The Tricky Tea Leaf is on the move...

Jingle-jangle, tippy-tumble, rolling-rumble, the Tricky Tea Leaf Traveling Tea Party has come to town!

The Tricky Tea Leaf Traveling Tea Party is a monthly membership club of great renown!* Each month, Members receive a 3 ounce bag of loose leaf tea. Some months you will receive one of our more popular teas and other times you will receive a tea that has yet to be offered in our Apothecary. We currently carry 18 different varieties of gorgeous, good-for-you tea! Our Members also receive a 10% discount (already applied to purchase price) and a 15% discount coupon for future purchases. Shipping and handling is also already included in the purchase price.

Visit our Etsy Shop or Poppy Swap Store for more details.

*As rated in the Unicorn Quarterly of Tea-Drinking Aesthetics.

Flower + Gem Essences for the Journey: The Second Trimester

Over the next few weeks we’ll be exploring Flower + Gem Essences that are particularly useful during pregnancy, labor and postpartum (to learn more about what Flower + Gem Essences are visit our previous blog post).  The great thing about Flower + Gem Essences is that they are good remedies that, by their very nature, can do no harm which makes them wonderfully safe to take during pregnancy.

Now let's look at the Second Trimester:

Woah, I am really, really pregnant.

You've made it through the First Trimester and you may just beginning to feel that you're getting a hang of this whole pregnancy thing.  Energy is up, a desire for intimacy may be returning, issues around body and size might be emerging, and nesting may have begun in earnest.  The following essences lend support in balancing the busy-ness of being pregnant and preparing with the need for rest and stillness, all while helping to strengthen your sense of agency throughout your pregnancy.

LAVENDER “I am peaceful”

The Second Trimester can be a period of renewed energy after the First Trimester and suddenly the thought of preparing for baby feels less daunting.  Take advantage of your heightened energy, but allow time for stillness, rest, and seek activities that help develop a sense of peace.  Lavender is a wonderful essence for promoting a peaceful state of being.  Lavender also helps to protect the spirit from unwanted psychic burdens of friends, family, and strangers noticing you’re pregnant and not always making the most sensitive of comments.  If you suffer from stress-induced headaches or tend to be wound-up throughout the day, Lavender might be a good remedy for you.  One of the other wonderful qualities of Lavender is its abilities to help us mellow enough so that we are able to dream better and envision the future with more clarity.

SCLERANTHUS “I choose confidently”

Scleranthus is a wonderful herb for transitory periods where you are between two points – the Second Trimester is in the middle of your pregnancy, no longer in the early stages of pregnancy, but not to the point of preparing for labor.  Here is an essence that can help clarify the path ahead and the choices you are making which are defining your upcoming labor, the birth of your child, and the change in your life and family.  Scleranthus strengthens your inner compass, which helps with becoming more decisive, but on a deeper level encourages fuller and more active participation in your unfolding life.

CITRINE “I am energized”

The bright yellow-gold stone of Citrine is your own source of all-natural celestial rocket-fuel!  A radiant burst of energy, Citrine helps to infuse us with optimism not only because we feel energized but because are brightness is being recognized – we feel better understood.  Citrine also helps us to store needed energy and maintain it throughout the day, in part because it encourages laughter which is one of the best ways to recharge tired minds, bodies, and spirits.  Citrine helps you feel the pregnancy glow and polishes off lethargy with flourish!

We carry Lavender and Citrine in our Etsy Shop.  Essences such as Scleranthus can be found from a variety of resources such as the Flower Essence Society and Bach Flower as well as local health food and natural healing stores.

Explore our full series of Flower + Gem Essences for the Pregnancy Journey:

• The First Trimester
• The Second Trimester
• The Third Trimester
• Labor + Birth
• Postpartum - coming soon!

Flower + Gem Essences for the Journey : The First Trimester

Over the next few weeks we’ll be exploring Flower + Gem Essences that are particularly useful during pregnancy, labor and postpartum (to learn more about what Flower + Gem Essences are visit our previous blog post).  The wonderful thing about Flower + Gem Essences is that they are good remedies that, by their very nature, can do no harm which makes them wonderfully safe to take during pregnancy.

Let’s begin by looking at the First Trimester.

Wow, I’m pregnant (!) (?) (.) (!?)

While every pregnancy is different (we’re all unique, folks, it’s true), often during the First Trimester there can be increased emotional and physical sensitivity, sometimes morning sickness, irritability and a vast array of emotions about being pregnant.  The following Essences may be helpful in bringing balance to these various emotional states, ultimately giving space to be able to process what we are feeling and who we are becoming.

MILKWEED       I am nourished

Milkweed is an incredibly nourishing essence, one that feeds the roots of our soul.  For Milkweed, nourishment is getting exactly what we need by being exactly who we are - which is a wonderful lesson in living in maintaining the “I” in the myriad of roles we live as someone’s lover, friend, child, partner and community member.  The first trimester can bring morning sickness, irritability, apprehension, joy, excitement and extra sensitivity – Milkweed is an ally during these early days, helping us to maintain a balance that feeds our spirit in the unique way it needs to be cared for.

CALIFORNIA WILD ROSE       I love expansively

A wonderful heart opener, California Wild Rose helps us to fall in love with the art of everyday living.  The essence of California Wild Rose infuses the spirit with enthusiasm, highlighting the ways that simple tasks such as eating well, resting deep, and laughing often are powerful services towards ourselves, the world and our relationships.  I recommend heart-opening essences and herbs like California Wild Rose during transition phases in our lives because an open heart leads to greater compassion for yourself, your responsibilities and the ones you love during times of change.  California Wild Rose is also wonderful for dealing with fatigue and it helps prepare the body for the journey ahead.

CHAMOMILE       I am bright

Chamomile is a brightening essence, good for morning sickness, and is an excellent remedy for tension.  Soothing and harmonizing, Chamomile helps bring perspective to the day-to-day, helping everyday nuisances slide off your shoulders.  Chamomile is an excellent essence to take throughout your pregnancy and labor.

CERATO       I trust myself

I am including Cerato in our collection of First Trimester essences for those folks who have a lot of self-doubt of their inner knowing and their ability to make good decisions for themselves leading them to over-depend on the advice and recommendations of others.  A great essence for those who often say “I just don’t know” and worry that any decision they do make will ultimately be the “wrong” choice.  Cerato helps grow an inner confidence and shifts the process of decision-making into one full of obstacles to one full of amazing, affirming choices.

We carry Milkweed and Chamomile in our S H O P and essences such as California Wild Rose and Cerato can be found from a variety of resources such as the Flower Essence Society and Bach Flower as well as local health food and natural healing stores.

Explore our full series of Flower + Gem Essences for the Pregnancy Journey:

• The First Trimester
• The Second Trimester
• The Third Trimester
• Labor + Birth
• Postpartum - coming soon!

Iced Tea, Ya'll!

iced tea time, ya'll, in the apothecary!

I was raised on family stories of not-so-law-abiding ancestors who lived fast, and in some cases, died young.  Having now lived for a short while in Austin, I’ve come to appreciate one of my ancestors, the wild west train robber and outlaw, Sam Bass.  My Uncle Sam’s death is re-enacted annually just a half-hour from our home on the 4^th of July which is a strange experience for me, but an altogether Texas way of celebrating the 4^th.  He was an interesting character, whose appearance was said to be gentler than the typical rough-and-tumble outlaw.  I imagine that if Sam were alive today we’d sit in the Apothecary’s backyard drinking iced tea and planning our next direct-action protest (I figure that I could direct his wild west energies into more social justice oriented activities and less train robbing).  So in honor of my outlaw ancestry and in an attempt to love the heat, our newest creation in the Apothecary is an iced tea.

Our Watering Hole Iced Tea Blend is lightly caffeinated and bursting with red color but promising coolness.  Our Iced Tea is slightly sweet, slightly sour and completely delicious.  A great post-workout drink and for when you’re feeling overheated, heat-cranky or wanting to lure friends and family away from their busy schedules for some sweet and easy conversation, Watering Hole Iced Tea Blend is here for you.

ROOIBOS Aspalanthus linearis: Righteous, red bush Rooibos (pronounced roy-bus) comes to us from the western region of South Africa’s Cape Region.  Rooibos is an herb rich in antioxidants and restorative properties used in the treatment of such conditions such as allergies, eczema, indigestion, headache and tension.  Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and cooling to the body.

HIBISCUS Hibiscus sabdariffa: Another name for the beautiful red Hibiscus flower is sour-sour which aptly describes its cooling flavor.  Hibiscus is especially rehydrating with its electrolyte content and is also rich in vitamins A and C as well as beta-carotene.

YERBA MATE Ilex paraguariensis: Blood cleansing, lightly caffeinated, and stimulating to the mind, Yerba Mate helps us to tolerate the hot weather that brings us to drinking iced tea in the first place!  Improve your memory, cleanse your body and stress less all while keeping it cool – nice.

JASMINE Jasminum officinale: We included fragrant white Jasmine flowers in our blend because of their harmonizing effect on the mind, body and spirit.  Dream-inducing, Jasmine helps us dwell more deeply in beauty, transforming the heat of exhaustion into the fires of passion.

Visit our S H O P to enjoy our Watering Hole Iced Tea Blend and many other fine herbal concoctions!

Apothecary!

To visit the Apothecary, take a trip of the stairs or the slow but effective elevator.

Have a cup of tea and a sit down! (Comfy chairs are soon to follow but until then you can admire our Scandinavian simplicity.)

Shelves are stocked with herbal delights - a few that haven't made it to our online shop yet!

The photos are a bit blurry, the lights a bit bright, but there were pots of tea brewing and folks knocking at the door. We'll post clearer photos on Facebook in a bit but enjoy the preview of our little space!

Thanks for stopping by!