Local Threads

This week’s episode is with Stephanie Hardie the alchemist of Gate & Garden Herbals. If you are a local you have surely stumbled upon her offerings across multiple stores and pop ups she does throughout the season from Salem to Marshfield. Stephanie is a steward of the land and a community builder that is rooted in her soul’s purpose. 
Where to find our guest:
Summer garden party FREE:
Summer Garden Party RSVP
Schedule of Earthwoven Community  Events: 
https://www.gateandgardenherbals.com/events-and-experiences
Classes/workshops/Learning opportunities: 
https://www.gateandgardenherbals.com/wild-heart-herbalism-courses
General website/apothecary shoppe: 
https://www.gateandgardenherbals.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gateandgardenherbals/


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Local Threads is produced, edited, and hosted by Molly Rae
Info@localthreadspodcast.com for inquiries
Music by: Moby Gratis

Creators and Guests

Host
Molly Rae

What is Local Threads?

Local Threads is a storytelling podcast documenting the voices of New England's creative community. Artists, organizers, and culture makers who shape spaces, movements, and shared experiences.

Molly:

Welcome to this week's episode of Local Threads. I'm Molly, your host. And this week, I'm sitting down with Stephanie Hardie, the alchemist behind Gate and Garden Herbals. If you're a local, you surely stumbled upon her offerings across multiple stores and pop ups she does throughout the season from Salem to Marshfield. Stephanie is a steward of the land and a community builder that's rooted in her sole purpose.

Molly:

Be sure to stick around to the end to hear about free events that are coming up in the next week. Welcome to the podcast. For the second time, thank you for rerecording.

Stephanie:

Oh, thank you.

Molly:

Course. Not gonna be any cats throwing up in the background this time.

Stephanie:

I'm a little upset.

Molly:

I know. We'll just start the episode with that. I

Stephanie:

am pleased to be back.

Molly:

You've been doing a lot. I have. So you are a born and raised Massachusetts. How do you say it? Is it Massachusetts?

Molly:

I don't know. I just made that word up.

Stephanie:

I don't know either, which is upsetting. Yes and no. So I was born here in Massachusetts, but my dad was in the military. So we moved around a lot. But I ended up back here after my dad retired.

Stephanie:

So I've lived in Massachusetts the longest out of anywhere that I've lived, but I haven't been here, like, through and through my entire life forever Yeah. Having never have left.

Molly:

I wanted to have you on the podcast. One, I love everything that you sell, but, also, you have created this third space for people to enjoy Yeah. What you offer, and that is very much practical magic in real life with your studio or not studio. Is it what do you call it? A studio or a shop?

Stephanie:

Sometimes I'll call it, like, the apothecary.

Molly:

Sometimes I'll

Stephanie:

call it the shop.

Molly:

That that word gets me sometimes. So We we can say shop. Shop is fine. Apothecary. I did it.

Molly:

You nailed it. Sometimes I get real stomped on that, and I don't know why. It's like my brain glitches. But I got the chance to go to one of your earth woven gatherings, and I went to your garden party, which those are free.

Stephanie:

Garden parties are just totally free.

Molly:

Okay. You just show up. Oh, $10 for a drink. If you want. Yeah.

Stephanie:

But there

Molly:

But you don't have to.

Stephanie:

There's other free refreshments. Yeah. But if you want to patronize another local business, then you have that choice.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

But, yeah, the garden parties are just totally free. I I feel really lucky and really privileged in, like, the little piece of land that I have the privilege of stewarding. And we've tried really hard to make it sort of fun and magical and

Molly:

It is.

Stephanie:

Rewild it and to yeah. Just steward it responsibly and with care and devotion. And so, you know, I'm in the suburbs of Boston, so I'm not on, like, this acreage. Mhmm. But it's, yeah, like, a third of an acre that we have gardens and chickens and a greenhouse and my apothecary shop.

Stephanie:

And so it's always just such a source of of wonder Yeah. For me. And so, you know, I really felt this hole in this level of importance to create more of what I want in the world. Like, I want places where people and humans can be human. You know?

Stephanie:

They can create and laugh and connect with nature and make arts and crafts and sing and tell stories and poetry and take their shoes off. Yeah. And just, you know, kind of have, yeah, that that third space where there's little pressure to do anything other than just be a human that's alive and enjoy very human things. And I a couple started a couple years ago. I started with the garden party first, and I, like, looked at my boyfriend Pete, I was like, I have this crazy idea.

Stephanie:

And when I say that, he knows. And he's just like, oh, no. What is it? I'm like, no. No.

Stephanie:

No. It's not it's not that crazy. But what if what if we had, like, a big, like, almost like adult tea party Mhmm. In the backyard? And I just said, whoever wants to come can come.

Stephanie:

And I'll make a bunch of food from the garden, and maybe we'll have some friends, you know, like, either, like, play music or have other little, like, pop up shops or something because why not? And he was like, oh, that's not your worst idea. You've had stranger for sure. So, yeah, let's do it. And I had no expectations.

Stephanie:

Right? I was like, I don't know who's gonna come to this. But I put it out there, and this was probably, like, three three or four years ago at this point. And, I was just like, yeah. If people can just, like, RSVP just so I know how much food to make Yeah.

Stephanie:

Again, you don't have to pay anything. You just show up. Just get your body there. And, like, 40 people came.

Molly:

Yeah. And that's hard to do just having a party with your friends.

Stephanie:

Yeah. And I was like, that's stupendous. Yeah. And so I really feel like the it's, like, palpable. Like, I feel like the human ache and desire for these things, for these experiences, for this connection, and not everyone has the time, capacity, place, resources to to do that or to organize that.

Stephanie:

And I do. Yeah. So why wouldn't I do that?

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

And it's just transformed into such a beautiful thing. So now we have I do the garden party. Last year, I did one in the summer and one in the fall, which I'll probably do again this year. Again, those are free. Just show up.

Stephanie:

And then I have the seasonal earthwoven, like, community rituals or gatherings, where that's a smaller container. Those are paid, but that just covers, like, cost of food and material cost if we're doing, like, a craft. And I pay the co facilitators that I bring in

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

So that they get compensated for their time.

Molly:

Yeah. I love the one that I went to because we we made those wreaths. Yeah. I don't wanna say they were made out of sticks, but I don't know the word. They're like the

Stephanie:

oh, those were like the, like, the grapevine

Molly:

Yeah. Vine grape

Stephanie:

that we, like, cut into moons. Right? Yeah. Yeah.

Molly:

Which mine was a little wonky, but I still loved it. It was so fun. I laughed so hard because I think that was the first time I ever hung out with you. And I didn't realize your sense of humor was so like mine. And I was, like, dying.

Molly:

It was so funny. And and I love that. I just and you also inspired me to try to figure out, okay. I have a little bit of land. How do I garden Yeah.

Molly:

On this? So that's definitely been rolling around in my mind. Like, I gotta get this going.

Stephanie:

Yeah. I mean, honestly, having a a garden is never a bad idea.

Molly:

And, also, I love how welcoming all the the plants and and everything that you have there, it's so refreshing because everybody has the same, like not I mean, I guess housing is different here in New England because the houses are old. They're not like cookie cutter subdivisions. Yeah. But it can feel like that when all the houses are white. Right.

Molly:

Yeah. There's not really nobody really has time or money to deal with plants Mhmm. All the time. But it doesn't have to be expensive.

Stephanie:

No. And that's what I love And about it can but it it can be as big or as little as you want it to be. I think that's just such the beauty of it. Like, it it gives such flexibility, and it's so fluid in that way. Like, growing you know, a garden can be anything from two pots on your urban balcony Yeah.

Stephanie:

At your apartment, or gardening can be acreage and everything and anything in between. And Yeah. I think one of the biggest compliments is when I get a comment like that where it's like, oh, you inspired me.

Molly:

Yeah. I need to grow food. And and also eating the food that you make, it's always so good. And you also make jams too. Right?

Stephanie:

I make everything. We grow a ton of stuff, and we preserve a ton of stuff. And last year, we finished it, like, right at the end of the year, so we didn't really get it out there. But this year, I'm excited because we built a little, like, rollaway farm stand that we can that we're gonna roll to the end of my driveway just with any of, like, the extra stuff, just for, like, the people that walk in our neighborhood or, like, our neighbors. They can just swing by and, like you know, if I'm, I have 47 zucchinis.

Stephanie:

What do I do? Yeah. You know? Like, one of our neighbors can just come by and grab one. So I was super excited for that.

Stephanie:

I wanna do that

Molly:

too because I think that's a piece of community that, at least in my life, very much opportunity to share in the way of, like, food or resources the way I feel like that it should community should be.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of those things that I just feel is, like, deeply human and, like, deeply ingrained in our humanness. Like, sharing a meal together and, like, sharing food resources is, again, just such a deeply human thing.

Stephanie:

And Yeah. In our hyper individualized Western world paradigm, we're so far removed from that, which is strange because, like, that happened objectively, like, in not a long amount of time. Yeah. Like, my my grandparents like, my grandfather was, like, a really big gardener and grew a lot of their food growing up. My parents have no idea how to grow anything.

Stephanie:

So, like, for some of us within two generations, that severance happened. So objectively, again, not a long amount of time, but that would have been something that would have been incredibly normalized and isn't anymore.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah. It's it's bizarre. I've been I I just bought a a vehicle off marketplace because I'm like, I wanna get back into having a good tool set, having garden things to do even though my yard is very small. Just looking at, like, getting some raised beds and just getting back into learning to crochet, learning to knit, learning all these things that generations before us already knew how to do.

Molly:

And some people still did, and that's great. But I think I learned to crochet for, like, five minutes with my great grandma. And then I thought I forgot it, but then when I picked it up again, it was interesting It makes motion. Mhmm. I was really young.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

I think that's such a great point to highlight, and I wanna I wanna chew on that for a second because I think that's true for so many things. And, like, I know it in my own body. I observe it in other people's when I do the work that I do, and, like, I see it broad spectrum, like, in humanity too. Like, these things exist in us. You know, from my lens as an herbalist, this looks like inherent connection with land or with nature, and, like, all of us have that.

Stephanie:

That's a birthright that we all have, and it quite literally lives in our DNA. I think we even, like, texted about this a little bit. And even if we've kind of forgotten because we've forgotten or because larger systems want us to forget

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

It's so easy to remember. Yeah. And all you have to do is just, like, go outside. Mhmm. You know?

Stephanie:

And it's like like how you remember that you can crochet. Once you just, like, picked up the are they needles? Crochet needles? Is that correct?

Molly:

Those, like, the sticks?

Stephanie:

Yeah. Yeah. The sticks. Sorry. You're like, oh my god.

Stephanie:

I kinda remember how to do this. Oh, this feels familiar. And, like It did.

Molly:

It felt really very familiar, and it was really kinda surreal, actually.

Stephanie:

Because I'm

Molly:

like, I can do this really fast. So you give me two knitting needle needles, and I'm like, I don't know. That's too much. It's exciting and I and super necessary because everything's so digital.

Stephanie:

Yeah.

Molly:

Everything that we buy is wrapped in plastic anyway. Might as well just grow it in the PFAS soil.

Stephanie:

I know. I know. And, yeah. That's, like, a discussion that I have a lot of the times too, not only, like, with myself, but, like, if I have any clinical clients. It's like, okay.

Stephanie:

What what is worth worrying about? At one at what point does the stress of worrying about all of the things override the, you know, the net positive of just, like, trying to to do stuff? You know? And for me, it's always just more of an importance of just, like, the the revival or or just the maintaining of the lives of these sort of ancestral crafts, like growing our food or crocheting or sewing or knitting or, you know, whatever. Again, just kind of, like, for the sake of humanity.

Stephanie:

I I think, you know, we're in a place where we can't escape a lot of our modern technology in a way, and we probably won't be able to. And if there is some sort of catastrophic event that allows that, I I might not be here to witness or experience it. But it's just yeah. It's important to still hold on to these things, or if there's a way to integrate so that these things can, like, live together so that we don't you know, we we have technology for what it's beautiful for. Mhmm.

Stephanie:

And we don't completely lose sight of, again, what it means to, like, be a human Yeah. In the process.

Molly:

The good parts. Yeah. As I was watching a show the other day as I do on the couch, and I honestly, I was playing a video game. My husband was watching the show. But I noticed in that moment because it was set in, like, the late eighties, early nineties, or somewhere in the nineties.

Molly:

I don't know. Dotcomair just before the .com era. And this particular character was saying goodbye to her mentor because she had bought an Airstream, and she was going to go live in the woods. And I just remember goodbyes don't mean anything anymore. You know?

Molly:

Like, you're everybody's so accessible. So, like, when you say goodbye or give somebody a hug, it doesn't carry that same emotional weight. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Stephanie:

It should. Right.

Molly:

And it should. Because I don't like, we shouldn't be able to see each other every second of every day. Like, you know what I mean? Like Right. It's it's bizarre.

Molly:

And I I was like, oh, man. Remember when you said goodbye to your, like, friend from camp or or, like or they were moving from school and you Yeah. Got moving to a different state, and they're like, oh, we'll call. But, you know, and the call never came.

Stephanie:

Or maybe it did for a while and then, like, eventually time flies by. Yeah. Yeah. You're so right. That's a really great point.

Stephanie:

I feel like that's a piece that I haven't thought about, but it it totally ties in. And I think the accessibility piece is is big. You know? I mean, this shows up a lot in, like, corporate America or, like, you know, the capitalist productivity world where it's like, okay. We're expected to be reachable at all hours of the day.

Stephanie:

And it's like, that has never been a thing.

Molly:

No. It's not.

Stephanie:

But that's that was never a thing.

Molly:

Yeah. You know? And I'm I want a landline so bad, but I wanna turn off the ringer. You know? Someone's ring during certain set hours.

Molly:

Again, boundaries. Just gonna leave the ringer off, and I'm gonna be like, okay. Who called me today?

Stephanie:

Have you seen that meme where it's like, if you wanna reach me, you can send a pigeon into the woods?

Molly:

Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. It's but, yeah, you give that you give people the opportunity to get together in in an environment that they've always wanted to get into or maybe they have had or or just wanna try, and I think that's great. And especially because third spaces have been priced out for people.

Molly:

Mhmm. Like, everybody used to have, like, I don't know. Just really didn't happen where I'm from because I lived in Styx, but people had, like, I don't know, bowling leagues or something after work. Yeah. I felt like you know what else?

Molly:

Because I've been recording so much, I can't tell if I've had this

Stephanie:

conversation before. Don't you hate it? Don't you hate that?

Molly:

Or even if I had the conversation or if I was and this is the other problem. I got I've got to get out of the Internet. I don't sometimes I just don't know. Did I watch that or did I have that conversation? You know what

Stephanie:

I mean?

Molly:

Mhmm. It's probably a me thing. I'm chronically online, and it's stuff it's me. I wanna make sure I share all of the things that everything's going on around here, but I can't. Anyway, back to so you have several pillars that are part of gate and garden.

Molly:

Mhmm. We touched on the third space portion and the, parties that you have. Tell us about us. It's so creepy sounding.

Stephanie:

Tell the class. No.

Molly:

I'm just kidding. Me and

Stephanie:

The six people that'll listen to this.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah. Literally. Literally. About the other other parts of your I don't wanna say business because I feel like saying business cheapens everything that you do.

Stephanie:

I appreciate that. Thank you. I guess yeah. And sometimes even I struggle to, like like, define myself or what I offer, I guess, or, like I often just refer to it as, like, my work. And maybe that Yeah.

Stephanie:

Does too because that has, like, a connotation of productivity where I mean it more as, like, devotion.

Molly:

Yeah. Your

Stephanie:

mission. Work is my devotion.

Molly:

Even mission is kind of weird too sometimes.

Stephanie:

Yeah. So sometimes I struggle to, like, self define. But, yeah, I there's quite a lot of things that I do under the umbrella that is Gate and Garden, which I've put all of my stuff under. But, again, these these are just things that I would do in my life anyways. So, yeah, I have the the earth woven gatherings.

Stephanie:

I have clinical practice where I work as a clinical herbalist, you know, one on one with clients with a variety of health concerns. That's not, like, the biggest part of what I do, but it's definitely something that I can and sometimes do. I make products which range from holistic health remedies to sort of more witchy leaning ritual items. And this year, for the first year ever, I am doing a really big learn herbalism program and mentorship, which I think is really cool because it's a big sort of choose your own adventure Mhmm. Program where if you want to learn herbalism, I have an online virtual program that you can do so anybody anywhere in the world can do it.

Stephanie:

Or I'm also offering two full weekend in person intensives. So you can, like, come to my house where, again, I have my full apothecary, my full production space, my full shop, and all of the gardens from which I make all of those products. And we will work together in a really small group and container, like hands in the dirt quite literally so you can learn how to make your own herbal medicines. You can learn about the plants. You can connect with them in a way that's more than just, you know, a use because I think herbal medicine is more than just that.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

So I'm really excited about that. We're starting that. The online program begins in May, and then the first weekend intensive is in June.

Molly:

Nice. Very excited. Congratulations. I know that took

Stephanie:

a lot of hard work. It yes.

Molly:

Especially a choose your own adventure because that that takes a lot of preplanning and thought to make sure that it's cohesive for the user experience.

Stephanie:

Yeah. It is. But I really it was important to me to make something that was accessible for different types of learners because that's a big, you know, consideration, I think. You know? And, obviously, I can't offer everything to everyone in the, you know, their most perfect way possible.

Stephanie:

Mhmm. But, you know, if you're somebody that learns better through hands on work which, again, I think I would argue is the best way

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

To learn herbalism. You know, you can only get so far by looking at a slideshow or reading about it in a book. But Mhmm. To know the plants truly and to make good medicines and to have a good connection, again, is to sit with them, like, in real life. Yeah.

Stephanie:

But I wanted the program to be accessible because I also know that people have limitations. Yeah. You know, life exists. So, like, people can't always come out to my little homestead in New England for a weekend or two to do stuff. So hopefully, is a way where it bridged some gaps.

Stephanie:

And if you were looking to learn from me, with me, alongside me, together with other folks, there'd be a number of opportunities to do that.

Molly:

Yeah. Now you've touched on some words that might give people the if they don't know you, which is homestead. Sure. Yeah. Yeah.

Molly:

Herbalism. Yep. Right? Yep. And I know that when we talked before, we talked a lot about how you source all of your plants locally.

Molly:

Yep. How you don't get into sacred practices of other

Stephanie:

What's the word? Cultures?

Molly:

Cultures. Gosh. My brain. You guys. Where's where's the podcast?

Molly:

She passed away.

Stephanie:

She passed away. Funny bone.

Molly:

She's passed on. I just put water all over my mind.

Stephanie:

This is my podcast now.

Molly:

I'm just kidding. Yeah. It's yours now. Just kidding. I need to put a a will in.

Molly:

The podcast goes to Garden. Good luck. Best wishes.

Stephanie:

Unfortunately, you would no. None of you would ever hear any other idea. I don't know how any

Molly:

of this works. Literally same. But yeah. No. I'll cut back.

Molly:

Molly later cut back to

Stephanie:

Yeah. We we said some words that might

Molly:

words in regards to how MAHA make America healthy again can turn away people from learning good plant medicine and also the whole appropriation of different cultures through that and also just bad information that's out there that's become the the zeitgeist for that that well, every subculture or Anything.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Yeah. This is a perpetual thorn in my side. Yeah. Yeah.

Stephanie:

So, again, I think it's unfortunate that these things have been co opted, not only because, obviously, again, this is a field that I am heavily devoted to and I love and I believe in, but also because well, it just sucks. Yeah. All all around every way about it just sucks. Yeah. So I think the the division for me comes down to reciprocity and respect and the removal of exploitation, which I think is maybe sort of like a for some, a bit of a philosophical division in the way that they think about these things.

Stephanie:

But I think if you are coming at herbal medicine as I'm entitled to use this plant, and I read that turmeric is good for inflammation, and so I'm gonna do that. Or I see that this is a field that is growing in popularity, and I think there's a market here for a quick easy dollar because I'm an influencer, and I can hawk a $70 shitty supplement. Can I swear on this podcast? Of course.

Molly:

Okay. I can perform rituals on this podcast.

Stephanie:

After I said it. So if you're coming at it from that lens, I think that's And also, like That's a problem. Right? Like, that's an ethical problem.

Molly:

Yeah. And then also the the essential oil MLM community where you you know, I've bought from I don't even remember the name.

Stephanie:

There's Young Living. There's GoTerra. That one. Yep. There's quite a few of them.

Molly:

And I didn't know. Well, right.

Stephanie:

Because they have these incredible, like, marketing campaigns that are like

Molly:

Yeah. What do you mean it's 40 for this little tiny thing?

Stephanie:

And you don't even know Must be good. You know? There's a lot of layers there. And again, I think that comes down to exploitation. Right?

Stephanie:

Yeah. Exploitation on like, preying on people's misery and their pain points and trying to make a quick buck by selling them something that they think is gonna fix them. It's exploitation of the plants because things like that are procured through monocropping that just destroys ecosystems.

Molly:

What is monocropping?

Stephanie:

It's basically when, like, large swaths of land are planted with a singular crop. Okay. And then oftentimes just replanted and replanted.

Molly:

The way we do agriculture in America.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Yes. How we got the dust bollocks, you know, essentially. Like, you've stripped the land of any nutrients. Yeah.

Stephanie:

There's no reciprocity in the land. There's no diversity. You've upset every single ecological check and balance that exists. Yeah. You know?

Stephanie:

So and also,

Molly:

I mean and I say this because I am including myself. There's a we come from a culture of, like, we're all kind of a little bit of a sucker in the end, you know, because we grew up on the infomercial era.

Stephanie:

Sure.

Molly:

And, you know, it must be great because it was made in America. You know? Like, I don't know at what point that was, like, that seed was planted. Like, I just remember that was it's not like someone said, oh, everything's better because made in America. But, like, you know, that seed was planted at some point.

Molly:

Made in America. Like, don't before we even born. Yeah. I'm

Stephanie:

sure. American propaganda has existed forever.

Molly:

Oh, yeah. For sure. So I just wish we weren't part of the consumption era. You know?

Stephanie:

Jesus. Yeah. There's obviously been changes throughout throughout time. But I think, like, the tenant is the same. Right?

Stephanie:

Like, that American propaganda And then you tenants of it are the same.

Molly:

Just, like, automatically believe, oh, it must be fine.

Stephanie:

And you wanna believe it. Right? Like, you want to I think as humans, we're like, we really want to give the benefit of the doubt and, like, believe the best in people and in institutions, and it's really earth shattering when you find out

Molly:

that you can't do

Stephanie:

that. Yeah. But

Molly:

Yeah. It is what it is.

Stephanie:

So yeah. So there's there's a lot of

Molly:

Especially now when if you don't know an MLM is bad, I don't know what to tell you now. Like, there's all these available resources and Internet and scandals and Yeah. There's, like, documentaries. Like, documentaries.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Wasn't there one on oh my god. What was that, like, legging Company? Lula Rae?

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

Like a big Netflix talk about that?

Molly:

Yeah. Prime, I think. Oh, I think they still exist, which is even more diabolical. I'm sure they But it's like Well, like,

Stephanie:

women still exist.

Molly:

They've changed their model somehow. I don't know.

Stephanie:

I don't even I don't even I don't even know. Yeah. So yeah. So there's there's definitely that sect of herbalism, which is unfortunate. Again, that is to be very clear if you haven't gathered by now, not Not your body.

Stephanie:

Where I come from

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

In in my herbalism practice. My herbalism practice is very much rooted in animism and the belief, again, that sort of, you know, all things on this planet are sacred and that all of them are worthy of respect and reciprocity simply because they exist. That's true for plants, animals, creatures, humans, what have you, and things should be treated as such. And when you have the land as your compass like that, it makes it a lot more challenging to do the shitty things like exploitation because you're seeing this as, you know, the mugwort is my sister. The elder tree is my mom.

Stephanie:

Mhmm. I wouldn't do that to things that I love. Yeah. So and that's another reason why I think and why I'm so adamant about reconnecting people to land because I think that's one of the first things that empire stole from all of us. Right?

Stephanie:

Like, it stripped our connection to land, and it othered that, and it positioned us as outsiders and separate from the land. And, obviously, there's, like, a lot in there too that I'm not getting into with, like Culture. Indigenous culture. And so that's a piece I'm not purposely not naming that. That's just I could be here for nine hours.

Stephanie:

Yeah. So that's a big thing that sort of these oppressive systems stripped and stole from us. And I think that's such a foundational thing to reconnect so that we can make progress with the more higher tier things. You know? It's like it's harder to act or behave certain ways towards people if we're not even, like, looking at ourselves or the land as, like, an autonomous sovereign being worthy of respect.

Stephanie:

Does that make sense? Yeah. So I think it's so important to to do the work of, you know, reconnecting yourself with the land, which, again, quite literally is just as simple as, like, going outside and, like, learning the names of some plants that grow near you or Yeah. Just looking at the trees for two minutes at the star and just wondering about them with curiosity. So, basically, you you're like someone

Molly:

who gathers people together. And you also I mean, you're kind of doing organic chemistry.

Stephanie:

Yeah. I'm like the closest thing to an alchemist that exists in real life, I think, which is pretty cool. I love that word. Pretty cool. Yeah.

Molly:

Yeah. It is it is awesome.

Stephanie:

All I've ever aspired to be was, like, that weird you know when you read a fairy tale Mhmm. And you have the princess and you have prince, and you have the king and the castle, and then you have, like, that weird, crooked old lady at the forest with the house made of bones and weird stuff? That's who I've always aspired to be. You know? Like, I didn't care about being the princess.

Stephanie:

Whatever. Yeah. I wanted to be her. And I think I'm real close. That's cool for me.

Stephanie:

Just to go

Molly:

ahead and say you are because Real cool. You're, like, living it every day. And that's exciting because you're pretty young, I'd say.

Stephanie:

I'll take it.

Molly:

Yeah. Well, I mean, to have achieved something that you've always wanted to do or be.

Stephanie:

It's funny to hear it put that way, actually,

Molly:

because I

Stephanie:

don't know if I've ever people ask that sometimes. Like, oh, is this what you actually, the last Earthwoven for spring, one of the attendants was like, oh, is this what you've always wanted to do? And I, like, had to think about it for a second. And I was like, well, in a way, no. But also in a way, yes.

Stephanie:

Mhmm. And it took me such a weird, windy way to get here. Yeah. And I didn't know that this is what I wanted to be. Mhmm.

Stephanie:

And that's changing all the time.

Molly:

Yeah. I'm like Yeah.

Stephanie:

But this feels like what I meant to be Yeah. If that makes sense without getting too, like, oh

Molly:

No. About it. No. I love it. Yeah.

Molly:

It's kinda crazy to look back or see someone else's point of view too. Because you see so many people that have a business and and they have a brand, quote, unquote, which feels very much separate. But at least for everybody that I've talked to, they've very much been the personification that they've the person has come before the brand, and the brand is like a a just another living part of them in words and shapes and colors and ethos. And I love that. That's what's been really exciting about all of this.

Molly:

And also seeing you in your element when we were doing, like, the meditation. I think the rose was the plant that you were teaching us about. And I've always wanted to know, like, wanted to know or be more be one of those people that could point out plants. Like, I I know a couple. Mhmm.

Molly:

But that's about it. Like, if I had to forage, I'm dead. I'm dead. That's not my apocalypse skill. I'm still trying to figure out what my apocalypse skill is.

Stephanie:

Not everyone can have every apocalypse skill.

Molly:

But I need something. I need some I don't have one. There's not gonna be a radio. Maybe I need to figure out how to make a ham radio. I don't know.

Molly:

Would that even exist? I don't know. I gotta find

Stephanie:

my You're you're so good at so many things. I feel like there's there's so much opportunity there.

Molly:

Just give me a hammer.

Stephanie:

What you want.

Molly:

Maybe MacGyver. I could do that. Hey. It's probably.

Stephanie:

You know what?

Molly:

But I can't I can't I'll I'll kill everybody if I if we have to eat off the

Stephanie:

food I find. That's okay. I will volunteer as your apocalypse Nice. Forger. Nice.

Stephanie:

During COVID, it was like a I mean, I say it was like a joke because, like, kind of it was, but kind of it wasn't. Like, my parents were like, oh my god. If everything really explodes, you're such an asset. You're super so lucky. Literally.

Stephanie:

Like I was like, guys, I can tell you what plants you can use for toilet paper if there's none left. Drop it now. It's mullein. You can use mullein leaves. They're so soft.

Molly:

Can't you smoke those? You can. For your lungs?

Stephanie:

You can. But it's big, broad, fuzzy leaves. One of its, like, colloquial terms is cowboy toilet paper. Really? Because if you're in a bind, my friends, if you're in a bind.

Stephanie:

What's some other, like,

Molly:

fun facts? I know you got a bunch.

Stephanie:

Oh my god. That's so hard because I feel like there's probably so many. Well, like, what?

Molly:

So we got the Apocalypse toilet papers mulling.

Stephanie:

Yep. What about a little snack? A little snack. This isn't, like, true across the board. Like, there's obviously deviations from this.

Stephanie:

But, like, as a as a super general rule of thumb, if you're, like, looking around for berries, like, like, forested regions or areas, like, single berries are usually a no no.

Molly:

Yeah. I learned that when I was little.

Stephanie:

Groups of berries are usually safer. So, like, if you look at, like, the structure of, like, a blackberry

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

Looks really different than, like, the structure of, like, a belladonna berry. Right?

Molly:

Are those the ones that you squish and it's, like, purple stains your hands?

Stephanie:

Those are poke berries.

Molly:

Okay. So I Which also is a is a is a

Stephanie:

no no. Yeah. It's To a degree.

Molly:

I didn't eat it.

Stephanie:

To a degree.

Molly:

But my mom thought I did because I smeared it all over my face. Beautiful. Yeah. It was a mess.

Stephanie:

The most fantastic lipstick and blush nature has to offer. Literally.

Molly:

It's deep stain. She was, like, freaking out as one probably would.

Stephanie:

Right.

Molly:

And, you know, I just was always outside, and I missed that. I was like, literally, my playtime was I would go outside. We I lived in the middle of nowhere in

Stephanie:

the woods. Thinking back, this gives me the ick because I

Molly:

could never do this now. But the grass is really high because, you know, you bail it for hay.

Stephanie:

Oh, yeah.

Molly:

And so what do I do? What's fun for me? I'm gonna crawl through the grass on my hands and knees.

Stephanie:

Of course. Ticks be the worst.

Molly:

Yeah. Ticks, chiggers, the worst. Huge king snakes. And this is in Louisiana. There's too

Stephanie:

many. There's too many no nos.

Molly:

And I'm, like, crawling through making a maze Yeah. Out of this grass.

Stephanie:

Peak childhood. Freak. Peak childhood.

Molly:

Couldn't do that now.

Stephanie:

Obviously didn't know. You know? Like Had no fears. No. The ignorance of childhood

Molly:

is so blissful. 10 foot king snake right around the thing, which also is not poisonous.

Stephanie:

But even if you knew, you'd probably be like, that's cool. That's a snake. Whatever. Like, kids just don't care.

Molly:

Until I got chased by this one snake. I don't know what they're called, but they, like, stand up like like a cobra and chase you. I think they're called, like, Blue Racers or something.

Stephanie:

Where? In Louisiana.

Molly:

Uh-huh. Oh. Terrifying. Because it it reminded me of the snake from Robin Hood, the cartoon. Yeah.

Molly:

It was like him.

Stephanie:

Oh my gosh.

Molly:

But scary as hell.

Stephanie:

That's that is terrifying. That is terrifying.

Molly:

And then I got my ass kicked by a chicken. A rooster, actually.

Stephanie:

Oh, that makes sense, though. I got

Molly:

to do fun stuff, like hide in the woods and, you know, I just miss that. I know. And I

Stephanie:

I again, even if there's, like, those things where it's like, oh, you know, I probably shouldn't have been, like, rolling around in a sea of ticks. Yeah. I think there's something so wondrous about being, again, just like an ignorantly blissful child.

Molly:

Yeah. Like,

Stephanie:

with the, you know, the bodily freedom and, like, the mind freedom of being able to just roll around in

Molly:

the grass and being like, this is so great. Or even, like, that movie Stand By Me is so nostalgic

Stephanie:

Oh, yeah.

Molly:

In the way of, like, just disappearing. He's

Stephanie:

like, just getting into stuff. Just disappearing for a while.

Molly:

On foot. You know? You have no plans. You don't know where you're going. You might have a loose plan, but, like, it's not gonna go that way.

Molly:

Right. And it's gonna be epic and memorable, and the summer sun's gonna be so amazing. I can, like, see it. You know? And then the the cicadas are loud, and oh my god.

Molly:

I can't wait for summer. Sorry.

Stephanie:

That's it'll be it'll be nice. It's funny. I was just talking to a friend about those two. Like Twenty days. I I know.

Stephanie:

Don't stop. It's so mean. Why do we live here? Just I love it. I was just talking to a friend about, like, before AllTrails came out, which is like a The app?

Stephanie:

The app. Yeah. Yeah. That you can use without service. I would just, like, go for a walk, like, in, like, a forest or like a park or whatever, like, the big ones.

Stephanie:

And because I'm me, I would never stay I on the would like see a plant or I'd see like a bird, and I'd be like, oh my god. That's a a type of red I've never seen before. I have to go look at it. And suddenly, now I'm five miles off trail. I have quite literally no idea where I am.

Stephanie:

And much to my parents' chagrin, my mom's like, have to get you, like, an air tag something. Because Yeah. You get lost. I have no sense of direction too, by the way, which is hilarious. And I'd be gone for, like, six hours just, like

Molly:

Wandering around. Feel like

Stephanie:

you could, like, you could, like, microdose that experience in, like, safer ways now. So maybe we do that. Right? Like and I think this is this is using technology for good.

Molly:

I'm gonna go get lost with Stephanie. So Yeah.

Stephanie:

And then if we have to, we can pull up the old trails and find our way back.

Molly:

I know directions.

Stephanie:

So good. Because I don't.

Molly:

At least I don't know. It's a vibe. I'm like, okay. I feel like this is the way. It's usually right.

Stephanie:

I don't know. A woman's intuition. Yeah.

Molly:

It's like, I do have photographic memory when it comes to directions.

Stephanie:

Oh, see, that's great. I don't have that. I just I just go.

Molly:

I think it's trauma.

Stephanie:

And then I say, oops. Now I'm where am I?

Molly:

Let's go back to how this all started. Yeah. I think the last time we talked, you had, kind of discovered herbalism through autoimmune.

Stephanie:

Yeah. In part. I I came to my herbalism path through a very sort of, like, forked initiation. That was part of it. So I have a couple of, like, autoimmune conditions that weren't surprise, being served very well by conventional Western medicine, not a full dig on it.

Stephanie:

Like, we need that stuff, obviously. I'm not, like, one of those people that are like, don't go to the doctor. Which is

Molly:

also a stigma in that

Stephanie:

Right. I'm not gonna say that, but exactly. I just didn't feel like I was receiving any meaningful support. So I was just kind of looking for what other types of support might exist out there. This also sort of happened simultaneously as when I kind of started, like, dabbling with gardening a bit more and growing some stuff, and I had an abundance of, like, some kitchen herbs that, like, I quite frankly didn't know what to do with because I just had so much.

Stephanie:

And I was like, there's only so many mojitos you can make with spearmint. Yeah. What else can I do? And also, in a time in my life where, like, so many things were going wrong and, like, burning down and just dying. And to be incredibly transparent, I was so miserable.

Stephanie:

And I like hated my I was like working this shitty job. I hated my life. Like, everything was going wrong. I didn't feel good in any way that that word meant. And so all these things kind of converged together.

Stephanie:

And I think, like, because I had a lot of, like, lavender and a lot of mint from the garden, I was like, what do I do with this stuff? And on a whim, probably on some, like, horribly mediocre Pinterest blog, I saw the word tincture for the first time, and I was like, well, that's kind of fascinating. What's that all about? So I sort of read a bit more about it. Because again, I didn't grow up with this type of knowledge in, a lineage or being passed down like some other folks may have.

Stephanie:

This was very foreign to me. Mhmm. And I just thought it was fascinating, and I could not stop reading and learning and figuring it out and being just entranced by the wonderment and curiosity of it all. And so I just kind of followed that in a very grassroots, earnest way with no agenda of even getting anything out of it, really, but just like a where does this go? This is fun.

Molly:

Yeah. And I feel like when that does happen, when this burning curiosity happens, you have to follow it.

Stephanie:

I really do. Yeah. Yeah. I really do. Yeah.

Stephanie:

And so I did. And it and it led me to just some stupendous places. And I look back, you know, at the last, like, decade of my life, give or take, where all this has kind of materialized. And I'm every day, I'm just, like, in awe. Like, I'm just like, damn.

Stephanie:

This is my life, and that's crazy. All because I was like, that's cool. Where does that go? That's cool. Where does that go?

Stephanie:

That's cool. What happens if I do that thing? And then Yeah. Just

Molly:

Well, it's it's one of those things where, like, if you if you because you also have been a mental health counselor.

Stephanie:

Yeah. My base education is in mental health counseling. Yeah. So I have that background, which really serves me well Yeah.

Molly:

In in what I do. For sure. And but whenever you don't start out I mean, I guess the better question is, when you started out doing that, did you have the same curiosity, or what did you have any kind of can you tell the difference, I guess, when you chose to do that versus this curiosity that you couldn't quiet? Oh, that's a great question.

Stephanie:

I feel like it's the same kind of answer where I'm like, yes and also no. When I was doing all sort of, like, my base education and mental health counseling, the school that I went to, I chose specifically because it had the option of an art therapy major, which I didn't actually end up pursuing as a major. But I always resonated with the idea of a more integrative kind of mental health practice that wasn't as rigid as just like a standard psychotherapy where you just, you know, sit in the sterile office and you talk at somebody. Yeah. So I think I've always kind of had that inclination, but the way that I looked at life, probably, again, like a lot of other millennials who were, like, given the same blueprint of you, you know, you get good grades.

Stephanie:

You go to college. You get a good job, and great. You're set for life. Mhmm. I was like, this is a dependable field Yeah.

Stephanie:

Where I feel like I can make a difference, and I enjoy it. And I can get a job, and I can and I'm gonna be good for life. You know? So I think I had those inclinations, but I wasn't It

Molly:

was it wasn't them in the Yeah.

Stephanie:

In a broader spectrum way of, like, for my own life, I guess. You know? So it's interesting to look back and to see how all of the little micro choices I made along the way led me kind of perfectly to hear even though I didn't mean to. Yeah. But also, yeah, those were kind of always inside me because I made those weird little micro choices.

Stephanie:

Yeah. If that makes sense.

Molly:

Yeah. It's always it's always interesting to see how things play out, especially when you follow that burning curiosity. Like, if if anybody is listening and you have that, chase it.

Stephanie:

I second that. Yeah. I second that in in any way that you can. Like, it doesn't have to be, like, this full fledged moment of, like, your whole life burning down, and you abandon everything that you know. I'm not reporting that.

Stephanie:

But go

Molly:

to the library. You can Google. Whatever.

Stephanie:

Just a little let your childlike wonder Yeah. Exist in you, and don't let go of it in any way that you can.

Molly:

You know? It's really important. It's interesting to read nonfiction when you aren't being told you have to read it. Yes. And being extremely interested in it and inspired by it because that's not ever anything that I had ever experienced.

Molly:

I was always like, you gotta do this. And it's like, okay. And I'll just, like, skim it as the ADHD person does, shit out of paper and get an a somehow. I don't know. Because you're smart.

Molly:

I don't know.

Stephanie:

No. I I I really see you in that. I really see you in that because there was a lot of, like, there was a lot of stuff that I struggled with, like, in academia because and I was like, oh, I'm just, like, not good at this. Yeah. And then I went back to get my master's degree, and I was like, wait a minute.

Stephanie:

Like, looking at this slightly differently from the lens of now that, like, I I chose to, like, I get to look at this in a a way that's more interesting or applicable to me, it was so simple. Like, I was like, wow. I can read 200 pages of pathophysiology textbook density. And I was like, cool. That's fascinating.

Stephanie:

Yeah. But, like, in school or undergrad, I was like, I'm gonna get a d in this class. Yeah. I'm gonna get pity passed.

Molly:

Yeah. I got pity passed

Stephanie:

in statistics.

Molly:

Me too. Failed it once, and I was about to fail it again. And somehow, miraculously, in my grad program, I got an a, and I'm like

Stephanie:

Wait a

Molly:

no way I got an a in research test.

Stephanie:

But same. I had the same experience. But I think because your lens gets to shift a little bit where you have some more Yeah. I don't know. I guess, like, autonomy and and the choice of why you're applying these things.

Stephanie:

You know? Like, I didn't care about statistics when I was looking at it from something that, like

Molly:

I just still don't care

Stephanie:

about matter. I mean, it's not my favorite.

Molly:

I mean, I don't like to do statistical problems, but I I like to read the field. Yeah.

Stephanie:

For real.

Molly:

Somebody's gonna do it. I don't wanna do it.

Stephanie:

I don't wanna do it.

Molly:

Hell no.

Stephanie:

Heavily respect the field. Yes. Of course. I'm am with you on that.

Molly:

So it doesn't make sense to me

Stephanie:

Yeah. Still.

Molly:

And I have a master's degree. Yeah. Nope. Don't get it.

Stephanie:

Math is hard. Yeah. But I can sit and do complex chemistry for my, like, herbal formulations. No questions asked. Yeah.

Stephanie:

But if you ask me to do basic mathematical skills, I'm like, what is that?

Molly:

Yeah. Do you mean what do you mean a tip? How do I do I mean, I gotta pull my calculator out.

Stephanie:

What's 15 minus eight? Yeah. But I have, like, these long chemistry equations. It's fine.

Molly:

Which also is pretty artistic looking. I like those. They're they are cool. Yeah. They are cool.

Molly:

You should maybe, like, frame one.

Stephanie:

Have Oh. A tattoo.

Molly:

There you go.

Stephanie:

I have this is the chemical formula for atropine on my hand.

Molly:

What is he what is that? Atropine.

Stephanie:

Atropine is the alkaloid that's prominent in the Belladonna plant. It's a tropane alkaloid. It's poisonous. Yeah.

Molly:

So we talked about when you started taking herbalisms well, at least the catalyst some how you got to starting to take herbalism seriously. When did you start Gate and Garden? And what was your first product?

Stephanie:

This is a good question too. Well, I started everything very, very grassroots. So I didn't start Gaten Garden with the intention of being a business owner or having a business. So I started very much as just a community herbalist, so making remedies for family members, friends. Those people told more people.

Stephanie:

More people told more people, and suddenly, was making a lot of things for a lot of people and was encouraged to broaden my scope because of that. And there's, you know, obviously some right or, I guess, better or more ethical ways of producing herbal medicines than just doing them in your kitchen for your mom with your dogs walking across the floor as opposed to making something for, like, general retail.

Molly:

Yeah.

Stephanie:

So to be a business and to sell products in that way, like, I had to change some things, and I had to learn some more stuff, and I had to kind of shift. And so a business was kind of a necessity because of that. Yeah. So as a business in earnest, I started in December 2020. And it was after yeah.

Stephanie:

I wasn't working during lockdowns. I had a lot of free time like many other people, and so I had extensive time to heavily dedicate to my craft, which I did after having kind of been in it and and had my hands in it for for quite a while, but really was able to navigate more of, like, the business aspects of it where I felt confident to broaden my scope. The first product that I offered was a body butter, which I actually still offer today. Soon after that, I offered a cut and scrape salve, sort of like an all purpose

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

Cut and scrape salve and a topical, like, pain oil. And so those were the three products that I sold for quite a while. Mhmm.

Molly:

And I

Stephanie:

think it was maybe, like, six months or so of of that and feeling really confident in in those and those getting really good feedback, all the while doing some testing for other products. Because I like to test them before I just, like, let them loose Yeah. In the market and be like, here we go. Before I know this is gonna matter or or help anybody or do anything.

Molly:

I I feel like that would be a lot of pressure.

Stephanie:

It can be.

Molly:

I think it's I think it for me, because I don't know shit about fuck, it would be a lot of pressure. But for someone who has spent and dedicated a lot of their life to it, it's not. But

Stephanie:

Yeah. Well, and you I have a frame of reference that you don't have. Like, I it's not like I'm just, like, formulating in the dark. Right? Like, I have, like, a lot of frame of reference where it's like, I I start pretty narrowly, and I can do small tweaks if I have to.

Stephanie:

Whereas, like, if you if if you don't know, then you're like, oh, I'm starting with this, and I have no idea how to get to here. Mhmm. So it's it it can be complicated, but often less so because

Molly:

of my Yeah. My favorite restaurant. But for people, like, that's why it's so important to find somebody who has that ethical approach of, like, I wanna try this on myself. I wanna see if it works. I wanna I I also wanna take the time to learn.

Stephanie:

I just I often just, like, refer to myself as an adept formulator. I'm just an adept formulator. Like, I'm very good at this and not to, like, perk toot my own horn, like but knowing what I've seen in the market, I know that I'm farther along than some people in their formulation journey. But I don't think I can ever be a master of something that I could never possibly know everything about. Yeah.

Stephanie:

Does that make sense? Yeah. And that's part of the reason why I like herbalism. Yeah. Because I'll be learning until the day I die.

Molly:

Yeah. And that's important.

Stephanie:

So how can I be a master of something that I will never know the end of?

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah. You were making those salves and things for people. What are some of the, like, the tinctures and stuff that you've got now that will be useful for people that need some medicinal help?

Stephanie:

I offer a range of tinctures and elixirs that have sort of yeah. They're skewed more, again, like holistic health because I also have products that skew more like ritual magic. Yeah. So for the ones that kind of skew towards holistic health yeah, I have some, like, some salves for various, like, skin complaints that can be supportive. Have, for as far as, like, the elixirs or ingestibles, I have some that are supportive for, like, digestion, stress, like, general anxieties, things that just kind of, like, support and calm the nervous system.

Stephanie:

I have ones that are supportive for, like, brain health that have, like, a dual extract of mushrooms. That. I Honestly, you know

Molly:

This episode is brought to you by

Stephanie:

Game Garden's prophecy tincture.

Molly:

I'll just send you one. No. So I

Stephanie:

have I have a couple. I think right now, I think there's, like, seven to nine elixirs Mhmm. That I offer in various blends.

Molly:

And then you do tea, which also that's you said strawberry tea? What did you do? Strawberry tea?

Stephanie:

Yeah. The summer tea had lemon balm and strawberry. That was

Molly:

so good.

Stephanie:

I stopped retailing the teas this year because I wanted to revamp and refresh the packaging, and I haven't found What you wanna do. What I'm looking for yet. Yeah. And when I do, then

Molly:

Yeah. Then

Stephanie:

I wanna because I also try really hard to not only make my products, again, adeptly formulated, but also really beautiful. Like, I spend a lot of time and a lot of dedication to making the aesthetics of them also reflect how much work goes into what's inside the bottle. Yeah. So I do because

Molly:

you can reuse every single one of those oil or tincture bottles.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Everything like, labels are all compostable. The bottles are all glass. So, yeah, I spend a lot of time trying to make them usable. Mhmm.

Stephanie:

But, again, also also beautiful. So I spend, like, a lot of time on, like, packaging research and, like, label design and all of that stuff. So I haven't I haven't quite found the right packaging that I wanna redo the teas in. But once I do that, hopefully, I'll

Molly:

have blue tea. The bomb.

Stephanie:

That's a lot of people's favorites. I'm glad you Yeah.

Molly:

Did. I also like the star Starwater.

Stephanie:

Oh, yeah. The the collab with Nocturne. Yeah. Yeah. That was really cool.

Molly:

Even though because my anxiety is weird, I'm like, this is blue.

Stephanie:

What's gonna happen? It's blueberry.

Molly:

I know. But I'm crazy.

Stephanie:

Pasty, it's blueberry. That's okay. It's Yeah. You know? You're allowed to have

Molly:

Still good.

Stephanie:

I'm glad that you like it.

Molly:

Yeah. Past it. Perfect. I love a color drink. Don't get me wrong.

Stephanie:

It is fun.

Molly:

But, also, I remember when I bought it, I was unwell. What is that? Which I go through phases of, which

Stephanie:

Suspicious.

Molly:

If you don't go through phases of being unwell, I applaud you, and I hope that continues in your life. It's not happening for me. I just have to accept it.

Stephanie:

I'm a seasonal Riding the wave.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

Stephanie:

Riding the wave.

Molly:

Alright. Your witchy stuff. Your witchy side. Yeah. When did you get in touch with that?

Stephanie:

That has also been one of those things that, like, which again, because I don't think about them in terms of separate, like, are not dichotomous thoughts to me. To me, they exist simultaneous. The medicinal and the magical are are two sides of the same coin. So, like, my desire to explore nature connection and the medicinal side of plants, the intrigue has always existed in me in regards to their, like, sort of more magical or, again, for lack of a better word, like, metaphysical or witchy Mhmm. Connections as well.

Stephanie:

Like, I wore, like, a pentagram necklace in middle school. Yeah. My mom was like, you're a witch. And I was like, bestie, you named me after Stevie Nicks. I don't know what you were thinking.

Stephanie:

I don't what were you expecting? So I've always kind of had an interest. I have never really done any robust, I guess, lack of a better word, training or education in that realm. Like, some people will take like, they'll learn from, like, specific witchcraft practitioners or or whatever. I didn't do any, like, robust learning in that way.

Stephanie:

Like, it's been more of, like, self study. But also, the the lens from which I operate my life and how connected I am to land has given me a lot of the same wisdoms, you know. And this is not to say that, like, people shouldn't pursue that type of like formal education. That's not what I'm saying. Like, if that works for you, absolutely go ahead.

Stephanie:

And maybe there's a point in my life where I will do that. But a lot of sort of the tenants of this is hard to like self define too because like like the witchcraft community

Molly:

Oh, know. There's like

Stephanie:

TM has has gone really strange also. So I guess like Yeah. For lack of a better descriptor, I operate from kind of like a like a pagan sort of belief, like, not like a Wicca or not like a labels are weird. They're all like them. Just think there's, like, I just think there's, like, more out there.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Like, there's, like, a numinous quality to the world and things that I cannot explain simply by looking at them with my my real human eyeballs. Mhmm. If that makes sense.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah.

Stephanie:

So, yeah, I've always kind of had that have that interest, and these qualities in plants and herbs to me are completely reflected in their medicinal values, which is why I don't or feel like I can't or have no desire to separate them.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

Not every herbalist works that way. So, like, not every herbalist does witchy stuff. You know? Not every witchy person does herbalism stuff. So there's a huge gradient there.

Stephanie:

I happen to be someone who who sits in the middle of that. Yeah. You know?

Molly:

But it works. It fits. It's it's evident in how you plan things and how you release new, like, items, whether it's like a candle or you know, it's always through both lenses. Yeah. And it's really neat to see that thought pro like, you can see, like, how much effort goes into it, but also everything has a story.

Molly:

Yeah. No. It's it's I love it. And I'm still sad about I didn't get that. Was it the chicken wait.

Molly:

The frog candle or the chicken legs?

Stephanie:

For the Salem Night Fare. I did, like, a special collection of candles and inspired by, like, folklore. And one was Baba Yaga. The Baba Yaga candle. I'm working on same thing.

Stephanie:

Like, I'm working on trying to refine how I produce the packaging of that because it was incredibly arduous, which, again, not like I'm somebody that is like, oh, I don't wanna do this, like, hard work. It it just like, it took so long to make one single candle container Yeah. That I was like, this is just not sustainable to like Yeah. Produce a lot of these. Yeah.

Stephanie:

So I'm working on trying to refine that process. So if if I can figure out a better way to do that, which I'm like kind of in the middle of currently, then I will have more of them. Yeah. But I'm like, I cannot make like, I can't make 200 of these things.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

They take forever. Yeah. So I'm gonna make, like, 20.

Molly:

Yeah. Which is fair. But and you I think it's we've gotten to this point where we wanna have everything at every moment, every single opportunity. And one of my guests from last year, Olivia from Marshfield, whose brand is called Oh, Please.

Stephanie:

Mhmm.

Molly:

She only does limited drops. Mhmm. They sell out very, very, very quick. And she may have, like, 10 pieces. But and then I went to her market in Marshfield that Wicked Woman is my favorite.

Stephanie:

That's right.

Molly:

Yeah. And her stuff sold out Yes. Like, in ten minutes.

Stephanie:

Or less.

Molly:

Yeah. It was it was so cool to see that for someone in a small business. Yes. But, also, it was a good reminder of, no. You'll get it when the time is right.

Molly:

Yeah. Just appreciate that it exists.

Stephanie:

Yes.

Molly:

You don't always have to get

Stephanie:

it. Yes. Yes. I love that. And very much resonant in the way that I work and how I work.

Stephanie:

And, again, as somebody who works with the rhythms of nature instead of trying to put myself on top of them, I have to work that way because plants are ephemeral.

Molly:

You know? It's a good teacher in slowing down and

Stephanie:

A 100%. A 100%. Like, I do not always like, rose petals aren't available twelve months out of the year. So I don't have the things that I make from them in the dead of winter. That's just how it works.

Stephanie:

Yeah. And that's one of the reasons I'm so proud that I've been able to sort of have the audience that I have because it means enough people understand that or at least, like, are open to holding the capacity of that truth. Like, oh, I understand that you you don't have these things all the time, and therefore, I can't have these things all the time because that's just not how the world works. Yeah. So Or should work.

Stephanie:

Or should work. Right. Right. Right. So that's a that's a big part of the way that I I work.

Stephanie:

And Yeah. I love that you bring that up.

Molly:

Yeah. And and, two, I wanna point out and make sure everybody's really clear. You use everything from your your garden or a local garden to make everything.

Stephanie:

Pretty much. There's I would say, like, 96 of the botanicals I use, I either grow myself ethically and locally wild forage, part or partner with other, like, local farms in Massachusetts for if it's something that I can't, like, cultivate enough of. There's, a few plants where I just, like, need a bit more, and so I'll work with other, like, larger scale farmers. Again, because I have a third of an acre. So there's a couple herbs that I use that don't grow here.

Stephanie:

Like, cinnamon bark doesn't grow here.

Molly:

It's a tropical plant. It is? Yeah. What it's so funny because you think of cinnamon, and you think that's definitely in the woods in, like Well,

Stephanie:

because it feels because it's something that we have constant access to. Like, that's a constant access kitchen spice. We can you can go to your local store market or Shaw's and pick it up. But it doesn't grow here. It's not native to this region.

Stephanie:

It's not something

Molly:

grow? You said tropical.

Stephanie:

Regions, usually. Like, South Pacific

Molly:

or What? Yeah. That's wild.

Stephanie:

Yeah. Not here.

Molly:

You know? That's why I mean, I really was Just blew your brain

Stephanie:

apart, didn't I?

Molly:

Yes. Because this is how disconnected we are Right. To the things in our kitchen, to the things in our closets, to literally everything. I think with gardening yourself or even talking to someone like you understand, like, I did not know. And I

Stephanie:

say none of this with the intention or a veil of, like, shaming. Right? Because, like, of course, that's how we think because of our systems that have us think

Molly:

the for us.

Stephanie:

It's a humbling. It's just like a again, like, curiosity is a big importance of my my work. Like, oh, just the curiosity of like, oh, that that doesn't grow here. Where does that grow? Yeah.

Stephanie:

You know? And that's interesting. I I learned something. And maybe now I approach this thing differently because I didn't know that. So like I said, that's that's something that doesn't grow here that, like, I do Yeah.

Stephanie:

I do work with. But for the most part, again, I would say, like, 95 to 96% of the stuff that I use is from a bioregional lens because that's important. That's also a big part of, like, my belief in herbalism. Like, herbalism is a is a people's medicine, you know, and it always belonged to and it still does, but, like, belongs to the people of the place, And that's inherently informed by what grows in the place.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

So, like, we're not gonna practice the same me, you know, an herbalist in the American Northeast doesn't have the same access to the same herbs as, like, somebody practicing in, like, India or South America or, you know, a different bioregion. And you don't have to outsource these herbs from somewhere else for your formulas because I can almost guarantee you there's an equal analog in your bioregion.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

So it's just, again, learning, like

Molly:

Super fascinating. Connecting to in place. Do you know, other herbalists that do something similar in different regions, and do you try their stuff?

Stephanie:

Absolutely. That's, like, one of my favorite things. I love finding other, like, bioregional herbalists because I'm like, this is fascinating. I can learn so much.

Molly:

And also just appreciate their craft as well and not Absolutely. Not through the lens of, I'm gonna steal this.

Stephanie:

No. Oh my god. No. No. I I love finding other people that that do this because I'm like, this is so cool.

Stephanie:

Tell me about your lived experience Yeah. With this thing.

Molly:

Yeah. That's Fascinating. That's really cool. Gosh. Yeah.

Molly:

I I find what you do really fascinating and also admirable because you're doing it in such a thoughtful way. Thank you. But, also, I appreciate that it's something that I could never do. Sure. And that, you know, like, I don't know how to explain it.

Molly:

But where am I trying to go with this? I think we don't do that enough as people saying, I think what you do is awesome. I respect your craft. Mhmm. And also hold space for the fact that I can appreciate that without wanting to do what you're doing.

Molly:

Oh, absolutely. All think we're like, oh, I can make that. I could do that. We're just I don't know what where the hell we got this from of, like, let the people that are good and proficient at things be good at it and also just I don't know. I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.

Stephanie:

No. I totally see you. And I and I completely agree with you, and I feel the same way. I think it comes probably from, again, like that our, like, hyper individualistic Yeah. Mindset and society and conditioning where we feel like we we need to do everything ourselves.

Stephanie:

And so, like, of course, I can do that. Mhmm. Where, you know, in a different structure of community, like, you'd have people that are that have their individual brilliances.

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

And that's what their brilliance is. You know? I certainly look at people that way. Like, I see people that I work with in a lot of different domains and roles. And I'm like, oh my god.

Stephanie:

You are so brilliant in this. I I don't do that. And that that's really cool that you do that, and I don't.

Molly:

Yeah. Yeah. Because what

Stephanie:

a rich tapestry that makes life Yeah. In this individualistic society. There's so much conditioning of, like, shame of having to, like, ask for help or being like or admitting, hey. I don't know anything about this. Do you?

Stephanie:

Can you help me? Like Yeah. There's so many weird layers. And, again, it should be, like, reciprocal. And, like, I love that there's at least in this small little community, you know, you, me, my other little like, this little area, I can see those threads starting to reconnect.

Stephanie:

Like, when I was like, oh, I wanna learn how to sew. I don't know how to sew. You were like, girl, you can just take my extra sewing machine here. I'll teach you how to use it. And I was like, this is incredible.

Stephanie:

How'd that go, by the way? It's great. I made, like, four quilts for Christmas as gifts.

Molly:

That's awesome.

Stephanie:

I know. And when you're like, hey. Like, I wanna start a garden, but I don't really know how to start.

Molly:

Like, what

Stephanie:

are your favorite spots? I'm like, I am happy to help you. And there has to there doesn't to be any other kind of, like, feelings or

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

Exchange rather than like a, hey. You wanna do this thing? Cool. I know how. Let me help you.

Stephanie:

Oh, I wanna do this thing. You know how? Cool. Let me help you.

Molly:

Yeah. That's really honestly the like that interaction as well as some other interactions that have come to fruition because of the podcast or who have listened to the podcast makes me remember why I'm doing this. But, also, like, I just want that in my normal life too. Yeah. And this is really just like me forcing it on everyone else.

Molly:

Be my friend. But I

Stephanie:

think it's so necessary. Like, it's so necessary to, like, have those those tendrils that keep reaching farther Mhmm. And to be an example because we don't have a lot of good examples.

Molly:

I don't know if I wanna be an example.

Stephanie:

I see you, and I totally understand.

Molly:

Extremely flawed human being. But

Stephanie:

We all are.

Molly:

I mean, well.

Stephanie:

We all are. But it's like but, again, even just if it's a very simple baseline, like, oh, I see I see this girl, like, talking to different people about different stuff. Like, that's cool. Could I have some bravery to talk to different people about different stuff and, like, get out of my little bubble for, like, a hot second? Mhmm.

Stephanie:

It's a pretty cool example to have.

Molly:

Well, thank you. I'll have to when I when I play this back next time, I'll probably be like,

Stephanie:

oh, this sucks. In your bed like

Molly:

Yeah. I, you know, I just want people to remember we're all human, and we all have something cool to offer. And sometimes that comes through to the things we offer to other people, but also maybe the journey on how we got there. Absolutely. And also failures and successes on the way.

Molly:

Is there some part of your journey that you felt like was a failure that led to a good moment? There's

Stephanie:

A million.

Molly:

A million

Stephanie:

of them. You know, in both in both small ways where I'm you know, maybe I'm trying a new formulation, and it's a crazy flop. And I'm just like, what did I do? Yeah. That's atrocious, which leads me to eventually finding the right thing.

Molly:

I just have imagined you have, like, this crazy chemist set or, like, a cauldron. Do have a tell me you have a cauldron.

Stephanie:

I do have a cauldron. I do have some cool stuff. I think probably, like, the coolest piece of equipment I have that, like, when people see, they're like, tell me about that, is I have a copper alembic, which is how you distill Yes. Botanicals from your hydrosols.

Molly:

But does it also look like one of those, like, moonshine things? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Exactly.

Stephanie:

A copper still. And mine is small. Like, I have, a 20 liter, so it's not like those crazy, like

Molly:

Giant ones. Shutters.

Stephanie:

But it's very, like

Molly:

So Gaitengard's just your copper. You have a moonshine mystery.

Stephanie:

My family, for years, have been like, so

Molly:

When are you gonna do it?

Stephanie:

Can you do that? I'm like, there's a whole again, talk about, like It's

Molly:

flammable. Right?

Stephanie:

Not knowing how oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. But also, like, talk about not knowing how to do stuff. I'm like, there is a whole process to making moonshine.

Stephanie:

There's different, like, sub alcohols that will distill out, and not all of them are consumable. And some are, like, wildly dangerous for consumption, and, like, moonshiners will just know the difference by, like, what it looks, smells, and, like, feels like. So there's this whole thing about it that I don't know. That's what I mean. I'm like, I'd drinking to ethanol just, and I would die.

Molly:

Let's have some closing questions here. If someone is curious but intimidated, where should listeners start with your work? Like, a product, a practice, a program, or gathering?

Stephanie:

Oh, that's a great question.

Molly:

I

Stephanie:

mean, there's so many access points points for what I do, and I really think it's, like, what what sparks your fans. Like, if something sparks your fancy, it's something that you wanna incorporate, like, into your daily life, then I think, like, a product is really cool. There's a lot of I offer a lot of diversity in the products.

Molly:

And you have a lot of free news like, the newsletter, definitely sign up

Stephanie:

for Yeah.

Molly:

Yeah. You offer a lot of free things.

Stephanie:

Oh, I do tons of free stuff. I'm working on, like, new freebies for the website too. You can find me on social media. I'm on there, you know, a lot. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know.

Stephanie:

But I'm I'm pretty active on my social media. I'm sure you'll put, like, all the the links for everything in the show notes so you can find that there. But I I also think, like, if I were to suggest a starting point like, I really do think the gatherings are a great

Molly:

Mhmm.

Stephanie:

A great entry point because they're so rich and you get so much for them. Yeah. And some of them are totally free. Yeah. So there's really no barrier there, I feel.

Stephanie:

Again, like, really

Molly:

can dress up and be whimsical.

Stephanie:

Oh my god. And like a lot of people do. Yeah. All you have to do is just, like, navigate your way to my backyard and just get your body there, and I quite literally do the rest. And, like, the community does the rest.

Stephanie:

Like, I make food. I feed you. You don't have to worry about it. I give you, like, a place to land. Everyone that has ever come ever is amazing.

Stephanie:

Yeah. I've had a couple people message me over the last, like, month or so that are like, hey. I wanna go to this gathering, but, like, I'm going alone. Is that weird? I'm like, absolutely not.

Stephanie:

Tons of people come alone, and they leave with friends. Yeah. It's just so so nourishing in so many ways.

Molly:

And you just started these gatherings last year?

Stephanie:

Yeah. The garden party. I've done Not

Molly:

the garden party, but the yeah.

Stephanie:

But the, like, the season they end up being, like, once a month. I, like, loosely align them with, like, the sabbats. Yeah. Which ends up being, like, the equinoxes and the cross quarters. Mhmm.

Stephanie:

But I also think it's a really cool way to align because, again, like, you're syncing with the seasons, you can see how the earth changes and moves in in a really discernible way. So they end up being about once a month. The next one is Beltane. So for May 1, we are making flower crowns. Oh, okay.

Stephanie:

Come in the garden and weave flower crowns with us. There's always a different thing that we're doing for each one. So like I said, yeah, for for May, we're weaving flower crowns. And then for the summer one, we're making summer sun catchers with, like, some folk lore.

Molly:

Oh, I need to go to that one.

Stephanie:

And then for August, Ivy from Blessed Bee is back to do, like, a seasonal song and sound bath.

Molly:

Those are good

Stephanie:

Which I

Molly:

will say

Stephanie:

so many.

Molly:

Your backyard when we were all laying there meditating was magical. The wind was a paid performer. It was all the

Stephanie:

way there.

Molly:

Like They were being they were meditating too.

Stephanie:

Maybe they were. Yeah. Maybe they were.

Molly:

Because I didn't even hear them, to be honest. It is.

Stephanie:

It's like a little portal. It really is. So that's a that's a great place to start. The the earth woven gatherings are a great a great place to start, and they're just they're just super cool. They're, again, like, they they're so nourishing in quite literally every way.

Stephanie:

Like, the food, the laughter, the friendship, the community. You get to meet other cool people.

Molly:

That you're probably already following anyway.

Stephanie:

Yeah. You you get to experience, like, what it means to be an alive human Yeah. In a world.

Molly:

In three d.

Stephanie:

Yeah. In a world that's, like, continuously filled with AI garbage. But highly recommend their Earth Living gatherings. They're they're fantastic. And they mean a lot to me.

Stephanie:

Like, they really are such an expression of my devotion and the things that I care about and the things that matter. So

Molly:

Well, I will say that every event was great. I was just blown away by, like, the the attention to detail that you put into everything.

Stephanie:

Thank

Molly:

you. The food is so good.

Stephanie:

Thank you. Oh my god. Thank you.

Molly:

But, also, you had people coming from Connecticut. Like, they were there were some they're travelers.

Stephanie:

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. In both, like, the attendants and the facilitators for Belton, Kim is coming from Connecticut.

Molly:

What are you excited to dive into next that you haven't done, if you can share?

Stephanie:

I'm I'm really just excited to, like, walk the path of teacher and Yeah. And herbal mentor this year. I'm really excited for the the little container that I have with the folks that I'm grateful that have chosen me as a trusted teacher for this craft and for this path. So I'm very excited for that. I'm again, I'm I've never you know, I'll I'll do, like, workshops or again, I offer a lot of, like, freebies in the newsletter, but I've never offered such a robust, like, herbalism program or mentorship before, so I'm very excited to to walk this path and see how it goes.

Stephanie:

And Yeah. It is my hope that it will be a recurring offering every year. So if you miss it this time, I'm closing applications for enrollment at the end of this month because we start in May. So depending on when this airs, I don't know if that'll be in time. But

Molly:

Twenty twenty eighth.

Stephanie:

Yeah. My hope my hope is that this will be a recurring yearly mentorship opportunity. So if you don't catch it this year and you wanna learn and my style resonates with you, then hopefully, there'll be more future opportunities for that.

Molly:

I think there's no way that it can't be. You're you're just so deeply rooted in your universal purpose. Thank you. Universal meaning universe. Yeah.

Molly:

I just I just love seeing, like, people doing this is what you're supposed to do. It's so obvious. Was there anything else that you wanted to talk about that you don't feel like we talked about?

Stephanie:

I don't think so. Think we covered a lot of cool stuff.

Molly:

I don't know what the time is, but if it's 01:00, that's

Stephanie:

crazy. It's 01:17.

Molly:

Is that real? And I'm gonna end up having to leave soon. Did we drop into a portal? We did.

Stephanie:

I do that. Isn't it so Oh, I common places. And I'm sorry.

Molly:

No. What you are. Well, thank you so much for coming. Thank you. And recording for a second time because the first one was a disaster.

Stephanie:

You know what? I had so much fun. Good. I lowkey miss your dog I know. Sitting on my lap.

Molly:

Did I have both of them? You did. Yeah. And the cat. You did.

Stephanie:

But I am I am incredibly grateful. Thank you so much Yeah. For having me here and for for sharing the things that I love with with your audience because I appreciate

Molly:

it. And I know they'll love you and everything that you have going on if they don't already know of of you because how could you not?

Stephanie:

Alright. Let's

Molly:

let's wrap this shit up.

Stephanie:

Let's wrap it up.

Molly:

Mic drop.

Stephanie:

Mic drop.

Molly:

I hope you enjoyed this week's episode. Check the show notes on where to find everything that Gaten Garden has to offer, and check the show notes obviously for the free event that is on Sunday, July 5. It's a free the free summer garden party that Stephanie hosts at her home, which is literally the movie Practical Magic personified into this magical place where you can go and have food freshly made from her garden and meet new people because that's what life is about, interacting in real life. I'll see you next time.