Threshold Blessings
Plant Medicines for the Well-being of Hearth, Home, and Body
Threshold blessings and simmer pots and sacred baths - oh my! Here are a few very common aromatic plants that you can find in many places (including the grocery store if need be) to support you in honoring nature’s (and your body’s) rhythms of rest and renewal during wintertime. As these particular potions are for external use, you can use them individually or in any combination. The sky is the limit. We’ll share info about the plants first, and then offer instructions on how to make the various preparations.
Yarrow - Achillea Millefoleum - Yarrow is a sound warrior plant on every front: whether warding off flu, clearing infection, staunching the flow of blood, and/or supporting us in the recognition of our own innate sovereignty, Yarrow is our homie! We learn a great deal about a plant from where and how it grows. Yarrow has an exceptionally strong growth pattern and upright stem, teaching us the value of a strong backbone and healthy boundaries. This plant ally helps us to be more conscious, about what we are willing to absorb or take in as we move through our day-to-day lives. Yarrow clears unwanted thoughts, influences, and/or energies, and helps us to recognize what our own personal sacred space actually feels like when unburdened by things that don’t belong there.
Juniper - Juniperus Communus (and many varieties with similar properties across the land) - We could not rightfully do a Wintertime threshold blessing without including some evergreen magic. We chose Juniper because we can find some Juniper species in such widely varied places all access the land. Juniper steams and/or baths are warming, decongesting, and can help nip the onset of infection in the bud. Intensely aromatic, and burned historically and currently as an herb to clear and bless spaces, Juniper supports focus on sound intentions and vibrant well-being of home and body.
Rosemary - Salvia Rosmarinus - Oh, the famous Rosemary - whose name translates to “tears of the sea” is another multi-faceted kitchen medicine. Intensely aromatic, supporting healthy digestion, glossy hair and delicious culinary delights (try blending fresh rosemary leaves into a glaze for sweet Winter confections), even Shakespeare speaks to her magic in honoring that “Rosemary is for Remembrance.” Remembering to take care of ourselves and supporting our loved ones in doing the same, especially at a time of year when we are pulled to ignore the natural desire to slow down, is the greatest gift of all. If you live where you can harvest rosemary while she is flowering, it is that much more the beauty.
Lavender - Lavandula Angustifolia (and many other lovely varieties) - Lavender is a pretty miraculous plant in that the scent is simultaneously uplifting and very calming. Used in teas, infused honeys, confections and even sachets, lavender is notorious for their capacity to calm the mind and settle the nerves. A great pot herb, it is used in simmer pots, for clearing the space after sickness has passed, and when the house needs a good airing out.
To Make a Steam or Simmer Pot
You will need: water for boiling, fresh or dried herbs of your choice, a 4-6 quart sauce/pasta pot, a stove. If you are doing a steam, you’ll need a towel. To prepare for either or both of these potions, bring 4ish quarts of water to boil in a non-reactive pot (enamel, stainless steel, whatevs). Once the water boils, turn off the burner, pop a handful of dried (two of fresh) herbs into the pot, and cover for about ten minutes so that the herbs can infuse in the water. If you are using this as a steam for skin care or respiratory aid (any of these plants are supportive for both), grab a towel, lift the lid, place your face over the pot at a comfortable distance, and make a tent over the lot of it, steam pot and you, and breathe deeply for about ten minutes, or as long as you can stand. If you are using this as a simmer pot for the house (which you can do even after using it as a steam), once the pot has boiled, turn it to a very low simmer and keep it simmering, refilling the pot as needed, for the course of the day. This is a great way to bring lovely scent into your home, clear the air of unwanted germs, and bring humidity into the space.
To Make a Bath or Threshold Blessing
You will need: water for boiling, fresh or dried herbs of your choice, a kettle or pot for boiling water, a quart glass jar, sea salt (quantities vary depending on the amount you are making- read on for clarity). If you want to make a shelf-stable home/threshold blessing potion for yourself or to gift, you will want vodka. I strongly recommend organic ingredients whenever possible.
Mix equal parts dried/fresh plant matter to sea salt and stir vigorously to thoroughly combine ingredients. Use one cup per quart of water. Place one cup of mixture in a quart jar, bring water to a boil, and fill the jar with boiled water. Cover and let infuse for at least an hour and up to overnight.
If you are using this potion as a bath, simply shake vigorously and then strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve into your bathwater.
To use as a home/threshold blessing shake vigorously, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and use as is within a few days to wash down points of entry into your home, especially doorways. If you’d like it to be a shelf stable preparation that will keep for at least a few months and more likely a year, mix equal parts infusion and vodka.
It is helpful to remember that intention is everything. We work in respectful, appreciative relationship with the plants. Thanking them for all they offer and stating what you are asking for help with is a great way to embody that relationship.