Saturday, September 14, 2013

The Apothecary's Apprentice: Meet Kizzi


Greetings sweet readers! 

I'm elated to welcome my new work-study apprentice. Won't you help me give her a warm entrance into the wild & witchy world of plant potions?



It's been a while since I've had a one-on-one apprentice. 2001, if I remember right. Timing was divine for Kizzi to arrive and I'm grateful for the blessing! I'm in great need of a helping hand here in my apothecary as things have quite grown over the last year and it's a bit more than I can handle all by myself.

I'm feeling ready to give herbal knowledge in a personal and reciprocal context, and ready for some spunky wonderful company to banter with. 

Meet Miss Kizzi - a bright and grounded young lady whom I met through North Star a couple of years ago. 

With a passion for self-sufficiency and connection to her body, she fiercely embodies her Virgo nature. Arriving not a moment late - but rather early - to our first day (of course this would be Friday the 13th) she sits smiling on the steps with a witchy novel and ready boots. 

She comes with notes already! Notes on basic preparations, and a few recipes. 

Elderberry syrup - yes, this is the perfect place to start. 

Since product making will be delayed a few days, we have time to play and cover some foundations. We simmer the elderberry and spice elixir, she explores the jars of dried herbs to invent her own infusion blend, and we jar up some dried comfrey. We make a fresh mugwort tincture too.

Our last hour, we walked along the back road by the horse fields. The roses brambled along the fences and the foliage of grapes and clematis are showing signs of cool nights. We touched on elder, yarrow, chickweed, linden trees, and admired the pretty turtleheads in flower.



Talking is rich and easy and woven, and the curiosity fuels me. She tells me bits about her interesting life and I appreciate both her openness and her opinions. She's interested in daily self-care herbalism, women's health, as well as field medicine for traveling and wilderness trips. Her college courses in botany and the human body will be very compatible with her plant knowledge. She may even dabble in a little aromatherapy or perfumery .. who knows ;)

Welcoming a new chapter, welcoming in the continuation of our plant lineage! 

Blessed be the medicines and joys of our Earth, all our relations, and to the blessings of divine good timing. I am grateful. 

If you have a wise word or a special welcoming for Kizzi, please feel free to comment on the facebook page  








Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Botanical Beauty; Summer Plant Journeys

Incredibly ripe elderberries


Sultry aromatics


Tall reaching blue vervain


Moonlit tulsi gathering


Perfumery intensive


Basil gathering


Healing hyssop


Stocking seasonal favorites; Mead



Happy bees, happy bee balm


Putting up dried rose buds from the beach


Kids' Great Hollow bff reunion


Ice cream!


Jumping into rivers


(that one's a little too high for me - but the girl loved it as you can see :)


A good year for St. Johnswort flowers



and for soaking up the wild waters (it was *hot*)


and it was a good summer for some seriously beautiful creative time: 


...Victorialand perfume compact; patchouli, ylang ylang, spice.
---------

Now .... off to the Women's Herbal Conference! 

ahhh summer 

~~~~


Thursday, June 6, 2013

JUNE ~ Aromatic Muse Perfume 6.6.13 ~ Under the Linden Tree

~ JUNE ~

Amrita Aromatics'

Aromatic Muse Perfume

6.6.13

Inspired by....


Linden trees

River basking



Water flowing through rocks


The color green. Beach glass. Warm grass.


Old style stationery


Cherry flowers and woods



Irrepressible sunlight


Paradox. 
Negative and positive space. 
Gemini. 
Balance.


~ JUNE ~

Under the Linden Trees, in the river, at the edge of the woods.

Featured Notes:
Crown: Lime, Ginger Lily, Rosewood

Heart: Linden, Champa, Labdanum, 

Root: Agarwood, Vanilla, Orris, Oakmoss

{with other botanical essences, carried in a small amount of coconut oil}
Available:

through the Aromatic Muse membership ( only until June 20 or while supplies last)

or singly in the shop

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Full Flower Moon, The Little Things, Self Care


May is in full flower.

The lilacs are in honey. The honeysuckle's in oil, the dandelion infusion is done. The violets have dried on my work island into tiny little curly blue jewels.

The nettles are getting taller, and the cleavers is celebrating. Celandine spots the roads with yellow, and apple blossoms are everywhere. The Lady's Slipper orchids have begun. The black cherry tree flowers are minutes away from opening. Everything is humming with life.

It's been a busy time for me, but not too busy. I am finding a good rhythm lately and am so grateful for the warmer weather, singing frogs, and time in nature. Things will shift again soon as my kids are almost finished with programming and will launch into summertime spontaneity and short burst camps and such. I can't wait to get myself into the river water.

I'm finding rooting in my not-as-new location (now here 2 1/2 years.) I see people I know at the market, I don't get lost (as often), and I'm finding a sense of belonging and community that I hope will grow and deepen.

The cycles of my plant allies are reliable sources of  daily replenishment, of course. This week I'm putting together my Lady's Slipper Ring membership herbals and they are full of flowers and nectar and the healing that bubbles in our spirit when we experience beauty.

My first Aromatic Muse perfume (FloraLuna) departed to their first new Queens already. I'm incredibly inspired by this journey and have begun concocting something unique for June, while soaking up the glamorous FloraLuna in the meantime. It is so.... womanly. mm

Taking care of ourselves is so important, and having beautiful, earthly, sensory conduits for self-care catalyzes cell-response, sensory pleasure responses, immune system functions, positive memories associated with self-love, and creates a biological connection to feeling good without attachment to collateral. Self care first - then achievement becomes enabled. Although I teach this, I am still a student in daily practice. I must be deliberate and devoted to moments of time carved out for my health and well being.

Here are some snapshots of my pleasure medicine as of late .... 

what beauty and pleasure restores you?

































Thursday, April 18, 2013

Herbal Inspirations

 INSPIRATIONS

What's inspiring me this week....

Willow
the yellow explosions across the land
the tiny baby leaves
the flowers that arrive before the leaves,
like coltsfoot
and forsythia


Medicine
Bitters, barks, and beauty


Sweet and fresh smells,
that heal the skin and spirit
white sage
blue chamomile,
bulgarian lavender


creativity
and service
offered in pretty bottles


Women taking good care of themselves
taking longer walks in the cattails,
daughters romping in the fields
bringing home feathers

Poetry, naps, and journals.
frogs. eagles. herons.
yawning.