SRB Botanica

I have shared many exciting ventures with you here on this blogging space, today I'm sharing, my most exciting to date—SRB Botanica. My initials are SRB and a Botanica is a plant store that has spiritual offerings as well. For many years, I have been developing and sharing my recipes and formulas, for example, through my six related published mind, body, spirit books, through artisan fairs, at shops and galleries. Through the shop, SRB Botanica, on Shopify, I can share my enthusiasm for herbalism, aromatherapy and healing with even more of you—directly.

Moreover, SRB Botanica is a journey I’m sharing with my family. My daughter Olivia Bird is doing an incredible job, not only as a designer and maker, but also with web design and social media. Together, we are having a blast with my old recipes from my first award-winning book, "Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs" published by Llewellyn Worldwide. 

We are also tapping our very vivid, often connected imaginations. My son Liam is helping with glycerine soap making, while my husband and I are making huge batches of cold-processed together. A new soap that will be released next new moon (December 14th) encapsulates a simple morning ritual the two of us share. It is an unscented oatmeal soap, called Morning Ritual. Another, sensually-scented soap, called The Luisa’s Castile Soap, is dedicated to my Grandmother and Great Grandmother who shared that name and an endearing live-long friendship.

Speaking of friendship, my dear editor and friend Jannette is contributing incense kits, that incorporate her love of DIY, Appalachian crafts and her love for the environment. She and I have worked together since the very beginning of my career as an author. Living amidst the Great Smoky Mountains, foraging and gardening are wrapped up cleverly into her soon-to-be released incense gifts, which you can expect to see in 2021, on Imbolc.

All of us at SRB Botanica put who we are into our herbal creations. My daughter Olivia works at a job where pain comes with the job. She is a stunt woman for movies and television shows. Therefore, she developed a powerful formula that I have found myself returning to again and again, with admiration for its efficacy. It is called Arnica Salve(ation). With the potent combination of camphor, willow bark and the star of the show, arnica, it is a pain reliever par excellence. It is such a nice feeling to work with her and to see her herbalism deepen and expand to yield such a helpful herbal.

I have been developing a healing balm for many years. I’m presenting it through SRB Botanica. It is called Da Balm. It is all-purpose, from head to toes, externally of course. I have been enjoying it daily for various reasons—most of all, if I do say so myself, I enjoy its unique and hard to put your finger on, scent, headed up with yummy Ylang/Ylang and grounded by the woody pine, reminiscent of where I grew up, with many other essential oils in between.

Every day is exciting because I am being creative, interacting closely with my family and friends, as well as sharing with those who enjoy botanicals as much as we do. Since this is my virtual studio, expect to hear more about SRB Botanica, as the creativity deepens and herbal offerings expand.