The Herbal Sanctuary

Come for the comfort, stay for the healing. Check out my store at: https://www.theherbalsanctuary13.com/

[theherbalsanctuary]

Hey There!

Welcome to the Herbal Sanctuary's tumblr page. The Herbal Sanctuary itself is a small, woman owned business based in Tennessee. I make all sorts of herbal products, as well as dabble into other things such as wood burning, painting, and divination work.

Unlike my Facebook page, or my website, I want this page to serve as a way to get more personal with my clients and followers. My goal is to build a community rich in healing and acceptance for all folks- no matter your race, gender expression, class, or religion. As such, this page will show another side to the Herbal Sanctuary- that of a little magick and mystery. I wish to also share any natural home remedies with ya'll, as well as simply show a side of me that many don't get to see.

With this page, I can promise you will encounter:

-opinion posts

-Herbal remedies

-Divination and more pagan leaning posts

-updates on my herbal business

-Art that I've done

If you got this far, and are intrigued, throw me a follow! If you are interested in supporting my super new, herbal business, find it at:

Welcome to The Herbal Sanctuary! A budding woman owned herbal business based in the heart of Tennessee.

As a disclaimer: This blog, and my business, does not tolerate any form of hate. Live and let live. Walk with utmost kindness.

[theherbalsanctuary]

Hey so I know I haven't posted in a bit. But, for my two followers on here, here is a woodburning I just finished.

[theherbalsanctuary]

Some more progress pics, its been a minute since I've done literally any art, so the line work is a little messy. But I'm confident after its burned and painted, all will be epic.

[theherbalsanctuary]

Got a new woodburning project started! Will keep ya'll posted.

[southernmermaidsgrotto]

Herbalism book reccomendations 📚🌿

General herbalism:

The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook by Green J. (2011)

20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature’s Healing Herbs by Zak V. (1999)

The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guid by Easly T. (2016)

A-Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions by Gaby A.R.

American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook (2013) 

Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine by Hoffman D. (2003)

Herbal Medicine for Beginners: Your Guide to Healing Common Ailments with 35 Medicinal Herbs by Swift K & Midura R (2018)

Today’s Herbal Health: The Essential Reference Guide by Tenney L. (1983)

Today’s Herbal Health for Women: The Modern Woman’s Natural Health Guide by Tenney L (1996)

Today’s Herbal Health for Children: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Herbal Medicine for Children by Tenney L. (1996)

For my black folks!!!

African Medicine: A Complete Guide to Yoruba Healing Science and African Herbal Remedies by Sawandi T.M. (2017)

Handbook of African Medicinal Plants by Iwu M.M. (1993)

Working The Roots: Over 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing by Lee M.E. (2017)

Hoodoo Medicine: Gullah Herbal Remedies by Mitchell F. (2011)

African American Slave Medicine: Herbal and non-Herbal Treatments by Covey H.C. (2008)

The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, and Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine by Rose K.M. (2022)

Indigenous authors & perspectives!!

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Kimmerer R.W. (2015)

Gathering moss by Kimmerer R.W. (2003)

The Plants Have So Much To Give All We Have To Do Is Ask by Siisip Geniusz M. (2005)

Our Knowledge Is Not Primitive: Decolonizing Botanical Anishinaabe Teachings by Djinn Geniusz W. (2009)

Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: ethnobotany and ecological wisdom of indigenous peoples of northwestern North America by Turner N. (2014)

A Taste of Heritage: Crow Indian Recipes and Herbal Medicines by Hogan Snell A. (2006)

Medicines to Help Us by Belcourt C. (2007)

After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine from a California Indian Elder by Grant Peters J. (2010)

Latin american herbalism works!!

Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera by Cocotzin Ruiz F. (2021)

Hierbas y plantas curativas by Chiti J.F. (2015)

Del cuerpo a las raíces by San Martín P.P., Cheuquelaf I. & Cerpa C. (2011)

Manual introductorio a la Ginecología Natural by San Martín P.P.

🌿This is what I have for now but I’ll update the post as I find and read new works, so keep coming if you wanna check for updates. Thank you for reading 🌿

[theherbalsanctuary]

To add, even if you do not necessarily practice all of these things, such as rootwork, be it because of your own cultural background or whatever the case may be, it is still a great experience learning from other cultures. Becoming aware, knowledgeable, and respectful of how our fellow practitioners work can only work to uplift the entire community. <3

[theherbalsanctuary]

Hot take on Toxic Positivity in the Witchcraft Community

Rant post. Hopefully some of you can relate. Who knows, maybe "Hot Witch Takes" will become a series.

Sit down. I want you to sit, and reflect on why you chose this spiritual path. Was it for power? Healing? Love? Was it for....revenge? Or simply a deep dive for cosmic knowledge? Whatever the case may be, there is a huge trend that will not seem to die, and that is this god awful "love and light" movement.

Before I go on, yes. Going down the path of energetic workings, and witchcraft, and all that magickal amazing stuff, can be very uplifting! And if you are a depressed human like many of us are these days, then being a practitioner of some sort can bring about a ton of positive vibes and healing. But you know what else is great for healing? Embracing the dark sides of ourselves. And dare I say, only true healing can come from looking inward to the deepest darkest nooks and crannies of our souls.

What I can't stand, is when I go onto a witch page on say, Facebook, and the amount of comments condemning other practitioners for wanting to place a hex, or wanting to work during the dark moon, or even an eclipse, or dive into shadow work, is getting sort of insane. While it has gotten marginally better, rose quartz and some lavender is not going to solve our PTSD Susan. It isn't. You know what will? Crying. Digesting your trauma. Digesting your inner darkness. Learning about why we need the balance between the light AND the dark within ourselves always. Learning to forgive our past mistakes, and come to an understanding that some of those choices came from the sheer need to survive in the situation. There will never be the simple answer to the question "how can I stop feeling like trash?" But I can tell you it certainly isn't masking and compartmentalizing your emotions till you are a stoic smiling puppet touting off "only love and light vibes here!"

This not only puts and undue amount of pressure on other struggling folks to be constantly happy, or else they are failing to be a "true" practitioner. But it also discriminates from a shit ton of other cultures and their respective energetic practices. Magick, and actively working with it, tends to root itself in some form of struggle. Be it to get away from our oppressors, to get more resources like money to feed our kids, or to leave an abusive situation safely. Clearly, to stamp "you need only love and light" on these workings and desires is ridiculous.

This also begs us to consider the Three Fold Rule as well as the whole "do no harm" rule-thing that many practitioners will spout off in the comments as soon as someone wants to defend themselves. While I will not tell anyone what to believe, I will completely squash you down if you dare tell someone else that has clearly thought a spell/hex/curse through, including the potential karmic consequences. Sometimes, an abuser just needs to be put in their place. I mean this next part with utmost sincerity. If you had an abuser, and decided to put some form of hex or curse on them, while also putting up wards and protections for your own safety, you have karmically suffered enough. While I can't guarantee you wouldn't get any energetic repercussions, make peace with knowing that karmically, it is your target's "turn." You have suffered enough. (Not that you were supposed to anyway, hopefully you understand where I am going here.) Certainly, the cosmos don't follow any silly dogma that is "oh my gosh! This person sent bad energies towards this other, let's get back at them exactly three fold."

I want to finish this by saying, IF ANYTHING, the whole love and light thing should only serve as a temporary beginning to a whole self healing and self love life change. To truly love yourself is to be able to pick up all of your pieces, even the painful ones, and accept them for what they are. To be a true healer for others, it is to be able to look in the mirror, acknowledge your dark self, and use it as a tool.

Thanks for reading, take care of yourselves out there.

[theherbalsanctuary]

How to Build that Good Good Intuition

Lovelies, I want to start by saying this is my own UPG. What is UPG? UPG or also "unverified personal gnosis" is basically my own spiritual and energetic experience, and what I have personally gotten from it. Therefore, what I am about to discuss may or may not be your same experience. And that is a-okay! Alright, let's get to it.

I would like to say that EVERYONE is capable of building their intuition. Some people may be more connected, and therefore it may come more easily. But that doesn't mean that someone else can't harness growth in their intuition up to the same advanced level. Before I get to it, let me say that a little more clearly for the witches/practitioners in the back that may not still understand this concept. Everyone, no matter your "magickal lineage," your gender, your race, religious background or lack thereof. If you are a person, you have this innate ability.

Now that that is out of the way, let's talk first thoughts. First thoughts were taught to me by a couple different deities, and they are literally the first thought your brain jumps to when encountering something. For example, maybe you are doing a tarot reading, and your first gut instinct is to choose a card halfway through the deck. That little voice, or that little desire to reach for that card is the first thought. It is your ethereal being telling you to pick that card.

That said, this also occurs while we are doing normal mundane tasks as well. A couple weeks ago a woman came into the store I used to work at, wanting to buy a salve from my own business. I told her I would bring her one the next day. Well next day comes around, and my first thought was to pack three instead of only one for her. She comes in, explains how she actually wants to buy two, one for her friend as well. Later that same day, I had a repeat customer of mine come in and buy the third jar I brought. What you have to understand, usually our first thoughts are right on the money.

But how do we get to that point of trusting ourselves? It takes a lot of internal work and healing. Not only that, but building the habit of listening to those first thoughts, and acting upon them. I am in no way suggesting anyone should act upon first thoughts that are harmful to themselves, others, or their environment. That isn't the point of this post. What I am trying to explain, is that say you are trying to decide what herb you want to use in your upcoming spell. Is there an herb that just keeps coming up in your mind? Like for no reason that is clear to your monkey brain, but that thought of incorporating this particular herb, just feels right. Maybe you are feeling called to go for a hike, and when choosing where you want to go, there is one place that literally just the thought of walking there makes your soul sing. Listen to that. Follow that primal soul desire. That is your first thoughts, and by recognizing them and following them (as long as it is safe I swear to the GODS DON"T HURT YOURSELVES), you will be on the fast track towards being that scarily intuitive bad witch you have always dreamed of being.

I mean shit, I followed my first thoughts and moved across the country to be where my soul sings. Now my soul is a professional opera singer. It won't shut up, and honestly, I don't want it to.

As always, if you would like to support me, send me a follow! Or go check out my amazing salve on my website! Do you have skin? Does it get dry or itchy? Do you want something more natural to maybe put on those god awful hemorrhoids? Yeah I said it, they're a bitch to deal with, but not for long with this epic salve. Go look at it. Seriously.

Welcome to The Herbal Sanctuary! A budding woman owned herbal business based in the heart of Tennessee.

[fairymotif]

sometimes just a glass of water is an offering. Sometimes just saying a deity’s name is an offering. Sometimes laughing or crying or letting yourself feel what you need to feel is an offering. Sometimes just existing is an offering. Not everything has to be a big, grand gesture. The gods understand so much more than we think they do. They’ve existed for eons, have had thousands, if not millions, of people pray to them and offer to them and become their devotees. Would they really curse one person, out of all these worshippers, for simply trying their hardest? Have more faith in them.

[crazycatsiren]

Pride is not pride without including disabled queer people. 🌈

[theherbalsanctuary]

Happy Monday! Tarot reading for the week

Hey lovelies, this is a new series among many, that I will be doing every Monday and Friday! Usually they will be simple card draws, such as a quick read like this one. Mondays you can usually expect "prepping for the week to come" sort of readings, and Fridays will usually be reflective type readings.

I want to start by saying, this deck just, *chef's kiss*, so beautifully, yet, brutally honest. This is the Crow Tarot deck by Mj Cullinane, and it is not afraid to slap you in the face when you need it. That said this week, she was very kind. I sincerely believe this is a message for the masses.

For future reference, when I do a tarot reading, I GENERALLY ask a question for each card pulled. This is completely different from when I am doing a reading with my Ogham alphabet, or my runes.

-What can we expect this week?

I pulled the Chariot in the upright position. This card signifies that we should be moving through this next week with confidence. Whatever goal you have been working towards will see amazing progress. There is a catch here, you must have been already putting in the work for this to happen. Not only that, but you need to continue to put in the grind this week. Just know it will happen. The light is at the end of the tunnel.

-What is going to be the biggest challenge this week?

For this one, I pulled Two of Wands in the reversed position. Oh boy, for people out there like me with ADHD and want nothing more to be wonderfully successful in all of their intentions, hold onto your butts. This card, in this position, urges us to prioritize the tasks we must do in order to achieve our goal(s) from the first card pull. Why might this be challenging? Well almost every goal out there has at least a couple different ways of achieving it. But which choice or path is providing the highest quality outcome? Ask yourself, what is maybe blocking you from doing that one silly task? Is it fear? Or simply a tiny list of prerequisite tasks? Either way, when I said you will still need to grind this week, I meant it. Get that shit done. You'll feel better.

-How can we be successful?

After I pulled the first card for this question, I felt I needed to pull a clarifying card. The first card I pulled for this was Page of Pentacles reversed. This card begs us to identify those potential blockages I mentioned earlier. Remember, while deciding how to go about reaching your goal this week, what sort of effort are you willing to put out in order to achieve this goal? Which parts are worth the energy, and which tasks are distractions?

The next card I pulled for this question was Six of Cups in the upright position. This card is the answer to our struggle in prioritizing tasks. First though, this card requires you to reflect back on not only what makes your heart full, but also what exactly makes reaching this goal worth it to you. Why is it important? Remember, the goal can be as simple as cleaning up your apartment. Does it need to be super clean? What pulls you out of the state of executive dysfunction you have been stuck in for months? Can you get by doing small 5 minute chores for the week? How much rest do you need in order to be able to be productive? Yeah, rest. This card also serves as a reminder to treat our bodies and souls with a little more love. What task can you do to help you clear your head of the anxious thoughts surrounding reaching this goal?

-Final Words

Basically, keep your chin up and stay focused. Do not slow your roll this week, but do know there is a light at the end of this as long as you put in the required amount of work. The reading this week encourages us to follow the path we have been planning all this time, and not to veer off of our path just yet, as our time of success is definitely on the horizon.

As always, if you would like to support me and my business, give me a follow! Or go check out my tiny store where I am currently selling a wonderfully buttery herbal salve- www.theherbalsanctuary13.com

Thanks for reading!

[aquatofanabotanicals]

Plant of the week; Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

This fragrant shrub is a household favorite among Western cultures as a cooking herb, but it also has valuable medicinal properties. It has long been held as lucky in folk belief, believed to invite wealth and repel evil when grown by the entrances and exits of the house. Being part of the Mint family, it has a potent smell.

The Ancient Greeks used rosemary oil for cosmetic, ritualistic, and medicinal purposes. Today, the oil is mostly used in aromatherapy to improve focus. Studies have even shown that consistent use of rosemary scents during work or study can improve overall memory and concentration.

The leaves also contain carnosic acid, which is a powerful component in fighting off free radicals, which are are a type of unstable molecule formed during cell metabolism. A buildup of free radicals can cause all kinds of complications in the body, especially the brain. Studies are currently underway using plant-derived carnosic acid from rosemary to treat patients with Stroke, Alzheimer's, and Dementia.

The leaves of this plant are an excellent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, making it ideal for various hair and skin treatments. For example, rosemary essential oil massaged into the scalp weekly can help prevent both male-pattern and female-pattern baldness. Treatments containing rosemary are also effective at preventing blemishes for people with acne-prone skin.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, tea blends using this plant have long been used in folk remedies to treat an upset stomach. Germany's Commission E has even officially recognized rosemary as a treatment for indigestion.

[herbal-plant-energy-healing]

BE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD 🌎

[toadstoolgardens]

Foraging for Willow

Willow is one of the first trees to bud in the early spring. There are hundreds of species of willow throughout the world, all belonging to the genus Salix. Willow grows readily and often in large thickets, making it pretty easy to forage. Willows love water and grow in nearly all temperate regions in the world where water is available. Along streams, creeks, and ponds are great places to look for willow.

Willow is edible, but it isn't really tasty. The leaves, buds, and inner bark are all edible but very bitter. Despite this, there's excellent medicinal reasons to forage for willow!

The inner bark of willow branches contain salicylic acid, which is the precursor to aspirin! This makes willow excellent for pain relief. Salicylic acid is present in all willows and early spring is the best time to forage for this purpose. Willow's pain relieving properties are well known and have been used by many Indigenous cultures throughout the world. It's pain relieving effects are so effective that Charles Frederic Gerhardt set out to create a synthesized version of salicylic acid. The result, discovered in 1853 was called acetylsalicylic acid and in 1899 the pharmaceutical company BAYER named it aspirin!

Harvesting Willow Bark for Medicine:

Clip some thin (less than the diameter of your thumb) willow branches and peel off the outer bark. The inner bark will be white or cream to slightly green in color. It's a very thin layer of fibers just underneath the outer bark, this is where the medicine is!

Early spring is when the bark is the most pliable and easy to remove and also when the levels of salicylic acid are at their highest! By fall the amount of medicine in the bark will have dropped significantly.

Using Willow Bark as Medicine:

Willow bark can be used fresh or dried. To use it fresh, you can just pop some fresh bark in your mouth for a while. Peel off 3-4 small, 2-inch strips of bark and chew them, swallowing the juices. It will be bitter but it will work for pain relief! I've gotten headaches while hiking and willow has been a life saver. You should start feeling relief after 30 minutes or so, similar to over the counter pain medication. This can be repeated a few times a day as necessary.

Drying willow bark for tea is pretty easy as well. Cut your bark into strips about 3 inches long. They can be dried in a dehydrator or on a baking sheet left out on a counter for a few days, just turn them over every so often so all sides get air. Once dry you can use them as is or chop up your strips into small pieces.

To make willow bark tea with your dried bark, use about 1-2 teaspoons of bark for every 16oz of water. Bring your water to a boil and add the bark. Boil for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down and let it simmer another 10 minutes. Strain it and enjoy. If you're sick or sore, 1-2 cups of this tea per day will bring great relief. Unlike the fresh bark the tea isn't bitter, it's more of a woody flavor.

More Fun Willow Facts:

Willow is a natural rooting hormone. It will ready root and clone itself, helping it spread rapidly.

This isn't a plant to worry about over-harvesting, it's often seen as a nuisance because it spreads so rapidly. Of course still harvest responsibly!

If you place some willow branches in water they will quickly grow new roots and new growth. You can then plant these or use the "willow water" to help your other plants form roots. No more nasty rooting hormone chemicals from the store!

You can even just shove some branches in the ground and they'll very likely take root and grow into a tree of it's own.

Willow makes a great windbreak or living fence.

Willow branches are excellent for making baskets!

As always be safe and happy foraging!

Sources: 1, 2

[theherbalsanctuary]

Late Night Thoughts-Spell at the end

This is sort of going to be a ramble- but honestly? It is a blog. If you are interested, there is a manifestation jar spell at the bottom.

I have been wracking my brain over the sheer journey it took me to get to the point where I am today. Listen, there is a reason why I have a jar spell at the end of this, because, holy shit it actually worked.

Little back story. Rewind to the end of 2021. We are at the height of the omicron variant, I am wrapping up my student teaching, teachers are dropping like flies. Students are all sick and stressed. There is not a sub in sight. This is when the seed of doubt was planted. Mind you, I have wanted to teach since I could speak. My desire to educate and help grow today's youth was shadowed by the weight of the world that the system places on teachers. I could make an entire post just on that, but I digress.

Forward to April of 2022. I had graduated with my Masters, was spending time as a substitute, and that seed from earlier decided to take root. By the end of April, I literally could not take anymore. This was when I told my husband that we needed a huge change. This included deciding to move across the country. Thankfully he agreed, and we both packed up and moved out to Tennessee by the end of September. Yea, from us deciding to leave, and us actually leaving was roughly 6 months. I am still shocked that it actually happened.

BY THE WAY, shout out to anyone in education. That shit is rough. Again, I loved my students. I loved the school I was in. Everything else was trash. If by chance you are reading this, and happened to be at Cascade Middle, in Washington State, hello! I still love you. I hope you are safe and taking care of yourself.

At this time, I had already been practicing spellwork for awhile, and felt perhaps a manifestation jar would help. If you are wanting my methods, I will have it down below. But basically, a manifestation jar is a vessel you use to fill your intention with for whatever you are wanting to bring into existence. For us, it was enough money to move, a safe home, the ability to start my business, and two jobs waiting for us when we would arrive.

Listen. Before I go further, I am so deeply aware of my privilege. Looking back, our respective families provided us so much help, from selling us an RV for practically pennies, to throwing us some money for gas to travel 3000 miles. These days, there are not a whole lot of people out there who can say that they had this much help. THAT SAID, where the spell comes in. I would argue it made pressing the life reset button ridiculously more efficient. 6 months guys, and we were in TN, living at the beginning of our new dream.

From October to now, I have been setting up to start my business. another rough 6 months. Guys, one year ago I was crying in the shower not knowing what the hell I was going to do with my life. In one year total, we decided to move, got our crap together and moved. We are both employed, got married, adopted the sweetest 8 year old pitty mix, and living in a cozy RV. So much can happen in one year, especially when you help the stars align a little.

ALRIGHT. NOW FOR THE SPELL WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

You need:

-A medium sized jar or a vessel you can seal

-Honey as it is pure creation energy

-A petition for what you want to manifest, bonus if it is written on a bay leaf

-Some of your favorite manifesting type herbs. Mine included cinnamon, ground ginger, and dried basil

-COMPLETELY OPTIONAL: Anything that can connect yourself to what you are manifesting. I always like to tie myself into my spells. Think of it as an offering to the universe (or whoever) for what you are asking for. It can be hair, spit, or anything else you can safely extract from yourself. I also put in some carnelian and small clear quartz stones.

What to do:

I believe I put this together on a new moon. New moons are wonderful for setting new intentions. Take your jar and if you wish, cleanse the inside of it. I smoke cleansed it with dried mugwort. Then place all of your ingredients, placing them one by one in the jar- making sure to be constantly visualizing/vocalizing what you are wanting to manifest. Call in any deities if you wish to bless the spell.

Now, you can either close the lid, or as I did, keep the lid open. I did this in order to be able to constantly add new ingredients/offerings as I saw fit throughout the entire time it took us to move out here. I didn't actually close it until the day we started driving. I kept the open jar on my altar right up until the day I moved.

Obviously results will vary depending on so so so many factors. If you want any guidance, feel free to comment or DM me! I love helping people.

Anywho, thanks for reading! If you would like, please go check out my brand spanky new store: www.theherbalsanctuary13.com

You would be supporting a pagan, woman owned business, which is kinda cool.