On Herbs

Welcome to the new year! We here at Margo wish you an auspicious start to your aspirations and manifestations.

I’m going to dive right into one of my favorite topics: herbs!

I love herbs for not only their holistic and healing aspects but also for how comforting they are. Personally, I love to use infusions and blends for tea every day. There’s something so nostalgic about the delicious scent of steam that wafts from the brim of my cup. We’re now stocking several different types of herbs in the store, more than I am covering in this blog, in the straight form of the herb as well as in teas (and some in soaps!).

Because I don’t want to go completely off the rails in my herb-nerdom, I’ll limit myself to just five to cover this month.

Lavender

Let’s start with something famous! Lavender is well known as an incredibly calming scent and as an herb to fight insomnia. Place a satchel of Lavender inside your pillowcase, and you will have the most blissful, fretless sleep of your life. Its soft, gentle scent is instantly recognizable, as is its sweet purple color (which we love, purple being our store color). Combining Lavender with other herbs in a dream pouch can correct your sleep schedule!

Besides being the sleep-aid herb, it is also the herb of purity. “Lavara” is the Latin root word meaning “to wash.” I bring this up because Lavender has been used as a bathing and washing additive since Roman times! Its cleaning, cleansing, and detoxification are unparalleled. It’s also an herb that is safe for pets to ingest (do not give human food or herbs to pets, but it is merely non-toxic). It’s no wonder that Lavender is at the top of my list for comfort and holistic properties. In ritual, you can add Lavender along with sage–or use lavender sage–for extra purification. 

Nettles

Nettles may be a surprise on this list since they’re not incredibly popular, but I love them. A popular herb in Europe, it is associated with inflammation, antioxidant, and astringent properties. Nettles make a lovely, earthy taste in tea and can be combined in meals for food: I recommend mixing nettles in with risotto! Do be sure not to simply pluck nettles from the ground, as mature nettle leaves can sting you with their sharp edges. The nettles we use for tea, rituals, and culinary purposes are safe, young nettle leaves that have not yet developed their sharp edges.

Rose

Rose petals and rosebuds are other powerful manifesting herbs that are also ingestible. Roses are beautifully resilient plants and make incredibly fragrant perfumes. Rose petal tea becomes a gorgeous, vibrant pink. I recommend using one of our clear Shungite water bottles to see the full effects, while also combining Shungite’s powerful healing attributes with anti-inflammatory, (skin) moisturizing effects of the rose. A flower heavily associated with Aphrodite, rose petals (or buds) would be perfect in combination with rose quartz for manifesting love this Valentine’s Day.

Damiana

What is Damiana? Damiana is a tiny flowering shrub native to Texas, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America! It smells a bit like chamomile! Ingested in drinks (often margaritas), Damiana has a crisp, almost-fig-like flavor. Since the 19th century, it has been well-loved for its anti-anxiety properties. If you’re looking for a similar herb or alternative to chamomile that won’t put you to sleep, I suggest it’s much more flavorful friend Damiana. My favorite way to use Damiana (besides the margaritas) is in a tea or bath!

Mullein

If you’re recovering from a cough or chest ailments and you want a suppressant and long-term healing herb, I suggest Mullein! It soothes your throat as well as your respiratory tract. This traditionally yellow herb would be great in combination with rose water to be used on the skin as well. Mullein has a bit of a bitter taste, so if that’s not in your preference, I suggest using it for spellwork and in aromatherapy, especially to curb those coughs! In spells, it is very practical for grounding.

Well, there you have it! My top five! There are so many incredible herbs out there though, that I really think it’s worth it to try them all out and see which works best for you in your upcoming year of spiritual journeys!

Yours in good spirit,