Herbs for Sassiness

The first of a series of teas for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, Sassy Mama, was made with the postpartum in mind, whether it has been a few weeks since the birth of your bundle of baby or a few years.  Or let's be honest, a decade plus.  With the entrance of a new member of the family into your life it is important to feed body and spirit because so much change has occurred and sometimes it can seem hard to keep up with it all.  That's why we keep it sassy!

Sassiness needs to be nurtured in order to be maintained and our Sassy Mama tea blend gives your body the respect it needs, saying “That's right!  You’re awesome!”  Full of nutritive herbs, Sassy Mama helps restore vitality and lift the spirit and keep you cool under the stresses of daily life with kids.  Most importantly it just might help give you the peace you need to really appreciate the family you're creating.  Or at least give you the clarity to call up some help from your community of friends and family  (who wants to spend some quality time at your Aunties' house?).

Sassy Mama is best steeped overnight to bring out the full flavor of the following herbs:

HAWTHORN BERRIES Crataegus monogyna: Hawthorne Berries are like a love letter to the heart.  Their adaptogenic, nervine, and nutritive rich properties are very strengthening, promoting circulation and calm.

CHAMOMILE Matricaria recutita: A very attentive and cheerful herb, Chamomile helps soothe the irritation in both body and mind.  Helpful when sleep is difficult because of stressed nerves and indigestion caused by stress and maybe less-than-ideal eating habits from grabbing what we can.

ALFALFA Medicago sativa: Nutritious, delicious, Alfalfa helps the body better assimilate nutrients – which means more energy for being sassy!

ROSE Rosa damascena: Enhances positive emotions and reminds us to love who we are, what we got, and how we show up in the world.

LAVENDER Lavandula officinalis: Cooling, calming, and refreshing, Lavender improves mental clarity and accuracy.

SACRED BASIL Ocimum sanctum: An especially holy herb, as the name implies, Sacred Basil helps grow our bodies into vibrant health, helping the body adapt to stress both internal and environmental.

Find Sassy Mama in our S H O P!

Let's Talk About Rainbows

Teas are very important in the Worts & Cunning Apothecary household.  Our tea kettle is  an abundantly used tool in our home and tea pots and tea kettles are found on shelves about our kitchen.  And tables.  And the floor.  And in the hands of clever tea drinkers.  Yet, there is another concoction that plays as important role in the health and happiness of our household: the herbal powder.

Herbal powders, while not as widely used in the current herbal market when compared to teas or tinctures, are an effective and easy way to use herbs daily.  I mix herbal powders into smoothies, juices, dressings, sauces, and have on more than one occasion just taken a spoonful directly (which sometimes resulted in a cough and an herbal powder cloud which leads to laughter and general states of silliness).  I love herbal powders when on the road because they can be easier to take than tea (there is not always a roadside kettle to employ) because they can require nothing further than a bit of water to mix them with.

I take an herbal powder daily and usually mix it with beautiful whole foods like spirulina, dried and powdered fruit like blueberries, and cacao.  Powders are absorbed quickly in the body and I like ingesting the whole herb, which herbal powders, unlike teas and tinctures, allow you to do.  They are also easily encapsulated for those folks who are more inclined to the ease of ingesting capsules.

So when, you might be asking yourself, are we going to talk rainbows?  Right now, my friends!   When creating this herbal powder I wanted to name it something that described its powers and so SUPER! RAINBOWS! LOVE! GO! Powder came to be.  It is an herbal powder like none other and its ability to make you smile starts with its title.  Made to be enjoyed on a daily basis in juices, smoothies, mixed into food or with a bit of water the herbs of this blend are restorative, adaptogenic, and tonifying to mind, body, and spirit.  It makes me feel full of rainbow energy goodness which might explain my love of wearing day-glo colors in wild patterns.  Results vary!

HE SHOU WU Polygonum multiflorum: Said to turn grey hair black and restore vitality to the body, He Shou Wu, stimulates liver, gall bladder, kidney, and intestinal function, increases libido, and lowers cholesteral. Current research is being done to explore He Shou Wu’s benefits for treating folks with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and impaired cerebral circulation.

SPIRULINA Arthrospira platensis: High in amino acids, Spirulina is a complete protein, as well as containing lots of iron and multiple vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, E, and K).  Packed full of antioxidants, Spirulina is also anti-viral and immune-boosting.

ELEUTHERO Eleutherococcus senticosus: Addresses fatigue, stress, indigestion, and enlivens without overstimulating.  As a nervine, Eleuthero improves quality of sleep.  Strengthens the immune system, improves alertness, and supports moments of brilliance.

KELP Ascophyllum nodosum: Neutralizes free radicals, purifies the blood, detoxifies body tissues of heavy metals and radioactive agents, immunostimulating, and calming.  Reminds us to be mindful of all the water we carry in our beautiful bodies.

ASTRAGALUS Astragalus membranaceaus: Spleen tonic, enhances the immune system, relieves fatigue, strengthens the lungs, prevents colds, and has tumor-inhibiting properties.

NETTLE Urtica dioica: Nutrient rich, Nettles will give your skin, hair and nails a gorgeous glow.  A very nourishing nervine tonic.

GOTU KOLA* Centella asiatica: For the brain!  Enhances energy and concentration while reducing mental fatigue, irritability, and anxiety.

SACRED BASIL Ocimum sanctum: Known as Tulsi or Tulasi in her native India, Sacred Basil is a powerful adaptogenic herb, promoting health and long life.  Sacred Basil helps to balance the body’s energy systems, is immunomodulating, an antidepressant, antibacterial, and antiviral.

Find SUPER! RAINBOWS! LOVE! GO! Powder in our S H O P!

* Use with caution during pregnancy because of Gotu Kola which is inconsistently contraindicated for pregnancy.  As with every product you use in and on your body, I encourage you to do research and make an informed choice in regards to your health and wellbeing.

The Tides of the Moon - Herbs for Heavy Menstruation

A full moon sat round in our sky just a few evenings ago.  As the moon waxes and wanes, our human bodies ebb and flow, mirroring its cycle.  Those who menstruate can find themselves especially sensitive to the cycles of the moon.  Or not at all.  There is not a single, definitive menstrual experience - though it would seem that our mainstream media attempts to define one all the time ("Oh no!  Not your period!  How will you ever have a social life?!  It will embarrass you!").  Many times advertisements for menstrual products propose a "solution" to menstruation which usually involves being able to pay less attention to it.  I feel that just as when we pay better attention to our breath we are able to breathe better and when we are more mindful of our menstrual cycles we are able to bleed better.

Choosing how we treat ourselves during our menstrual cycles can be as simple as a shift of perspective.  Instead of a burden or "invasion" of our social calendars as so many advertisements would have us perceive menstruation, we can acknowledge the cycle that our body is going through, giving ourselves space and time when we need it.  Asking for space and time can be perceived in itself to be burdensome, but it is an important part of our health and wellness.

For those of us who have especially heavy periods, known as menorrhagia, menstruation can feel like a great weight on our bodies, our mental outlook, and relationships.  Fortunately, we have many green allies who can work with our bodies to reduce bleeding, cramping, and the emotional exhaustion that can come for some menstruating folk.  Moon River is a restorative blend that provides the body with nutrients both physical and emotional, renewing energy, regulating the menstrual cycle, and relieving symptoms such as cramps, headaches, and mood swings.

The following herbs are helpful for those with heavy cycles and can be found in Moon River.

RASPBERRY LEAF Rubus idaeus: Toning and strengthening for the uterus, Raspberry leaf is also helpful with its astringent qualities in treating menorrhagia as well as diarrhea that can occur during menstruation.  Raspberry leaf also reduces inflammation and is antispasmodic.

NETTLES Urtica dioica: Very nutrient rich, especially in iron, Nettles nourish the body.  Nettles are also useful for treating menorrhagia because it reduces excess bleeding and replacs nutrients loss, especially iron.  Nettles are drying and stimulating, which is important when treating the wet and exhausting symptoms of excessive bleeding and energy loss.  Nettles also support the liver, spleen, and gallbladder, allowing them to support the body during menstruation, such as the liver's role in breaking down excess estrogen.

OATS Avena sativa: Rich in calcium, iron, manganese, and zinc, Oats are very nourishing when the body feels depleted and exhausted.  Oats can also relieve tension headaches and melancholic states that might occur before and during menstruation.

SACRED BASIL Ocimum sanctumto: An excellent adaptogenic herb, Sacred Basil lifts the mood, balances the energetic body, and relieves cramps.

While drinking herbal teas are very useful and beneficial, when our menstrual cycles our burdensome, there is usually some underlying cause that needs to be addressed to restore balance.  Making sure to take time to be quiet and reflective during menstruation can often provide the insight needed to make changes to how we menstruate.  Menstruation is an opportunity for change and can be a very powerful time to re-focus and re-vision, but first we must take the time to do so.

Herbs To Bring Love

We are social creatures who continuously build relationships through family ties, exchange of resources, passionate pursuits, and common cultures.  The pursuit of relationships bound together by romantic love seems often to be of particular interest to our species.  Herbalists have been keen on finding green allies that act as aphrodisiacs - bringing out hidden love, stoking the fires of mature love, and helping desire reside fully in the body.

Peters, Hermann. Pictorial History of Ancient Pharmacy. 3rd ed. Chicago: G. P. Englehard, 1902, c.1899. Ebling Library call number RS 61 P48

Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum), also known as Maid's Hair, was said to "provoke conjunction" and French kings Louis XIV and Louis XV were secretly given a tincture derived from a beetle which was a genital irritant and quite poisonous.  Not necessarily the direction I would recommend today in the pursuit of aphrodisiacs.  One of the more famous aphrodisiacs are Mandrakes (Podophyllum peltatum) or Womandrakes, depending on their shape.  Said to bring to you the lover you seek, there were many rules about when and how to pick Mandrake including dancing about it while speaking all you know about love.

More common herbs such as Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Spearmint (Mentha spicata), and Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) have also been used to quicken hearts and bring sparkle to the eye. But many of the aphrodisiacs that have held up over time are usually tonics of some sort and support the nervous system which makes a lot of sense when you are dealing with love, sex, and the emotional exercises of a romantic relationship.

The ideal aphrodisiac for me it manifold in its efforts.  Most importantly it is nourishing to the nervous system which allows the herbs of passion to effectively do their work.  A body that is nourished  is more open to others, to true desire, and to expansiveness through love.  A blend for love should also be exciting in and of itself that is what I hope you'll find Ambrosia to be.

In Ambrosia you'll find the following herbs to aid you on the path of desire:

GINGER Zingiber officinale: Warming and stimulating, Ginger has been used to attract love and has a wonderfully spicy flavor.

DAMIANA Turnera aphrodisiaca: Stimulating to sexual energies, Damiana also promotes physical endurance while invigorating the brain and nerves.  Also useful for treating infertility, erectile dysfunction, headaches, and “performance anxiety.”

LICORICE Glycyrrhiza glabra: Harmonzing for the mind, body, and spirit, Licorice helps us feel balanced.

LEMON BALM Melissa officinalis: Calms the nerves, relieves anxiety, and gives the body space to find and feel love.

CINNAMON Cinnamomum cassia: Stimulating to the senses, Cinnamon increases vitality.

CACAO Theobroma cacao: Cacao (chocolate in raw form) contains phenylethylamine, the same compond that naturally occurs in the brain when we are in love and also when experiencing orgasm.  Boosting levels of seratonin and endorphins, Cacao also contains naturally occurring caffeine.

Find Ambrosia and other teas at our shop.