Category: New News, Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
You pick the price and we pick the surprise! and every one is hand-picked by HBS staff just for you. We’ll ask you some questions to get an idea of your tastes (and yes, we MIGHT take a peak at what you’ve bought from us before if you’re a regular) and then we put together the perfect assortment. $25? $50? $100? $200? We can put together a fun box of unique items for any budget.
Just give us a call (573-777-6771) or send us a message on Facebook and let the fun begin! Mystery Boxes can be shipped or picked up in store. They also make great gifts. (And we had one brilliant group of friends who EACH got one for themselves, brought them all to their friends gathering, and did the grand reveal together! How fun is that??)
But no, Merlin, the former shop cat, will NOT be showing up in your box.
Sorry.
Or you’re welcome.
Or maybe a bit of both.
Category: Featured Item, Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
Category: Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
Drum roll, please …. Now you can get magickal oils made right here at HBS by our very own magickal peeps. (So if you like the juju here at HBS, you might want to check out the oils made here inside all that good juju as well. Just sayin’!)
The list of available oils will continue to grow, but for now you can pick up some Lammas Oil just in time for your very own Lammas Celebration. Or if you’d like to get RID of some stuff in your life during this waning moon tide, try adding a bit of Banishing Oil, Bad Habit Oil, or Protection Oil to your workings. (Just don’t use them internally. ) All are available in 1/2 dram sizes. Check them out!
Category: Blog, Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
N
ot only do these oracle cards give you insight into the energies of your day or what’s at play in your question, they also show you the crystals to work with AND how to set up the grid to bring that vibration into your life! A brand new product that is a staff fave already, be sure to check them out the next time you’re in to see us. 
Category: Blog, New News, Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
|
|
Welcome to HERB TALK, a monthly column highlighting the teas we carry and each herb in them, as well as our single healers. This first column will focus on one of HBS’s signature teas, HBS #1. For those of you who haven’t made it to the shop yet to see for yourselves, Heart Body and Soul has quite a collection of teas and herbs. Most of these teas boast healing actions that address specific issues, while a few of them are tasty (what I call) “sippin’ teas” (and some serve both purposes). Whatever the actions, they are all good! And you say you’re not a tea drinker? Well, I didn’t think I was either, except for the occasional glass of Southern sweet iced tea! But I surprised myself! HBS #1 grew from the need of a young employee for a soothing, calming tea that would not only help mood and headaches but that was also fragrant and tasted good. This being the very first tea I ever created (mixed on the spur of the moment!), I was definitely guided by Spirit to the 4 herbs that are in this calming blend (“Put this and this. Oh, and this, and this one!”): Chamomile flowers, Lavender flowers, Lemonbalm leaf and Spearmint leaf. The information in this article just skims the surface of all the helpful services these herbs provide! So, read on for these basics. German Chamomile
I used to grow Chamomile in my herb garden and it was a beautiful plant, covered when blooming with tiny daisy-like flowers (it is usually the flowers that are used, though the leaves may be, too). HBS #1 has German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) as its main ingredient. There are several related species of this herb but we carry German in the shop. When I think of Chamomile, I think “calming”. It may be used for anxiety, insomnia, indigestion, sore throat (gargle), the inflammation of gingivitis (mouth rinse), and inflamed, irritated eyes (eyewash), among others. It speeds the healing of wounds when applied externally and offers support for the nervous system. Adding chamomile tea to bath water creates a soothing bath. Infused into a massage oil, it is good for relieving stress, anxiety and muscle soreness. It supports digestion by stimulating peristalsis and relaxing the stomach.
Contraindications: Some people are allergic to Chamomile, so if itchy eyes, a runny nose or scratchy throat develop when using it, discontinue its use.
Lavender
Lavender (Lavendula officinalis, among other species) is a fragrant herb whose flowers may be found in many tea and essential oil blends, salves, tinctures, massage oils, perfumes and bath products. Like Chamomile, Lavender is useful with digestive issues, relaxing any nervous tension that may be causing digestive spasms or colic. For headaches, including migraines, try blending with Feverfew, or Lemon balm and Scullcap. Toss a muslin tea bag full of Lavender buds into your bath for a relaxing, tension-easing, end-of-day experience. Rosemary Gladstar (my herbal mentor/teacher),* recommends massaging a few drops of essential oil of Lavender onto the nape of the neck, temples, and/or feet and relaxing on the couch with a Lavender-filled eye pillow over the eyes for “calming relief” of headaches or stress/nervous tension. And isn’t it handy that we carry a roll-on Lavender oil that can easily be rolled onto the body (temples, wrists, soles of the feet, and nape of neck)!
Lavender has powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiseptic actions. It is effective when used for strep, staph, colds and flu. Use the essential oil for nail fungus or ringworm, with or without tea tree oil. Use the oil on scrapes, wounds, burns and bug bites (bees, mosquitoes). As a tea or tincture, blend with St. John’s Wort and Milky Oats for easing grief and depression. Mix with Passionflower and Scullcap (in a tea or tincture) for insomnia or restless sleep. (When buying Lavender, it is best to use the buds, as the medicinal properties are not as strong in opened flowers and won’t last as long.) Rosemary says of Lavender: “A potent healing plant, it is a crone among herbs — wise, ancient, and powerful.”
Contraindications: Though highly recommended for topical use with pregnant women (rubbing the oil on the lower back and feet during labor, for example, may strengthen contractions), Rosemary recommends against “using it internally in large amounts,” and, as always, a pregnant woman should check with her doctor first. More information is available at livestrong.com/article/449143-lavender-tea-pregnancy.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a member of the mint family. The leaves and flowers are both usable. An invitation for bees and butterflies to visit your garden, it can become quite prolific. Mine started its life in my garden in the front beds and eventually hopped over into our back yard! We didn’t mind, though; it was beautiful and smelled so good when we rubbed our hands over it.
Melissa is a nerve tonic, a calming relaxant. It is beneficial not only for the nervous system but the digestive system as well. It is a strong antiviral, used to treat herpes and shingles. It helps relieve general exhaustion. With children it may be used to treat ADD and ADHD, as well as recurring nightmares.As a tea, use it to flavor less tasty herbs. It may be eaten in salads and blended into fruit drinks. It also makes a tasty tincture.
Contraindications: Lemon balm is a “thyroid inhibitor”, according to Rosemary, so it is recommended that those with hypothyroidism or low thyroid activity, use only under the guidance of an herb-knowledgeable health-care practitioner.
Spearmint
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is, according to Rosemary, “the mother of all mints.” It is primarily the leaves of Spearmint that are used and this herb is “cool, refreshing, uplifting”, being sweeter and milder than peppermint.
Spearmint tends to be better for children. Blended with Lemon balm it works well for ADD, ADHD and anxiety. It also works well as a fever-reducer in children, blended with Catnip and Elder flowers. It is a mild digestive if taken before and/or after dinner. A mild stimulant with relaxing properties too, it blends well in mixtures for the nervous system, strengthening, calming and gently energizing at the same time. A simple way to enjoy it (in the summertime, especially)? Iced, with a pinch of stevia.
Contraindications: None! Spearmint is generally considered as safe for all.All of these beneficial actions (and more!) come along with the pleasing flavors in our tasty blend of HBS #1. If you haven’t tried it yet, think about it! Try it hot (or iced, with a touch of stevia or honey, for these long hot summer days), just to enjoy the mix of flavors, or for calming a stress headache or relaxing at the end of a long day. Delicious, calming and uplifting all at the same time: HBS #1! __________________________________
*Rosemary Gladstar is my primary “go-to herbal person”. I completed her on-line course years ago, and took classes with her and other herbal teachers at Wheaton College, Norton MA, during the two International Herb Symposiums (internationalherbsymposium.com) I had the privilege to attend. I’m looking forward to attending again next summer. It is held every other year. Recipes for blends mentioned in this article, except HBS #1, may be found in Rosemary’s book, MEDICINAL HERBS: A Beginner’s Guide.
|
Category: Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
If you haven’t checked out our line of Wise Women Botanicals products, you’re going to want to add that to your list of things to do. (Sorry, I know the list is long, but that’s just a fact.) Hand-made locally by Connie Jacoby, founder & creator of the line, these essential oils and therapeutic blends are among the best around (and some of the regular uses would argue with us about the ‘among’ part of that line as opposed to just ‘THE’!)
One of the most popular items in the ‘among / THE best of the best’ blends is MJ’s Staff Pick this month: Monster Cream / Spray. Coming — as the name might imply — in either a cream or a spray form, Connie developed the blend to help calm children with night terrors and ease them to sleep. However, it turns out that it also works great on adults whose only monster / terror is another sleepless night! Spray your bed linens or rub some of the cream on your feet, your wrists, your temples, your chest, your call — and enjoy a good night’s rest naturally. Ingredients include such fab oils as Rosewood, Palmarosa, Geranium, Lavendin, Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Lemon, Bergamot, Rose, Orange, Cajeput, & Lime. What’s not to love???
Category: Featured Item, Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
The Staff pick this week is an easy one: Masks Extraordinaire!! Dragons, tigers, eagles, and butterflies; elegantly jeweled femme fatale black, the stars & stripes forever, and everything in between. These are one-of-a-kind and hand-made by local artist, Paula Curry; and the variety is (almost) as stunning as the handiwork! These lovelies will find a natural fit, not only at Mardi Gras, but at Renaissance Fairs, Masquerade Balls, and even ritual celebrations or work with totem animals. Do stop in and check them out. We all have our favorites — come find yours!
Category: Staff Picks
Author: heartbodyandsoul
I’m a lazy amateur as
trologist. (Or is it astrologer?) I find the topic fascinating and invariably on point. Love to work with those more knowledgeable than me who can connect the dots and create the pictures that are oh-so-familiar and at the same time oddly eye-opening. (“Of COURSE that’s me. That’s EXACTLY me. Why didn’t I SEE that??”) I buy astrology books and skim them, flipping to the parts that match my chart and nodding sagely as I once again see myself laid out there in New Times Roman font and squiggly astrological symbols.
But then there’s the whole putting-all-that-knowledge-to-use part. I envy those able to recognize and point out the impact of sextiles and squares and Jupiterian transits on my chart … but not enough to put in the work to get there myself. Just a fact. I’m sure the reason for it is buried in my natal chart somewhere if I knew where to look. I don’t.
But I HAVE found a wonderful resource that I can highly recommend: Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. For those of you who do understand Grand Trines and the impact of Plutonian retrogrades … you can find all that stuff in here, too. You who want the data to figure out the puzzle on your own will find what you need here. But for the rest of us, this guide ALSO has the Cliff Notes version: a weekly ‘highlights’ reel, with weekly summaries of the planetary energies at play, signposts to opportunity periods and warnings on when to tread lightly because tempers are likely to be on trigger point all round. Picking a wedding date? Looking at when to sign a contract, take the plunge on that new project, plan a trip? You can find out what the astrological weather looks like even if you do always confuse the symbols for Virgo and Scorpio. (Because really — why would they both look like ‘M’s’ anyway??)
And hey — congrats to us all for having survived the seven Uranus-Pluto squares that rocked the world from 2012-2015! Whatever that is.
Category: Blog, Staff Picks
Author: Cat Kelly
My first experience working with the energy of crystals was being dragged with a friend to a class at Pathways in St. Louis. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve always liked rocks. They’re pretty, decorative, interesting. But the idea that they had healing or energetic powers seemed a L-I-T-T-L-E wacko to me. Just sayin’.
Thankfully, the woman leading the class, (an amazing teacher and powerful soul — the late Deborah Bourbon, founder and owner of Pathways), ignored my oozing skepticism. Instead, she thrust a clear quartz point into my palm and told me we would begin with a meditation to ‘charge the stone’ to be our guide in working with the rest of the stones. (Um, sure. ‘Cause stones, like, talk too, I guess. Whatever.) It was a nice meditation, but of course I felt nothing from the quartz crystal clasped in my sweaty palm. Confirmation this was all nonsense, just as I’d known all along. I mean, really!?!
