MIND

Fire Medicine

Cinnamon is the perfect ally to sip as you journey to the fireside of your mind. Imagine yourself at a large round table taking council with the parts of your mind you’d like to explore. What stories do they tell? How do they serve you, or not? Who do you want to spend time with?

Cinnamon is an herb that I consider to be a gift. It shares that gift with so many of its (less tasty) medicinal friends by helping them go down easily. It is sweet, spicy, warming and harmonizing. Not only is this plant delicious, it grows back very quickly after being cut down. The earth wants us to use this medicine generously. Cinnamon is aromatic, diffusive, carminative, antimicrobial, and a circulatory stimulant. It is helpful for illness related to cold and fatigue. It most influences the heart, digestive system, nervous system and the lungs. I feel a special connection to all kitchen cabinet herbs because they are a way we all stay connected to herbal medicine, even if we don’t quite know it yet. - Izzy

BODY

Circulate

Stagnation is the enemy of health. Life thrives in flow and movement. Cinnamon encourages this action in the circulatory system, inviograting the mind, opening the heart, and warming the body. Experience this for yourself with the remedies of this month’s PSM box, or with the cinnamon in your kitchen cupboard. Be creative, follow your test. Cinnamon isn’t about rules, it is about adventure!

Cinnamon is great because it’s something that many people can find in their pantry at home, warming, uplifting, and also medicinal. Cinnamon is commonly used to help regulate blood sugar, to help aid in digestion, and for flavoring. Cinnamon is also helpful as an anti fungal herb and has shown to be effective as a mild anodyne. Cinnamon has a history of being used in ritual as well, when burned as incense it raises the energetic vibration, aids in healing, promotes abundance, enhances crown opening while also being very protective.-Amy
I have had an interesting relationship with cinnamon, as my older brother, cousin and aunt are all allergic, and we rarely had it around growing up. This resulted in me not developing the taste for the "classic" apples and cinnamon combination, but I always loved when my mum would make me cinnamon toast when I was home sick. I now use cinnamon in tea blends as an activator herb. Personally I prefer the true Cinnamon, Verum, which is also known as sweet Cinnamon. Cassia is a related species of tree, that is spicier and has a stronger flavor. With its carminative attributes Cinnamon is a wonderful digestive stimulant. It is also warming in the body, encouraging healthy circulation. This makes it a helpful ally for humans who are always cold, especially when combined with ginger in a hot tea. Cinnamon is also known as an aphrodisiac and can be added to massage oils or in very small quantities to your homemade lube, as a fun warming arousal catalyst. Cinnamon has antiviral and antiseptic activities, making it helpful in cases of cold, cough, flus and infections. Perhaps my mother knew this when she was making that toast for me as a child.

SPIRIT

The path of ancestors

Cinnamon invites deeper connections with our ancestors and the medicine of our bloodlines. It is the herb of the traveller, those who are on a journey of reclaimation. Learn about yourself by learning about the spirit of cinnamon. Know where you come from to know the blessings, and the needs for healing. Cinnamon is a transformative ally inviting you to explore your own needs, potential, and purpose of both personal and collective transformation.

My relationship with cinnamon is definitely one that always teaches me balance, patience and trust. I’ve always hated Red Hots, Big Red chewing gum, and the exceptionally cruel holiday joke of a cinnamon candy cane disguised as peppermint. That being said, I am learning to respect and appreciate the magic and medicine of cinnamon through my herbal studies. Even in intermittent doses, its powerful constituents can increase vitality and balance blood sugar, while also stimulating and warming both digestion and circulation. Different barks from around the world have a wider array of energetics and aromatic flavors. I highly recommend experimenting with all different types to find your favorite. Try adding it to spicy and smoky preparations with things like turmeric, star anise, peppers and chiles, fire cider…cinnamon can make a delicious savory dish as well! - Isabella

Sovereignty with Cinnamon