The Lavender Will Wait
I think I may have missed the lavender this year.
Actually... I missed it last year too.
The shop has been busy.
Family has needed more of me than usual.
By the time I wandered through the Orchard this week, the flowers were already opening past the stage I usually like to harvest.
I stood there for a minute, listening to the bees.
A younger version of me would have been disappointed. This year, I found myself thinking about all the things that did happen instead. I stayed a little longer, listening to the bees moving from flower to flower.
Worth Noticing
This week brings a New Moon in Cancer on July 14.
New Moons are often associated with fresh beginnings, but Cancer rarely asks us to begin by doing more. Instead, it turns our attention toward home, family, belonging, and the things that quietly nourish us.
Mercury continues its retrograde through Cancer, encouraging reflection before action. Conversations, memories, and unfinished stories may return—not to pull us backward, but to help us move forward with greater clarity.
Neptune settles into its retrograde journey in Aries, gently lifting the fog around dreams, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about what's possible.
Jupiter continues its first full weeks in Leo, reminding us that growth often begins long before anyone else can see it.
Current Astrological Landscape
Taken together, this week's sky feels surprisingly gentle.
There isn't much urgency here.
Cancer draws our attention toward home and family.
Mercury asks us to slow down long enough to think.
Neptune quietly questions old assumptions.
Jupiter continues reminding us that growth takes time.
It feels less like a week for pushing...
...and more like a week for noticing.
Expanded Transit
I kept thinking about the lavender.
Not because I harvested it.
Because I didn't.
The orchard kept moving without me.
The currants finished.
The raspberries came and went.
The blueberries are starting to turn blue. The birds have discovered those too.
The peaches are just starting to ripen.
Everything is arriving exactly when it should.
Just not necessarily when I'm ready.
It's interesting how often we measure ourselves by the things we didn't get done.
The lavender.
The project that's still sitting on the desk.
The phone call we meant to make.
The walk we never took.
It's easy to forget that every "yes" quietly becomes a "no" to something else.
This week my "yes" was the shop.
It was family.
It was showing up where I was needed most.
The lavender waited.
It will be fine.
Not harvesting it in time simply means there's more for the bees.
You Might Notice
- feeling protective of your time and energy
- looking at your priorities a little differently
- appreciating what you did accomplish
- feeling less rushed than usual
- noticing that not every opportunity needs to be taken immediately
Who This Week Feels Strongest For
Cancer
This New Moon feels like coming home to yourself.
Leo
Keep tending what you've started. Growth is happening, even if it's still quiet.
Virgo
You don't have to finish everything this week.
Scorpio
Trust the decisions that bring peace rather than urgency.
Pisces
Neptune invites you to look at an old dream with fresh eyes.
Some seasons ask us to harvest.
Others ask us to simply be present.
A Good Time To
- begin something quietly
- reconnect with family
- harvest what's ready
- leave what can wait
- trust the season you're living
Apothecary Support
🌿 Lavender
For moments when life feels beautifully full.
Brings: peace, rest, a gentler pace.
🌿 Angelica Root
For staying grounded when life asks a little more of you.
Brings: steadiness, resilience, quiet confidence.
🍵 Rose, Nettle & Oatstraw Mineral Infusion
A nourishing daily infusion for busy seasons, traditionally enjoyed to replenish minerals and gently support the nervous system.
Brings: Brings: nourishment, resilience, gentle restoration.
Recipe
Combine ⅓ cup dried herbs in a 1-quart (1 L) mason jar using any proportion of rose petals, nettle leaf and oatstraw that appeals to you.
Pour boiling water over the herbs, filling the jar to the top. Cover and infuse for at least 4 hours, or overnight for a stronger infusion.
Strain and enjoy throughout the day. This infusion is naturally rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, silica, manganese and other trace minerals, along with chlorophyll, flavonoids and other nourishing plant compounds.It also contains chlorophyll, flavonoids and other plant compounds from the nettle and rose.