Blue Moon at home retreat
Isn’t October so beautiful? The golden light, the colors, the beginnings of cozy snuggle weather, hot chocolate around a camp fire, it’s all just very magical. There are many things that contribute to the magic of October, but this month is extra special for a few reasons. This October 31st will mark the second full moon of the month, it will be a blue moon ( once in a blue moon , ha ! ) , Halloween, + Sahmain ( pronounced Sow-win). For those who are unfamiliar with Sahmain, it is a Gaelic festival marking the end of harvest season and the beginning of the winter or the ‘darker half of the year’
Which is why we thought it would be the perfect time to host a Blue Moon At Home Retreat. Yes, you heard that right, an AT HOME RETREAT. A self care package that you can fully engage in + be apart of At Home. This is the first of many self care retreats to come. In collaboration with two of my favorite witches, Santalena Groves from ‘Heart Grown Wild’ and Caitlin Moakley from ‘Soil and Spirit’. Now more than ever the universe is asking us to slow down, go inward, and be present. We hope in offering these At Home Retreats you find you find yourself relaxed, restored, + having a deeper connection with yourself + the earth.
You are CORDIALLY invited to a magical Blue Moon at Home Retreat on the weekend of October 31st... though may be used for anytime that suits your schedule.
We will provide you with a provisions list to gather before our retreat and a suggested flow to create a restorative experience at home. Join us as we guide you through:
DIY beauty shots, calming lattes and simple nourishing snacks and meals
A moon glow facial treatment with a lunar rosemary infusion with Yours Truly
DIY herbal fire cider and meals that will keep you warm, nourished and energized throughout winter (and beyond!) with Caitlin
A cozy evening wind down with a golden hour walk, followed by a blue moon ritual bath, self massage + restorative stretching with Santalena
A suggested reading + listening guide of our favorites for this time of year
As we near the full moon, each attendee will receive in their inbox a provisions list, and virtual guide including recipes and suggestions as well as videos to transform your experience at home
A portion of the sales will go the the Urban Farming Institute
Moon Glow Facial -
Create the most beautiful at home facial experience.
Blue Garlic Fire Cider
Beauty shots, calming lattes, simple nourishing snacks + meals
Blue Moon Ritual Bath
A golden hour stroll + a herbal healing massage
Meet the Maker : Alison Gianfagna of Featherflies & Humble Bee Botanicals
I am so happy to introduce you all to one of the sweetest humans I have ever met! Ali from Featherflies & Humble Bee Botanicals is truly one with nature, she reminds me of a forest fairy. We met at a local community herbal conference called, Herbstalk where I bought one of her natural deodorants. Everything she makes is truly so special, you can really feel her love for the plants in each one of her products. She amazes me with all her creations, everything from immune boosting syrup, all purpose cleaning teas, herbal face cream, botanical jewelry, there really is nothing she can’t do ! Ali’s excitement for plants is contagious, I knew we were going to be special friends when she gifted me a friendship plant to put in my studio. Please enjoy reading about Ali’s journey as much as I did, and feel free to comment below or ask questions !
Photo by Chelsea Call
The Quick Six with Ali from Featherflies
1. What drew you to herbalism:
I have always had a real strong connection with nature and plants as well a strong desire to simplify and take a more natural path. Discovering how interconnected we all are with plants, the way they can communicate with our body, mind and sprit in such a healing and energetic way draws me to herbalism. It inspires me to create and share this magic and the language of plants with people through my herbal creations and formulations. I am working towards making the woods my office and surrounding myself with plants and flowers as much as possible!
2. How long have you been practicing?
I have been practicing herbalism "officially" since 2012 but I believe my plant path began long before that. One of my earliest memories is picking wild chamomile with my mom as a child to make tea, carrying our little petals in my skirt held up to be a basket. Pressing flowers and obsessing over the beauty of a plant and then researching what it is and where it likes to grow was a normal thing for most of my life. I really began to dive deeper into the world of herbs and their amazing properties and the alchemy behind it all while working with Laura Lamun who was the original creator of Little Moon Essentials, an all natural body care company. Then really tapped into the beauty and magical feeling of planting seeds and watching them grow into such abundance while working as the herbalist at Elkstone Farm where we grew and processed everything in house. I loved every minute spent in those gardens discovering that herbalism runs deep within me.
3. What are some of your favorite plants?
Oooooh weee... it is so hard to pick a favorite! I might have to pick a few... Tulsi, my beloved tulsi! The smell alone can stop you in your tracks, it is so amazing! I love this herb so much, its gentle yet profound way to heal your heart and lift your spirits. I also love how much honey bees love this plant, they buzz around so joyfully on the tulsi! Next would have to be Calendula... it is the healer of all with the sunniest sweet little flowers. I like to think that Tusi and Calendula are plant friends and love to be together in the garden and in formulations! Lastly I think it would have to be Dandelion, a constant reminder of resilience and such powerful medicine!
4. What was the first product you made and why?
The first product I made was herbal infused salves. I made a two salves - Rough & Tumble a wild Arnica salve because I would find so many beautiful wild arnica flowers growing and was excited to create with them. Aiming to infuse not only their healing properties but capturing that beautiful scene in which they came from... the healing cool mountain breeze and soothing sounds of the trickling stream and the peace that comes with standing in awe of big snow capped mountains. The other one was Wild, an all purpose healing salve. I called this Wild because all of the herbs that are infused are the wild weeds that we find at our feet. Often times we disregard the weeds we walk on, when they can be, and are, our greatest allies. I wanted to create a healing balm in honor of those often forgotten walked upon weeds.
5. What do you find most fulfilling about your practice?
I am so beyond honored to be able to do what I love every single day! I always say "Special is my specialty" and it is so fulfilling to be able to create these special creations and send them out... like nature filled love letters... and that just fills me right up! Being able to create these items and connect people with plants is all I have ever hoped for and I hope to stay curious and keep listening to plants to create and share their stories with you!
6. What is your favorite thing in this world outside of plants?
My favorite thing... once again it is so hard to choose favorites! I absolutely love spending time with my honey of a husband and our sweet little pup, Tulsi. We have a vintage pop top VW van and we love hitting the ole dusty trail, finding remote camping and places to explore. We also love canoeing and finding little islands to camp on. I often times think I have too many hobbies, I love making art, pottery, sewing, and creating jewelry. I also really love live music, cooking, going thrifting, and skipping rocks and you can usually find me with a pocket full of rocks!
Meet the Maker: Dominique of Apoterra
Dominique Caron, founder and owner of Apoterra.
Hello Everyone,
I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. I am excited to share with you the second installment of Meet the Maker.
I met Dominque through Instagram. (She sent me a sample package of all the goodies!) I immediately felt connected to her and her line because you could feel the amount of love and dedication that went into each product. The products in the studio are made from herbalists, whom I trust and admire both professionally and personally. I find they have such a deep understanding for how the plants work harmoniously for you, while also keeping the earth in mind. I am a huge fan of the Tulsi Lavender Body Oil, the Pink Sea Salt Tulsi Body Scrub and the Violet Rose Body Butter. The perfect trio for giving your body the love and attention it deserves.
She has just come out with a collaboration Gua Sha tool with Cecily Braden, which will be available on the site soon. Her answers to The Quick Six are below!
Love and Chamomile,
Shannon
The Quick Six with Dominique of Apoterra
1. What drew you to herbalism?
My passion for herbalism started with curiosity about my food, an interest in my health and a passion for sustainability and eco-friendly living. In my early 20’s, I began a journey of exploring where the food I was eating was coming from. I started asking simple questions like what does a banana tree look like? I didn't know and wanted to explore how and where the produce I was buying was grown. How my choices affected our environment? I began changing my personal habits, shopping more locally and at farmer's markets. I choose organic and began making a conscious effort to reduce packaging waste and the amount of processed foods in my diet. I became really fascinated with plants and farming. This led me to herbalism and then aromatherapy. I loved how herbalism education gave me the power to harness the power of plants, and to use that towards good. Questioning my food quality and sustainability also led me down the path of questioning what was in my skin care products and realizing how unhealthy and unsustainable my products were. This all culminated into me studying herbalism, aromatherapy and skin health - and ultimately formulating natural skin care products.
2. How long have you been formulating skincare products?
I have been studying and using plants to improve skin health and formulate natural skincare products since 2008.
3. What are some of your favorite plants?
That is such a hard question to answer! To me herbalism is the people's medicine and for this reason the most common plants (often seen as a bit boring) are my favorites because of their availability but also their sustainability. I'm a big fan of some of the simplest herbs such as chamomile, calendula, holy basil and thyme! They are common herbs and appear meek, but hold a lot of power when it comes to healing and nurturing the body and skin. (While also being gentle enough to use regularly without any danger.) Plus they can all be grown in your backyard and aren't in any danger of being over harvested, which to me is a big plus. All four can be used in many forms: fresh, dried, powdered, in infusions/tinctures and even used to make hydrosols and essential oils. They can be used for many ailments from skin issues to digestive issues to cold symptoms. In a sense they are a little bit like Apoterra. Understated, versatile, simple, effective and sustainable.
4. What was the first product you made and why?
The first product I made was cold process soap. A friend gave me a melt and pour soap kit which I used. It intrigued me and got me thinking about how you would make real soap. What is the chemistry behind soap making? I got a book, ordered some ingredients and made a bar of french green clay soap. It wasn't anything special but I was hooked immediately! It was thrilling to turn oils and sodium hydroxide into a solid bar of soap. To be able to customize the bar's skin and aromatic properties using plant oils, dried plant powders, essential oils, and clays excited me. Soap making combined all of my passions: herbalism, aromatherapy, skin care, wellness and problem solving. At the time, I worked on film sets in NYC. I started bringing my soap experiments to work and giving them to co-workers to try. A few years later I opened up my first shop selling soaps on Etsy (Caru Skincare Co.).
5. What do you find most fulfilling about making natural skincare?
I love it when customers share their success stories! Just yesterday someone mentioned to me how she had recently gotten surgery and her skin reacted badly (resulting in flare ups). She told me our products were the only thing that helped calm her skin. I started Apoterra because of my passion for herbalism but also for wellness and for helping others but running a business doesn't let me focus on those things all of the time. When customers share how much they love the products I formulated and how they are making their lives easier or better, it makes all the headaches and stresses of running a business worth it!
6. What is your favorite thing in this world outside of plants?
My kids! I have a 4 year old and a 7 month old. Watching them grow, learn, explore and slowly understand the world around them - and being a part of that process as a guide and teacher is such an honor. They also make me laugh and smile everyday, and bring me so much joy!
Meet the Maker: Shannon of Noel Herbal Skincare
Hello my name is Shannon. I am the owner of Noel Herbal Skincare, a holistic skincare practice based in Somerville Massachusetts. The business is just a little over 3 years old, but I have been immersed in the skin care industry for over a decade. My passion for holistic well-being really came full circle when I started to study herbalism.
My work begins with ‘you’. My goal is to support my clients not only in how they care for their skin topically but more importantly how they treat their bodies internally. This includes looking at food, stress, sleep, environment and thoughts. I want to share a different perspective than what has been previously shared with you. Leaving judgement out of it and just educating so you are “In the know” about your own skin. My hope is to guide you to feel more comfortable caring for your skin while incorporating plants into your every day life in a seamless way. Our biggest organ is defined by our lifestyle choices. I want you to feel confident enacting positive change to support those choices.
I have wanted to start a blog for sometime. It has felt natural to me to want to share my knowledge with my community and now that we all have a little more time on our hands, I knew this was the moment. Below is a series of questions that (hopefully) will provide more insight about me and how I practice. In creating this space my hope is you will feel comforted knowing you have a trusted source for plant based holistic care for both internal and topical well-being.
I look forward to connecting with all of you. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Love and Chamomile,
Shannon
Introducing…The Quick Six! A series of questions we hope to share with you once a week about not only Noel Herbals but also our other vendors on the website! Check below for my answers
1. What drew you to herbalism?
While being in esthetic school my awareness was drawn to how the ingredients of the products were not being talked about. Not only were they not talked about, the more research I did- the more I realized they were not ideal. I could not pronounce half of them, and I intuitively felt they were bad for us. I then went onto to search for spas that held product integrity at a higher standard, but still there was something missing. I took a community herbal class with Steph Zabel from FlowerFolk Herbs and it was like a light inside me was ignited. I felt an immediate connection, a magnet pulling me in. We are all connected to plants, and they are connected to us. It only makes sense that we eventually find each other and mindfully think about this relationship. I was excited to learn as much as I could to incorporate into my practice, but also I wanted my loved ones to open their minds to another path instead of the one that was laid out for them by modern medicine.
2. How long have you been practicing?
I have been an aesthetician for 15 years and I have been incorporating herbalism into my practice for 5 years.
3. What are some of your favorite plants?
Ahhh there’s so many!! It’s so hard to choose favorites, and certain ones speak to me at different times, but calendula, chamomile, rose, and marshmallow are up there. Those are my go to’s in the treatment room.
4. What was the first product you made?
The first product I made was a herbal infused massage oil to use for facial treatments. I wanted something that was plant based, made with ingredients that I knew were fresh and organic. I loved being apart of the process, watching the plants infuse in the sun-kissed oil, straining it, playing the with herbs feeling them on my hands in between my fingers, and bringing every bit of intention to each massage.
5. What is the most fulfilling part of your skincare practice?
The most fulfilling thing about my practice is being able to connect with people in a real way. The power of touch is so incredibly powerful, and allows us to feel more comfortable with showing ourselves, our ‘real’ selves. I’m not one for small talk, or large crowds I much prefer a one on one conversation that has depth and meaning. Being in such an intimate setting encourages real relationships to form, and to me that is the most fulfilling. Learning about myself in the process is just an added bonus. Being an aesthetician comes first, being a business owner comes second.
6. What is your favorite thing in the world besides plants?
My favorite thing in this world besides plants...family, friends, animals, beach, music, sunshine, pajamas.