2025 is easily becoming one of those years astrologers and herbalists will reflect on for a long time to come. It feels like every iteration of the moon and movement of the stars and planets, brings so much out of human beings and is felt in every fiber of our being. Add on, a person already on their healing journey: deconstructing destructive lies and embedded thought patterns, it’s enough to want to go back to hibernation.
But as with every crocus that peeks its pretty little purple head through the grass and its violet cousins now joining in, spring is telling us, it’s here and there’s no going back.
Like most of you, I feel like there is a constant duality to life. The grounded optimism of nature that continues to show up and the sheer exhaustion of all the Uranus like curve-balls that is modern-life. I have had my fill of: “Once in a lifetime” experiences to cover all my lives: past, present and future. But in the quieter moments, I know it’s nature that wins every time.
When you start to study herbalism, you learn an ancient knowledge once revered that is proof of just how long this earth has continued- through everything. I think of Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) which is a relative of a 400-million-year-old plant and is known for both drawing toxins out of the earth and gathering nutrients. A reminder of ancestral connection and how much has evolved and grown. It’s comforting and keeps me from floating into the space of dissociation to survive. I am no longer raging against my overworked sympathetic system as it dances between flight or flight or simply wanting to retreat. Instead I gently coax myself back in tiny increments, constantly whispering: “You are safe. You are safe.”
On Saturday, we get to witness a Libra Full moon, also known by indigenous peoples as, the pink moon for all the spring bloom of phlox subulata (also known as moss pink or creeping phlox). Full moons are usually a time of completion, release and fulfillment of some sort. Libra, governed by Venus, turns the focus to love, sex, beauty, our reproductive organs, lymphatic and filtration systems and kidneys. It’s a time of balance, harmony and hopefully, diplomacy.
This is a beautiful time to work with plants that support those systems and areas of your life where you need more peace. Rose comes to mind, not just for love, but its power in the cardiovascular system and repairing emotions torn by trauma. Cranberries help clean the blood, an antioxidant that also helps with UTIs. Dandelions are full of minerals and as a diuretic support the kidneys for healthy functioning. Perhaps a less commonly known or used plant that has a long history in the black community is: black cohosh. First introduced by the indigenous communities here, this potent medicine can be used to treat PMS and menstruation. But as it has a litany of contraindications, please only use with the guidance of health professional. Yarrow also helps to balance out hormones and is a pain reliever, and likely grows nearby.
In a week that has seen most of us spun dizzy with whiplash and deeply unsure of the future (at least, financially), I felt drawn to work with herbs that support the heart- the center of our emotional being. Rose, Hawthorn, Linden and Chamomile came to my aid, the way that have for countless people over eons of generations.
As unsure as the times are, know that the seasons continue to ebb and flow; and so will we.
Erina ✨
Olea Apothecary 