Herbs for Spooky Season, Part Two: The Descent
Herbs for Shadow Work and Intuition
After cleansing comes quiet. The air feels heavier now, as if the world itself is exhaling. The rush of the harvest has passed, and the earth begins her slow spiral inward. Nights stretch longer, the veil thins, and the heart is called to follow that pull into mystery.
This is the descent. The moment when we stop searching for light outside ourselves and begin to remember the flame within.
The Meaning of the Descent
The descent is not punishment or loss. It is a sacred return. Every seed must sink into darkness before it can grow again. Every soul must rest in stillness before it can rise renewed.
In the old stories, descent is a journey of initiation. Inanna, Persephone, and countless others walk this same path into the underworld. Each must release something of the surface world in order to discover what endures in the deep.
When we enter our own descent, we do not go to be swallowed by the dark. We go to be shaped by it. The darkness of autumn is not void but womb. It is the place where our unseen selves wait to be met, understood, and reclaimed.
This work asks for honesty, tenderness, and curiosity. It asks us to stay awake to our own becoming.
Herbs of the descent are gentle gatekeepers. They soften the veil, quiet the noise, and help us listen.
Mugwort: The Dreamweaver
Artemisia vulgaris
Mugwort is the herb of dreams and divination, often found growing along roadsides and liminal places. She is the companion of travelers who walk between worlds.
In folklore, mugwort was placed under pillows to invite prophetic dreams or carried on long journeys for protection. Energetically, she opens the inner eye and strengthens intuition, helping us move between conscious and subconscious realms with ease.
Use it for:
Dreamwork, divination, and inner journeying
Enhancing meditation and intuitive clarity
Protection during spiritual or emotional work
Ways to work with Mugwort:
Brew a small amount as a bedtime tea or add her to a dream sachet with lavender and chamomile. Burn dried leaves in a safe space before divination to clear mental fog and invite insight. Pro tip: mugwort tea can be quite bitter. Spruce it up with some honey if you feel called.
Ritual:
Before sleep, hold a pinch of mugwort in your hand. Whisper, “Show me what I need to see. Teach me through my dreams.” Place it beneath your pillow or beside your bed and keep a journal nearby.
Wormwood: The Shadow’s Mirror
Artemisia absinthium
Wormwood carries the energy of clear sight and fierce honesty. Her bitterness is her wisdom. She teaches that clarity sometimes tastes sharp at first, yet it frees us from the illusions that cloud our path.
In ancient tradition, wormwood was used to cleanse sacred spaces and protect travelers who journeyed between worlds. Her spirit burns through confusion and attachment, revealing what is real beneath the noise. She is the ally of those who are ready to face their truth without turning away.
Wormwood does not offer comfort. She offers integrity. She stands at the gate of shadow and asks, “Are you willing to see yourself clearly?” Those who answer yes find her presence deeply transformative.
Use it for:
Sharpening intuition and perception
Clearing lingering energy after conflict or emotional release
Supporting shadow work and self-honesty
Ways to work with wormwood:
Use her smoke to cleanse divination tools or your sacred space before ritual. Add a few drops of tincture to water or tea before journaling to invite clarity and truth. She is potent and should be approached with respect. A little is enough.
Ritual:
Light a candle and place a sprig of wormwood beside it. Take three deep breaths and say, “I am ready to see myself as I truly am.”
Sit in stillness. Let her medicine work through your thoughts and sensations. When you feel complete, whisper gratitude and close the space gently.
Lavender: The Gentle Gatekeeper
Lavandula angustifolia
Lavender is the bridge between light and dark. Her soft scent soothes fear and tension, making her an ideal companion for descent. She teaches that peace and shadow can coexist.
Lavender helps regulate the nervous system, bringing calm to both the physical and subtle body. Energetically, she keeps the heart open while we explore hidden parts of ourselves.
Use it for:
Calming anxiety during introspection
Softening self-criticism
Supporting restful sleep and clear dreams
Ways to work with lavender:
Add to baths or tea before meditation. Use lavender oil on it’s own or mix it with rosemary or chamomile and anoint your temples when emotions feel heavy.
Ritual:
As you breathe in her scent, imagine the fragrance wrapping around you like light. Say softly, “I am safe to feel. I am safe to see.”
Chamomile: The Comforter
Matricaria recutita
Chamomile is a balm for the weary traveler. Her golden flowers carry sunlight into the darker months. When descent feels heavy or uncertain, chamomile reminds us that gentleness is also strength.
Physically, chamomile relaxes the body and aids digestion, helping us process what we have consumed, both literally and emotionally. Energetically, she eases fear of change and helps release resistance.
Use it for:
Relaxation and release before sleep or ritual
Soothing fear or sadness
Supporting emotional digestion after deep work
Ways to work with chamomile:
Brew a warm cup of tea before journaling or dreaming. Add her to bath water with a handful of salt to unwind.
Ritual:
As you sip, imagine chamomile light filling your body. Whisper, “I rest in my becoming.”
A Simple Ritual: The Dream Gate
This ritual invites gentle connection with your inner world through tea, reflection, and the presence of Wormwood as a guardian of truth. It can be done before bed, during meditation, or whenever you seek insight.
You will need:
Mugwort
Chamomile
Lavender
A small sprig or pinch of Wormwood (for the altar or, if you feel called, a very small amount in the tea)
A candle
A journal or notebook
Steps:
Prepare your tea. Use a pinch of mugwort, a spoonful of chamomile, and a sprinkle of lavender. If you feel drawn to include Wormwood, add only a small pinch to your cup. Her medicine is potent, and even a trace will shift the energy. Let the tea steep while you prepare your space.
Invite Wormwood. Whether she rests in your cup or beside your candle, take a moment to acknowledge her presence. Whisper, “Wormwood, guardian of truth, stand with me at the gate.”
Light your candle. Say aloud, “I open the gate to my inner knowing.”
Drink and listen. Sip your tea slowly. Feel the warmth move through your body. Let your awareness soften. Notice any thoughts, sensations, or emotions that rise.
Free Writing: Listening with the Pen
When you finish your tea, open your journal. Set a timer for ten minutes if that helps. Write whatever comes through without stopping to think or censor. The goal is not perfect sentences but honest expression. Let the words spill out, even if they make no sense. You might write, “I don’t know what to say,” and then something unexpected will surface. Trust that flow. This is the voice of your intuition beginning to speak.Reflection and Integration
When you are finished, close your eyes for a moment. Breathe. Notice how you feel. You do not need to interpret everything right away. Some insights arrive slowly, like seeds waiting for rain.
Later in the day or the next morning, return to your writing. Read it gently, as if listening to a friend. Circle or underline phrases that stand out. These are the threads that want your attention.
Ask yourself:What do these words reveal about what I am learning right now
What emotions or memories need tending or release
What truth feels ready to be acknowledged
Close by writing one line of gratitude for the guidance you received, even if you do not yet understand it.
Close and give thanks. Thank the herbs for their presence. Blow out the candle. If you kept Wormwood beside you, place her outside under the moonlight as an offering.
Over the next few nights, pay attention to your dreams, emotions, and passing thoughts. The conversation has only begun.
Re-Entry and Grounding
After deep inner work, it is natural to feel tender or unanchored. The descent opens many doors, and grounding helps you return fully to the body.
If you feel light-headed or emotional, pause before moving on with your day. Drink a glass of water. Step outside and feel the air on your skin. Place your hands on the earth, a tree, or even the walls of your home. Whisper, “I am here. I am safe in my body.”
A salt bath or shower can help clear lingering energy. Add chamomile, rosemary, or a handful of sea salt to the water. Let the warmth draw you back into yourself.
You might also want to eat something nourishing or place your bare feet on the ground for a few minutes. These small acts remind your spirit that it has a home to return to.
Take your time re-entering. Integration is as sacred as the descent itself.
Non-Human Kin of the Descent
The descent is not a solitary act. The whole world is descending with you. The air grows colder, the forest quiets, and the creatures of night awaken. When you open your senses to them, you remember that darkness is not a void but a living, breathing presence.
Bats carry the medicine of trust and transformation. They move through the dark guided only by sound and instinct. When they appear, they remind us to surrender control and listen more deeply to the unseen paths unfolding around us.
Moths are drawn to light yet belong to the night. Their soft wings speak of devotion, sensitivity, and the courage to follow what calls you home.
Spiders weave between worlds, connecting what seems separate through the invisible architecture of creation. Their webs are maps of intention, and their patience teaches how all things are connected through the unseen.
Snakes shed their skins as the trees shed their leaves. They remind us that renewal requires release. When Snake appears, it signals that transformation is already taking place beneath the surface.
The Moon is the great mirror of the descent. She waxes and wanes like breath, teaching us that illumination and darkness are both sacred. Each phase reveals a lesson about timing, intuition, and surrender.
Water carries memory and reflection. It is the voice of the underworld, whispering what needs to be felt rather than fixed. Sit beside running water or gaze into a bowl of moonlit water to listen for the language of your intuition.
Fog and Mist veil what is not yet meant to be seen. They slow us down, teaching faith in what unfolds beyond our understanding.
The Night Wind is the messenger. It moves between realms, stirring leaves and thoughts alike. When it brushes against you, pause and listen. What message is it carrying tonight?
These beings do not fear the dark, and neither should we. They move through it with grace, reminding us that descent is not disappearance. It is transformation.
When you walk at night, breathe with the world around you. Feel the rhythm of your steps as part of something much larger. The darkness is alive, and it knows your name.
Inviting the Night Kin into Circle
When you work with these beings, remember that relationship is the heart of all animist practice. You are not summoning them. You are greeting them as kin.
Before any ritual, take a moment to open your awareness beyond the human world. Step outside if you can. Feel the pulse of the earth beneath your feet, the breath of the wind, the quiet watchfulness of the night.
Speak softly:
“To the ones who move through shadow and silence, I honor your presence.
If it is right, walk beside me tonight.
Teach me how to listen, and may I meet you with respect.”
Then pause. Let the air change. Notice what responds a shift in sound, a flicker of candlelight, a sudden calm in your chest. These are small acknowledgments that you have been heard.
When you close your circle, thank them sincerely. Leave a small offering: water poured on the ground, a few grains, or simply a moment of stillness. The act of gratitude keeps the relationship alive.
Over time, you will begin to recognize which beings walk with you most often. They may arrive as dreams, sensations, or recurring symbols in nature. The more you listen, the more you will hear.
Reflections and Practice
The descent is not about conquering shadow. It is about remembering your wholeness and learning to trust what the dark reveals. This is the season to slow your pace and let intuition lead.
Set aside time each week for quiet reflection. Light a candle, sit with your tea, and read over your free writing from previous nights. Watch how your words shift as you move through the season. You may notice themes or patterns emerging recurring dreams, new insights, small synchronicities. These are threads of your personal underworld map.
If you feel drawn, create a small altar for your descent work. Include a black or deep blue cloth, a candle, a bowl of water, and a stone or leaf from a night walk. Add an herb ally from this part of the series, such as mugwort or wormwood. This space becomes an anchor a reminder that shadow work is sacred, not something to endure but something to honor.
When emotions rise, let them move. The descent asks us to feel fully so that we can release fully. Cry, sing, stretch, or dance. Let your body participate in the ritual of remembering.
Reflection Prompts:
What truth am I ready to see clearly
What patterns am I ready to shed like an old skin
What does the darkness teach me about trust
What wisdom lives in my silence
How do I honor the part of me that has always known the way
Daily Practice:
Spend five minutes each evening in dim light, without screens or music. Breathe and listen to the sounds of the night around you. This is how the descent begins to root in your everyday life.
Keep a small notebook by your bed for dream messages. Write them down upon waking without trying to decode them. Patterns will reveal themselves in time.
Offer gratitude each morning for what remains unseen. Wholeness includes mystery.
Affirmation:
I walk into the dark with trust. I am guided by my own light. I see clearly within and without.
When we descend, we do not lose ourselves. We return to the part of us that knows how to listen.
Let the nights stretch long. Let the dreams speak. Let the quiet teach you.
The next post in this series will guide you to The Ancestors: Herbs of Remembrance and Communion, where we honor lineage, grief, and the love that endures through time.
Author’s Note
Writing this chapter of the series has been its own descent. Each word asked me to slow down, to meet what I usually rush past. Wormwood especially became a mirror, showing me how much clarity requires softness first.
If you are walking through your own season of shedding and shadow, I hope these words remind you that descent is not failure. It is initiation. The darkness is not here to break you but to bring you home to what is real.
Take your time with this work. Create relationship with the herbs and kin mentioned in this installment of our series. Return to them when you need truth, rest, or courage.
And remember - when you move through the dark with reverence, the dark moves with you.