Dark Moon Medicine: Learning to surrender with Yarrow

There are moments in my cycle when I feel a strong resistance to the call to surrender. It is that time when old wounds surface and sometimes this is the energy being felt by those closest to me too. The wound can sometimes feel raw and real. It feels like a tender spot that needs touching into and is often accompanied by a busy mind that is far more injurious than it needs to be. The dark moon represents a time when we wade through the unknown waters of the psyche, into the hidden mysteries of the ancients.

Just a couple of days before the new moon, or just before the start of a new cycle, those of us with womb spaces often experience these challenging emotions. This can look like anxiety, heightened irritation, an unsettled feeling of not being ok or those brain gremlins that question, am I enough? am I doing enough? Know that all these feelings are completely normal and experienced by everyone. Often, our early woundings experienced in childhood can be triggered by our life situations and our relationships at this time. This is simply an opportunity to notice and lean into it a bit, knowing that just because our brain says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.

There is no better herbal ally for me personally at this time that Yarrow. This herb has been traditionally used for protection, especially for sensitive souls who tend to wound easily. It was commonly known as the herb for healers, therapists, and doctors, those who are often caring for others at the cost of their tending.

Yarrow is also considered the “master of the blood”, used in Western herbalism in cases where there is either too much or too little blood flow, making it a wonderful premenstrual herb. Its astringent properties help to tone blood vessels while its high levels of flavonoids allow for ease blood flow through the vascular system.

Yarrow supports blood flow to the heart, allowing us to touch into our pain with the purpose of healing. It allows us to challenge some of those brain narratives and offer self-compassion while we await the renewal of a new cycle.