Star Feliz, proprietor of Botánica Cimarrón small batch apothecary and artistic wellness firm.
An Interview with Star Feliz of Botánica Cimarrón
Do ancestral natural traditions encourage you? Are you intrigued by drugs that’s place-based, plant-based, and religious? Cures which are cultural and wealthy? That is the sort of herbalism practiced by Star Feliz (they/them) of Botánica Cimarrón.
Star is a medical herbalist, full-spectrum doula, religious information, and Chestnut Faculty of Natural Drugs graduate. They observe Afro-Taino Caribbean and Western herbalism, drawing artistic inspiration from their ancestral lineage and an enormous creativeness for an earth-healing future.
The world wants extra earth- and community-centered herbalists.
Botánica Cimarrón is the group vessel for Star’s imaginative and prescient: a small-batch apothecary and ritual arts container that sells expertly formulated bespoke medicines and religious instruments. It’s additionally a neighborhood useful resource for natural lessons and accessible healthcare.
Star lately shared an interview with us for our Scholar Enterprise Highlight—a sequence that includes Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine graduates, their work, and the wide range of professions herbalists can select from. Star is a graduate of our Online Herbal Immersion Program—1,000 hours of our private mentorship in sustainable herbalism and natural profession constructing. If you’re keen on the wide range of natural careers you would possibly pursue, see An Herbalist’s Salary and Career Opportunities and Learn How to Become an Herbalist.
Botánica Cimarrón’s elixir assortment.
Star, will you inform us a little bit bit about your self and the way you have been first known as to work within the subject of natural drugs?
I’m a Dominican-American artist, herbalist, and religious information. The start of my path in herbalism began with my mom and grandmother and the natural infusions we made collectively. Once I was 19, I lived and labored on a permaculture farm, and that’s the place I really started to take heed to the plant spirits, deepen my self-study, and honor my ancestral presents for therapeutic.
Please share with us about your natural enterprise, Botánica Cimarrón. What does it supply your group?
Rooted in historical Afro-Taino knowledge, Botánica Cimarrón is a artistic wellness firm centered on therapeutic marginalized individuals’s relationship to the earth by modern way of life merchandise and studying experiences that guarantee our thriving futures. Every thing is formulated and handmade in ceremony with the earth & stars. Botánica Cimarrón is predicated in Los Angeles, the unceded territory of Tovaangar.
Star Feliz creates highly effective, ethically sourced, and lovingly handcrafted religious instruments.
How do you know this was the suitable profession transfer for you?
The indicators have been in every single place. My soul feels essentially the most alive once I’m creating and near nature. For a few years earlier than beginning my very own model, I skilled firsthand the highly effective therapeutic results my drugs had by working as a community-based herbalist, doula, and organizer. I by no means imagined this could be a profession, however step-by-step, I’ve constructed a path for myself based mostly on a sacred calling.
How has your natural training, particularly the enterprise coaching inside our packages, supported your small business?
Earlier than I began on the Chestnut Faculty of Natural Drugs, I used to be already a training group medicine-maker, however I didn’t understand how a lot I used to be really craving a studying construction till I delved into the coursework. The influence was so measurable! It was useful to have new supplies for reference and confidently transfer by blocks in my observe.
Botánica Cimarrón’s Therapeutic Alcoholado and Rainbow Serpent Oil can be found in their online shop.
What impressed you to review with us right here on the Chestnut Faculty?
I used to be interested in the self-paced curriculum. It meant that I had the pliability to lend my full vitality to the mutual assist challenge I used to be concerned with on the time, the Lenapehoking Freedom Fighters Natural Care Kits, with out having to decide on one or the opposite.
What do you’re keen on most about working an natural enterprise? What are a few of your challenges?
I really like sharing this historical information with individuals in new and modern methods. It helps that I get to work with a few of the most superb individuals on this planet — individuals who work for the earth’s therapeutic are essentially the most open-hearted. The difficult half is the quick tempo and sometimes overwhelming quantity of labor that must be performed for a enterprise to maintain working. Particularly whenever you’re beginning out as a staff of 1.
Botánica Cimarrón’s Rainbow Serpent ritual oil is formulated with actual snake pores and skin, gem stones, herbs and flowers, important oils, and gold mud.
What are three herbs which are important to your natural observe/enterprise and why?
Hibiscus – Potent fireplace drugs.
Moringa – A tree of life. Deeply nourishing.
Licorice – A superb activator inside any components.
Do you have got any phrases of knowledge for these simply beginning their natural training who’re keen on beginning a enterprise? What recommendation do you have got for budding natural entrepreneurs?
Neighborhood is essential (each private {and professional}). For those who don’t have already got a group, deal with constructing one. And don’t skip over the boring authorized, structural, backend, and different organizational constructing blocks!
What do you assume is subsequent for you in your natural journey?
I’m trying ahead to writing extra, plus educating and learning within the tropics for durations of time. I’m engaged on an prolonged version of my publication Inexperienced Gold: An Ancestral Plant Spirit Oracle Deck, so look out for that!
We’re so happy with our college students!
We hope this interview conjures up you to take a look at Star’s on-line store and help a small, earth-centered natural enterprise. Maybe you’ll discover some inspiration to your personal natural enterprise. You possibly can join with Star on Instagram @botanicacimarron and by way of the Botánica Cimarrón website.
To see what our different graduates are as much as, and the wide range of companies they run, take a look at our Student Herbal Business Directory.
