Simmer Down, Sweets
A few days ago I found myself on the phone with a good friend who calmly told me it sounded like I had a lot of fire inside of me and that perhaps I needed some cooling foods to help me get back to equilibrium.
I was detectably out of balance…
A few days ago I found myself on the phone with a good friend who calmly told me it sounded like I had a lot of fire inside of me and that perhaps I needed some cooling foods to help me get back to equilibrium.
I was detectably out of balance and emotionally worked up, and she knows me well enough to comment in a way that didn’t fan the fire scorching my insides, but instead touched me like a soothing balm so that I become of a mind to take heed.
We all find ourselves this way from time to time, mentally charged and physically ready for battle over something that really would be best handled with a cool temperament and quick step outside of the Self so you can see that forest instead of only burning bushes…some of us get heated more than others (strong Mars in your chart, anyone?) but we can all relate on occasion, can’t we?
Having good friends you trust to point out your bullshit is one of life’s greatest gifts, so if you have that person who will call you out when you’re being insane, don’t let them go. That conversation helped me channel my emotional fire into a creative one, one of my favorite things about being an herbalist. I now had a tangible problem I could set to work solving instead of just burning the blaze inside me brighter til it eventually would burn me out. And for no good reason.
Getting to it, I knew I needed some herbs to cool down the emotional intensity, balance my hormones a little bit (I was in the midst of moon time and RAGING), and reconnect me to the cycles of living that I’d gotten a little bit detached from. It was also really f***ing hot at that time, which surely contributed to my turmoil. What I came up with is one of my FAVORITE herbal teas ever generated from this here herbal witch, and I now present to you, Simmer Down - A Tea for Calming the F Down! It helped so much that I coulnd’t even tell you what the hell had me so tied up in fiery knots! During the blending and prayer process, a medicine song came to me, and I’d like to share it with you too.
It’s a delicious cooling, modulating, and soothing blend of herbs that immediately took me down a notch, to a more manageable state of affairs. It tastes so good cold I’ve been having a cup or two every day when the summer sun is hottest. It can help alleviate menstrual cramps, promotes relaxation, and helps us restore a balanced connection with the many emotion bearing fluids of the body. It would also be useful in mild fevers, overheating, overexertion, and irritable, agitated, and bad moods that are quite possibly covering up some other emotion we’re not ready to process. In the soothing of the agitation, it will help you ground down into the Earth and flow like a river through a forest, giving you access to your psyche, and whatever is really going on down there.
Check it out in out in our shop, and be sure to let me know what you think and how it helps you. If you know someone who would benefit from it, it would make a great gift!
I hope you love it as much as I do!
The Desert in Summer
One of my personal goals this year is to more intimately understand the medicinal plants growing in my local environment. I want to develop such a familiarity with Arizona flora that I come to know them in all their life stages…
One of my personal goals this year is to more intimately understand the medicinal plants growing in my local environment. I want to develop such a familiarity with Arizona flora that I come to know them in all their life stages, and can more aptly expect what might be growing where, and when, more specifically. If for instance I find myself thinking, “Oh I’m on the South face of this mountain at 2,000 feet” I want such a thought to follow as, “It’s likely that I’ll find X,Y, or Z growing here.” This kind of stuff is devotedly described in medicine plant guides under Habitat and Range sections, but I want to acquire MORE of this wisdom through my own exploration.
Thorns
Compass Barrel Cactus
I’ve discovered that spending a few hours with a community of medicinal plants offers limitless revelations into the plants’ most private natures. Watching them open to receive sun at just the right moment, observing the temperature and wind speeds at which the amount of nectar is most enticing to hummingbirds, and even becoming aware of precisely which flowers are ready for harvest - and why.
I swear these plants talk. I hear them. Almost in words, but not quite. They tell me things but only if I’m really present and focused only on being with them. Just like in any meaningful relationship.
We’ve had some rain the last two nights here in my neck of the Sonoran Desert, so this morning felt like a great opportunity to get some cooler than usual hiking in and fill my soul with the scent of Chaparral heavy on a humid air. I wanted to see what the desert looks like immediately after a rain that follows months of hot and very, very dry.
I set out for 4 miles in the McDowell Mountains, pretty much my go-to.
The desert is very much alive. The plants have mostly withdrawn their energies, dropping leaves and hunkering down to prevent dehydration. But there were tons of cicadas, chipmunks, bunnies, lizard babies, and roadrunners. And the entire landscape took on a different hue…Even though there was a lot of brown, it was still beautiful, with browns, reds, and greens all on display in different modes at this unique time.
I don’t know if it was the cloud cover or the humidity or what, but it' was REALLY challenging to get clear photos. Maybe my photosynthesizing friends were shy of their awkward appearances, but I love them no less. Some of these are enlarged and blurry and edited for the effect, but the colors are pretty accurate. Enjoy a quick peak into the desert’s summer magick, and go find yourself some plants to hang out with!
Shamanic Herbalism: A Path to Your WHOLE Self
Imagine we’re in the mountains together, and you have come with me to get some exercise for your body and to clear your mind of its heavy anxieties. You don’t know until you show up that I’m taking you to a secret spring flowing cold and clear from deep within the Earth…
Think of me as a your guide on a journey.
Imagine we’re in the mountains together, and you have come with me to get some exercise for your body and to clear your mind of its heavy anxieties. You don’t know until you show up that I’m taking you to a secret spring flowing cold and clear from deep within the Earth. From this spring you drink and are revitalized. The water is rich with minerals and pours out as if it is an offering to you, from your first mother. I drink with you, and we are in communion - with each other, with the Earth who provides everything we need, and with the spirit energies constantly alighting our path.
In this visualization, I am showing you something - a way to the source of who you are, a way to acquire what you need to stand fully in the nature of your truest self. I am not the water that heals and hydrates you, I am not the path taking you there. I am but the guide introducing you to both, maybe for the first time.
This is how I approach healing as an shamanic herbalist.
I work with open-minded individuals who have found themselves stuck, stagnate, unfulfilled, or imbalanced, and unable to move forward toward whatever they want to create. The causes are many and often disguised - but they manifest as anxiety, addiction, pain, attention difficulties, relationship issues, recurring or chronic infections, decreased libido, isolation, anger, lack of inspiration, dis-ease, injury, financial insecurity, and creative blocks.
My journey to herbal medicine began in my early 20’s, as an anxious young person in emotional pain, physical dis-ease, destructive habits, and mental illness. Seeking a closer relationship to the natural world (I’ve always been adventurous and outdoorsy!), I began a search into more healthful alternatives to conventional food and the innumerable prescriptions I’d been given. Since stepping onto this path, I have met healers from diverse modalities and traditions who have each been a guide to me discovering a new part of myself that was hidden behind a sickness or thought pattern. Healing those parts and integrating them with the rest of my being allowed my truest self to more fully express itself, and thus here I am, ready to be of service to you, as a guide along your own way.
If you are experiencing something like this and have found me on your search, I trust that it is no accident.
So what exactly does Shamanic Herbalism mean?
Shamanic herbalism blends the knowledge and skills I have acquired during formal education in Herbal Medicine & Shamanic Healing, to bring the hidden needs of the spirit to the surface. These practices are our allies to navigating elements of our unconscious selves that are generally rather difficult to access, and can promote healing on the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental planes. Shamanic Herbalism is non religious and available to everyone.
Sessions are conversational and relaxed. We ebb and flow together, creating a rhythm like footsteps on your favorite trail. I will prepare an herbal tea for us to share, and may ask you to shuffle cards or recite your favorite prayer. I will ask about your physical health, including how you eat, how often you poop, and whether you are taking supplements or medications, or working with other practitioners for your well-being. We will talk about you and all your parts so that you leave with a deeper knowing of your WHOLE, best self.
You will also leave with suggestions for herbal formulas, nutritional recommendations, lifestyle changes, and spiritual or creative practices, all to support you on your journey like a trusted pair of walking sticks on a new trail. You’ll have the option to obtain a unique to you in-depth assessment and wellness plan that will serve as your personalized, easy to follow guide to totality.
Interested but still not sure if this is the right way for you?
Here are a few examples of clients I work well with.
Healers who are burned out, sick, or have lost their passion
Herbalists who need an herbalist
Individuals who aspire to start businesses but are trapped in fear or sickness
People experiencing chronic fatigue or autoimmune disorders
Folks recovering or still suffering from addiction
Couples experiencing sexual challenges or infertility
Anyone trapped in physical pain
The most important quality you must possess in order to receive the most from our sessions is an open mind. We are all a little limited by our own realities, but it is imperative that you are willing to try new things and receive insights that may seem a bit of the ordinary for you. Not to worry though - I’ve got your back through any challenges that arise.
Herbal formulas are custom blended specifically for you, and most of the time are available from my apothecary. There are times when suggested items are only available at a retail location outside of my space.
Read my timeline to learn about my professional and personal experiences, or send an email with any questions you have. It would be an honor to walk with you as your shamanic herbalist.
~Candice
