My friend and business partner (from the Chaos Factor) Lauren and I write articles for Herb Quarterly and muse about seasonal shifts. Since we are at the mid-point of autumn now, I thought I’d share what was published for the fall edition of the magazine! Enjoy!
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.
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.
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.