Honoring the Ancestors with a Simmer Pot
I am writing this in late summer, and yesterday was such a blissful sneak preview of autumn. These misty mornings and warm afternoons herald the beginning of “spooky season” a time when the ancestors were honored and it was thought that communication with our passed loved ones, known and unknown, came a little easier. I have found that small practices that connect us with ancestral traditions are incredibly soothing and grounding during the hubbub of troubled modern times.
The practice of heating herbs for fragrance and medicine goes back thousands of years. Simmer pots are an especially lovely expression of this, and they serve a practical purpose too. The cozy pot on the stove brimming with colorful herbs, the plant molecules brightening and purifying while gentle steam moistens dry winter air.
Many plants can be added to a simmer pot and some are especially delightful. Bright citrus wheels, sweet apple slices, floral roses and lavender, savory sage and mint, warming cinnamon and cloves, earthy conifer clippings, pungent black peppercorns.
So go, go out on a walk or to your garden. Bring a little bag and some clippers. Breathe the misty morning air deeply and let the plants speak to you. Accept their gift of leaf and flower. Return to your kitchen, nourished.
Place your blessing in a pot. Add a couple spices from the cabinet, or a little fruity sweetness from the fridge if that is your heart’s desire. Fill it with water and murmur words of thanks and blessings. Feel this sacred fusion of your ancestor’s joy, precious abundant water, and gifts of the plant people. Then place your pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer and cover. Check on it occasionally and add water as needed.
Breathe deep and be blessed!
Pictured in this simmer pot: grand fir, spruce, apple wheels, cinnamon sticks, mulling spices
**Note: while whole herb simmer pots tend to be safer than essential oil distillations for our furry friends, they can still be irritating to their sensitive noses especially in small, closed spaces. Special care should be taken with conifers, citrus, and cloves particularly around our feline friends.
Thanks for reading! This post contains general educational information shared with love from your friendly local medicine keeper and is not to be considered medical advice.
Alicia Tremblay, ND
Dr. Tremblay is an expert in natural health with degrees in naturopathic medicine and ethnomedicine. Drawing on her diverse background and personal experience with healing from chronic illness, she guides clients on their health journeys, and occasionally writes blogs with unique insights into natural medicine and the healing process. Read more >>
