Fall is in the air! We love this time of year here at Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary. Seasons are changing, the hustle and bustle of the holidays is right around the corner and on Tuesday, September 13th we celebrate 12 years since the apothecary first opened its doors. Many things have changed since that first day in September 2004 (see photo from opening day on right). We started with just about 3 employees in the little shop space next door. We now have about 16 employees, after the first 4 years we moved to a bigger, our current, retail space. After 10 years we connected the 2 spaces giving us a “grown up” production kitchen, a community classroom space and a dedicated shipping area for the now bustling online store.

Throughout the years and all these changes, the core values and commitments expressed in our mission statement have remained unchanged. Rebecca’s strives to connect the community with botanical medicine by providing raw materials, education, and carefully crafted products. The owner, Rebecca Luna, is still an active part of our daily activities ranging from creating new products and displays, managing the day to day running of the shop, and her favorite…working with our wonderful customers on the floor.

Thank you to our amazing community for your continued support, patronage, referrals, and for sharing a bit of your lives with us. We are the better and forever grateful for these things.

Gender Equality & Product Name Changes

In an effort to support and encourage gender equality, we have changed the names of a few Rebecca’s products. The recipes and products you have come to know and love will stay the same but the following names have been changed; Men’s Cologne is now Spirit Aromatic Oil, Men’s Aftershave is now Aftershave Oil. We also have renamed the Perfume Rollers to Aromatic Oils. During this process of looking at our names of products we are also revisiting some of our product descriptions. We welcome the opportunity to learn and grow, and give thanks to those who have helped educate us on gender equality. \

Local Clary Sage now 30% off!

We are having an end of summer sale on our beautiful local Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea). Clary Sage tastes very similar to garden Sage with a stronger aromatic almost camphor-like fragrance. In small amounts, it is a wonderful addition to breads, stuffing, dry spice rubs, marinades, salad dressings, soups and jellies. A tea from the leaves and flowers has a long tradition of being used as an eyewash for redness and inflammation. According to herbalist Nicholas Culpepper, an infused vinegar with Clary Sage can be used as a liniment for inflammation of the joints and applied to boils before they rupture. We love the smell of Clary Sage in sachets and potpourris to add a dreamy quality to any blend. In a tea combined with other digestive and carminative herbs (especially Coriander, Cardamom, Fennel), Clary Sage has historically been used to resolve digestive problems such as gas, indigestion, colic and to reduce muscle spasms. Clary Sage has a long tradition of use as a calming tonic for complaints associated with premenstrual and menopause symptoms, especially hot flashes. Clary Sage has also traditionally been used to develop vivid dreams and can help to enhance dream recall. The robust flavor of this herb can easily over power recipes and become overly bitter if used in large amounts, so small amounts are encouraged.

Recipes

Clary Sage Vinegar

Mixed with warm water, Clary Sage Vinegar is a soothing and astringent gargle for sore throats and inflamed lymph nodes. You can also omit the honey and put the vinegar infusion into a spray bottle to use as deodorant. Or dilute 1 Tablespoon of the Vinegar in 16 ounces of water and use as a clarifying and enriching hair rinse.

¼ cup dried Clary Sage Blossoms
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup honey

Fill a glass jar with Clary Sage Blossoms. Pour vinegar over the ingredients. Make sure that the vinegar covers the ingredients by at least 1 inch. If you are using a metal lid, cover the opening of the jar with wax or parchment paper and then put the lid on, or use a plastic lid. Store vinegar in a cool, dark place for one month. Shake occasionally. After one month, strain the vinegar through muslin or cheesecloth into a clean jar and mix in the honey. This Clary Sage infused vinegar is best stored in a glass jar with a plastic lid or cork top.

Sweet Dreams Tea Blend

Sip a cup of this tea blend before bedtime to help encourage peaceful sleep and vivid, uplifting dreams.

4 Tbsp (.30 oz) Linden (relaxation, stress relief)
4 Tbsp (.50 oz) Lemon Balm (calming, induces visioning dreams)
2 Tbsp (.15 oz) Wood Betony (to encourage positive dreams and restful sleep)
2Tbsp (.10 oz) Calendula (prophetic dreaming)
1 Tbsp (.10 oz) Local Clary Sage (clarity, connection to dream world)
2 Tsp (.05 oz) Red Rose petals (relaxing, peaceful dreams)
2 Tsp (.05 oz) Local Mugwort leaf and flower (problem solving, stimulates dreams, protective)
1 Tsp (.05 oz) Lavender (transformative dreaming)

Blend herbs together and store in a ½ pint glass jar. Add 1 Tablespoon Dream Tea Blend per cup of water. Pour just boiled water over the herbs and let steep for 10-20 minutes. Strain, add honey if desired and enjoy! Makes approximately 16 cups of tea.

Join us this wonderful time of year for fun and informative classes on how to craft homemade herbal body care products, herbal foods & botanical beverages for you and your loved ones just in time for the holiday season! For class descriptions, pricing online registration click here.