King's Candle

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A lot more women have come to me for consults lately for fertility and hormonal concerns and I was asked to share my knowledge and experience with herbal and other remedies here, from time to time. I love sharing about powerful and effective herbs with others! And, there’s a lot to know so I’ll share here the most pertinent wisdom, and for a deeper dive, book an appointment with me. Read on; you’ll get a lot of useful information today.

With so many powerful herbs to talk about, I decided to turn over a card from my Herbcrafter’s Tarot and share about the herb that appeared. This plant ally is Mullein!

Mullein is often found in the poorest soils, among the tougher weeds, thriving despite its surroundings. It is a survivor, having traveled the globe, and can be found just about anywhere but the Artics (Zones 3-9). That makes it easy to successfully grow in your garden due to its tolerance. Its large leaves are likely to offer a haven and habitat for mice and other small creatures. Its tall spikes of flowers attract many insects as well as pollinators - the bees and the birds. It’s a favorite of woodpeckers, who forage for the many harboring insects. It's a resilient plant, and its use as a medicine has been documented for thousands of years.

Its Latin name is Verbascum, from the Old German for “Kings Candle” which is what the tall flower spikes resemble. Greek physicians recommended Mullein for coughs, over 2000 years ago! And, it was highly effective!

Mullein is a gentle, powerful, and healing herb and it has been in my herbal medicine cabinet forever. I use it for things like bronchitis and asthma and even allergies that create cough and congestion. Of course, a truly persistent cough that doesn’t go away can be related to a more serious illness, so if it’s just hanging on, consult with your favorite functional medicine practitioner or a primary care provider.

Mullein is also a very efficient ‘weed’ and every part of the plant offers medicine. In the first year, the plant establishes its roots and presents with a soft, leafy rosette. In the second year, you will see the flower spikes and seeds, which can be gathered, left to self-sow, or fed to the birds. It's generally not super-invasive, but it will spread some and return every year, as it is perennial in most parts of the world.

The roots have intensely concentrated energy that makes up the plant’s medicine. Warming and drying. You can certainly harvest and ingest the root or make medicine from it. It's good for strengthening a weak bladder and easing back and joint pain. I usually leave the roots alone because I like the leaves and flowers; the aerial parts of the plant to make cough remedies and earache remedies.

The leaves: Moistening and slightly cooling. Leaves taken as tea provide long-term lung support, but can also be used in acute and chronic situations. I kept extra mullein tea on hand last year during Covid and we sipped it regularly, a couple of times a week. You can add other things to it like mallow to enhance its demulcent properties and it is very soothing to irritated lung tissue. The leaves feel like felted wool, soft and hairy. If you rub the leaf hard, you will get a stimulating irritant effect from those hairs that promotes circulation as it dilates capillaries; you can use them as a poultice over the lungs increasing circulation, thinning secretions, and moving mucus so it can be coughed up.

The flowers: are used to make earache remedies in a mullein-infused oil. A few drops in the ear are pain-relieving and stimulates the lymphatic system to encourage healing of the infection. It's pretty easy to find mullein oil where herbal remedies are sold, like your favorite health food store or co-op. Shout out to my old neighborhood health food store - a place I try to visit whenever I’m in the area! Say hello from me if you decide to stop in!

There’s some research currently underway that is promising for using mullein to treat lung cancer and herbalist Michael Moore says that Mullein flower tea prevents HSV (herpes)1 outbreaks. Preliminary research supports this and also that it has antiviral properties against influenza.

I subscribe to Mother Earth News and their online pages have quick helpful info for gardeners about many plant remedies and wild edibles. Here’s a link to Herbal Respiratory Relief Recipes | MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

As above, so below; the big happenings with the planets and astrology indicate a need to slow down & take our time, recharge, listen to our inner voice. Mullein is the archetypal wildflower of inner light. It is no coincidence that its dried stems were used as candles by the Romans, who called it King’s Candle. Mullein balances the heart chakra! As a flower essence, Mullein clears the mind, enhancing the ability to hear a distinct “inner voice.” The essence also strengthens one's inner light, which can be empowering against social and cultural pressures that hinder one from reaching their potential.

Read on for the astrology of this full moon in Sagittarius, full lunar eclipse, followed by a Mercury retrograde...

Astrologically, Mercury retrograde casts its shadow... which happens at the end of this month and it will carry us into July! What are some positive things about Mercury Retrograde?

Retrogrades = a planet’s energy getting stalled and hanging out in a particular sign of the zodiac longer than usual, intensifying or concentrating its effects, sometimes presenting as a reversal type energy. It doesn’t actually move backward (retrograde) but its movement slows and stalls so that as other planets move, it appears to be moving backward. Because it's close to Earth and the Sun, Mercury has a smaller orbit, and we are more susceptible to feel the energy of it slowing down and “retrograding” about every 4 months. (Think of it like slowing the car to navigate a tight turn - that’s what is happening with these retrograde. That is a gravitational action/response every time it’s braking for a turn) Each time the retrograde period lasts about 21 days, sometimes longer.

The planet Mercury rules Communications; the Message - both sent and received. Mercury retrograde is a great time to Re-do, Re-Visit, Re-align, RE-CREATE (pun intended), all the “RE's”: opportunities to Reinvest, Recommit, REVIEW. (but please don’t sign any contracts during Mercury retrograde if you can avoid it. They tend to fall apart when Mercury goes direct again). And backup your computers unless you want to have to re-do things. A retrograde is an excellent opportunity, during a time of slower forward momentum, for us to invest our time in rest and self-reflection.

Thoughts turn more naturally to our inner voice, so lean into your intuition instead of overthinking it. This is a great time to practice yoga, meditation, or any activity that centers your mind and body, and opens the intuitive channel.

The Full Moon is in Sagittarius, the Archer, speaking to us about freedom, truth, and what ‘rockets of desire’ we are firing. There’s great potential from Jupiter the planet of expansion to give a boost to our desires if we slow our roll (which watery Neptune supports) and aim our intentions carefully, so as not to overshoot the target...The full lunar eclipse in Gemini connects back to the December 2020 eclipse and encourages us to compare where and what was going on at that time. Take stock of your progress and appreciate your accomplishments at this eclipse!. You have done a lot; take a well-deserved break. For me, I left a long-time job and started a new career!

Gemini, the sign of the Twins, in medical astrology rules those body parts we have that are paired: eyes, ears, lungs, arms, legs, etc so it's a time when there can be symptoms popping up in those areas. Think about placing pairs of things on your altar to honor Gemini’s pairing powers. Think about how Mullein’s gifts can intuitively support that inner voice. Maybe she’s just the resilient medicine you need!

If you’re traveling too, pay attention, be reflective, slow down, take more time for yourself - you might just get it!

All my love,