Hi friends – last call!

This is a quick reminder that you have about 24 more hours to place a holiday order with me and receive it in time. Orders placed after 12 noon on Friday will not be shipped until 2020. And don’t forget to use the code YULE at checkout for 15% off your entire order.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already purchased something – I really, really appreciate your business!

If you’re still on the fence, well, there are many reasons why I think supporting Winter’s Sister Herbals is a good idea. I won’t go into it here (feel free to read this whole newsletter for some of them), but just know that at the very least, you’d be supporting a tiny business (and I mean tiny) that pays more in taxes than Amazon. Yikes!

If you’re looking for holiday inspiration, below I share more information about some of my personal Winter’s Sister favorites and why they’re hip to the times.

Thanks, again! And happy holidays!

Bare trees and wild geese,

Clare

Because late-stage capitalism: Blue Vervain

In my life, herbs offer a nonlinear antidote to the surreal (and sometimes devastating) reality of the times we’re living through. As someone with an overactive nervous system, nervine herbs have become an important part of my daily self-care practice. Above is a photo of Blue Vervain that I took this past summer while home in Wisconsin, one of my absolute favorite herbs to work with now more than ever.

Blue Vervain, a bitter nervine herb, is typically used to relax the nervous system. Not all nervine herbs are created equal ­– though there are plenty that relax the nervous system, knowing which one is right for a particular body or situation is when herbalism really becomes the art that it is.

Like I said, Blue Vervain is a favorite of mine and I may be biased, but I think most people in our modern world would benefit from it (disclaimer: with exceptions, obviously). But I especially love it for people with “nervous digestion” (people who are generally nervous/high-strung and experience bloat, indigestion, etc.), anxiety that translates into neck, shoulder or back pain/stress headaches, people who are easily agitated, ruddy faced, and/or like to feel in control, socially anxious people, and people who relate to feeling brittle.

Traditionally, it was used to break a fever (large doses will cause sweating, especially when made into tea), and as an emetic (large doses can make you throw up). The beautiful thing is that most people only need a few drops to experience its relaxing, nourishing effects.

Blue Vervain is a part of both the tincture formulas I sell: Modern Earthling and Drifting. The Blue Vervain I use was harvested by me just a few miles from my house, and processed later that day into a potent fresh-plant tincture. A good Blue Vervain tincture should taste bitter and rich, like a bar of unsweetened cacao or a cup of coffee.

A few weeks ago I pressed my Blue Vervain tincture from this past summer and was absolutely delighted and stunned that not only was it a gorgeous greenish purply brown color, it was glittering and shimmering as if it were made of late summer sunshine. It literally looks like I added sparkles to it. (See this instagram post for a video of it sparkling.) Why? I don’t know for sure, but it was the most magical medicine-making experience I’ve ever had. And this magic is now a part of each little bottle of tincture in the shop.

I love all of the products I create but the tinctures are so incredibly special to me. If you’ve never worked with a tincture made from fresh plants, folk style, I highly recommend it (disclaimer, again, there are exceptions to this). It’s a completely different experience than taking a tincture made from dried plants. All of my tinctures are made this way, fresh and under the summer sun. I hope that when you take them, you can feel the magic, too.

Because winter: Immune System Support for the Whole Family

I’m excited to announce that Winter’s Sister Herbals is now offering two of my favorite traditional remedies for seasonal vitality: Fire Cider and Elderberry Elixir. No home apothecary is complete without them.

Fire Cider

Fire Cider is truly (and now legally) a medicine of the people, and has been in the spotlight this year as herbalists took on capitalist greed– and won! (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, do a quick search for “fire cider lawsuit”.)

Featuring spicy, warming, and antiviral herbs, Fire Cider is commonly used to support the immune system, to warm sluggish digestion, and to increase circulation throughout the body. It’s easy to make on your own, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to purchase a pretty little bottle from someone else :) Sip it daily to support immunity, digestion, and the upper respiratory tract, or use it acutely to ward off the common cold.

We make ours using all fresh and organic ingredients. Spicy herbs, citrus, and pungent vegetables are infused into raw apple cider vinegar. We then combine the vinegar with raw honey that has been infused with fresh ginger root and thyme. It makes for a sweet but quite spicy remedy!

Elderberry Elixir

Beloved by herbalists around the world, Elderberry is known for its antiviral and immune-stimulating effects, and is commonly used throughout cold & flu season as a gentle preventative medicine. In addition to Elderberry, our elixir features other warming winter favorites: Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Orange peel, and heart-loving Hawthorn Berry. We make our elixir by combining Elderberry tincture with a potent Elderberry-infused raw honey. It’s quite sweet and delicious!

These two remedies are available individually or as part of my Immunity Kit, along with a pouch of Smoky’s Blend tea and a jar of Elecampane-infused honey. Combined, this kit provides you with a variety of gentle herbal remedies to work with all winter long. It also makes a great gift!

Because holidays: Winter’s Sister Stress Management Bundle

My most popular item so far this holiday season has been my Stress Management Bundle (no surprise there). It features two of my favorite formulas that when used together promote mental clarity, presence, stress resiliency, and balance within the nervous system (along with a whole host of other things like immunity and respiratory support – herbs are multifaceted!).

This bundle makes the perfect gift for…well…anyone, including yourself. (And to be clear, it doesn’t say “Stress Management” anywhere on it so you don’t have to worry about coming across passive aggressive :) )

The holidays can be over-stimulating for some of us and I personally have to make an extra effort to stay grounded. And as we move into 2020 (already shaping up to be an interesting year), it’ll become increasingly important for each of us to prioritize and nurture a holistic matrix of self-care practices. This bundle can help you and your loved ones do just that.

The bundle contains one full-sized bag of Like a Mountain Tea and one 2oz bottle of Modern Earthling tincture. And through the holidays, I’m also including a 2oz jar of Rosemary-infused honey. It’s quite delightful – and soothing.

Please Note: Statements made in this email have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products offered by this company are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any illness or condition. Seek expert advice before using herbs if you have a diagnosed medical condition, are on medication, during pregnancy, nursing, or while trying to conceive. The information provided by this email, website and company is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as individual medical advice.