Cedar and Moon Apothecary

Passiflora incarnata
With her intricate flowers that draw me in just like they do the bees. They send me buzzing around the garden from flower to fruit completely in awe of their strength, beauty, and simple wonder. I collect the flowers and the leaves and marry them in warm golden honey. A syrup for dream time and rest, for strengthening and settling my cyclical thoughts. I stare into the flowers crown of fine filaments spreading out in all directions and it reminds me of our nervous system. Despite her wild look, everything has a perfect and precise place, this aligns with how a simple syrup or tea of the leaves and flowers can bring about a feeling of calm and peace and a settling to those feelings of angst, turmoil, and worry. Inner chaos dissipates like soft bubbles rising up out of the creek along the water’s edge.

In the evenings before I sleep, I reach for this sweet elixir and take a few droppers under my tongue. Like clock work, I usually feel it first in my neck and shoulders where I carry more tension, a softening happens, my shoulders relax and the pain there begins to diminish. This is when I’ll usually read, write in my journal, pray, and begin to slow my mind down so that sleep can find me. Creator knows I be running from rest and my body and spirit needs extra support to make it happen.

Passiflora is gentle in her effectiveness, it’s not an all at once can’t keep my eyes open feeling, it’s more like all at once my body has relaxed and my mind feels quiet. A balm for tired muscles and tension stored within.

I admire her in the garden and watch the vines climb and reach to an endless height. Wrapping, grabbing, supporting and being supported. All day an army of little marching ants work dutifully to collect the sweet nectar from her vines. Every year I watch the ants move in for the first half of the season (this is when I harvest) and the second half in about another month, the butterflies will be back and they will begin their honorary ritual of life. Soon, the entire garden will be fluttering with gulf fritillary butterflies. Without the Passiflora, they would perish forever and without them, I think the same would happen to the Passiflora in time.

There’s this perfect balance found within the spirit and life of this plant and it’s something I always enjoy pondering and trying to embody myself. So many ways these plant and animal kin show us and teach us the big things, but they often come in such ordinary or small packages that we overlook them all together. Passiflora reminds me it’s okay to slow down and prioritize rest and recovery, these things are imperative and synonymous to vitality and balance.

Grateful for plant wisdom 🌀🙏🏽🌱

Good morning sunshine’s! We’d love to see you today up at the powwow grounds in Mount Vernon. We’ll be here til about 2:00 🥳 come check out all the vendors, support Choctaw youth in their endeavor to raise funds for a good cause, and grab some good food! Indian tacos are flying out the kitchen and going fast and I’ve got some wild food samples and an info table setup with wild plants and resources.

Hello sunshine’s—
It’s me, tuning in from the fields of flowers and sunshine 🧚. I’m just checking in for a few things. 1st up- don’t forget about the sound bath and plant walk that’s coming up next weekend. Tickets are on the website! 2nd- I’ll be up on the Choctaw Rez this weekend all set up with an info table, wild foods, herbs, books, etc. I’ll be doing free herbal consultations and blabbing about wild foods and medicines. My mama will be with me, yay! I hope to see yall up there for car show and color run!

This is the busiest season of all for us over here because if we’re not gathering every single day then we are already behind. Add to that running a house and chasing after teenagers and trying to keep up with life, family, community responsibilities, and everything else and honestly I just don’t find myself online as much these days.

This is a one woman show over here and I really appreciate all the patience, understanding, and support yall show my small business. I know some things (shampoo and conditioner anyone? 🫣) have been out of stock for a minute, but I’m trying to change that soon. There’s a ton of new inventory and summer offerings that I just haven’t been able to put on the website yet, but soon.

Bc I haven’t been posting much the algorithm has forsaken me so if you see this say hiiiii in the comments! How’s your summer going? Enjoy all the photos from life lately. Love yall!

Hello loves,

Ruth’s Garden and I are holding a special meetup here in Mobile on June 14th. Earlier this month, we had the honor of hosting a team building event for Kindred Yoga, and it left us feeling so recharged and inspired to do it again. I shared some clips on TikTok and somehow, someway, that video found its way to Mobile locals. Yay! Everyone was commenting about how excited they are and how this is exactly what they need. I don’t know, I just have a feeling that this is going to be a really special morning.

We’ll be spending the morning together at the beautiful Japanese Gardens. We’ll start things off with a plant walk where folks can learn about local ecology and place based wild foods and medicines. After the walk, we’ll settle in under the trees to enjoy an herbal tea service along with a guided meditation and sound bath with India. Bring a blanket or yoga mat to sit on, and bring a friend too!

Registration is required through the website, and as always, I have a sliding scale available for anyone who needs it. Just send us a message. We can’t wait to see everyone!

Ticket info here👇🏽 space is limited, but don’t be discouraged if its sold out because we are already planning the next one. Love yall!

https://www.cedarandmoonapothecary.com/community-events

Morning sunshine’s! Do I have any local herbalist friends who’d like some fresh organic wormwood from the garden? I have more than I need and I need to clear some of it out. Local only at this time as I’m not wanting to ship right now. 📍Mobile AL

Willing to barter for fresh local produce, eggs, meat, whatever fr. 💞

Good morning sunshine’s, I’ve been locked out of my business inbox for the last week and I’ve been so busy with life and kids that I put getting back into it on the back burner. I’m going to get back to everyone who sent messages soon! Remember, you can always reach me on my website if it’s something important. Facebook isn’t always the best place as I get a lot of spam messages here anyway.

Happy Sunday! ✨🌞