Could Slippery Elm help you this month?
Welcome to this months wellness focus. As we gently slip into winter I pull the wellness cards for guidance with my Creation oracle cards and a guest appearance from the The Spirit of Herbs tarot deck by Michael Tierra and Candis Cantin. Each month I offer you a wellness reading to help you improve your own wellbeing and deepen your connection with nature and the seasons. This month I am discussing the benefits of winter which brings darkness and learning from the wisdom of Mother Gaia/Pacha Mama’s cycles. In addition I discuss the benefits of Slippery Elm
This month I ask
How are you feeling are we ease into November?
Are you stable, strong, nourished & open to change?
What part of your life cycle is ready to be released? Are you seeding new beginnings?
You might not know what they are yet but inviting the slowing, quietening and increasing darkness of winter encourages the seeds of change. This enables the gift of new beginnings and a positive conception for any project or opportunities that you may be welcoming into your life
Let’s start with Slippery Elm:
Slippery elm, whose real name is Ulmus rubra is native to North America. The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is rich in mucilage which becomes gel-like when mixed with water (a bit like marshmallow and psyllium husk) giving it a soothing texture. Traditionally, it has been used to create salves, poultices, and teas to support various aspects of health.
Slippery elm is called a demulcent, an emollient and helps hydrate and moisten your tissues and mucosal membranes. It’s the mucilage within the slippery elm which acts as a protective layer, coating the throat, stomach, and intestines – soothing and comforting.
Full of polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant flavonoids.
It’s a pacifier for the digestive system lining the entire length of the mucous membrane of the tract. It can be used in all types of irritable bowel or stomach conditions, ulcers, colitis creating a physical barrier helping to support digestion including heart burn, GERD, indigestion, nausea, leaky gut, helps improve your microbiome and reduce abdominal pain and bloating. It helps absorb liquid in the intestines to improve bowel shape and movement plus it supports your immune system and skin! It’s a great aid for weight management due to its high fibre content, helping blood sugar balance and leaving you with a feeling of fullness
It’s soothing gel helps calm and comfort the respiratory system, coughs and sore throats. It soothes a sore throat like no other herb and can be a veritable life saver for singers.
Use it topically to soothe and soften your skin. I teach you how to make poultices and salves using slippery elm and other natural products to relieve burns, wounds, boils, swelling and more within my 13 moons mentorship programme (registration is open for January 2026)
Slippery Elm helps manage immunity, inflammation and irritation due to its antioxidant and immunoprotective effects which support SCFA (short-chain-fatty acids) helping regulate immune cell function and maintaining integrity of the gut barrier.
Please note: Whilst I wax lyrical about slippery elm there are sustainability concerns for it. Elms have become quite a rare sight in the UK and Europe since the outbreak of the Dutch Elm disease. Because we use the inner bark of the tree for its health benefits this is not good for the elm itself. If you feel slippery elm may help you please be careful where you buy it and also consider using marshmallow as an alternative.
Affirmation for the month: I take comfort in change as I remain within my still centre.
Pacha Mama – Mother Gaia
I love Mother Gaia so much and whenever I feel conflicted or at a loss I take time to connect with nature to notice how she deals with life! We have so much to learn from her. Quite simply she accepts change, seasons and cycles. Happily releasing the old to feed the earth and rebirth the following season she remains centred. Connecting this with the Medicine Wheel tarot card/slippery elm she is reminding us to honour the 4 seasons, 4 directions and the cycles of life. To take nourishment and strength as we return to our centre. This month she reminds us to have faith and trust in the adjusting power of nature which rules our life. She suggests you look at the bigger picture and focus on your goals and aims for the future. Artwork by Sam Foreman
Gaia Earth tree card (Sam Foreman) holds Gaia’s grounding strength and a sense of being held and at peace. The image flows with connectedness – her roots wrapping themselves around and through our beloved planet as she grows and flows. As above so below, we are all one.
Gaia Earth Tree Symbology: Comfort, stability, strength, cycles, growth, healing, wisdom, grounding, renewal.
Conception: Really simply this guidance reminds you that you are at a turning point in your life – be open to change and make way to seed/fertilise new beginnings/projects and chapters in your life! How positive is that!
Gaia Guidance: The storm has passed. Ground deeply in the present moment. There is time to pause and withdraw into your cave. Don’t rush. Take time to birth the new structure that supports a new version of yourself.
I hope you have enjoyed this article. If you are interested in taking a step by step approach to your health using food as medicine and nature spirituality then you may be interested in
Enroll for 13 Moons Wellness Programme – Starts January 2026
October Focus – Autumn intentions
Why rosemary may help addictions and movement
The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnosis. Slippery Elm can influence prescriptive medications and other supplementation so please speak to your health provider before using.
Justine Evans ND is a Registered Naturopath, Nutritional Therapist, Hormone Alchemist and Seasonal Wellbeing Expert. Justine integrates Western science with Eastern and Pagan philosophy, the moon, seasons and cycles. Contact her to book an appointment. Clinics and mentorship programmes are available online, at Palace Chambers, London Road, Stroud Gloucestershire and Twickenham, Greater London.