Hello, friends happy Flower Moon! This full Moon is my favorite and was named by the Algonquin people. Did you know whenever the Moon is full she rises just as the Sun sets? Isn’t that pure magic?! When the Moon is at her most luminous and dazzling, she gives us a show rising over the eastern horizon. My favorite full Moon ritual is visiting Atwater Beach during Sunset and greeting the rising Moon. Last night the Moon rose around 8:00 p.m. CT, and tonight she rises around 9:00 p.m. CT. When I visited the Lake last night, I found a giant flower floating in the water. At first, I thought it was an imposter (what my fiance calls fake plastic flowers), but when I picked it up I saw it was real. It felt like a gift from the divine or perhaps Selene herself for the Flower Moon! Wherever you may be in the world, I hope you enjoy the Flower Moon tonight. If you’re local, maybe I’ll see you at Atwater Beach!
Spring is in the air, and I’ve been through yet another transformation. Right before the Aries Solar Eclipse, I decided to sunset my astrology business for good. I love astrology, but turning it into a business sucked the joy out of it. Branding, marketing, and bookkeeping do not light me up. I applaud all the small business owners out there doing their thing! It’s hard work especially when starting out. I’m so grateful for the people I met because of Mystic Magnolia Astrology. My business helped me find community in Milwaukee, and I feel so rooted and connected. While I am not offering astrology readings or workshops anymore, astrology is still a huge part of my life.
Over the last month or so, I’ve realized astrology was a gateway. This ancient practice helped me see how vibrant, alive, and magical the universe is! The planets taught me to slow down and trust in divine timing. I studied the cycles of the Moon and Sun, and this helped me attune my life to the seasons. Before studying astrology, I lived a fast paced stressful life. Everything was urgent, everything was a crisis, and I was regularly in fight or flight. Today, my life is slower, more rhythmic, and a lot less stressful. Over the last couple of years, I’ve recognized my patterns, trauma responses, and coping mechanisms. I had to open my heart and mind and change my ways. It wasn’t easy, but the planets were with me every step of the way.
Ultimately, astrology led me back to Earth and deepened my love of plants. Every plant corresponds with at least one planet. For example, Calendula with the Sun, Mugwort with the Moon, and Rose with Venus. Applying my astrological lense to my herbal studies unlocked a new well of creativity within me. I’ve realized my creative path is to herbcraft in relationship with the cycles of the cosmos. This spring, I enrolled in Kami McBride’s Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils course. In April, I made my first small batch of Calendula oil. Calendula is a flower of the Sun, so I crafted an infused oil while the Sun was in Aries and the Moon waxed through Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. The Sun rules Leo and exalts in Aries, so anything solar is enhanced as the Sun moves through these signs. Calendula oil is solar medicine, and my batch is extra potent. Not only did I learn a tried and true method from a teacher with 30+ years experience, I crafted in relationship with Calendula’s planetary ruler, the Sun. As above, so below, as they say.
Just look at how dark this oil is! The rich color indicates the medicine of the plant was successfully infused into the oil. My oil contains three simple ingredients: dried Calendula flowers, Sunflower oil, and a little vodka to support the extraction process. I apply Calendula oil to my face every day, and my skin is the softest and clearest it’s ever been. I also utilized the oil to heal a cut on my finger that required stitches. Calendula was my first plant ally, and they guided me to the art of herbcrafting.
Since ending my astrology business, I have more bandwidth for herbal studies. In addition to Kami McBride’s course, I’m taking Seasonal Herbcraft by Rowan + Sage, and last night I attended my first session of the herbal apprentice program at Alice’s Garden, a beautiful urban farm in Milwaukee. Endings always create space for new beginnings, and I’m so grateful astrology led me back to the plants.
Happy Flower Moon!
You and your practice are flourishing in the most medical ways, most especially because you're graciously giving yourself the gift of trusting the unknown and space for it all to unfold 🥰🥹 I'm so excited to hear more about your journey with plants and plant medicine.