Four Herbs for Autumn Magic: Rosemary, Mugwort, Elder, and Apple
Dear friend,
Autumn is a threshold season. The days shorten, the nights lengthen, and we begin our descent into the darker half of the year. The air carries the scent of woodsmoke and fallen leaves, and the rhythm of life slows as we turn inward. This is the time between Mabon and Yule—the harvest’s close and the year’s end—a season for rest, reflection, and rekindled magic.
It’s the perfect time to lean into herbs that help us both ground and expand—supporting our bodies as the weather cools, and guiding our spirits as the veil between worlds grows thin.
For this turning of the Wheel, I want to celebrate these four plants that embody the spirit of Autumn: Rosemary, Mugwort, Elder, and Apple. Each offers its own blend of healing, lore, and practical magic—perfect allies for this cozy, contemplative time of year.
Rosemary: The Guardian
Healing Properties
Rosemary is a warming, stimulating herb that strengthens the body and clears the mind. It improves circulation, aids digestion, sharpens memory, and helps ease the fog of fatigue that can settle as the days grow shorter.
Lore
Once burned in temples and homes to ward off illness, rosemary has always been a symbol of remembrance and protection. It was woven into bridal wreaths for fidelity and used in funerary rites to honor the dead—fitting for the season when we remember our ancestors.
Practical Magic
Hang rosemary by your doorway to cleanse and protect your home, or add it to roasted root vegetables and soups for warmth and grounding energy.
Mugwort: The Dreamer
Healing Properties
Mugwort supports digestion, menstrual health, and dreamwork. It’s a nervine herb that calms the mind and invites lucid dreams—perfect for autumn nights of reflection and rest.
Lore
Mugwort is the quintessential witch’s herb, long associated with divination and spirit travel. In old European traditions, it was burned or carried for protection during liminal times—the midsummer solstice, and again at Samhain, when the veil thins and ancestral voices call.
Practical Magic
Brew a gentle mugwort tea before bed to enhance dreams, or add it to smoke blends or incense for protection during divination and meditation.
Elder: The Threshold Tree
Healing Properties
Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, making them a beloved immune ally during the colder months. The flowers are soothing for respiratory ailments and can ease fevers or sinus troubles. Elder teaches us resilience—how to bend, heal, and endure.
Lore
The elder tree is both sacred and mysterious. Folklore tells of the Elder Mother, or Hyldemoer, the spirit who dwells within, guarding her tree fiercely. To cut elderwood without permission was to invite her wrath. In many traditions, elder served as a bridge to the Otherworld—especially at Samhain, when communication with spirits was strongest.
Practical Magic
Keep elderberries close in syrup or tea to strengthen your body this season. Use elderflower in ritual baths for protection and renewal. Place a twig of elder on your altar to honor the Elder Mother and seek her blessing.
Caution: Raw or unripe elderberries, as well as the leaves, bark, and seeds, contain a toxic substance that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The berries must be cooked to be safe for consumption.
Apple: The Fruit of Wisdom
Healing Properties
Apples are grounding and nourishing, helping balance blood sugar and digestion as we shift into heavier, warming foods. Their sweetness reminds us of the gifts of harvest even as the world turns inward.
Lore
Few fruits carry as much magic as the apple. Slice one crosswise, and you’ll find the five-pointed star hidden in its heart—a symbol of the elements, the pentacle, and divine harmony. Apples were used in love spells, offerings, and divination games on Samhain night.
Practical Magic
Offer an apple to your ancestors on your altar, or bake them into a ritual bread or crumble shared with loved ones. Cut one crosswise and meditate on its starry core to invite insight for the season ahead.
Why These Herbs for the Season Between Mabon and Yule
This quarter of the Wheel invites reflection, intuition, and inner strength. Each of these herbs offers a thread of support as the days grow darker:
Rosemary clears, protects, and strengthens our spirits.
Mugwort opens our dreams and intuitive sight.
Elder fortifies our immune systems and connects us to ancestral wisdom.
Apple grounds us in sweetness, gratitude, and balance.
Together, they form a circle of protection, nourishment, and insight—perfect allies for the journey inward between Mabon’s harvest and Yule’s return of the light.
A Mabon-to-Yule Simmer Pot for Hearth & Spirit
There’s something deeply grounding about tending a pot of fragrant herbs on the stove while autumn rain patters on the windows. This simmer pot blends Rosemary, Mugwort, Elder, and Apple—each contributing its energy to cleanse, protect, and bless your home as we move through the dark half of the year.
Ingredients
1 small apple, sliced crosswise (to reveal the pentacle)
2-3 fresh sprigs of Rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon dried Mugwort
1 tablespoon dried Elderberries (or a few dried elderflowers if you prefer)
1–2 cinnamon sticks (for warmth and sweetness)
A slice of orange or a few strips of orange peel (optional, for joy and solar energy)
Directions
Fill a small pot or slow cooker with water and add all ingredients.
Bring to a gentle simmer. As the steam rises, take a few deep breaths and imagine your home filling with light, protection, and calm.
Stir the pot clockwise and speak a simple blessing, such as:
“As the Wheel turns from harvest to hearth, may this home be blessed with warmth, wisdom, and peace.”Let the pot simmer as long as you like, adding water as needed. When finished, return the cooled herbs to the earth with gratitude.
Magical Uses
This simmer pot:
Purifies your home (Rosemary)
Invites dreams and intuition (Mugwort)
Blesses your household with protection and health (Elder)
Opens the heart to gratitude and renewal (Apple)
It’s an easy, enchanting way to experience all four herbs with your senses—breathing in their magic, not just reading about it.
Whether you use this simmer pot as a daily ritual, a Samhain blessing, or simply a cozy way to scent your home, it’s a beautiful way to connect with the season.
To walk with these herbs through the season, explore this season’s Wheel of the Year Subscription Box from The Daily Ritual Nursery & Apothecary. Each box includes an ounce of each of these four herbs and a beautifully written Seasonal Zine, filled with rituals, recipes, and herbal wisdom to carry you through the dark months with grace and magic.
Explore the Seasonal Subscription Box → here
Subscribe to the Zine → here
May these plants be your companions through the turning of the year—guarding, healing, and inspiring you as the light fades and returns once more. 🍂
And as always, my friend, take care of you.
Melody
