Welcome to our mini-series devoted entirely to the energetic medicine of green tea! This is a project near and dear to my heart—I love green tea and drink it every day!

So far, I have seven different articles prepared and am in the process of writing a few more. I hope you enjoy diving into this marvelous family of tea with me over the coming weeks.

And now, onto the first green tea of our collection—Gunpowder Green.

How Green Tea Came to Look Like Gunpowder

More than a thousand years ago, tea growers in China’s Zhejiang Province faced a practical problem: Green tea is delicate. Its leaves bruise easily and lose freshness over time.

Long before vacuum-sealed bags and express shipping, tea had to survive a remarkable journey before reaching its final destination—crossing mountains, deserts, and oceans.

Weeks and months would pass between the time it was harvested and the time before it arrived at its final destination. Tea had to endure camelback, horseback, caravan trains, and sea-going vessels.

Faced with this dilemma, the tea makers of ancient time developed a creative solution. Instead of letting the leaves remain flat, they carefully rolled each one into a tiny pearl.

The tightly rolled pellets protected and reinforced the delicate leaves, helping the tea stay fresh and unbroken throughout its long journey.

The Chinese tea makers called it Pearl Tea. The Europeans looked at the tea pellets and saw a striking resemblance to grains of black gunpowder.

And so the name Gunpowder Green was born, and has been with the tea ever since.

In the Cup

Gunpowder Green is bold and sturdy in the cup, with a deeper, more assertive flavor than many of the more delicate green teas. There is an earthy, lightly smoky quality beneath its vegetal notes, with a pleasant astringency that lingers after the sip.

After harvest, the leaves are pan-fired to halt oxidation, helping preserve their flavor and character. They are then tightly rolled into their signature, distinctive little pearls, further protecting the leaves and helping the tea withstand storage and travel.

This is a tea made to endure—a fitting companion for the long road.

Medicine of Perseverance

That small act of rolling each individual tea leaf changed everything.

The compact pearls resisted breakage. They held their flavor longer. They packed efficiently onto caravans and merchant vessels, traveling along the Silk Road and across the sea to North Africa, Europe, and eventually the rest of the world.

Every pearl was built for the journey.

Centuries later, Gunpowder Green remains one of the most widely exported Chinese green teas—a testament to an elegant solution born from necessity.

Herein lies the medicine of perseverance.

These days, we might have comforts to help ease our journey. We can get on an airplane and cross a continent in less than a day. No camels or horses required.

But there are other journeys asked of us—journeys of the spirit that can feel just as long and uncertain as crossing a desert on the back of a camel.

For those moments, Gunpowder Green is here to teach us about perseverance.

Like each tightly rolled pearl, we have the capability to persevere—sometimes even more than we realize. Gunpowder Green reminds us that we are capable of weathering long journeys without losing the essence of who we are.

Life will ask us to cross deserts of our own from time to time. We may not travel by sea-vessel or caravan, but we will all encounter seasons that test our resolve.

A difficult diagnosis.

A grieving heart.

A dream that takes longer to unfold than we imagined.

A healing journey that cannot be rushed.

When those moments arrive, brew yourself a cup of Gunpowder Green. Ask the medicine of the tea to support you on your journey of perseverance.

As the tightly rolled leaves slowly unfurl in your cup, remember that perseverance isn’t about forcing your way forward. It is about protecting what is precious within you while continuing the journey.

May this tea remind you that you were built to go the distance.

What’s Happening at Phoenix Temple

I hope you have enjoyed this article on Gunpowder green tea! It’s an excerpt from a new book I am writing called The Medicine of Green Tea. Here is a sneak peek at the first draft of the cover, which could very easily change before I’m through!

And … I’m also in the process of getting a half sleeve tattooed on my right now. This is what it looked like after my first session at the tattoo parlor. Big surprise, it’s a phoenix!

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this humble newsletter continue to grow.

Always Remember, UR Sacred AF!

~ Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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To say I am a huge Brené Brown fan is an understatement. Her work in the world—her words, her humanity, and her research—make healing and inner peace accessible to millions of people. In terms of impact, I see her as the Steve Jobs of the spiritual and self-help world.

The concept of abundance, especially in the modern kitschy spiritual world, is that you can have anything and everything you want. Cue Law of Attraction, manifestation, etc.

I’m not talking about survival and safety. There is a very real kind of scarcity in this world, and everyone deserves enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and a safe place to live. If you’re struggling to feed your family or make rent, enough has a very different meaning.

This essay is about what happens after our basic needs are met—when having enough quietly turns into wanting more.

The problem I have with the current energy of the word abundance is that, at its core, it often subscribes to our modern consumerist obsession with accumulation. The concept of “having everything you want” is still fundamentally about accumulation.

Whether that’s your dream car, the perfect relationship, a fancy vacation, or the next milestone you’re convinced will finally make you happy, the underlying message of accumulation is the same: More will make my life better.

The Flaws in the Abundance Mindset

There are a few fundamental flaws with the Abundance Mindset, or what I think of as the Accumulation Mindset:

1) Happiness and peace can never truly come from an external source.

As the saying goes, happiness is an inside job—it’s messy and requires patience and courage. (And often lots of therapy.) No amount of designer handbags will ever bring peace to your inner child or your heart (though it can admittedly be a marvelous distraction).

And accumulation isn't only about possessions. We accumulate achievements, experiences, money, credentials, relationships, square footage, status, even spiritual experiences. None of these can permanently resolve what hurts inside us.

2) Accumulation is never over.

This is the real kicker. “Having everything you want” is a goal post that never stops moving.

There is always going to be next season’s collection of something, a kitchen that suddenly looks outdated, or a new gadget that may or may not dramatically change your life.

3) Accumulation requires us to continually define the present as insufficient.

To keep pursuing “more,” some part of you has to keep believing that this isn’t enough yet. This house isn’t enough. This salary isn’t enough. This relationship isn’t enough. This body isn’t enough. This vacation isn’t enough. This version of my life isn’t enough.

And that’s where abundance culture recreates the very scarcity it claims to cure.

What if the modern pursuit of abundance is actually another expression of scarcity?

But if, according to Brené Brown, the opposite of scarcity is enough, what is Enough?

Where Do You Plant Your Goal Posts?

I’ve been turning over this quote from Brene Brown for a while now, and here is the concept I’ve been playing with.

Having Enough is figuring out what you can do without.

It’s figuring out where to plant your goal posts so they stop moving. What can you close the door on and still feel safe, fulfilled, and at peace?

Goal Post Experiment in Action

A big shift I’ve made in my world over the past three years has been turning my home into a communal living situation.

First, my mother moved in, purchased half of my house, and currently splits all the bills with me.

Yes, this means that I live with my mother. I love her, of course, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say this situation also comes with inner child and lineage trauma that needs constant tending.

It also means that sometimes I have to listen to her talking on the phone with her outdoor voice, which carries through every wall in the house.

But here is what I’ve realized: my bedroom is Enough personal space for me. I don’t mind sharing the kitchen, or the garage, or the living room. Everything I love to do to nurture myself can be done in the sanctity of my bedroom.

And sometimes, that means turning on my white noise machine when Mom is engaged in a lively conversation on speakerphone with a friend.

And instead of needing to find a job that pays more so I can carry the expenses of running a four-bedroom house by myself, I split the bills with Mom

It’s Enough.

Second, I rent out a furnished bedroom to traveling professionals, which helps with bills. It means I have someone new moving in with me every few months—but once again, I’ve realized I don’t need an entire house to myself. My bedroom is Enough.

Sharing my home relieves financial pressure. I’ve stopped moving my goal posts, and I’ve found peace, ease, and security.

I’ve found what’s Enough for me.

It’s not perfect. Having Enough isn’t about having perfection. My house is still louder than I would like. I wish there were a little more space for my aesthetics in the common area.

But despite the imperfections, it’s Enough.

Maybe Enough isn’t something we finally acquire. Maybe Enough is a place we choose to stop. Maybe it’s the act of consciously ending the chase.

This isn’t a definitive essay on what it means to have Enough.

This is something I’m currently exploring—an adventure in discovering where I can plant my goal posts

Where have you planted yours?

What’s new in Phoenix Temple

I’ve been hard at work on a new book about the Medicine of Green Tea. I’ll be sharing excerpts from the book soon. For now, here’s a sneak peek at the first draft of the cover.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this humble newsletter continue to grow.

Always Remember, UR Sacred AF!

~ Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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What the F is Embodiment?

Last week, we talked about embodiment. Specifically, we asked: What the F Is Embodiment? It’s a quick read (or listen), so be sure to check it out if you missed it.

The definition we came up with is this:

Embodiment is when wisdom stops being something you understand and becomes something you live.

Or...

It’s the difference between knowing a mantra and living the mantra.

How the F do you do it?

Now that we have embodiment defined, let’s move on to the next obvious question: How the F do you do it?

I feel like this is the part that gets skipped in all the spiritual rhetoric—and I think the reason it gets skipped is because the answer isn’t sexy.

There isn’t a three-step program that produces bulletproof embodiment in 90 days or less.

Embodiment: Rewiring of the Nervous System

Embodiment is the rewiring of the nervous system, and rewiring takes time. What your mind can grasp in thirty seconds might take years for your body to believe.

Why?

Because your mind and your nervous system learn differently.

Your mind learns through understanding.

Your body learns through experience.

For example, let’s say you decide you no longer want to take things personally. You read The Four Agreements. You embrace Don Miguel Ruiz’s famous teaching: Don’t take anything personally. It makes perfect sense. Who doesn’t want to stop letting rude people dictate their emotional state?

Now imagine your cantankerous Aunt Betty sees you at Thanksgiving.

She glances at your plate and says, “Are you sure you need seconds?”

Your mind immediately knows the mantra: Don’t take it personally.

But your body has other plans.

Your chest tightens. Your stomach drops. Your heart rate picks up. You feel ashamed, embarrassed, defensive and angry all at the same time.

Without embodiment, there’s a disconnect between what your mind knows and what your body believes.

Your intellect understands the wisdom.

Your nervous system is still asking a different question: Am I actually safe from Aunt Betty’s opinion?

This is why insight alone doesn’t create transformation or embodiment.

Your body doesn’t change because you tell it the truth.

It changes because it repeatedly experiences the truth.

Embodiment Practices

We tend to think transformation happens the moment we have a breakthrough or discover a profound piece of wisdom.

But insight is only the invitation.

Embodiment is what happens afterward.

It isn’t one specific practice, but rather a category of practices.

Journaling. Therapy. Meditation. Yoga. Breathwork. Honest conversations with trusted friends who lovingly hold you accountable. Time in nature.

Anything that helps us stay present with our experience instead of running from it can become an embodiment practice.

The practice itself isn’t what changes us.

What changes us is repeatedly meeting an old trigger in a new way.

For me, journaling is where this happens most often.

Whenever I notice myself taking something personally, I get curious.

What belief was threatened?

What story did I make up?

Is that story actually true?

Journal entry after journal entry, my nervous system gathers another piece of evidence that I’m safe.

Layer by layer, the old wiring begins to loosen.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, my body begins to trust what my mind has known all along.

Then one day, Aunt Betty makes another comment.

I wait for the familiar tightening in my chest.

The urge to defend myself.

The need to explain myself.

And...

Nothing.

The comment lands like a pebble instead of a grenade.

I smile. Change the subject. Maybe even laugh.

Not because I’ve learned a better comeback.

Not because I’ve repeated the mantra a thousand times.

But because my body finally believes what my mind understood years ago.

I’ve become the mantra.

Slow & Steady Rewires the Body

Embodiment isn’t the moment you discover a new truth.

It’s the moment your body finally trusts it.

That trust isn’t built through willpower, positive thinking, or repeating a mantra enough times.

It’s built through experience.

Every time you meet an old trigger with a little more awareness...

Every time you question an old story instead of automatically believing it...

Every time you stay present with discomfort instead of running from it...

Your nervous system gathers another piece of evidence that you’re safe.

Layer by layer, your body catches up to the wisdom your mind discovered long ago.

That’s why embodiment isn’t fast.

It’s not supposed to be.

It’s the slow, beautiful process of becoming—of becoming someone whose body and mind finally speak the same language.

And perhaps that’s the most compassionate way to think about healing.

Not as a race to become someone new...

But as the patient practice of helping your body trust what your soul has known all along.

Phoenix Temple is Making Herbal Wellness Teas!

I’m not sure what’s more fun—creating new herbal tea blends or creating the packaging for it to live in!

I’ve worked in wine and spirits packaging for 20+ years. It’s fun to take everything I’ve learned and apply it to my tea blends. I’m not sure what the final package will look like, but here is a sneak peak of my first iteration. With any luck, I’ll finalize a package that I can sell at markets and craft fairs this upcoming holiday season.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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You see the word embodiment everywhere in spiritual and personal development circles. It has become something of a catch-all term for healing, expansion, awakening, and transformation.

But what does it actually mean?

I looked up a few definitions to see if someone could explain it more clearly.

“So embodiment is a coming home, a remembering of our wholeness, and a reunion with the fullness of ourselves.” — Hillary L. McBride

“Embodiment can be simply defined as living life informed through the sense experience of the body.” — Ann Saffi Biasetti

These aren’t bad definitions … but do they really tell you what embodiment is?

The concept finally clicked after reading The Power of Not Thinking by Simon Roberts. The book explores the intelligence of the body—a form of knowing that is completely different from the analytical mind.

Think about typing. Your fingers know where the keys are without your brain consciously directing every movement. The body has learned the skill.

Driving is another example. You don’t calculate the exact pressure needed to stop at a crosswalk or the precise speed for a right-hand turn. Your body simply knows.

Months after finishing this book, the concept still ruminated inside me. I began to look at my body in new ways, with a new “innerstanding.”

That’s when I finally realized what embodiment is:

Embodiment is when wisdom stops being something you understand and becomes something you live.

For years I read books, listened to podcasts, journaled, meditated, and collected insights. I knew all the spiritual mantras that circulate on Instagram. I understood countless spiritual principles intellectually. But understanding isn’t the same thing as embodying.

Take The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. One of its central teachings is beautifully simple:

Don’t take anything personally.

As a recovering codependent, this was the agreement I struggled with the most. For forty-something years, I took almost everything personally. Whenever someone was upset with me, disappointed in me, or simply didn’t like me, my nervous system lit up. I would remind myself over and over:

“Don’t take it personally.”

But repeating the words wasn’t embodiment. Having them as a mantra didn’t help me at all.

Not when my body was flooded with anxiety.

Not when my mind was spinning stories and keeping me awake at night.

Not when I was desperately trying to earn someone else’s approval.

That was intellectual understanding.

Embodiment arrived much later.

It arrived the first time someone expressed disappointment in me ... and I realized I didn’t give a flying fuck.

It arrived when someone misunderstood me, and my nervous system stayed calm.

It arrived when I no longer needed everyone to approve of me—or even like me—in order to feel good about myself.

That’s embodiment.

The lesson of not taking anything personally had moved from my mind and into my body.

It stopped being something that I understood. It began to be something I lived.

Today, I don’t have to remember to tell myself, Don’t take it personally. My body already knows.

It doesn’t mean difficult moments never arise. It means I recover quickly because the wisdom has become part of me.

That’s what embodiment really is.

It’s the difference between knowing the path and walking it.

It’s the difference between repeating a mantra and becoming the mantra.

Phoenix Temple is Making Herbal Wellness Teas!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I’m going back to school in the fall to become a Clinical Herbalist at the Berkeley Herbal Center in Berkeley, California.

School may not have started yet, but I’ve begun to create my own wellness teas!

The first one is called Radiant Bones. It’s a tea with herbs that contain bioavailable calcium, as well as sun-dried mushrooms for vitamin D to help with calcium absorption.

I’ll be sharing updates as this project continues to evolve, and perhaps (maybe) have a storefront ready to go before the holidays.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path of plants with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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I recently found myself adding a few drops of blood orange essential oil to my diffuser. It’s become one of my favorite citrus oils. As I turned the bottle around in my hand, I wondered what it was about a blood orange that makes it so special.

A Natural Mutation

Blood oranges are thought to have originated as a natural mutation in the Mediterranean region of Sicily. Near the base of Mt. Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, these beautiful citrus jewels really shine. The Sicilian “Red Orange” (also known as Arancia Rossa di Sicilia) is a protected geographical name. Only blood oranges grown within the protected growing region of eastern Sicily can carry the name Arancia Rossa di Sicilia.

It’s much like the word “Champagne” is protected in the wine world. While anyone can make yummy bubbles in the same style as champagne from France, no one else is allowed to use that name on their label.

The Diamond Effect—or, Why Blood Oranges Turn Red

The deep crimson flesh of a blood orange is caused by the same antioxidant pigments found in blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and red grapes. The blood orange is in the sweet orange family—think Valencia Orange—yet most sweet oranges don’t contain the pigment needed to turn red.

What's fascinating is that blood oranges are genetically different from ordinary sweet oranges, yet their signature crimson flesh only develops when the fruit experiences warm sunny days followed by cold nights. Without those cool nights, the inside may remain mostly orange despite having the genetic potential to turn red.

Just like a diamond, blood oranges find their shiniest expression under pressure—hence why I titled this part of the article The Diamond Effect. In other words, blood oranges don’t become blood oranges by leading an easy-breezy life—they become blood oranges by responding to the pressures of life.

Your Hidden Gems

What’s most interesting is the genetic blueprint for those crimson pigments already exists within the fruit—but they are only produced when cold nights switch on those genes.

And when the pigments are turned on, something happens to the fruit—the flavor becomes deeper and more nuanced.

I love when nature mirrors life. All of us, including blood oranges, experience ups and downs on this earthly journey.

The contrasting seasons of life don't manufacture our deepest gifts—they reveal them. It’s the trials and stress of life that often help us find strengths and abilities we never knew we had. Just like a diamond under pressure, sometimes we need obstacles to find our fullest expression—our hidden gems that lie dormant within, waiting to be discovered.

Let blood orange essential oil support you in times of stress. And remember that our inner gifts don’t always emerge despite hardship—they emerge because of it.

Where to Buy Blood Orange Essential Oil

I buy this delightful oil from Plant Therapy. I love to blend it with Ho Wood for cheerful relaxation. I’ve purchased blood orange EO from other companies, but none of them smell as delicious as the one from Plant Therapy.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred plant path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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Mother Mary & Rosemary

There is a legend about the rosemary plant and Mother Mary.

It is not found in canonical scripture, but rather belongs to the rich tradition of Christian folklore that flourished during the Medieval period, when devotion to the Divine Mother and the spiritual symbolism of plants were deeply intertwined.

The legend begins during the Flight to Egypt.

Joseph receives a warning in a dream that King Herod seeks the life of the Christ child. To escape the coming massacre, Mary and Joseph flee into the wilderness beneath the cover of night, carrying their infant son toward safety.

Mary wears a cloak of deep blue.

During the journey, the family stops to rest beside a rosemary bush covered in delicate white blossoms. Mary spreads her blue mantle over the plant while they sleep.

When the family rises to continue onward, the flowers beneath her cloak have transformed from white to blue.

The rosemary plant was forever changed.

Dew of the Sea

Some versions of the story say the plant was blessed by Mary not only with blue flowers, but with its distinctive fragrance as well—the sharp, clarifying aroma rosemary still carries today.

I love this legend because it transforms rosemary into something more than a culinary herb or stimulating essential oil.

It becomes a plant infused with the magic of the Divine Mother.

Even rosemary’s botanical name hints at this deeper symbolism. The Latin name Rosmarinus is often translated as “dew of the sea.” Rosemary flourishes near coastlines in the Mediterranean region, where it is often adorned in dew carried by salt air and ocean winds.

There is something profoundly maternal about this imagery.

Across myth and spirituality, the sea has long been associated with the Great Mother: vast, intuitive, life-giving, protective, mysterious. The ocean holds and carries life within its depths, just as a mother carries life within her own body.

Like the sea, maternal love is both gentle and immensely powerful.

It nurtures.

It protects.

It guides through darkness.

Divine Love of the Mother

Mary embodies this kind of love throughout her story.

During the Flight to Egypt, she travels into uncertainty carrying the life of her child through darkness and danger. She does not know exactly where the road will lead, only that what she holds is sacred and must be protected.

There is something deeply moving about this image of the Divine Mother: weary from travel, surrounded by uncertainty, and yet continuing onward through love.

To me, rosemary carries the energetic imprint of this sacred devotion:

Steadfast love.

Quiet endurance.

Protection guided by the heart.

Rosemary reminds us that sacred strength does not always roar. Sometimes it appears as unwavering devotion, gentle presence, and the courage to continue forward even when the path ahead remains uncertain.

Perhaps this is why rosemary has remained beloved for centuries.

The image of the protective Divine Mother appears across cultures and centuries — from Mary to Isis and beyond. Rosemary feels touched by this ancient lineage of maternal devotion: the force that nurtures life, shields what is sacred, and continues onward through darkness with love.

Where to find Rosemary Essential Oil

I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This is a beautiful herbal company that supports zero-waste manufacturing, sustainable farming, and small farms. Their mission statement that prioritizes “People, Plants, and Planet before Profit.”

Thank you so much for reading and walking this oily path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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Today we are diving into rosemary essential oil, and strangely enough, we are beginning with grief.

The quote above comes from Hamlet, when Ophelia appears before the royal court after the murder of her father. Her world has fractured. The man she loved has become part of the violence that destroyed her life, and in her sorrow she begins handing out flowers and herbs, each carrying symbolic meaning.

When she offers rosemary, she says:

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.”

Even now, centuries later, rosemary remains one of the plants most deeply associated with memory.

While researching this plant, I discovered that rosemary was commonly used in both weddings and funerals throughout Elizabethan England and across Europe. I found this fascinating because these ceremonies sit at opposite ends of human experience: one celebrating union and devotion, the other mourning loss and separation.

And yet rosemary belonged to both.

At weddings, rosemary symbolized fidelity, devotion, constancy, and remembrance of sacred vows.

At funerals, it symbolized remembrance of the dead, enduring love, and the continuation of connection beyond physical separation.

This tells us something profound about the spirit of rosemary.

Rosemary helps us hold onto what matters.

It is a plant tied not merely to mental recall, but to emotional and spiritual remembrance. Love remembered. Promises remembered. People remembered. Truth remembered.

Even the plant itself reflects this symbolism.

Rosemary is evergreen. In the cold of winter, when other plants fade into dormancy, rosemary remains fragrant, alive, and vividly itself. It does not forget its nature during difficult seasons.

Perhaps this is why rosemary has become such a powerful symbol throughout history.

There are seasons in life when we, too, can lose sight of ourselves. Grief. Heartbreak. Transition. Exhaustion. The noise of the modern world. During these times, rosemary feels almost like a gentle hand on the shoulder, guiding us back toward clarity.

Back toward what truly matters.

The aroma of rosemary has an unmistakable sharpness to it—penetrating, clarifying, awakening. It cuts through fog. It stimulates the mind. Herbalists have long associated rosemary with memory, concentration, and mental clarity, but I believe its deeper gift is sacred remembrance.

Rosemary reminds us of who we are beneath distraction and fear.

It reminds us what we love.

It reminds us what deserves our devotion.

And perhaps that is why Ophelia’s words still linger after all these years.

In the midst of loss and unraveling, she reached for rosemary.

For sacred remembrance—for what the heart refuses to let disappear.

Where to find Rosemary Essential Oil

I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This is a beautiful herbal company that supports zero-waste manufacturing, sustainable farming, and small farms. Their mission statement that prioritizes “People, Plants, and Planet before Profit.”

Thank you so much for reading and walking this path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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Did you know that bergamot mint (Mentha citrata) is the fraternal twin of peppermint???

** Mic Drop **

Both plants are natural hybrids of the same two parents: spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica).

What’s fascinating is that, even though they are literally from the same family tree, these two mints are so different.

The Extrovert

Peppermint is unmistakable.

Sharp, cool, and penetrating, he announces himself the moment it enters a room.

His high menthol content gives him a kind of clarity that cuts—he wakes you up, clears the fog, and demands attention.

Everyone knows peppermint. He is widely recognized and used in commercial applications all over the world.

He is the extrovert of our fraternal twins.

The Introvert

Bergamot mint is something else entirely.

Where peppermint cuts, she softens.

High in linalool—the same compound found in lavender—she carries a gentle, almost floral sweetness beneath the mint. Her edges are rounded. Her experience is quieter.

She doesn’t announce herself.

She doesn’t need to be the center of attention.

She’s content on the sidelines.

This is the introvert of the pair.

Origin Story

I was hoping to dig up a sexy origin story on this pair of fraternal hybrid twins. You know, something about an awkward scientist and his winsome, clumsy neighbor, and their quirky, passionate love story which resulted in a shattered herb pot in a garden bed where it didn’t belong …

But alas, nothing.

There is no titillating origin story behind these twins. In fact, it could not be more boring, or more elusive.

Peppermint was first formally recognized in 17th-century England, but no one knows exactly where he came from.

When it comes to the origin of bergamot mint, there are only theories. The best guess is that she came from central or southern Europe, regions where both water mint (which needs damp soil) and spearmint are found.

The one thing peppermint and bergamot mint do seem to have in common is that their hybridization was most likely something that occurred naturally in the wild, or perhaps in someone’s garden.

The Quiet Power of Being Yourself

I think we’ve all felt like bergamot mint at some point in our lives—overshadowed by someone with a peppermint personality… peppermint credentials… peppermint confidence.

Especially in this world of social media, where everyone is clambering to be seen, to be recognized, to stand out.

It’s easy to believe that the only way to belong is to become more like peppermint—more bold, more obvious, more immediately understood.

But bergamot mint reminds us we don’t all have to be peppermints.

She doesn’t compete with peppermint.

She doesn’t try to sharpen herself into something more recognizable. She doesn’t amplify herself just to be chosen.

She simply remains true to her composition.

And in doing so, she becomes something entirely her own.

While peppermint is prominent in toothpaste, Christmas candy, and mouthwash, bergamot mint pops up in soaps, lotions, and candles.

She has found her own place in the world simply by being herself.

Bergamot mint reminds us of the quiet power of embracing our authenticity.

You don’t need to become louder to be real—you only need to become more of yourself.

In those moments when you doubt yourself, when you feel pressured to become more like others in order to find your place in the world, turn to bergamot mint.

She is there to remind you of the unique power of being exactly who you are.

Where to find Bergamot Mint Essential Oil

I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This is a beautiful herbal company that supports zero-waste manufacturing, sustainable farming, and small farms. While they aren’t strictly an essential oil company, their products are very high quality. I’m also a big fan of their teas and tinctures.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this minty path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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Hello Radiant Being,

I’m back this week with an essential oil deep dive. This week, we’re looking at spearmint, that vibrant sprig that brings cheer to essential oil diffusers across the globe. One of my favorite morning combinations is 2 drops of spearmint with 2 drops of tangerine—it’s perfect for waking up and easing into my morning routine.

Hospitality & Connection

While “spearmint” is a common name for Mentha spicata, the plant itself carries an ancient lineage—rooted in the Mediterranean and woven through Greco-Roman life. In early texts, it was simply called “sweet mint,” a quiet nod to its gentle, uplifting nature.

But spearmint was never just a plant. It was an experience.

In Greek and Roman homes, mint leaves were scattered across floors before gatherings and feasts. As guests moved through the space, their footsteps released its fragrance into the air—subtle, refreshing, alive. The room itself seemed to breathe, welcoming each person who entered.

Before crossing the threshold into a banquet, guests would pause to wash their hands—and sometimes their feet—in basins infused with herbs. Spearmint was often among them. A moment of cleansing. A soft transition. The outside world left behind.

At the table, garlands of mint and fragrant herbs were worn as crowns. These living adornments were believed to uplift the spirit, brighten the mind, and encourage connection between those gathered. Spearmint, with its clear and cheerful scent, became a quiet ally in conversation—opening the space for ease, laughter, and presence.

In Greek culture, hospitality was sacred. The concept of xenia—the deep honoring of guest and host alike—was not just social custom, but moral practice. To offer beauty, comfort, and pleasant fragrance was to embody virtue itself.

And so spearmint became more than an herb.

It became a gesture.

A way of saying: you are welcome here.

Spearmint still carries this energy.

Diffuse it before guests arrive to shift the atmosphere of a space. Add a drop to your wrists or palms before entering a social setting. Let it support you in showing up with openness, clarity, and ease.

Because at its heart, spearmint isn’t just about freshness—it’s about connection.

Feminine Becoming

In ancient Greek homes, spearmint found its way into the most intimate of rituals.

It was added to bathing water for adolescent girls, for brides-to-be, for young women standing at the edge of something new. These were not ordinary baths. They were thresholds—moments of quiet preparation before stepping into a new role, a new identity, a new life.

As warm water moved across the skin, spearmint released its soft, bright fragrance into the air. Cleansing, yes—but also awakening. A gentle stirring of something fresh within.

These rituals marked more than physical readiness. They honored the invisible shift taking place beneath the surface—the becoming that cannot be rushed, only witnessed.

This same energy flowed outward into communal life. During spring festivals and seasonal celebrations, young women crowned themselves with garlands of fragrant herbs and flowers. Spearmint, with its light, uplifting scent, was often woven into these living wreaths.

Worn in dance, in laughter, in gathering, these garlands were expressions of life in motion. They carried the essence of vitality, renewal, and a self just beginning to unfold.

To wear spearmint was to embody freshness. To step forward as someone new.

In this way, spearmint became quietly intertwined with the feminine journey of becoming—supporting the passage from girlhood into womanhood, from one version of self into the next, from what has been into what is just beginning.

This energy is not lost to time.

There are still moments when you stand at the threshold—between who you have been and who you are becoming.

A new relationship.

A new path.

A deeper truth asking to be lived.

Spearmint can meet you there.

Add it to a bath when you are shedding an old layer. Inhale it before stepping into something new. Let it be a companion in moments of quiet transition.

Not to force change—but to support the gentle, natural unfolding of who you are becoming.

Because becoming isn’t something you do all at once.

It happens in small, sacred moments of choosing yourself—again and again.

We’re on Pinterest! All of our Essential Oil articles are beautifully archived on themed Pinterest Boards. Come explore the magic →

Where to find Spearmint Essential Oil

I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. This is a beautiful herbal company that supports zero-waste manufacturing, sustainable farming, and small farms.

I also like to shop at Plant Therapy and Revive EO. They don’t have as many sustainable practices as Mountain Rose Herbs, but they are price-friendly—which is nice if you are a frequent oil shopper.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this minty path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to grow.

As always, UR Sacred AF

~ Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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There once was a boy named Gwion Bach who was a servant to Cerridwen, the Welsh goddess of transformation, inspiration, and sacred rebirth.

Cerridwen alone possessed the knowledge of brewing Awen—the elixir of divine inspiration, wisdom, and poetic power. One day, she filled her cauldron with Awen, intending to gift it to her son. The potion must brew for a year and a day, and so Cerridwen tasked Gwion with tending her cauldron.

Near the end of the brewing, three hot drops of Awen splashed onto his thumb. Instinctively, he put his thumb in his mouth—and instantly received the full gift of Awen.

Realizing Cerridwen would be furious that he accidentally partook of the elixir meant for her son, Gwion flees.

Cerridwen, upon discovery of what’s happened, follows him in furious pursuit.

In an effort to escape the angry goddess, Gwion transforms into a hare.

But Cerridwen becomes a greyhound.

And so Gwion becomes a fish.

And Cerridwen becomes an otter.

He becomes a bird.

She becomes a hawk.

Finally, he transforms into a grain of wheat and hides among harvested grain.

Cerridwen transforms into a black hen and swallows him whole.

And instead of destroying him…

She becomes pregnant.

Gwion is reborn as Taliesin—one of the greatest bards and wisdom keepers in Welsh mythology. In later Welsh tradition, Taliesin becomes associated with the legends of King Arthur, where he appears as a prophetic bard and wisdom keeper.

I love this story of Gwion. It embodies how so many of us—myself included—confront change.

Instead of facing it head-on, we run from it. We try to hide. We sometimes even try to negotiate our way out of it.

But as we learn from Gwion, we cannot escape change.

Transformation overcomes in the end, just like it does with Gwion

Not only does transformation overcome him—he is ultimately transformed for the better. Rebirthed as Taliesin, he becomes a legendary bard of Welsh lore.

How much suffering might we spare ourselves if we embraced change instead of resisting it?

Like Gwion, many of us exhaust ourselves trying to outrun the very transformation meant to remake us.

I’ve been deep in the energy of change since returning from Egypt.

I finally had to admit that I am no longer the person who started the Essential Transformations newsletter. And I don’t want to continue writing only about oils.

I want to write about essential oils and the everyday things that inspire spirituality, just like this piece you’re reading now. And if I write an article that doesn’t have anything to do with oils, I don’t want to feel like I’m “off-brand.” I don’t want to force my ideas to incorporate oils if they don’t organically arise there.

So, I decided to embrace the change fully. This newsletter has officially been renamed UR Sacred AF. When you see this in your inbox, know you’re still getting the same soulful content from me.

In the fall, I will be going back to school to become a Clinical Herbalist through the Berkeley Herbal Center. It’s a three-year program that includes working in their low-income clinic. I’ve also been learning to make health-forward teas and tinctures, which I plan to make available for sale in the near future.

All of this naturally led to the reimagining of my website. I have named it Phoenix Temple. My intention is for it to become a place where I can continue growing my love of plant medicine and sacred living.

And, because it was born from phoenix energy, it will be a space that can evolve and transform alongside me.

As we have learned from Gwion, there is no escaping evolution.

I invite you to check it out.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

UR Sacred AF,

Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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In the ancient Sumerian myth, Inanna—Goddess of Heaven and Earth—chooses to descend into the underworld to visit her sister, Goddess Ereshkigal. In preparation for this journey, Inanna adorns herself in sacred regalia—her crown, her jewels, and her royal robes—and sets out to pass through the seven gates that separate her realm from that of her sister.

At each gate, she is stopped and asked to remove one piece of what she wears.

Her crown is taken. Then her necklace and jewelry. Then her breastplate, her royal instruments, and her robes. One by one, the markers of her identity and authority are stripped away.

With each step deeper into the underworld, she becomes less recognizable as the powerful goddess she once appeared to be. By the time she reaches the final gate, she stands completely unadorned—no titles, no protection, no armor to shield her.

When Inanna enters the throne room of Ereshkigal, she is not met with compassion, but with the full force of the underworld’s truth. She is judged, struck down, and hung on a hook—lifeless.

This is a stark and sobering moment in the story: the realization that there are thresholds in life where power, control, and identity cannot carry us forward.

Surrender is the only option.

Yet the story does not end in the underworld. After a time, help is sent, and Inanna is restored to life. She rises and begins her ascent back through the gates. But she does not return as she was. Having released everything that once defined and protected her, she emerges changed—stripped of illusion, intimately acquainted with both loss and truth.

Inanna’s descent is a sacred unraveling. It reminds us that the layers we wear to protect the heart—our roles, our defenses, our carefully constructed identities—cannot follow us into the deepest places of healing. To truly transform, we must be willing to release, piece by piece, what we no longer need to carry.

What remains is not emptiness, but essence: a heart no longer armored, but clear, present, and profoundly alive.

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De-Armoring the Heart ~ An Essential Oil Blend

Today’s blend is crafted for the sacred act of opening the heart—of gently, consciously releasing the hurt, anger, and fear that have bound your inner light in bands of iron.

This is not a passive softening. It is a willing unraveling.

Like Inanna at the gates of the underworld, you are invited to meet the layers that have kept you safe—your identity, your defenses, the beliefs you’ve built in the name of protection—and, one by one, begin to loosen your grip on them.

This isn’t a blend for the faint of heart. It asks for presence. For honesty. For the courage to feel what has long been held beneath the surface. Not to force it open, but to allow it to soften, in its own timing, in its own wisdom.

Because the heart was never meant to remain armored.

And what waits beneath the armor is not weakness—but something far more powerful: truth, tenderness, and a quiet, unshakable strength that no longer needs to defend itself.

I hope this blend finds you when your heart needs it most.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

UR Sacred AF,

~ Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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There is the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t simply ache.

It shatters.

I’m talking about the kind that leaves you in pieces.

Scattered. Disoriented. Unsure of where you end and where the loss begins.

In Egyptian mythology, there is a story of this kind of heartbreak.

When the god Osiris is killed by his brother, Set, his body is not left to rest in peace—it is brutally torn into fourteen pieces and scattered across the world.

His beloved wife, the goddess Isis, did not turn away from this devastation.

Isis did not blast the land with her heartache, as Demeter did when her precious daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by the God of the underworld.

Isis did not collapse into the fire of her grief, the way the Sati did when her beloved Shiva is rejected and dishonored by her father, the king.

Instead, the goddess set out to wander the earth, searching. Piece by piece, she found the missing pieces of her beloved. She gathered in her arms what had been broken.

She held each fragment with reverence and refused to call it ruin. And when she once again held all the dismembered parts of her divine counterpart in her arms, she put him back together with the feminine healing magic.

This is the part of the story that stays with me.

Not the tragedy.

Not the love.

But the devotion to Sacred Re-assembly.

To move from Dismembered to Remembered.

Heartache, in its deepest form, is not just the loss of someone else.

It’s a fragmentation of self.

Parts of you go missing.

Some feel unreachable.

Other parts feel like they belong to a version of you that no longer exists.

And yet—there is something within you that knows how to gather the scattered shards.

To sit with each jagged piece.

To hold them gently.

To remember the ancient practice of returning to wholeness within.

This is the energy behind the Heart Mending Blend.

Not to erase grief.

Not to rush the healing.

But to support the sacred act of putting yourself back together.

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Heart Mending Essential Oil Blend

The ancient stories of the gods and goddess are here to teach us, to embody archetypal energy we can learn from.

They show us what it means to love deeply … and to lose.

Again and again, we see the same truth reflected through myth: even the divine is not spared from heartbreak.

Sati burned in the fire of unbearable grief.

Demeter’s sorrow brought the earth to its knees.

Isis gathered what had been shattered and refused to let love disappear into darkness.

These are not just stories.

They are mirrors.

Because there are moments in our own lives when the heart breaks so completely, we cannot remain who we once were.

Something must fall away.

Something must be remade.

Grief is the fire.

Grief is the descent.

Grief is also the quiet hands that begin, piece by piece, to restore what has been lost.

This is sacred work.

And you do not have to walk it alone.

This is where the Heart Mending Blend becomes your ally. This is a tried-and-true blend to help ease the pain in your heart. You can use it in your diffuser or a 5ml roller bottle topped with the carrier oil of your choice.

I hope this blend finds you when your heart needs it most.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

UR Sacred AF,

~ Camille Marie, Phoenix Temple

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Hello Radiant Being,

I’ve been thinking a lot about change since coming home from Egypt. (Be sure to check out my last newsletter about the Egyptian art of making essential oils.)

Sometimes, change is something you step into willingly—something you seek out and embrace.

You buy your first house. You move to a new city for an exciting new job. You join a gym, find a therapist, or make a commitment to spend more quality time with your loved ones.

Sometimes, change is something that finds you. Sometimes, you don’t have the luxury to see it coming. Or maybe you see it coming, but you put away the welcome mat, tell it to fuck off, and resist with all your might.

Change can also be a welcome surprise, like getting an unexpected gift from someone “just because.”

Change has many colors. Many textures. Many expressions.

Whatever your relationship with change, it’s an organic part of life. Change is as natural as the sunrise and sunset. As natural as the rise and fall of the seasons, as rhythmic as the flow of breath in and out of your body.

I knew before arriving in Egypt that part of me was going to change from the experience. Travel always changes you—it opens your eyes to new ways of life, new ways of being, and new experiences.

Even knowing I would be changed, nothing prepared me for how profound that change would be.

The land of Egypt is very much alive, as are the temples. The energy there is ancient. Vast. Powerful. Transformative.

If you are open, the land and the temples will touch you—and remake you—in ways that defy human logic, in ways that can’t be expressed in words.

When I returned home from Egypt, I went on a one-month bender.

And I’m not talking about drinking—I’m talking about rearranging my house.

I spent several weeks moving furniture. I even hired movers for the big stuff. Anything that wasn’t glued down was subject to relocation. Pictures. Books. Sacred objects. Knickknacks. Boxes of stuff went to Goodwill.

It was like spring cleaning on steroids.

I said to my boyfriend, “I don’t know why I can’t stop moving shit all over the house. Why can’t I just let it be?”

He replied, “Camille, your energy is completely different since returning from Egypt. You’re rearranging everything on the outside because you’re different on the inside.”

As I reflected on his words, I realized he was right. I was different.

Even the cat knew it. He avoided me for two weeks after I got home, circling around me and watching me with his clear, green eyes—weighing me, measuring me, contemplating on whether we still fit together.

And while I was being weighed and measured by my beloved feline, I was subconsciously moving things around so that my outside environment would match the massive recalibration happening on the inside.

Did it help?

Yes—in ways I didn’t even understand while it was happening.

Every time I moved a crystal or a chair or a photo, something in me settled a little more easily back into my home.

And the cat did, finally, decide I still belonged to him.

Transition Ritual

Change is an organic experience, a natural part of life. We all grow. We all evolve.

Sometimes, we consciously choose change.

Sometimes, change choses us.

I didn’t decide to come home from Egypt embodying energy that is both new and ancient.

I didn’t even decide to rearrange my entire house—it was a compulsive thing my body knew to do before my mind did.

Something inside me had shifted—and my external world needed to catch up.

You don’t need to travel across the world to experience this kind of recalibration. These moments happen in quieter ways, too. A relationship ends. A new version of you begins to emerge. Something old no longer fits, even if you can’t quite name why.

Or perhaps you desire to make big changes in your life. Maybe you’re in a rut and desire a new rhythm.

Whatever the case, let the external support your internal. The next time you find yourself in a portal of change, or desiring to initiate change, try this:

Shift your environment.

Rearrange the pictures on your wall.

Move your furniture.

Touch the objects that surround you and ask, Does this still belong to who I am becoming?

Find a new way to organize your books.

Clear a surface.

Create space where there was none before.

These small, physical movements are not trivial—they are energetic.

When something shifts within you, your outer world often needs to reorganize to hold that new frequency.

Let it.

Let your external world move as your internal world evolves.

When the energy is ready to move within, allow it to move without.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

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Keep Growing,

Camille Marie

Hello Radiant Soul,

I recently returned from a two-week odyssey to Egypt. I traveled with a women’s group led by Shaman-Priestess Andye Murphy. (If you’re not familiar with Andye’s work in this world, you should definitely check her out!)

Essential oils are still very much a part of Egyptian culture. Instructions on how to make oils are engraved right into the walls of temples.

This first image shows the plants being harvested for oil:

This shows the plants being prepared for distillation:

And this shows the oils being put into alabaster jars, which are then buried in the earth for six months:

I had the privilege of visiting a beautiful essential oil shop in Aswan, where they make their own oils. The man in white on the left is the shop owner. See all the lovely bottles of oil behind him on the shelf? They sell directly from those bottles, decanting into your preferred size.

Honestly, it was hard not to break the bank in this shop! They had oils I’ve never seen before, like Black Orchid and Egyptian Orchid. I really could have purchased one of everything!

In the end, I settled on three oils:

• Rose

• Narcissus

• Royal Amber

They are true treasures from Egypt.

Life has been in a bit of a tailspin since returning home. My mom fell and fractured her shoulder while I was in Egypt, which set off a chain of events I had to navigate when I got home. She’s thankfully on the mend. We have a lot of great friends and family members who pitched in to help her while I was gone.

I hope to be back soon with more articles!

Thank you so much for reading and walking this path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to thrive.

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Keep Growing,

Camille Marie

Hello Radiant Powerhouse! This week, we have a UR Sacred AF article on Healthy Boundaries.

I think boundaries are something a lot of women struggle with, especially because society programs so many of us to be “good girls” and “nice girls”—which is a veiled way of saying, “Don’t do anything that makes other uncomfortable.”

Fuck that, right?

Yet it continues to be a subconscious program I find myself wrestling. (I’m pretty sure this is a lifetime project for me.)

As a recovering codependent, I still find myself bumping into boundary issues. Boundaries cover a large swath of areas, but the one I found myself facing recently was emotional responsibility: specifically, which feelings were mine to take care of, and which feelings belonged to others.

The situation involved our housemate, a lovely traveling nurse who is renting a room in our house for a few months. She is polite, quiet, clean, private, and unobtrusive. She keeps to herself. She’s practically invisible.

In other words—she is the perfect housemate.

I could not be more thrilled.

My mother comes from a family that values the ability to work a room full of people and make brilliant conversations with complete strangers. Our housemate’s high boundaries around privacy conflicted with my mother’s naturally outgoing personality who wants to make friends with everyone.

Her reaction caused anxiety within me. I began to think that maybe I had made the wrong choice to rent out a room in our house. That maybe I had rented it to the wrong person. That maybe I needed to do something to draw our housemate into conversation and interaction with the hope of soothing the dented expectations of my mother.

Luckily, I also happened to be reading Boundary Boss by Terri Cole (a hero of mine in the codependency recovery world). I realized I was having an emotional boundary rupture—I felt like I had to take responsibility for the way my mother was feeling.

That’s when I realized no one was wrong. My mom was entitled to be disappointed that our new housemate didn’t want to be friends. Our housemate was entitled to be private.

Nothing needed to be fixed or changed.

In other words, my mother’s disappointment didn’t belong to me. It belonged to her.

Essential Oil Ally - Healthy Boundaries Blend

After this experience, I made this oil blend to help me stabilize my emotional boundaries. With help of these plant allies and self-awareness, I was able to release the anxiety caused over the boundary rupture. I hope it can help some of you do the same!

6 drops - Juniper Berry ~ Emotional discernment

3 drops - Tea Tree ~ Clear out what isn’t yours

3 drops - Petitgrain ~ Allow your truth to rise to the surface

10 drops - Lavandin ~ Stabilize inner peace

5 drops - Vetiver ~ Anchor your healthy boundary into your Sacral Root

Mix oils in a 5ml roller bottle and top with carrier oil of choice.

Suggested Ritual

I like to think of healthy boundaries as a lotus flower. Sometimes, our petals are open and receiving. This is when the things on offer are for our highest good, like trusted advice from a friend.

Other times, our petals are closed. This is when the things on offer don’t belong to us, like triggers and traumas of other adults.

When applying this oil, speak aloud about the boundary issue in need of repair. Visualize your Healthy Boundary Lotus Blossom coming back into alignment with your highest good.

For me, that meant closing my petals—my mother’s disappointment didn’t belong to me.

Introspection Prompt

Where in my life am I currently holding petals open for energy, emotions, or expectations that do not belong to me?

What shifts when I gently close those petals and return my focus to what is mine to tend?

To deepen the reflection, you may explore:

• Whose feelings am I trying to soothe, manage, or fix—and why do I believe it’s my job?

• What emotion arises when I stop taking responsibility for someone else’s disappointment or discomfort?

• What does my Healthy Boundary Lotus look like today—open, closed, or somewhere in between—and what wants to change?

Let the imagery of the lotus guide you: opening only to what nourishes, closing to what drains, always returning to your sacred center.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

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Keep Growing,

Camille Marie

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Hello Fellow Plant Lover,

In the first article in our rhododendron series, we talked about how it can be used to dissolve aggression. We are going to take it one step further and explore how it can be used to support unity in a collective cause.

Keep reading to learn more!

We’re now on Pinterest! All of our Essential Oil articles are beautifully archived on themed Pinterest Boards. Come explore the magic →

Gathering, Collaboration, & Unity

Rhododendron flowers grow in clusters called inflorescences. An inflorescence is a group of flowers growing in a cluster, often from a singular stalk. Each flower is distinct, yet all are supported by the same underlying system and oriented toward a common purpose: reproduction in the plant kingdom.

This growth pattern offers a living metaphor for unity without sameness — individuality held within a shared field of support.

Use Rhododendron for activities that require unity around a common intention. Let this oil become an aromatic reminder that many individual “petals” can join to create something larger than themselves, without losing their unique form.

Use it to support your community event or your next family gathering — anything that requires people to come together in collaboration and cooperation for a shared experience or goal. It would be a great addition to your diffuser at the next family holiday event to help diffuse tension. You can also use it to enhance feelings of connection at your next weekend barbeque with friends or movie night with your besties.

Think of it as a soft, steadying thread that helps weave people together.

Tend Your Altar

Rhododendron shows up in Buddhist practice in the Himalayan region. It is not a universal Buddhist flower like the lotus, but rather appears in regional traditions where the plant grows abundantly, particularly in Nepal, Tibet, and surrounding Himalayan cultures.

In these contexts, dried rhododendron leaves or flowers are often mixed with juniper and burned as part of smoke offerings. This practice is commonly associated with purification, ritual, and devotional offerings. The rising smoke is believed to cleanse the environment, carry prayers upward, and create a clear, respectful field for spiritual practice.

You can work with rhododendron oil in a similar spirit. Diffuse it before and during meditation, ritual, or prayer to help clear mental clutter and soften the edges of the nervous system. I even like to leave my diffuser on as an offering in some of my ritual spaces. Use rhododendron to signal a shift from the everyday into the sacred.

Where to find Rhododendron Essential Oil

I bought mine at Plant Therapy (free shipping on all orders over $25). You can also purchase it from Revive EO (free shipping on all orders).

This will be our last installment in the rhododendron series. Thank you so much for reading and walking this path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to thrive.

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Keep Growing,

Camille Marie

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Hello Fellow Plant Lover,

Last week, we talked about rhododendron being the flower that brings armies to its knees. This week, we’ll be exploring the ancestral wisdom of Mad Honey that weaves itself into rhododendron essential oil.

Keep reading to learn more!

We’re now on Pinterest! All of our Essential Oil articles are beautifully archived on themed Pinterest Boards. Come explore the magic →

Giant Himalayan Honeybee

In the high altitudes of Nepal, rhododendrons forests thrive. These high-altitude flowers contain neurotoxins in the nectar that can alter perceptions and produce Mad Honey.

Known locally in Nepal as deli bala or Red Honey, Mad Honey is deeply woven into ritual, healing, and identity. This special honey has been harvested for centuries by indigenous groups who live in remote Himalayan regions where giant, cliff-dwelling bees live.

We must pause for a moment to talk about the giant Himalayan honeybee—the largest honeybee in the world! Worker bees can be up to 3 cm in length, or over an inch long! They are highly specialized for high-altitude mountain ranges and harsh winters.

The giant Himalayan honeybee doesn’t create hives inside things. No bee boxes or hollow trees for these big guys. Instead, they attach their hives directly to vertical rock faces, where they hang like bright yellow, giant shields.

When threatened, the Himalayan honeybees will surround the hive and create a shimmering “wave” with their bodies to deter predators. See them in action in this short video.

I’m officially in love with these bees. (Not quite ready to adopt one as a pet, but pretty close!)

Perilous Harvest

Tribes in Nepal have been gathering Mad Honey for thousands of years, a tradition handed down for countless generations.

Harvesting the honey is a perilous endeavor. Harvesters must climb high into Himalayan cliffs on bamboo ladders, some of them over two hundred feet tall. They light fires under the beehives. Then, amidst a cloud of swarming bees and smoke, they harvest the honey using ancient tools and techniques.

This is a neat article about the process of collecting the wild honey. The pictures are mind-boggling—be sure to take a look!

Medicine

Mad Honey is never consumed casually among the Nepalese indigenous. It’s certainly not treated as a recreational drug, as it is in the Western world. It’s used in very small amount—a few drops, a lick on the finger, or diluted in warm water or tea.

Traditional medicinal uses include: digestive issues, joint pain and arthritis, high blood pressure, cold-induced fatigue, sexual vitality and stamina, and recovery from illness or weakness.

There are two harvest periods of Mad Honey, spring and autumn. The spring honey is gathered when the rhododendrons are in full bloom; the honey from this time of year is the most potent. Honey gathered in the autumn has pollen from a broader collection of flowers, making it sweeter with less neurotoxins.

Wisdom of the Ancestors

Much ceremony goes into the harvesting of Mad Honey. Elders determine the timing and who will participate. Offerings are made to mountain spirits.

Knowledge of the process is traditionally passed from elders to younger generations through observation, story, and lived experience. Access is carefully limited according to maturity, readiness, and respect for the medicine.

Mad Honey knowledge is considered dangerous in unready hands, so elders limit details in the beginning and increase responsibility and teachings slowly. Young men learn when not to harvest, how much to take, how to read the comb, and how smoke changes the bees’ behavior.

There is much care taken to preserve the bees during the harvest. Whole hives are never taken, only portions of them to ensure the survival of the colony. As the hype and popularity of this rare honey grows, it is important to preserve the delicate ecosystem of the bees so they can continue to produce.

It is through this respect and collaboration with nature that this practice has been passed down for hundreds of years.

Enough

Inspired by the traditions surrounding Red Honey in Nepal, this oil carries a simple but profound teaching: Enough.

Rhododendron reminds us that not all medicine is meant to be taken freely or often. Its power lives in timing, restraint, and respect. The honey endures because the bees are honored, the hives are never plundered, and only what is needed is taken. In this way, the harvest can return again and again, sustaining both people and place.

The process itself is the wisdom. When humans work in right relationship with nature—moving slowly, listening closely, and stopping before harm—life is able to continue. This oil supports that same inner calibration: knowing when to act and when to wait, when to take and when to leave something untouched.

In modern culture, we are taught to do more, be more, grow faster, push harder. Rarely are we taught how to recognize the sweet spot of what is enough. Rhododendron offers a counterspell to that momentum. It helps the body, heart, and mind settle into sufficiency—into the quiet knowing that nothing more is required in this moment.

When you know what is enough, striving softens. Balance returns. Health, peace, and contentment become possible—not because you have added something new, but because you have stopped before depletion.

Let this oil remind you how to move at a pace that can be sustained, how to take only what allows life to continue, and how to rest in the wholeness of enough.

Where to find Rhododendron Essential Oil

You can find this oil at Plant Therapy and Revive EO.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this honeyed path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to thrive.

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Camille Marie

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Hello Fellow Plant Lover,

I’m excited to bring you this series of articles on rhododendron essential oil! I found some great stories woven about this gorgeous flower that are, to say the least, incredibly memorable.

Rhododendron is so much more than the state flower of Washington and West Virginia. This spectacular flower has been known to crush invading armies on more than one historical occasion! Keep reading to learn more.

We’re now on Pinterest! All of our Essential Oil articles are beautifully archived on themed Pinterest Boards. Come explore the magic →

Mad Honey

Certain rhododendron species produce grayanotoxins—potent neuroactive compounds found in their nectar. When gathered by bees, these compounds pass into the honey, where they can induce disorientation, euphoria, and altered perception. This legendary substance is known as Mad Honey.

This brings us to two fabulous stories from ancient times about this lovely flower and its honey laying waste to invading armies. Both of these stories are a blend of history and myth.

The Ten Thousand: the Original Tale of Mad Honey

This first tale was chronicled by a soldier-philosopher known as Xenophon, in a work entitled Anabasis. Xenophon was a member of this elite group of Greek mercenaries known as the Ten Thousand. His book documents their exploits.

According to Xenophon, the Ten Thousand were hired under false pretense and lured to Persia. They traveled to meet Cyrus the Younger, a Persian prince, believing they were needed to help put down a small rebellion within Cyrus’s territory.

Upon arriving, the Ten Thousand followed Cyrus toward the supposed battleground. It wasn’t until they were enroute that they realized there was no uprising in Cyrus’s territory—they had been duped by the duplicitous prince.

Cyrus revealed his true intention: he had hired the Ten Thousand for a campaign to overthrow his brother and seize control of the Persian crown. They mercenaries were furious but ultimately agreed to continue in exchange for increased pay.

The ploy almost worked. The Ten Thousand went to battle against the Persian King near Babylon. The Greeks won their portion of the battle decisively … but Cyrus, in a moment of reckless courage, charged directly at his brother and was killed.

The Greeks suddenly found themselves deep inside enemy territory without a general or paymaster. They were surrounded by hostile armies, thousands of miles from home.

Thus began the famous Retreat of the Ten Thousand. As the mercenaries fell back toward the Black Sea, they passed through land in Asia-Minor on their way to the Black Sea. The area was thick with rhododendrons—where the local bees produce honey laced with neurotoxin.

The troops found some of this honey on their march … and consumed it.

Not just a handful of soldiers, but the entire army.

Xenophon describes the reactions vividly. Soldiers staggered, collapsed, and vomited. Many were unable to stand. Others exhibited insane behaviors—experiencing extreme vertigo and an altered sense of reality.

In other words, an entire elite mercenary group was high on honey.

The effects lasted for about a day. No one died from the effects. Luckily, they were in an area not patrolled by Persian troops, which meant no drugged-out mercenary found himself impaled on the end of a Perian sword.

After the event, the Ten Thousand rallied themselves and eventually made it home.

The experience of the Ten Thousand was so bizarre—an entire elite army laid flat by a flower—that it entered the cultural imagination. The Greeks described the honey as “maddening honey” or “honey that drives one mad”—which eventually led to the modern-day English nickname of Mad Honey.

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Defeat of Roman Invaders

Years later, another story of Mad Honey emerges in the Kingdom of Pontus, an area east of the Black Sea thick with rhododendron forests—the same region where the Ten Thousand encountered Mad Honey.

Roman forces invaded Pontus in an effort to take over the region. A fierce, semi-nomadic mountain tribe known as the Heptakometes were not welcoming to the invading troops.

Roman scholars describe the Heptakometes as wild, unconquered, living among dangerous cliffs and forests—extremely resistant to foreign rule. They were loyal to the King of Pontus, who at that time was considered Rome’s most dangerous eastern enemy.

Perhaps the story of the Ten Thousand was one that had filtered down through legend and campfire stories among the tribal folk. Whatever the case, the Heptakometes knew they had a secret weapon on their side.

As the story goes, the Heptakometes collected fresh, spring-season combs filled with Rhododendron nectar. They placed these combs along the trail where Roman troops would find them—almost like bait.

The Romans, hungry and unsuspecting, ate the honey. Within minutes to hours, the troops fell into confusion and lost coordination. They vomited, experienced delirium, and collapsed.

The Heptakometes then attacked the incapacitated soldiers, easily defeating them.

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Dissolve Aggression

Invading armies were taken down by this beautiful flower—not through force, but through its ability to dissolve aggression at the root.

Energetically, rhododendron is an ally for moments when heat, tension, or defensiveness cloud your clarity.

Use rhododendron when your own heart feels combative or reactive; use it when a group dynamic is charged, sharp, or edging toward conflict.

Like the ancient stories show, this flower doesn’t overpower—it unravels. It softens the grip of hostility, dissolves the spell of intensity, and returns you (and the collective field) to a state where cooperation, humility, and grounded presence can re-emerge.

Aggression is neutralized without violence.

Where to find Rhododendron Essential Oil

I bought mine at Plant Therapy (free shipping on all orders over $25). You can also purchase it from Revive EO (free shipping on all orders).

Thank you so much for reading and walking this path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden of plant wisdom continue to thrive.

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Camille Marie

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Hello Radiant Powerhouse!

Last week, I talked about Essential Transformations shifting into a fully female-focused offering. This shift is a deep calling to step into service, Sisterhood, and the Divine Feminine.

We are kicking off 2026 with our first live event of the year—a women’s only adventure hike on Valentine’s Day.

Galentine’s Adventure Hike

Roses wilt. Chocolate disappears.

But sisterhood? That shit endures.

Instead of buying into the consumerist fantasy of romantic perfection, we’re gathering to honor the love that already sustains us: friendship, sisterhood, and our living relationship with Mother Nature.

This is our destination—a lovely waterfall in Salt Point State Park of Northern California. We will end the hike with a picnic here:

Can you think of a more picturesque place to share a meal with your fellow trail sisters?

The Details

When: 8:00 am on Saturday, February 14th, 2026

Where: River Road Park n’ Ride in Santa Rosa, California. We will carpool to Stump Beach in Salt Point State Park.

Distance: the hike is approximately 8 miles. We will travel through the forest, along the coast, and end at the waterfall.

Elevation: approximately 1200 vertical feet of climbing. Bring your poles if you like! I never leave home without mine.

Long pants & long sleeves: highly recommended. There is a section of the trail that was pretty overgrown the last time I went there. It’s probably 100 yards of bushwhacking.

Food: pack a lunch to enjoy at the waterfall at the end of the hike.

Cost: Free!

Any questions, feel free to reply to this email or message me directly on Substack. I hope to see you there!

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to thrive.

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Camille Marie

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Hello Radiant Powerhouse! I’m back after a rejuvenating 6-week creative rest period.

While I Was Away…

I took some time for a solo New Year’s Retreat, where I reflected on the past year, set intentions for the coming months … and hiked to some pretty spectacular waterfalls in Oroville, California.

I saw 7 different waterfalls in just 2 days! This one was my favorite—Feather Falls in Plumas National Forest. It’s somewhere between 400 - 640 feet tall, depending on who you’re talking to. It’s one of the largest year-round falls north of Yosemite.

Changes to Essential Transformations

In 2026, Essential Transformations will be shifting into a fully female-focused offering. This shift is a deep calling to step into service, Sisterhood, and the Divine Feminine.

In addition to the regular essential oil deep dives, you’ll start to see women-centered practices, rituals, and guidance for integrating oils into your daily life, along with women-only live events and journeys.

More details are on the brand-new Essential Transformations website!

This project is still evolving, but it feels great to have a permanent virtual home where it can take root and grow. Check it out if you have a moment—the graphics turned out great!

I’m excited to see how this project will continue to evolve. Thanks for being part of the journey!

Embrace Missing Out (EMO for short!)

One of my intentions for 2026 is to step more deeply into a Non-Rushing Lifestyle. This means breaking up with overscheduling and saying Hell Yes! to more blank space on my calendar.

And while this sounds Sexy AF, putting it into practice can present real-life conflict.

I’m not talking about the easy stuff, where No actually means No-Fucking-Way.

Like volunteering at your kiddo’s school play and subjecting yourself to a group of moms who have made bitchiness a team sport. Or going to a work party with sub-par food and tedious hours of small talk with co-workers who aren’t “your people.” (Just because we share a copy machine and a break room doesn’t mean we have anything in common.)

It’s easy to strike this kind of stuff off the calendar.

But what about the stuff you actually want to do?

Over the holidays, I was invited to a birthday hike for a dear friend. I really wanted to go, but it was scheduled for a day already stacked with commitments

I could have made it work. I could have gotten up early, squeezed in the birthday fun, and adjusted my other commitments.

But that would have meant starting my Sunday with an obnoxiously early alarm clock. And a day where I was committed to doing something every moment from dawn to well past dusk.

It also meant I’d carry the buzz of stress in my bones all day and likely miss out on being fully present.

This is what a Rushing Lifestyle looks like. (I know it very well after decades of practice.)

So I made the hard call: I opted to miss out on the birthday hike with my friend. (Who was wonderfully understanding, by the way. Good friends will always support your self-care.)

Forget FOMO - Let’s all EMO!

In other words, I let myself embrace the fact that I was going to miss out on something fun.

But the trade off? I started my Sunday off well-rested, and I had a blast participating in the other activities lined up for the day—which included a cooking session with my mom and daughter, then a trip to a local theatre to see our neighbor perform.

My day was better because I chose the route of Non-Rushing. I wasn’t subjected to the stress of trying to keep up with an overbooked calendar, and thanks to a full night of sleep, I was genuinely energized.

Sometime slowing down means missing out on fun things … and that’s okay.

Because sometimes saying yes to EMO makes everything else come alive.

Introspection Prompt

Where in my life am I still choosing rush over presence? And what would open up for me if I allowed myself to lovingly miss out on something—not as a loss, but as a gift of spaciousness?

Essential Oil Ally for EMO - Petitgrain

Petitgrain is the perfect companion for EMO. This oil allows you to tap into “small grains of truth” in your daily self-care. It clears mental chatter, dissolves overstimulation, and helps you hear the quiet wisdom beneath the noise of urgency.

Petitgrain calms the nervous system and softens the jittery, buzz-in-the-bones stress that shows up when your calendar is too full, or you’re tempted to override your own capacity.

It helps your body shift from I must do everything to I get to choose.

Suggested EMO Rituals with Petitgrain

• Diffuse when your schedule feels too tight or you’re debating whether to add “one more thing.”

• Anoint the heart or wrists and breathe deeply before saying yes (or no).

• Use as a journaling companion with your EMO introspection prompt to uncover what you’re really longing for: rest, presence, sovereignty, or simply more space.

Thank you so much for reading and walking this sacred path with me. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, please subscribe and share—it helps this little garden continue to evolve and thrive.

Subscribe now

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Keep Growing,

Camille Marie

Visit Camille Marie’s Website