Sparks and Sun 💖 Mid-February 2024 Newsletter

Published: Fri, 02/16/24

Spark and Sun

In February, we turn a corner in the year. More so than January, this feels like the ebb tide between the years and the seasons. It's certainly still winter - sometimes we get our biggest storms and cold snaps in February. But the sun feels different. Brighter. Warmer. Longer.

Some days you smell a hint of spring in the air. There it is, gurgling under the ice and snow. Spring in the belly, the earth getting ready to slowly wake up.

We had a dark and dreary January, so the sun of February has been even more welcome. February is the month that my dog Reishi recognizes the shift and begins to follow the patches of warm sun as it moves around the house, stretching out and basking as if on a sandy beach.

The vibe of February allows us a wee bit of breathing room and inspiration to spark joy, creativity, brew that special cup of tea, make that date with your friend. The waxing days slowly coax us out of our winter hibernation.

In This Email

What's Happening at Wintergreen Botanicals
Seasonal Energetics Series start in April - NOW's the time to register, set up payment plans, and/or apply for a scholarship
NEW Intro to Energetics Blog post
Upcoming (mostly free) Community Classes in person and online
Herbal Remedies for Sleep - Preorder + Sneak Peek Podcast
Brain-Boosting Herbs & Brainiac Bonbon Recipe + Video

What's Happening at Wintergreen Botanicals

My February work weeks alternate between "writing weeks" for book manuscript #4 (it's coming along) and packed client weeks while working with Dayna to get all our ducks in a row for the upcoming series and fleshing out my plans for the spring trip to Tuscany. March will be almost 100% devoted to meeting my manuscript deadline. I'm also squeezing lots of guest classes and podcasts - mostly to promote the release of book #3, which will be airing mainly March through May. So, stay tuned for those!

Preorders for Herbal Remedies for Sleep are available here, and the release date has been bumped up to early April - woo hoo!

But all that said, what I really want you to know is that

NOW is THE time to register for the upcoming Seasonal Energetics series!
We've put a lot of work into planning this course, which is basically Module 1 of the Advanced Series and sure to be a wonderful and interactive deeper exploration of plant medicine, the seasons, stepstone for future clinial work, and understanding how basic eneretics of hot, cold, dry, and damp can aid our understanding of the body and be more effective at bringing it into balance. Kristina and I have put together an awesome remedy kit to go along with the live stream series so you we can all experience high quality plants while we learn about them together. Customized payment plans are available to anyone by request (email us with how much $ you'd like due on which dates, with ideally at least half paid before classes begin in April), and scholarship discounts are available to those who apply.

More details below...

Seasonal Energetics Series
Advanced Series Module 1

Do you enjoy living by the seasons and want to learn about which plants go with each season? Are you curious about Western Energetics, Ayurvedic Energetics and 5 Element Seasonal Rhythms and how these concepts can improve our ability to heal our bodies, create effective formulas, and bring greater balance and joy to our lives? Then the new Seasonal Energetics Series may be for you! Join me, Jiling Lin and Tesia Love while we explore Seasonal Energetics from three different perspectives.

We'll interweave plant identification, plant families, individual interactive plant deep dives, phytochemistry, and the taste of herbs into these seasonal classes, too! It's going to be a lot of fun and illuminating!

The series will live stream starting April 11th to November 21st on
Thursday evenings Eastern Time via Zoom (and recorded)

Seasonal Energetics Details & Registration HERE

This series is perfect for intermediate and advanced students who already have a basic foundation in herbalism (such as the Home Herbalist Series or comparable self-training or program elsewhere). Though it's Module 1 of the Advanced Series, it is more approachable and includes core concepts that will be built upon in future advanced series modules.

Curious about "energetics" and what they are??
Check out this NEW blog post!

LIMITED TIME - Bonus Promo! When you register for either the Home Herbalist Series or Seasonal Energetics Module, in any form (In person, Livestream or On Demand) before March 15th, you will have access to Maria's Nutrient Deficiency Class! It will include the 2.5 hour webinar and extensive notes!

My forthcoming third book,
Herbal Remedies for Sleep is available for Pre-Order

Preorder HERE Learn to Use Healing Herbs and Natural Therapies to Ease Stress, Promote Relaxation, and Encourage Healthy Sleep Habits.
Order soon to ensure you get your book as soon as it releases AND get it custom-signed!

The release date has been bumped up to Early April - woot!

Get a Sneak Peek - Maria’s latest Guest Podcast on Irvin Eisenberg’s Resilience Radio podcast - the first mini-episode in a series on herbal sleep support. Click HERE to listen.

Upcoming Community Classes - Mostly Free!

02/26 Backyard Medicine IN PERSON - Hosted by the Newbury Public Library/ Location: Newbury Vets Hall (right across from the Library), Free to the Public
02/29 Herbal Nutritives LIVESTREAM & Recorded- Hosted by Maria via Zoom, Free (registration is required for access)
03/12 Herbal Remedies for Sleep Class LIVESTREAM - Hosted by the Herb Society of America, Registration Coming Soon, $7.50 for non HSA members
04/02 Herbs for Sleep: How to choose the Best One for You LIVESTREAM - Hosted by the Concord Food Co-op via Zoom, Free and open to the public

More details and registration links here!

Brain Boosting Herbs

Whether we realize it or not, most of us to don’t function with optimal mental clarity. It might be a forgotten lunch date or afternoon brain fog at work or school. As we get older, we become more aware – and fearful – about our mental wellbeing. What can we do to undo the state of our brain so that we think clearly and remember everything?

A healthy, low-glycemic, whole foods diet with a range of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods is crucial. Adequate omega 3 fatty acids and B vitamins in the diet and/or supplement form also help. Living off stress, multitasking, and skimping on sleep are some of the worst things we can do for our brain function. Exercising (both your physical body and brain-teasing activities) and spending time in nature give it a boost. Beyond these basic tenants of healthy living, several herbs hold the power to enhance memory, focus, and function.

Favorite supportive herbs include Gotu Kola, Bacopa, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Turmeric, Blueberries, Rhodiola, and Ginkgo. Learn more about each of these in the Brain Boosting Herbs Blog Post.

Brainiac Bonbons Recipe

Multiply or divide as desired. This makes about 10 small balls about ½ to 3/4 inch in diameter or fewer large ones.

2 tablespoons nut or seed butter

1 tablespoon honey or other sweetener (or to taste)

1-3 teaspoons powdered dried herbs (such as ashwagandha, gotu kola, holy basil)

About 4 ounces of melted chocolate to dip them in

Or 1/4 cup of dry to roll them: toasted sesame seeds, toasted coconut flakes, cocoa powder, or crushed nuts

Stir (or squish together with your hands) the nut/seed butter, sweetener, and herbs. Taste and adjust ingredientsas desired. Roll into small balls, then roll in dry ingredient(s) or chill then dip into melted chocolate to finish. Generally, keep at least a week in a sealed container on the counter, sometimes longer, even longer in the fridge or freezer. Now, let’s explore the individual ingredients, tips, and options.

Remedy Video Here

This is an excerpt from the Beyond the Home Herbalist Series - Brain Class - materials

Video Update! The Magic Bullet has gone WAY downhill in quality. I now use a NutriBullet Pro to powder herbs - it works much better. Lots of folks love the more-expensive VitaMix.

Thank you for those of you who let me know that the images below were incorrectly linked (to someone I've never even heard of's!) website thanks to some poorly done template creation by the new newsletter platform. Grumble. I'm embarrassed we didn't catch it sooner. Both Dayna and I usually check links but had gotten lax on those.

They're fixed now!