By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team
Petite and dark haired with a quick, warm smile, Felicia Howe perched like a wood sprite in a chair in her studio, Primrose Organics Apothecary.
She sipped raspberry leaf and nettle tea from a vintage floral teacup with one hand while the other danced emphatically in the air and gestured toward a busy looking workbench and wall shelving full of mysterious, amber colored, liquid-filled bottles.
Her cozy healing suite in the Alberta Studios building at 1627 N.E. Alberta St., No. 4, opened in June.
“The opportunity presented itself and I just threw myself into the space. It’s slowly revealing to me how I’m going to work here. It’s an evolving process!” she laughed.
A self-described botanical counselor, Felicia deals in the subtle art of flower essence energy medicine. It’s a vocation that, although somewhat hard to explain, seems perfectly at home here in Portland, the City of Roses.
Flower essences, as she described them, can encapsulate the experience of being in nature in much the same way a day at the beach or hiking in the woods can leave you feeling deeply nourished, grounded and peaceful.
Taking the tinctures by mouth – neat or diluted in water – can offer assistance to those undergoing life transitions and can also address feelings of stress and anxiety in a supportive way.
“It’s not herbalism, and it’s not aromatherapy. Flower essences don’t have a scent,” she explained. “They’re liquid extracts that work in a way that’s similar to acupuncture, along the lines of the body’s meridians, on an energetic and vibrational level, to support emotional well-being and mind-body balance.
“I also love that it’s an environmentally-friendly, non-invasive modality. A single flower can infuse a large quantity of water; whereas, a drop of essential oil takes a considerable amount of plant matter to produce.”
An artist, empath and intuitive alchemist, Felicia’s background also includes experience as a stylist, life coach, Reiki practitioner, herbalist and aromatherapist.
“You don’t have to completely understand it to experience it, but you do have to be open and curious,” she pointed out. “There’s an intentional aspect that’s essential to working with flower essences, and it’s a wonderfully effective and gentle way to engage in self-care.”
Primrose Organics Apothecary is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, by appointment only. Call 971.258.8022 to schedule a consultation, or visit FeliciaHowe.com for more information.
Primrose Organics Apothecary
Carrie Wenninger lives on 29th Avenue in Concordia. She is a freelance writer, a mom, a world traveler and a small business marketing consultant. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.