Sacred Femininity and deep connections to plants or Herb Craft are one and the same. Herbalism is an art form as well as a science, and we believe that all people have a deep innate connection to this traditional system of medicine. Connecting with the subtle energies and medicinal qualities of a plant can be intuited and guided by oneself. Through observations of plants, their habitats, how they grow and above all, through Trust of the Self, we can connect in with the life force or energy of each individual character, spirit, entity of the plants and create deep relationships with our plant friends. This naturally creative approach to learning is feminine in nature, not of a patriarchal society in which we are governed and directed.
Womxn naturally and regularly cycle through many varying altered states of consciousnesses whilst in their fertile years which can be aided
and enhanced with plants specific to each stage. Moving with the moon, tides and phases of nature is all that is needed to experience these powerful and healing states of mind is the time, intention and support of the community.
We women hold power in our wombs, the power to create new life and also the capacity to devastate and reject new-life; the power to bleed out, cleanse and clear. With each lunar wax and wane, throughout our fertile years and beyond, we have the mystical ability to hold Akashic knowledge even after the spiral dance has ceased in later years.
This spiraling, pulsing movement that follows us throughout a lot of our lives, informs many creative rituals, greatly effecting our ‘state of mind’. Altered states are reached at varying points and to varying degrees throughout our cycles. If we give ourselves the chance to properly experience our wombs’ universal dance, amazing healing and connections can occur. The womb is a receptive organ and holds knowledge within.
The seasons can be represented in each menstrual rotation, our rites and rituals harnessing nature can lead to optimum health and understanding of ourselves.
The Powers of Mugwort
Our menstrual bleeds the winter or death part of the cycle, can be supported by withdrawal rituals aided by herbs to assist with the release of our wombs tissues, Artemisia vulgaris or Mugwort is one useful plant here. Named after Artemis, the Moon Goddess, the twin sister of Apollo, guardian of childbirth and small children, the huntress, Mugwort has a long connection with the moon.
The blood time is introspective and brings a degree of increased psychic ability, Mugwort can walk with us drunk in teas and tincture to support womb contractions and expulsion as an emmenagogue. This dark time can bring with it a sense of relief, but also a loss of coordination and drive, a time to reflect and be still. Smoked in a pipe, Mugwort can aid sleep and dreaming perfect for this reflective time. Our blood is used in many cultures throughout the Globe as a curative and medicinal tool. Mugwort is represented by Artemis and she is certainly an energy that is useful to evoke at times of expulsion; childbirth and menstruation. She is the embodiment of the protectress energy, something we need at the uncertainty of these fulcrum points.
Cyclical Altered States
The rebirth of the next part of the cycle can be likened to Spring and the herb Daisy, known as Bellis in Latin, helps to shake off the darkness of the bleed time. When we stand on a Daisy in a lawn, she bounces back up with a zest and zeal, connecting us to resilience; she is like a small joyful child bringing light and laughter. Daisy is a lymphatic herb so perfect for a spring clean as part of the cycle.
Ovulation is akin to high summer madness. Energy is high and the ‘state of mind’ is full of ideas, holding the secrets of the female linage in each of our eggs, these eggs that have been present since we were in our mothers wombs; alchemilkal magic, transformative force this is a time to explore matriarchic lines and links. Epigenetics inform us of how ancestral patterns can inform our behaviors and with the gifts of Lady’s Mantle herb, also known as Alchemilla, the little alchemist we can delve into the depths of the mists of time, traveling with clear intentions to discover handy tips to aid us on the journey. Alchemilla helps us to discover our lineage, the gifts and burdens we have received down the female line.
Autumn is a tricky time when we see an emotional unlevelling, suicide is high and terms like ‘Pre mental madness’ are commonly banded about. Marshmallow has the botanical name of Althea who is the Goddess of healing, soothing and softening; she is a prefect friend for this time when self-nurture and self-love is needed in plentiful supply. The change of summer to autumn often brings great difficulties in adjusting and pressure in nature to harvest, gather and store ready for the winter months.
Many herbs are named in Latin after Goddess iconography and when we delve into our own relationships with these herbs and their healing potential it becomes clear how the spirit of the plant comes through to be represented in this physical form.
