How It's Made: CBD & St. John's Wort Massage Oil

Massage and body oils are quite easy to make, very versatile and can be customized for any skin type. The following recipe calls for CBD cannabis, fresh st. john's wort and white willow bark infused oils. Feel free and substitute the above mentioned oils with any herbal infused or non-infused oils of your choice. Use your favorite essential oils to scent this oil or omit them all together.

CBD & St. John's Wort Massage & Body oil
Yield: 28 oz (recipe can be halved)

Ingredients:
16 oz CBD cannabis infused sunflower oil
5 oz jojoba oil
4 oz fresh st. john's wort infused olive oil
2 oz white willow bark infused olive oil
1 oz rose hip seed oil
½ oz vitamin e oil

Optional Essential Blend:
64 drops lavender
52 drops frankincense
52 drops orange
40 drops ylang ylang
11 drops atlas cedar

Pour the CBD infused oil into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Add all the remaining oils into the measuring cup and stir well to combine. Add the essential oils, stir and place a drop of the finished oil onto your skin. Rub the oil into your skin and give it a smell, add more essential oils to your liking if needed. Pour the oil into a quart sized glass jar or fill 9 – 4 oz glass bottles with pumps. Label your oil and store it in a cool, dark place where they will last 6 months – 1 year. Enjoy!

Fresh St. John's Wort infused olive oil is a part of this month's offering. This ruby red medicine is something to behold and carries with it the radiance of the summer sun. Here's what it looked like before I strained and bottled it for use.

CBD Whip Body Butter: How it's Made

This whipped body butter is made with minimal ingredients, comes together easily and requires no heat to make it. The key is to use an electric handheld or stand mixture to achieve a light, smooth and airy texture. This butter can be used as a full body moisturizer, massage balm or a hydrating face and foot cream. It's also a fantastic beard and mustache balm. 

Whipped CBD Body Butter
Yield: Approximately 18 oz

Supplies & Equipment Needed
6.62 oz Raw shea butter
1.5 oz CBD infused jojoba & grapeseed oil
.75 oz olive oil
6 Tbs. arrowroot powder (optional)*
.20 soy free vitamin e oil
Handheld or stand mixer
Large & small bowls
5 - 4 oz glass jars w/lids
Rubber spatula
Kitchen scale
Tablespoon
Label
Pen

Optional Essential Oil Blend
2 tsp orange
1 tsp atlas cedar
½ tsp ylang ylang

Weigh and combine all oils and shea butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or high sided, large bowl. If using large chunks of shea butter, chop into small-medium sized pieces to make initial blending easier. Measure the arrowroot powder, set aside. On low speed, begin to beat and combine the oils and shea butter together. Turn the mixer up to medium - medium/high speed and beat for 1-2 min. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 min., scrape down the bowl and repeat the same process 3 more times.

Add the arrowroot powder a little bit at a time and begin to combine it on low speed, then increase to medium for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and repeat the same process until all the arrowroot is added and well combined. Whip the butter on high speed for 2-4 min., add the essential oils and give one final whip on medium to high speed for 1 min. Add the whipped body butter into the jars, cover and label each jar. Enjoy!

*The addition of arrowroot powder helps to reduce the oily texture when the butter is applied to the skin. It also helps the butter absorb more quickly and improves the overall texture of the final product.  

How to Make a Pain Relief CBD & White Willow Bark Salve

This salve offers soothing pain relief to overworked muscles, achy joints and irritated skin. White Willow a.k.a "Witches Asprin" is a valuable pain reliever and anti inflammatory herb that mingles perfectly with high CBD cannabis. Under used yet highly effective, Cannabis root penetrates deeply and can help alleviate soreness and swelling.

Transcript: Let’s make a pain relief CBD and white willow bark salve. Set yourself up a double boiler. Into the top of the double boiler add CBD cannabis infused oil, cannabis root infused oil and white willow bark infused oil. Then add some beeswax to this mixture and warm this over low to medium heat until the beeswax is fully melted. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a glass measuring cup. Add vitamin E oil and essential oils and stir this up really well. Now pour the warm salve into tins and allow it to fully cool before you cover it. Enjoy! 

Herbs & Magic at Clary Sage Herbarium

*Editors Note: Since the original publication of this review in 2017, Clary Sage Herbarium has relocated across the street from the reviewed location to 2901 NE Alberta st.

I purchased my first Tarot deck when I was a junior in high school and casually conducted readings for myself and close friends. We would light candles, burn incense and ask for answers to our sometimes superficial questions. Although it was fun to employ the Tarot cards as an oracle for the future I felt there was a deeper meaning behind their existence. I had a hunch the cards held ancient and sacred knowledge beyond my initial comprehension. When I later began to study herbalism I sensed that plants, much like the Tarot, harness an age-old wisdom that assists us in understanding ourselves and some of life's greatest mysteries. Plants, magic, and spirituality are undoubtably connected and work in tandem with one another. Herbalist Laurie Lava-Books understands the sacred connection between herbs and magic. She gracefully fuses the two at her quaint apothecary Clary Sage Herbarium located in the hip Alberta Arts district in Portland Oregon.

Laurie's relationship with herbalism began at the tender age of 18 when she purchased her first herbal book, Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Inspired by magic she became enthralled with the connection between plants and the spiritual world. Trips to the annual renaissance fair in Black Hills California motivated her to make herb stuffed amulets and herbal potions. From there she began to craft salves for spiritual healing. In 1992 as her curiosity grew, Laurie slowly became more interested in the use of herbs for physical healing. With her new interest she began to make after care salves for the first all women owned tattoo shop in San Francisco, Black and Blue Tattoo. She naturally progressed toward making tinctures when she received a generous gift of Cannabis leaf from a friend. She then started an herb garden at her home which propelled her further into the study of herbalism. It was a trip to a metaphysical herb shop in Oakland California called Ancient Ways that ignited the drive in Laurie to one day open an herb shop of her own. Laurie opened Clary Sage Herbarium in June of 2012 as a tiny kiosk in a small art space. Since it's humble beginnings the shop has has evolved into a brick and mortar apothecary.

Offerings of organic and ethically wild crafted herbs, teas, high quality herbal remedies, and ritual supplies fill the tidy and cozy space. Glass jars of high quality, organic whole and powdered herbs line one entire wall of the shop. Resins, cosmetic clays, culinary spices, tea blends and dried medicinal mushrooms are nestled among the herbs and all are available by the ounce. Locally made single plant extracts and tincture blends are displayed in a medicine chest near the register. The shops most popular tincture is their Serenity Now blend. Made in house and formulated for symptoms of acute anxiety, "Serenity Now is a powerful herbal formula. It has helped some people get off of their anti-anxiety meds" said Laurie. In addition to Clary Sage Herbarium formulations, herbal extracts from Oregon based companies like Portland Ashwaganda Farm, Eclectic Institute and Herb Pharm are also available. A thoughtful selection of CBD hemp extracts and edibles have become one of the shops most popular items. Natural skin care products, handmade soaps and lotions share space with hand rolled herbal cigarettes, herbal books and ceremonial supplies. The shop also carries an extensive collection of food grade essential and fixed oils, aromatherapy offerings and carefully blended natural perfumes.

A few of my favorite offerings at the shop are the crystals, Tarot decks and other ritual supplies. Crystal and stone pendulums gently hang in a window of the shop above palm sized pieces of Jasper, Labadorite and Amethyst. Large and medium sized crystal spheres absorb the suns light and are complimented by wooden bowls filled with small pocket sized stones. Multiple decks of Tarot cards are showcased with intention and care. Classics like the Rider Waite Smith deck are shelved amongst modern decks like the locally produced Wild Unknown Tarot. Samples of each deck are available for shoppers to view in order to find a deck they resonate with. Candles of many colors and sizes light up the shelves amongst a wide selection of stick, cone and, loose incense. To maintain neutral yet positive energy within the shop a smudging station is located next to the door. Laurie also calls upon the protective energy of her ancestors, plant, and spirt guides to help create a welcoming atmosphere. "Herbs and intention can make a space magical" said Laurie.

Herbalists like Rosemary Gladstar, Margi Flint, 7 Song, Jim McDonald, and Cascade Anderson Geller are among a handful of herbal teachers Laurie holds in high regard. Among these teachers are the trees of Hawthorn and Poplar. With the recent loss of her Mother, Hawthorn has been a powerful heart healing ally for Laurie. Poplar with its protective and uplifting effects continuously offers Laurie valuable insights, healing medicine and inspiration for future herbal endeavors. Set to launch later this year, Laurie has begun to focus her efforts on her latest project Two Spirit Medicinals, a line of herbal tinctures for spiritual healing. "The Two Spirits have always been the medicine keepers, healers, and shamans in the native community" said Laurie. "The name is my way to honor that." Some of the tinctures that Laurie has created over the years for Clary Sage Herbarium, like “Serenity Now”, have been reformulated and will become part of the Two Spirit line.

Plants and their connection to the etheric realms have the capacity to inspire and heal deeply. Clary Sage Herbarium is a testament to this very inspiration and is one of my favorite apothecaries in Portland. A valuable source of high quality organic, wildcrafted herbs and herbal preparations, ritual supplies and more, Clary Sage Herbarium is a destination for anyone with an interest in herbalism, healing, and magic. For a full listing of their offerings and access to their blog head to www.clarysageherbarium.com.

Clary Sage Herbarium

2901 NE Alberta St.

Portland, OR 97211

Current Hours: Mon-Sun: 10am-6pm

Email: clarysageherbarium@gmail.com

Phone: 503.236.6737

Website: www.clarysageherbarium.com

Two Spirit Medicinals

Website: www.twospiritmedicinals.com

By Public Transportation:

MAX Light Rail - Yellow Line

Bus Line - 72

www.trimet.org for schedules and stop locations

Main Ways by Bike:

Eastbank Esplanade

Waterfront Bike Path

Tillikum Crossing

www.traillink.com for trail maps and descriptions

Find my review of The Herb Shoppe Pharmacy , here!