Nature Support For March
March feels like excavating and exfoliating. The analogy that comes to heart is this month feels like the part of one’s skincare routine that reflects the exfoliation process. Of delving into luxurious hair masks, face clay masks, and even layering the face with quality nourishing serums. Reminds me of the process of collecting all the ingredients and baking a cake from scratch. Giving our bodies permission to rest when we feel it’s needed and to be action oriented this month when we feel the call. Preparing and prepping the body for the new year (all is anew in the spring). Caring for what is while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the fruits that are yet to come. For fruits that are in arm's reach and the seeds that will ultimately bring a bounty for generations to come.
Reading books, journaling, making infused floor washes, floral baths, incense making, (working with dirt and clay, think of sowing seeds, pottery and painting) could all be nourishing this month.
Colors that may be helpful to work with this month: lilac purple, periwinkle, sea foam green, cerulean blue, baby powder pink, light yellow and reds (whichever shade of passion red calls you)
Elements for the month:
Amethyst and Clear Quartz
Fire: Fire is connected to our strength, life force and our ability to empower ourselves. Fire is also deeply rooted within nature as an element that is purifying and is a vessel for creating momentum within us and a desire to create. It is inherent that within this element we feed our own fire , cultivate an atmosphere of receptivity, release perceived illusions and self imposed limitations. Fire clears the feeling of stuffiness and stagnation. Yes, even our feelings of “not wanting to do something” and prolonging one’s process by way of apprehension or self doubt.
The Medicine Wheel this month has been really helpful to work with as a learning and teaching tool.
The medicine wheel and my own relationship with the four directions inform of this: The Direction of the south is one that represents our willpower, inner child, and emotional lives. The South has a hand in our social lives, carries the rascal of jealousy, fire as teacher and relationships being about rights and what are our rights. All four directions teach humans the four essential elements that are important to any kind of relationships we establish and foster. Within the South the essential element within relationships is rights. We have a right to live on the land, to be on the land, to harvest on the land and raise our families on the land and to be educated/taught by the land..etc. At the same time we have a deep responsibility to the land. The direction of the North essential element within relationships is our responsibility to the land. Within the medicine wheel there is also respect and reciprocity. We have a responsibility to take care of the land, not litter, not to pollute the land/water/air. To be caretakers and not just takers. We have a responsibility to teach one another and remind one another when we forget. For every right COMES WITH their own responsibilities. I bring this up because this month and this year is already showing us that we have responsibilities within our communities and inner circles. That in our respect and reciprocity for the land may it be a reminder to respect one another and our minds and bodies. To seek the ability to respond from Soul and weight the truth to use equality with Justice. To begin to tap into how to foster personal integrity, ethics and values to find healing solutions even when we may not agree. To respect your own experiences, accept your own Truth and accept the experiences you encounter in life. Heal your own stuff and trust that others can do the same thing.
To build and Be spaces of Love, Humility, Gratitude, Compassion, and Grace even when we don’t know the full picture of a situation. Being in the circle of life we as humans are not more important than any other animals. That no matter how hard or scary it gets in our external lives “out there” that it is imperative that we look within and nourish within. We are caretakers of the earth AND caretakers of our inner gardens (Your entire being). So be mindful of what you consume and intake in your body, mind, and heart. We are all a part of the same circle and it is our responsibility to understand that, appreciate that and teach that.
Animal for the month:
Turtle: reminder to stay grounded and even when we are in fear that no matter what is going on around us Mother Earth provides and helps us. We are home in our bodies and within our lives here on the land. The shell of a turtle shows us that earth mother gave us the first lunar calendar to remind us our interconnectedness with the rhythms of nature, the moon and all of life. The shell of a turtle has 13 sections within it like the lunar calendar. We are home (within and without) so no matter where you go you belong and were planned for and wanted.
Rabbit: “Rabbit people are worn out from their constant fear of catastrophe and sickness. The lesson of the rabbit is to recognize one’s own fears and to give it away to the Earth and to the Universe.” Pg. 101
When there is a focus only on the external world, misfortunes and fears our inner reservoirs are hijacked. Hijacked momentarily by overwhelm, judgement and experiences from the past (survival/trauma). We temporarily lose connection with our inner strength, clarity, ability to hold nuisance, ability to see all of life from a regulated nervous system. When we let in more rabbit/hare medicine we see and learn that we can allow in more sweetness, innocence and gentleness within our bodies. We can stay connected to our power, intuition and creative abundance.
Quote credit: Secret Medicines from your Garden, Plants for Healing, Spirituality, and Magic by Ellen Evert Hopman
Gentle Self Inquiry & Exercise: How can you lean more into the medicines and wisdom of the rabbit and the turtle? Read the following exercise a few times over then start. Close your eyes and breathe deeply 2x through your nose and exhale out your mouth. Do this in 3 repetitions. Once finished..imagine a big screen in front of you and it is replaying a time this month where you felt overwhelmed, distraught or in fear by something that occurred. Begin journaling about it and all that you notice. Once you are finished allow yourself to imagine that you walk through a door and find yourself in your favorite spot in nature. (Remember there is no judgement. Be who you are.) Once you are there begin giving those fears and overwhelming thoughts and situation to grandfather fire. Allow yourself to enjoy your nature spot. Once you are complete give thanks to the fire and any other elements, animals (maybe the turtle and rabbit were there) and ancestors who were there. Find yourself walking down a trail and back through the door you came through in the beginning.
Herbs and Flowers of the Month:
Stinging Nettle: Personally I have been drinking two cups of nettle a few times a week. Each time I collaborate with this plant spirit teacher I feel rejuvenated and revitalized. It feels like a plant that is a health tonic which nourishes our body and energizes our entire bodily system. Nettles are antihistamines and a nice alternative to allergy medications. Nettles are great for warm teas, cold infusions, soups, sautéed with other veggies and some even added to omelets and quiche.
They are very prickly and can be itchy if pricked so be sure to handle them with care and wear gloves if you are harvesting fresh nettles next month. Rinse under cold water until all of the “sting” disappears.
To make the tea: Add three tablespoons of fresh chopped nettle or one tablespoon of dried nettle in a fresh cup of boiled water for 2-8 minutes. Drink a quarter cup 4 times a day.
Nettles thermal and moisture properties: Dry and Hot. Historically it has been a plant added to hair teas to reduce shedding and thinning. It can have a drying effect so you may want to use less if you already have a dry or flaky scalp. This herb also has a history of enhancing blood flow after labor, taken for overdue pregnancies, headaches and used in the sweat lodge for rheumatic and joint pain.
I also felt more social and action oriented with this companion. As if I can really tune into my passions and projects. Fun fact: Nettles can be a Tonic for the Kidneys. In Chinese Traditional Medicine Kidneys are associated with fear. Fear can arise from being in the midst of a transition in our life, change in relationships and unstable employment/home life..etc etc. There can even be fright or an adjustment period when we are shedding old layers of ourselves and receiving glimpses of what’s now possible of our lives. Transformation can feel scary. So don’t water that down AND remember there are plants that can support in walking through that liminal space. We have noticed a lot of disorientation AND received clarity on the new version of ourselves that is ready to be birthed this month within the collective, political system, city level and within our personal lives. Nettles “sting” teaches up to be courageous in the face of fear, to tap into our inner empowerment, how to establish and foster healthy boundaries and adapting to change.
Oatstraw: This month I worked with oatstaw/rosemary/nettle in a glycerite that my mom made last year. I noticed the oat straw is really supportive with balancing, vitality building and calming down/strengthening the nervous system. Oats are high in magnesium, calcium, iron, and an excellent source of vitamin B complex/E/K/A/C, folic acid, potassium and protein. I hear it is also very delicious and an excellent ally to assist with stress, anxiety, fatigue, emotional stability, joint health, poor nutrition, and cerebral function. I am looking forward to working with it more this year and building more of a refined and quality connection with this companion. So that I may speak to its teaching and share its wisdoms.
You can also work with oats in a bath, poultice, teas (dried oat straw or milky oat tops), flower essence and tincture. Great ally for mothers and children. May this powerful ally remind you that it is okay to tune into the cycles of your body, that ease and pleasure is wellness and that you are deeply supported no matter what life brings you. Our work (what you may deem a Job in the world) can truly be fulfilling & multiply when we know it from the lens of it being our true calling and purpose work and not simply going with it as a means of surviving. That is where true satisfaction can be experienced clearly.
Roses: Tender of the Heart and Remembrance of Divine Love. Promotes a magnetism toward community, friendships and adding more beauty within my life. With their aromatic fragrant and cooling/soothing qualities teaches and embody the qualities of joy and connection while nurturing our hearts and souls as we embrace seasonal changes and honor the the Divine spark within ourselves and our relationships.
*Featured photo is by artist Annie Harmman. All other photos I unfortunately don’t know who are the artist/photographers. They were found via Pinterest.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article. Each and every one of you matter and is needed in the world. If there was something that resonated with you or was an “Ah-ha” moment in this blog post please share in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! Take good care and journey with elevated awareness this month as you deepen in community and fuel your inner fire & Truth. Receive. Receive. Receive. See you soon.
If you enjoyed reading the nature support for march consider sharing these potent teachers and medicines with a friend.