The East greets us with a rush of wind fresh, inspiring, alive. It is the place of beginnings, ideas, clarity, and vision. But like any element, Air carries its shadow. When the winds grow restless, the mind can scatter. Thoughts multiply, spiral, and loop. Anxiety, self-doubt, and over-analysis creep in.
The same air that brings illumination can also bring the storm. To walk with the East is to learn not only how to breathe inspiration in, but also how to exhale what no longer serves.
Mugwort – Discernment in the Dreaming
Mugwort is a dreamwalker, a keeper of the liminal spaces. She can flood us with visions, symbols, and messages. But too much of her medicine can overwhelm, leaving us lost in a fog of psychic noise.
Mugwort’s shadow teaching is this: not every dream, thought, or vision belongs to you. She teaches discernment, reminding us to release what is not ours to carry.
Ritual Touch: Burn a pinch of Mugwort as incense, or simply hold her dried leaves in your hand. Whisper:
“Which thought belongs to me, and which can I release into the wind?”
Blue Vervain – Loosening the Grip
Blue Vervain is a plant of clenched jaws and tight shoulders. She appears when we are overthinking, over-striving, or trying to control every detail. Her bitter medicine loosens the grip of the mind, allowing flow to return where rigidity has taken hold.
Her shadow lesson is simple but profound: not all thoughts need action. Not every worry needs solving. Some things are meant to move through us, like wind through leaves.
Ritual Touch: Sip a gentle Blue Vervain tea, or place a few drops of her flower essence on your tongue. Breathe, and say:
“I release the grip of thought. I trust the breath to guide me.”
Integration
To honor the East fully, we must see both faces of Air: the inspiration that lifts us, and the storms that unsettle us. By walking with Mugwort and Blue Vervain, we can learn that the mind is not the enemy it is simply the winds. And the wind can be fierce or soft, storm or breeze.
The gift of the East lies in remembering this: I can choose which winds I allow to carry me, and which I let pass by.
“May this root steady you, and this leaf remind you of your own wildness.”