Welcome to this cardinal water season loves! Can you feel the murky waters clearing and washing over you as we move into Cancer & out of mercury retrograde?
Solstice has felt like an emergence of clarity and celebration after quite a rocky Gemini season. We spent solstice nestled in the mountains dancing and celebrating the peak of the light. We collectively held the intention for spreading the spark of joy and light as we danced and celebrated. After such a heavy year it feels pertinent to cultivate light and levity; to give us strength for the next season and help us continue to navigate the shadow & change with balance. There is no such thing as focusing solely on love and light; and the astrological climate is definitely asking us to do some deep shadow work. This is why we carefully cultivate intentions and hold space for both the light and the shadow work.
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"The greater the darkness the greater the light"
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Cover Art by Alexa Black
Here are our herbs of Cancer season. This is in no way an exhaustive list; just a few associations based on astrology and physiomedicalism.
If you want to learn more about astrology, herbalism & intuitive development, register for our Intuitive Herbalism & Plant Intelligence Intensive.
A lesser known element of the archetype of Cancer is ancestral healing, specifically that of the maternal line. We often see Cancer associated with the Mother archetype and its opposite sign of Capricorn with the father. Together they make up the axis of ancestral healing. Remember the last few years with eclipse seasons in the Cancer / Cap axis? This could be a contributing factor to the surge of inequality of race, gender and sex related social justice issues coming to the forefront of the media this year. On a societal and cultural level a lot of us are diving into the history of our lineages and hungry for healing.
There is also a stark realization and grievance around how displaced we are from our ancestral practices. Whether you come from a settler, indigenous or mixed background; it is likely your ancestors have been displaced and removed from their earth based ways of knowing. We truly believe that in order to heal the societal and cultural issues we face today; we have to heal the wounds and fissures in our ancestral lines. But, how do we even do that?!
First and foremost is education; researching where your ancestors came from, what were their people and places are called? Say their names out loud. If you are a settler on land that your ancestors do not originally come from, learn the name of the indigenous peoples and what they call the place you live. Use these names and learn about the local population who live there now & whose lived there in the past. These things are easy and a few google searches away; but this is the beginning and bare minimum of learning what being in right relationship looks like.
If you are unfamiliar with working with your ancestors; know that it is a practice to be cultivated and a birthright you always have access to at any time. Even if you don't know the exact details of your lineage or the names of your ancestors; you can still call on them and be in relationship with them. There is an unbroken link between you and them regardless of what information you know. In our ever evolving understanding of mysticism; the ancestors reside in the unseen world. They are there and available to support you when you call upon them. We are always sure to only call on the benevolent ancestors for assistance.
Ancestral Practice for Cancer Season
This is a practice you can do to to develop deeper connection to you ancestors and assist the healing of your lineage.
What You'll Need
Please have on your altar a candle, water vessel, plant offering - can be a burnt herb, incense, essential oil or anything you have & feel called to. If you have something that is related to where your ancestors come from, use that.
The Practice
✦ Light your candle
✦ Slow your breathing and relax the mind and nervous system. Stay here until you reach a calm meditative state
✦Begin to focus on your heart, feel it beating. When you are aware of the beat, imagine yourself in the womb of your mother. Imagine your heart beating for the first time. Stay here for a few moments
✦ Hold your offering in your hand. Visualize moving through the heartbeats of your maternal line. Send gratitude to all the lives that came before you and led to yours.
✦ Say a few words of gratitude and healing to this ancestral line, then make your offering.
✦ Offer some water to the earth, and drink or anoint yourself with the rest.
This is something you can use whenever you like & we encourage you to do it often! Your relationship will deepen and more will be revealed as you go deeper into this practice.
Some companion herbs for ancestral work & this meditation are:
Blue Lotus & Dream Potion, Ritual Kit.
Want to know more about how our ancestors learned about plants and healing? Sign up for our Intuitive Herbalism & Plant Intelligence Class HERE
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