One of my favorite “mulled” brews for fall to winter doesn’t necessarily include apple, if you can believe that. Instead, I reach for two herbs that are terrific for protecting boundaries, giving me strength of body, mind, and spirit.
Elder: Strengthen and Protect
Elderberry is the primary in this particular mulled brew. Taken daily, elderberry is famous for helping stave off a variety of infectious illnesses, including flus and colds. Elderberry is chock full of vitamin C, which helps cells re-build. It is also shown to help the body generally repair and build strong cell walls, strengthening the boundaries that protect against a full-on germ invasion. That’s one way elderberry helps protect boundaries.
Elder has also long been a plant associated with the gateway between the worlds. The ElderMother minds the gateway between the Faerie Lands and our own waking world. Our Ancestors looked at Elder as a revered and holy ally for keeping their families safe and promoting harmony between humanity and the other peoples of this realm and beyond.
Belief in the Fae aside, I’ve found elderberry and elderflower to be a wonderfully relaxing partner for calming the spirit during turbulent times. In my own experience, a little elderberry tea can soothe my own aching heart during periods of loss and grief. Elder helps my mind and spirit adjust to the new reality I must face, gently softening my way through the threshold between what was and what will be. Even if the past few seasons have not been painful for you, the time when we enter into the fall and winter is a time of letting go of the past year’s harvests, joys, and labors. Fall and Winter ask us all to let go, make space for quiet, and heal. Elder is a good partner for that process.
Cinnamon: Warm and Tap into Joy
Cinnamon is the secondary in this particular mulled brew. Cinnamon is really the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. As such, it’s serves as an inner layer of protection to the tree’s heart, so to speak. It carries a lot of fiery and mucilaginous constituents, making it a good one for moving energies. In most traditions, Cinnamon is viewed as a hot, damp herb. It warms without drying excessively. Cinnamon supports the body in moving nutrients to where they are needed and offering the energy-boost needed to build strong tissues. When you combine cinnamon with elderberry, you’re essentially giving your body’s construction crew a real bonus.
One of the beauties of cinnamon is that characteristic sweetness that makes it so easy to take. Unlike other spicy energy movies, such as cayenne or ginger, cinnamon is easy to take for the long run. It doesn’t taste like medicine, even though it surely is. There’s something soothing and enlivening about a good cup of cinnamon-flavored tea. It warms the heart and makes you feel like you really can achieve whatever you aim for. Cinnamon has an inherently positive influence on the psyche, which may be why it’s used in so many self-care and playful products, like toothpaste and lollypops. Cinnamon really is Joy.
And that’s exactly what I need when the weather turns dark and cold. Winter and Fall are wonderful times for retreating, but they’re also times when even getting the minimal stuff done that needs doing can be a bit of a challenge. I want more than anything to snuggle up by the fire with a book and a warm blanket…but I still gotta pay the rent, cook the meals, tend the chickens, you name it! Cinnamon is a perfect ally for helping me find the energy to get the essential stuff done without exhausting myself. That sweet and spicy nature of cinnamon helps me find the balance I need on a cold, dreary day.
Elderberry-Cinnamon Tea: A Technique to Make it Easy
One of my favorite ways to make herbal infusions couldn’t be more practical. I use a slow cooker (like this one), aka crock pot. When the weather turns cold, I reach for a small 3-quart/2.8 liter slow cooker to do my mulling.
To make elderberry-cinnamon mulled tea, I use about 3 quarts/2.8 liters of water with 0.75 cup/180 ml dried or frozen elderberries and 6 cinnamon sticks (my cinnamon sticks are approximately 3 inches or 7.5 cm long). Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and plug it in and set it to low. You can gently mull the brew for up to 3 days on low, scooping out a mug at a time and replacing the water when it starts to run low. I find I can generally replace up to about a quarter/liter before the resulting brew tastes too week to enjoy.
If you want to get adventurous, you can use apple cider instead of water or you might consider adding other herbs or even some dried fruit to vary the flavor. If you want it sweeter, add a little honey to your mug before filling it – it’s better to add the honey just as you’re ready to drink it to help preserve honey’s more healthful properties and to allow for some variance in the sweetness of each mug. You may well find that your sweet tooth softens a bit as you drink your way through the whole pot.
Learn more about Elder and Cinnamon
You can read more on the medicinal and magical properties of Elder as an Herbal Nerd Society Member or an Herbal Nerd Society Plus member. Search on Elder for more free and membership articles.
You can read more on the medicinal and magical properties of Cinnamon as an Herbal Nerd Society Member. Search on Cinnamon for more free and membership articles.
