Moon Phase, Crystals & Herbs for September

The Greening

September feels like a completely different world in lutruwita/Tasmania.

By the time September arrives, I no longer have to search quite so hard for signs of spring. They are everywhere. New leaves are unfurling on branches that looked bare only a few weeks ago, gardens are filling with colour, and the roadside is dotted with flowers. The wattles are still glowing in places, while magnolias, camellias, daffodils and other early spring flowers bring bursts of colour after the muted landscape of winter.

There is something almost intoxicating about the sudden abundance of green. After months of looking at bare branches and winter-browned ground, fresh leaves can seem impossibly bright. They catch the light differently, soft and translucent when they first emerge, before deepening into the richer greens of the months ahead. Even the smell of the earth changes. There is damp soil, crushed grass, blossom and that particular freshness that seems to arrive with warmer afternoons.

The birds have changed too. There is more movement in the garden and more noise in the trees, especially early in the morning. Nesting begins, territories are being established and the whole landscape feels busy with purpose. Spring has a way of reminding us that the natural world has its own timetable, and when the conditions are right, everything responds at once.

I love this part of the year because it feels generous. Winter asks us to conserve, to retreat and to turn inward. Spring opens the door again. The garden becomes somewhere to spend time rather than simply look at, and I find myself wanting to cook with fresh herbs, put my hands into the soil, walk further and stay outside until the light begins to fade.

There is also something wonderfully earthy about the way spring arrives here. It isn't polished or predictable. Tasmania can still throw a cold morning at us, and the weather can change its mind several times in one day. But underneath all of that, growth is happening. Once the leaves begin appearing, they seem to multiply almost overnight.

And perhaps that is why I’m especially excited about something else arriving this September: Practical Magic 2. I’m going to the premiere on the 9th and I am, quite frankly, ridiculously excited. The original Practical Magic was one of my favourite films when I was a young witch, still is..... I loved the herbs, the old house, the spells and the idea that magic could live right alongside the ordinary stuff of life.

But what has stayed with me most is the sisterhood. The relationship between Sally and Gillian, and that fierce, complicated bond between women who know each other completely and still choose each other. There is something powerful about women carrying pieces of one another through the difficult seasons of life, passing down knowledge, keeping old stories alive, gathering together around the table, in the garden, in the kitchen, wherever the magic happens.

Perhaps that is part of what I love about spring too. Everything becomes visible again.

The flowers, the herbs, the birds, the new growth. There is a feeling of gathering after the inwardness of winter, of coming back into the world and remembering that we don't have to do everything alone. For me, magic has always had something communal about it. It lives in shared stories, old recipes, family traditions, friendships, laughter, the passing down of knowledge and the women who teach us what they know.

So yes, I’ll be heading off to the Practical Magic 2 premiere on September 9th with probably far too much excitement for a grown woman, but I’m embracing it. Some things from our younger selves are worth carrying forward. Especially the magic.

The Spring Equinox

The September Equinox marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and I find this seasonal turning point especially meaningful here in lutruwita/Tasmania. The balance of light and darkness shifts, the days continue lengthening and the landscape begins moving into a period of remarkable growth.

For me, the equinox is a good time to think about balance in a very practical sense. Winter may have encouraged rest, reflection and conservation, while spring brings movement, activity and expansion. The challenge is knowing how to welcome that energy without immediately exhausting ourselves with it.

There is a tendency to treat spring as a season for starting over, but I don't think we need to reinvent ourselves every time the weather changes. Perhaps it is enough to ask what has survived the winter, what has strengthened during the quieter months and what is now ready to grow.

I also find myself thinking about the people who came before us at this time of year. Our ancestors would have been paying close attention to the changing landscape, because the arrival of spring affected food, animals, plants, travel and daily life. The seasons were not something happening in the background. They were part of the structure of life itself.

That connection is something I increasingly value. Learning about my northern ancestors and the landscapes they came from has made me more aware of my own relationship with the land here in Tasmania. These are different places, with different plants and seasons, but the instinct to notice what the earth is doing feels ancient.

The Energy of Spring

There is a particular kind of energy that comes with September. It isn't the frantic brightness of summer yet, but there is considerably more movement than there was a month ago.

I notice it in myself as much as I notice it outside. I start making plans again, clearing things out, rearranging the garden and thinking about projects that seemed far too ambitious during winter.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that enthusiasm is not the same thing as capacity.

Spring can be seductive. Everything is growing, so we feel as though we should be growing too, and before long the slower rhythms of winter have been replaced by a long list of things we think we should be doing. I would rather take my cue from the garden. Growth happens because the conditions are right, not because something is forcing it.

There is plenty to do in spring, but there is also plenty to simply enjoy. Sitting outside with a cup of tea, noticing the first bees moving through the flowers, picking herbs for dinner or walking somewhere familiar and seeing how completely different it looks with fresh foliage can be enough.

Herbal Medicine of Spring

The herbal landscape changes quickly in September. Fresh green growth appears, plants that have been dormant begin pushing through the soil, and the garden starts offering a different kind of medicine. After the warming and nourishing herbs that carried us through winter, spring brings herbs associated with freshness, nourishment, digestion and movement.

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Fresh nettle is one of the plants I most associate with early spring. It is resilient, abundant and surprisingly generous for something that is usually approached with caution. Traditionally valued as a nourishing herb, nettle has a long history of use as a spring food and herbal preparation.

I like the symbolism of it as much as anything. Nettle doesn't need much encouragement to return. It pushes up through the earth with extraordinary determination, reminding us that resilience doesn't always look delicate or graceful.

If you harvest nettle, choose clean locations away from roadsides and contamination, and use gloves to avoid the sting. Cooking or properly preparing the plant removes its irritating hairs.

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Cleavers is another quintessential spring plant. Once you know it, you start noticing its sticky stems appearing among other fresh growth, climbing and catching onto anything nearby.

It has a long history in traditional herbalism, particularly as a spring herb associated with lymphatic movement. I like working with it as a reminder that spring isn't simply about growth above ground. It is also a season of movement and clearing after the relative stillness of winter.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion is one of those plants that deserves far more respect than the word "weed" gives it. Its leaves, flowers and roots have all been used traditionally, and it is one of the most recognisable signs that the warmer season has arrived.

There is something almost comical about how determined dandelion is. It will grow wherever it finds an opportunity, pushing through cracks and lawns and neglected corners with complete disregard for our plans. I find that oddly reassuring.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm feels like a perfect transition from winter into spring. Its fresh citrus scent is uplifting without being overwhelming, and once it gets going in the garden it can become wonderfully abundant.

Traditionally used as a calming and digestive herb, lemon balm makes a lovely simple tea. I particularly like it in the garden because you don't have to do anything complicated to experience it. Crush a leaf between your fingers and the scent is immediately there.

Violet

Violet (Viola odorata)

Violet brings a softer quality to the spring garden. The flowers appear almost shyly among the new growth, and both the flowers and leaves have a long history of use in traditional herbalism.

There is something beautiful about the contrast between the exuberance of spring and the gentleness of violet. Not every plant needs to announce itself loudly.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Rosemary remains a constant through the changing seasons, but spring makes me notice it differently. Once I am spending more time outside, I find myself brushing past it, picking sprigs for cooking and stopping to breathe in that sharp, resinous scent.

It is one of those plants that connects everyday life with the sensory experience of the garden. A herb doesn't have to be turned into an elaborate preparation to become part of a ritual. Sometimes picking it for dinner is enough.

Spring and the Nervous System

The return of light can be surprisingly stimulating after winter. I often feel more energetic in spring, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am calmer or more settled. There can be an almost restless quality to the change, particularly when there is suddenly so much to do outside.

This is where I think some of the quieter practices from winter are worth carrying forward. There is no need to abandon stillness simply because the days are longer. A cup of lemon balm or chamomile tea, a slow walk, time in the garden or sitting quietly beneath a tree can provide a useful counterbalance to all that outward movement.

Spring doesn't have to mean becoming busier.

It can simply mean becoming more alive to what is around us.

Seasonal Nourishment

The food I want in September changes noticeably. I still want warmth on cold Tasmanian mornings, but the heavier foods of winter begin to lose their appeal. Fresh herbs become more prominent, vegetables become brighter and I start craving meals that feel lighter and greener.

This is also the time of year when the garden begins making its way back into the kitchen. Herbs are picked just before cooking, young greens find their way into meals and suddenly there is something growing outside the back door again.

I love that connection between garden and kitchen. It makes seasonal eating feel less like a rule and more like a relationship. You notice what is growing, you learn how to use it and, eventually, you begin looking forward to its return each year.

Moon Phases • September 2026

Last Quarter Moon in Gemini

Friday 4 September • 5.51 pm

The Last Quarter Moon in Gemini brings a good opportunity to clear mental clutter and make space for the new lunar cycle. Gemini is curious, quick and mentally active, so this can be a useful time to step back from the constant stream of information and decide what is actually worth carrying forward.

Work with: Fluorite, Clear Quartz, Labradorite and Smokey Quartz.

Waning Crescent

5–10 September

The final days before the New Moon invite a quieter pace. Rather than trying to begin everything at once, this is a good time to finish, tidy, rest and create some space.

Spring may be bursting into life outside, but there is still value in a little quiet.

Work with: Moonstone, Amethyst, Lepidolite and Selenite.

New Moon in Virgo

Friday 11 September • 1.27 pm

The Virgo New Moon brings attention to the practical foundations of everyday life. This feels particularly appropriate for September, when the garden is waking up and there is plenty of preparation to be done.

Rather than creating a huge list of intentions, consider the small changes that would genuinely make your life feel better. What needs tending? What has become unnecessarily complicated? What would you like to bring more care and attention to?

Work with: Moss Agate, Green Aventurine, Fluorite and Clear Quartz.

Waxing Crescent

12–18 September

The Moon begins building again, mirroring the increasing movement of the natural world. This is a lovely time to take the first practical steps toward something you have been thinking about, whether that means planting, creating, beginning a project or simply spending more time outdoors.

Work with: Green Aventurine, Carnelian, Sunstone and Citrine.

First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius

Saturday 19 September • 6.43 am

Sagittarius brings curiosity, movement and a desire to look beyond the familiar. This Moon can encourage exploration, learning and a willingness to follow what genuinely interests you.

Spring is a good season for this kind of energy. Go somewhere you haven't been. Learn something new. Take a different path on your walk. Let curiosity lead for a while.

Work with: Labradorite, Sodalite, Turquoise and Amethyst.

Waxing Gibbous

20–26 September

As the Moon moves toward fullness, the emphasis shifts toward refining rather than beginning. Look at what you have already started and decide what needs more attention. There is no need to keep adding.

Let things develop.

Work with: Moss Agate, Fluorite, Tiger's Eye and Green Aventurine.

Full Moon in Aries

Sunday 27 September • 2.49 am

The Aries Full Moon brings fire and forward movement to the end of the month. Aries is associated with courage, initiative and the willingness to act, making this an energising Moon for considering where you are ready to move forward.

After the inwardness of winter and the practical preparation of early spring, there is something satisfying about finally taking action.

The trick is remembering that action doesn't have to mean urgency.

Sometimes it simply means beginning.

Work with: Carnelian, Bloodstone, Red Jasper, Sunstone and Clear Quartz.

Crystal Allies for September

Moss Agate

Moss Agate feels almost made for September. Its earthy green appearance mirrors the fresh growth appearing everywhere, while its traditional associations with nature, growth and renewal make it a natural companion for spring.

I like working with it when I want to feel connected to the slower, steadier side of growth. Spring may be exuberant, but the roots are still important.

Green Aventurine

Green Aventurine brings a sense of openness and renewal. It is a lovely stone for the beginning of a new cycle, particularly when you want to move forward while staying connected to what keeps you grounded.

Carnelian

Carnelian has a completely different energy. Warm, vibrant and fiery, it fits beautifully with the Aries Full Moon and the more active part of spring.

For me, it represents the moment when thinking about something finally becomes doing it.

Sunstone

Sunstone carries the warmth and brightness of the returning light. After winter, it feels especially appropriate for creativity, confidence and a renewed enjoyment of being alive and outdoors.

Fluorite

Spring can bring an explosion of ideas along with the increase in energy. Fluorite is a useful companion when you need to sort through everything you want to do and decide what actually matters.

Labradorite

Labradorite remains one of my favourite stones for periods of change. September is no longer the deep threshold of August, but we are still moving between seasons, and Labradorite speaks beautifully to that process of becoming.

Ritual & Earth Practice

Spring is the perfect time to make your rituals more physical.

Get outside and work with the earth. Plant herbs, clear a garden bed, gather fallen branches or simply sit somewhere quiet and watch what is happening around you. Pay attention to the plants that return each year and the ones you are seeing for the first time.

You might make a simple herbal tea from something you have grown, light a candle at the equinox, place fresh flowers on your altar or spend an afternoon walking and listen to the landscape.

If you work with crystals, take them outside with you. Hold Moss Agate while sitting among new growth, carry Carnelian on a walk when you need a little motivation, or sit quietly with Labradorite and reflect on what is changing in your life.

The point isn't to create a complicated ritual.

It is to create a moment of relationship with the season.