Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box
Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box
Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box
Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box
Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box

Soothing Herb Smoke Box | Ukrainian Folk Herbs | Hand-Painted Box

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This gorgeous wooden box is hand-stained and painted, and four jars of our most vital allies in nature. Meadowsweet, Motherwort, St. John's Wort, and Thyme are all essential herbs in the oral tradition and folk medicine of the people of Ukraine. This is a tradition passed onto me by my grandmother, a botanist and herbalist whose soothing voice planted the folklore of these plants deep in my mind where I could never forget them, and now I'd like to pass them onto you.

 

Of the four hexagonal jars filled with these herbs, each comes with a card to tell you the following:

 

Meadowsweet

Таволга | Tavolga

A braided staff lifted to the skies, as the fire burns in a background, connecting earth to the sky above. In a village with no rivers for days of walking, a Відмак / Vidmak (spiritual leader with the ability to connect to the other world) holds a braid of Meadowsweet. They ask the gods for protection and peace, and to accept the flow just like the water they are channeling. Where is the water coming from you ask? The shape the flower makes, resembling the foam of the waves was thought to be a symbol for new life emerging from the waves. With its unforgettable aroma, meadowsweet is a metaphor for hope in difficult times, beauty, and reentering your life with newly found strength.


Motherwort

Пустирник | Pustyrnyuk

Once upon a time there was a hard-working guy and a girl who carried all the beauty in the world, they loved each other passionately and wanted to get married.

Once a girl went to the forest for herbs, and flowers, and there she met a forest spirit. The spirit fell in love with the girl and decided to win her heart by any means. He promised her untold riches, whispered kind words, but the girl got away from him. The spirit got angry and sent a curse after the girl.

The girl ran to the village and told everything to the guy. Less than a couple of days later and her beauty began to fade. The young man decided to go to the spirit of the forest and demand to lift the curse. The spirit did not know how to do it, but he told the young man one way:

"If you love your girlfriend, then go to a distant wasteland, and live there. As long as you live, so long will your beloved be in good health."

All his life the young man lived in hermitage, not speaking a word to anyone else in life. When it was time to die he passed a single tear to the ground, which turned to an herb that can heal the heart and soul of anyone else. When they found this herb they named it to honor the brave young man’s sacrifice, so that no one spends their life with as much loneliness as he had to.


St John’s Wort

звіробій | Zvirobiy

To protect against evil spirits, witches, ghosts and curses, this herb is mentioned in some of the earliest Cyrillic scripts.

"How you can’t bake a bread without flour, you can’t heal a person without St. John’s wort," the old folk saying goes.

The name in ukrainian roughly translates to “defeater (biy) of the animals (zvir)”, which ties into the myth of how it came to be. There was a hunter known across the land as Zvirobiy. He supplied his whole village with enough food, and one evening he was hunting down a bear he’s had eyes on for weeks. The bear took an an arrow to his back, but escaped before Zvirobiy could get to him. He spent the next few days looking for the wounded bear, and found him in a clearing of the forest, eating bright yellow flowers. He saw the scar on his back was nearly faded, and was shocked at how quickly the herb worked it’s wonders. He picked some from the prairie and made teas out of it, added some to his soups and smoked some in his pipe on his walk to the village from the forest.

The townsfolk soon came to him for not only meat, but also healing potions and to get some of Zvirobiy’s herb to take home. He observed how the animals used plants to heal and protected the wounded ones in their pack, and used that knowledge to work with people who came to him, combining Zvirobiy with other herbs for most potency. He saw how it lifted the peoples spirits and healed not only their bodies but made them more joyful all around. He was now called the town's Znahir or healer, and learned that healing comes not only from the earth, but from the kind heart and the intention you put in it. We carry Zvirobiy’s spirit in giving you the herb with the power to heal yourself within and without. Illuminating and giving, like a thousand stars, and vibrant like a fire.


Thyme

Чербець | Cherbets'

An herb that many cultures have discovered, as you will smell it from acres away - thyme. One of the oldest names for it in Slavic cultures was “fimiam” meaning incense. This tracks from the Greek word “thymiama” - healing smoke. It was burned not only for its aroma, but as an offering to gods, and the higher the smoke went, the more likely it was that the gods were smiling upon the people in acceptance of their offering. The people carried a sprig of thyme with them, as it was thought to bring you courage everywhere you went. The light smoke in the air reminds us of things changing, and staying calm no matter what the world around us brings to our day.

 

Further Information about the Herbs:

 

Filipendula ulmaria / Meadowsweet - a decompressing herb with an excellent scent, used for its soothing effects, good for teas and smoking. We caution against use of this herb if you have sensitivity to aspirin or other salicylate-containing drugs.

Leonurus cardiaca / Motherwort - a soothing herb often associated with a subtle euphoria, it's excellent in teas and smokes

Hypericum perforatum / St. John's Wort - a soothing flower that has long been used as a tobacco substitute, it contains hypericin, which is both antiviral and antibacterial, also good in tea

Thymus vulgaris / Thyme - Rich in Vitamin C, Potassium, and Manganese, this fragrant herb is an excellent flavoring in cooking and teas, and like many other members of the mint family, smoking it adds a cooling and soothing effect to herbal blends

 

  • Important: All of our bundles are priced at a discount. This one is 43% off retail value meaning you cannot use an additional discount code on this item. If you check out a bundle using a coupon you will be refunded with instructions to reorder. Thank you for supporting our small business!


 

Precaution: 

This tea blend contains St. John’s Wort which has interactions with many common medications including anti-depressants and birth control. Consult with a doctor before use.

 

Product Information:

Comes with one hand-stained and painted box made by a queer disabled Ukrainian artist, along with four hexagonal jars filled with 6 grams of Meadowsweet, 6 grams of Motherwort, 6 grams of St. John's Wort, and 8 grams of Thyme.

 

Box Dimensions:

(Exterior) - 5 7/8 inches (15 cm) x 3 5/8 inches (9.25 cm) x 2 inches (5 cm)

 

Please check out our FAQ page for details on our shipping process and company policies.

 

You must be of legal smoking age to purchase this product. Your purchase validates your agreement to the Sono Terms of Service. This product in no way guarantees any specific outcome. Any information related to herbal properties references historical, traditional, mythical, or ceremonial usages in folk medicine or spiritual practices. This information is provided for entertainment purposes only. 

This product hasn't been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Consult your doctor before use. Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing. Smoking anything may be hazardous to your health.