Red Clover: A Gentle Ally for Midlife Women
Red Clover is a humble pasture flower, yet she holds profound medicine in her rosy blossoms. When I think of her, growing wild on the kerbside, overlooked, stepped on and ignored, I think of midlife women. We both have so much wisdom to offer, but are often barely noticed. Red Clover doesn't care though; she knows her worth and happily goes on nourishing the soil, bees, and those wise enough to gather her. In the Wise Woman Tradition, Red Clover is more than a tonic for the body; she's a softening, forgiving presence, a plant that brings grace to the shifting seasons of womanhood.
I fell in love with Red Clover from the very first sip of an overnight infusion. I wish I could tell you what she helped me with specifically, but the best I can say is that she made me feel good all over. Drinking her for 30 days helped every part of my being. There was a noticeable reduction in all my hormonal symptoms, and I felt a sweet internal peace that can't be explained. My joints felt smoother, there was more moisture in my skin, and I felt womanly and alive. When I think of Red Clover, I think of an old friend who only wants the best for you.
Long revered by folk herbalists and midwives, Red Clover has been used to support fertility, clear the skin, purify the blood, and soothe inflammation. But where she really shines is in her relationship with women like us, crossing the threshold into menopause, a time when our internal landscape is being rewritten.
Red Clover & the Menopause Journey
Perimenopause Support
Perimenopause heralds the natural decline of our estrogen levels, bringing erraticness to our natural rhythms and ways of being. It's now that we begin to move through surges of heat, mood fluctuations, and increasing dryness. Red Clover is rich in phytoestrogens (particularly isoflavones such as genistein and daidzein), plant compounds that gently mimic estrogen and can help buffer some of these shifts.
Key Actions in Perimenopause:
Phytoestrogenic: Offers gentle hormonal modulation without overriding the body’s natural intelligence.
Lymphatic: Supports the clearance of metabolic waste, easing swollen lymph and breast tenderness.
Nervine: Red Clover can bring a sense of inner ease, especially when taken as an overnight infusion.
Liver supportive: Helps the body process excess hormones and environmental xenoestrogens that may worsen symptoms.
Menopause & Beyond
Red Clover’s affinity for dryness makes her especially suited to the post-menopausal body. As estrogen wanes, so too do the body’s natural moistening and cooling abilities. Think of Red Clover as a botanical balm, restoring suppleness to tissues, encouraging fluidity, and inviting a cooling wave of relief for those struggling with:
Hot flushes and night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Stiff, dry joints
Irritability or restlessness
How to Work with Red Clover
Infusion (Best Method for Midlife Support)
Steep 2 tablespoons of dried Red Clover in 1 litre of boiling water overnight. In the morning, strain and drink throughout the day.
An overnight infusion extracts the minerals and phytoestrogens most effectively. Drinking a daily infusion over 30 days (or longer) builds cumulative support. Red Clover is one of those plants that wants to be a long-term friend. The more time you spend with her, the more helpful she becomes.
Tincture
A good choice for lymphatic support, but I highly recommend the overnight infusion so you can get to know her intimately.
Dosage: 2–4 mL, 2–3x daily.
Energetic & Emotional Gifts
Red Clover is a plant of grace. She offers us the softening needed to release old versions of ourselves, especially the identities tied to productivity, fertility, and outward expectations. Her medicine is perfect for those of us who feel "on edge," rigid, or burned out by societal pressure to age invisibly.
She whispers:
“You are allowed to take up space, to soften, to let the heat rise and fall without shame. You are becoming something wilder and wiser.”
Red Clover is more than a hormonal ally — she is a midwife to your becoming.
Safety & Considerations
Avoid if taking blood thinners or have a history of estrogen-receptive cancers unless guided by a qualified practitioner.
Best used over time, rather than for acute relief.
Always source organically, as Red Clover can accumulate toxins from sprayed fields.
Red Clover Reclamation Ritual
Brew a pot of Red Clover tea. Light a candle. Sit with your cup and place one hand over your womb and one on your heart. Breath deeply into your belly, letting your breath rise into your chest before exhaling first from your chest, then your belly. Continue until you feel the outside world slip away and you belong to yourself again. Take a mindful sip of Red Clover, following her movement through your body. Continue sipping and as you sip, reflect on one old identity or role you’re ready to shed — and one new way of being you’re inviting in. Let her medicine gently open you to your deeply held dreams and possibilities. Let the steam rise and carry your intentions into the unseen.
