Healing OILs

 MUGWORT PSYCHIC OIl ~

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) was the first plant that called my name to build a relationship with - maybe its my Native American roots. I was first introduced to mugwort by being given a wild-harvested mugwort dream tea blend from a dear friend. It wasn’t until a year later, during my first month working as an herbal student and assistant that I was reminded of this amazing plant while spending the day on my mentor’s farm getting more acquainted with her herbal allies. As I welcomed mugwort into my life again, I began to think of other ways I could bring it’s powers into my everyday life in new forms. From there, I decided to attempt to make my own Mugwort herbal oil. Mugwort has many known medicinal properties when taken as a tincture or drank as a tea. I was more interested in the spiritual or psychic properties of this magical little plant. This is an oil I use when wanting to connect more with my subconscious while being creative.

COURAGEOUS HONEYSUCKLE HEART OIL ~

After moving to a new area, altering my career path and trusting uncertainty in a time of grief, I was inspired to create this herbal oil. The wild Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) was growing rampantly in my neighborhood. On my morning walks, I noticed how the fragrance always brought me so much comfort and optimism. The honeysuckle helped me move through these intense stages of grieving for a past version of myself while also opening my heart up to something new. The variety of honeysuckle I used is actually invasive, so harvesting it causes no disruption to my ecosystem. I was determined to capture the scent and share this medicine with others. Through my process, I discovered capturing a scent as delicate and fleeting as honeysuckle would not be quite so easy. My typical extraction methods were not giving me the results I wanted - the scent was not there and if there was a scent it was because the honeysuckles spoiled and created a fermented product. So, with determination to not give up, I began experimenting with various other extraction methods, drying methods, and oil base mediums. I finally got the result I wanted with a triple infusion method used with fresh flowers each time.

Tinctures

ELEVATED SPIRITS TINCTURE ~

Aries season is a time to embrace our assertiveness & wake from the slumber of winter. Although, we can experience a “harsh winter” period really at any time when we find ourselves more isolated & withdrawn as we begin to heal some wounds, seek answers, or allow certain aspects of ourselves to die away…

This elixir is meant to be used to accompany you during those times - when you need to be reminded of the Solar & Martian energy that you carry within. I have listed all of the physical & psychospiritual properties of the medicine this elixir can provide you - but I would urge you approach any plant medicine as a companion & guide as you learn to embody or move through whatever experience is being asked of you in this moment.

The main inspiration for this elixir came from good’ole St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) which has a deep-seated nervine affect that can be tremendously powerful in relieving tension in the body & easing the mind. “Hypericum” literally translates to “over the apparition.”

Plants are multidimensional beings that can offer us insights on both a physical & subtle level, which helps me when choosing which essence drops I add to a blend. I chose Damiana drops for this herb’s psychospiritual implications. The name is actually derived from the Greek name Daman or Damia meaning “to tame or subdue.” This made me think more about this plant’s connection to Carl Jung’s work with the Daimon: “It can seem like we are being taken over, because the level of intensity and energy exceeds normal human limits. When we are in its “grip,” the daimon will make us feel like we are caught up in a force or process that is carrying us along. And so, it requires courage to deal with, because we don’t fully understand this force, or know where we are being carried, or what we are being led to undertake. Nor do we often recognize this force as something that is our own.”

COSMIC CREATORS TINCTURE ~

As an artist myself, I felt inspired to merge my love for herbalism and art into one project. I decided making a tincture blend meant to be used as an aid in facilitating creative expression was where I wanted to start. As stated above, I have always be more drawn to the subliminal affects plants can have on us due to their own psychic nature. Therefore, the base of this tincture consists of herbs that help promote creativity & focus on both a physical and transcendental level. Using a traditional folk method of plant extraction, the magic of these plants are suspended in an alcohol based tincture.

COLLABORATIONS

NOURISHING NETTLE TEA ~

Label & use card designed by me for my herbal mentor, Grace MacNeil. Starting this project, I drank Nettle (Urtica dioica) tea every morning to get myself more acquainted with this deeply loved ally of mine. I found this tea to be not only physically nourishing, but to also encourage me to focus on what nourishes me. A great representation about how plants can teach us much more than what we originally thought possible. If you are someone that struggles to stay optimistic in your passionate pursuits, Nettles are for you!