The Wildland Tea Party

A couple of months ago, in the most random situation, I found myself flooded with inspiration for a new type of event. The Muses, several indeed, had conspired to call me to produce something that would gather women together, in the outdoors, to create ceremony, to heal, and to learn. An offering that seems channeled straight from the Divine, down through my heart, and out through my hands. The divine method here can not be discounted or questioned. Every time I asked ‘how?’ ‘for what?’ “where?’ I was given an almost immediate response from these Muses in the form of a clear vision and strong desire to make it happen.

For the next few months I’ll be testing this offering out to see if it sticks; if it’s manifesting in a way that is pleasurable to me, to you, and to the Muses who are pushing it along…On or near the Full Moon, we’ll gather in sisterhood, somewhere in the great outdoors, for a Wildland Tea Party.

Think of this event as women’s spiritual retreat meets camping trip meets herbal medicine class. I will meet you in a natural setting, create a container for personal work according to a theme for that month, and we will meet each other, heart to heart, as sisters in a sacred space. We will move our bodies under the sun, learn about plant medicines to support our healing paths, and journey shamanically to uncover, release, heal, and integrate any issues that need brought to light.

Each Wildland Tea Party will be held in a new location, with the goal being exposing my tribe of sisters to new sacred places. That you can return to on your own whenever you need to reconnect with the spirits of that place and the energies we co-create and infuse into the land. Each place will become a power portal for you, one that will help you to heal when you feel stuck, stagnant, or in need of community or nature bathing or plant spirit connection.

Together we’ll drink herbal teas, purify with the alchemy of smoke and mist, anoint with oils and salves, and release with sacred fire. A themed kit will be available for you to purchase too, that will help you integrate your experience into your daily life after the event. The kits are available for purchase at the time of check out as an add-on, or at the event or on the website. *Purchasing it along with your event ticket will get you a good discount*

For specific details on scheduled Wildland Tea Parties, including them and general location, click the button below to get to our events page.

Ethical Wildcrafting + Stewardship: A Video

In this video I introduce you to the ethics, principles, and practices of wildcrafting (harvesting) plants. I cover intention, intuition, tools, and how to respectfully connect with Earth’s medicines. This is essential information for ANYONE interested in foraging, collecting, or otherwise working with and removing plants from their homes.

From the Ashes...We Rise and Recover

Life is often full of beautiful surprises and glorious adventures into our internal worlds, and through relationships we get to go as deeply into our experience of human life as possible. The need for connection is the most human of all our needs, and when we find it, within our families of origin, with chosen families, partners, friends, colleagues, and clients, we can feel an ecstatic sense of joyful belonging. For some this comes easy, for others, lack of trust, past failures, and the lasting effects of unexamined trauma can prevent us from the full experience of healthy human connection.

Sometimes we experience the joy of deep heart to heart and soul to soul connection, only to have it dismantled by the inevitable disappointments that also come with the human condition. All of us will experience heartbreak, loss, and grief in this life, no matter how much we try to prevent it by avoiding depth with others, by maintaining a falsely positive disposition or staying busy, by refusing to explore our own internal landscapes and excavating the traumas and conditioning we experienced as children and throughout our lives.

No matter how hard we try, we can not get away from the truth that life is astoundingly beautiful and full of delight, AND, life is going to make us hurt. A lot.

Pluto is still my guide, and I’ve been going through it. I’ve struggled with my physical and mental health, and I’ve lost a partner, bonus children, and a group of people who I had come to love with a fierceness I’ve not known before…people who had become my family.

Getting through this last 6-7 months has really been some of the most difficult work I’ve done, and now that I’m coming through, I know it was not without purpose, even though I felt like it was going to kill me.

These experiences of darkness and pain, of loss and grief, can send tremors through our souls and destabilize our entire sense of Self. We feel unable to cope, to move forward, to see anything good in life. For a lot of people, turning to substances or unhealthy behaviors helps them to check out, to stop the pain for just a little span of time. We are seeking relief but causing more harm to ourselves.

When we are called to the difficult spiritual work of attending to our grief and loss, to mending our own very broken hearts, it is tempting to wish for a permanent escape. But what the great masters all say, is that the ONLY way through the pain, is through it.

Going through the loss with a determination to be fully present with your feelings is the only way you will become strong again. It’s the only way you will find your path back to the truth of WHO you ARE. Not who you were before the loss, not who you want to be one day, but who you actually are. I believe this is the purpose of these great losses, heartbreaks, discoveries of trauma, and everything else really damn terrible that we are forced to sit with. Through the power of grief, our brokenness crumbles our bones to dust so that we may be rebuilt. We are transformed through this immersion with the shadow. We see our ugliness and the ugliness of the world and have a choice to make about its meaning. If we want to live as fully embodied spiritual beings on this planet as this time, we have to find the WILLINGNESS to go to the depths we are guided to.

Surrendering to this, we can allow ourselves to completely fall apart. To writhe in the agony of losing what we thought we’d have forever, what we never wanted to lose, and even what we never had but feel we should have. This doesn’t apply only to romantic relationships. It applies to everything. How we were raised. How we work. How we relate. How we expected our lives to turn out. How we allow people to treat us. Everything.

When these experiences of loss are extremely intense and difficult to get through, the really bad breakup, the death of someone close, the vision of the future that is no longer, the ability that becomes disability, we must turn to others for support. As a species requiring connection for survival, trying to go it alone will only lead to more suffering. Sometimes, when you have no control over what’s going on, you have to let go of wanting it and needing it so that another human can intervene and help you find your way.

As an herbalist, I feel the same way about our botanical allies. They too are spirit beings and we have evolved interdependently with them, the way we have with other humans and our 4 legged friends and winged teachers. We have to allow them to heal our bodies and souls in a way that we can’t on our own. We must allow the Earth to love us, to hold us in her embrace like the heartbroken children we are. We need Earth’s Medicine.

Arriving on the other side of my own recent experiences with debilitating grief, I realized that through it all, my body and soul had become weak. I had no more energy to try, hope, or want. I could not sleep and I could not stay awake. Old symptoms I thought I’d eradicated began to reappear. Past harmful habits became enticing. Giving up became the only option that made any sense to my broken heart. But somewhere within me, I knew I had to learn from this, and I had to recover. I had to find courage and be the brave woman who hikes long stretches alone, who approaches love and cooking with reckless abandon, who loves to hug everyone I meet, who has work to do in this world - I had to be willing to see my mistakes  as much as hear about my strength and goodness from people who know me and love me (thank you - you know who you are!)

To get myself through the intermediary space between intense pain and once again wanting to feel my own goodness, I needed something to strengthen me - body, mind, soul. I needed a very special herbal tonic that would address my energetic injuries and the depletion in my body, something that would allow me to rest for real, to process a lifetime of pain resurrected through the loss of my most treasured relationship, without losing myself permanently to those conditions.

What I came up with is the From the Ashes Recovery Tonic. The first week I drank 1-2 quarts per day, and in that time I felt myself rise from the ashes of disappointment, attachment, and a shattered heart, eager to meet the sun each day - something I have not experienced for years.

The herbs in this formula were chosen to rebuild and tonify the spiritual and physical bodies, to strengthen heart shen and improve vascular sufficiency in the brain. When we have lived in a state of deficiency for a long time, it’s important that we nourish as much as we repair. I needed this formula to taste so good that I would want to drink it all day long, because I knew I was going to need a lot of it.

From the Ashes Recovery Tonic has been a miracle for my recovery. It is gently energizing without stimulating, it catalyzes a creative internal approach to healing oneself, it opens the heart so that its brokenness can be lovingly attended by the self and others, it reduces anxiety/palpitations/dizziness/rumination, and reconnects the soul that has dissociated from the body. It helps the body use energy wisely so that sleep comes and stays through the. night.

This formula feels very important. To me, to anyone stuck in the throws of depressive, stagnant grief or intense broken hearted outrage. It felt important to share with all of you. It is a beautiful medicine to use in conjunction whatever healing therapy you choose to utilize. And I encourage you, if anything you’ve read here is familiar, if the struggle is real, get help.  Try the tea and let me know how you experience it (click the link below to pre-order!) I’m here for you, but so are many wonderful healers, therapists, and practitioners ready to support your transformation through the process of a broken heart, no matter how it broke to begin with.  If you need something different from what I offer, I will be very happy to help you find the right healer. I got you boo, and so does our beautiful mother, Earth.

Yours in the Underworld,

Candice

Shamanic Herbalism: A Path to Your WHOLE Self

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.

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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

Globe Mallow for Determined Patience

Globe Mallow

Sphaeralcea spp.

Harvest: 4.11.19

Seed, tea, flower essence

Globe Mallow teaches lessons in patience, trust, and determination. (Survival, self assuredness, self confidence, self esteem, trust, unfolding, perseverance)

This year I’ve been on the hunt for Sphaeralcea incana, even though it is quite a common desert wildflower. I have long loved this beautiful glowing flower. So when return from Tucson I drove past miles of desert floor ablaze in its ethereal orange blossoms, I knew I needed to connect it with it deeply, and soon.

This led to a series of weekly attempts at finding a grand stand of Globe Mallow, abundant enough to gather, prepare, and share. Revisiting old sites where I'd found it before proved fruitless, as the community I'd previously seen seemed to have packed up and moved to someplace more suitable.

I drove many miles as if on a quest, and eventually the insecurities arose as I sensed the plant's spirit evading my own - maybe I wasn’t supposed to harvest the herb this year, or maybe my understanding and memories of its qualities were incorrect. I had to surrender to the experience of not finding what I was looking for, and maintain the fire of determination at the same time. Glad I did! One of my girl crew was able to point me to a good grove of globes, and then the real magick started to happen.

One week before I sat down to write this, I quit the job to pursue my actual purpose, undeniable and indescribable as it is. Part of that is connecting people to nature and to each other, and to begin to understand the relationships between plants, people, and place, a little (a lot!) more. In order to do this I aspire to spend a lot of time in Nature as an observer and co-creator. In reality, I’m pursuing Nature as a lover in a longterm healthy relationship (and hoping she’s ok with with a non-monogamous affair).

So the day after I quit my job, I rode out to the ‘for-sure’ spot described by my friend. It was early-ish, the desert was still quiet but coming to life, and there was only one other person nearby. I hiked into the desert a little bit and found the stand she was talking about. Except! There were no flowers.

I peeked around a bit more and discovered that while there were no flowers, there were tons of seeds. Literal tons. It became clear that perhaps part of my purpose in seeking out Globe Mallow was not to blend a tea, but to provide seeds from wild plants so that others could experience its healing in their own back yard, just through being with it one on one. A giant orange lightbulb went off and I felt so aligned with everything that I set happily out to gathering seeds with gratitude in my heart and respect in my hands(it would have been too early for the seeds on my previous forays, keep in mind).

A few minutes into this I wandered farther up the hillside and down through a ravine, finding a blossoming Sore Eye Mallow (one of its other names) with enough blooms that I felt good about harvesting a few to make a flower essence (link to flower essence here). The blossoms were bigger, the stalks taller, and the leaves greener than I'd remembered.

Flower Essence medicine is pretty special for a lot of reasons, but one of the most important ways from an ecological perspective is that you only need to use a few blooms to make an ounce of mother essence (link to mother essence here). Flower Essences are vibrational medicine, which means they work to align your own energy/aura/spirit/mind/all of it with the energies of the plant. It raises your own vibrations to meet the plants’, and therefore heals you on the level of your psycho-spiritual self, rather than only on the level of your tangible self. Although the effects are tangible and palpable, and the healing spills over like sunlight onto all the parts of you in need of healing and balance.

I cut about 4 flowers from different stalks, and let them do their thing in their morning sunlight water bath. I sat to think about the meaning of of it, and as I meditated on all the changes I’d just made to my life, my pursuit of Globe Mallow, the sheer bliss of the moment I was experiencing right then, a flood of ideas entered into me. New ways of thinking about herbalism and my professional life, recipes, rituals, classes to write, work to do. It was a moment of divine union as inspiration poured right down into my crown and filled up my heart. I had a deep sense of knowing tuned-inness that I rarely experience indoors.

Sitting there in such quiet stillness, I saw a ton of wildlife. Lizards felt comfortable coming out of hiding, a giant black beetle with red wings walked by on long legs that elevated its body an inch off the ground. There were butterflies. I sat directly across of a giant Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), and began to have ideas for how this, my most trusted and well known ally, could provide healing in ritual and ceremonial ways I hadn’t tried before. As thoughts of our relationship floated through my mind, a hummingbird came to the tree and sat on the highest branch. It was so close I could see its tiny body and long bill, I could see where its colors began and ended and blended. And this was an incredible confirmation for me, sealing in what I knew to be true.

I stood up to have a good look around, and so discovered that there were more Globe Mallow Flowers. As it turns out, they opened up as the sun got warmer. I had wondered if that could be the case, and everything worked out perfectly to where I was still in the same meadow when they began to open. Something, some deep inner knowing, had kept me there to witness the grand opening in a way I’d never before.

Getting to see the flowers open all around me and being in their midst was more amazing than actually getting to harvest. The message was clear: Experiencing is more important than the experience.

Sitting there with an open heart and notebook, Globe Mallow medicine came to me.

This is medicine to support gradual unfolding. We must place unshakable trust in the process of our own opening. The journeys each of us take, the paths we are on in pursuit of goals and success (whatever that means is individual and of the time) come before the achievement, and so we must keep our minds in the moment, without frustration. There is a greater plan than the ones we devise, but they do indeed merge - and this is Alignment.

This medicine supports you in the risks you take, to grow brightly, colorfully, into you as you are meant to be. It helps you to support yourself by recognizing your own robustness and strength. It encourages you in your remembrance of self love, self care, rest, healing , and calmness and the memory that it is ok to slow down. You don’t have to know EVERYTHING Right Now. When you stop moving, everything reveals itself to you.

Here’s the thing. If I had found a bunch of globe mallow the first time I went looking for it, I wouldn’t have kept looking. If I’d found it before I quit my job I might not have made it my first priority after to quitting to go to the desert and harvest. If I’d found it in another location it would have been too early for seeds. I’d never have experienced Globe Mallow’s vulnerable expansion to receive the Sun exactly when it was supposed to. If I still worked in the office, I wouldn’t even have been there, right then. I’d have missed the other messages and the hummingbird, the spotted lizards and giant beetles. I’d have passed over my own process of unfoldment. I’d have missed my own personalized, universal memo!

Hindsight is not always 20/20 but it’s usually a hell of a lot easier to see the past than the future and for many of us, even the present. If you are struggling with feeling like you aren’t where you’re supposed to be, or if you’re facing a big decision that is scary or difficult to make, but you feel it pulling you from deep down in your core, Globe Mallow medicine will be your ally in progress and process. It will help you notice the subtleties and nuance of your life that actually play a bigger role than you expected on your journey. Gently it nudges your mental acceptance of where you are, it reveals that you can open yourself to new ideas and changes that need to be made in order to proceed. Globe Mallow holds your hand as you learn to trust Divine timing, and holds the candle as you illuminate the intersection of your plan with a greater one.

Aligns 3rd and 4th chakras, balancing will, determination, ambition, and outward expression with vulnerability, compassion (for oneself and others), receptivity, healing, trust, and soul knowing.

**Rebel Herbal recommends that you try any new flower essence for a full lunar cycle (28 days)**

**DISCLAIMER: Any information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and not intended to replace professional health advice. Need a professional herbalist? Contact us!**