The New England Herbary
Welcome to The New England Herbary, a podcast (formerly Living and Lovin Herbs) where we explore the timeless wisdom of herbs and how they can support health, home, and spirit in today’s world. I’m Brenda Sullivan—herbalist, author, and teacher—inviting you to discover simple, practical, and inspiring ways to weave herbs into everyday life. Each episode blends stories, traditions, and down-to-earth uses of plants—from the kitchen to the garden, from self-care rituals to seasonal living. You’ll hear about herbal history and folklore, modern wellness practices, and even the astrology-herbal connections that help us align more deeply with nature’s rhythms. Whether you’re curious about growing herbs at home, crafting bath and body products, exploring plant-based rituals, or just looking for stress-friendly, inflation-smart wellness ideas, this podcast offers tools you can use. My mission is to demystify herbs and make them approachable, safe, and enriching—while sharing the stories and seasonal traditions that make them unforgettable. New episodes are released monthly. Join me as we explore the rich world of herbs, rooted in New England soil but connected to listeners everywhere.
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59 Rowan and Red Thread: The Celtic Tree of Protection at Samhain
10/18/2026
59 Rowan and Red Thread: The Celtic Tree of Protection at Samhain
In this episode Where we stand on the Wheel of the Year: the week before Samhain, the Hunter’s Moon in Taurus, the Orionid meteor shower, and the start of Scorpio season with Mercury and Venus retrograde Rowan’s many old names, the tiny five-pointed star on every berry, and its place in the Irish ogham How Scottish families used rowan wood and red thread to guard the hearth, the butter churn and the cattle, and the old Scots rhyme that went with it The Irish tale of the Quicken Tree of Dubhros, a rowan that fed, healed and sheltered two lovers on the run A traditional rowan and apple jelly, the old Highland companion to venison and game How to make a red thread protection charm from the trees that guard your own home Herb featured: Rowan, also called mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia, with the native American mountain ash, Sorbus americana). Rowan berries are never eaten raw. They’re used only cooked, as in jelly. Be certain of your tree before gathering, and leave plenty for the birds. Join the free Samhain circle: “The Thinning Veil: A Samhain Circle of Herbs and Remembrance,” Sunday, October 25, on the eve of the Hunter’s Moon. The link is in this week’s newsletter, “A Red Thread on the Kitchen Door.” If you can’t join live, a recording will follow. From the Herbary Archive: Episode #08, “One of Windsor,” the story of Alse Young, the first woman executed for witchcraft in the American colonies, in Hartford in 1647. Click here to listen https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/15432050 ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Red Cotton Thread https://amzn.to/4yO88rA 2. Dried Organic Tulsi/Holy Basil https://amzn.to/4dLPVCC 3. Jelly bag and stand https://amzn.to/4BdTM5r 4. Square Small 17 oz Jam Jars with Airtight Lids 6 Pack Wide Mouth https://amzn.to/4ecAfsc My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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58 Putting the Garden to Bed| Fall Cleanup the Herbalist’s Way
10/09/2026
58 Putting the Garden to Bed| Fall Cleanup the Herbalist’s Way
As October’s first frosts arrive, the garden is ready to rest. In this episode, Brenda shares the old way of putting the garden to bed: not stripping it bare, but tucking it in. Drawing on wisdom from her friend and longtime gardening teacher Bettylou Sandy, she walks through what to cut back, what to leave standing for the birds and native bees, and how a blanket of fallen leaves feeds the soil all winter. She shares how to plant garlic at the New Moon in Libra, and introduces witch hazel, New England’s native tree that blooms just as everything else lets go. Whether your garden is acres, a raised bed, or a few pots on the deck, this is a gentle, practical guide to fall cleanup and seasonal living. In this episode: Why “mimic nature” is the heart of fall cleanup, and how three feet of leaves becomes an inch and a half of soil What to cut back and what to leave standing: annuals, perennials, seed heads, and woody herbs Putting a small garden to bed: pots, raised beds on legs, and bringing tender plants indoors A hard-won lesson from an aphid outbreak: why to keep new nursery plants apart before they join the others How to plant garlic in the ground, a raised bed, or a deep pot, and keep the squirrels out Witch hazel’s story, from Indigenous medicine and dowsing rods to Connecticut’s famous bottle, plus a simple homemade witch hazel wash Herbs featured: Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) and garlic. Note of care: A homemade witch hazel wash is for external use only. Refrigerate it and use it within about a week, or mix it 50-50 with 80-proof vodka to keep it on the shelf. Patch-test on sensitive skin. From the Herbary Archive: Episodes #10 and #11, Fall Garden Clean Up and Winter Gardening with Bettylou Sandy (first released under the show’s original name, Living and Lovin’ Herbs). Episode 10 Fall Garden Clean Up and Winter Gardening With Bettylou Sandy Part 1 Episode 11 Fall Garden Cleanup and Winter Gardening With Bettylou Sandy Part 2 ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Witch Hazel Bark 2. HARDNECK Garlic Bulb for Planting 3. 2 QT Stainless Steel Sauce Pan with Lid - for making cosmetics My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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57 Mabon: The Balance Of Light And Dark, And The Rising Of The Harvest Moon
09/22/2026
57 Mabon: The Balance Of Light And Dark, And The Rising Of The Harvest Moon
Autumn equinox 2026 arrives September 22 at 8:05 PM Eastern — the exact moment light and dark stand in balance before the Harvest Moon rises full on September 26. This week's episode is a Mabon meditation on the second harvest, the threshold between light and dark, and hawthorn — the old hedgerow guardian of doorways — plus a folk-method walkthrough for a simple hawthorn haw cordial to carry you into the dark half of the year. In this episode: — The exact astronomy of the 2026 autumn equinox and why "equal night" isn't quite exact — Mabon's roots in Welsh myth, the English harvest home, and the wider world's autumn thanksgivings — Why the second harvest asks something different of us than the first — Hawthorn: the folklore of a threshold tree, and its old reputation as a heart plant — A folk-method hawthorn haw cordial, start to finish — A simple Mabon ritual for the equinox evening and the rising Harvest Moon Find this week's companion reflection in the newsletter and the full seasonal walk on YouTube — both linked below. And if this episode gave you something worth keeping, pass it along to a fellow gardener who might need this week's pause too. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Organic Hawthorn Berries 2. Hawthorn Berry Tincture 3. Organic Hawthorn Berry Powder My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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56 Elderberry Syrup for Cold Season: The Herbal Craft of Putting By
09/09/2026
56 Elderberry Syrup for Cold Season: The Herbal Craft of Putting By
Learn how to make elderberry syrup at home with this simple, traditional folk-method recipe — plus what makes elderberry one of autumn's most trusted allies for cold and flu season. This week, we're deep into putting-by season — the quiet, practical work of turning a harvest into medicine that lasts through winter. I walk through the full elderberry syrup process step by step (no fancy equipment, no precise measurements, just the old way of doing it), along with the plant's constituents, energetics, and history — including its old European folklore as a guarded, protective tree, and its lesser-known American cousin growing right here in New England hedgerows. Also in this episode: a look at tomorrow's rare astrological lineup — Venus moving into Scorpio for an extended stay, and the year's only New Moon in Virgo — and what both mean for anyone looking to start something new this season. Plus a few notes from my recent weekend at the Misty Meadows Women's Herbal Conference in Thetford, Vermont, and an update from the land as I work on a rainwater tower project here at The New England Herbary. In this episode: How to make a traditional elderberry syrup, folk-method style Why elderberry works for cold and flu season — constituents, energetics, and a note on safety The folklore of the European elder tree, and the American elderberry growing wild in New England Venus enters Scorpio + the New Moon in Virgo: what tomorrow's sky means for new beginnings Notes from the Misty Meadows Women's Herbal Conference As always, I'm not a physician, and nothing here replaces care from your own healthcare provider — especially if you're on immune-modulating medication or managing an autoimmune condition. Folk Method Elderberry Syrup FREE Recipe Photos from the conference — including the full moon campfire circle — are up on the website with this week's post. You can also catch the full newsletter and this week's YouTube companion piece for more on this season's putting-by work. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. European Dried Elderberries 2. Stainless Steel Chinois Strainer with Stand and Wooden Pestle Set 3. 16 oz Wide Mouth Glass Mason Jars with Lids, 6 Pack for Canning My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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55 The Sturgeon Moon and the Second Eclipse: Light at the Full
08/26/2026
55 The Sturgeon Moon and the Second Eclipse: Light at the Full
Sturgeon Moon eclipse ritual: a full moon in Virgo, a partial lunar eclipse, and the old grain-harvest folklore that echoes it. This week we hold the second doorway of eclipse season with gratitude, not urgency. "The sky doesn't belong to any one tradition. It just gets read, faithfully, by whoever's standing underneath it." The moon has been swelling since the new dark of the total solar eclipse — and on August 28th, it arrives full, under the shadow of a partial lunar eclipse in Virgo. We trace the Sturgeon Moon back to its true source with the Algonquin peoples of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain region, then cross the ocean to the old European Grain Moon and Barley Moon, threading straight back to (go give that one a listen if you missed it). Along the way: what this eclipse pairing is really asking of us, why Virgo's discernment matters this week, and a full walkthrough of this week's ritual — charging a batch of dried herbs beneath the moon. If this episode gives you something to sit with, pass it along to a fellow gardener or herb enthusiast who'd love a slow evening under a full moon as much as you do. You'll find this week's reflection prompt waiting in the newsletter. 🌾 This week's reflection: What abundance in your life deserves to be named and thanked this full moon? ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Organic Meadowsweet Herb 2. Lavender Journal: Notebook, by Brenda J. Sullivan 3. Moons Water Bottle, 8.5oz Glass Charging Jar with Wood Lid, Moon Energy Storage Container for Spiritual Hydration, Intention Setting, Crystal Cleansing & Meditation(Vivid) My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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54 Virgo Season Herbalism| The Craft of Putting By
08/23/2026
54 Virgo Season Herbalism| The Craft of Putting By
Virgo season has arrived, and it's time for the craft of putting by. This episode covers calendula's uses in tea, skincare, and a step-by-step calendula-infused almond oil recipe for your fall and winter apothecary. As the sun crosses from Leo into Virgo, the wheel turns from gathering toward keeping. We explore the old mythology behind Virgo — the maiden with the sheaf, her roots in the stories of Demeter and Persephone, and why she and Scorpio are so often called the zodiac's most misunderstood signs — alongside this week's moon phase and what it asks of us as the season shifts. Then we turn to calendula, still blooming bright even as summer leans toward autumn, and hold her three ways: as a gentle tea, in bath and body preparations including a simple facial toner, and — this week's featured craft — steeped slowly into sweet almond oil for a golden, all-purpose infusion you'll use for months to come. The full recipe, with measurements, is available as a free downloadable PDF in the show notes below. We also talk about starting small this season — no bushel baskets required — whether that's firecider, herbs drying from a few pots on the deck, or a fruit shrub made one piece at a time, inspired in part by herbalist Judith Berger's writing in Herbal Rituals on the industrious rhythm of an herbalist's August. If this episode speaks to you, you'll find the companion piece on YouTube and this week's reflection in the newsletter — and if a fellow gardener comes to mind, we'd love for you to share it with them. Download Recipe Here! Book Attribution This episode draws inspiration from (specifically her reflections on August, decanting spring infusions, and the cyclical rhythm of an herbalist's year). We highly recommend her book for anyone looking to deepen their own seasonal practice. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Calendula Flowers 2. Calendula Flower Seeds (My favorite seeds to grow flowers!!) 3. Lavender Journal: Notebook - by Brenda J. Sullivan My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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53 Yarrow for Wounds & Boundaries| When the Sun Goes Dark
08/17/2026
53 Yarrow for Wounds & Boundaries| When the Sun Goes Dark
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): the herbalist's wound-herb, a plant of protection and boundaries, its folklore, medicine, and plant spirit — an eclipse-season episode. A grounded look at yarrow's uses for wounds and women's health, its old names and divination lore, and the psychic protection tradition that made it a plant of sacred edges. There is a corner of my Vermont land I did not want you to see — a flooded acre where the black ash are dying and the emerald ash borer has come at last. But standing in that broken ground, calm and unbowed, was yarrow: the herb that has staunched the wounds of soldiers and mothers for a thousand years. This week the sun goes dark and the moon runs into shadow. Eclipse season opens its doorway. And so we sit with the plant that has always known how to stand in a threshold — the wound-herb and the boundary-keeper. Together we'll meet yarrow as she truly is: how to know her ferny, silver-green foliage in a summer meadow; why the old names — nosebleed, woundwort, soldier's woundwort, carpenter's weed — all remember her as the warrior's healer; her long companionship with women through every season of life; and her quieter reputation as a plant of psychic protection, sacred boundaries, and "boundaries in a bottle." We'll draw on National Geographic's herbal, Maude Grieve's A Modern Herbal, and Judith Berger's Herbal Rituals, and lean on the plant-spirit teachings of Vermont herbalist Pam Montgomery, who reads yarrow as the fierce protector learning, at last, to soften and to receive. If this episode speaks to you, share it with a fellow gardener — and find the companion newsletter and the illustrated story on YouTube, where this week's work makes its three homes. Reflection: If this eclipse is a doorway, what are you being invited to walk through — or to leave behind? ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Yarrow Flowers 2. Yarrow Tincture 3. Yarrow Flower Essence 4. Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness - by Pam Montgomery My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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52 John Barleycorn & the First Loaf: The Story of Lughnasadh
08/09/2026
52 John Barleycorn & the First Loaf: The Story of Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh, the first harvest of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, has come — the season of the first grain, the first loaf, and the old harvest gratitude. In this episode, we follow the story of John Barleycorn, the centuries-old ballad of the grain that is cut down, buried, and rises again as the bread on our table and the ale in our cup — and we meet meadowsweet, the Queen of the Meadow, the fragrant herb that once crowned the harvest drink and still steadies us through the cold-and-flu season. Come stand with me at the edge of a Vermont field where the light has begun to lean toward autumn, and let this oldest of harvest stories carry you into the turning of the year. 🎶 Listen to my version of this old ballad dating back to the 1500s, Sir John Barleycorn - A Harvest Carol "Sir John Barleycorn — A Harvest Carol." Original lyrics, adaptation, and recording © 2026 Brenda J. Sullivan / Thompson Street Farm LLC. Adapted from the traditional ballad "John Barleycorn" (public domain). All rights reserved. No copies may be made or shared without the express written permission of the copyright holder (and that's ME 😎). Sir John Barleycorn - A Harvest Carol Version 1 Sir John Barleycorn - A Harvest Carol Version 2 ✍️ Join my Newsletter! If you'd like to know me a little more personally, a letter arrives from the garden each Friday — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year, and personal videos from the Herbary I'm building by hand. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And each month, subscribers receive the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Meadowsweet Dried Herb 2. Meadowsweet Tincture 3. Lavender Journal: Notebook - written by Brenda J. Sullivan My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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51 Motherwort | The Lion-Hearted Mother
07/26/2026
51 Motherwort | The Lion-Hearted Mother
Come and sit a while. I’ve just returned from eight days in Vermont and this week we meet motherwort — Leonurus cardiaca, the lion's heart — the fierce, unbeautiful, wholly self-possessed old plant that grows at the edges of fields and slips any garden that tries to hold her. She is the herb the old ones reached for when a heart was racing at three in the morning, and she steadies it without ever stealing your wits. We'll sit with what she does in the body, hear how the seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper set her beneath the sign of Leo the lion, and look up together at the Full Moon of July 29, 2026 — a Leo-and-Aquarius moon that may have our hearts running full and high. And because motherwort is bitter as anything, I'll tell you how I gentle her into a cup you'll actually want to hold. No homework. Just the kettle on, the garden gate open, and a plant with a great deal to teach us about being both the fierce one and the tender one at once. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Motherwort Herb 2. Motherwort Tincture 3. Dried Lemon Balm Herb My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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50 Our Grandmothers' Herbs | The Thread That Came Down Sideways
07/12/2026
50 Our Grandmothers' Herbs | The Thread That Came Down Sideways
Some of us inherited the apron and the herb bundle. Some of us inherited three thousand miles and a grandmother who was at war with the dandelion. This week, in the deep hearth of Cancer season, we sit with the long thread — the women whose hands came before ours, and the strange and sideways ways the green world gets handed down. I'll tell you about my grandmother, who fled a northern Michigan farm and never looked back, who tended two rose bushes and a few tomatoes in a patch of ground the size of a doorway as though they were the only things that mattered — and who once made my grandfather pull the Ford LTD over on a hot summer afternoon so she could give a landscaper a piece of her mind about the dandelions in a lawn. She saw the devil in that plant. I see an old friend. And I'll tell you about Evelyn, who was not my blood but who was, in every way that mattered, the woman who handed me the green world. She had twelve acres in New Hampshire, decades of White Mountain trails in her legs, and she could name every plant along a dirt road — common name and Latin both — and tell you which were medicine and which were simply worth stopping for. Between the two of them, I got my whole inheritance. We'll wander through the herbs that lived beside our grandmothers' hearths whether they called them medicine or not — mint and parsley, sage and thyme and rosemary, and the wild ones at the edge of the tended world: yarrow, plantain, chamomile, and the most generous weed there is. Because here is what I've come to believe: your grandmother did not have to believe in herbalism for the knowing to pass through her. It came down in the soup pot. It came down in here, drink this, you'll feel better. And if you've ever felt you missed the handing-down — that you came to all of this alone, with no one to teach you — I want you to hear this one from someone who came to it late, and sideways, and found the thread waiting anyway. Put the kettle on. Come sit. A gentle wondering to carry with you this week: Who handed you the green world? Was it a grandmother by blood, or one by grace — or did it come to you sideways, through absence, through refusal, through one plant somebody couldn't stand? Even one name is enough. The quieter, more personal writing lives in the Friday letter. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dandelion Leaves https://amzn.to/4vRxWSa 2. Rosemary leaves https://amzn.to/4fbp9U3 3. Peppermint Leaves https://amzn.to/4aPp1bw My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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49 The Lavender Drawer
07/05/2026
49 The Lavender Drawer
There is a drawer in every house that remembers. Open it, and something rises to meet you — soap and sunlight and something older than both. This week, in the heart of Cancer season, we visit the lavender, standing at her fragrant peak in the July garden. We follow her long thread through history: the Roman baths, the washerwomen who were themselves called "lavenders," the London street sellers crying their bundles up to the windows, and the linen drawers of our grandmothers. Along the way, a heatwave drives your host from a camper to a screened tent to a quiet room in a small Vermont library — and teaches, all over again, that home was never the walls. Home is the tending. As the Strawberry Moon wanes toward the New Moon in Cancer, we close with the gentlest of practices: one drawer, emptied and blessed and laid with lavender, so that some cold January morning, July will rise up to meet you. Pour a cup of something cool, find a bit of shade, and come sit a while. The gate is open. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Lavender Buds 2. Live Herb - Lavender (6 Per Pack) 3. Lavender Journal Notebook by Brenda J. Sullivan My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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48 After the Sun: Cancer's First Whisper
06/28/2026
48 After the Sun: Cancer's First Whisper
The morning after the longest day, something turns. You can't see it — the garden is still roaring, still climbing toward its peak — but the sun has already begun its quiet journey back toward home, and with it, so do we. This week we cross out of the solstice and into the tender, homeward season of Cancer, walked across the threshold by lemon balm: Melissa, the bee-herb, the gladdening one, the plant that has comforted tired hearts for two thousand years. We sit with her folklore and her gentle medicine, we watch the low golden Strawberry Moon come up full in Capricorn, and we ask the old, honest question that moon holds up to us — how are you balancing the hearth and the hilltop, the home you tend and the work you climb toward? No homework. No striving. Just an invitation to come in from the long bright climb, put the kettle on, and let yourself be, for one evening, a woman who is home. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Lemon Balm Leaves 2. Organic Lemon Balm Extract 3. Lemon Balm Live Plants - 6 pack My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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47 Litha An Herbalists Threshold
06/21/2026
47 Litha An Herbalists Threshold
It's the longest day of the year — and at the edge of every hedgerow in New England, an old guardian is blooming right on schedule. This week, we sit with elderflower: the threshold tree, the doorkeeper, the one plant in the old hedgerow lore you never cut without asking first. We talk about her folklore — the Elder Mother who watches over her own wood, the fairy king said to ride past on Midsummer's Eve, the doorway she's long been said to keep between this world and the next. We talk about her medicine, her cordial, and the old custom of "liquid light." And we talk about a small, true story of loss and rediscovery — an elder tree once grown and unexpectedly lost, and a small patch found this very week again, on land that was never mine. Tonight's First Quarter Moon in Virgo asks something quieter than celebration: not to manifest something new, but to check the map on what's already begun. There's no homework here. Only an old doorkeeper in white bloom, a moon asking you to look honestly at where you are, and a seat that's always saved for you, right here, beside the hearth. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Elder Flowers 2. (Book) Elderberries: The Beginner's Guide to Foraging, Preserving and Using Elderberries for Health Remedies, Recipes, Drinks & More 3. Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water – Premium Mixer for Cocktails and Mocktails, 6.8 fl oz Bottles, My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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46 The Sun in a Bottle| St John’s Wort at the Summer Solstice
06/14/2026
46 The Sun in a Bottle| St John’s Wort at the Summer Solstice
This week, the queen of the solstice finally has her hour. St. John's Wort blooms right at Midsummer — and she's no ordinary summer flower. Come out to the garden with me and meet her properly: the little windows in her leaves that let the light pass through, the red oil that bleeds from her golden flowers like captured sun-fire, and the centuries-old ritual that turns her into "the sun in a bottle" on a hot windowsill. We'll wander through the old folklore of the longest day — the hilltop fires, the dressed wells, the dew gathered at dawn, the thin night when the fairies come through — and I'll show you how this one golden plant stood at every doorway and over every cradle as the year's great protector. Then we'll look up at Monday's new moon, six quiet days before the solstice, and the gentle work of rest, release, and reset it offers right before the year hands us its longest light. Put the kettle on. The gate is open, and the light is long. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. This Sunday (June 21, 2026) at 2 PM EST, we're welcoming the Summer Solstice together — a free Zoom gathering to honor the longest day. The link lives in the newsletter, so subscribe and I'll send it to you on the Friday before the event. Bring your tea. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Saint John’s Wort Dried Herb 2. Organic Yarrow Flower Tea 3. Lavender Journal: Notebook My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC. 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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45 The Pollinator's Sermon | Tending Here While Holding the Dream
06/07/2026
45 The Pollinator's Sermon | Tending Here While Holding the Dream
"The garden you have is already worth returning to. Tend it well." Brenda J. Sullivan In this episode of The New England Herbary, I share a small, unexpected moment from my deck garden in Connecticut — a hummingbird hovering at the edge of the hose spray, drinking from the mist, then coming back for more. That quiet visit became the sermon for this week's episode. As we move into June and the sun climbs toward the Summer Solstice, I sit with the pollinators' oldest teaching: show up to what is blooming, tend it completely, and trust that the garden you have — not the one you're dreaming toward — is already worth returning to. This week's herbs are chamomile — blooming now, beloved by bees, and one of the most useful plants in the kitchen herbalist's cabinet — and a first introduction to St. John's Wort, the queen of the solstice, waking up along the sunny field edges ahead of her full episode next week. Topics include: the Druidic tradition of the bees as messengers between worlds, the Saxon sacred herb Maythen, five simple ways to work with chamomile at home, and what the approach to Litha is asking of us this June. ✍️ Join my Newsletter! Each Friday, a letter arrives from the garden — seasonal stories, herbal wisdom, and the quiet rhythms of the Celtic year. You'll be the first to hear about new offerings, upcoming classes, and hands-on workshops. And every month, subscribers get the topic and the link for our free Zoom circle, where we gather to learn and linger together. It's a slow, unhurried corner of the internet. Come as you are. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Chamomile Flowers 2. Flex Aeroponic Vertical Growing Tower (I am in love with my grow tower!!!) 3. Budget Friendly- Vertical Hydroponic Tower Garden Growing System - Indoor Planter Kit 4. Rolling Elevated Raised Garden Bed-V Series, 2' x 8' Garden Beds with Legs (This is a great option if you don’t have ground to grow in) My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: The New England Herbary is a project of Thompson Street Farm LLC.
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44 Once in a Blue Moon
05/31/2026
44 Once in a Blue Moon
Once in a Blue Moon: A Lunar Infusion for the Rarest Night of the Year On the night of May 30–31, 2026, three rare things converged in the same sky: a Blue Moon, a micromoon, and an occultation of Antares — the ancient heart-star of the Scorpion. In this episode, we follow the phrase "once in a blue moon" all the way back to its origins, from a 1528 anti-clerical pamphlet to a 1946 magazine misprint that changed the definition forever. We explore the Celtic lunisolar calendar, the intercalary moon that belonged to no festival, and the Irish folk practice of bringing the sick to a lake on the sixth night of a full moon so the reflected moonlight could touch them. And we close with a simple lunar infusion — mugwort, vervain, and rose — three herbs that have kept company with the moon for as long as anyone has been watching the sky. Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Mugwort Dried Herb https://amzn.to/4dZOP5D 2. Vervain Dried Herb https://amzn.to/4fifTz8 3. Rose Dried Herb https://amzn.to/3SbYrCJ My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat proof wide mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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43 The Road Was Full of Company
05/17/2026
43 The Road Was Full of Company
This week's episode is about my nine-day solo road trip to the North Carolina mountains and the Wild Abundance women's carpentry workshop — and I'm bringing the stories home with me. A bear at the threshold of a remote Virginia campsite. A cardinal singing at every window, every morning. A small brown bunny in an Appalachian garden. A circle of women under a timber-and-beam pavilion learning to use a chop saw. And one quiet plant — purple dead-nettle — walking the road alongside me. For more information about Wild Abundance in North Carolina 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. White Dead Nettle Leaf Tea 2. Purple Dead-Nettle (Lamium purpureum) Packet of 50 seeds 3. Organic Herbal Oil for Skin | 2oz | Premium Organic Purple Dead Nettle Oil - Natural Face & Body Oil My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars Walk the seasons with me — join my weekly newsletter at thenewenglandherbary.com. 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the beautiful music featured in this episode. Alexander is a gifted musician whose work I have long admired — and I am proud to support him as a Patreon member. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook:
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42 At the Gate of the Year
05/03/2026
42 At the Gate of the Year
I was on the road last week when I recorded this episode. I was hoping to post this on Friday May 1st, but I couldn’t make it happen. So it's a few days late and that’s okay, because we’ve arrived at the great Celtic gate — Beltane, the fire festival that opens the light half of the year. May 1st, with the sun newly in Taurus, Uranus freshly in Gemini, and the hawthorn just beginning to bloom, I will walk you through the old threshold of the year and the gentle rituals that carry us across it. In this episode, we explore: Beltane as one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year (with Samhain as its mirror) The old bonfire tradition of the Bel-tene — the bright fire — and what it means for us now How the daily rhythms of April ripen into the rituals of Beltane Hawthorn as the Beltane tree and the plant of the heart's threshold Red Clover as a Venus plant, a Taurus herb, and a gentle ally for women in midlife crossings The Sun in Taurus, the First Quarter Moon, and the historic ingress of Uranus into Gemini The Scottish and Irish May Dew ritual — how women on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh greeted May morning for centuries, and how you can practice this old blessing yourself The kinship between the May Dew, Bach Flower Remedies, and modern moon water — all descending from the same ancient intuition Source acknowledgment: Thank you to Scarlett McQuillan of Linked Magazine for her lovely piece on the Celtic May Dew ritual at Arthur's Seat, which reminded me of this beautiful tradition. You can find her article at 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dried Hawthorn Berries https://amzn.to/4cSCy20 2. Dried Red Clover Blossoms https://amzn.to/49kmlSf My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the beautiful music featured in this episode. Alexander is a gifted musician whose work I have long admired — and I am proud to support him as a Patreon member. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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41 Creating Seasonal Rhythms: Herbs & the New Moon in Aries
04/19/2026
41 Creating Seasonal Rhythms: Herbs & the New Moon in Aries
"For those of us navigating intensity — planetary, personal, or simply the wild energy of early spring — they offer exactly what Aries fire sometimes forgets to give itself: steadiness, and release." The New Moon in Aries arrived on April 17th — and just the day before, the Sun and Chiron came together in a rare and potent alignment called a cazimi. If this past week felt tender, intense, or quietly transformative, you're not imagining things. In this episode, we sit with the energy of this threshold moment and explore what it means to create small, seasonal rhythms that ground us in the turning of the year. We'll talk about the difference between a routine and a rhythm, a gentle New Moon practice to try this week, and two herbs that have been my constant companions through this fiery Aries season — Wood Betony and Blue Vervain — and why they may be exactly what your nervous system is asking for right now. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Wood Betony (Stachys Officinalis) https://amzn.to/4clVtna 2. Blue Vervain (Verbena Hastata) https://amzn.to/4myCede 3. Wood Betony (Stachys Officinalis) Tincture https://amzn.to/4cwWhUL 4. Blue Vervain (Verbena Hastata) Tincture https://amzn.to/4dW8vsK My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the beautiful music featured in this episode. Alexander is a gifted musician whose work I have long admired — and I am proud to support him as a Patreon member. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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40 Fierce and Nourishing: What Nettles and Dandelion Teach Us About Strength
04/12/2026
40 Fierce and Nourishing: What Nettles and Dandelion Teach Us About Strength
"Dandelion is the plant that will not be erased. Every attempt to remove her simply disperses her further — her seeds carried on the wind, landing in new places, beginning again." April is a season of fire and contradiction — warm one afternoon, cold the next, full of urgency and uncertainty in equal measure. In this episode, we settle into the waning moon energy of mid-April and turn to two of spring's most fierce and nourishing plant allies for guidance. We explore stinging nettle — why this week may be the most important harvest window of the entire year, how to find her, how to use her, and what she offers the adrenal-weary body in Aries season. We also spend time with dandelion leaf and flower in their spring expression — bright, bitter, solar, and deeply cleansing after the long heaviness of winter. Along the way we touch on the Aries stellium and what it means to tend yourself in a season that wants to burn hot, the vitalist tradition of nourishing before launching, and a simple waning moon practice to carry you toward the New Moon on April 17th. This episode is for every woman who knows she needs to fill the well — and is finally ready to let the plants help her do it. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dandelion Leaf https://amzn.to/422orCk 2. Nettles https://amzn.to/3ObOWSH 3. Table Top Hydroponics https://amzn.to/4tFxLrQ My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary:
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39 First Light: A Celtic Herbalist's Easter Morning
04/05/2026
39 First Light: A Celtic Herbalist's Easter Morning
On this Easter Sunday, herbalist and Celtic seasonal guide Brenda Sullivan invites you into the quiet of early morning — before the world wakes, before the day begins — to explore the oldest layers of this beloved threshold holiday. In this special 50-minute episode, Brenda weaves together the ancient story of Eostre, the dawn goddess of the spring threshold, with the remarkable astronomy of Easter itself — including the Full Moon that set its date just three days ago — and the healing herbs that are pushing up through the April soil right now, offering their medicine to anyone willing to bend down and look. You'll discover why Easter has always been anchored to the moon, meet the bitter herbs of spring (dandelion, burdock, wild lettuce, and parsley) as teachers of clearing and renewal, and sit with the tender herbs (violet, chickweed, and cleavers) as companions for the softer work of opening after a long winter. This episode is for every woman standing at her own threshold this spring — whether you celebrate Easter, honor the Celtic Wheel, or simply came here for the herbs and the stillness. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Burdock Root https://amzn.to/47MUbii 2. Dandelion https://amzn.to/4dB40nf 3. Wild lettuce https://amzn.to/4e41Xbi 4. Parsley https://amzn.to/41fwiw4 5. Violet https://amzn.to/4seI7xm 6. Chickweed https://amzn.to/47Ik9DB 7. Cleavers https://amzn.to/3O08eKG My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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38 The Slow Cleanse: Spring Detox Herbs Your Grandmother Knew
03/29/2026
38 The Slow Cleanse: Spring Detox Herbs Your Grandmother Knew
“You are not emptying yourself. You are making room. There is a difference, and it lives in the body.” In Week Four of the March series, we arrive at the Waxing Gibbous Moon — luminous, nearly full, and ripening toward the Pink Moon just days away — and talk about two of the most quietly powerful spring herbs growing right now outside your door: cleavers and dandelion. This episode explores what traditional spring cleansing actually was (and wasn't), how the lymphatic system and liver move with the season, and how to practice detox as a relationship with the natural world rather than a rule imposed from outside. Includes simple preparation instructions for the cleavers cold infusion and dandelion root decoction. Moon Gardening Calendar - Bio Dynamic Planting Guide March Moon Calendar April Moon Calendar 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Cleavers Dried Herb https://amzn.to/47KMQQn 2. Cleavers Liquid Extract https://amzn.to/3O4Phq2 3. Dandelion Root https://amzn.to/4t8ijDY My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars 📚Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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37 Chickweed, the New Moon & the Body's Quiet Wisdom
03/22/2026
37 Chickweed, the New Moon & the Body's Quiet Wisdom
There is a small green plant growing right now along the edges of your garden bed, tucked into the damp shadow beneath the stone wall, pressing itself quietly against the base of your fence. Most people walk past her without a second glance. She is not showy. She does not announce herself. She simply arrives — every year, before anything else dares to — and gets quietly to work. Her name is chickweed. And she has been tending human beings for a very long time. This week on The New England Herbary Podcast, we are deep in the threshold energy of Ostara — the Spring Equinox — and the powerful astrological crossroads that came with it: the final New Moon of the astrological year rising in Pisces on March 18th, Mercury stationing direct on the 20th after weeks of retrograde fog, and the Sun crossing into Aries to begin the astrological New Year. It has been a week of two worlds — the deep, dreaming dissolution of Pisces on one side, and the first spark of fire and new beginning on the other. We have just crossed the threshold, and chickweed has been waiting for us on the other side. In this episode, we continue our spring chickweed series with a deeper look at her traditional uses across the British Isles — from the Irish border counties where she was layered as a hot poultice over swellings and inflammation, to the Scottish Highlands where a decoction was drunk for insomnia, to the extraordinary record from the Isle of Skye where chickweed washes were used to bring on sleep after a fever. We then move into the herbal kitchen with three recipes built from a simple dried chickweed decoction: a lymph-moving spring tonic tea for the New Moon window, a chickweed and calendula threshold bath for Ostara, and a deeply nourishing chickweed and nettle mineral broth for the tender days of new beginning. This episode is for you if you have been feeling the fog of Mercury retrograde lifting. If your body is asking for something gentle and mineral-rich before spring fully arrives. If you have dried herbs in your pantry and you are wondering what to do with them. And if you, like me, find that the oldest, humblest plants in the hedgerow often have the most to teach. Chickweed is not dramatic. She is not rare. She is not expensive or exotic or difficult to find. She is simply ready — always before you expect her, always doing more than you realize — and that, I think, is exactly the kind of energy this season is asking us to embody. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Chickweed Dried Herb https://amzn.to/4uGz0bt 2. Chickweed Organic Tincture https://amzn.to/413MJvv 3. Chickweed Herbal Powder https://amzn.to/4bDWtBe My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat proof wide mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary:
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36 The Body Knows Before the Mind
03/15/2026
36 The Body Knows Before the Mind
"You are not falling apart — you are thawing. The body knows before the mind does. And the plants growing quietly in the cold right now know exactly what you need." Early spring arrives quietly in New England — not with fanfare, but with a loosening. The snowpack recedes. The bluebirds return. And somewhere in the damp, cold edges of the garden, two small plants are already growing before the ground has officially thawed. In this episode, herbalist Brenda Sullivan explores violet and chickweed as herbs for the emotional thaw of early spring — the season when the body begins releasing what it held through winter, long before the mind believes spring has arrived. Drawing on 27 years of herbal practice, Brenda weaves together the physical medicine of these overlooked early spring herbs with the deeper wisdom of the body-nature connection, and shares honestly about navigating one of the most astrologically intense stretches of 2026. Rick Levine's March 2026 Astrological Forecast 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Violet Tincture Note: Finding dried violet flowers and leaves commercially is difficult to source. If you can’t find it fresh in the wild try using a tincture. 2. Dried Chickweed My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat proof wide mouth mason jars Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC is the parent company of the New England Herbary: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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35 Trees Don’t Die From the Present: An Herbal Guide to the Emotional Spring Thaw
03/01/2026
35 Trees Don’t Die From the Present: An Herbal Guide to the Emotional Spring Thaw
"Trees don't die from the present. They die from what happened in the past — slowly, quietly, underground, where no one was watching." It is snowing outside my studio window as I record this. A real blizzard — the kind that silences the street and turns the world white and still. And yet underneath all that snow, something is already moving. In this episode, I share a story from a recent drive along the Housatonic River to a woodland lecture with an arborist — and what the trees taught me about damage that doesn't show up for years, and healing that happens slowly, underground, where no one is watching. We are standing at the threshold of the emotional thaw. That tender, unglamorous season between deep winter and spring — when what has been frozen in us begins, slowly, to move. And the wisest thing we can do right now, while the snow is still on the ground, is begin to prepare. I share five gentle herbs for late winter — dandelion root, cleavers, nettle, burdock, and red clover — not as a detox protocol, but as quiet allies for a body that is ready to soften. We also talk about simple practices for moving the lymph, hydrating deeply, and — perhaps most importantly — tending the emotional self before spring arrives with all its urgency. This one is personal. Because I am in my own thaw this winter too. This episode is for anyone who has been patient with winter and is ready — slowly, gently — to begin again. Simple Late-Winter Tea Blend: 2 parts dried nettle leaf 1 part dried red clover blossom 1 part dried cleavers ½ part roasted dandelion root Steep one heaping tablespoon per cup in just-boiled water for 15–20 minutes. Add honey to taste. Drink one to three cups daily. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Dandelion Root 2. Cleavers 3. Nettle 4. Burdock Root 5. Red Clover My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat proof wide mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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34 Alliums, Eclipses and The Great Reset
02/20/2026
34 Alliums, Eclipses and The Great Reset
"We are the earth element this week. We provide our own grounding." There's a sound that marks the turning of late February — dripping water. Ice dams releasing. Snowpack thinning. The quiet, persistent rhythm of melt and freeze that tells us something underneath is waking up. In this episode of The New England Herbary, we explore what's being revealed as eclipse energy ripples through our lives, what the rare Saturn-Neptune conjunction at 0° Aries means for your identity and inner fire, and why the humble allium — garlic, onions, leeks, and chives — is the perfect herb for this moment of cosmic reset. We also talk about the missing earth element this week, simple ways to ground yourself through the intensity, and details on this month's FREE workshop: Grounding Through the Great Reset, happening Sunday, February 22nd at 2 PM EST. Sign up for the newsletter to get the Zoom link. Pull up a chair and settle in. This one connects the sky, the soil, and the season. 🌿 Favorite Garden Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) 1. Seed Starting Trays with Humidity Domes https://amzn.to/3ORwnTy 2. 3-Pack Seed Starter Trays with Heat Mat, Seed Starter Kit with Grow Lights, 36 Large Cells Seed Germination Kit with Adjustable Humidity Vents for Indoor Plants Seeds Starting https://amzn.to/4kLyXGw 3. Heavy Duty Gardening Tools - 23-Piece Gardening Gifts for Women, Men, Mom, Dad - Durable, Ergonomic Garden Tools Set https://amzn.to/3OpFquR My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, https://amzn.to/4r4LYNH Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat proof wide mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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33 Hawthorn Holding the Future Gently
02/15/2026
33 Hawthorn Holding the Future Gently
In a week that feels mentally loud and energetically unsettled, this episode is an invitation to slow down and strengthen the heart instead of rushing toward answers. As eclipse energy builds and ideas begin arriving faster than the body can follow, we turn to hawthorn — the quiet protector of the heart and guardian of thresholds. Through story, herbal wisdom, and a gentle pause, this episode explores what it means to hold the future without fear, to honor overwhelm as a signal rather than a failure, and to remember that some weeks are not for choosing the path, but for strengthening the heart that will walk it. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this Show: 1. Hawthorn Berries Whole - https://amzn.to/4amS6de 2. Hawthorn Berry Extract https://amzn.to/4r6C12x 3. Hawthorn Leaves & Flowers - Dried Loose Leaf Herb for Tea https://amzn.to/4ttbzBK My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, https://amzn.to/4qWQr4L Heat-proof wide-mouth mason jars https://amzn.to/4pNflmq Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books https://www.brendajsullivanbooks.com/ 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: https://patreon.com/ThompsonStreetFarm?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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31 Return of Inner Fire
02/01/2026
31 Return of Inner Fire
Return of Inner Fire is a quiet Imbolc offering for anyone feeling worn thin by late winter — when the world feels loud, the days still feel heavy, and hope can seem fragile. In this long-form episode, we step into the old Celtic threshold of Imbolc, the season of hearth fires and becoming. Together, we explore the wisdom of tending what cannot yet be seen — hope without proof, warmth without urgency, and the steady return of inner light. You’ll hear reflections on: Imbolc folklore and the enduring presence of Brigid, keeper of the hearth and the forge The illuminating energy of the Full Moon, and what it reveals in winter Herbal allies for this season of quiet restoration — rosemary for morning clarity, moringa for deep nourishment, and oatstraw and chamomile for evening calm A cozy original story, The Inner Flame, reminding us that the fire never truly goes out — it simply becomes an ember, waiting to be tended This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and remember: You do not have to bloom yet. You only need to keep the fire. If you’d like to stay connected through seasonal letters, herbal teachings, and gentle companionship, you can find links in the show notes. Thank you for listening — and may your inner flame burn steady through the turning of the year. 🌿 Herbs & Favorite Tools (affiliate links — thank you for supporting this work) Herbs featured in this story: 1. Moringa Leaf 2. Milky Oats / Oat Tops 3. Tulsi / Holy Basil 4. Chamomile 5. Lavender My favorite tea-making tools: BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar, Heat proof wide mouth mason jars Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌱 My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed — and a little curiosity. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake, designed to help children (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their journey. Inside you’ll find: Simple planting guidance Space for drawings, photos, and notes Imaginative themed gardens (Harry Potter Herb Garden, Young Chef’s Garden, Monarch Butterfly Garden) Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, and anyone who wants to grow confidence by growing plants. ✨ You’ll be amazed at how much you — and your garden — grow when you take time to journal the journey. 🌿 Work With Me 🌙 Herbal Consultations (Now Open) Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. My one-on-one consultations offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (if you wish) astrology. Each session begins with listening. 👉 Learn more here: 🌿 Join Me on Patreon Support this work and receive exclusive herbal & holistic content ✨ Membership includes:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights✔ DIY recipes & printable guides✔ Free class replays✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3) Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee ☕️ 👉 Join here: ♈ FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Unlock the secrets of personalized wellness with my free Zodiac Herbs Guide. ☕ Buy Me a Cup of Tea If this story brought you comfort, you can support the channel here: 🎶 Music Credits A heartfelt thank you to Alexander Nakarada for the music featured in this story. I am a Patreon supporter of Alexander’s work. 🎼 Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 🔗 🌿 Stay Connected Website: Youtube: Instagram: Facebook: Thompson Street Farm LLC: 💬 I’d love to hear how this story landed for you. Feel free to share your reflections in the comments.
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30 When the World Seems Loud
01/18/2026
30 When the World Seems Loud
The past weeks—and months—have felt especially heavy. Even something as simple as checking the weather can quickly turn into being flooded with difficult news and unsettling headlines. At times, it can feel like there’s no quiet place to rest our attention. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. And while we can’t completely step away from the world, we can choose moments of pause. I created this video as one of those moments—a gentle space to sit, listen, and be softly guided back to ourselves. A moment to slow down, sip a cup of herbal tea, and breathe. I’ve come to believe that these small pauses matter more than we realize. In fact, I carry a simple wish with me: that each of us, wherever we are, might stop for a few minutes each day—make a cup of tea, sit quietly, and sip without distraction. No talking. No media. Just presence. Even thirty minutes of stillness can be a powerful act. And perhaps, if enough of us step back—just a little, just long enough—we begin to tend the world by tending ourselves. So I’ll ask you gently: Will you join me for tea at 4:00 PM? Sincerely, Brenda❤️ Herbs and Favorite Tools (affiliate links) Organic Whole Chamomile Flowers Organic Nettle Leaf r Organic Rubbed Sage Leaf My favorite Loose Leaf Tea Containers and Filters BAYKA French Press Coffee Maker, Cold Brew Coffee Filter for Wide Mouth Mason Jar Heat proof wide mouth mason jars Bookstore - Brenda J. Sullivan Books 🌿 Join My Patreon for Exclusive Herbal & Holistic Content! ✨ Love learning about herbalism, astrology, and holistic wellness? Get exclusive access to bonus content, free class replays, DIY herbal recipes, and live Q&A sessions by becoming a Patreon member! 🌱💡 ✨ What You'll Get:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights 🌙✔ Exclusive DIY recipes & printable guides 📖✔ Access to free class replays 📺✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3 members!) 💚 Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee. ☕️ 👉 Join today & deepen your herbal wisdom: 🌿 Herbal Consultations Are Now Open Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants — and the stars. Healing is not one-size-fits-all. Each body carries its own rhythms, history, and patterns, and true support begins with listening. My consultations are designed to offer gentle, grounded guidance rooted in traditional herbalism, vitalist principles, and (when desired) astrological insight. Whether you’re seeking simple herbal support or a deeper understanding of your constitution through astrology, I offer two personalized consultation options. To learn more click here: Unlock the Secrets of Personalized Wellness with Your FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Buy Me A Cup of Coffee (Tea) Music A special thank you to Alexander Nakarada for writing and producing this music. I am a Patreon Member and support Alexander creatively. For more information about Alexander, check out his website Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 Social Media I would love to hear about your experience trying out any recipes featured on our podcasts! Follow me on all our social media outlets so you can stay up to date with all the new recipes we feature. We look forward to connecting with you soon! Website: https://thenewenglandherbary.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewenglandherbary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578148227744 Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thenewenglandherbary?si=f7_MB0XEz0vn0XrY Thompson Street Farm LLC: https://thompsonstreetfarm.com/
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29 A Cozy Yule Gathering
12/20/2025
29 A Cozy Yule Gathering
In this special seasonal episode of The New England Herbary Podcast, you’re invited into A Cozy Yule Gathering — a slow, reflective journey through the traditions, plants, and quiet wisdom of the Winter Solstice. Together, we explore the ancient celebration of Yule and the longest night of the year, reflecting on how our ancestors marked this turning point with fire, evergreens, shared meals, and simple herbal comforts. You’ll learn about the enduring symbolism and practical uses of evergreen allies like juniper, white pine, and cedar, and why they became powerful symbols of protection, resilience, and hope during winter’s darkest days. We also step into the winter kitchen, where warming herbs and spices — rose hips, cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, orange peel, and more — helped nourish bodies and spirits when fresh food was scarce. Through folklore, history, and gentle storytelling, this episode invites you to see winter not as something to rush through, but as a season to savor. The episode closes with a personal reflection and a simple Winter Ember Tea recipe — a warming blend meant to comfort, ground, and remind us that even in darkness, light is already returning. So settle in with a warm cup of tea, light a candle, and join me for this cozy gathering as we honor rest, resilience, and the quiet promise of the returning sun. Winter Ember Tea 1 tablespoon Crushed Rose Hips 1 Tablespoon Dried Rose Petals 1 Cinnamon Stick 3-4 Cloves 1 Fresh Orange Slice Place the ingredients in a heat-proof container. I like to use a mason jar with a coffee filter tucked inside. Carefully pour boiling water over the herbs, then place a lid on top without tightening it — just rest it loosely so the steam can’t escape. Let the tea steep for about 10 minutes, then strain if needed and enjoy. 🌿 Join My Patreon for Exclusive Herbal & Holistic Content! ✨ Love learning about herbalism, astrology, and holistic wellness? Get exclusive access to bonus content, free class replays, DIY herbal recipes, and live Q&A sessions by becoming a Patreon member! 🌱💡 ✨ What You'll Get:✔ Monthly herbal & lunar insights 🌙✔ Exclusive DIY recipes & printable guides 📖✔ Access to free class replays 📺✔ Bi-annual personalized herbal consultations (Tier 3 members!) 💚 Membership can be as little as a cup of coffee. ☕️ 👉 Join today & deepen your herbal wisdom: 🌿 Herbal Consultations Are Now Open Root your wellness in the wisdom of the plants—and the stars. Your healing journey is deeply personal, and I’m honored to walk beside you. Whether you’re seeking grounded herbal support or a soul-aligned path through astrology and plant medicine, I now offer two personalized consultation options to support your well-being. 🍃 Option 1: Herbal Wellness Consultation – $100 Plant-based support for your body, mind, and spirit. This session is ideal if you’re looking for natural ways to restore balance, boost vitality, and explore herbal wellness. You’ll receive: ✔️ A 60-minute private session (Zoom) ✔️ A thoughtful discussion of your health, lifestyle, and goals ✔️ A personalized herbal wellness plan with teas, tinctures, or rituals tailored to your needs 🌱 No astrology here—just the gentle, grounded support of the herbs. ✨ Option 2: Herbal Astrology Consultation – $150 Astrology + Herbalism for cosmic clarity and seasonal alignment. This is a deeper, more soulful experience that weaves together your astrological chart with plant allies and energetic guidance. You’ll receive everything in the Herbal Wellness Consultation, plus: 🌙 An intuitive reading of your natal chart and current transits 🌀 Insights into your elemental constitution and seasonal alignment 🌿 A custom herbal and lifestyle plan guided by your cosmic makeup Perfect if you’re craving clarity, direction, and a more spiritually attuned wellness journey. 💌 Ready to Begin? Email or DM me to book your session Once I receive your request, I’ll send you a quick survey form and booking link. Let’s walk this path together—season by season, with the plants and stars as our guides. Unlock the Secrets of Personalized Wellness with Your FREE Zodiac Herbs Guide Show's Sponsor 🌿My Garden Journal – A How-To Garden Book for Kids Because every gardener starts with a single seed—and a little curiosity. Gardening is a learned skill, and the best way to grow confidence is by getting your hands in the soil and keeping track of your journey along the way. My Garden Journal is part how-to guide, part creative keepsake—designed to help kids (and their grown-ups) learn the basics of growing food and flowers while documenting their progress. Inside, you’ll find simple tips on the how, when, and where of planting, plus room to explore your garden with drawings, photos, and notes. It even includes fun themed garden ideas—like a Harry Potter-inspired Herb Garden, a Young Chef’s Garden, or a Monarch Butterfly Superhero Garden for little pollinator protectors. Perfect for homeschooling families, budding herbalists, or anyone looking to connect with nature in a fun, hands-on way. ✨ You'll be amazed at how much you (and your garden) grow when you take time to journal the journey. Music A special thank you to Alexander Nakarada for writing and producing this music. I am a Patreon Member and support Alexander creatively. For more information about Alexander, check out his website Song: Planning - 320bit - September 5, 2021 Social Media I would love to hear about your experience trying out any recipes featured on our podcasts! Follow me on all our social media outlets so you can stay up to date with all the new recipes we feature. We look forward to connecting with you soon! Website: https://thenewenglandherbary.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewenglandherbary/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578148227744 Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thenewenglandherbary?si=f7_MB0XEz0vn0XrY Thompson Street Farm LLC: https://thompsonstreetfarm.com/
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