Strength and the Hermit, part 4: An Exciting New Project!
Okay, y’all: this is the part of this series that I’ve been so excited to get to!
For the last month or so, I’ve been plugging away on a new project that has given my herbalism product line a wonderful degree of focus and inspiration.
For the foreseeable future, my new products will be guided by the magic within the tarot, zodiac signs, and Celtic Pagan holidays from the Wheel of the Year. It should be no surprise, based on my previous three posts, that I have begun with products that are inspired by the Strength card and the Hermit, and the corresponding signs of Leo and Virgo (respectively).
However, this doesn’t mean that these products will be divorced from the science and wisdom of herbalism. Rather, the cards, signs, and/or holidays inspire me to a depth of research into the herbs that correspond to them, which then inspire me to do a depth of research into the medicinal and magical uses of those herbs. From that point, I will develop recipes for infused oils and herb blends that I will use to create products such as:
Exfoliating salt and sugar scrubs,
Soaps,
Face masks and cleansers,
Herbal blends for pelvic portal steaming (more commonly referred to as yoni steaming),
Tea blends,
Etc.
I already have a range of products prepared for Strength and the Hermit, and have oils infusing for Mabon, the Ace of Swords/Libra, the Page of Cups/Scorpio, and Samhain/High Priestess. Y’all: the magic in these handmade, micro-batch products is out of this world!!!
To give a deeper perspective on the depth of work I’ve put into this process, here’s a rundown of the herbs that I’ve used to embody Strength and the Hermit in their corresponding salt and sugar scrubs:
Strength
Sunflower Oil
Benefits for skin care: Sunflower oil moisturizes without clogging pores, heals and balances for all skin types, offers abundant antioxidants, and helps to heal wounds.
Magical uses: Enhancing intuition, inviting inner guidance, trusting our own path through life, bringing light into even the darkest of times, increasing faith and willingness. Sunflowers are also strongly connected to the sign of Leo.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Benefits for skin care: Olive oil is excellent at removing buildup on your skin, whether from sunscreen, body butters, or good fresh garden soil. It hydrates and protects all skin types, and is soothing to sensitive skin. It also works as an antioxidant and is gently antibacterial, which helps your skin avoid breakouts and stay healthy!
Magical uses: Olives invite light, peace, sensuality, and success. They protect one’s home as well as one’s journey through life. It’s been used in sacred ritual anointing ceremonies for centuries: using it in skincare products connects us to the deep roots of embodied magic.
Calendula
Benefits for skin care: Calendula is full of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers! This is one of the go-to herbal remedies for all things relating to the skin. It is soothing, healing, moisturizing, and cleansing. It also promotes the production of collagen, thereby sustaining soothed, hydrated skin.
Magical uses: Bringing forth positivity and light, providing comfort and love, lifting spirits, easing grief, encouraging playfulness.
Hawthorn
Benefits for skin care: Hawthorn works as a gentle astringent, helping to balance the skin’s moisture levels and tighten skin tone. It also helps to heal sores and alleviate itchiness.
Magical uses: Opening the heart and the heart chakra, removing spiritual and emotional blocks, inviting self-love and connection to our ancestors, helping one clearly perceive where they need to heal and grow.
Mullein
Benefits for skin care: Mullein is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-viral fungicide: as a result, whatever healing your skin may need, mullein is here to offer care and healing!
Magical uses: Sometimes, manifesting our strength can be scary, but no worries: mullein is here to offer her protection! Mullein is an excellent companion for shadow work, and has historically been used at times when the veil between worlds is thin; in fact, mullein has long been used in the candles that are burned during funeral rites. Mullein is here to help you confront and heal from your inner fears so that you can progress into the future with greater freedom, resilience, and tenacity!
Lemon Balm
Benefits for Skin Care: Lemon balm is refreshing and cleansing: it has been used in skin care products for literally centuries! In fact, it is believed to have been one of the main ingredients in Queen of Hungary’s Water; according to legend, Queen of Hungary’s water was developed in the 1300s by an alchemist to maintain the Queen’s youthful appearance. It also works as a topical antiviral treatment, although it is shown to be most effective in highly concentrated preparations.
Magical Uses: Inviting abundance and joy, promoting emotional wellness and equanimity, bringing peace and acceptance, supporting one during changes and transitions, inviting spiritual growth, increasing the focus of meditation and spiritual practices.
Rose
Benefits for skin care: Rose petals are antioxidant and hydrating; they also help smooth and soothe skin while reducing redness and excess oil production. Another great benefit of rose petals is they help your skin maintain its natural pH level while preventing acne breakouts. Plus, it’s a gentle astringent, so it will help moisturize your skin while simultaneously helping your pores stay clean and tight. Need yet another reason to use rose on your skin? In addition to all that I’ve already mentioned, rose can help heal sunburns, too!
Magical uses: Providing protection, opening our eyes to beauty, bringing forth love and passion, lifting spirits, allaying grief and loss, preparing us for new chapters in our lives, healing troubles and old wounds, opening the heart, and restoring faith and joy.
Lemon Zest
Benefits for skin care: Lemon is a natural antiseptic, so it is lovely for healing minor skin irritations. It also helps heal and prevent acne and blackheads, calm dry skin, reduce oily skin, and soothe chapped skin.
Magical uses: Lemon invites love into our hearts, protection to our bodies and spirits, and happiness into our minds. Lemons help us shed negative energy and beliefs, open ourselves spiritually, and discover clarity about the best path forward.
Evaporated Cane Juice, Demerara Sugar, and Brown Sugar:
Benefits for skin care: Sugar is a wonderful exfoliator, but that’s not all that it offers to your skin! It helps your skin absorb the hydration offered by the infused oils in this scrub while also helping cleanse your pores, thereby preventing breakouts and other unpleasantries.
Magical uses: Sugar sweetens, sugar soothes, and sugar helps things stick together. This is true literally, but also magically: sugar is here to offer you the gift of gentle love, calm equanimity, and tender persistence for you along your path through life.
The Hermit
Grapeseed Oil
Benefits for skin care: As with so many of the ingredients I select for my skincare products, grapeseed oil is antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It also treats breakouts while making skin softer and improving skin elasticity. Furthermore, it helps “seal” the moisture and emollient qualities of the other ingredients into your skin, allowing them to penetrate to create a lasting moisturizing impact.
Magical uses: Connecting with the moon and the element of water, strengthening one’s mental fortitude, summoning prosperity, inviting fertility (not just of your body, but also of your goals and mind).
Lemon Balm
Benefits for Skin Care: Lemon balm is refreshing and cleansing: it has been used in skin care products for literally centuries! In fact, it is believed to have been one of the main ingredients in Queen of Hungary’s Water; according to legend, Queen of Hungary’s water was developed in the 1300s by an alchemist to maintain the Queen’s youthful appearance. It also works as a topical antiviral treatment, although it is shown to be most effective in highly concentrated preparations.
Magical Uses: Inviting abundance and joy, promoting emotional wellness and equanimity, bringing peace and acceptance, supporting one during changes and transitions, inviting spiritual growth, increasing the focus of meditation and spiritual practices.
Chamomile
Benefits for skin care: Humble chamomile boasts some big benefits! It is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. It helps clear up acne, evens skin tone, soothes and moisturizes dry skin, provides relief from eczema and psoriasis, and basically just helps your skin glow and heal in all possible ways!
Magical uses: Inviting love, encouraging feelings of bliss, easing stress and anxiety, alleviating overwhelming emotions, healing one’s inner wounds, amplifying peaceful and healing energies.
Thyme
Benefits for Skin Care: Thyme is a soothing gift for your skin! It eases dryness; provides healing to acne, rashes, cuts, and scars; minimizes itchiness; and works as an antifungal and antiseptic. It is also replete with antioxidants, thereby helping skin stay happy and healthy.
Magical uses: Opening the gates between worlds, clearing negative energies, bringing peace, supporting renewal, elevating one’s magical practice, providing confidence in your magical abilities, cleansing your psyche, improving divination, enhancing memory, bringing forth courage.
Fennel seeds
Benefits for Skin Care: Fennel seeds are rich in antioxidants that can smooth skin and help prevent damage from free radicals. Fennel can also help clear pores and prevent itchiness, while its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties can help skin stay healthy.
Magical Uses: Strengthening and protecting your spiritual energies and pursuits, clearing away stagnant and negative energy, releasing unskillful behaviors and habits, manifesting authenticity, giving strength and conviction to your words and communication.
Star Anise
Benefits for Skin Care: The oil from anise seeds has been used to provide gentle pain relief due to rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, and poor circulation. It also has antiseptic and antimicrobial qualities that can help keep skin healthy. Furthermore, it can be used as an effective insect repellent, so using this scrub before going outside may minimize your chances of being bitten by pesky mosquitoes!
Magical Uses: Sharpening psychic abilities, cleansing unneeded and unhelpful energies, inviting serendipitous occurrences, purifying, protecting, aiding with divination.
Epsom Salt
Benefits for Skin Care: Contrary to their name, Epsom salts aren’t really salt: they are a compound of magnesium and sulfate. When Epsom salts are dissolved in water, they break down into these components, which allows your body to absorb the magnesium through your skin. Epsom salts have traditionally been used to help with a wide variety of concerns, including: arthritic pain, swelling and inflammation, sprained and/or stiff joints, muscle pain, insomnia, psoriasis, sunburn, easing stress and anxiety, and relieving foot pain.
Magical Uses: Purifying your body and home, amplifying blessings, releasing energies and beliefs that are no longer needed.
Dead Sea Salt
Benefits for Skin Care: Dead sea salts are naturally high in magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, sulpher, and calcium. It brings all the benefits of Epsom salts, plus additional relief for concerns such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin allergies, muscle cramps, poor circulation, and eczema.
Magical Uses: Offering protecting, cleansing energies, aiding peace and relaxation, breaking one’s connection to negative energies/people/situations.
Each of these cards also have a corresponding handmade bar soap and portal steam blend. PLUS, the Hermit has a corresponding face mask, while Strength has a corresponding facial cleanser.
We’re still plugging along at getting all of these products up on our Etsy shop, so check back there often to get them as soon as they’re released! You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to be the first to know when they’re posted.
Do you have any tarot cards that you’d love for me to make an herbal blend for? Let me know! And, if you haven’t already, check out the previous posts in this series!
