... has never been mine!  But I'm working on it.  Our new website was due to be live by now so I have been neglecting this one a bit.  The pushed-back launch date for the shopping site is at the end of the summer so we have a few more weeks with here.  I've got to admit, I'm going to miss this site!  Andrew and I built it by hand (virtually!) and have upkept it personally.  The new site will not include a blog but you can find me at the Philadelphia Herbal Community on Facebook. I'll also have a new site for my private practice which will be www.earthwiseways.com (don't go there yet-- its not built!).

Thanks to all for your support!

Thursday April 22, 2010
at Reading Terminal Market
from 10 am until 2:30 pm

(Yes, we know we've been open for two months already, but the Market asked us to throw ourselves a party and Earth Day seemed like a fine time to celebrate!)

Schedule of Events

10 am Opening Ceremony at Herbiary

Come make some noise as we start our day in Reading Terminal Market!  Many traditional cultures use sounds and symbols to draw energy to new endeavors.  Our day will begin with an opening ceremony created by Katryn Lavanture.

10:30 am  Medicine Making Demonstration at the Center Court

Our staff herbalist, teacher, and owner of the shop, Maia Toll, will kick off our Center Court activities with a bit of fun!  Come watch Maia as she makes a salve from scratch and doles out samples to the lucky folks in the front row.  Maia will be available to chat through the remainder of the day.

11:00 am - 2:30 pm Center Court Celebration!

* The Sweet Nectars of Mother Earth: Flower Essences and Essential Oils.  Meet our flower essence specialist, Lunaria Lewis and learn the secrets of using plant essences and oils.  Don't know the difference between an essence and an oil?  Come learn with Luna!

* From the Farm to your Face!  Come meet local herbalist and teacher Susan Hess as she showcases her skills as both a product maker and an herbalist.  See the full process as Susan grows herbs at Chester County's Farm at Coventry and turns them into beautiful products the whole family can use.

* A Little Taste of Africa at the Reading Terminal Market.  Learn the difference between East African and West African shea butter.  Not only are these products great for your skin, you can feel good about purchasing them and helping the Suhuyini Women's Co-Operative in Ghana.

* Explore the Best of Bucks County with Sharon Moncrief of Greenbrier Herbalist.  Sharon is committed to bringing the simple, old-fashioned medicines to modern America.  Stop by and let Sharon be your guide to using the plant world to better your health.

* Love herbs?  Take some home from our friends at Market Blooms who will have a special medicinal herb section set up in Center Court. 

* Pot it Up!  Want to start from scratch?  Stop by our potting table with horticulturalist Dawn Pritchard and learn how to start from seed.  You'll bring home a seed start as well as instructions for repeating the process on your own.

Music at Center Court

The haunting sounds of the Native American Flute will accompany us throughout the festivities.  We are honored to welcome Jan Seiden to Reading Terminal Market.  Jan and her flute have played everywhere from hospitals to concert halls, captivating and inspiring her audiences.  We are thrilled to welcome this two-time nominee for the Indian Summer Music Awards, nominated for the 2009 Native American Music Awards (NAMA) and First Place winner in the 2002 Musical Echoes Native American Cultural Gathering's national flute players' competition to Reading Terminal Market.  For those who are curious about the Native American flute, Jan will bring extra instruments to introduce you to this wonderful woodwind.

2 pm  Closing Ceremony at Center Court

We will end our day with storyteller extraordinaire Dan Johnson as he helps put our place on the earth into a bit of perspective.  Dan will entertain us with tales including Strawberries in Winter and The Broken Pot.

After many late nights (and early mornings!) the Herbiary is open at Reading Terminal Market.  As you have come to expect, we have stocked the shelves with the finest offerings from the natural world.  It's a feast for for the senses and, I must say, a fabulous addition to the melange that is Reading Terminal Market.  Whether you are looking for the peppermint leaves for tea or rare (and sublime!) gardenia enflourage oil, we are thrilled to be able to serve you.

As with any big undertaking, it really does take a village.  We are so grateful to our families who have provided everything from their professional services to lugging and late night painting.  Our extended shop family came through in a huge way, with everyone pulling late nights and overtime.  And friends walked Bandit, brought food, and kept us sane in a million little ways.  A heartfelt thanks to all of you.

This is a cell phone pic, but it will give you the gist!

See you at the Market!

The word "Apothecary" is evocative.  It conjures images of amber glass bottles and jars full of mysterious treasures...  attar of rose, and syrup of violet, perhaps a tisane for Aunt Ethyl's rheumatism.  It is with great sadness that we lose this word, and its depth of connotation, as we change our name. 

Unfortunately the State of Pennsylvania believes that the word "Apothecary" conjures images of sterile pills in orange plastic containers.  The belief is that by using the word Apothecary we will some how lure you, the consumer, into the belief that we have been trained in allopathic pharmaceutical practices.  How we wish this little detail had been mentioned when we registered our name with the state or the city!  Instead we found out when Bethany visited a downtown bar that used to be called The Apothecary Bar but now must be APO due to this silly law.  Yes, I'm a little bitter.  Loss of language, whether through attrition or regulation, is maddening to me.  But energy is not an endless commodity and fighting this is not a good place to spend mine.

Luckily our language is living and flexible.  It allows for the invention of new words such as "Herbiary."  What is an Herbiary, you ask?  It is like a Beastiary, but for medicinal plants.  It has the whimsey of topiary and the happy buzz of apiary.  As an added benefit, the website was available.  And for a final bit of happiness, I got to work with our fabulous designer, Suzanne Guelli, to create a new logo.  Isn't it lovely?

So come by and visit us, at the original location in Chestnut Hill or the new shop in Reading Terminal Market.  Nothings changed but our name!

We're hoping to open our next store in about 8 days!  Think we can pull it off?

Admittedly this photo was taken about ten days back!  : )