Transitioning From Summer to Autumn: Herbal Remedies for the Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

Keats famously coined autumn the "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness," a time characterized by the final harvests, changing leaves, cooling temperatures, and lengthening nights. Shifting from summer to autumn reminds us that all things are fleeting and that nothing lasts forever. It is a time of balance, reflection, transformation, and reaping the rewards of hard work as the final harvests are brought in. Like all in-between spaces, the transition between seasons is deeply liminal and can leave us feeling tired, drained, and out-of-sorts. This makes it a great time to work with plant allies to bolster and fortify your body, mind, and spirit for the changes ahead as well as get in touch with the magic of the season.

In today's post, I offer 3 herbal recipes to aid your transition from summer to autumn. These recipes can be used to create a variety of remedies including salves, oxymels, steams, baths, tisanes (teas), or tinctures. It's completely up to you how to use these recipes, but I encourage you to consult with the spirits of the plants, your intuition, and even your ancestors or spiritual guides to determine which preparation method is best for you. While taking it as a tisane may be best for me, you may need to use it as a steam.

For Tending to the Future

I always associate autumn with wisdom and planning ahead as students return to the classroom and store rooms are checked to ensure a family's survival through the winter. There was nothing worse for a family than failure to thoroughly plan for the months ahead. While many of us are now privileged enough to not have to worry about stocking our pantries prior to winter, we still have need of the wisdom and forethought that went into such a process. This recipe combines milky oats (Avena sativa), nettle leaf (Urtica dioica), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) to create a potent tonic that clears the fog, strengthens resolve, and replenishes diminished energy.

2 parts milky oats (seeds)

1 part nettle

1/2 part red clover

1/2 part rosemary

For Battling the Growing Shadow

As summer wanes, the shadow begins to grow over the Earth, leaving us with less and less daylight as the seasons turn to autumn and then winter. Feelings of melancholy are common during this shift and while herbs alone will not cure your depression or anxiety, they can certainly help. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is well known for its ability to elevate one's mood, soothe anxiety, and even fight off minor colds. Peppermint (Menta piperita), like lemon balm, also improves mood and increases calmness, while also leaving you alert and self-confident.

1 part peppermint

1/2 part lemon balm

For An Ounce of Protection

Cooler weather means more time spent indoors and therefore more opportunities for pathogens to spread. While the cooler weather doesn't weaken our immune system, changes in our environment that increase stress and fatigue certainly do. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound in cure" which is exactly what this recipe is. Preventing illness before it starts is far easier than trying to cure an illness once it starts. Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is famous among herbalists for its immune-boosting properties which not only fight off infections but prevent them as well. Combined with echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) and goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), this herbal remedy is a surefire way to ensure you and your family stave off illness this autumn. While you can take this remedy in many forms, a syrup or oxymel is best.

1 part elderberries

1/2 part echinacea root

1/4 part goldenseal root

***

As the wheel turns toward autumn, these recipes can help ensure you are happy and healthy for the coming months. If you are like me, autumn is your favorite time of the year and there is nothing worse than squandering the season sick, depressed, and in a haze. This is a time of change and final harvests, a time when we can see the fruits of our labor finally come to pass. Move toward the future with the help of these plant allies and enjoy the season to its fullest.

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Magical Properties of Blue Calcite

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Magical and Medicinal Uses of Dill

Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mercury
Element: Fire
Powers: Lust, Love, Money, Protection

Magical Uses and History: Sometimes referred to as "the magician's herb," dill has long been used in magic for a variety of purposes, most often protection. Its speculated its protective properties are due to its strong smell. In Ancient Rome, gladiators would sometimes rub dill over their bodies prior to engaging in mortal combat to ensure the user would make it out alive. It was also often added to their food to inspire courage and valor, as well as for protection against bodily harm. During the Medieval period, the saying, "Therewith her Vervain and her Dill, That hindereth witches of their will." became popular, especially among magicians who prescribed it to treat curses and protect against witchcraft. This led to numerous protection spells against witches over the centuries. It is said that drinking a cup of dill water reverses a witch's spell while placing it above the door or windows to prevent evil from entering. It was also placed under cribs to protect children and even carried on a person to prevent harm from befalling the bearer. In Germany, it was hung above the door to prevent envious people from entering your home and therefore bringing negativity and ill will inside with them. In other regions, dill was nailed to a door to trap ill-disposed individuals or negativity inside a dwelling. As such, dill makes an excellent addition to spells not only for protection but also to trap negative energy into a place or object. The Polish commonly used dill to defend against and even vanquish nightmares, further adding to dill's laundry list of protective uses. In addition to the aforementioned uses, you can also add dill to protection spells by anointing candles in dill oil or rolling them in dried dill, adding it to protection sachets, burning it as an incense, or using it in a protection bath tea. The seeds can also be placed in a sachet or pouch and worn over the heart to protect against the Evil Eye or the seeds can be scattered around your home for the same purpose.

Apart from its abundant protective uses, dill is also associated with lust and love. Dill is a mild aphrodisiac and has been used for such purposes since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians used dill oil to enhance arousal and sexual desire while later in Germany and Belgium, dill was added to wedding bouquets or affixed to wedding dresses to ensure a loving and happy marriage. However, some brides would combine both mustard and dill seeds not only to ensure a happy marriage but also to ensure the wife's dominance. The seeds were hidden within the bride's dress while she said, "I have you, mustard and dill, Husband, when I speak, you stay still." Honestly, I love this for women because historically they held very little power in society, at least on the surface. On the other hand, the ancient Greeks called dill "Herme's Semen," due to its prolific nature and abundance of seeds, and is therefore deeply associated with fertility and lust. As such, dill leaves and seeds can be used in spells and rituals to attract a lover, induce lust, ensure a happy marriage, or to ensure your spells or actions are fruitful. Bathing in dill oil or water is said to make the bather irresistible, and supposedly can turn platonic love into passion.

Its abundance of seeds also connects dill with wealth and prosperity. Carry dill seeds in your purse, wallet, or cash register to ensure you will always have plenty of money, keep a pouch of dill seeds in your pantry so your family will never go without, or add to any spells and rituals to attract wealth, abundance, and prosperity to your life. Contrary to this belief, European monks believed dill had the opposite effect, reducing fertility and hindering lust. They believed dill's potent smell could drive away incubuses who preyed on sleeping women and prevent them from becoming pregnant with a demon's baby. If you ascribe to such beliefs, add dill to spells to ward off sexual advances or prevent others from being fruitful in their endeavors.

Finally, dill derives its name from the Norse dilla or dylla meaning "lull" or "soothe." This is most commonly attributed to dill's ability to treat cramps, stomach upset, and flatulence, especially among children. Dill is sometimes called the "meetinghouse seed" as it was chewed not only by adults to keep them awake, but by babies and children to prevent them from crying, either from colic or hunger. "Gripe water," which is made from dill seeds, was also commonly given to children or adults suffering from stomach upset to reduce stomach cramps and flatulence and ensure a restful night's sleep. As such, dill can be added to spells to soothe a situation or bring calm and quiet to the home after a major upset.

Dill can be used in a number of spells including:

   Happiness Spells

   Marriage Spells

   Dispelling Negativity

   Protection Magic

   Prosperity and Abundance Magic

Medicinal Uses: While most people use dill leaves and stems in cooking, their seeds are commonly used medicinally. Dill is a natural carminative and antispasmodic, making it great at treating flatulence, cramps, and bloating (and associated colic), especially in children. Dill can also be used to stimulate milk production in lactating persons. The seeds and leaves are also anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory help to ward off infection, reduce arthritis symptoms, and even treat halitosis. Dill is also a natural diuretic so take it with plenty of water.

Preparation and Dosage: To create an infusion, combine 1 cup of boiling water with 1-2 teaspoons of gently crushed dill seeds. Allow the mixture to infuse for 10-15 minutes before enjoying. Alternatively, combine 1-2 teaspoons of freshly chopped dill with 1 cup boiling water and infuse for 20 minutes for the same effect. If treating flatulence, drink this infusion prior to eating. As a tincture, take 1-2 milliliters up to three times a day. To treat halitosis, chew on a few dill seeds.

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Book Review: Living Conjure by Starr Casas

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Earlier this week, I finished Living Conjure: The Practice of Southern Folk Magic by Starr Casas. Casas is a long-time Conjure practitioner, having learned from her family in the mountains of Kentucky. As a Northerner living in the South, I am fascinated by the practices of those outside of the cities, especially those in Appalachia where I live. There is something special about those mountains and the people that live there, and Casas does a great job of giving readers a glimpse into that culture.

Living Conjure is broken into five parts which build on each other. The first 2 parts lay the foundation for conjure and briefly introduce the practices conjurers use every day. Casas then goes on to introduce symbols and signs, tools such as herbs and curios, and finally how to make oils, washes, powders, and candles. It was the final part that I found most interesting because it included the actual "spells" and rituals that you can use in your conjure practice. Part 5 is full of so much useful information, unique perspectives, and practical applications that any occult practitioner can benefit from reading.

I appreciate that Casas has taken the time, despite the naysayers, to preserve this knowledge for future generations. She mentions multiple times that the Elders are dying without passing on their knowledge to others. While Conjure has largely been secretive, the need to preserve the culture outweighs the secrecy. Does this mean Conjure is open to anyone willy-nilly? Absolutely not, but that doesn't mean others can't pick up this book, learn about the culture, and develop a respectful practice of their own. Casas also does an amazing job recognizing the roots of Conjure and how struggle, perseverance, and trauma informed the practice as a whole. You cannot separate Conjure from its past, let alone the history and culture from which it arose and for what purpose. Witchcraft has always been an act of resistance, and Conjure is no different. Lately, I have been extremely frustrated with the occult community for saying things like "keep politics out of witchcraft." Anyone saying shit like this is clearly performative and has absolutely no business practicing or educating others about witchcraft because they haven't learned our history.

While there are many parts of Living Conjure that I enjoyed, I did not like the writing style. This is a personal preference as Casas writes like she speaks. This book is a conversation and I am not always a fan of conversations. It's very likely the rest of you will love the writing style, including the repetition. It just wasn't for me. Furthermore, Casas includes a list of herbs and their uses but doesn't include scientific names. She relies heavily on cultural folk names and if you are unfamiliar with these folk names, it's going to make it difficult for you to figure out which herbs to use for which recipes.

Living Conjure is a very simple introduction to Conjure, scratching just the surface to give those interested in potentially dabbling in Conjure an idea of what to expect. This is not a complete guide and should not be treated as such. Instead, it should be paired with other books such as Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man by Jake Richards, Mountain Conjure and Southern Rootwork by Orion Foxwood, or New World Witchery by Thomas Hutcheson. Combined, these 5 books will give you an excellent foundation and provide you with everything you need to be truly successful. Living Conjure is available wherever books are sold.

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Magical Properties of Shungite

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