There is a teaching I have been sitting with lately.

It is said that long ago there were thousands of plants of light on the Earth. Little ambassadors of the source, of the good, of God, if you wish to call it that. They came here with one purpose. To hold more light on the planet.

Many of them are gone now. Only about thirty remain.

I first heard this from one of the spiritual teachers I follow, and it stayed with me. Because light is not only a poetic word. In this way of seeing, light is health. Light is peace. Light is your energy to create the life you want. The more light you carry, the more freedom you have inside.

These plants can help us gather a little more of it.

If you have seen my sun tea video, you already met five of them. Spearmint, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, and basil cut fresh from the garden and left in the sun to make a slow, gentle infusion. This post is the rest of the story. All the plants of light that are easy to bring into daily life, their gifts, and how to receive each one.

You do not need all of them. You do not need to do this perfectly. Choose the ones that call to you. Grow one on a windowsill. Add one to your water. Let it be simple.

Four ways to receive their light

Every plant likes to be met in its own way. Here are the four simple ways I work with them.

Fresh.

Just cut, still full of life. Best for the tender leaves, the aromatic ones, the plants that lose their spark quickly once dried. Mint, basil, tarragon, dill.

Dried.

Gathered and rested until the moisture is gone. This concentrates the plant and lets you keep it through the seasons. Nettle, chamomile, sage, thyme.

Cold or sun infusion.

Leaves and flowers placed in cool water and left to steep slowly, often in the sun. This is the softest method. It protects the delicate aromatic oils that heat would carry away. This is how I make my sun teas. It suits the fragrant leaves best, mint, rosemary, oregano, basil, tarragon.

Hot infusion or decoction.

Hot water poured over the plant, or the tougher parts simmered gently. Roots, barks, seeds, and hardy leaves need heat to release what they hold. Dandelion root, ginger, turmeric, chicory, nettle.

A simple way to remember it. Soft leaves and flowers love the cool, slow way. Roots and tough material need the warmth.

The plants of light

Nettle -

Strength, protection, resilience. The plant that stings to guard what is tender. She teaches healthy boundaries, and she nourishes deeply, rich in minerals and quiet strength. How to receive it: dried, as a long hot infusion, steeped for hours to draw out the minerals. Or cook the fresh spring leaves like greens.

Rosemary -

Remembrance, clarity, purification. The keeper of memory. She clears the mind and sharpens what has grown foggy. An old friend for focus and for cleansing a space. How to receive it: fresh or dried, lovely in a sun infusion. Wonderful in cooking, and as a rinse for the hair and scalp.

Chamomile -

Peace, calm, gentle release. The flower of rest. She softens the racing mind and invites the body to let go. Golden and quiet. How to receive it: dried flowers, as a hot infusion, especially in the evening.

Sorrel -

Brightness, vitality, cleansing. A bright, lemony green that wakes up the senses. She carries a clean, alive kind of energy. How to receive it: fresh, in salads or blended into soups. Best enjoyed young and raw.

Sagebrush -

Clearing, protection, space cleansing. More a plant of the air than the cup. Her gift is to clear heavy energy from a room and from the field around us. How to receive it: dried, as a cleansing smoke to purify a space. This one I use for clearing, not for drinking.

Oregano -

Protection, courage, strength. A small, fierce plant. She stands guard and lends courage. Warm and fortifying. How to receive it: fresh or dried, in a sun infusion or in food. A drop of the oil, well diluted, is very strong.

Millet -

Grounding, nourishment, humble abundance. A gentle golden grain that steadies and feeds. She reminds us that quiet, simple nourishment is its own kind of wealth. How to receive it: cooked as a grain, like a porridge or a side. This one is food, not tea.

Hemp -

Calm, connection, expansion. An ancient ally for softening the edges and opening the heart. She invites ease and a wider sense of self. How to receive it: the seeds, sprinkled on food for nourishment. If you explore the flower or oils, choose trusted sources and follow the laws where you live.

Flax -

Protection, nourishment, flow. A humble seed with deep gifts. She carries good fats that keep the body supple and the cells soft and open. How to receive it: seeds, freshly ground so the body can use them, stirred into water, oatmeal, or a smoothie.

Mint -

Clarity, renewal, uplift. Cool and awakening. She clears the head, freshens the breath, and lifts a tired spirit. Spearmint especially carries a bright, renewing note. How to receive it: fresh, beautiful in a cold or sun infusion. Also lovely hot.

Spanish needles -

Opening, resilience, healing. A wild, generous plant that grows where others will not. She carries a soft, opening energy and a long history as a healing herb. How to receive it: fresh or dried, as a mild infusion. A common wild plant with a gentle nature.

Dandelion -

Resilience, transformation, wishes. The plant that returns no matter what. She teaches persistence and hope, and she supports the liver in its quiet work of renewal. How to receive it: the root roasted and simmered as a decoction, the leaves as an infusion, the flowers eaten or infused.

Turmeric -

Golden light, purification, vitality. The color of the sun itself. She is warming, cleansing, and steadying, a root that glows from the inside. How to receive it: fresh or dried root, as a hot infusion or golden milk. A pinch of black pepper helps the body receive her.

Ginger -

Warmth, courage, movement. Fire in a root. She warms the body, wakes the digestion, and stirs things that have gone still. How to receive it: fresh root, sliced into a hot infusion. Also good in a sun tea for a gentler warmth.

Dill -

Soothing, protection, abundance. A soft, feathery herb with a calming nature. She settles the belly and carries an old reputation for protection and plenty. How to receive it: fresh, best raw, added at the end of cooking so her delicate oils remain.

Sage -

Wisdom, clearing, longevity. The elder of the garden. She clears, she steadies, and she carries the energy of long life and deep knowing. How to receive it: fresh or dried, as an infusion, in food, or as a cleansing smoke. A little goes a long way.

Thyme -

Courage, cleansing, strength. A tiny plant with a strong heart. She lends courage and clears what is heavy, in the body and in the air. How to receive it: fresh or dried, as a hot infusion, or in cooking.

Chicory -

Resilience, opening the way, removing obstacles. A roadside plant with sky-blue flowers. She carries the energy of moving through what blocks us, and she supports the liver. How to receive it: the root roasted and simmered, often as a coffee-like drink. The flowers are edible too.

Asparagus -

Renewal, fertility, cleansing. A herald of spring and new beginnings. She supports the body's gentle cleansing and carries a fresh, rising energy. How to receive it: eaten fresh, lightly cooked, in the spring when she is at her most alive.

Cranberry -

Protection, the heart, cleansing. A small red berry with a bright, protective spark. She guards and cleanses, and she carries the color of the heart. How to receive it: the berries, or a pure unsweetened juice. Tart and awakening.

Parsley -

Renewal, protection, vitality. Far more than a garnish. She is rich in green life, freshening and reviving, an old herb of protection. How to receive it: fresh, raw, chopped generously into food or blended into a green drink.

Garlic -

Protection, strength, purification. The great guardian of the kitchen. She protects, she strengthens, and she has cleared unwanted things from the body for thousands of years. How to receive it: a fresh clove, crushed and rested a few minutes before eating, so her gifts awaken.

Basil -

Love, harmony, abundance. The sweet, sacred herb. She opens the heart, brings harmony to a home, and carries an energy of love and welcome. How to receive it: fresh, beautiful in a sun infusion, and generous in food. Her scent alone lifts the spirit.

Tarragon -

Confidence, empowerment, calm courage. The little dragon of the garden. She carries a quiet, steadying confidence, the kind that does not need to prove itself. How to receive it: fresh, lovely in a sun infusion, and gentle in cooking.

Six more I hold as plants of light

These next six are not on the list I first received, but they are some of my most beloved. In many traditions they are treated as carriers of light too, and in my own practice I feel it clearly. I add them here with love.

Tulsi, or holy basil -

Clarity, protection, elevation. A sacred plant of the East, grown by the door and tended like a beloved friend. She clears the mind, lifts the spirit, and steadies the heart in times of stress. How to receive it: fresh or dried leaves, as a hot infusion. Also lovely in a sun tea.

Calendula -

Warmth, the sun, gentle healing. The golden flower once called the sun's bride. She carries the warmth of light itself, soothing and brightening, inside and out. How to receive it: dried petals, as a hot infusion. The fresh petals are also beautiful scattered over food.

Rose -

Love, the open heart, the divine feminine. The highest note of the heart. She softens what has grown hard, and reminds us that we are worthy of tenderness. How to receive it: dried petals or buds, as a gentle hot or sun infusion. A little rose in your water is a small act of self-love.

Lemon balm -

Joy, lightness, easing the heavy heart. The gladdening herb. She lifts low spirits, calms a busy mind, and brings a soft brightness to the day. How to receive it: fresh or dried leaves, lovely in a cold or sun infusion, and gentle as a hot tea.

Lavender -

Peace, purification, calm. A plant that clears and softens the energy around us. She quiets the nervous system and invites rest. How to receive it: dried buds, as a light hot infusion, a little goes far. Also beautiful in a bath. Her scent alone calms the whole body.

St. John's Wort -

The sunshine herb, light against the dark. Blooming at the height of summer, she was long used to hold light through the darker seasons of the heart. How to receive it: dried flowering tops, as an infusion or an infused oil. One honest caution with this one. She interacts with many medications, including antidepressants and birth control, so please check with your doctor or a trusted practitioner before drinking her if you take any medication.

A note of care and respect

These plants are gentle, and they are also alive with real power. As a herbalist, I hold them with both love and respect.

A few carry more strength than their soft names suggest. If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication, some herbs are best paused or checked first with a trusted practitioner. Sagebrush and sage in particular I treat with care, and I use sagebrush mainly for clearing a space, not for drinking. When in doubt, begin small, and let your body be your guide.

This is not about doing everything. It is about beginning a relationship. One plant, one cup of sun tea, one small daily ritual is enough to start gathering more light.

A closing thought

You do not have to grow a whole garden.

You do not have to know every plant.

You can begin with one that calls to you, and let it teach you the rest.

The light was always meant to be shared, plant to water, water to body, and back out into the world through you.

If you would like to try a sun tea of your own, my short garden video will show you how simple it is. And if you feel called to walk this path a little further, I would love to have you in my community, where I share seasonal rituals, meditations, and gentle ways to bring more light into your days.

With love always,

Luba