Herbal Fanfiction: Navigating Grief with Wanda Maximoff
Herbal Fanfiction is a series of blogs offering unsolicited opinions on supportive herbal formulations for fictional tv and movie characters b/c It’s fun, it’s fictional, and it may offer some insights that are exactly what *you* need too!
Last year, the Marvel universe released three television series featuring Avengers from the early films: WandaVision, which shares the story of next-level powerful witch Wanda Maximoff, Falcon and Winter Soldier, which follows the journey and reluctant friendship of Sam and Bucky, and Loki, which chronicles the demi-god trickster as he romps through space and time.
While we could talk about how dope that movie montage sequence was in WandaVision, or argue over the story arc (or whether there was one), I want to focus on the herbal possibilities for Wanda Maximoff.
Like, if Wanda buzzed her way over into my office, what would be some herbal formulations?
So here is my take...feel free to come fight me in the comments. ;)
P.S. This little rundown is filled with spoiler alerts...so if you haven't watched WandaVision as yet and don't want me to ruin the show for you...this would be a good time to pause this reading, watch the series, and then come back to it!
Disclaimer: K, obviously this is completely fictional and without ever talking to Wanda Maximoff, these are all conjectures. So, please take this for what it is - a fun way to see some of the ways we can think about herbs in relation to the body. And, just to cross our t’s and dot our i’s, this is in no way medical advice and should not be treated as such. Always consult with your healthcare practitioner if you have questions. K - think that’s it for now. Let’s dive in.
Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision:
Wanda, an Avenger who can harness chaos magic, use telepathy and telekinesis, and alter reality (see #witchgoals) has had a life predominantly defined by loss - the loss of her parents, her twin brother, and, finally, the person a.k.a. advanced android, she’s in love with.
The story of Wanda in WandaVision predominantly follows the emotional arc of grappling with grief, in all its many stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Wanda's process of bereavement, though, simultaneously begins to make us, the audience, and later Wanda, realize how totally next-level her magic is, so this also is a story of her stepping fully into her power.
I mean, moving through grief into full power - how much more relatable can you get for modern-day witches?
Considerations for Wanda
When thinking about herbal preparations, there were a couple things I wanted to consider:
Her love, Vision, was very recently killed (three-fold - 1 time by herself, 1 time by Thanos, then again by the collapse of her altered world), so trauma, shock, and grief are acute here and now
She birthed and lost her twin boys, so we are going to be dealing with parental grief as well
Agnes the Witch is out to take Wanda's powers, so dealing with external threats
She's a redhead, produces a red like current during telekinesis, and eventually is named The Scarlet Witch, so the fire element is a strong elemental force in her constitution - which is interesting because the majority of the film she is living in an almost stagnant water state
She's struggling to remember things and there is a disassociation between her actions and her reality
The Herbal Formulations
For Initial Experience of Loss
Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissen)
One of the first plants that comes to mind for Wanda for the early stages of her grief is Mimosa (...of no relation to the Sunday brunch beverage).
Mimosa, a plant native to the Caribbean, is useful for many experiences of mental health, but is particularly suited to Wanda because of its use for those experiencing shock, grief, dissociative states, and as an aid in processing stuck emotions due to deep pain.
Mimosa does not end or disappear our experience of pain or loss, but rather allows for a period of rest or relief from the intensity of the experience (Baily, 2011).
The flowers, pink frilly other-wordly little beings that they are, uplift the spirits, while the bark of the slender-trunked tree is grounding, so both plant parts can be used together to create a balanced experience of this plant.
Mimosa Simple
Purpose: To aid Wanda in processing stuck or strong emotions, such as shock, grief, and dissociative states during the initial stages of grief.
Directions for usage: Add 1 – 13 drops into a little water and take up to four times daily. Start with 1 drop and slowly increase to tolerance.
Ingredients:
Mimosa
Organic cane alcohol
How to Make a Mimosa Flower Blossom Tincture:
This article, The Collective Happiness Flower, by Herbalista Free Clinic details how to make: https://herbalista.org/blah-blah-blah/
Where to Purchase:
Herb Pharm Albizia:
https://www.herb-pharm.com/product/albizia/
Ongoing Heart Nourishment & Protection
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), and Wild Rose (Rosa spp.)
The next preparation I would consider is a blend of Hawthorn, Motherwort, and Wild Rose.
Hawthorn: has foundational, heart-nourishing abilities for those experiencing grief or heartbreak. Similar to how hot tea can leave us feeling nurtured in body and soul, Hawthorn is able to nourish on both a physical and emotional level, helping to replenish us and assisting us in accessing our inner resilience.
Motherwort: is a plant in the mint family whose latin name is Leonurus cardiaca, which means lion-hearted, which gives us a sense of what this plant offers. Motherwort is particularly indicated for the parents or caregivers who need that type of lion-hearted courage in the face of challenging situations, and it guides people to connect with their heart and true purpose in life, fostering an inner strength to express themselves confidently in the world.
Note: For those with menstrual cycles, you may not want to use motherwort for extended periods of time, as it can bring on an earlier or heavier menstruation. Because of this, I would want to check in with Wanda after one month to see how the regular use of the formulation impacted her and consider shifting the formulation if impacting her cycle.
Rose: gently uplifts and calms the spirit while healing the heart and can energetically offer protection, similarly to Hawthorn (both are in the rose family).
All three: energetically offer a protective boundary to tend to a broken heart. These three plants each have thorns, which makes it really effective for protecting it from being consumed by big creatures. In the case of Wanda, Agnes the Witch out for her, so Hawthorn acts as this protective force that allows her to have her vulnerability and process while being shielded energetically and emotionally from those attacks, which allows her to go through her grieving process.
Hawthorn, Motherwort & Rose Elixir
Purpose: To create a protective boundary while providing long-term nourishment for the heart-space
Directions for usage:
Take 1-3 dropperfuls up to 3x/day or as needed. To take ongoing for the next 30 days, then reassess.
Ingredients:
Hawthorn flowers and berries
Wild Rose petals and rose hips
Motherwort leaves
Raw Honey
Alcohol
Where to Purchase:
This would be more like a crafted blend. If you want something like this, hit me up at hello@dirtandbones.com or via our contact form page!
References:
Baily, D.T. (2011). Mimosa, “Silk Tree”, Albizia julibrissin. Southern Herbalist (Blog). https://southernherbalist.wordpress.com/2011/07/02/mimosa/
