archetypes & associations

eat your way to independence: symbolic foods for freedom

eat your way to independence: symbolic foods for freedom

As specific holidays approach, I get an increasing number of emails from readers asking for articles, recipes, spells, and advice relevant to the upcoming holiday: aphrodisiacs before Valentine’s Day, oils and herbs for gratitude before Thanksgiving, and so on. This year, I noticed for the first time…

why friday the 13th is your lucky day

why friday the 13th is your lucky day

Many people dread Friday the 13th expecting the worst from the negative superstition that surrounds it, but the day can be considered to be lucky in many ways, especially for women. The day gets a bad rap because of associations assigned by groups afraid of both the…

mooning over white fir, sage of the north country

mooning over white fir, sage of the north country

Abundant and varied evergreens are among my favorite things about our new home–our property is dotted with both individual trees and thick stands of various pines and firs. My single favorite trees may be the two White Firs (Abies concolor) that grow here; their silver-green needles on…

dia de los muertos: an aromatherapy altar offering for the day of the dead

dia de los muertos: an aromatherapy altar offering for the day of the dead

Since January of 2013, I have lost several significant family members, human and animal alike. As Halloween 2013 approached, my thoughts turned to our altar and a means of honoring and celebrating all of them. Pagan lore holds the October 31st holiday we know as…

getting un-stuck

getting un-stuck

One of the most entertaining and challenging parts of being an aromatherapist is creating custom blends for individuals facing very specific (and often uncommon) issues. Since my background and passion is in magical aromatherapy, I am often asked to design and create products that impart unique…

oils & herbs for cancer (the moonchild)

oils & herbs for cancer (the moonchild)

Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac, is an incredibly creative, sensitive, and emotional sign. Cancer tends to prefer things that are soothing, mild, cool, water-y (or water-based, like melons), or simple. Cancers don’t like to be disrupted and neither do their emotional and physical…

oils & herbs for gemini

oils & herbs for gemini

Welcome to Gemini, the zodiac sign of The Twins! Gemini’s herb associations include many well-known favorites that are easy to incorporate in meals or use around your home to celebrate this astrological sign, Lavender, Dill, Caraway, Parsley, and Basil among them. As for oils, we…

oils & herbs for taurus

oils & herbs for taurus

We are always excited to find Taurus actively in the heavens as both my husband and I not only find Taurus favorably popping up in our natal horoscopes, but also have a slew of wonderful Taurus friends. The oils and herbs associated with Taurus are…

oils & herbs for capricorn

oils & herbs for capricorn

By now, we are well into–indeed almost out of!–the sign of the Tenth House… meet Capricorn. Where you might expect this sign to align exclusively with especially grounded and earthy oils and herbs (think Patchouli, Cypress, Vetiver) given its Earth element, Capricorn’s Cardinal (and therefore…