Nourishing Herbs with Olivia Clementine
From Seed to Cup
As you all know by now I love my tea! If it isn’t tea ceremony with meditative old growth teas, then it’s herbal blends that have medicinal value to them. Since my early twenties after being awakened by Susan Weed’s books like Healing Wise 
For more herbal remedies see The Local Rose.
I was so thrilled to meet with Olivia Clementine, because she not only makes blended teas and salves, but also grows the plants themselves. She is a farmer, teacher, herbalist, potion maker and one can tell she is deeply connected to the plant realm. She lives on land in Staatsburg New York, where she grows the nettles, chamomile, calendula, raspberry leaf to name a few. Her lovely teas are so potent and active because of the love she puts into the act of raising the plants as seedlings. I have been drinking the Amrita blend which nourishes the nervous system, and the Moonrise tea for uplifting the mind. All are of course caffeine free and have soothing properties. When she came to visit we got to walk around my area and forage for some medicinal herbs. Our very own Susan Weed for the younger generation!
1) What makes your heart sing?
Moving water, smooth stones to lay on, shifts in light and weather, fresh air, friends, picnics, inhaling flowers, curiosity and contentment.
2) Do you think drinking herbal and medicinal teas are making a come back with younger generations?
Yes. I meet folks in high school and college who are regular tea drinkers, interested in both the flavor and the health benefits. It is quite inspiring.
3) What are three types that will benefit and fortify women?
shatavari, raspberry leaf, ashwagandha.
-Shatavari in Ayurvedic medicine is an essential woman’s nutritive and yin tonic. I love using this plant for increasing libido, fertility and for supporting systems which are depleted.
-Raspberry leaf is one of our famous uterine tonics. Fantastic for woman of any biological age, and especially for pregnant and post-partum women.
-Ashwagandha has a miraculous combination of both calming the nervous system and revitalizing our being. It also helps with disturbed shen {spirit} which can show itself in a myriad of ways including insomnia, anxiety and poor memory.
4) Where do you see yourself in a decade?
My life has many aspects but i’m flowing from one to another from love. I live on my beautiful land with my family, tending the gardens, and running a flourishing business serving people and making nourishing plant medicine. Travel and retreats are involved. And I am surrounded by my conscious and heartful community.
5) What are some teas to enhance beauty?
horsetail, violet, gotu kola, rose, + calendula
6) How does it feel to actually grow the teas from seed to tea cup?
Throughout the process of moving from seed to cup it feels like getting to know someone. In moments we are connected and in others not as much. But when I harvest a particular plant, or prepare a plant for medicine, I am completely overtaken by love and devotion. My relationship to them is experiential. It does not become mental until I formulate medicine for clients and access my knowledge in part to do so. Being with these plants in all of their forms comforts me. It is the sensation of being with my dearest of friends, as they are so, ofcourse.
7) Do you have a mantra or quote you live by?
Path is the Goal
(This keeps me connected to what is alive and to gratefulness no matter what is happening (ideally!) instead of putting too much energy on how i wish or hope things to be at some distance point. I am naturally goal oriented so I am not too worried about becoming complacent)
8) How do you greet the sun every morning and when it sets?
I great the sun with adoration and presence. And when the sun is setting I take time to be without an agenda. To sit by the water here and to breath and stretch and do nothing, even for a short bit of time.
