Since ancient times, herbal traditions around the world have sought guidance from the cosmos. This year, we’re looking to the centuries-old astrological knowledge of healers, sages and shamans (with help from our herbalists) to offer truly personalized gifts.
This year, we did a fun twist on the traditional gift guide. These are our top picks for 2022, broken down into astrological sections of ideas for treating friends or yourself — hey, you’ve earned it!
Did you know that this time of the year, 38 percent of Americans experience increased stress during the holidays, while only 8 percent say they feel happier. Yet, 60-78 percent of those same survey respondents also reported positive emotions like happiness, love, and high spirits. For many of us, this time of year can be complicated, to say the least.
The American Psychological Association also found that:
- Holiday stress particularly impacts women (the family + logistics planners).
- All genders in the U.S. experience a distinct kind of stress during the holidays.
- Folks worry that work responsibilities may interfere with quality family time.
- “Comfort eating” + other unhealthy behaviors are used to cope with the stress.
Knowing what’s coming up is half the battle. Plant allies are the armor you need to get through the highs and lows of the holiday season. Featuring five of the most potent herbs to calm down, our new Relax Tonic is here just in time for your preventative self-care and (let’s be real) after-care needs. Read on for a bit more about the herbs we’ve handpicked to soothe your nerves now and anytime it’s needed.
Gently relax and ease into deeper slumber with this revered Ayurvedic ally. Its broad spectrum of healing benefits includes: diminishing fatigue, curbing anxiety, promoting mental clarity, helping with depressive moods, and improving sleep quality.
Traditionally used by Native Americans for pain relief, bruises and muscle pain, passionflower combats anxiety, inflammation, and is a mild sedative. It may also relax the nervous system, rid the body of damaging free radicals, and ease nerve-related pain.
Calm and chamomile are often used as synonyms, so soothing is this tea and plant extract. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and its related symptoms have shown in studies to be significantly reduced by long-term use of chamomile extract, which makes this a highly effective herb for relaxing the tummy and curbing inflammation.
This delightful tea has an exquisite smell, and is known to uplift depressive moods. An excellent nervine and companion to more potent hypnotics, lemon balm is also said to be an immune protector with the added benefit of being easy to grow in your garden.
From relaxation to treating internal parasites and insect bites, lavender is a curative herb that cultures all over the world have long treasured. In some studies, evidence has shown that it’s a mood stabilizer and neurological supporter/protector that supports the nervous system in a myriad of ways far beyond its positively transportive scent.
Read more about nervines + adaptogens to instantly calm down on the blog here.
Here’s the best gift for each zodiac elemental, according to our herbalists:
Fire, Earth, Air and Water are the four elements used in Western astrology to classify the 12 zodiac signs into triplicities, or groups of three life-giving sources. This is the foundation of our connections to others, to nature, and the informative link between the cosmos and the elements. These elements also align with tarot cards – it’s all connected ;)
For more in depth information about the plants, herbs, and superfoods that are best for your zodiac sign and the signs of those you love, visit the blog to learn more.
