~Arium, a lunar apothecary
13 Moon Pantry
Last summer, on a glorious new moon in Cancer, I began a lunar apothecary writing project. I created a 13 Moon Guide on my Ko-Fi page with the new & full moon charts, journal prompts for the chart of the moment and plant medicine suggestions to bring the lunation down into your kitchen. I would update the file each month to have a running 13 Moon guide as we went along, but I did take a rest on the entire project this past month. The rest wasn’t intentional but I also do not regret the pause. The Moon teaches us to wax and wane.
With the upcoming eclipses this month though, I’m realigning how this project with continue and mostly asking myself “do I have anything new to say on food + the moon?”
Yes.
The moon is our bestie, our translator, our ally for the rest of the skies and I find that using the foods & plants that correspond to the astrological moment is practical integration. Drawing down the medicine of the moon through the plants that also follow her guidance is magical practice. This sort of project marries two of my favorite “people’s medicine”: herbalism and astrology. For the skies, you only need to look up (and you don’t have to have vision to have a relationship with the skies). For herbalism, you only need to look down. Both the earth & her plants and the Moon & her skies have ways of teaching us without books, teachers and allows us access to knowledge through their own forms of communication. That being said, I love to teach others about both of these and mostly how to use both of these in a practical way. I don’t believe that memorizing facts is helpful, but rather knowing the stories allows the wisdom to linger longer. That is what this particular writing project was for: sharing some stories and recipes around the plants & foods following along the journey of the moon herself.
~
“Arium” is a suffix speaking of a location or receptacle and that is what this place is: a location or receptacle for astrology & plants, through the movements of the moon.
So, for a complete review of the first 13 Moons in this series, here’s an index of the articles that I wrote last year with the herbs & foods listed, recipes and preparations shared. I will have a revamp of this project, with an updated 13 Moon Guide for download, by the New Moon in Aquarius in a few weeks.
1 Moon: New Moon in Cancer where I wrote about Mugwort, Chamomile, Ginger, Coconut & Apples
2 Moon: Full Moon in Capricorn where I wrote about Milky Oats, Nettle, Lemon Balm, Cucumbers and Papaya
3 Moon: Leo New Moon where I wrote about Hibiscus, Rosehips, Hawthorn, Cinnamon & Turmeric
4 Moon: Aquarius Full Moon where I wrote about Brahmi/Bacopa, Mucuna, Blue Lotus, Bitter Orange, Mango & Dragonfruit
5 Moon: Virgo New Moon where I wrote about Lavender, Triphala, Korean Mint, Black Sesame Seeds, Lychee
6 Moon: Pisces Full Moon where I wrote about Wood Betony, Marshmallow, Gotu Kola, Plantain and Adzuki bean
7 Moon: Virgo New Moon (two Virgo New Moons!) where I wrote about Passionflower, Tulsi, Lion’s Mane, Sweet Orange & Bay
8 Moon: Aries Full Moon where I forgot to write here but shared in the guide about Aloe, Cardamon, Gingko, Goji Berries & Red Dates
9 Moon: Libra New Moon where I wrote about Mullein, Slippery Elm, Chrysanthemum, Ashwaganda and Bone Broth
10 Moon: Full Moon Taurus where I wrote about Gentian, Shatavari, Licorice, Congee and Honey
11 Moon: New Moon Scorpio where I wrote about Elecampane, Maca, Calendula, Red Clover, Artichoke and Milk Thistle
12 Moon: Full Moon Gemini where I wrote about Rosemary, Mint, Basil, Yerba Mate & Guava
13 Moon: New Moon in Sagittarius where I forgot to write here but shared in the guide about raspberry leaf, lemongrass, elderberry, sea buckthorn and daikon
We’ve also since had a Cancer Full Moon (Honey, Juniper, Cannabis, Wintergreen & Acorn Squash) a Capricorn New Moon (Hyssop, Charcoal, Nopales, Nori & Water Chestnuts) and a Leo Full Moon (Linden, Lemon Balm, Lotus Seeds, Wood Betony, Black Pepper)
If you played with all of those herbs (all 80+ of them with a few duplicates) then you built quite an apothecary through the moon in the past 7 months! Pat yourself on your witchy back. If you tried any of the recipes or prompts please let me know! If you have suggestions on your favorite foods, recipes, plants and foods for certain planets, I want to know that too! A shared kitchen makes a warm hearth.
I will return in two weeks under the eclipse energy (for better or worse) to continue this project and hope you will too.
Until then, Happy Brewing! Clean your spice cabinets and apothecaries out for the lunar new year. The spring herbs will be here before you know it!
<3 Christa