Blackthorn's Botanical Wellness: A Green Witch's Guide to Self-Care

By Amy Blackthorn

“Every word of Blackthorn’s Botanical Wellness is carefully thought out and deeply impactful, as Blackthorn offers in-depth information about all of the ways plants and other allies can help us care for ourselves, especially if we are among the traumatized and cast aside. There’s no spiritual bypassing here—just an ever-sweet and profoundly informative book that will throw a considerable, necessary punch into your wellness routine.” —Cassandra Snow, author of Lessons from the Empress: A Tarot Workbook for Self-Care and Creative Growth
 
“The best life starts within, looking outward,” writes Amy Blackthorn in this simultaneously practical and personal guide to wellness and healing. Blackthorn, a master herbalist, aromatherapist, and prolific author, explores methods of wellness management using both mystical and mundane tools and techniques.
 
Amy’s book features essential oils, plants, meditation, tarot, astrology, and personal sigils tailored to your own specific needs and circumstances. She also describes her own journey to well-being and shares the lessons she’s learned, including how to develop healthy mind-body habits and to stop relying on fear and shame-based rituals for self-care that ultimately produce results that are the very opposite of what is desired. Instead, Blackthorn’s Botanical Wellness supplies holistic solutions that enable you to lead your best life.

According to Blackthorn, self-care isn’t “me, first”; it’s “me, too.” In clear, accessible, friendly language, Blackthorn’s Botanical Wellness teaches the skills to put these important lessons into practice.

• Find tools for managing health, chronic illness, and self-care
• Create a lunar self-care calendar
• Embrace the emotional well-being of aromatherapy
• Work with plant spirit allies
• Empower yourself with spells and rituals

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781633412644

Book preview

Self-Sovereignty and Magical Wellness

Blackthorn's Botanical Wellness seeks to share tools for managing health, chronic illness, and self-care, embracing the emotional well-being of aromatherapy, tips on talking to family about boundaries and delegating help around the home, and connecting to botanical allies that can work with us in a variety of ways. This is a book of hope. This book tells us that there are specific things we can embrace for our own wellness.

Why should you trust what you find here? I know firsthand how stress and burnout can aff ect our physical health, our mental health, and our overall wellbeing. I also know the challenges of navigating our society with a chronic condition and the fatigue this can cause. As a witch of over twenty-five years, I can further speak to caretaking in the Pagan community while being chronically ill. I know witchcraft and how it can be put to practical use for our wellness needs, and I have the benefit of getting to take all of you lovely souls on this journey with me.

Being a practicing witch means being the ruler of your own realm. It's challenging to answer to no other authority but your own, but I won't lie, it can also be pretty great. I get to choose what I wear, or don't, or if I want cereal for dessert or popcorn for breakfast. What is difficult are the decisions that have to be made on a daily basis. Decision fatigue aside, each new experience can bring a wonder of opportunity as well as new chances for stress. It's as though we are walking through our days with a beautifully ornate coin, and at each turn, we flip that coin to see if this will be an enriching experience or a draining one. With each new drain, we need to figure out how to draw in more enriching experiences for equilibrium.

In choosing to experience the magic that life has to offer, we open ourselves to so many more enriching incidents that we never would have noticed otherwise. It's just one of the reasons that magic is always lingering on the edges of popular culture and undergoes a renaissance every few decades. In my teen years, everyone had their own member of The Craft coven that they wanted to be. Then it was which Charmed character or member in the coven of American Horror Story we aligned with. (The popularity of witchcraft can be seen throughout the media arts for the last hundred years. For more on this, check out Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television by Heather Greene.) The pitfalls of trying to live up to these media representations occur for witches, just as they do for all communities.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown and, in this case, that's you. Selfsovereignty doesn't just mean that you call the shots in your home and your life, it means that the stresses and responsibilities are yours as well. There's no one to blame but ourselves—and that can be a heavy price to pay.

Nearly twenty years ago, I had an experience with life-altering impact. I broke most of the bones in my body and spent years in and out of hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and physical therapy, not to mention so many surgeries. Three weeks into my initial six-month hospital stay, I was told I'd never walk again. To say that I moved into the town of Denial (population: me) is an understatement. I didn't immediately burst into Mary Poppins-like song, bluebirds didn't do my hair for me, and I didn't shake the doctor's hand and thank him for his time. No, I didn't escape into an optimistic fairy tale. Instead, I told him he had no idea what he was talking about and set out to prove him wrong.

The kinds of circumstances that make strong people are not kind or gentle ones. They are usually a baptism by fire. They burn away the parts of ourselves— and often some of our closest relationships—that no longer serve the new view of ourselves. We are honed, polished to the fiercest point, and born anew. We are reborn every time we have a new set of circumstances. Remember: if the last, most-awful thing didn't kill us, this new one won't either. There's an old Buddhist saying, made popular by Haruki Murakami: Pain is inevitable, misery is optional. It's not a trite slogan to paint on the wall (or maybe it is—you do you), but that doesn't make it less true.

I'm certainly not telling you that there weren't—and aren't—days when I hurt and cry and am miserable to be around. It's normal and human to grieve the things we feel that we've lost, and may still lose. My doctors tried on three separate occasions to amputate my left leg, and three times I fought them for more time, more care, and more agency. I may still one day lose it. Our daily struggles can feel like they take away so much, but there are still so many things that they cannot. Humans are resilient creatures. We long for the connection of others—even if it's only through the magic of the internet—and we desire to help others, especially when we have lived similar experiences. I truly believe that for each thing tragedy, illness, and loss take from us, there are newer experiences to fill those gaps.

One of those things that stress, illness, and fatigue cannot take away is magic. The knowledge that we can create change in our world is invaluable to someone with difficult life circumstances. It's a funny thing how quickly we must become experts regarding our own self-care. Everyone from new doctors to the lady in the checkout line in the grocery store presents themself as an expert in our lived experience. They know what herbs to try, what wonders yoga can offer, and the latest it trend in nutrition that is going to miraculously fix us.

Here's the thing, though: we aren't broken. It can feel like it sometimes, even for long stretches of time while recovering from the stress and worry du jour. But it just isn't true. I won't tell you how to feel about whatever you are dealing with, but I can tell you: you aren't broken. I'll write you a note if you need it, but you are not broken. Even if some of those factory parts of yours aren't exactly still under warranty, that isn't a value judgment on you. You are still an amazing human and deserve the best life has to offer.

The best life starts within, looking outward.

Wellness, Not Health

Let's be honest: messages around being healthy can also bring a lot of baggage. If we are thin, people admonish us to eat more so we can be healthy. The reverse is also true; we're told that if we're too heavy, we should eat less. We get this from doctors, infomercials, and well-meaning friends. If we don't fit in with the norms promoted, that can leave us feeling judged or fearing judgment—for our bodies, our eating habits, our stress responses. Healthy, in absolute terms, may not be an attainable goal for some, but that doesn't mean that we are any less deserving of a happy, full life. You are not your productivity. You are not your income-to-debt ratio. You are not less than if you are neurodivergent or experiencing mental health issues.

Those of us who have chronic illnesses, chronic pain, and other issues will never be 100 percent healthy. It's just not the way our bodies are going to work. And those with chronic pain, the chronically ill, and the disabled do not owe anyone their medical history. Everyone deserves to be seen as a person and not as a stereotype or the picture a stranger has in their head. We come in all sizes, shapes, races, and ability levels.

So let's set aside the pressure to get healthy, and instead free ourselves to find wellness on our own terms—whatever that looks like for us.

Myths about Wellness and Self-Care

In the landscape of wellness, there are many hills, valleys, and the occasional sinkhole. So let's start off by clarifying our terms and dispelling some myths that we may be using to make our lives harder and pass judgment on ourselves.

Myth #1

I showered today. There's my self-care.

THE REALITY

When we label our daily care tasks as self-care, we can sometimes internalize the message that we need to earn our bathing, eating, or sleeping. There is a difference between a shower and a bath for self-care after all, and that is in the eye of the beholder. Jumping in the shower has a different logistical feel to it than filling the tub with a favorite bubble bath or magical bath infusions or flowers. (I keep a wire strainer to gather up the pretty bits that would clog the drain before I pull the plug, or if I'm using dried herbs, I tuck them into a knee-high stocking and tie it off before tossing it into the bath to infuse.)

We should also consider that while bathing does fall under essential daily care, not everyone is capable of completing this task so easily. For some, showering isn't one act; it's several. First, I let the water warm up. Then I have to grab a towel. I have to get undressed. Then I get in the shower. I then have to jump back out because I forgot I was wearing glasses—only every day for the last twenty-odd years! I'm sure you can extrapolate the rest. So for someone dealing with chronic issues, the time and energy to navigate this task become a more complicated situation.

Let's recognize that both daily care essentials and self-care for mental health are essential for our well-being. Then let's give ourselves permission to take the time for ourselves to make them happen.

Myth #2

The best indicator of health is BMI.

THE REALITY

This trend of trying to tie health to body mass is so damaging. Eating disorders are increasingly prevalent due to the unreasonable message that skinny is healthy or skinny is pretty. If your eating is disordered, there are many places and organizations to help if you're able to reach out. Be gentle with yourself.

Myth #3

Organic is the only way to be healthy.

THE REALITY

In the United States, the word organic has a very specific legal definition. It doesn't mean that any produce, meat, or dairy is completely free of outside interference from the farmer. The US Department of Agriculture specifies that no prohibited materials be used and that the land be free from prohibited material use for three years prior to being certified. The farmer signs a waiver allowing someone from the USDA to make surprise inspections at any time— including 3 a.m. if that is needed—and the farmer pays for the privilege of using the word organic in their literature and any advertising. The list of prohibited materials includes some pesticides and fertilizers, but not all of them. Not only that, but some small farm operations simply can't afford the cost of entry. They can't use that O word without paying for the privilege.

Instead of asking, Is this organic? get to know your local farmers. Hit up farmers markets and talk to people. Engage with your neighbors. You can ask the farmer what they put on their crops, if anything. (Chemicals are also expensive; they might not use any.) You might make some new friends in the process.

Because of the large up-front expenditures for establishing a farm as an organic entity, the costs for organic foods are higher than traditional farming methods. Organic farming leads to larger crop losses and higher instances of socalled ugly fruits and vegetables that are harder to sell. The farmers save on the cost of the chemicals that are on the banned list, but the lost income for problematic fruits and vegetables still needs to be taken into account. All of these factors come into play when farmers are pricing their materials.

So, when deciding what is best for you and your family, take these costs into account. If you can't afford to eat organic regularly, what is the best use of your time and prosperity? Due to the way toxins accumulate as you move up the food chain—something called bioaccumulation in the food cycle—if you can't afford all organic fruits and veggies, the best option is organic dairy and meats if you consume them. Picture a cow just living her cow life, eating the food she is given. The longer the cow lives, the more she eats. And whatever chemicals are in her food are being stored in her muscles and will be evacuated from her body through milk production. If the cow is fed an organic diet, great. Nothing extra will go into the milk, cream, or butter. But if she is fed a conventional diet that has been treated with pesticides and other chemicals, or given hormones, the longer the cow lives, the more toxins will build up to be potentially transferred into the milk, cream, or butter to be passed on to us.

Self-Advocacy with Magic

One of the hardest things about dealing with the idea of wellness—or health in general—is giving ourselves permission to ask for help, permission to speak up for ourselves and to be vulnerable. All of these things can be incredibly difficult, no matter your age, but race, social inequity, and trauma can certainly play a large role. If you have one of these factors working against your physical, mental, or spiritual health, it can feel like an uphill battle. But we all deserve access to health care, including mental health, vision, and dental services.

In the United States at least, lack of access to qualified mental, physical, or dental care has fueled interest in alternative medical treatments like aromatherapy, herbalism, and flower therapy. As an aromatherapist and an herbalist, I love that people are giving themselves access to tools outside the traditional care model of the US health care system, but please do be careful. There are unscrupulous people out there just waiting for those who desperately just want to feel like themselves again. Pay attention to both pitches that seem too good to be true and ingredients employed, and don't discount the expertise of the scientific medical community.

Warning Signs

If this product claims to cure you, that's a red flag.

If the sales pitch includes the words, But wait! There's more! it's a red flag.

It probably stands to reason if it's being sold during an infomercial at two o'clock in the morning, it's probably a red flag. A lot of these products are usually designed to help the disabled, those in pain, and the mobility impaired. Just listen to their claims with a bucket of salt, as opposed to a grain. If magnets cured arthritis, professional athletes would be implanting them daily.

Trauma and Forgiveness

(Content warning: discussion of sensitive topics including crimes against persons. Skip to the next bold section heading if you're uncomfortable with discussions of these topics. Honor your energy as you see fit.)

There is a common theme in Western culture when interacting with those who know you are on a journey to center yourself in your wellness. The common thread is talk about forgiveness, because, at least in the United States, forgiveness is regarded as the be-all and end-all of emotional healing. It's as if, by some miracle, the trauma evaporates with the phrase I'm sorry. Even if it is the sincerest apology in the history of people being wrong, there are some things that forgiveness can't or won't heal. There are things that are simply unforgivable. If the perpetrator of those actions doesn't have remorse, then telling someone to forgive them just perpetuates the idea that, even as a victim of a crime, your own voice or feelings have no weight or bearing on the situation.

But forgiveness is for you, not them. You're just putting down a heavy load. This is a very thinly veiled demand from the speaker to Please just stop talking about this. It makes me uncomfortable to think about scary/bad things. Instead of the support of I hear you, and I see you, it silences victims—and it's not okay. It robs victims of agency, and since they've already had their agency violated by their perpetrator, these well-meaning forgiveness police are doubling down on their injury.

As a child, I was the victim of a sexual predator, and contrary to the Stranger Danger propaganda we were taught at the time, he was not a stranger. He was someone who had ingratiated himself with my parents in order to have access to their children. Child predators groom parents as much as they groom children because they want to get close to children while being above suspicion. They choose jobs associated with public trust for access to more victims anytime they desire them. Being bullied into forgiving a child predator as an elementary school-aged child with no real concept of forgiveness is really damaging. It tells the child that their actual feelings about their circumstances don't matter; the only thing that matters is if the perpetrator is sorry or remorseful. The implication is that the feelings of the aggressor are more important than those of the victim, and it needs to stop.

For me, a week to the day after it happened, his wife called my mother on the phone to tell her He's sorry. He didn't mean to hurt anyone. Can you forgive him? It turns out that a week to the day after my assault, me telling my mother about it, and going to the police, he had had a heart attack, a pretty serious one. My mother came to my room to tell me these things. I don't know why. Perhaps she thought it would give me closure—that and the single therapy session I was allowed to attend. All better now. (Announcer voice-over: It was not all better.) For the people who are able to forgive and forget, or even simply forgive, that is beautiful and I commend you. Survivors of violent attacks, abuse, and so many other trespasses get up every morning and battle the things that our bodies and brains remember. Telling them that their trauma is just a load they can put down anywhere is damaging, infantilizing, and silencing. It tells them that their trauma, feelings, and experiences make them difficult to be around. As a former friend once said, Forgiveness is for things that don't matter. ‘Oh, I'm sorry, I got spaghetti sauce on your sweater. How can I make this right?’ The life-altering impact of violent attacks, sexual assault, attempted murder, completed murder—those aren't things that we just get over.

There are beautiful humans who have been able to offer forgiveness to their perpetrators through extraordinary circumstances and devotion. But I am here to tell you: the big secret to healing isn't forgiveness. It's knowing that you can heal on your own terms with the tools you build for yourself. The big secret is that you can heal without ever forgiving anyone because your healing gets to be about you.

The Healing Power of Rest

Whether you are battling a chronic illness or being overcommitted in your daily life and neglecting your own care in favor of others’, the benefits of proper rest cannot be overstated. Our bodies are complex machines that do miraculous things, from creating new life to lifting a car off a toddler after an accident. No matter how incredible these feats, however, we rely on the magical healing power of sleep. It is only while we are asleep that we can truly heal the damage that we inflict on ourselves being on the go or working three jobs or taking care of friends and family. The benefits of rest don't stop at wound healing, though. There is a reduction in stress and anxiety, and it can help the body recover from chronic pain as well as new wounds.

One of the first things to go when we're exhausted is our immune response. And if we are neglecting our rest, we may also be neglecting to eat in the way that is best for us, whether that's because we don't have the time, energy, or focus to prepare meals that will benefit our health, or can't afford the cost of good nutrition, or are battling food insecurity, or living in a food desert. Sleep helps to improve immunity function as well as resetting our mood and blood pressure, which can help us face our other daily challenges.

Pushing ourselves to the brink of a breakdown is the hallmark of hustle culture, and it is toxic and damaging to our health, especially for those of us who are already immunocompromised, have a chronic condition, or are attempting to manage accommodations for neurodivergence or a mental health challenge. We deserve better. We deserve rest and the ability to reset after days, weeks, and months of staying on top of it all. Frankly, we deserve rest because we are human and need it to function. We don't have to do anything to deserve the care and attention that come