The Healing Power of Plant Spirit, Grief Tending, and Ancestral Medicine
We often underestimate the emotional body.
Physical pain screams: it commands our attention. But emotional pain? It simmers quietly beneath the surface, sometimes for years. Grief that goes unspoken. Anxiety disguised as busyness. A loss of direction hidden behind a smile. These internal experiences, if left unacknowledged, do not simply disappear. They take root in our nervous system, in our organs, even in our posture. Over time, they begin to shape how we show up in the world.
And yet, many of us are taught to ignore them. We're told to push through, stay productive, or “just think positive.” But the truth is, emotional resilience is not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about building capacity to sit with our feelings, move through our pain, and reclaim our inner ground.
This is where plant medicine comes in, not just as a physical remedy, but as a gentle, living ally.
At Neteru Apothecary, we view herbs not merely as tools to fix symptoms, but as beings with their own wisdom. They are guides, sentient, ancestral, and deeply attuned to our emotional landscape. Each plant carries a unique vibration, a story, and an offering. When approached with reverence and intention, herbs become co-facilitators of our healing journeys.
Lemon Balm: The Herb of Lightness
Called Melissa officinalis in botanical language and “the gladdening herb” in folk traditions, Lemon Balm is a gentle yet powerful healer for the heart. Her lemony scent is immediately uplifting, soothing frayed nerves and softening anxious thought loops. For those navigating emotional overwhelm, mental exhaustion, or lingering sadness, Lemon Balm acts like sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky. Steeped as a tea or taken as a tincture, she reminds the body how to relax, and the spirit how to smile again.
Energetically, Lemon Balm speaks to the solar plexus and heart chakras, restoring vitality and encouraging emotional digestion. It’s especially helpful for those who “hold it all in.” Lemon balm is child's medicine she helps us feel the lightness of heart and childlike joy. She's even so gentle that children are able to work with this medicine if they are prone to restlessness.
Motherwort: Fierce Compassion in a Bottle
If there were ever a plant that embodied the phrase “tender and fierce,” it would be Motherwort. Known as Leonurus cardiaca, this herb has long been associated with the archetype of the protective mother, nurturing but strong, comforting yet unapologetically honest. Her Latin name literally translates to "lion-hearted". She helps us to remember that there is strength in moving in the world open-hearted. She teaches us boundaries and fierce warrior-like vulnerability.
Motherwort works deeply on the emotional body, especially for those experiencing grief, rage, or heartbreak. She teaches us how to release. To cry. To forgive. To stop bracing against life. She wraps around the heart like a warm blanket and says, “You don’t have to do this alone. You are stronger than anything you encounter”
We often recommend Motherwort for clients going through life transitions: postpartum changes, breakups, family estrangement, or spiritual awakenings. She is also particularly helpful for people that have mother and belonging wounds. It doesn’t erase the pain, but it brings a sense of steadiness and permission to feel and move through it.
Ashwagandha: Earth Medicine for the Worn and Weary
Unlike quick-fix stimulants that push us beyond our limits, Withania somnifera, or Ashwagandha, works oppositely. It invites us back into our bodies, into safety, into rest. As a revered rasayana (rejuvenating herb) in Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwagandha helps regulate the stress response and rebuilds strength in those living with chronic tension, burnout, or adrenal fatigue.
But beyond the biological, Ashwagandha also holds an energetic signature of groundedness. She connects us to the root chakra and the Earth itself. For those who feel “ungrounded,” overly stimulated, or like they’re living from the neck up, this herb brings us back down to where healing can begin: the body.
Ashwagandha, as a master adaptogen, can also help us if we are feeling low, sluggish, and in need of a pick-me-up. She can provide us with powerful sustained energy to move forward in our day with clarity, focus, and drive. She brings balance to the body whether we need upregulation (more stimuli) or downregulation (less stimuli).
It is especially helpful for highly sensitive people, empaths, or anyone who feels emotionally depleted by their environment.
Working with Herbs as Emotional Allies
At Neteru Apothecary, we don’t use one-size-fits-all solutions. In our private sessions and consultations, we listen deeply to your story and your energetic needs. From there, we may offer herbal support in the form of:
- Custom tea blends or tinctures
- Bath soaks and anointing oils
- Herbal smoke or steam rituals
- Guided meditations or journeywork with plant spirits
- Simple daily practices to reconnect with nature’s rhythms
We recognize that your emotional journey is sacred and that sometimes, healing doesn’t need more analysis. It needs remembrance. Of who you are. Of what your body knows. Of how your ancestors healed before you.
Are You Ready to Be Held?
🌿 Are you carrying grief that has no words?
🌿 Do you feel like you’ve tried everything but still feel disconnected?
🌿 Do you sense that something deeper is asking to be tended?
Then perhaps it's time to return to the Earth. To listen. To receive.
📅 Book your custom session or herbal consultation today: https://neteruapothecary.com
🧘♀️ Schedule time to reconnect with your emotional landscape: https://calendly.com/ministryofneteru/client-consultation
✨ Your emotional resilience is not a luxury. It’s your birthright.