Fall Equinox Bath Brew

Fall equinox is a hinge day, a day when the year turns the corner and begin its descent into its dark half. From this day forward, the nights will lengthen, leading us into the otherworldy twilight of Samhain’ and the deep dark of winter solstice. As the darkness grows, spirits gather closer, and we feel called to turn within. It becomes easier to enter the Otherworld, where we learn secret truths about ourselves and the spirits. This is a beautiful, rewarding process, but at time it can be challenging or overwhelming, especially for the novice.

So I'd like to share with you three herbs which can help us both open our hearts in celebration of the season and prepare ourselves to do the introspective personal work we're called to do during the dark months. I've chosen herbs which are both easy to grow and easy to purchase on-line or in herb shops, and which are gentle enough to use for almost everyone.

Chamomile: We're all familiar with chamomile's reputation as a relaxation and sleep aid, but magically chamomile is much more than a gentle soother. Chamomile is an herb of abundance and prosperity, used by some modern witches to attract money. What better herb for the celebration of the harvest than a loving comforter who is also a summoner of material abundance? During the celebration of the equinox, chamomile can represent the abundance we are honoring. And as the days darken, they can help us let go of our anxieties about change, relax into the flow of the seasonal shift, and soothe our worries about what we might discover as we move into the dark of the year and into ourselves. (Do be aware that some people are allergic to plans in the asteraceae family and can experience unpleasant reactions to chamomile. If you are prone to plant allergies, you could omit chamomile, or test the infusion on a small patch of skin a day or two before using the the flowers in your bath.)

Rose: rose might seem more fitting for summer celebrations, but consider how the equinox is both a time to express gratitude and a time to prepare ourselves for the inward journey of the dark half of the year. Balance is also a theme of this moment poised between light and darkness. And rose is a hinge plant, swinging the gate between generosity and self-care. The beauty and sweetness of her flowers opens the heart to love and gratitude, helping us to love others and ourselves. But her sturdy canes and hard, sharp prickles empower us to set good boundaries for ourselve AND teach us--sometimes through sharp physical pain--the importance of respecting the boundaries of others. She is an herb of the balanced heart and healthy love. I can't think of a better ally to see us through the dark half of the year with strong, open hearts.

Yarrow, too, is a hinge plant; according to Matthew Wood's Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants, she is considered "both cooling and warming, fluid generating and controlling." Yarrow, it seems, reads the state of the body and gives it what it needs. And in my experience they work the same way metaphysically, helping us enter meditative and trance states more easily or helping us maintain a foothold in our bodies and the physical plane as our spirits wander the other side, as needed. In this way, they are an effective helper for experienced travellers on the astral plane and a valuable ally for beginners to the art of journeying. Yarrow not only opens the doors to other worlds; they also protect us while we are there and help us make our way safely home. I also feel they help us assimilate the sometimes challenging discoveries of the internal landscape or the spirit realm in a way other psychically inclined herbs don't. Yarrow is a wonderful plant for the days between the equinox and Samhain, preparing us for the Otherworld bleeding into the everyday, and helping maintain our balance and a sense of safety as we explore other realities.

There are many ways to work with all three herbs during the darkening season. They can decorate the altar, be made into teas or soaked in wine or liquor to drink during ritual and feasting. They can be burned to prepare the ritual circle, or strewn around its perimeter to delineate sacred space. They can be placed in a bowl and covered in boiling water, and the resultant steam can be inhaled to alter one's mental state. But one of my favorite ways to use these beautiful herbs is in a magickal bath.

This herbal blend is intended as a pre-ritual bath for your fall equinox celebration, or to be used throughout the weeks between the equinox and Samhain to help you transition into the time of journeying and introspection. Dried herbs work best for this preparation.

You will need 

1 part chamomile flowers

1 part rose petals

1 part yarrow flowers (or a combination of flowers and leaves)

Place herbs in the center of a cotton handkerchief or bandana or a washcloth and gather up the corners so the fabric forms a little pouch. Tie it closed with kitchen twine or other natural string. Or use one of those muslin drawsting bags made for bath tea.

Float the bundle of herbs in the tub as you run your bath. As you bathe, use the bag of herbs like a sponge to squeeze herbal water over your face and body. 

To heighten the experience of relaxation and purification prior to ritual, burn candles and/or appropriate incense around the tub.

If you don't have a bathtub or can't take a bath for some reason, make a strong infusion by placing a handful of each herb in a quart jar and pouring boiling water over them until the jar is full. Cover and allow to steep until the jar is comfortably warm to the touch. Then strain out the herbs and return the infusion to the jar. Pour the warm infusion over your body in the shower.

You can also use the infusion as a foot soak, or dip a washcloth in the infusion for a cooling wash. Don't be afraid to use the blend creatively, but remember most infusions are only usable for a few days, even when kept in the refrigerator.

All text and images in this post by Michelle Simkins. Please don't reproduce text or images without permission.

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