Fern Therapies

04/10/2025

01/10/2025

White rabbit x3. Welcome to October

It's the first of October, and that means it's time to say...

"Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit!" 🐇🐇🐇

This tradition, believed to have originated in the UK, is more than just a quirky superstition. Folklore suggests that by uttering these words first thing in the morning on the first of the month, we invite good fortune into our lives. The idea is rooted in the belief that rabbits, with their quick reflexes and keen senses, symbolize protection and vigilance—qualities that bring safety and prosperity.

Some say "Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits" or "White Rabbit, White Rabbit, White Rabbit," while others follow it with "Pinch, punch, first of the month, white rabbit!" Each variation carries the same intent: to ward off negativity and welcome a month filled with positive energy.

In my family, this tradition is a cherished way to start fresh—a small ritual that connects us to something greater and brings a renewed sense of hope.

So, here's to a month filled with good luck for one and all. ❤🐇🐇🐇

©Tara Shannon, 2024

Image text:

October wraps the world in amber light, where crisp winds whisper of endings… and quiet new beginnings.

©️Tara Shannon, 2024

10/09/2025

Rest is not a luxury — it is a loving practice.
When I pause, I don’t fall behind. I return to myself. 🌷

10/09/2025

Support your mental health during the darker months!

The days are growing shorter in the Northern Hemisphere. More darkness invites quietude and introspection—but it can also lower our mood. We produce less vitamin D and serotonin, and more melatonin (the hormone of darkness). Our cortisol levels change. In some cases, we can feel more sadness, anxiety and depression.

It becomes a feedback loop.
Less serotonin = more vulnerable to stress/anxiety
Stress/anxiety = body produces even less serotonin
Over time → fatigue, low mood, harder to regulate emotions

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Can reduce anxiety (as effectively as some meds)
- Calms the nervous system
- Woelk & Schläfke, 2010

Rose (Rosa × damascena)
- Can significantly calm the fight-or-flight response
- Haze, Sakai & Gozu 2002

Citrus Oils
- May reduce antidepressant needs
- d-Limonene boosts dopamine + GABA
- Komori, 1995

Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)
- May reduce cortisol + blood pressure
- Great for evening relaxation + sleep
- Hwang, 2006

Melissa (Melissa officinalis)
- Helps lower anxiety + depression compared to placebo
- Supports deep, restoring sleep
- Ghazizadeh et al. 2021

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin_
- Can calm & gently sedate the nervous system
- Ito & Ito, 2011

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
- Reduces mental fatigue + burnout
- Varney & Buckle, 2013

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)
- Calms the amygdala (brain’s fear/anxiety center)
- Works in a way similar to diazepam
- Saiyudthong, 2015

*
These are just a few examples! There are many essential oils that can help uplift us.
---> What are some of your favorites to use during the darker months?

*
Abridged references (let us know if you want the unabridged list!)

Ghazizadeh et al. (2021). Phytotherapy research
Haze, S., Sakai, K., & Gozu, Y. (2002). Japanese journal of pharmacology
Hwang, J.H. (2006) Taehan Kanhoe Hakhoe Chi
Ito K, Ito M. (2011) Journal of Natural Medicine
Komori, T., et al. (1995). Neuroimmunomodulation
Saiyudthong et al. (2015). Natural product research.
Varney, E. & Buckle, J. (2013). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Woelk, H. and Schläfke, S. (2010) Phytomedicine

01/09/2025

26/08/2025

Released just today, the all new updated version of Felicity Warner's "The Soul Midwives Handbook". Felicity is the founder of the Soul Midwives movement