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.

HARVEST: THE PULSE OF AUTUMN’S BEAUTY AND BOUNTY

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.”

— John Keats (from “To Autumn”, 1820)

As light and shadow begin to balance, eventually shifting completely to shadow, we are reminded that autumn is both a time of celebration and preparation. Following the sweetness of summer harvests chock full of berries, corn, and tomatoes, we turn to celebrate the hearty grape and grain harvests of fall. The leaves of maples, birches and mighty oaks begin to transition through an array of fiery hues from brilliant ochre to deep scarlet. The air becomes crisper, and there is a sense of accomplishment that resonates after another season of growth. The completion of the cycle is upon us. 

The autumnal equinox is often referred to as the second harvest, with the first occurring in early August. Traditionally, grapes (sacred to the Roman god Dionysus) and many types of grain (sacred to the Greek goddess Demeter) are harvested near the Equinox. Both of these commodities were historically utilized to support our ancestors during winter - notably, and perhaps most enjoyable to some - in the form of delicious and intoxicating beverages. Today we can usually get our hands on anything we want whenever we want it, but the rhythm of autumnal celebration continues in modern times. Roadside farm stands are packed full of colorful pumpkins and gourds, county fairs and festivals abound, and apple cider everything comes forth from the orchards. On a more primal level, the autumnal equinox also hearkens the balancing of the scales of sunlight. It is the beginning of Libra season, the time of equal day and equal night.

Source: https://www.elle.com (Getty)

During fall, many wild herbs are still in the prime of their growing season and can be collected for several more months until the first deep freeze. One amazing way to celebrate the fall season through wild crafting (and of course, from anything you have grown in your garden) is to create an herbal incense blend. Libra is an air sign, and that first whiff of woodsmoke on the breeze as the chilly fall evening descends evokes a cozy feeling encouraging us indoors to celebrate our harvests and prepare for what is ahead. An herbal incense blend to burn on your fire, or on a charcoal incense burner is a great way to use herbs you may have collected and dried throughout the growing season. Because Libra encourages balance, here is an easy elemental blend of readily available herbs that you can create a lovely product with :

• Mugwort (water) - for flow and intuition (anti-fungal and calming nervine).

• Goldenrod (fire) - for creativity and passion (excellent cleansing herb)

• Lavender (air) - for expansion and expression (great for reducing stress and encouraging relaxation). 

• Sweet fern (earth) - for grounding and support (used by First Nations to cleanse and renew). 

Once all the herbs are adequately dried, grind together in a mortar and pestle and store in a sealed jar in a dark place to preserve potency. Burn as you wish on your bonfire or in your fireplace throughout Libra season. As the wheel of the year turns from late September to late October, we trust and know the balance will soon tip into the darkness of winter. 

The final harvest, the harbinger of winter’s silent repose, is Samhain, which translates to “Summer’s End” in ancient Celtic dialect. It falls on our modern Halloween at the beginning of the dark and mysterious Scorpio season, Similar to Halloween, it is a time to honor death and resurrection, while paying homage to our ancestors, whose wisdom continues to pulse through our veins. The celebration of “death” of the agricultural year has a place in most cultures in one form or another. When the harvests are complete, the land goes dormant and seems to have died; however, the acute observer of the natural world knows this death is merely a time of rest and incubation. The seeds must lie beneath the soil, full of potential, in order to eventually reincarnate again. During this time, we prepare. We prepare for winter by harvesting the last fruits from our fields, and express gratitude to the earth and our ancestors. 

An excellent way to honor your ancestors and the earth at the final harvest is to craft a hanging herb bundle. You can do this earlier in the season if it suits you, and let it dry until Samhain. The bundle can adorn your door, or your fireplace, or any special sacred space in your life. At Samhain you might choose to burn the herbs on your fire as a way to release gratitude for the abundance you have received this year, and to thank your ancestral line that likely brought you to appreciate the earth and her herbal bounty in the first place. 

A few suggested and appropriate herbs to use in your Samhain bundle include the following:

• Mugwort

  • An intuitive herb to open the third eye and psychic center. Perfect for honoring those who have gone before you. 

• Tansy

  • A traditional funerary herb and long-used in old New England to pack into coffins. Tansy is quite common in old graveyards. Because of its unique phyto-chemical makeup, it acts as a natural embalming agent and repels pests. 

• Yellow Dock Seed Stalks

  • If you look closely, each small brown seed resembles an eye. This herb is used to repel negative energy and may bring you protection!

• Mullein Leaves (and dried stalk if you can find one).

  • Fuzzy and soft, the leaves of the mullein plant not only help respiratory issues, but feel like lamb’s ears. The stalk, when dry, is long and resembles a candle. So much so, a colloquial name for this plant is called Hag’s Taper. The stalks were historically dried and dipped in wax to make special herbal candles. Give it a try perhaps, or keep it au naturel and add it to your bundle.

• Queen Anne’s Lace

  • Queen Anne’s Lace (or wild carrot) blooms beautifully from late summer into fall, and once it goes to seed, it forms gorgeous seed pods that resemble the witches’ besom. This herb is also linked with feminine wisdom, perfect to pay respects to Mother Earth.

Source: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com (iStock)

As the final harvest passes and we move into the silent incubation period before Winter Solstice, when the scales tip ever so slightly in sunlight’s favor, we can take this time to rest and digest. We have done all the work for the season. We have celebrated, we have prepared, and now we can rest in the quiet of winter, awaiting Mother Earth’s rebirth, which surely will happen again. The beauty in the cycle is the pulse and the rhythm, which assures us nature will continue on her path all across the world, and throughout time.

Balance, Fire, and Abundance

“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.”

— Jana Kingsford

---

Quite possibly the best weekend of the year, this fall equinox (Mabon) we find ourselves at a point of perfect harmony in nature. The day and the night are divided equally. We teeter on the threshold of life and death as we harvest and enjoy the fruits of our labor, and the earth (our part of it, at least) prepares to hibernate.

In Greek mythology, Autumn begins as Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, returns to the Underworld to live with Hades, her husband. Furious, Demeter roams the Earth disguised as an old woman, and curses the Earth so it would yield no crops. When questioned, she explains that there would be no regeneration of vegetation on the Earth until her daughter was safely returned.

Today, it’s a warm, spicy, earthy time for rest, relaxation and reflection; a time for hearth and home; a time to turn inward, clear clutter and get ready for winter. This seasonal shift happens this year only a few days away from the Harvest Moon. There is a shorter period of darkness between sunset and moonrise at the time of this particular full moon. In the past, the light of the Harvest Moon helped farmers to gather their crops, despite the diminishing daylight hours.

This full moon is in Aries, a fire sign. Slowing down and reflecting during this time, with the fieriness of Aries, we may all feel a little hot and bothered. We may feel emotions that have been suppressed for years. Just let it go… use the Aries confidence to get them out and work through them. This emotional time certainly calls for a manifestation of balance. Commit and do, but don’t overcommit or overdo. It’s tough, but it’s achievable.

For me, taking as much time outside, in nature, with the plants, is my favorite way to enjoy this seasonal transition and lunar effect, and maintain that balance. Pride in the things I have grown and harvested throughout the year, and excitement in the anticipation of all I will be creating this fall with my abundance.

Here is a little taste of the colorful ideas on the horizon for our upcoming events and the things I am settling in with at home as the daylight dwindles and the weather cools.

Fall decor is my favorite decor!

Drying homegrown lemon balm for an autumn salve.

Homegrown sage and rosemary for handcrafted smudges.

Today's garden harvest... time for some more salsa verde!