New Moon in Gemini: Plant Spirit Advice

The Summer Solstice is just around the corner and things are starting to heat up! Gemini spirit brings a buzz of quick thinking and moving, highlighting the energy of creative expression.  There is such a duality to the sign of the twins, calling awareness to our thinking patterns, while releasing old belief systems.  We have such an opportunity for a new beginning to rewrite our story now.

This past month, after getting into a bike accident, realizing a romance wasn’t going where I hoped, and knowing I had to move out of my house, I booked a trip to NY to refresh my scene.  I finally moved to a neighborhood I love, and returned ready to embrace the summer with a new ‘tude.  Sometimes we need this type of medicine for reinvention; a call for ingenuity.  The plants are always guiding me through my process so that I feel nourished, rooted and balanced throughout all of the changes and transitions.  But, one plant in particular is coming through right now.  SHE is Rhodiola ALL THE WAY.  Strengthening the nervous system, staving off depression, keeping me rooted, and giving me an energy boost to let me know, “YOU GOT THIS.” 

Rhodiola root is an adaptogenic plant, which curbs fatigue and exhaustion throughout stressful situations.  Speaking to the cerebral side of Gemini, the root also helps boost cognitive vitality and is neuroprotective.  The first time I drank her in, I was slumped over, and my spine literally shot up into the air.  I felt so overly confident and enthused, I had to ask myself, “You ready for this??.”  My favorite way to drink her in is through tincture form with a home made gem essence, which I encourage you to make for this month’s new moon!  Work with a stone of your choice that encourages easing the mind or opening up the third eye.  I have used Apophyllite for astral projection for it’s high vibration.  Place the cleansed stone in a bowl with spring water and let it marinate outside under the energy of the new moon.  You can add the essence to a glass of water with a full dropper of tincture, drink in, and Et Voila! Magic moon medicine in a glass! 

Written by Jacqueline Zajdman

http://tasty-yummies.com/sacred-self-care-guide-for-june-2018/

New Moon in Taurus: Plant Spirit Advice

New Moon in Taurus Plant Spirit Advice with Jacqueline Zajdman:

When Taurus season rolls around, I am forever reminded of the tale, Ferdinand the Bull.  Rather than fight the Torero in the bullring, he loved to stop and smell the flowers.  As a child, I loved the story of this gentle creature being so enthralled by the brilliantly colorful, intoxicating flora.  The new moon in Taurus expresses an amplification of this energy.  Ruled by Venus, we feel a focus on beauty, luxury, Self-care, and an understanding of what we value.

Taurus can be slow moving and resist change.  It is a sign of consistency, stability and security.   However, times are constantly changing, and we must learn to embrace this movement as holistically as we can.  With Beltane behind us and Summer Equinox on the horizon, the new moon is a perfect opportunity to stay open and heart centered while staying focused on the prize.   With so much action around the corner, how can we use our plant allies to help stay soft while we ask for guidance and tune into our intuition?

I invite you to lie on the earth surrounded by plants and flowers.  Find a park, a mound of grass in your yard, or give yourself the gift of a nature walk.  Let the sun shine on your face as you notice the color of the flora around you.  What flowers do you see?  Do they have fragrance?  Are bees chasing their pollen?  Start to notice the beauty and intricacy of the petals, stamen, the golden dust of pollen, the way color strokes each petal; the miracle in every flower.  Watch their leaves undulate in the breeze, vines curl, thorns entangle.  Bring awareness to the textures, the expressions of their buds opening to the sun.  Ask spirit for guidance, and notice the colors, words, and images that flood your conscious being.  Feel your clenched muscles start to dissolve into the soil below, tap into your dreams, your hopes and wishes.  “If you truly love nature, you’ll find beauty everywhere”- Van Gough

Written by Jacqueline Zajdman

http://tasty-yummies.com/sacred-self-care-guide-may-2018/

New Moon in Aries: Plant Spirit Advice

With the new moon and sun illuminated in Aries, the element of fire sets the tone for this vibrant transit.  Fire is an incredible tool that witches and herbalist’s a like use for transformation.  The idea of transmutation is much like alchemy; creating a magical process of change, combining different elements of matter into something new, transformative, purified.  These are all major themes being highlighted as we experience the current bloom and outburst of spring, as well Mercury going direct this new moon.  The heat that has been building this Aries season is now ready to burst into action!

Working with plant alchemy and the energy/spirit of plants is an amazing way to move effortlessly through this time.  Let’s call on our plant allies that will help stoke the fire and keep our flame in balance, burning radiantly without setting it all ablaze.  Our solar plexus chakra or Manipura, is symbolic of our power center and fiery natures.  When in balance, we are self-confident, express a healthy ego, ambition, drive and decisiveness.  A strong solar plexus helps us stand tall in our power center.  Represented by the color yellow, plants that carry yellow or golden flowers speak to this chakra through joy and uplifting attitudes. 

Think St. Johns Wort, Damiana, Chamomile, Poppy and Calendula.  These flowers are bursting all over the California landscape, calling us to relax our nervous systems from the energetic heat of the season.  They can be steeped in an infusion and worked with daily as gentle nervines to the system.  Calendula also works as a facial spray or toner for refreshing the skin.  Whether you are drinking in plants, or merely earthing (standing barefoot to absorb mama earth’s negatively charged ions to reduce inflammation), get out in nature! Simply looking into the bold face of a gorgeous Poppy will remind you to open up, appreciate your strengths and honor your inner power!

 Written by Jacqueline Zajdman

http://tasty-yummies.com/sacred-self-care-guide-april-2018/

New Moon in Pisces: Plant Spirit Advice

Ah, Pisces.  Always the dreamer, the cosmic dancer, free flowing, emotional and creative.  Neptune, Pisces’ ruler also inspires depth, introspection, and a discomfort with our earthly world.  The Piscean influence can leave us feeling like we’re living on our own plane, in a different dimension.  Often, I find myself in a thinking mind, instead of a feeling heart space.  So I ask myself, how can I harness this dreamy state of being, while tapping into my creativity and adjusting to the environment around me?  The question for this new moon is how can we better navigate the tides of the Piscean flow?

Pisces energy always draws me in like a siren calling, taking me on a dreamy ride through the Vortex!  I can hear Bette Davis in the background saying “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night,” if I don’t just jump on board! So, let’s dive in, turning to our plant allies for guidance on this ride called LIFE.  They are powerfully conscious energetic beings that shift our perspective just by drinking them in and surrounding ourselves with their beloved energy.

The idea of dreams, illusions and psychic ability speak to the Crown Chakra, while the Sacral Chakra governs our vulnerable flow, creativity and sensuality.  Some mystical plants such as Jasmine, Damiana and Butterfly Blue Pea can act as a conduit to dreams, psychic ability, and the connection to one’s spirituality and intuitive knowing.  Jasmine works as a lovely infusion or herbal bath to bring out that luscious abundance of water element and psychic intuition into your life.  This plant is blooming all over LA right now… take a moment to inhale her gorgeous perfume.  Damiana rolled and smoked, brings an awareness of solar energy upward through the body.  She will help you receive messages from the cosmos while entering a blissful state.  Butterfly Blue Pea is a nourishing herb that also speaks to sensuality, an integrative knowing of the whole, and an inspiring watery energy that also turns your infusion indigo!  Pure magic.  Remember to play with nature and ride this mutable wave!

Written by Jacqueline Zajdman

http://tasty-yummies.com/sacred-self-care-guide-march-2018/

New Moon in Aquarius: Plant Spirit Advice

Aquarian energies are making their way to us this New Moon, encouraging us to speak our truths with impeccability.  While the solar eclipse on the same day is helping magnify this inspiration, we are now being asked to challenge our way of communicating ideas and dreams into being.  This sign of the collective and forward thinking inspires awareness, community, and rising up to the occasion of being your own guru.   As a Green Witch, I always look to the cosmos for inspiration and ask the plants for guidance.  What plant allies can we access at this time to open our minds and intuition and express our message through clear speech?

This moon, allow yourself to be guided by a few plant allies that will lubricate the channel between thought and delivery.  Lavender is a wonderful local plant that carries psychic knowledge, purification, and promotes relaxation.  When you drink her in, imagine her purple vibrations flowing through your third eye.  This sixth chakra is where we both command and perceive, accessing a mystical state of connection, wisdom and insight.  Sleep with lavender at your bedside, burn the dried plant to evoke her energy, or bathe with her in ritual bath.  Allow your inner needs to come to you with this magical plant.

When our throat chakra is blocked, we find ourselves tongue tied, unable to ask for what we need, what we desire, and express what we think and feel.  Blocks can build, ending up in reactive and depleting communication.  Think of your throat and trachea as your musical instrument.  Now is the time to sing out and call in your truest wishes and dreams into manifestation.  Spearmint tea is perfect for cooling and opening up the throat, while infusion of slippery elm bark, marshmallow and licorice keep your throat feeling soothed and relaxed.  In a quart size jar add a handful of any of these herbs to work with, topped off with hot water.  Allow it to sit for an hour to access more of the medicinal properties and drink in the mystery of mother earth.

Written by Jacqueline Zajdman

New Moon in Capricorn: Plant Spirit Advice

The energy of Capricorn is revealing herself in the first new moon of the year.  In her brightest energy, we feel the influence of our connection and intimacy to the physical world.  As a Capricorn sun myself, I know this energy too well.  It craves earth and nature, but demands structure and initiation of dreams and goals.  Capricorn loves to pound the pavement, as work and pleasure are boundless, dancing the line between what we have to do vs. what we feel we innately must, always rewarding us with soul growth.  Rather than become overwhelmed with the idea of structure, why not toy with the sensuality of what “structure” actually means to you?  I do best with the concept by finding strength in rooting in myself, my body, and ritual, by using the power of plants and nature, when I’m nurturing ambition and needing to create something larger than myself. 

We are still deep into winter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t live well in difficult circumstances.  At this time of year, approaching the Wolf full moon, our ancestors took refuge in their homes, staying close to the fire and living off of the bounty they collected in the fall.  Sometimes we loose sight of slowing down and become consumed with productivity when we should be resting.  Living in California, I treated myself to some forest bathing in the Muir Woods.  I took off my shoes and earthed right into the vibration of the soil, soaking up the language of the roots and mosses of the redwood forest, releasing inflammation and worry.  Last year I lived in NY and walked through the snowy park for an hour to fill my lungs with crisp air.  Whatever climate we may be experiencing, we beat inflammation by being outdoors and raising our immunity. 

Sleep and rest is also essential at this time.  The moon brings out an introverted energy within us, so lean into it!  We need rested minds to support all of the work we are initiating.  I take my As Above mellow tincture in the evenings before bed, or drink infusion with the same blend.  Medicinal teas are a go-to for me, and I love mixing Passionflower, Tulsi, Scullcap and Lemon Balm for the sweetest sleep and dreams.  Supporting our nervous system is essential in keeping our cortisol levels at bay.   If you are feeling depleted, a wonderful nourishing herb to work with is Stinging Nettle. Always a safe herb with no toxicity, I am called to her when my adrenals are shot.  Nettles are like mothers milk for adults.  High in iron, nettles were utilized in Europe during WWII when traditional foods were scarce.  Chock full of nutrients, throw a handle of dried nettles into a quart size jar, fill with cold water, and sip on your infusion in the morning to give your body it’s needed nourishing wake up call.   Like Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”  The gifts of the season are shining down on you.  Trust in the mystery of this new moon to rest, restore, and be the boss of your own life!

Written by Jacqueline Zajdman