A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of teaching the Curandera’s Toolkit Class at the Sol Collective in Sacramento.

We made delicious herbal honeys, elderberry cordial, and a wild cherry cough syrup.

The weekend included a sweat lodge and a trip to the oldest community garden in Sacramento.    A special and healing time was had by all participants, including several young people who came to the class.

I will be teaching several more workshops at Sol as part of their ongoing Curanderismo Class Series which will be happening the first Sunday of the month.   To keep up to date on this exciting class series, visit Sol’s Facebook page.   

Fall is the Time for Berries.

Last week, I went on two herbal field trips with my herb school students.  My first trip was up to the high Sierras, where we enjoyed an abundant harvest of elderberries.

Elderberries, which are strongly anti-viral, are the perfect herbal ally for this time of year.  To learn more about this amazing plant and to get some great recipes, see my blog post on elderberries.

My final trip was to the coast, where we gathered the last of the season’s aralia berries and camped overnight at Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Aralia is our native California relative of the highly esteemed medicinal plant, ginseng.  I was glad to be able to gather some berries this year to add to my immune boosting cordials.

To view the rest of this newsletter, see:  http://community.icontact.com/p/ancestrlapothecary/newsletters/php/posts/medicinal-berries-ancestral-dreams

Fall Blessings,

Atava

This season, give the gift of health to yourself and your loved ones!

Join Ancestral Apothecary at one of our upcoming classes and events.

Learn to make your own herbal potions & products.

Shop for hand-crafted herbal gifts at your local grass-roots herbal apothecary.

We’re proud to be part of the Oakland Grown Holiday Challenge and are included in the Oakland Grown Holiday Gift Guide.

Gift certificates available for all our services and products.

Click here for more information on upcoming events and to view a complete version of our December newsletter.

Enjoy!

http://community.icontact.com/p/ancestrlapothecary/newsletters/php/posts/this-season-ancestors-and-immunity

Image from Aztec Codice Badiano. Written in 1592 by Aztec herbalist Martin de la Cruz. Stolen by the Catholic Church but returned by the Vatican in 1990.

Happy August!

Click here for a full color copy of my August Newsletter. I report back on the curanderismo class I attended at the University of New Mexico this past July. I have become very interested in the Codex Badiano, which is the oldest written record of medicine from Meso-America. I’m also inspired to learn more about the lives and history of the great curanderos of Mexico and the American Southwest. I am starting by reading The Hummingbird’s Daughter, a book on the life of great curandera Teresita Urrea.

You can subscribe here to receive this monthly newsletter.

Summer Blessings,
Atava

Spring hasn’t officially arrived, but springtime is in the air and many gorgeous flowers and trees are blooming. Yesterday, when walking by a stand of plum trees, a divinely sweet aroma wafted up to my nose. There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh plum blossoms! And one of my absolutely favorite trees is in bloom- the voluptuous magnolia. I love the spirit and medicine of magnolia and it is one of the key ingredients in my herbal formula Siete Flores.

As we enjoy the blooming trees and flowers around us, it is a nice time to remember the medicine of flower essences. Flower Essences offer a subtle yet profound system of healing. They work on an energetic level and help to harmonize our mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Flower essence can support the healing process for all kinds of people and situations. I have used them successfully to help my clients dealing with depression, anxiety, fear, unresolved anger, addiction, trauma recovery, loss, intimacy issues, career and life path concerns, ancestral healing and much, much more. Flower essences also work great with children and animals too!

For the complete, in full color March Newsletter, click here.