St John's Wort - Red Sun Oil in Process
I thought I’d share a little of my process while making this St John’s Wort oil - Red Sun - or rather share what it was like after it made itself. Herbal infusion oils are something that are more facilitated than created from scratch the way a cleanser or formulated blend might be. It’s said that “St. John’s Wort acts as an extension of sunshine.” What a miracle that is. The beauty of this oil, and really any herbal oil, is that it is a meditation. An act of care and consistent patience. Forgetfulness or entering an absent mindset have no place here since, I believe, oils require sweet attention. Checks ins and even some kind words. Energy is a universal language, and without even looking at your oil or thinking about it whatsoever, it feels forgotten. This jar was well nurtured the entire way as it matured from a lovely green to a deep blood red.
The first batch made (which you can purchase in 2 sizes here) was harvested late in the season for me and my neighborhood, but perfectly on time for the Pacific Northwest mountains where I managed to find some fantastically large collectives of blooms, shining bright in the sunshine. For the best results, you want to make sure you’re cutting your plants - from bloom to stem - very finely, in order to get the deepest extraction possible. The second, which is currently in process, was made with dried plant material which was also somewhat late in the season. I feel lucky to have them since I had the chance to save the seed pods, seen below in a jar. I’m really thrilled to have them and to grow more next year. For anyone interested in having some of these seeds, leave me a message in your purchase and I’ll gladly include a packet for you if there are any left! Should you plant this healing herb, be mindful of where and how you plant it. The seeds are teeny tiny, and many places consider it invasive. This is not the decorative variety of St John’s Wort but the potent, deeply medicinal kind - hypericum perforatum.
Do you see this? Do you see the richness, the redness, the absolute sunbeam magic happening here? I haven’t even gone into the details of why I love this oil, why I want to share this oil, and how I use it religiously especially during the warmer months. When I’m not SUNMOON’ing, I work as a grateful farm hand here in Oregon. The sun hangs high and for two summer seasons in a row I have abstained from sunblock and added the regular application of St John’s Wort oil, applied AM + PM. In the morning, I use it all over my face, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, the spots that get the most sun. In the evening when I’m home, I shower and apply it everywhere, allowing it to soak in naturally and work its healing. I’ve found through this experience that not only do I not burn, but I don’t even peel or appear effected by the daily sun exposure. Studies show (as well as my own self-experimenting) that using St. John’s Wort-infused oil can offer protection from the sun, as well as authentic healing of superficial burns. This however is a controversial subject and I would never tell anyone to stop using sunscreen, especially very fair skinned people - primarily because I am not an expert in this field of study, nor do I have fair skin myself. However, I do think that this all speaks pretty substantially to its potency and authenticity as an herb that not only thrives in solar radiance, but supports the healing of an overabundance of sun too. In this way, St John’s Wort is a holy balancer, an equalizer, supplying a natural source of harmony and dialogue between us in our bodies and the sunshine - which is so very far away but some days may feel too close for comfort. On the days when the sun feels too distant, this oil carries beams of light within it, charging us from the outside in with the sweetness of the sun that we can begin to miss so much come winter time.
Some of the known healing benefits of this oil include:
the healing of topical wounds, bruises, burns, blisters, cuts, eczema, stiffness, superficial inflammation, internal inflammation, muscle pain, neck and back pain/spasms, sciatica, insomnia, anxiety, and stress
Supports recovery from sensory overload and hyper-stimulation
the magic of cleansing the skin and body's tissues
penetrating and soothing stressed and sore muscles, ligaments and joints
nourishing the nerves, supporting the healing of nerve damage and pain
Having a rapidly active warming effect across the whole body
aiding in the dissolving of menstrual pain
healing throughout postpartum
I hope you enjoy basking in this oil, applying it whenever and wherever, enjoying it now in the last moments of summer and graciously on into the darkness of winter when its light may feel most needed. If you have any left, that is! I can’t convince you alone, you’ll have to try the oil for yourself.