Pride Maker Spotlight!

Welcome to Pride Season! All month long (well actually, all the time always but ESPECIALLY this month), we’re celebrating the glorious, colorful, diverse, juicy, sexy, liberating, revolutionary, community magic of Queerness. Seagrape Apothecary is proud to be Queer owned and Queer operated, and it’s such a pleasure to be able to make space on our shelves for medicine and goods made by folks in our Queer Community. There is so much good medicine to be had from these makers, keep reading to find out more about some of our favorite humans and the goodies they make!

Meet Seagrape Apothecary: 

Maria (she/they) is the founder and magical creator of Seagrape Apothecary. Becky (she/her) is the assistant manager/mood witch/shop witch extraordinaire. Together we bring you luscious self care goodies, community, and queer magic!  Maria’s favorite thing about being in queer community is being able to reflect how shiny, brilliant, and loved queer folks are! “The community did the same for me when I was struggling to find this reflecting in my bio family, and I will be forever grateful for it and work to be that mirror for other queer folks.” When she isn’t crafting perfumes and self care spells, Maria can be found (in true Taurus fashion) soaking in a luxurious long bath indulging in pizza and other treats, while having pots of tea delivered bath-side. Becky loves being queer for the boundless and revolutionary ways we see and love eachother, for the care and creativity we bring to the world, and for the fashion baby! When she’s not holding down the Seagrape storefront, she can be found crafting highly specific playlists, reading her cat’s horoscope, or parading around in glitter and lingerie. 

Pride Pick

• You’re a Babe Spray: This aura mist is your new go-to when you need a little embodiment and a reminder of what a badass you are! The juicy and uplifting blend of geranium, clary sage, black pepper, and bergamot uplift and delight the senses.  

Meet Jam Haw Herbals: 

Jamesa (they/them/theirs) set up an online shop to sell plant potions which are creatively inspired, clinically informed, & ancestrally divined. They’re intended for use in ritual, liberation, & wellness. Jamesa’s favorite thing about being in queer community is “connecting with their queer and trans ancestors and contributing to personal and collective liberation each time they honor their queer exisetence.” They are also grateful to be in community and interconnected with so many magical beings! When they aren’t concocting delicious magical elixirs, they can be found self caring through body work or soaking in an herb infused bath. 

Pride Pick

• Bliss Tincture: a tincture formulated with your peace in mind. Unwind and take the edge off with the help of adaptogenic, uplifting, and feel good herbs 

Meet Rad Roast Foods: 

Nicole (she/her) makes rich and tasty beverage blends made from organic grounding plants and supportive medicinal mushrooms. Nicole’s favorite thing about being in queer community is being able to be fully herself within the community and be in her body the way that she wants. When she’s not in the kitchen whipping up our favorite cozy drink mixes, Nicole can be found self caring through baths, cooking, and being with the plants in her garden. 

Pride Pick

• Rad Roast: a robust coffee alternative made with roasted chicory and dandelion, cinnamon, and cacao to create a rich tasty drink. 

Meet Moody V: 

Kay (they/them) makes cloth menstrual pads with fun-to-look at patterns and a solid spectrum of absorbencies. Moody V pads are cozy, sustainable period products that are marketed using inclusive language for all menstruators. Their favorite thing about being part of the queer community is feeling like they belong: “seeing other queer people out in the world being brave, being funny, being smart, and being special, it makes me recognize those things in myself.” When they aren’t sewing up a storm (and picking out the best patterns!) they are self-caring by communicating with their chihuahua-pug (telepathically of course) and watching movies during dinner with their partner. 

Pride Pick

• Cloth Pads: Honestly the best selection of patterns, we love the leakproof pads for heavy flow days, and the regular for lighter days! 

Meet Fifth Spirit Tarot: 

Charlie Claire (they/them) is the artist and creator behind the Fifth Spirit Tarot, a queer and inclusive deck for a world beyond binaries, and its companion full-length book. The Fifth Spirit Tarot Guide offers a modern and queer-centered interpretation for all 78-cards. Charlie also hosts a podcast called The Word Witch, which spotlights guests making magic from the margins, and they are often a teacher for some of the Seagrape Tarot Workshops. Their favorite thing about being part of the queer community is being in the company of so many expansive, imaginative, creative folks. “The most exciting art, writing, thinking, and leadership today is being created or spearheaded by queer people, and I’m inspired by the visionary spirit of our community every single day.”  When they aren’t pondering the archetypes of the tarot, Charlie loves to self care by going on long walks and finding flower friends throughout Portland. 

Pride Pick

• The Fifth Spirit Tarot - a gorgeous deck featuring a diverse range of bodies and gender expressions. Perfect for beginner and advanced readers alike! 

Meet Magic Hour: 

Bran (she/they) has been honing their magical focus and tending the sacred flame through Magic Hour since 2012. Magic Hour is tools for the modern, revolutionary witch! The handmade ritual candles are lovingly crafted, spell, and charged with clear, focused intention. The long clean burning non-gmo soy wax is carefully infused with herbs, flower, and environmental essences, and natural oils all nestled around lunar charged gemstones. Created magically and in sacred space, these candles are powerful magical tools of manifestation. Bran believes that being queer is “MAGIC” (we couldn’t agree more!!!) “Queer community is literally lifesaving. The thing I love most about the queer community is that no noe is disposable. Every queer person has a place here and is worthy of being loved and supported as they are. Expressions of queerness are a living spell of love, resilience, care, creativity, sexuality, and revolution! And each voice is vital to the fabric of queerness and the magic of the edgewalker.” Bran finds their self care through long walks, talking with the plants and trees in their neighborhood to find nourishment, grounding, and center. 

Pride Pick

• Edgewalker Candle: A dark grey-blue candle infused with Bee Balm, Passionflower Essence, Crow Essence, and Sweet Fennel Essential oil nestled around a Rhodonite Gemstone. Use this candle to tend the edges, support the outsiders, celebrate and honor the queer ones, and protect the vibrance of edgewalkers! 

Meet Dori Midnight

Dori (she/her) has been making essences for over 25 years! These formulas are made with so much love and community magic - they are like a community of plants and stones and moments in a bottle. Dori has learned from the Jewish tradition the power of sweet medicine - that pleasure and joy are essential for our healing, so they also taste delicious! Dori’s favorite thing about being part of the queer community is learning from both young and old members of the community, the way we dress ourselves as altars, and the way we invite everyone into a little more freedom, pleasure, rigor, and possibility. Dori embodies self care through singing, dancing, and hanging out with plants.

Pride Pick 

• Yes to Liberation! An elixir for healing, strength, protection, and support in the face of racism, neocolonialism, and oppression. 

Meet Ms. Tea Botanicals 

Levi (they/them) is the clinical herbalist behind Ms. Tea Botanicals - a small batch apothecary. Levi uses ethically sourced ingredients from local herb growers on the Pacific Coast. Their potions foster presence, connection, and liberation. Levi sees the Queer community as an invitation to build reciprocity, deep connection with more than human worlds, and relationships built on care, free of hierarchy or dominance. Their self care practices include tending their garden and connecting to plants, making offerings to the land, and crafting flower essences. 

Pride Pick

• Heart Nectar: A fierce and loving blend to support sensual joy, self love, acceptance and to open our hearts to radical self compassion. Breathe into love with a few drops of this elixir. 

Supporting any one of these makers is a spell of sacred commerce, community care, and queer magic!

Sink deeper into queer magic with this community spell for Queer Liberation:

First gather your supplies, you will need: 

A yellow candle  

Something sweet (honey, chocolate, raspberries, a cup of lavender tea, whatever your preference!) 

A photo or handwritten name of a queer ancestor, icon, or friend you look up to (Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Alice Nkom, Stormé DeLarverie, Barbara Smith, your drag mom, your chosen family, or all of the above!) 

A journal 

Begin your ritual after taking a few deep breaths and sinking into a meditative state. Light your candle, and break your sweet item into two portions. Set one portion on your altar as an offering for your ancestor, and indulge in the second portion for yourself. As the sweetness melts across your tongue, take some time to invite the energy of your ancestor to your ritual. Take some time to speak out loud to them. Tell your ancestor what you love about them, how they inspire you, and how they impacted the way you move through the world now. Laugh with them, tell them a story about your first gay kiss or something you are proud of or simply just enjoy this time with them! When you are done savoring your sweet, and enjoying your chat, thank your ancestor for visiting and let their energy return home by blowing out your candle. Journal about any feelings, thoughts, or sensations that came up throughout this ritual. 

DONATE:

Keep the momentum of queer liberation going through a donation to one of the many nonprofits doing on the ground work. Some of our favorites to support include Trans Lifeline, The Okra Project, The Black Trans Femme Artist Collective, Outside In, and the Trans Law Center.