Full Moon Greetings! February 16 2022
This Echinacea and Boundaries post is part of my lunar blog series featuring one plant and its correspondence for mindful focus. (Read more details on the lunar mindfulness series. )
Purple cone flower (Echinacea) is a powerful healing herb. It has a long history in North America, first used by Native Americans to fight infections, heal wounds, and treat snake bites. Echinacea can also prevent or lessen the effects of colds and flu and is used routinely in that capacity. Its superpower is creating boundaries to keep pathogens at a distance. And as I described in my book Growing Mindful, that superpower is also the plant’s energetic attribute. That’s what I want to shine a light on here.
Boundaries like a Hedgehog
One of Echinacea’s notable features is the hedgehog like spiney cone in the center of the flower. It is rough and scratchy when you drag your hand across it. The botanical name of the plant comes from the Greek word Echina for hedgehog or spikey things. And that hedgehog like quality is what imbues the plant with the protective energy of boundaries.
You can think of boundaries as the edges we create to keep us healthy, safe, and functional. We can invite the energy of this plant into our
lives to strengthen those edges. They can be permeable (like a cell wall) letting in the good stuff and keeping out the bad. Alternately, they can be tough like the bark of a tree. But here’s the thing – they don’t happen on their own. If we are not intentional about setting boundaries we can get run over by life.
Being Intentional
Often, we don’t think much about boundaries until we notice something is wrong. Working with Echinacea’s energy this full moon, begin to pay more attention. For instance, if you feel depleted after engaging with a person or situation, it could be a sign of weak boundaries. Spending time in contemplation about boundaries might reveal places that need shoring up.
Engaging with the Plant
One way to stay focused on boundaries is to engage with this plant in some way. Since February is not the best time to find Echinacea in your garden, we can connect in other ways. Pictures of the plant can invoke the energy. And including Echinacea tea in your daily routine does the double duty of strengthening your immune system’s boundaries as well as your energetic boundaries. (Find Echinacea for tea in your grocery store tea aisle or at your local herb shop.)
Brew yourself a cup of tea and take some time for contemplation. You might want to have a journal and pen handy as well.
How are your boundaries with friends and family? Are their particular people in your circle that don’t understand the word “no”? This one is sometimes the hardest to address. It doesn’t mean you don’t love or value them, but sometimes family and friends exhaust our internal resources.
Next, consider the edges between responsibilities/work and rest/rejuvenation time. If you are working from home, how do you create healthy boundaries for down time? If you are parenting small children or caretaking for others, where are your boundaries for you time?
Another challenging boundary can be around screen time. If left unchecked it seeps into every area of our lives. And this one can be particularly difficult because we use screens for work, play, information, and to connect with our community. But there is life away from the screen.
It’s important to realize that identifying areas needing attention is just the first step. Wishing and hoping others will change is not a good strategy. We are the only ones who can change our boundaries. Expect some push back from people and situations that were comfortable with boundaries as they were. Be clear about what you want and the changes you want to implement. And then be consistent.
When you feel stuck, embrace the energy of Echinacea – be like a hedgehog.
If you are interested in growing Echinacea
It’s not too early to think about including Echinacea in your garden. There are many beautiful varieties of coneflower. However, if you are interested in the physical healing properties as well as energetic, you’ll want Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, or E. pallida.
Plants can be started from seed fairly easily. Just remember that like many perennials they probably won’t flower the first year. If you have a friend with a patch of cone flowers, they might be willing to dig up some roots to get you started. For more detailed information on nurturing the plants in your garden check out the Herbal Academy’s Post.
