The Atlas Apothecary

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The Atlas Apothecary

Workshops and experiences in traditional herbal medicine and botany from the medina of Fes, Morocco. Visit the website for bookings: www.atlasapothecary.com
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04/08/2020

My friend, Rosemary.

21/07/2020

Green and copper. My two favourite colours.

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Marjoram (and also Rosemary) went into the still yesterday, and will be ready in 40 days. I am always so full of anticipation for the end result...

28/06/2020

When our lockdown ended I took a little outing into the Medina which unknowingly lead me to the Henna Souq, one of the ancient herbal markets in the holiest part of the city. It was a kind of homecoming of sorts, and solidified my thoughts on this special location and its significance. I really enjoyed writing my reflections on it, which you can find now on my blog (link in bio!).

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“The Henna Souq has a determinable atmosphere, defined by the wind in the leaves of its two plane trees and the towering building of the 13th Century Maristan at its heart...”

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https://atlasapothecary.com/2020/06/28/on-the-sacred-loci-of-the-henna-souq-fes/
@ Medina, Fès, Morocco

27/06/2020

The idea of silsila - meaning chain - is a fundamental principle of all true knowledge and training in the Islamic tradition. It applies to religious studies, as well as crafts, spiritual paths and all other realms of knowledge acquisition. The idea is that you must acknowledge those who have taught you, and that they form a chain right back to sacred origins (saints, prophets, and ultimately the divine). This kind of acknowledgement is so radical for our times and I find it so challenging and meaningful as a practice for myself.

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I am here, doing what I do, because of so many people-plants-places- that I can’t even begin to name. They were also parts of chains - or webs - of knowledge, and it all grows and grows like the universe itself.

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There are a few names I like to mention in particular though - who without whom, I would be nothing. First of course is my Master, and the many other women who have taught me the craft of distillation and related herbal/cooking crafts. There is also Hamid, who makes my alembics, and who is always full of smiles and laughter. You can see his stamp here. Not only has Hamid been instrumental in my work, he has also been a guide in my husband’s work - as a fellow metalsmith. Thirdly, although most importantly for they were my first ever teachers, are of course the plants.

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I would love to be able to trace this knowledge transfer back through my teachers - to build a kind of family tree of my influences. Including my spiritual teachers too. To maybe mix in my own blood lineage too, however distant those many threads might seem to me now. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

25/06/2020

>>> distilling geranium

24/06/2020

>>> distilling geranium

11/06/2020

Today I had a chance to teach an online class to a group of Moroccan primary school students (and some big kids!) on traditional science and distillation. It was one of the sweetest things. 🌿🌿🌿 @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

24/05/2020

Eid Mubarak Said 🌿🌴🍃🌾

11/05/2020

>>> distilling rose ::: part 4

04/05/2020

>>> distilling rose :: part 3

01/05/2020

>>> distilling rose :: part 2

29/04/2020

>>> distilling rose :: part 1

27/04/2020

>>> the holy tree and the pirate

27/04/2020

>>> the holy tree and the pirate

24/04/2020

>>>pilgrimage

21/04/2020

**Surviving a waning moon**

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Just poking my nose up here in case anyone else needs this. I wrote this list for myself today as i found the collateral noise of crisis, the anticipation of the coming of Ramadan and my own inner cycles meeting a head which caused some serious noise in my head. For all of you who feel the waning energies of the moon, or who need to manage energies of different kinds.

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Quieten the noise. Reduce media, reduce outside voices. Take time to just be. Practice repetitive tasks which bring joy- cook, craft.

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Don’t feel too frustrated if the more complicated work seems to slow down. Don’t compare your pace now to other times in the month. Embrace the slow and still - find clarity in the gaps and breath life into them.

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Take time to rest. Pure and simple.

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Don’t let your mind fog - allow your thoughts, fears and hopes to wash over you without too much interpretation. Don’t draw any big conclusions. If you need to, journal your feelings as they are, in observation and without judgement.

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Take time to observe nature, and how the darker nights mirror your inner world at this time. Prepare for the coming month with intention, presence and joy.

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And for all those awaiting Ramadan in this state, fear not. There is nothing more that you need to do to “prepare”. You are enough. Your spiritual station is enough. Your prayer is enough. Your tiredness, fear and grief are seen by your Beloved. You are seen, you are heard. Let the coming of this month of blessing hit you with its love, softness and light.

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- Ya Latif -

19/04/2020

Maintaining a little silence around here as I navigate the feelings that arise from the grief and fear that these times bring. Our days are joyful in so many ways, but also heavy with the thought of what we are missing. In particular with Ramadan approaching, my mind is on times past, when this holy month was spent in communal prayer, pilgrimage and togetherness which we will lack this year.

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These photos are from a place dear to my heart, which I discovered a few Ramadan’s ago. It is on my mind a lot now as I try to imagine more sustainable, beautiful and communal ways of living post-crisis, as I imagine what we should be aiming towards. It is a place of holy sanctuary, sustainable farming traditions and feminine power, all sacred things to cultivate of course.

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I have been thinking of putting together a series of reflections for this year’s Ramadan which focus on the intersections of Islamic mysticism, plants and community. I know that for some of my Muslim/Sufi fellows here these may be familiar concepts, and so I would invite you to offer your reflections too. But for those who don’t know so much, or who only know the outward aspects of the month of Ramadan, perhaps it may offer an insight into ONE way of connected living that could offer home for a brighter future.

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My intention would be to share stories, passages and experiences which have been anchors for me on the Path, exploring the strange coalescence of orthodoxy, mysticism and society. Pilgrimage, fellowship and prayer being big parts of that.

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Please do offer your thoughts, and as we enter (slowly, as these times demand) the sacred month of Ramadan, I pray that the new realities of solitude may offer you fresh insights into its meanings, even whilst we mourn the loss of the togetherness that previous experiences offered us.

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Peace, friends. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

11/04/2020

Remembering days not long ago, in friends gardens celebrating joy and life. These days, life revolves mostly around this little sprite, who if lacking bird baths to bathe in, has found all manners of other ways to entertain himself on long days spent in the terrace room. Thankful for him, thankful for the stolen minutes of time I get to do a bit of work in, and thankful for the beautiful house we worked so hard to build (just in time). It’s not all easy peasy, but babies and plants and the joy bring us through. 🌿🌿🌿

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Thanks to for this beautiful shot of Koubi, who jumped into the bird pool for a dip at least twice during the proceedings of the day 😅🐝🌿

02/04/2020

Just a stack of notebooks I’m currently furiously getting through. Thankful to be a writer married to a bookbinder, it’s usually an ideal combination! These were all made by Hamza. If you’re interested in having some beautiful notebooks for musings during this slow/hibernation/gestation period, you can make orders with him at .draft.fez.

01/04/2020

I would need multiple lifetimes to learn all the ancient crafts I admire. I know I’m not called to them all, and especially not fabric crafts per se. But I’ve been feeling called to wear my Jellaba, which is a bit odd because it’s definitely outdoor wear. But I put it on today and my heart was so touched by the hand woven barshamaan and randa which was lovingly made by craftspeople I know. I may not be able master these crafts myself, but at least I can write about them, and show them.

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Barshamaan is a hand-weaving/knotting technique which is used in multiple areas of fabric craft, but particularly down the front of Jallabas. It’s name could hark back to “parchment” and therefore describes the craft as similar to that of bookbinding, and the sewing techniques used there.

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Randa is an embroidery technique thought to originate in the Andalusian city of Ronda. It is used on sleeves and hoods of jellabas. It consists of different knot-based patterns, some ornate and floral and some geometric.

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I’ll certainly be sticking to my plant crafts for now, but I have so much admiration for the beauty and detail in these ancient traditions. It is nice to have the time to contemplate and inhabit them.

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Meanwhile, wearing my Jallaba, as odd as it may be to do around the house, is giving me a little strength and power today. Rooted in these beautiful ancient crafts, and embodying the sacred garment traditions of the Islamic West (al-Maghreb), I can see why. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

29/03/2020

I’ll just be here for the next 6 months, if anybody needs me.

28/03/2020

I brewed a 5L pot of tea. Hamza asked if he could drink a bit. Verbena - a good old friend, all dried and left in masses in a cupboard. This is how it dyed - a slightly luminous yellow/green, just like its tea. I wonder if wearing it will be as relaxing as drinking it? @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

26/03/2020

Reasons never to w**d your pots. I’m a great advocate for productive laziness - minimal w**ding, minimal watering... I wash my laundry in the rain (a technique I learnt from my smart neighbours!) and I leave things in the pot for ages, because leftovers always taste better than the first brew!

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This is one of the products of my laziness. Self-seeded marigolds in a pot whose plant was already on the way out, and creeping Veronica, a new friend whose been quite a delight to me these last few days. I DID pull out much of the lambs quarters because they were taking over the herbs, but I’ve saved them to ferment into a w**d juice for the pots! @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

25/03/2020

This is the story of a tired mama, who after non-stop baby care visited a friend over night in a nearby town. She took the baby with her of course, and whilst she was with her friend, she met another, who in a workshop they had organised, taught her the art of natural dyeing. So excited she was! It felt like coming home. Some crafts feel like that. A few weeks later, she went with the friend to a countryside market and bought bundles of undyed wool, carried home with the help of a few people on the way, all with baby strapped onto her back. She purchased all the other ingredients she needed for dyeing, and laid them out in her courtyard in anticipation.

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Weeks passed, and the dyeing materials slowly found their way into storage. A few months later, she was distressed to find the wool she had purchased infested with moths. Sunning it out to rid herself of the infestation, it felt like a lot of effort for nothing. Baby considered, she would never get round to dyeing that wool.

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I almost gave it all away to some carpet makers. Until this week, after 6 days of being completely home bound, a sudden urge took me to pile these things out of storage and get my head around the dyeing process once more.

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I finally had the time and headspace to conquer my fears and jump into this process. It already feels like a blessed compliment to the rest of my plant work, inviting me to experiment with dried plants I already have around the house in excess! And look at those madder-dyed skeins is wool. Like fairy maiden hair, and smelling a bit like the mountains.

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Thanks go to and the immense who opened this world up to me, almost a year ago exactly in Studio Sefrou.

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These times aren’t easy for us, nor for anyone else in this town. But hey, it sure is sweet to finally be baking that bread, dyeing that wool and watching as one day softly weaves itself into the next. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

21/03/2020

Yesterday I re-started my writing practice after a bit of a hiatus and a lot came up. This morning I felt a lot better, and as we float through these strange uncertain times I have started to fully appreciate the delights of these days, without tainting them immediately with my worries and fears. It’s an ongoing process, but here’s a little success from today. I’m aware that I don’t want to glorify in the beauty of these days when so many others are suffering, I also don’t want to make it look like it’s all smiles and wonder. But I hope that this little glimpse of good could act as an offering of thanks and beauty to the One who orchestrates and ties things together. And maybe also, for you.

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Time to myself, I decided to paint. When was the last time that happened? Pre-baby, I’m sure. But sure enough I painted, not very well, a w**d sprouting from a terracotta pot in front of me. And a a path lined with holy trees, and the moon. Listened to an audiobook, and breathed deep the fresher-than-ever air, the blue sky and the uninterrupted birdsong from the terrace. Yes, we can’t go outside, but this is a pretty fine alternative for now.

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I moved onto other things, begun the process of re-acquaintance with my manuscript, and soon enough baby was saying Mama. So after he had surreptitiously thrown my sharpener down the drain (baba fished it out!), we built a blanket fort and wove around each other smiles and laughter (and some cries!) in our little red-tiled corner under the sky.

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Little wins, big deals. I learnt from a new friend recently that it’s perfectly acceptable to achieve one thing in a day. My battered soul often fights that truth, but these days I hope to embrace it a little more. So here’s to w**ds, terracotta pots, fragrant herbs in flower and babies who steal stationary. Another day, another turn of this wonderful and strange little world. I hope you had a good one, in amongst it all. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

20/03/2020

Overnight, our little world changed, and perhaps yours did too. We arrived home just before the borders closed to the news that all our work for the foreseeable future was cancelled. We weren’t able to reconnect with family. It’s hard to explain what it felt like, and I wish I hadn’t responded immediately with immense fear. It was, and continues to be scary. I know it’s not just us - and that’s the strangest thing about it. The most personal of all fears, but shared so wholly amongst our collective. Our community is almost wholly reliant on tourism and its associated industries. The lights went out on all of us. They went out on the whole city - the whole country. And we are all still left not knowing what this means. Many have no savings, no official paperwork, no work tomorrow. We are in a better position than many, I’m sure. We have back up plans, education, moves to make.

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It’s in the midst of this that I find it a little hard to stomach the advise to “take it as an opportunity”. Yes it’s an opportunity for SO MUCH, but it’s also terrifying, mostly for the vulnerable. The single mothers, the sick, the carers, the ones without a trick to play anymore. There’s also no holiday when you’ve got an 18 month old to raise, and without our usual support network it’s all that much harder. (I see you, parents, everywhere...)

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So with that message aside, and all the loss, grief and fear that it brings (how do we support our community when we don’t know if we ourselves can survive this?). Here are my reflections today, in hope that they might reach the ears of someone who could take some heart from it. Or offer insight.

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• noticing my immediate yearning for a more complete home-remedies cabinet. Today we elevated all of my hydrosols to a new magic space in the cabinet in the salon, but I hope that one day this could grow to support ourselves and others in crisis.
• Having missed home immensely on our recent journeys, it’s a strange and eerie blessing to now be officially locked down here (as of 6pm today!)
• we pray more. We read litanies. We say ‘alhamdulillah’, and we drink tea. @ Medina, Fès, Morocco

16/03/2020

This morning we wake up to a Morocco shut off from the rest of the world. A pretty intense prospect for us, freelancers who rely almost completely on the tourist industry. We’re still in the process of working this all out - please do stick with us through it.

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We made it back just in time. 24 hours later and we wouldn’t have. That’s a weird thing to integrate for me, so right now I’m just breathing the smells of home in as much as possible whilst also keeping sight of those who didn’t make it, or who are now stuck in Morocco with little help for leaving.

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We’re isolating as much as possible as a precaution but I did manage to go out yesterday just to pick up some blossoms to distill. Priorities. When we arrived at Fes station at 2am it was the first thing I smelt. I knew this was the remedy I needed.

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Keep strong in these times friends. The blossoms will help you through. 💚

09/03/2020

Memories of you, dear Savi. I knew which ones you would have approved of (and not!). There were a few red roses that looked like old ladies’ bloomers (which I was sure was a comment direct from you, somewhere out there.) Thank you dear one, for all that you taught me. Rest well, sweet soul. @ Adelaide Botanic Garden

05/03/2020

Fes friends! I’d like to offer the opportunity for any of you interested in learning to distill rose and orange blossom to join me as an assistant over the coming months. Up to May, I’ll be distilling as much as possible and will sometimes need a helping hand. This will be a completely free opportunity to learn a bit of distillation and Moroccan herbalism. Dates are flexible so get in touch if you’re interested. I’m particularly interested in hearing from local Moroccan students who’d like to know more about the Fes distillation tradition. @ Adelaide, South Australia

Address

Rcif
Medina
30000

Telephone

+212687996079

Website

http://www.atlasapothecary.com/

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Videos

>>> distilling geranium <<< — Loading up the steamer section full of geranium leaves for distillation. A very pleasing process. This time I did a double distillation, putting the leaves both in the bottom of the alembic in the spring water (tanjara) and in the sieve (kisskass). This technique works perfectly for the tougher leaves, extracting more of the aromatic particles. On top of this goes the cooler (ras al-qitara) which forms a column for the Moroccan alembic.

>>> distilling geranium <<< — Busy here and there with bits and bobs these days, not spending much time in this space as I try to reassess how I feel about it. I think that this reassessment will see me coming on here less - but I am still in the process of thinking this out, so if I go silent again, don’t mind me! — One of the things I will always be doing is distilling, and I am so happy to return here with this little offering of geranium leaves being picked over to remove the stalks for the still. Got some more of these beauties in store for you. — Another few things I’m doing lots of: writing, some of which will be appearing on the blog again soon (which is an online space I feel much more at ease with), putting babies in and out of paddling pools, and buying bounteous herbs from the market. Also tending to my little herb pots on the roof, tending to my heart, and giving myself the time and space I need to get through right now. — I reflected the other day on the feeling of “filling time”. How our elders “filled time” with song and stories, often sacred kinds - and how I’m lucky enough to have experienced this. I myself have tended to spend too much time-filling behind a screen - losing my sense of presence instead of gaining it. I am gently nudging myself into new practices. — Distilling these geranium leaves I delighted in the slowness of the process once more, filling the spaces with little songs, prayers, spells and incantations. The herbs get really happy that way and you can completely tell, but it also makes your own heart happy too.

>>> distilling rose :: part 2 <<< — Changing the bottles is a hallowed step in the distillation process. It must be done with swiftness, care and intention. It is believed that at this point we are enveloping the “soul” of the plant (as my Master tells me) - if our hand slips, or we are careless, we could loose the essence of what we are trying to contain and nurture. It is completed with the incantation of “Bismillah” and you are to read prayers of protection over the sacred waters. —