By skyforbes 
An Immune System Tonic
I think the best way to support the immune system during travel is by taking immunostimulating or immunomodulating herbs (based on your needs) a week or so before you start traveling. Other precautions to take while travel include using physical barriers to germs like wearing a mask, frequent handwashing, and using saline nose sprays – all inexpensive and effective ways of preventing and reducing illness.
Yet, travel exposes our immune system to all sorts of challenges that can be difficult to prepare for or prevent no matter how careful, so having an immune system plant ally on hand can be a wise choice. I also tuck in a few bags of my favorite cold care tea, individually packaged for easy brewing.
Elder (Sambucus nigra): Elder, especially the Elderberry, is my favorite immunomodulator. Elder helps to disrupt a viruses’ ability to replicate while also helping to strengthen the nervous system. I use Elderberry syrup as a daily tonic during the height of cold and flu season, but it is great in teas and tinctures, too. Indications include infections, fever, runny nose, excess mucus, aches and pains.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea): I don’t use Echinacea often, but it is a powerful immunostimulant for short-term, acute infections. Begin taking at the first sign of illness, every few hours for the first few days, but no longer than a week. Indications include sore throat, fever, poor circulation, congestion, swollen glands, and repeated infections.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): I really like Lemon Balm as a long-term remedy for immune system support – I take it regularly in tea form and bring it along with me in a more potent tincture form when I travel. Indications include brain fog, hypersensitivity, overextension of energy, and general stress.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa): I pack a small jar of haldi doodh or golden milk with me whenever I travel and drink it every morning. I love Turmeric’s ability to enhance the immune system and nourish the body. Indications include aches and pains, general fatigue, and low mood.
Additional immune system herbs include: Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus), Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Elecampane (Inula helenium), and Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum).
A Pain-Relieving Tonic
In addition to over-the-counter options, I like to carry an analgesic and anti-inflammatory herb that I can rely on should traveling and less than ideal sleeping arrangements lead to an increase in headaches and pain.
Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis): One of my favorite herbs to alleviate headaches and, when taken early enough, reduce the severity of migraines. Indications include pain and nervous tension, headaches, anxiety, indigestion, blood sugar issues, cramps, and insomnia.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): If your pain improves with heat, such as warm compresses, a warming anti-inflammatory like Rosemary might be a good choice. Indications include indigestion, pain brought on by colds and fevers, and neuropathic pain.
Additional pain-relieving herbs include: Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), Lavender (Lavandula spp.), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), and White Willow Bark (Salix alba).
A few considerations for my witch folk and magickal kin
Grimoires old and new are filled with charms for the traveller, from alleviating foot ache to protecting against the weather one was likely to find on the road. I find travel charms to act as a physical item to reassure and remind you to ground and center should things become stressful or when plans go awry, but to also connect with the magick of the journey.
A few magickal herbal charms include:
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A charm to protect your body from aches and weariness – Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is an old traveling charm for this very need.
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A protective herb for you and all of your luggage.
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A wayfinder charm to protect you from getting lost.
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Charms for your Ascendant can be a wonderful travel aid.
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A wonder finding herb to help you find magickal moments along your path – often, this is a beloved plant ally.
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Connecting with the energy of Sagittarius can help you feel freer in your journeys.
Putting Your Kit Together
In general, I reach for teas and powdered herbs before I reach for tinctures in my personal practice, but when it comes to traveling, tinctures or alcohol extracts are the most convenient and space effective. So in addition to my first aid salve, a few bags of cold care tea (as well as any daily tea I normally take), most of what is in my travel kit are 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce tincture bottle.
I have a variety of handmade zippered and tied pouches with elastic straps or small pockets for holding individual bottles in place, which are easy to make with simple sewing techniques. Use what you already have for your kit or you can purchase a handmade tincture pouch, wrap or sleeve insert from a small business. I’ve also known herbalists with crocheting or knitting skills to stitch up individual tincture holders that can be added to an existing toiletry kit (and it looks super cute). But it’s also just as effective to throw your jars and bags into an ancient ziploc bag if that means that’s the way you’re able to bring them with you – do what works!
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If you’re looking for more herbal support for the winter holidays, you might find this post useful. You can also find my full list of herbal profiles in the plant ally archive for more inspiration.
I love to travel and it can be a stressful thing to do, especially when you live in places that haven’t yet come to know the joy of an extensive and well-operated public transit network (having spent my early years in Tokyo, I still dream of an highly functional, accessible, and clean rail network). I find that the process of planning what herbs I am going to bring with me, not only for my needs but my fellow traveling companions, to be a centering and soothing exercise.
So while I cannot predict what I will find on my journey, I know I have trusted allies with me along the way – I find this reassuring and I hope this post has helped you identify your own reassurances in the form of our plant kin.