Headache Remedy - Wortcunning Herbal Charm
Recently in our herbal clinic I’ve seen many folks dealing with a variety of headaches and migraines. For many of them, these have been new symptoms which are often rooted in elevated stress levels and extended periods of mental stress- worry, rumination, and lack of restorative rest. I approach each headache individually; exploring the patterns, the person, and their experiences. This is an important aspect of what sets traditional herbalism practices like Wortcunning apart from pop herbalism and allopathic medicine. Rather than one treatment for one disease, we consider the nuances of disease, individual, and pattern when choosing which herbs formulas, and protocols are the best fit.
That being said, there’s nothing wrong with having access to excellent broad-spectrum herbal medicine. This can be a really great way to see what works for someone, how the herbs unfold in their body, and what happens when they bring in verdant wisdom to their healing path. I often start people on a more broad, gentle formulation to allow time and space for the remedies to get to work before digging in to more intensive protocols.
Below is a really lovely and effective herbal tea recipe I would love for you to try if you deal with headaches or migraines. This formula has a really great in for people with stress and anxiety caused or aggravated headaches, but I would also be happy to have someone try this who deals with headaches caused by hormonal flux, allergies, and other issues.
Keep in mind, the charm is key here. In fact, if you only have access to some of these herbs or none at all, the charm itself can still be effective. How is this so?
The charm directly invokes the individual plant spirits and calls on specific virtues they bless us with. We know from our ancestral herbal traditions from across the world that a plant need not be ingested or even be physically present to convey their medicine.
This Galdor contains language that, while not directly addressing headache, does address subtle energetic patterns that poetically connect to headache conditions. I have chosen this language and related imagery because Galdor is essentially sympathetic magic- by aligning to something that has what you need, your body is given the wisdom and guidance to do what it needs to do.
Finally, there are poetic references to elements, natural occurrences, movements of nature, and energetic flows that all align to the head, mythological ideas of how the sky vault and the skull are connected, and how we want pain to move from the body.
Two of our deities are mentioned in this Galdor: Gearde and Woden. Gearde is our Ettin (Giantess) Goddess of the walled garden- a place of private peace and refuge which is walled off from the world around- symbolic here of the skull. Woden, our mighty God of Wortcunning is invoked as patron of the skull and eyes through his lore and as a powerful ally of seeing clearly into the patterns of things.
Herbal Headache Tea Recipe
In parts by weight. Adjust to your own liking.
Chamomile - 3 parts
Matricaria chaommilla | MaytheLavender - 3 parts
Lavandula angustifolia | SteccaBetony - 2 parts
Stachys officinalis | BetoniceSage - 1 part
Salvia officinalis | SaluieFennel - 1 part
Foeniculum vulgare | Finol
Combine all dried herbs with charm.
Steep 10-15 minutes to coax out some of the bitterness from Chamomile and Betony- this bitterness is super important in addressing headache conditions.
Headache Galdor
Hail thee, healing herbs-
skull bound and head-moving;
As you grow, all pains wither,
As you thrive, all pains fall away,
As you reach, all pains retreat.
Maythe, healing apple-
No tension can remain in your holy presence.
Saluie, Gearde’s grace-
Pain;s path out from the garden of peace.
Stecca, cleansing kin-
head-clearing, head-releasing.
Finol, Woden’s blessing-
Warding all ill, threshold guardian.
Betonice, sacred herb-
No ill can remain in your holy presence!
Hail thee, healing herbs-
skull bound and head moving;
Clear skies,
Calm winds,
Open vision,
Light welcome.
