Mabon!

Oct 25, 2022
8 min read

The Magick of Plants

Herbs For The Fall Equinox/Mabon

When the bounty of the harvest has come in, the leaves begin changing colors, and cool, brisk days replace the dead heat of summer, autumn is upon us! This time of the year marks an important shift in the cosmos, called the fall or autumnal equinox, when both day and night are equally long. For herbalists around the world, the fall equinox marks an important transition between summer and fall, a time when we reap what we have sown—both literally and figuratively. This is a time for harvesting summer’s abundance, planting new seeds for the spring, for contemplating new ideas, and for medicine-making. And of course, plants take center stage in all the rituals!

Plant-based cleansing rituals during the equinox help to address the energetic transformation of the season. In Mexico, curanderas, or folk healers, perform limpias, or spiritual cleansings, using herbs like pepper tree, rosemary, rue, and tobacco. In Native American tradition, smudging with sage, juniper, cedar and sweet grass is thought to clear the air of negativity, bring vision, attract the spirit of ancestors, and guide us into the new season. In smudging rituals, shamans burn sacred herbs and use the smoke to help sanctify a space, clear the energy around a person, or bless a transition.

Herbalists generally like to harvest medicinal plants and create herbal medicines in conjunction with the lunar calendar, when the medicinal power of the plant is thought to be at its peak. Typically, the new moon is best for harvesting roots and leaves, and the full moon—in this case, September’s Harvest Moon or Corn Moon—is best for leaves, flowers and seeds, depending which one is closer to the equinox and when the plant is looking ready.

When the timing aligns the harvest with the equinox, it can produce some amazing herbal medicine! This is a good time to start making herbal recipes like fire cider, a sweet vinegar mixture traditionally used to support our immune systems during the colder months. Herbalists have developed similar types of tonics for generations but the most popular recipe, Rosemary Gladstone’s recipe, infuses spicy herbs and roots like horseradish, garlic, onions, ginger and cayenne with honey and apple cider for a few weeks, and then strains the liquid off. Once the concoction is ready, you can take it by the spoonful, as needed.

In addition, herbalists harvest glossy, indigo-colored elderberries around the time of the equinox to make immune-supporting elderberry syrup. Elder has a long history of traditional use among Native Americans and European herbalists, lending itself to much folklore. In Old World tradition, elder served as a great symbol of protection; people planted it around houses or hung it above windows to keep witches at bay and to watch over the plants in the garden. I love making Ginger Cinnamon Elderberry Syrup to use throughout the colder months.

At this time of year, I also recommend infusing medicinal herbs into your cooking. Taking roots and rhizomes like turmeric and ginger helps keep us warm and grounded. Spices like nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon, the tasty trifecta of pumpkin spice fame, all support seasonal wellness. When the humidity and dryness of the seasonal weather creates the right breeding ground, foragers love this time for collecting mushrooms like reishi, lion’s mane and wild shiitake, which also support the immune system. I love to enjoy them in Astragalus Miso Immunity Soup!

The end of the growing season can’t help but usher in a sense of abundance, gratitude, and tides of reflection. If you have never celebrated the fall equinox, I invite you to create some of your own rituals, recipes and traditions. A big fall cleaning, a smudging ceremony, or a harvest feast to share the bounty of your garden with loved ones can add a little magic to this seasonal transition. As always, when the cooler months come, take care of yourself. Use nature’s medicine!

Recipes!

Rosemary Gladstar’s Fire Cider Recipe

½ cup grated fresh horseradish root
½ cup or more fresh chopped onions
¼ cup or more chopped garlic
¼ cup or more grated ginger
Chopped fresh or dried cayenne pepper ‘to taste’. Can be whole or powdered. ‘ To Taste’ means should be hot, but not so hot you can’t tolerate it. Better to make it a little milder than to hot; you can always add more pepper later if necessary.

Optional ingredients; Turmeric, Echinacea, cinnamon, etc.

Place herbs in a half-gallon canning jar and cover with enough raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to cover the herbs by at least three to four inches. Cover tightly with a tight fitting lid.
Place jar in a warm place and let for three to four weeks. Best to shake every day to help in the maceration process.
After three to four weeks, strain out the herbs, and reserve the liquid.
Add honey ‘to taste’. Warm the honey first so it mixes in well. “To Taste’ means your Fire Cider should taste hot, spicy, and sweet. “A little bit of honey helps the medicine go down……”
Rebottle and enjoy! Fire Cider will keep for several months unrefrigerated if stored in a cool pantry. But it’s better to store in the refrigerator if you’ve room.

A small shot glass daily serves as an excellent tonic. Or take teaspoons if you feel a cold coming on.

Take it more frequently if necessary to help your immune system do battle

DIY Ginger Cinnamon Elderberry Syrup

The elder tree is known to many herbalists as a sacred tree. While I’m sure it has its own stories to tell, there’s already an abundance of recorded folklore. In Scandinavian and Danish myths, this tree was thought to be guarded by a forest spirit named Hyldemoer, also known as Elder Mother. Before anything was taken from the tree, it was believed that one must say a certain charm for her permission. While we wish we knew these ancient words, we’re sure a “thank you,” a song of appreciation or a token of gratitude would suffice when carefully collecting its medicinal flowers or berries.

Elder tree flowers and berries are often used in teas, tinctures, jams, jellies and syrups. Traditionally the berries are used to support immune system health. A syrup can easily be made from fresh elderberries (Sambucus nigra) and elder flowers, or you can simply use dried berries like we’ve done here. There are dozens of variations of this traditional syrup recipe, so I urge you to play around with the recipe to see what works best for you. I’ve added in some fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks to give it an extra kick. You could try adding ginger juice if you’d like even more zest!

Ginger Cinnamon Elderberry Syrup

A traditional syrup recipe that’s the perfect gift to support immune health.

Servings: 6-8 (4oz amber bottles)

Time: 1.5 hours

Materials:

large pot
large bowl
large strainer
cheese cloth (to line the strainer)
4 ounce amber bottles, quantity 6-8
labels for your bottles
liquid measuring cup

Ingredients:

3 cups dried elderberries
6 cups water
1-2 large thumbs of ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cups of honey
1/3 cup of high proof alcohol such as vodka (optional)

Directions:

Chop your fresh ginger root up into slices.
Add the ginger, dried elderberries and cinnamon to your large pot.
Then add all 6 cups of your water and bring the mixture to a boil; immediately drop it down to a simmer. Keep the pot mostly covered, with the lid slightly open.
Keep cooking until the mixture has gone down about half-way. This should take you about 30-45 minutes.
Then strain out your mixture using your strainer lined with cheese cloth. Once the berries have cooled down enough, you can try to wring out the cheese cloth to get out all the liquid.
Measure the elderberry liquid, and add it to your large bowl. While it is hot, add in equal parts honey. If you like, you can now add the alcohol, which helps preserve the mixture.
Then you can pour it back, a little bit at a time, into your liquid measuring cup to dispense it into each of the amber dosage bottles.
On the labels, write the name of the syrup and the date you made it. Include a list of all ingredients. You should also note that it needs to be stored in a fridge and used within three months.
Then put it on each of your bottles so you can easily spot it in your home apothecary. Use 1-2 tablespoons several times a day when you’re feeling like you need immune support.

The 4 oz small bottles are the perfect size to be given as gifts to friends or used as holiday stocking stuffers.

This syrup can be used to promote immune system health, or it could be added to holiday cocktails or your New Year’s Eve champagne to add a sweet berry flavor.

Astragalus Miso Immunity Soup

To maintain wellness during the change of seasons, we herbalists eat whole foods and use herbs to promote a healthy immune system. I love using Echinacea, as well as this Astragalus Miso Immunity Soup recipe to keep my immune system fired up and ready to protect itself.

Astragalus root (Astragalus membranaceus) has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to promote wellness by strengthening the wei qi, the energy that circulates on the surface of the body. Known as one of the most useful Chinese herbal tonics, this hearty root is ideal for someone who wants some extra immune support. Western herbalists call this root an adaptogen, which means it helps to bring the body back into balance and to ward off effects of every-day physiological stressors. The mild sweet taste works well alone, or with other medicinal herbs, prepared in soups or as a decoction.

This immune system ally was originally introduced to America in the early 1900s, and thrives as a perennial in temperate climates. Adaptable by nature, this beautiful green herb can grow in very poor soil, but prefers areas with good drainage. Astragalus thrives particularly in North Carolina, as herb farmer Joe Hollis has proved at Mountain Gardens, where he has been cultivating an abundance of medicinal Chinese herbs for almost three decades.

When we are busy or just feeling under the weather, it can be challenging to keep up with cooking healthy meals. But this immunity soup is quick and simple to make. All you will need are some ingredients from your local health foods market and astragalus root from your local herb shop or I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs.

Astragalus Miso Immunity Soup

Fire up your immune system with this simple, medicinal soup.

Servings: 2-3 people

Time: 30 minutes

Materials

Medium-sized pot with lid
Knife and cutting board
Bowls, spoons, and serving materials

Ingredients

4-5 slices of dried astragalus root
1 to 4 inch strip of kombu seaweed
5 shiitake mushrooms, fresh
2-3 Tablespoons red miso paste
4 Tablespoons of freshly chopped green onions
½ bundle of kale, chard or any other dark leafy green
¼ of one 14-oz package of firm tofu, chopped into squares

Instructions

Add 3 1/2 cups of water to your pot. Then add the sliced shiitakes, kombu (rinse and pat dry first) and astragalus.
Allow this mixture to simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. Then remove and compost the kombu and astragalus.
Add miso paste, chopped green onion, tofu, and chopped (or torn) dark leafy greens.
Stir and continue to cook until the miso is dissolved, then serve and enjoy!

By combining the powers of whole foods and herbalism, we’re building strong bodies that are more capable of warding off occasional stress. Adding a bowl of warm soup and a few herbal cups of tea to your daily self-care rituals can boost your immune system and keep you grounded when you need it most. Over time, these seemingly simple acts of self-care deeply nourish our body and spirit, helping us transform into the most vibrant versions of ourselves.

Another lovely recipe using tea bags!…