This season, I am highlighting different practices that helped ground, nourish, and fortify me during seasons of transformation. To kick us off, I invited my dear friend & fellow herbalist, Brittaney Whitenhill to chat about sustaining our joy practices during a time of upheaval. This conversation was such a balm for my spirit and I’m excited to share with you. It is also a glimpse into a workshop that Brittaney and I are co-hosting on Wednesday March 4th about joy practices.

We still have tickets available! Purchase here: https://joyinthemidst.eventbrite.com

Our Backyard: https://www.our-backyard.org/

Today, I am speaking with Adaugo Botchway, a Registered Nurse and Certified Health & Wellness Coach that specializes in perimenopause & hormonal shifts.

In today’s episode we discuss:

* Adaugo’s perimenopause journey

* Adaugo’s experience caring for women as a Registered Nurse & her transition to coaching women as founder of Rooted in Her Essence

* Developing the skill of body wisdom & awareness through personal health data to improve an individual’s agency while meeting with a doctor

About our guest:

Adaugo Botchway is the founder of Rooted in Her Essence Coaching where she assists women with navigating and decoding their body signals that occur during hormonal shifts. As a Registered Nurse, she spent over 25 years caring for women and families at all stages of life— from antepartum and postpartum units to newborn, pediatric, and nursing informatics care. Aduago holds a master of science in Nursing and is also a Certified Health & Wellness coach. She also served on the Board of the Junior League of Wilmington DE for two years and is currently serving as a member of the Delaware Valley Chapter of Mocha Moms.

I truly believe Adaugo’s story and nuggets of wisdom that she gained from her own mid life transformation will benefit others who are experiencing perimenopause. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

P.S.

As Adaugo and I talked, I thought about various plant allies that are very supportive to the perimenopause & menopause journey. The herb that stood out to me the most was Motherwort — a personal favorite of mine. I didn’t get into the details of motherwort in our episode, however I had a great conversation with fellow herbalist Erika Parker-Smith, a couple of seasons ago, about her own relationship to the plant and how it helped her navigate life transitions. Check it out here: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/garden-talk-04-tending-to-a-courageous

Subscribe to my newsletter: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/

Learn more about Jupiter in Leo: https://www.chani.com/blogs/your-guide-to-jupiter-in-leo-2026

On today’s episode, Brittaney and I shared a bit on what to expect from our upcoming workshop as well as our own experiences. Our feet carry us through life, but they also carry important messages about our health. Drawing from African American spiritual herbalism and Chinese Traditional Medicine, this virtual workshop explores the connection between the feet, internal organs, energy pathways, and ancestral healing practices. Participants will learn to recognize common indicators of imbalance and discover rituals and herbs that support restoration from sole to soul.

Link to register: SoleToSoulWorkshop.eventbrite.com

This week I am sitting with Rosemary, a protective plant ally of the sun and fire. I know it is a common kitchen herb that many folks cook with because it is packed with aroma and flavor. But it is also potent with medicinal benefits and spiritual fortitude.

Some links I lifted up in the episode:

https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/garden-talk-03-remember-yourself

https://centersageremedies.com/

How is it June already??!! On June 21st, we will experience Summer Solstice. In this podcast episode I share how I plan to embody the essence of summer. For this upcoming solstice, I am calling in abundance, play, growth, and success that will carry me into the rest of the year. What are you thinking about calling in at the turning point of the year? What are the intentions that you have sown and the top of the year that you want to continue to nourish and grow?

I also share how my daily practice of pilates and the nourishing presence of chamomile remind me that taking small, mundane, and incremental steps are just as important as taking big leaps of faith.

I hope you enjoy the episode! Let me know what are you calling in for yourself during the summer solstice? Or what baby steps you are taking in your life that you want to celebrate? You can subscribe to my newsletter at acupofteaandjams.substack.com & share in the comments.

Until next time,

Khayla

To Read: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/freedom-in-the-quiet

Playlist Referenced: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02hYVtOFkX7xobllxA8Sbp?si=LEk8WFLnRmer6O03uPVHYg

Subscribe to A Cup of Tea & Jams newsletter: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/

I had no intention to send an offering today and yet here I am. I've learned that when my spirit and creativity decide to move and flow, listen to it. I'm realizing that I was inspired by the power of music today, so shout out to all of the musicians and artists that create beautiful love songs and stories that capture our experiences.

Let me back up.

Today is Friday, February 14th, 2025, known to everyone around the world as Valentine's Day. There are all types of hearts and love and roses and chocolates and conversations about love and all the forms of love. As the day went on, I thought about a particular playlist that I created nearly eight years ago. Now, it is one of my favorite playlists and it's timeless, at least to me. I was inspired by a couple songs that really captured the sweetness of love, the joy of love ,and the romance of a budding relationship. And so that inspired me to create Sweet Like Honey Groove because your girl loves a good groove. I hope you enjoy.

Subscribe to A Cup of Tea & Jams and read the rest of this post to retrieve the Damiana Delights recipe.

On the last new moon of 2024, I thought it would be fitting to share today’s offering, which is about the beautiful and powerful plant motherwort. It’s interesting that this episode is premiering at the start of winter yet the plant itself flourishes during the hot summer months of Leo season.

While there are definitely some folks who know what motherwort is, there are quite a few folks who are not familiar. I was definitely one of the latter. In early spring, I decided to try my hand in growing motherwort, which is very easy to do because it is part of the mint family. As a result, it grows abundantly.

After spending some time with the flowering herb and receiving support during a year that was full of grief and heartache, I decided to bring it forward in my Garden Talk series to lift up how it has bolstered me through this time. I am joined by a wonderful woman and fellow herbalist, Erika Parker-Smith who also has a deep relationship with motherwort and has so much knowledge & wisdom to share.

In our conversation, we talk about how motherwort is supportive for the womb and heart. We also discuss navigating life transitions, cycling through grief, and how a walk with motherwort has led Erika to become a death doula.

To learn more about Erika and her work as an herbalist check her out at Rebelmancy and on IG via @rebelmancy and @the_eccentriccousin.

Other gems shared in this episode:

* Black Grief Practitioners Are Protecting Black Life In Death

* Alua Arthur Ted Talk: Why thinking about death helps you live a better life

* Going With Grace

In today’s episode, I will be talking about this beautiful plant and I'm not alone. I invited my good friend and fellow herbalist Marasia Simone to discuss all of the great ways that Rosemary is currently impacting our lives. Marasia describes herself as a soul care herbalist, who provides herbal support for the heart & soul. She is the founder of Center Sage Herbal Remedies and creator of A Sage Named Simone, a publication where she shares about her own self love affair & spiritual journey.

In this conversation, we talk about the origins of this body oil, what Rosemary is teaching us in this season, and the journey to reclaim the inner wise and wild one within us. We also shared four songs that embody the energy and lessons that Rosemary brings to each of us. The songs are also embedded below in a short playlist I created. I am deeply grateful for Marasia sitting down and sharing space to talk about this sacred medicine. This soulful conversation left me so full. I hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments how you partner with Rosemary and if there is a song that reminds you about its energy and power.

To stay in touch with Marasia be sure to subscribe to her publication, a sage named simone and follow her on socials via @asagenamedsimone & @centersageremedies.

Other gems shared in this episode:

* Dirt Gems Plant Oracle Deck

* Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Growing hibiscus is truly a journey. I had the pleasure to chat with my friend Qubilah Huddleston about her journey with the beloved flower for my second installment of my Garden Talk audio series. Qubilah is a fellow herbalist, gardener, and writer. She is founder of The Holistic Agenda and Black Women Get to Be, a place where Black women get to receive actionable advice on how to do more of what feeds their soul.

In this episode, you will hear us refer to hibiscus by its various names. Also, we discuss Qubilah’s call to return back to land, her pursuit in personal wellness and community care, and the ancestral medicine that Hibiscus provides.

Gratitude to Qubilah for saying yes and becoming my very first guest at A Cup of Tea & Jams! Y'all are in for a treat! The transcript is available to read on the web version of the publication in the upper right corner under the title of the article.

To stay in touch with all of the cool things Qubilah is up to, be sure to subscribe to her publication, Black Women Get to Be and follow her on IG @qubilahsays. Also, if you live in the DMV area, she is leading two upcoming herbal workshops! See the flyer below for more information and register via here.

My musical offering is “Symptom of Life” by WILLOW. In the episode I break down my interpretation of this song and how it feels like my time with lemon balm.

Lastly, as I mentioned at the end of the podcast, there is a wonderful Spiritual Herbalism Conference that is happening the first week of October, 10/5-10/6. This year’s theme is A Healer in Every Home. It will be a powerful time so I hope that folks who are interested, can attend!

Enjoy this episode! There is also a transcript provided to read on the web version of A Cup of Tea & Jams. After you listen, let me know what you think in the comments or send me an email.

Stay awhile, grab some tea, & jam with me!

Music from Uppbeat.