The Apothecary of Belonging by Alexis J. Cunningfolk is a recently published book which I was lucky enough to receive from the publisher to get the word out about it. I was honestly a little shocked when I read the summary of it because it sounded so similar to writing projects I had in the works myself, so I knew this author and I must be on the same page and was excited to read it. From the very first moment I took the book out of the envelope and held it in my hands, I knew we were indeed on the same mission in life, weaving herbs and community together to heal, beautify, and unite. The foundational value system of this book is community and, as the title suggests, belonging. It is delightful in its vintage and artistic touches throughout, and it provides sound herbal knowledge that is both accessible to beginners and affirming to anyone further along their herbal journey. The balance of both charm and depth is reminiscent of herbs themselves, which delight our senses while also providing deep multi-layered healing.
It encompasses much more than herbs, incorporating mindfulness, movement, and community rituals which all support the main idea of healing through balance and belonging. Herbalism itself is all about balance, and this book embodies that truth by leading each season with grounding words before moving into more specific herbs and how they can support individuals through those seasons. The physicality of the book may have a vintage appeal, but the words themselves are visionary and aimed at creating a cohesive, community-based future that looks to the past to bring the best of our human history forward and beyond. The overall feel of it is both cozy and thought provoking, hopeful, and action oriented.
There is talk of magic along with the historical, traditional, and scientific aspects of the herbs, so it is better suited for those with an openness to the powers of nature that are not fully explainable. If you are looking for an herbal book that sticks to the scientific components, there are more compatible books out there. For those who would like an herbal that touches on all aspects of herbalism, including the esoteric, this book would be an excellent addition to your library or to gift to budding nature lovers everywhere.
Fall and winter are such great seasons for making a dent in ‘to read’ lists. So tell me, what are you currently reading or are planning to read during this quieter time of year?
Just a quick note before I head off to campus for work that today is the release day of my book in French. I love the French language and this just makes me so happy to see! Here it is on the publisher’s site. It looks like it’s coming to Amazon but I don’t know when. I need to reach out to the publisher and get one myself! Unless I can order it through an independent bookstore which would be ideal.
My considerate colleague just got back from a trip to Thailand, and she brought us all back these individual herbal inhalant mixtures which is just so unique. It reminds me of old-fashioned smelling salts, although I have no idea what was in those or how they were made, but this is an herbal blend intended to be inhaled when in need of a decongestant. It is incredibly strong, so I imagine it would certainly bring someone back from a fainting spell though or at least help revive them when they start to come to. The ingredients are camphor, menthol, borneol, eucalyptus oil, and, surprisingly, bergamot.
As soon as I experienced this little treasure, I knew I had to make a version myself! Mine are not perfect, but I wanted to use what I had on hand, so this is what I did for my first go at it.
DIY:
I have had a blend called EMC for many, many years, and I believe it is a fragrance oil instead of pure essential oils, which I do not recommend, but since I had it, I wanted to go ahead and use it.
EMC stands for eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor, which is a common blend not only for inhalants but also for topical pain relief. I used some dried herbs and containers that I already had on hand as well. The herbs are astragalus, because I wanted something woody, rose buds for their soft porousness, and star anise.
I filled the containers with the herbs, then dropped about 10-15 drops of the EMC blend right on them, allowing the liquid to penetrate the woody astragalus and soft rose buds.
The star anise was more to add a bit of its own scent, especially since star anise is traditionally used for immune boosting and other health benefits around cold, flu, and digestive issues.
The Kentucky tin had peppermints in it at one point, and I have always wanted to use the tin again for something else. Since I will be visiting my family again soon in KY, I thought this would be a suitable time to reuse the container.
I love how every culture has their own herbal traditions, just as every culture has their own culinary customs. What are some herbal traditions from around the world that you particularly like or find especially unique? 🌿
How is it already moving toward fall? I have been seeing ‘Back to School’ promos all over and it seems like this summer has not even gotten started! The mid-August to mid-September time of year has been my favorite in recent years, so I am not really complaining, although the speed of time passing does unnerve me as we seem to be getting collectively busier and busier.
Part of the reason this summer has particularly been a blur is that I’ve been teaching at a new college four days a week, which means a new campus, new procedures, new course material, new students, and new workplace culture dynamics. I’ve also been teaching my first fully remote class with the college that I normally teach at, which has also meant a learning curve with unforeseen challenges. Now that both of those classes are past their zenith and will be over by the end of August, I’m more than ready to turn my attention to some herbal crafting to prep for the fall.
Lucky for me (and you!) Mountain Rose Herbs is having a rare sitewide sale where everything is 20% off. I’m an affiliate so they made sure that I knew about it in order to share this information with you and I’m so glad that they did because it would have passed me by without my even noticing in the swirl of information that is modern life.
Here are a few things on my list: I’ve been interested in the “hair and body perfume sprays” that I’ve been seeing more and more often lately, and I’d like to try to make my own. From what I can tell, it looks like a lighter perfume than one that is just intended for the pulse points on the body, so I am planning on using a combination of witch hazel and vanilla infused vodka (otherwise known as vanilla extract) which I need to make. I’ll add the essential oils that fit my mood when the vanilla extract is ready, but since that will be occurring in mid fall, I already know it will include sandalwood and nutmeg (just a drop or two!).
I also want to look at gathering a few stocking stuffers, such as these little ceramic diffusers because there is always another corner or car that needs a diffuser.
I have more things I’ll be looking at when I’m home from work, but right now I need to get dressed to get to campus. I just wanted to share this as soon as possible because the sale will be over tomorrow, August 7th, at 11:59 PM PST.
*Offer expires 8/7/2025 at 23:59, PST. Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers, including wholesale pricing or loyalty point redemptions. We are unable to apply this to previously placed orders. Valid online and at our physical retail locations. While supplies last.
Happy mid August! I hope you are having a great summer and are also looking forward to the cooler weather of fall. ✨🌿☀️
I just had to share that quite by accident I found out that my book is being translated into French! It looks like it will be available in October. Here’s the link if you want to see the French version on Amazon. This news just delighted me to no end and I hope to see it published in other languages as well.
In other news, I have become a subscriber to Tangle. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are in America and have relationships that are struggling due to political differences. It is a free newsletter, although there is also a paid version that is ad free, that takes a news item and gives a short synopsis of how the right and the left are presenting the event or situation. It then gives the founder’s take which sifts through the propaganda of both sides and drills down on key facts and his critical analysis. It is a rare gem in that it offers journalistic integrity that somehow manages to reach both sides of the political divide with an avid readership that spans the spectrum. Here is a link to yesterday’s newsletter.
I found out about Tangle through an episode on This American Life back before the November election. At the time I was too tired of the election coverage to look into it myself, but it stayed with me and I finally looked it up and am pleasantly pleased with what I found. If you are interested in hearing about it through great storytelling, check out the episode. You won’t regret it.
I hope you too have some unexpected, great news this week and that hope and connection find you, support you, and hold you tight.
Every summer I think it’ll be the year that my lilies stop blooming. They are always at least a good two weeks behind all the other lilies in the neighborhood, and I watch and wait and eventually resign myself to thinking that this will be the year that their blooms never quite blossom. Not only is it the neighborhood lilies that make me question my own, it is the fact that I get photo reminders in my email from years past, where I am confronted with proof that my own lilies were indeed blooming earlier in past years. They keep showing up though, late blooming beauties that remind me that patience is rewarded, and as slow as some things seem to be moving right now, time is indeed moving forward and what must bloom, blooms. In less than a month, they will serve reminders of another turn of time’s wheel.
We go through so many phases in life, repetitions that spiral us along our paths, experiences that seem different on the daily scale, until we step back and see how cyclical life is. Seasons and stages, milestones and disappointments, we treasure the highlights and manage, again and again, to somehow get through all of the challenges from irritants to miseries.
I’ve been thinking a lot about life cycles and stages lately, mostly about perimenopause and menopause, firstly because I read a novel about a women going through perimenopause and interviewing other women about their experiences with both perimenopause and menopause and it was fascinating. The second reason why it’s been on my mind is that at 49, I must assume that I too am in perimenopause although I haven’t had any symptoms yet that others have noted, such as hot flashes, irregular cycles, or emotional/hormonal upheaval. I’ve been wondering though if I have experienced quieter symptoms without realizing it, just as puberty serves up so many changes that do not always get acknowledged as puberty’s influence. For example, at times I’ve wondered if my irritability at the crowded traffic or the construction in every direction around my home are really just calling cards of perimenopause, letting me know that my hormones are changing, my life stage is changing, and therefore I too need to make changes.
I want to honor these changes but I also intend to support myself through them with lifestyle choices and of course, herbs. The first herb I am taking is Vitex Berry, also known as Chaste Berry or simply Vitex, and it is the go-to traditional herb for supporting women’s cycles at all times of a female life, although not for use when pregnant or lactating. When I start to notice more changes and actually enter menopause, I will likely opt for a blend of herbs such as this daytime combination formula and this nighttime product. Even with herbal support, the fact that menopause is dubbed, “the change of life” is enough evidence to know that big changes are coming, and if puberty is the best reference for how it’s going to go, I think preparing in advance is the best option. One thing that is encouraging though, is I’ve read that women say their mental health is much improved after menopause because of the end of the hormonal ups and downs every month. I wonder if that is why so many older women have such even, serene demeanors…my guess is yes.
I love how herbs can support us throughout our lives, even when modern Western medicine shrugs its shoulders or offers invasive options with bad side effects. As I have often said here, I am all for making use of modern medicine and would not choose to go back in time when leeches were employed in medical procedures and surgeries were unmedicated, but when it comes to supporting life stages, it is so nice to have our herbal allies to rely on with their gentle offers of balance.
What new herbs are you experimenting with right now? I’d love to hear!
Gaia Herbs is my most trusted herbal supplement company, so I’m thrilled to say that I’ve entered into a partnership with them as an herbal ambassador. This means that they will send me products occasionally and I will be posting reels about some of them. The first product that I will be posting about is Extra Strength Turmeric Supreme which has been a daily staple of mine for many years.
Background
I started having pain in my feet, mainly my toes, after having babies, which is quite common due to the softening of ligaments during pregnancy. In fact, many women’s feet grow a half or even a full size during pregnancy! As a runner, I wasn’t going to just accept the pain so I visited a podiatrist who gave me a cortisone shot but said that it’d only help for a year and then I’d need another one. Right on cue, a year later the pain was back and I found myself in that same office, wondering if I’d have to be there every year for the rest of my days. That wasn’t an appealing thought, and luckily by then my pregnancy brain fog had worn off enough to allow for some clear thinking. I remembered that turmeric has a long reputation as an anti-inflammatory with an impressive amount of research to back up the traditional use literature. I started taking it right away, and have never been back to a podiatrist nor had any need for any more cortisone shots.
The Product
I didn’t start out with Gaia Herb’s Extra Strength Turmeric Supreme. I tried all the turmeric products I could find, but when I stumbled onto this one, with the black pepper included in the formula to help move the turmeric all the way out to the extremities, I was impressed… and hooked. It works incredibly well and in fact, it was the first herbal supplement I ever signed up for a subscription to have at all times, because there have been periods when I’ve run out and been lazy about getting more and I’ve felt the difference. No one has time for that! I’ve since added a couple of other Gaia Herbs products to my subscription, but it remains the only subscription I have to any herbal or supplement company.
Supplement FactsExtra Strength Turmeric SupremeSuggested Use
Gaia Herbs
With Gaia Herbs, you know the product contains the herbs that the outside of the bottle says it contains. Unfortunately, with herbal supplements, that’s not always the case, so I stick with a few companies that I trust, and Gaia Herbs grows many of their own herbs so they really know their plants. Their formulations are smart and thoughtful, using herbs synergistically together to create products that are potent and reliable. Their website has a ‘learn’ section so you can educate yourself about the herbs you are taking, safety precautions, and side effects (which, with herbs, are generally beneficial things.) Here’s a link to their turmeric information.
(West Coast Swing practice shoes on dance floor)
Side Effects as Added Benefits
What I mean by that is that herbs generally have a reputation for one main thing, such as ‘anti-inflammatory’ or ‘adaptogen’ or ‘anti-depressant’, and while that label is true, they also do more than just what they are known for. For example, St. John’s Wort is known pretty much only known for its reputation as an antidepressant, but it also has been traditionally used for its antiviral properties and it has long been used topically for aches and pains as well. While pharmaceuticals have lists of scary side effects, with herbs the side effects are usually things you want, such as improved digestion or enhances skin texture. You can see some of turmeric’s added benefits on Gaia Herbs’ page dedicated to turmeric.
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Longevity
It is widely known now that inflammation plays a huge role in how well, or not well, we age. Our modern lifestyles and western diets tend to promote inflammation, so it is up to us to thoughtfully counterbalance this fact with any way that we know how. Healthy food, moderate exercise, relaxation techniques such as meditation, and herbs such as turmeric can all help keep inflammation within healthy parameters. My own knees and feet do a lot for me, as I’ve been a runner for almost 35 years, do a lot of dance cardio, and recently started West Coast Swing Dancing, and I have no intention of giving up any of my beloved activities as I get older. This excellent turmeric supplement is my favorite way to support my active lifestyle.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about Gaia Herbs, Extra Strength Turmeric Supreme, or turmeric in general, please let me know. I’m always happy to talk herbs with anyone, but if you want specific advise about a health issue, please find an herbalist through the AHG website or talk to a naturopath who knows about herbs. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see how my first ever reel turns out. I’m a little nervous since I’ve never used the reels tool on either platform, so if you have any suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s that time of year again when longer hours are spent outdoors alongside our insect frenemies. We can’t live without them, but I think we’d all prefer to not be their snack nor their targets for taking out their buzzy ire. If you find yourself particularly tasty to mosquitos or simply irresistible to their more combative cousins, one way to shield yourself from the unwanted attention is to use essential oils. Bugs do not like essential oils, so you can make a body spray or body oil to use daily, or simply add a few drops into your sunscreen or lotion if you are in a hurry as I wrote in the post linked above. Here’s a recap of that post if you don’t feel like clicking through:
Instructions:
To make your sunscreen or body lotion into a bug repelling screen as well, all you need to do is squeeze about a tablespoon of sunscreen into your palm. Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oils into the sunscreen, mix it together, and then lather it on your body. This hack is for your neck down, not your face. Start on the lower end of that 5-10 range, so 5 or less drops of essential oils per tablespoon, to make sure your skin isn’t sensitive and then you can add more drops next time if you wish.
Which Essential Oils?
Almost any essential oil can be used and will be effective, but do not use citrus oils because they can cause hyperpigmentation. Citrus oils are mostly obvious, such as sweet orange, lemon, and lime, with one exception, bergamot. Please avoid these and any other citrus essential oils in your sunscreen. Particularly effective essential oils are citronella (of course!), lemon eucalyptus (not a citrus oil despite the name), thyme, and all the mints but especially peppermint. Be a little cautious with peppermint because it is a cooling essential oil but just as dry ice can burn, so can peppermint at certain levels and everyone’s skin sensitivity level is different. Mixing essential oils is recommended because some bugs are repelled more or less by certain scents, so your end result will be more effective with two, three, or more essential oils.
Make Your Own
If you prefer to make your own dedicated spray and/or oil, which I highly recommend because it is a fun way to scent yourself for summer with the added benefits of less bug bites, I have all the deets on this post (linked) but if you don’t want to click through, here are the most important paragraphs:
Body Oil
One way to take a precautionary measure before even getting dressed in the morning is to apply a body oil with essential oils on your arms, legs, and stomach. To make a body oil, you just need a base oil or a mix of base oils such as sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, or jojoba oil, and add whichever essential oils you want to wear. Almost any essential oil or blend of essential oils will deter bugs, but especially good picks are lavender, peppermint, thyme, and lemongrass. You will want there to be 5-7 drops of essential oils per 1 teaspoon of base oil. (There are 6 teaspoons in an ounce, so aim for 30-42 drops of essential oils per ounce.) Make sure to shake the mixture before blending, and allow time for the oil to dry before putting your clothes on for the day to avoid oil stains. This can be reapplied throughout the day, but it is probably easier to make a spray for day time reapplication.
Body Spray
To make a bug spray, add essential oils to distilled water with at least a teaspoon of vodka, or use witch hazel instead, in a spray bottle (preferably dark glass) in the same proportion as above, 5-7 drops of essential oils per teaspoon of distilled water and vodka, or witch hazel. You can spray this as often as needed on yourself throughout the day and it will help deter bugs and also provide a nice little scent pick-me-up when you do so. Again, any essential oils will be helpful, but the ones mentioned above would be a great place to start. Of course, citronella is always an option too.
Travel
If you travel with essential oils, as I do, to secure your sleeping area you can put some drops on cotton balls to keep bugs away, especially around open windows or near your bed. I actually like to take a little terracotta diffuser with me when I travel. They are quite small and do not require any heat, so it’s a convenient option. These make cute little gifts as well, and are one way to easily use essential oils in your car or in other places where you don’t have the option to light a candle or use an outlet.
After Care
If you do happen to get bitten or stung by an insect, lavender can be applied neat to the area. Applying essential oils to the body without a carrier is 99% of the time NOT recommended, but lavender is one of the few that can be applied without a carrier and it actually is quite good for burns, bites, and other skin issues. Do use caution if you have sensitive skin though and always assume you do have sensitive skin and start small until proven otherwise.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your bug-free outdoor time! Please share this article with anyone who might be interested in flower powered bug repellent.
Today I was running with my usual airpods in my ears, listening to the KEXP runcast as I like to do on my longer runs. Everything was fine for about the first mile, and then the music suddenly stopped playing and my app seemed to go into ‘searching’ mode. My first reaction was annoyance because when it comes to my runs, I lean hard into my routines. I like the way my mind can wander when I don’t have to think too hard but instead can just put one foot in front of the other on autopilot, but the annoyance didn’t last long. Almost immediately I heard geese having a loud and vivid conversation off to my right in the Juanita Bay. The sound was so calming, and as my attention had been drawn to the bay, I then noticed several black and white ducks that looked almost like puffins swimming with the usual brown and green varieties, long-necked swans in the distance, and two herons quietly standing guard and might actually have been what the geese were talking about. They were in the same general vicinity and likely eyeing the same fish beneath them.
It made me realize how often we move through the world distracted nowadays, with phones and earbuds, and how much calming nature medicine we are missing. We know that the sound of waves or rain are calming sounds, but so are bird calls, the wind whistling through trees, the crunch of footsteps on dried leaves. Nature has a plethora of calming tricks up her sleeve and we should take note. For one thing, I’ve always been struck by how many herbs and essential oils are calming. Even if the herb or essential oil has other attributes it is more known for, almost all herbs and essential oils can also be said to reduce stress and calm the mind. It makes sense that nature wants us humans to be calm, because a calm brain makes better decisions, thinks deeper, moves more gracefully, and makes connections more effectively. We live at a time when speed is often subtly or not so subtly encouraged with sayings such as, “Time is Money,” in our culture, and “Fast paced environments,” in pretty much every job description. Calm does not mean slow or sluggish, it means not distracted or stressed out, but somehow it all gets lumped together in our jumpy minds and we replace calm moments with numbing.
I suppose I’m just worried about the state of the world and how separate from nature we are willingly becoming. When I walk around it seems like 95% of people are on their phones whether they are walking around and looking down at them, driving with them on nearby, or sitting somewhere with others but yet still looking at their phones. I know people who post on social media seemingly around 5 times per day. I seriously don’t understand how they are living their lives effectively with that much social media engagement. They must exist on a different timeline than I do because I cannot work, parent, cook, clean, have friendships, keep up with family, go to appointments, and not feel overwhelmed regularly much less spending countless hours on social media. It all depends on values and priorities I suppose but there are so many studies showing how disruptive distraction is in our lives, how negatively social media impacts us, and how it all relates to a dopamine cycle that puts us further and further into a dopamine chasing state. To state the obvious, if you are interested in optimal health, chasing dopamine is not in support of that goal.
I’m not really in to making New Year’s resolutions because I do more of my pattern and perspective overhauls around my birthday each year, but this seems to be calling to me as 2024 nears so I will comply. I’m going to listen to nature more from now on, especially while running. I don’t want to give up my musical runs so it’ll have to be a compromise, perhaps half of the time I’ll listen to music and half the time I’ll be present with nature’s sounds. I’ve already greatly reduced my social media use but intend to do so further. It’s just not adding value to my life, and the things I do instead of scrolling do add value, such as reading, learning languages, cooking, and just…living life.
Happy New Year and I hope you are steeped in a year that resonates with your purpose and your values. ✨
It’s been a while since I’ve written and I’ve missed this space. In January I started a new job as an adjunct professor which has been challenging due to the learning curve of the new place and the fact that every time I got my footing, another challenge would arrive and I’d feel the need to put all my efforts into staying on top of the job. I like it, but the challenge has been real. Now that it’s summer I’ve had a couple of weeks to decompress although I’ll start back up teaching next week for summer quarter.
Someone commented on one of my youtube videos from six or seven years ago the other day and it made me realize how much I miss the communities and conversations that have arisen over the years here and a few other places centered around herbs, essential oils, natural foods and products, slow foods and slow living, etc. It’s funny how normal all those topics seemed for so long, and now it seems like all I hear about is AI (which disturbs me), work related topics, parenting necessities, and adulting chores such as bills and taxes. There is no balance unless balance is created~ it doesn’t just happen naturally. Putting effort into the important things, priorities, long term goals, being the person you want to be and living the life you want to live have all been on my mind lately. One thing I’ve been talking to my oldest son about is that when I think about my future self, say five to ten years in the future, would I be proud of that person if that future self had spent most of my free time on my phone, on social media, watching shows? Or would I be a more confident, competent, and successful version of myself if I spent more time reading, listening to quality podcasts and audiobooks, limiting what I watch to inspiring and/or motivating things. The answer is obvious but I’m a work in progress when it comes to implementing these notions daily. Sometimes all I can do is veg out to instagram for 20 minutes and that’s OK too. I just don’t want that to grow and it takes effort, mindfulness, and self-discipline.
I haven’t done anything herbal lately, but I did buy some vegan pesto that I have to share b/c oh my goodness, it is the best pesto I’ve ever had. Basil and pesto are such summery foods to me, just like berries and peaches they just hit differently in summer, resonating with the longer light, heat, sun, and fun. Basil is one of my favorite culinary herbs and I love adding the whole, fresh leaves to salads and sandwiches, but there is something about pesto that just brings dishes to whole new level. I’m a pesto purist and not overly impressed with the kale pestos or nettle pestos out there, but I know a lot of people like those. I currently have a vegan kale one from Trader Joe’s and it’s OK but nothing compared to a true basil pesto. I get the vegan ones, which are hard to find because most pestos have parm in them, because my son and I do best without dairy so we only eat it sparingly. This pesto from Seggiano is my son’s and my favorite one ever, other than making it fresh ourselves.
I found it at Whole Foods but not sure if they are going to continue to stock it or not because lately the shelf has been empty where I first found it. It’s on amazon but it’s more expensive there than at Whole Foods so I haven’t bought it there yet, but I will if need be in the future. Hopefully I’ll get back to making my own soon, once my job doesn’t take up so much of my mental space.
Thank you for being here. I’d love to hear your summer (or winter if you are in the southern hemisphere) thoughts and foods in the comments section. 🌻💜🌿☀
