With the shift from summer to autumn and welcoming the Chinese year of the Fire Horse, we asked local herbalist Clio Meyer to share a wellbeing tool to support body and mind during seasonal transitions.

The year of the Fire Horse can mean fabulous boosts of energy and creativity leading to major transitions and bold decisions, or the feeling of running three miles behind our own galloping lives as changes unfold rapidly. In order to welcome these intense energies with grace, and transition into the energies of autumn, here is a gift for you:

Flower infused honey recipe 

250g of honey -not too solid

1-3 handfuls of fresh edible flowers 

250ml clean glass jar

On a sunny day harvest one to three handfuls of fresh edible flowers. Roses, lavender, houhere (lacebark), violets, pansies, calendula and cornflowers all work well. If you don’t have access to fresh flowers, you can use petals from an organic shop.

Place a spoonful of honey on the bottom of your jar. Then place a layer of flowers. Then a layer of honey. Then flowers. Repeat this until the jar is filled with honey and flowers. 

You may stir the mixture every few layers, to have them well mixed. Using a liquid honey makes this process easier.

Let the honey infuse for a minimum of one to four weeks in a warm place. Watch how the honey changes colour. You can start using your flower infused honey after one to two weeks. The mixture keeps for months.

Stir a spoonful of flower honey into a cup of tea. Or take a spoonful of your honey lightly warmed on the winter’s nights. You will be delighted!

If you would like to create more herbal medicine, Clio extends an invitation to join one of her upcoming Herbal Medicine Retreats at Mana: Into the Green Fabric of the World. From 10-12 March, Clio will lead a deep dive into late summer medicine and how to connect with plants.