Dear Friends,

Last week was a hell of a week. I know my nervous system is fried and I imagine your’s might be, too.

More than anything else, working with plants has honed my ability to regulate my nervous system at a time on the planet that feels increasingly chaotic. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that plant medicine is becoming more and more popular as the world becomes more and more precarious. I really do believe that the plants are calling us home, and that we need them more than ever if we’re to make it out of this mess with our physical and mental health intact.

My tincture formula Modern Earthling was specifically created to help us manage these modern times. It includes all my favorite herbs that calm the nervous system, soothe the spirit, and balance the stress response:* Skullcap, Holy Basil, Lemon Balm, Milky Oat Seed, and Blue Vervain (all harvested and tinctured fresh by me in my garden, at Rise Up Remedies here in Portland, or in the tall grass prairie of southern Wisconsin). Upon taking it, I literally feel as though I’ve applied a softening balm to my entire body. And despite how relaxing it is, I actually find it quite energizing–when the tension in my nervous system is released, my energy is mine again to be reclaimed.

Given how intense many of us are feeling, I’ve decided to offer this medicine at an extremely discounted rate of $10 a bottle. I’ve also decided to discount my Stress Management Bundle which contains a bottle of Modern Earthling and a full-sized pouch of Like a Mountain tea. At only $24, it’s quite the steal. Get your’s here.

I also wanted to let you know that from now on, 10% of all Winter’s Sister proceeds will be donated to Sister Song, a reproductive justice organization in the south, founded and led by women of color. I’ve been incredibly inspired by their work over the years, and now more than ever, we need groups like Sister Song to thrive. I’ve been a member for the last year, and with your help, hopefully I’ll be in a position to deepen my financial support of them.

These are trying times to be alive, here on Earth, in a body. I’m sending so much love out to everyone who is hurting, enraged, scared, grieving, and motivated to work towards a world that’s safe for all of us.

Please read on for a poignant full moon message, and recipes to help you bring heart-opening herbal sweetness into your life.

With love,

Clare

This Full Moon is for You

This full moon message is for the people in my life who feel unsafe right now. People who feel vulnerable, who feel alone, scared, or simply exhausted. This message is for the women in my life, and everyone who can become pregnant. I like to believe that astrology is always on the side of our collective growth and evolution: may the moon lend us it’s light, infusing us with it’s healing power and intent.

Full moons always occur in the sign opposite the sign the sun is in. The sun is in Taurus right now (at least for another few hours), which means this past weekend’s full moon was in Scorpio. All signs have an opposite, and together they create a polarity that helps us understand a certain aspect of life and/or ourselves. With the sun and moon opposite each other in the sky, full moons are a moment in time when that polarity is especially palpable.

Taurus as a sign rules (among other things) our values, our relationship to our bodies, and the ways in which we feel taken care of, safe, and comfortable in our bodies. Scorpio rules (among other things) our relationship to power. It also rules the psychological intimacy associated with sex and relationships, and the complicated things we don’t always talk about but all experience at one point or another. The moon itself is associated with the emotional realm, with intuition and mystery, and with mothering and the womb.

In honor of this past weekend’s full moon in Scorpio, I want to respond directly to the national conversation we’re having about bodies and abortion, about a person’s right to access the healthcare they need, and the dangerous abuse of power occurring across the nation.

***

I haven’t yet written about reproductive justice and abortion here in my newsletter, but it’s something that has influenced my personal life and professional path for years. Some of you know that before becoming an herbalist, I was working in nonprofits, specifically women’s rights nonprofits, and feminist movement-building. While I was still in that world, I often felt like I could do more (and feel more fulfilled) if I worked directly with people, and so, in a roundabout way, I found herbalism. I wanted to heal myself, and I wanted to find a more embodied way to help heal cultures. And along the way (and today, still learning), I’ve continued to find ways to do what I can to support reproductive health and justice.

And yes, I and many people I know have had our own personal experiences with abortion.

So this is my message for you today: I want you to know that if you’ve had an abortion, you are welcome here. You don’t have to justify it or tell me why your abortion was an “ok” one. They’re all ok. You’re welcome to feel any way you feel about it: happy, sad, confused, whatever–I’ve always said that there are as many ways to feel about abortions as there are people who have them. I am here for you, no matter what, with herbs and flower essences and compassion. I have conducted extensive research on the topic, particularly on the harm associated with stigma, alienation, and the politicization/criminalization of female bodies, how to use herbs and food to support physical and emotional healing, and the history of abortion/reproductive rights in America.

But most importantly, I am here with a whole powerful team of ancestors who have been doing this work for centuries, guiding me, reminding me that we’ve lived through this before.

My full moon wish is that someday very soon all of us will live in peace, that all bodies feel safe, and that the witches, wise womxn, and femmes of old can finally get some rest. In the meantime, I’m going to keep educating myself and my community about reproductive justice, medical abortions and plant medicine, birth control and fertility awareness, keep donating to organizations like Sister Song, and making sure we elect politicians who believe in bodily autonomy.

I hope you had a generative, restorative, and activating full moon weekend.

Make Your Own Herb-Infused Honey

This has been a heavy week and a heavy newsletter so now I’d like to offer you some sweetness: herbal honeys! At a time that feels so tense, I’ve found them to provide a much-needed tenderness to my daily routines. I’ll add a spoonful to my morning coffee or tea, another spoonful in my bedtime tea, and use them however else I’m called to throughout the day. I love herbal honeys because they’re so simple and tasty, making it easy for everyone to incorporate healing plants into their everyday lives.

For this newsletter, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite heart-focused herbs. When I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, especially over a long period of time, I notice a physical feeling of constriction in my diaphragm and heart space, and emotionally I’m either fried and checked out, or so sensitive I can’t focus on anything else.

The following herbs are the ones I work with the most to soften the nervous system, relax the energetic heart space, and call in a sense of sensual embodiment. Most importantly, these herbs help me to feel supported by something transcendent. Call it spiritual, call it the natural world–when I’m working with these plants, I feel less alone and more myself.

Rose

Rose petal-infused honey is so heavenly! As you likely know, Rose tastes divine, and it’s petals contain a whole host of medicinal properties. Among other things, Rose petals are slightly relaxing to the nervous system, are believed to have gentle antidepressant properties, and are toning to the cardiovascular and reproductive systems.* Energetically, Rose (and other plants with thorns) is thought to provide both opening and protective support for the heart space. You may feel called to work with Rose honey if you’re working with grief, healing a broken heart, or you feel as though your emotional heart has become heavy or hardened.*

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is a main plant ally of mine that opens the heart, and through the open heart portal, deepens intuition and our connection to other realms. There is a lot of old folklore surrounding Hawthorn, a tree long associated with witches and the Faeries. As a medicinal plant, it’s one of our most gentle yet profound medicines for the cardiovascular system: it is considered both relaxing and toning to the actual tissue and musculature of the heart and vessels, and was historically used to treat anything from high blood pressure to palpitations.* From an energetic perspective, it helps us to soften the heart space while maintaining strong boundaries. You may feel called to work with Hawthorn if you’re working through your own wounding, you’re feeling depleted or discouraged, you’re calling in courage and strength, or you’re seeking deeper connection with your own magical intuition.*

I’ve been working in-depth with both the flower and the berries, and both make a delicious infused honey. This spring I made a honey using the fresh flowers. If you decide to make your own fresh flower honey, just be sure to add the flowers to the honey as soon as you pick them so that they do not begin to wilt (and follow the double-boiler method outlined below). Come September, I’ll be making a batch with the fresh berries. But the dried flower and berries also make wonderful medicine.

(Please note that if you’re taking pharmaceutical medications for your heart, Hawthorn may not be the right plant for you to work with.)

Rosemary

From a medicinal perspective, Rosemary acts upon both the cardiovascular system and the mind. It increases circulation around the body, including to the brain, and in doing so supports cognitive function and memory.* Energetically, Rosemary helps us to feel more embodied, something that feels more and more important as we live in a world that is constantly pulling us outside of ourselves and into our devices, etc. It focuses and moves energy, and I use Rosemary to strengthen the energetic connection between the head and the heart. You may feel called to work with Rosemary if you’re feeling exhausted or sluggish, if you experience brain fog, or if you’re seeking ways to make your communication more effective, meaningful, and heart-centered.* I have to say, Rosemary honey is soooo good! And it’s perfect for the morning to awaken the mind.

Directions to make your own infused honey:

(Before I begin, I just want to say that when I make herbal medicine for my own use, I typically use what’s called “folk method” aka I don’t really follow recipes. I work primarily with gentle, nourishing herbs that are safe to consume in food quantities, and do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen. I invite you to feel creatively empowered to experiment with herbs in your own way, and not worry too much about doing it wrong. If you have questions, feel free to email me!)

Cover about 1 cup dried or fresh medicinal plant with about 2-3 cups honey. I like to put the herbs and honey in a homemade double-boiler on my stove (a metal bowl over simmering water). Leave the honey uncovered and let sit over the simmering water for 1-2 hours, stirring often (be sure the water does not completely boil off!). You don’t want to cook the honey, only warm it. After 1-2 hours, strain the honey into a jar, let cool, cover, and use as needed.

You don’t have to warm the honey, but I find it makes it much more potent. If you don’t have access to a double-boiler or stovetop, you can also put the herbs and honey into a jar and let the jar sit in a bowl surrounded by hot water. This will allow the honey to soften and slightly warm.

If you do not want to warm the honey, cover the herbs with honey in a mason jar. Put the lid on tightly and let sit in a dark place for 2-6 weeks. This method works much better for dried herbs (the water in fresh herbs can mold in the honey or spoil the honey in other ways). After 2-6 weeks, strain the honey and use as needed.

You can make herbal honey with any medicinal plant, but I like to stick to plants that are gentle and safe to consume in food quantities so I don’t have to worry too much about dosing. Other herbs that make a lovely honey: Mint, Lemon Balm, Holy Basil, Linden flowers, Rosehips, Elderberry, Elderflower, Ginger, Thyme, Violet blossoms, and many, many more.

Working intentionally with herbs is an embodied way to move with the rhythm of the seasons, focus your energy, and support your body as it navigates these modern times.

Curious what it’s like to work one-on-one with an herbalist? Read about my approach to clinical herbalism here.

*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 during pregnancy, while trying to conceive or nursing, or alongside pharmaceuticals. The information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with you physician, and should not be construed as individual medical advice.