Grateful Aromatics

02/07/2026

I need to cover this because it will come in handy for some future posts.

As blue essential oils like Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum) or German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) oxidize, the color changes from blue (or blue/green) to green, and then brown.

Because of this, the blue oils are the easiest to identify when they have oxidized beyond the point of usage.

As respected vintage aromatherapist and aromatherapy pioneer Jeanne Rose was known to say, "If it is brown, put it down."

Did you also know that chamazulene, the chemical constituent in the essential oil that gives it that blue color, is a byproduct of the distillation process and not present in the plant itself?

02/07/2026

Garden Therapy PSA
🌿🪻🌿You don't have to purchase flowers. If you don't have much in bloom, bring in branches of magnolia, redbud, plum, cheery, apple, dogwood, forsythia, kerria, quince, andromeda or any budding branch. Add a few sprigs of evergreen and some flowering bulbs, put them in a beautiful vase full of warm water and they should start to break bud in a week! What are your favorites?

01/26/2026

Great learning opportunity here!

I usually teach this herbal foundations course as a live, in-person course, but for 2026, I am taking a break from in-person courses. Instead, I am offering the Folk Herbalism course online as the first course in my new Patreon Tier. Every year, I will offer a new course for those who want more structured content.

When you join the Meadowsweet Tier, you will receive monthly classes that give you the foundations you need to become more confident in your work with plant medicine. I will discuss a different medicine-making technique each month, along with other topics, such as materia medica, harvesting, preserving, dosing, properties, energetics, formulating, and so much more.

If you have been wanting to take a foundations-level course, but cost or travel is an issue, this is a great opportunity. When I teach this course in person, the cost is between $900 and $1200 for 9 months. You can sign up for it now for only $25 a month! If you join now, you'll jump in right at the beginning. We will be having an orientation session in early February, along with material to get you ready. In March, we start with the first class and live Q&A session.

This course is especially fun to do with friends, as you can get together to make medicine and keep one another going.

Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.

Herbal medicine is the oldest and most universal medicine on the planet. We all have ancestors had relationships with the healing plants. We can reclaim those relationships and renew those traditions.

To join me for this course, click the link in the comments and sign up for the Meadowsweet Tier.

Let's walk 2026 together in good plant medicine.

Link in the comments.

01/13/2026

Now is a time to nurture hope and to believe that the sun will rise and a new day will dawn. The path forward invites us all to keep working for a brighter, more compassionate world.

So gather family and friends, call on your favorite plants, put your teapot on, and let’s keep leaning in towards the light together.

A Tea to Bring Calm 🌿
2 teaspoons Oats (milky tops)
2 teaspoons Chamomile (flowers)
2 teaspoons Lemon Balm (leaves)
1 teaspoon Lavender (flowers)
3 teaspoons Roses (petals)

1-quart boiling water over herbs. Steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten with stevia or honey. Sip slowly through the day.

01/10/2026

01/07/2026

01/03/2026

Join me for a dive into staying vital during the post-menopausal years. We'll cover diet, lifestyle, herbal allies, and more. The best time to start preparing for our post-menopausal years is well before we reach them. The next best time is now. This class covers some of the material from my previou...

01/03/2026

12/30/2025

We wanted a place where beginners and beyond can be inspired by the wisdom of aromatherapists like Marge and Sylla, while getting support on the practical use of essential oils in their daily lives. We also wanted to build an online community to further support our students and friends, and we also wanted to make available the wealth of knowledge that experienced aromatherapists have to share.

So here is one of several Interviews with an inspiring aromatherapist that is available in the Atlantic Aromatic Library.

Listen in as Nyssa interviews Marge on how she got started and how she has stayed true to her mission, and don't forget your tissues for the end.

https://atlanticinstitute.com/interview-marge-clark/

12/28/2025

Get more from Nettlejuice on Patreon

12/18/2025

12/07/2025

Did you know that the ARC Registration Examination in Aromatherapy is developed under the guidance of Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) and is administered two times a year, during established three-week testing periods, at computer-based testing facilities managed by Prometric?

Prometric has several hundred testing sites in the United States and Canada, as well as sites in other countries around the globe.

Live Remote Proctoring Is Also Available To Sit The Arc Exam

To find what test sites are available near you:
●Click on "Find a Test Site" on the ARC homepage or click on the link below.
●Under "Test Center Exam" choose Locate.
●Under "Select a Program" choose Aromatherapy Registration Council.
●Under "Select a Test" choose Registration Examination in Aromatherapy then click on the right arrow.
●Enter your desired location. You may need to type in your state or even country, depending on where you live.
●Enter the desired start and end dates that are within two weeks of each other that coincide with the next ARC exam, then click on the right arrow to find available locations, dates, and times in which the ARC exam is offered.

https://www.prometric.com/ARC

To find a Registered Aromatherapist, or to learn more about how to become one, visit:
https://aromatherapycouncil.org/