A Season of Rest, A Season of Return

There are seasons when I feel pulled inward—when I want more quiet, more rest, more time to simply be. And there are seasons when something in me comes alive with energy and creativity, and I feel compelled to make, teach, work, and bring ideas into the world.

I’ve come to trust these seasons as part of my own rhythm. I don't always know when one will arrive, or exactly how long it will last, but I've learned that there is something to be gained from honoring each one rather than trying to remain at the same pace all year long.

This summer, I needed to slow down.

I spent many mornings on the porch with a cup of tea, the pups at my feet and the chickens wandering around the yard. I learned to recognize bird songs with the Merlin Bird ID app. I gardened, spent time in New Hampshire, soaked up the sun, spent lots of time with loved ones, and rested.

Mostly, I just lived. And, as it often does, something unexpected happened when I stopped trying so hard to create: my creativity returned.

As summer begins to soften into September, I find myself feeling excited about what is taking shape at Healer’s Harvest. Not because I want to do more, but because I’ve found a way of doing things that feels more spacious, sustainable, and true to the kind of life I want to cultivate.

And at the heart of that vision is community.

Building Something We Can Return To

One of the things I’ve been thinking about most is what it means to create a sense of community that people can actually return to.

Not just a workshop here and there. Not just an online offering or a product to purchase. But a rhythm of opportunities to gather, learn, connect, and build relationships over time.

This became especially clear to me after the herbal shrub workshop I hosted on the summer solstice this year. It was such a joyful gathering. We made something together, shared a mocktail and conversation, spent time outside, and celebrated the season.

It reminded me how much I love bringing people together around the plants.

It also reminded me that community takes consistency.

So, beginning in 2027, Healer’s Harvest will offer four seasonal gatherings throughout the year, held around the solstices and equinoxes.

I love the idea of using these natural turning points as invitations to pause and notice where we are—not only in the calendar, but in our own lives.

We'll gather in spring to explore the abundance of early-season herbs and make a spring tincture. Summer will bring us back to herbal shrubs and the fullness of the growing season. In autumn, we'll turn toward warming herbs and spices with an herbal chai gathering. And in winter, we'll slow down with herbal self-care and an optional sauna experience.

Four seasons. Four gatherings. A year with the plants.

My hope is that these gatherings become more than individual workshops. I want them to become something people look forward to returning to—to recognize familiar faces, make new friends, learn together, and develop a deeper relationship with the plants and the seasons along the way.

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A More Connected Healer’s Harvest

The seasonal gatherings are just one part of a larger shift happening within Healer’s Harvest.

I'm moving toward a more diversified offering, with different ways for people to connect depending on where they are and what they're looking for.

There will be in-person gatherings throughout the year, as well as monthly meetings through The Herbalists Collaborative, an online community for herbalists to deepen their practice, refine their skills, and connect with one another.

There will also be opportunities to learn through Energetics for Herbalists, my online course.

And there will be tea.

Lots of tea.

This fall, I'm especially excited to begin offering Healer's Harvest teas at Elliot Farm, my dear friend Dee's family farm. Over the years, Dee has transformed her small family farm into a thriving farm store, and I was thrilled when she reached out and asked me to bring my teas there.

There is something especially meaningful about seeing Healer's Harvest products find their way into another local place rooted in land, food, farming, and community.

The teas will also be available online and, eventually, at a few other local establishments.

And if you're not sure which blend is right for you, I've created a Tea Quiz to help you find your match. Answer a few questions about what you're looking for and the flavors you enjoy, and you'll be guided toward a blend that might be just right for you.

Following the Seasons

There is something tender about this particular transition into fall.

The fullness of summer is still with us—the gardens are abundant, the days still hold warmth, and there is plenty of life around us. And yet, if we pay attention, we can feel the subtle shift.

The blossoms begin to fade. The light changes. The mornings carry a little more coolness. The natural world begins, slowly, to turn toward rest.

Fall reminds us that not everything is meant to remain in bloom. There is wisdom in allowing things to change—to gather what has grown, appreciate what is here, and begin preparing for the quieter season ahead.

After a summer of slowing down, I feel that shift in myself, too.

I don't feel a need to rush back into the pace I was keeping before. If anything, this summer helped me recognize that I want Healer’s Harvest to grow in a way that supports the life I'm actually trying to live.

More spaciously.

More intentionally.

And with more room for relationships to develop.

A New Rhythm

I don't think this is an entirely new Healer’s Harvest. It feels more like an integration of everything I've been building toward.

Herbal education. Plants. Tea. Seasonal experiences. Community. Connection.

Instead of asking myself how I can fit more into the year, I'm asking a different question:

What kind of rhythm would allow this work to become sustainable—and allow the people who gather here to become part of something lasting?

I don't have the whole answer yet. But I think I'm beginning to find it.

A handful of meaningful gatherings throughout the year. A consistent online community. Opportunities to learn at different depths. Herbal tea to bring the plants into everyday life. And enough space between it all to actually enjoy the life that makes this work possible.

As September approaches, I'm looking forward to stepping into this next season slowly.

I'll gather what the garden has offered. I'll make tea. I'll watch the light change. I'll listen for birds I now recognize by song. I'll let the leaves fall when they're ready.

And I'll continue tending this little corner of the world—hopefully alongside many of you.

Here's to the season ahead, and to finding our way back to one another.

With love,

Justine