Herb of the Month: Hops for Rest & Relaxation

This month feels extra special—because the hops we’re sharing with you come straight from our own certified organic farm. These plants trace their roots back to 2010, when we first planted hops on our original farm in Sandy, Oregon. From those originals, we nurtured a new generation from scratch on our new farm, and this season we finally gathered our very first harvest.

The plants thrived, the cones ripened beautifully, and the fragrance was incredible. Bringing them in felt like the fruit of years of care, patience, and love for the land. We’re honored to offer this harvest to you—vibrant, resin-rich, and full of calming potential.

Best known today for flavoring beer, hops (Humulus lupulus) have a much older and wider story. Long before they became the star of brewing traditions in Europe, they were valued in folk medicine for their calming and cooling qualities. Records of hops in use date back to at least the 9th century, when they were grown in monastic gardens not only for brewing but also for healing.

By the Middle Ages, hops were a familiar sight hanging in drying sheds and apothecaries. Healers made hops pillows, stuffed with the fragrant cones, to ease sleeplessness and restless nights. Poultices and compresses of hops were used to calm inflammation and pain, while bitter tonics made from the flowers were given to stimulate digestion and appetite.

Hops also carried a layer of symbolism and magic. In folk traditions, the cones were thought to banish nightmares, ward off evil spirits, and protect dreamers as they slept. They were sometimes woven into charms or hung in the home to invite peace and stillness. Their bitter, cooling nature gave them a reputation as an herb that could calm excess—whether that was heat, restlessness, or turbulent emotions.

Over time, as brewing spread across Europe, hops became more famous for their preservative and flavoring qualities in beer. Yet even as they entered the brewer’s barrel, they never left the healer’s hand. From monastery medicine to folk remedies, hops have always been a plant of rest, protection, and balance—a reputation that continues to this day.

Hops are cooling, bitter, and deeply relaxing. Energetically, they help settle restlessness, release excess heat, and calm the “too muchness” of modern life. They’re especially suited for those who feel tense, overheated, or agitated—offering a steadying, grounding presence that helps the body and mind slow down.

In herbal energetics, hops are often seen as a plant that quiets overactivity—whether in the nervous system, digestion, or emotions. Their bitter quality moves stagnation and supports healthy digestion, while their cooling nature soothes heat and irritability.

Planetary Correspondence: Hops are most closely aligned with Saturn, the planet of boundaries, rest, and discipline. Just as Saturn teaches us the importance of cycles—activity and retreat, effort and renewal—hops embody the wisdom of knowing when to pause.

This plant reminds us that rest is not indulgence but necessity. By helping us step back, slow down, and restore, hops guide us into deeper balance with ourselves and the rhythms of the natural world.