by opening your eyes and gently moving your arms and legs, finally, with care, rising to stand.

Self care rituals, especially involving the aforementioned handmade plant-based products, are a great follow up to a morning sun-soaked meditation. A facial cleanse, mask, tone, and moisturize can seal your morning self care practice on a summer day full of potential. This practice, whether daily, weekly, or monthly may revive the senses while hydrating and cooling the face and body during the hot summer months.

A Time of Growth
As summer’s energy grows and expands into the first harvests from the fields, gardens, and vines, we marvel at all that comes to fruition during this fleeting season. As the vegetables, fruits, herbs, and grains overflow with abundance in their respective spaces, we spend our time projecting outward into the natural world, absorbing Vitamin D from the sun, trace minerals from the sea, and we take in nature’s bounty with all of our senses. On a hot and humid day, the heat breaks after a thundershower passes over the cold ocean water, with the promise of the sun, the moon, and the stars showing themselves in the summer sky again shortly. The pulse of the tides draws us in to listen to all that nature has to share with us, if we only pay attention to the gifts she reveals.