Today, we welcome Kristen Cassie of Moon Canyon Healing to Routines & Rituals. Kristen is a beloved florist and herbalist and has built a stunning healing and floral practice on a strong spiritual foundation and belief that we are all here with a purpose to fulfill. Kristen truly brings a unique perspective and artistry to this medicine and incorporates herbal remedies, somatic and embodiment tools, plant spirit medicine, and eco-therapies into her offering. As Kristen takes us through her daily routines and rituals, it comes as no surprise that botanicals and herbalism feature heavily. We are sure you’ll find many petals of wisdom and healing to add into your own rituals in this column!
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Moon Canyon? Did becoming an herbalist find you or did you find it?
A: Hello! Well first, thank you so much for having me here. It’s a joy to connect with you. Moon Canyon Healing has been the space where I have poured my expression, passion, and creativity for the last ten years. It started as a floral design company and is now a space where my healing arts practice and my herbal medicine line live. I had been a florist for 20 years and wanted to build a company of my own; a place where my love of nature and my artistry could come together. About five years ago, I decided to really change up my life and follow a deep calling into the healing arts. Herbalism was something that always was there, calling me, asking me to step into service. It took me a good two years to actually make the jump and scale back my floral company, make space in my life for deep study, and relocate my family for three years to Northern California so I could study at the California School of Herbal Studies. Herbalism and the devotion to earth-centered healing is in my blood, in my being, but I had to act. It was my responsibility and my honor to create from my essence and allow this medicine to come forward. I'd say, in that way, we found each other :)
Q: Do you have a consistent daily am and/or pm routine? Or do you mix it up?
I make my chai first thing every morning but with two children under seven years old, my morning routine is pretty much getting them ready for school. I have grown to really love the time I spend making their meals and setting them up for their day. I try to keep the mornings very chill and allow their little nervous systems to find time to ground before they step out into the door. It’s not always perfect but I think starting my day by nourishing my babies so they can go out into the world ready to share who they are from a grounded and connected place, and hopefully nourishing others, is my goal as a mother.
Q: How does the natural world support your modern life?
In my practice, it’s my belief that we are the natural world, we are not separate from it. Building a relationship with the natural world that we are a part of feeds my spirit and allows me to take heartfelt and informed action within the busy modern world. In my work, I am always returning to the innate sense that we are in an interrelated web of co-creation. Being able to work within this field allows us to be active in the reciprocal medicine of both giving and receiving. In my practice, I work with my clients on building this awareness through relationships with plant allies and in turn we support the natural world as it supports us.
Q: Do you have any rituals that you practice daily, weekly, or monthly?
A daily practice that includes kundalini, breathwork, and meditation is a constant goal of mine. When I am able to root myself down, open my energy channels and connect to Source, I step into a more receptive self. Being someone who holds space for others on their healing journeys, this daily ritual is key to keeping my body and mind in touch with the medicine that flows through all.
Q: Are there any particular foods or botanicals that align with your personal self-care practice?
I like to eat and align with herbs seasonally. For me, that supports the wider cyclical rhythms that our bodies naturally take throughout the year. This winter, I am making a lot of herbal-based broths with botanicals such as mushrooms, nettles, burdock, and dandelion leaf and root.
Q: How can people make herbs (and flowers) a bigger or more meaningful part of their own rituals and homes?
I often say to those wanting to incorporate herbs into their daily routine, to start slowly. Build a relationship with one herb at a time. Allow your body and spirit to be receptive to the consciousness and wisdom of that single herb. Connecting with a herb in this manner really does forge a strong bond. Learn what it tastes like, where it likes to grow, what it smells like — invite the plant to light up all your senses. This is the green world’s form of communication and when we begin to drop into this state of awareness our perception of the world widens. It's been my experience that deep healing happens in this expansion and we can once again locate ourselves as the stewards and caretakers we truly are.Kristen is a clinical herbalist, entrepreneur, and author who has been devoted to the green world her entire life. It is her soul's work to be a bridge that connects people with the natural world. Kristen has worked in the floral industry now for 18 years and is a leader in the floral community. She is author of the book "Gathering: Setting the Natural Table" published by Rizzoli in 2020 about the value of communining in nature and the art of some of our most long lasting rituals. After her first child, Kristen also added herbalism to her plant healing art repertoire. You can learn more about her work at Moon Canyon Design.