Fall Equinox Bundle 2023
Fall Equinox Bundle-Fall 2023
The rabbitbrush blossoms and smell of sagebrush in high desert wind bring us closer to the turning of the Fall Season. Sometime mid August once I see the goldenrod and aster bloom my body starts to prepare for the Fall transition. There’s always grief in this seasonal shift and I think that's something very vital to finding spaces to hold and heal that grief. Just as nature is making a big transition from flowers, flowing waters and the verdancy of Summer-there’s death in the process of Fall inherently and we can feel that in us.
In Chinese medicine the Autumn in East Asian systematic correspondence is associated with the Metal phase and with two organs: the Lungs and Large Intestine. These elemental shifts can trigger a number of seasonal disturbances that may manifest physically, psychologically, and/or emotionally. On a tangible level, we may experience dryness of the skin and other tissues, necessitating the use of more nourishing skin care formulas. On a spiritual level, we may find ourselves struggling with heavy feelings that can hit us hard after the light, vivacious days of summer.
Many cultures observe an arc of ritual beginning of the seaon focused on “letting go” of past attachments that may be weighing us down. Similar themes also suffuse the autumnal holidays dedicated to observing the transitions of souls to the afterlife, such as Samhain, Halloween, All Saints’ and Souls’ Days, and Día de los Muertos. These celebrations invite us to engage our grief and find an acceptance of the passage of loved ones.
Traditional Chinese Medicine perspectives view the spiritual-emotional and physical effects of fall as interrelated symptoms of overarching systemic shifts in our environment. This holistic outlook opens up many possibilities for supporting seasonal health, revealing multiple opportunities to improve our overall well-being by strategically tending to the organs and energy centers most vulnerable to imbalance. I suggest scheduling in self care as an important way to bring more nourishment to your daily life. Magnesium salt baths, full body oiling, massage practices, walking and time for creative expression all help to nourish the spiritual-emotional connection.
I hope that your heart and soul find these herbal medicines supportive through the Fall months, and that they hold deep healing & remembrance for you. These are gifts that mother nature so willingly shares with the human kind and I am brought to my softest and most heartfelt places of my spirit in sharing them with you. May you revel in the gifts from the earth with this seasonal Fall Equinox bundle and feel loved & whole in your body. My passion lies in creating seasonal products that feature the plants truly in their essence of thriving as species to be honored and understood as beings of healing. These medicines were all made or selected with the season Fall in mind highlighting some of the most abundant and joyful plants of this time of year. Enjoy these gifts throughout this time and may you find each one supportive and nourishing to you in many ways. All of the medicines in this bundle are lovingly wildcrafted or sourced from local & organic farms. This bundle includes-nettle seed & orange gomasio, mugwort moon body oil, chest & cough love cordial, motherwort tincture, high sierra elderberry syrup & chaga rose chai.
We would like to thank our local farmers, growers and the land we call home here on Washoe land for sharing its gifts with us. A special thank you to organic roots olive oil, gray apiaries, oshala farms, sunset ridge fine fruits and sonoma county herb exchange.
Nettle Seed & Orange Gomasio 4 oz
Nettle seed is one medicine I look forward to harvesting in the late Summer in preparation for Fall. The seeds are primarily used in herbal medicine as a tonic for the adrenals and the endocrine system. It's mostly used to restore function of the kidneys and bladder , for an inflamed prostate and as an energizing tonic for the system. It contains an array of phytonutrients that together act as potent protectors against oxidative stress-which in this day and age we all experience. I lean on nettle seed often as a part of my own healing. Gomasio is the perfect way to enjoy the nettle seed. Enjoy this delicious crunchy nettle seed and citrusy spice mix sprinkled on all your favorite dishes. We think it’s extra fabulous on fish, eggs, veggies, popcorn, avocado and freshly sliced cucumbers. Check out the recipes below for a delicious way to add it to congee! The nettle seed is a combination of some I harvested myself, and some frosh oshala farms. The orange peel comes from our friends in Newcastle, CA-Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits.
Ingredients: stinging nettle seeds & leaf(Urtica dioica) powder, bioregional orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, toasted white sesame seeds, touch of redmond's real salt.
Suggested use: Enjoy this seasoning in replacement of regular salt with a spicy seaweed nutrient boost! Nettles are rich in essential vitamins and minerals like chlorophyll & B vitamins while citrus is rich in bioavailable vitamin C, all blended together with farm grown herbs and spices-this one is going to be a hit at your next meal. Try adding this as a finishing seasoning to your favorite dishes. Experience the magic!
Mugwort Moon Body Oil 2 oz
Magical mugwort! Mugwort is most renowned for Mugwort is the plant for dreamers. Its scientific name is Artemesia vulgaris, named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon and hunt. Here in the Sierra Nevadas we work with two species-ludoviciana and douglasiana . The plant is known to bring you into the lucid world and wakes up the parts of your subconscious mind that have been left to settle and collect dust. In this way, it helps you process wounds past so you can experience greater closure and healing in your life. For the physical body it is used as a bitter to stimulate stuck sluggish digestion, clotty menstruation, and bringing warmth and movement to tissues of the body to support circulation. Adorn yourself with this enchanted oil that brings circulation and warmth to your spirit. Great for an everyday oil to nourish the skin and renowned for supporting the dream world.
Ingredients: Cold pressed extra virgin CA organic olive oil infused with dried mugwort leaf & flower harvested under the full moon.
Suggested use: Apply liberally as needed to the face and body for skin hydration and healing. Soak in a relaxing salt bath or take a soothing shower and apply this oil to your body afterwards. Mugwort naturally has an affinity for supporting the liver & gallbladder organs and is wonderful for supporting an easy flow of menstruation.
Chest & Cough Love Cordial 2oz
Fall is lung time which is an extra important time to support the lungs and Respiratory system. I dreamt up this cordial after a dream I had about elderflowers. In my dream I was napping underneath an elder tree. I immediately knew I had to make this medicine. Elderflower is traditionally used to support viral infections and is a wonderful medicine for the Fall time. The other medicines in this formula all support different aspects of the respiratory system. Goldenrod is fabulous at draining stuck congestion and water retention in sinuses and lungs. Wild bee balm is aromatic and helps to open the bronchioles for eased breathing, yarrow is a superb lung expectorant as well as grindelia which is very specific for stuck cold mucus in the lungs and sinuses. Oshala, a Sierra Nevada cousin of our dear osha and our final star, is a very special herb. I typically work with this medicine and harvest for our local Indigenous population the Washoe Tribe where it is used for ceremony and as a respiratory medicine. I use it for upper respiratory conditions where warmth needs to be brought to the lungs and it works fabulous to help open airways, help with coughs and speed up recovery from infection. I slowly infuse this into honey where it serves as the honey portion of this cordial. This traditional cordial is full of wild herbal medicines to support the Respiratory system throughout the Fall season. From sore throats, to coughs to colds-this cordial has got you! Save this one for that first Fall virus-it will surely come in handy.
Ingredients: Organic biodynamic brandy infused with wild elderflower (Sambucus cerulea), wild coyote mint(Monarda villosa ), wild yarrow(Achillea millefolium), wild goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and raw local wildflower honey from our valley infused with fresh oshala root(Ligisticum grayii).
Suggested use: 15-30 drops as needed for children. 30-60 drops as needed for adults. Can be added to water or tea or taken straight as is. I love this cordial added to our respiratory revival tea or a hot toddy for some warming respiratory nourishment. Supportive to soothe the lungs and bring ease to your breathing. Drop in and feel the magic.
Motherwort Tincture 1 oz
Motherwort, I have been on many journeys with this special medicine. Motherwort is in the mint family and is one that grows very easily in most climates, reseeds itself and is perennial. Motherwort is used as a nervous system tonic, heart regulator, and antispasmodic for the tissues of the body. It is most indicated for those with anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. Energetically it connects us to the great mother and helps us to heal mother wounds and find comfort in our grief. Feel the deep support of mama motherwort. We are happy to share that the motherwort is entirely from my friend's farm Raven’s Eye Farm in Nevada City. Let this medicine hold you , nurture you and heal your heart as you embrace the Fall season.
Ingredients: Organic cane alcohol,local mountain spring water, organic glycerin, fresh locally grown motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca).
Suggested use: 15-30 drops as needed for children. 30-90 drops as needed for adults. Can be added to water or tea or taken straight as is. I love this tincture in my morning tea or bubbly water. Motherwort is physical and emotional medicine for tension in the chest and belly. It is known to ease heart agitation, relax digestion and ease the nervous system. Drop in and feel the magic.
High Sierra Elderberry Syrup 8 oz
There’s just no syrup like high sierra elderberry syrup. Many times I have contemplated changing the recipe, but the original creation has changed so many lives-and everyone including my family loves it, so we have kept it classic. I love to tell people this is not your average elderberry-and that's the truth! Most store bought elderberry syrup is just elderberries, sugar and alcohol. I offer an elderberry syrup that is some of the best medicine the Sierras can offer, with locally harvested wild blue elderberries, hawthorn berry, rosehips, pine from our home, juniper berries, cinnamon, ginger and bio-regional orange peel from our friends at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits. A legendary remedy to support the immune, respiratory and circulatory systems. This flavonoid packed elderberry syrup enhanced with local sierra nevada medicine is your best friend year round .
Ingredients: Mountain spring water, local raw wildflower honey from the valley we call home, raw apple cider vinegar, elderberry infused coconut or flax glycerin, wild blue and black elderberries (Sambucus cerulea and Sambucus nigra), hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna), rosehips (Rosa canina), wild ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), wild juniper berries (Juniperus occidentalis), citrus peel (Citrus spp.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii), and ginger root (Zingaber officinale).
Suggested use: Adults take 1-3 tablespoons, children ages 5-10 take 1-2 teaspoons, and children ages 2-5 take ½-1 teaspoon 2-3 times daily. Increase dose during active illness to every 2-3 hours. Also, enjoy this immune packed syrup by the spoonful or added to your favorite cup of herbal tea,or bubbles for an elderberry soda! Slow down and feel the heal.
Chaga Rose Chai-4.5 oz
As the days grow colder I find myself wanting to sip on chaga rose chai every morning as a grounding and warming way to start my day. This special chai is blended with wild harvested chaga from my friends land in Alaska, with all those delicious warming spices and a heart soothing rose petals. This tea is designed to support Immunity through the colder months while warming you up from the inside out. Try our chaga rose chai cookies while you sip on your tea! Spice things up with a lovely cup of Immunity chai in support of your immune, circulatory and digestion. This chai is enhanced with a touch of wild harvested chaga mushroom and sweet rose petals.
Ingredients: Sustainability wild harvested chaga mushroom(Inonotus obliquus), rose petals (Rosa sp), cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii or verum), ginger root (Zinigber offcinaliae), anise seed (Pimpinella anisum), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), marshmallow root (Althea offcinalis), cardamom pods (Elettaria sp) and cloves (Syzygium sp).
Suggested use: Pour 16 oz boiling water over, 1-3 TBSP of herb. Let sit for 10-20 minutes or infuse overnight with the lid on. For a spicier chai, try simmering 2 TBSP in 16 oz water for 15 minutes. Add your favorite milk and sweetener to make it a chai latte! Strain, Sip and enjoy and feel the heal.
May you all feel alive and connected to the earth’s healing gifts this Fall season. Thank you so much for your support on this path-and may the medicines reach your body & soul and bring you vitality for greater healing!
XO-Mary