sophia 🧿

my heart is feeling full these days. it’s bizarre, the ebbs and flow of being a human. the trials and tribulations. roller coasters we put ourselves on. and yet… in this moment, i feel content. belly full of tea, heart full of gratitude. every decision i have made has brought me here, and it isn’t a bad place to be. today i invite you to write a love poem to a part of yourself that you feel like you’re awakening. what words does this part of you need to hear, what tending does it require, what weeds need to be pulled, in order for this part of yourself to be able to grow, and when the time is right… bloom?

the herbalist goes to the rave 😈 be it at a festival in the forest, a warehouse in downtown or anywhere where the beats are scrumptious and you’re vibing - these are some herbal hacks to keep you feeling optimal the whole time 😎😎😎 —✨— this post was 1000% inspired by my stellar weekend @beyondwland w/ my bestie @itsmekatiemariee - fun fact we actually met at a festival called minus zero… and spent the following festival season and beyond learning each other and growing closer and closer while vending clothes and herbs alongside a collective of brilliant heart based artists katie wove together, truly one of my favorite life chapters. she’s a techno queen and now she casually designs & builds stages at festivals with the impeccable @lunosoldesign . get you friends who can do it all. i didn’t mention this at all in the post above, but it may be the most important component… the company you keep is gonna be the best medicine of ‘em all ;) heres to the kick off of the festie szn ⭐️ ⭐️ ⚡️ — #festivalszn #festivalfashion #festivaltime #greenwitch #festivalready #herbalistsofinstagram #partysafe #medicinalherbs #energizingteas⚡️ #herbalsmokeblends #herbalmagic #psychedelia

really don’t have capacity for anything less than the best it’s earth day - do something that reminds you you’re just a little human being 🌿 i’ve been in the apothecary all day, cleaning & organizing, dreaming up herbal remedies ready to be born into this new season of my life there’s something so grounding about smelling, touching, tasting all the plants - remembering we’re here to experience ourselves through the matrix of matter we’ve woven ourselves into in learn how you want to be loved, and give it to yourself first from there, it overflows xoxo 💓

i’ve been stockpiling screenshots of memes, here’s some of them . ✨🙈✨ moving through life trusting in the adventure of every day. everyone we meet is god in drag. be kind 💓 been formulating lots of herbals lately and it feels so good to be back in it. liver & kidney blends for the spring 🌿 if you need any support - reach out to ya girl.

i wrote this a lil bit ago as a laundry list as i go thru some spring purging of people in my life lmao. and as i invite new ones in 🌈🌿🌀🦋🌟 hiii babeesss i expect you to be top notch !!!! the bar is high !!! ive been navigating big relational transitions in the past few months with as much authenticity, reverence and love that i can… even when its been challenging. i’m sure the same goes for you. there’s a BIG relationship oriented full moon in libra coming in this week so this felt appropo to share at this time what do u think??? of course rose as the background because helloooo Rose thorn medicine - allowing the sweetness of the petals, keeping the power of the thorns 🌹 #fullmooninlibra♎️ #rosemedicine #rosethorns #relationshipmagic

ITS OK TO HAVE AN OFF SEASON!!!! It’s ok to not have direct goals - it’s ok to not force yourself to create and check off a to-do list for the sake of being productive - it’s ok to show up to work and do a great job and then come home and not grind, grind, grind on a passion project and instead be passionate about yourself - it’s ok to have spaciousness and go on long walks and flirt at the coffee shop and literally stop and smell the springtime blooms - it’s ok to laugh, to lounge, to lavish in bed with a book in the afternoon if there are no other responsibilities on your plate - ITS OK!!!! to take one-off dance classes that turn into packages because, omg, it feels so good to move my body again, to break it off with relations that drained you in favor of creating space for ones that nourish… It’s ooookkkkaaayyyyyyyyy to be free, to sip Hugo Spritz and daiquiris, to go thrifting and buy a sexy new outfit, to relish in the sunshine or the rain or the frigid cold and find stillness if that’s what your soul needs from you. It’s ok to call your mom or your dad or your sister or your brother or your cousin and fucking vent to them about something you feel nervous or ashamed about. ITS OKAY TO BE HUMAN - and in this world that is soooo fundamentally full of humanitarian crises, please go pet your dogs and your cats and your neighbors’ dogs and cats and be the best aunt or uncle or teacher or guide or friend you can fucking be. It doesn’t matter what your goals are right now—it matters that you find joy in your daily life and you emanate that outward. I stand by that being what the world needs more than anything. • ⁃ Signed, a girl who grinded constantly for the foreseeable past and is gonna take a beat for the foreseeable future 🤡🌈✨

“what goes too long unchanged destroys itself. the forest is forever because it dies and dies and so lives.” hi sweet honies, to whom it may concern: i shifted my username from the infamous, well-worn, deeply loved @avraveda to my name. avraveda served me for 10 years. thousands of bottles, jars, tinctures, oils, and micro-batch remedies passed through these hands and this account to any of you OGs. so many sexy shop updates! so many herbals! someone recently asked if i still make herbal products after “closing” my shop and my answer was of course lol. when you learn how to create with herbs, it doesn’t turn off. after a decade of sun-kissed infusions, emulsifications, and distillations, this is daily bread. i’m actually working on a few voluptuous skin products right now and will offer them in small-batch style under avraveda as a moniker til my next full apothecary line is ready to be birthed 😈 avraveda as my handle started to feel too business-y to hold everything i want to share and it didn’t feel aligned in my body when i would share with people how to connect with me. i did a big shed last year - a lot of weight has lifted off of my shoulders and i’m ready to relish in that. and i wanna return with a little chaos, travel, play, mischief and being close, very close, to the mystery. relishing in any parts of myself that have been unseen on this lil app portal. all that being said, i’ll be at your service as an herbaceous provider, probably forever 🌿 one-on-one herbalism consultations (honed through years of practice and my time at @owlvenice ), custom skin + body formulations, and obviously, the mixology work of @theherbalpixie lives loudly within me now. giving avraveda her flowers for all the years of holding me on here and my body of work, and looking forward to staying connected to yall on here… although i do loathe Meta for its malicious impact on the world at large and think Substack is better (find me there!) thanks for reading. go thrive - the world needs you to do so. and remember all of *this* is not the real world. your home, your environment, and your neighbors are. go give em a hug from me. xoxoxo 🔥🐎

typically the new years agenda doesn’t feel in alignment with where i’m at… i tend to prefer the astro new year or simply celebrate in equinoxes and solstices for turning of tides and seasons. i feel this one, though. for whatever reason as this gregorian candle burns its wick down to nothing and puffs into smoke, i feel it. 🕯️ it was not the most ✨sparkly✨ or adventurous year - although core memories were made - there was spaciousness, sometimes towing the line into loneliness, remedied and cushioned with much needed quality time with my cozy friends and family. art always found its way, even if i wasn’t the one making it. being inspired by, cultivating presence and container for, that art. @theherbalpixie got her wings and will continue too grow, and i look forward to growing my individual self expression in weeks and months to come. being nose-to-the-grindstone in late-stage capitalism sculpted my work ethos and also drained me, showing me HOW i want to work in the years to come. and it’s not like that, baby - it’s to a different rhythm that prioritizes pleasure 🎶 this year it became glaringly obvious that toning, strengthening and sharpening our bodies, senses, and psyche is imperative. even if its hard, we have to do it. this year, i chose to accept all of the choices that have led to me to where i am - and love them. and day in and day out, in moments of dysregulation and re-regulation, i returned to one key lesson: the only person who can change your life is you and that is the single most frightening and freeing thing there is to know. >> got a brugmansia tattoo this year after admiring and building relationship with this plant of death, transformation and alchemy for the past 4 years. >> photos & videos i selected amongst 100s that i could’ve chosen from of the beautiful humans i'm surrounded by >> ancient greek de materia medica for herbalism alchemy '26. >> meet Yao Pookie. he is the latest most wonderful creature in my life 🐱✨ here’s to 2026 ⚡️

it is i and a prickly pear cactus that may be twice my age and certainly had some wisdom to share with me (probably around 40-70+ y/o with that many layers of pads sprawling out) — and decadent fruits ripe for the picking 🌵 all of my metaphysical tools keep telling me to make plans for the oncoming year, and i’ve never really had an issue with calling things in but lately it’s been ruff to think big and my connection to the cosmos has felt … stifled. trusting december will shift that for me 💝 what are your favorite practices for dreaming bigger in a world that oftentimes feels on edge of apocalypse .. or perhaps, a gentle reframe that makes all of the difference… we are in a world that is telling us now is the time to collectively weave and create a reality that is actually designed and shaped for us???? any fav journal prompts or visualizations? share them with me! memes and stuff to inspire the season as well. xoxo

recently journeyed to the channel islands, one of the most remote National Parks of the US 🐋✨ it felt an appropriate time to go, as so many beautiful parts of this country have been threatened by 🍊- it was an absolute gift to be in this raw environment, home to the clever island foxes, ravens, humpbacks, dolphins, island scrub jays. there were many native herbs we got to hang with - including prickly pear / nopale, white horehound, Toyon, lemonade berry, sagebrush, island morning glories … and our basecamp was nestled in a grove of invasive eucalyptus trees - problematic yet beautiful. it made me realize that after 4 years, i actually do feel like i’ve met a good amount of the native plants of SoCal and am beginning to have an understanding of them, the chaparral region they grow in, their signatures, scents and can call them by their name (although id love to learn more of the native names by the Chumash). we’ve begun to work with some of these plants for @theherbalpixie - when sourcing feels responsible and right. we camped on Scorpion Cove, and while there were no sights of scorpions (we saw a lil baby snake) - we were and continue to be in the strong pull of Scorpio season and the portal of Scorpio’s dark depths were evident. these parks, with their sensitive habitats, command us to practice LNT, to be cautious and mindful with how we interact with the world around us. it certainly sung of ancient energy and we learned that the oldest known human bones discovered to date in the US were found on the islands. the spooky vibes were certainly felt at night - but in a calmmmm way. the few days off grid / off service were necessary and it definitely felt like a cellular reset, albeit challenging. camping is hard yall - esp when you haven’t done it in some time. but i will say one thing - those are life skills that feel imperative to have with the state the world is in. knowing to forage, cook, live with bare minimum / primitive essentials… important. not my ideal day to day, but i’m happy i tapped back into that part of myself. as for being immersed in nature - i could definitely use a longer escape next time. enjoy the photos ✨🍂🐋

MY DARLING RUE (RUTA GRAVEOLENS)✨ bitter • warming • protective • mars-ruled • threshold keeper 🐍 my queen of October, my fierce green ally, banishing harmful spirits from home and hearth. edged with mystery, a plant of my Greek ancestry with deep roots in mediterranean magic, protection of tombs. I first became familiar with this herb while walking around the corridor streets of Antigua, Guatemala.. a roadside weed with an intriguing aroma. This plant is growing in my backyard, nearby a jasmine vine and our compost bins. I pinch a bit of it every time I walk by - sometimes simply for scent, sometimes to pop into my mouth for its astringent, pungent taste - and other times to carry with me around the city I live in, the city of angels (and non angels). I sun dry Rue to burn for smoke cleansing when the vibes are bad, and the energy is unwelcome - cleansing the space around me. the phrase “to rue” actually means to bitterly regret - and that meaning traces back to the plant itself. because Ruta graveolens is quite bitter, the emotion of regret was named after it. in old english and folk magic, there was also the idea of “making someone rue the day” - essentially, making an enemy regret crossing you. 😈 so when witches and cunning folk carried rue for protection, it wasn’t only to block harm - it was also a reversal charm: sending malice back to its source so the sender would “rue” their own actions. doesn’t that sound like something we could all use a bit of today? RETURN TO SENDER, babes. herbalism is activism yall, don’t forget it. with love, sophia 🕯️ #rue #rutagraveolens #folkherbalism #plantwitch #protectionmagic #banishing #thresholdkeeper #ritualherbs #greenwitch #plantspiritmedicine #herbalwitch #witchcraft #ancestralmagic #greekwitch #mediterraneanmagic #materiamedica #rootedinritual

needed a timeline cleanse…. of me 🧿🪞🗡️ 😏 there was a time when i used to share more consistently on this platform, but the state of the world, IG selling me shit constantly, and my own inner euphoric peaks and dismal valleys, pulled me away from here to tend to privately. but today, today is my name day - and i want to simultaneously grieve & celebrate myself. Αγία Σοφία. sophia. keeper of wisdom. protector of her daughters, her sisters, the feminine. named after my Γιαγιά Σοφία, mother of my father, who’s home in Greece summons me more powerfully by the day. while i may look back at this post and cringe, or worse, archive… i choose to honor where i’ve been this last year. one of the most in-limbo years of my life. i choose to step out of that limbo and out on a limb. to climb gnarled branches, walk into new worlds, and feel my heart at its most open, noting when it closes for protection. i choose the raw pulse of energy through my veins, the adrenaline of what excites me and what i fear. i choose to be trained - physically, spiritually, mentally. to have the tools when the time comes. choose to stand with other artists and warriors unchained from systems that suffocate creation. i promise myself: anywhere in my life there is stagnation, i will unblock it. gingerly, with kindness when i can, fiercely, with fire, when i must. i am not afraid to change. when i bleed, under the moon’s waning cycle, it shows metamorphosis. i see it in the butterflies of late summer, dancing across chicory flowers and evening primrose blooms in the coastal fields. it’s strange how women are taught their prime is fleeting, almost gone before it begins. i’m in my 30s and i already feel that societal pressure. no. my metamorphosis is not bound by that clock. it rolls in years, in cycles, and will continue until the end of my life. who i am becoming is a mystery, even to me. i do get glimpses. she is worth knowing. worth building. worth discovering. worth investing in, as i have all these years. it’s time to grow thru release. are you coming with me? Χρόνια πολλά to all Sophia’s out there. there is strength in a name. yours in the spiral xx