Between Worlds: The Sacred Ritual of the Altar
Dia de los Muertos Alter 2023
As an herbalist who works intimately with the plants—listening to them, tending to them, and learning from them—the reason I first fell in love with this work was not just for what plants can do for our bodies or our skin, but for how they care for us on a level we cannot see.
Plants have always been my teachers in healing the whole self—supporting the body internally, the skin externally, and the spirit in all the subtle ways it longs for balance. They offer protection, clarity, and cleansing. They help us return to ourselves.
This is the part of my work that feels the most sacred—the quiet moments between me and the plants, where I feel the most supported and protected. I treat every plant with respect, care, and reverence. When you listen closely, they speak. And when they speak, they offer guidance.
This season, I felt called to share two plants that hold deep meaning for me—Mugwort and Marigold—as a way to help you stay grounded and protected through the shifting energy of this time. Life can feel heavy and uncertain, and these rituals are one way to soften that weight—to bring calm to the nervous system, clarity to the spirit, and harmony to your home. We’re offering a limited amount of herbal bundles now through 10.24.25, with MARIGOLD code at checkout. This allows time to receive them before Dia de los Muertos if you feel called to use it on your alter.
Alongside your morning and evening Gatherwise rituals, I invite you to create another moment of care—a simple practice for grounding your space and honoring your connection to the natural world.
Mugwort in the Gatherwise Farm 2025
Mugwort — The Dreamkeeper and Protector
Mugwort is one of the most sacred plants I grow on our farm, and it holds a special place in my heart and practice. I grow it not for skincare, but for spiritual work—for protection, clarity, and connection.
This ancient herb has been used for centuries across many cultures as a tool for spiritual cleansing and protection. It clears stagnant energy and creates a sense of peace. Burned as incense, it purifies spaces and prepares them for prayer, meditation, or rest. Hung above doorways, it protects the home.
Mugwort is also tied to the moon—a plant of dreams and intuition. In traditional practices, it’s placed in dream pillows to encourage vivid, meaningful dreams and to open the mind to intuitive guidance. Whether used for divination, reflection, or simply to clear away what no longer serves, Mugwort reminds us that healing happens not only through the body, but through the unseen.
Marigold bundle from the Gatherwise farm 2025
Marigold — The Light Between Worlds
Marigold holds a different kind of power—bright, golden, and radiant. In Mexican culture and Día de los Muertos traditions, marigolds help guide the spirits of loved ones back to us, their light illuminating the path between worlds.
Their warmth brings protection and joy, filling spaces with a sense of remembrance and gratitude. When placed on an altar, they invite connection—with our ancestors, our past selves, and all that we hold sacred.
This is the first year I’ve grown marigolds at the Gatherwise farm, and I felt their message strongly: to share their beauty, their purpose, and their light.
Alter of celebration 2025
A Ritual for You
You can use these sacred plants in whatever way feels right—adorn your altar, place them near your Gatherwise skincare ritual, or burn them to cleanse your space and spirit.
As you light the herbs, take a slow breath and set an intention—maybe for protection, clarity, peace, or connection. Let the scent rise as a gentle offering, a reminder that you are supported, and that there is light even in the quietest spaces.
This season invites us to pause, to honor the veil between worlds, and to create small, grounding rituals that nourish us—inside and out.
Herbal bundle with Mugwort growing behind it.
Rituals with Mugwort + Marigold
These sacred plants are meant to be used in ways that resonate with you, honoring your intuition, your space, and your ancestors. Here are some practices I love and invite you to try:
Create an altar and light a candle daily. Dedicate it to your ancestors, to yourself, or as a grounding practice for meditation. Let it be a space to set intentions, manifest your day, or simply pause in gratitude.
Burn your Mugwort + Marigold bundle. Let the smoke purify your space, your body, and the air around you. Take slow, mindful breaths and feel the energy shift in the room.
Leave the bundle in a sacred place. When you notice it, pause to reflect, breathe, and connect to gratitude for the people, experiences, and blessings in your life.
Ritual baths. Burn the Mugwort in the room while soaking in a warm bath. Allow the smoke to cleanse the water, the air, and your body — creating a holistic ritual for physical and energetic renewal.
Set an intention before burning. At the new moon, focus on bringing something into fruition; at the full moon, release what no longer serves you. As the bundle burns, visualize your intention manifesting or being released into the universe.
Walk the smoke through your home. Hold the burning Mugwort and move from room to room, cleansing each space of stagnant energy, and filling your home with protection, clarity, and light.
Offerings. Place the Mugwort as an offering to your goddess, spirits, or ancestors — a way to honor and communicate with forces beyond the physical.
Enhance your dreams. Keep a Mugwort bundle in your bedroom to support vivid and lucid dreams. Its subtle energy can deepen sleep, heighten intuition, and offer guidance in the dream world.
Daily gratitude and reflection. Even when unlit, seeing your sacred bundle can be a gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and reconnect to yourself and your intentions.
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples across the Americas have used sacred herbs and bundles to cleanse spaces, honor ancestors, and protect their homes. Whether incorporated into a daily meditation, part of a seasonal altar, or simply a mindful pause in your day, they invite you to connect deeply — with yourself, your ancestors, and the unseen energies that surround you. I hope you find a way to include these sacred herbs into your daily ritual, in however it calls to you.
Melissa and Marigolds
“I hope you use this time, as the veil thins, to create a ritual for yourself, your home, and those you love and have loved.”
— Melissa
*This is simply guidance—please always burn your bundle safely and mindfully.
