Chamomile Tea Ritual:

Hi!

How are you today?

A thunderstorm rolled in while shooting my video, but thankfully I finished taping just in time. As soon as I came inside, the rain poured down from the sky.

That was a close call. 😥

After traveling for over two weeks, I am happily back in the mountains. August continues to be a busy month, despite no longer homeschooling my sons. The children returned to school in Tennessee this week, which is earlier than many schools across the border in North Carolina. The mountains continue to be packed with tourists traveling through and visiting the various towns and natural spots.

My older son, Ethan, is returning for his last year of college. Whoopee! 🙏

College has been a long road for him, but he continues to pursue his mechanical engineering degree and work on a research project while at school. He came home to visit last to help with weed-eating and spend time with the family.

This week was spent catching up on household tasks, back-to-school shopping, and making doctor appointments for the crew. Honestly, all the hustle and bustle left me feeling depleted and irritated. I thought that my kiddos would be out of the house and living their own lives by now. Despite the timeline in my head, my kids are taking their time and honoring their own pace, which I admire and appreciate.

I am sharing a simple ritual using the sunny, calming herb chamomile. During my long drive home from Indiana, I listened to the new segment, Rooted in the Stars, on the Nightlight Astrology podcast. Ashley, the wife of the regular host, Adam Elenbaas, is a clinical herbalist who began a new series linking astrology and herbal medicine. This is a thread that has interested and informed my rituals and natural living for decades. I was thrilled to have yet another source of inspiration.

I thought that I would share it with you!

While writing this letter, I noticed that I wrote a wonderful article on the Strength tarot card to support you through Leo Season. I pulled it out of the archives as another tool to lean on during this time.

Blast from the past. 😉

Wild Devotion: Reclaiming Strength as Love, Ritual, and Collective Care

Leo Season will lead us into Virgo Season on August 22. I am soaking up the sun on the porch in between rainstorms and making it a top priority to get outside into the woods. Since being away for two weeks, I miss the wild magic that the mountains provides.

Despite my long list of house and kiddo projects, I finally picked out a book to read. My usual Summer reading has been non-existent, but I am changing that today.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

The Open-Air Life by Linda Akeson McGurk

Journal Sparks by Emily K Neuburger

Care by Brooke McAlary

Early one morning this week, I popped onto Substack before my morning practice. I spotted an article by Brooke McAlary gently stepping back into the space and introducing the new podcast, The Tortoise and the Hare. I’m thrilled and excited to listen to the new series from Brooke and her husband Ben. Years ago, I met the couple at a book reading of Slow in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lately, I am returning to my values of simplicity and healthy rhythms. These threads weave their way throughout my life and business. While I am still the CEO of the Edwards household and my hubby’s business, I am streamlining and delegating more responsibilities to my crew. I am creating a manual of systems, passwords, phone numbers, and house maintenance calendars to keep in the kitchen. Removing the pressure to hold all this information in my head will allow me to continue traveling and pursuing my own interests and business, Blythe Spirit. It’s time.

I hope that you are enjoying Leo Season and remembering to lounge like a lion, rest, and seek deep nourishment and care.

Talk to you soon,

❤️ Blythe