Winter herbs and food for the soul

Winter is a time to hunker down, snuggle up, and nourish the body with seasonal, warming, delicious foods. Here are some easy recipes to make for your family and friends.

As the crisp air of winter wraps around us, it’s the perfect time to explore the magic of herbs and how they can enhance our intentions during this introspective, cold, and dark season. Herbs are not just for cooking; they carry metaphysical properties that can support our spiritual journey, especially in the heart of winter. Let’s look at three common household herbs and their magical properties, and how you can incorporate them into your daily life.

Cinnamon: The Fiery Companion

Cinnamon is my go-to herb, a staple in my kitchen, and a constant in my winter rituals. As a Sagittarius, I resonate with its fiery nature, embracing the Ayurvedic concept of ‘like for like.’ Cinnamon is a powerhouse for igniting that inner fire, supporting root energy healing, and consciously creating an abundant life. Each morning, a sprinkle of cinnamon in my coffee sets my intentions for the day, and in the evening, it’s a comforting addition to my tea or a chocolate collagen drink. It’s like a warm, spicy hug, reminding me of my strength and potential.

Metaphysical Properties:

1. Ignites Passion and Creativity: Perfect for those winter days when you need a spark of inspiration.

2. Root Chakra Healing: Grounds you and connects you to your sense of security and stability.

3. Attracts Abundance: Encourages prosperity and success in your endeavors.

Other Magical Winter Herbs

1. Rosemary: This herb is a winter wonder, known for its protective qualities and memory enhancement. It’s also associated with love and remembrance, making it perfect for winter, a time of reflection and connection.
2. Metaphysical Properties: Protection, mental clarity, and love.
3. Use in a Sachet: Carry rosemary for protection during travels or to enhance memory.
4. Thyme: A herb of courage and purification, thyme is wonderful for clearing negative energies and promoting bravery during the darker months.
5. Metaphysical Properties: Courage, purification, and healing.
6. Use as an Essence: Place thyme in your living space to purify the air and promote a courageous spirit.

Three Ways to Use Herbs in Winter

1. For Consumption: Incorporating herbs into your meals or drinks is a delicious way to absorb their energies. Whether it’s cinnamon in your morning beverage, rosemary in your soup, or thyme in your stew, each herb adds its unique magic to nourish your body and spirit.
2. Sewn into a Sachet or Magical Poppet: Create a small sachet or poppet filled with herbs to carry with you or place under your pillow. This can be a powerful way to keep the herb’s energy close, providing protection, healing, or whatever intention you set.
3. As an Essence: Sometimes, just the essence of an herb is enough. Place dried herbs in a bowl on your altar or in your living space, allowing their scent and energy to permeate your home. It’s a subtle yet powerful way to align with their magic.

Embracing Herb Magic

Embracing the magic of herbs in daily rituals is a simple and effective way to weave enchantment into your everyday life. Whether it’s through consumption, crafting sachets, or simply enjoying their essence, herbs offer a beautiful way to connect with nature’s wisdom and enhance our intentions. From the fiery warmth of cinnamon to the protective embrace of rosemary and the courageous spirit of thyme, each herb brings its unique magic to our winter days.

Brew that cinnamon-spiced drink, sew a little sachet of rosemary, or let the essence of thyme fill your home. Embrace the magic of herbs and let their energies support you through the winter season.

Holiday Warming Teas

Warming Hibiscus Tea

This is a super warming, heart-opening, and grounding tea. Plus it’s super easy!

Get yourself some Hibiscus tea

1. One tea bag per person
2. Or if you have loose tea- 1 tablespoon (or less depending on how you like the flavor)
3. Cloves (2-3)

Simmer up some hot water in a skillet add a couple of cloves and let those simmer till fragrant.

You can now add this as the water to steep your tea! (Don’t like Hibiscus tea? Try Roobios here instead!)

Immune Boosting and Throat Soothing Tea

Tis the season for colds! Here is a simple hot drink to make to build up your immune system or sip on when you are feeling a little under the weather:

What You’ll Need: (serves one)

1. Dried Elderberries or Elderberry tea
2. Honey
3. Lemon
4. Rose Hips

Elderberries are known for their immune-boosting superpowers. Rosehips are great to give you a Vitamin C infusion. Honey and lemon are good old stand-bys to soothe any cough or sore throat!

Boil some water and steep 1 tablespoon of elderberries and 1 tablespoon of rose hips and let these simmer on the stove until fragrant. Strain (unless using tea bags) and add honey and lemon to taste. Want to BOOST the immune support? Add turmeric or ginger (or both!) into your honey and stir that into your tea at the end.

Simple Butternut Squash

This can be as easy or fancy as you’d like.

For an easy family-friendly baked squash recipe, I love to bake a butternut squash the way my mom did when I was younger.

Butternut Squash “a-la Marcie”

A half a squash per person is a great serving size, especially with a side salad.

Ingredients:

1. Butternut squash
2. Butter
3. Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
4. Salt/Pepper
5. Maple Syrup or Honey
6. Olive oil
7. Brown sugar

To do:

1. Cut your squash in half and scrape out the seeds.
2. Use a fork and poke some holes inside and out all
3. over the squash
4. Drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper (to taste) over the squash and rub it over the squash for a good coating.
5. With squash inside up, place some butter where the seeds used to be and season the whole inside area with cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar
6. There is no wrong amount here! Just go with your gut, I tend to be a little more liberal around the area where the seeds were with the butter, as this makes a really yummy pool of goodness!
7. Bake at 350 degrees for however long it takes to get soft! You want it to be easily scoopable for eating!

Place on a plate and drizzle with a little maple syrup or honey and have at it! This pairs great with an arugula salad with some feta, walnuts, beets, or radishes with a honey mustard dressing. But really any type of salad you LOVE will do!

Alternative Squash Preparation

You’ll Need:

1. Squash
2. Salt/pepper/olive oil
3. Sausage (of your choice)
4. Apples
5. Breadcrumbs

To do:

1. Start the same way as above by cutting your squash in half and poking with holes and seasoning with salt, pepper and, olive oil.
2. And bake your squash till mostly done.

In the meantime:

1. In a skillet brown up some sausage
2. Dice up an apple or 2 (to taste) and add your apple cubes to the sausage and cook up till mostly tender (the addition of an onion or shallot would be good here too!)
3. Add some bread crumbs to the mixture and let them soften up a bit in the grease left behind from the sausage. If you mixture looks to dry add a splash of water/stock/wine or some butter until you get a mixture that looks like the breadcrumbs have soaked up some moisture!
4. When the squash is mostly done (and so is your stuffing mixture) pull out the squash and add the stuffing to the cavity!
5. You can also scoop out some of the squash and add it to the stuffing to have more surface area for more stuffing in your squash!
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes more till stuffing is golden on top!

By Anna Tower

Co-Founder and Head of Fulfillment, TSE

Certified Astrologer, Life Coach, Natural Wellness Expert