STROB Apothecary

05/03/2026

A ready-to-gift bundle for the educators in your life.

Dear STRŌB Community,

Teacher Appreciation Week starts Monday, and we put together something for the educators in your life who deserve so much.

🍵 Tea is for Teacher Bundle | $25 🍵
What's included:

🫖Stainless steel infuser basket
🫖Three sample-size tea pouches (you choose from six blends, including Vanilla Lemon Cloud, Ginger Peach and Pick-Me-Up.)
🫖Kraft gift bag and hand-tied card

A $30 value, ready to gift, no wrapping required.

Available in-shop only this week. Stop by and we'll help you put a bundle together—or grab a few for the whole grade.

💚 For the Educators 💚
For everyone who's been patient, prepared, and present for our kids this year, thank you doesn't quite cover it.

But a good cup of tea is a start.

See you soon,
The STRŌB Apothecary Team 🌿✨

Click here for an update from STRŌB Apothecary!

04/30/2026

The Brew Crew got the heads-up first. Now it's your turn.

Dear STRŌB Community,

Boxes everywhere this week. Incense from Kyoto, comb honey from Pennsylvania, four brand-new teas, fresh herbs on the wall, and a launch Olivia's had for a long time coming.

The Brew Crew got the full rundown two weeks ago and some of these have already been making their way home with those folks. If you want next month's arrivals before everyone else (plus the rest of what we get up to in there and a sweet monthly discount), the Crew is $7/month.

Pull up a p**f under the branch. Here's what just landed.

🌟 Cosmic Connections Florida Waters 🌟
Three New Sprays from April McCoy

April doesn't just blend... she times. Each of these Florida waters was crafted under a specific celestial alignment, and she's brought us three to choose from depending on what you're working with.

Structure — blended under a Capricorn stellium, for the season of building
Magnetism — blended under a Leo Sun + New Moon, for the season of being seen
Rebirth — blended under a Scorpio Sun + New Moon, for the season of letting go

Florida water is a traditional ritual cologne and generations of practitioners have reached for it to cleanse space, bless objects, and refresh an altar.

April's astrological versions layer in intention with the timing of the creation.

Come see our selection of locally-handmade Florida waters and Camphor waters here at STROB.

🌿 New on the Herb Wall 🌿

Jujube dates (https://www.strobapothecary.com/product/jujube-dates-whl-/VWIILBMNI56QV757AJ2HS2CN) — Small red Chinese dates, sweet and chewy whole, used across East Asian culinary and medicinal herbal traditions for centuries. Beautiful simmered into broths and decoctions, or eaten out of hand.

Neem leaf (https://www.strobapothecary.com/product/neem-leaf-c-s-/ZSNHEF2ZFZ2QYBPYJILZOUK2) — A celebrated plant in Ayurvedic tradition, often reached for in oils, washes, and salves.

Cramp bark (https://www.strobapothecary.com/product/cramp-bark-c-s-/534HQ7CNWUWXY6B4PSZRRF4N) — Exactly what it sounds like: the bark of a viburnum shrub called Cramp bark, long held in the herbalist's toolkit for many reasons.

Not sure what to do with any of these? Come ask. That's the whole point of having your local community apothecary with herbalists in it! "Google can have great data, but it can't be your herbalist."

🎨 This Friday: Extended Hours for Artist's Table 🎨
May 2nd | Shop Open til 8pm
First Friday returns! The shop stays open til 8pm while Artist's Table creates in the front room from 6:30-8pm. Art supplies, tea, and good company waiting. Free event, donations welcomed.

Register for Art (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-artists-table-tickets-1977726693780) →

🌾 This Saturday: Find Us at Chesapeake Herb Gathering 🌾
May 2nd | Fox Haven Farm, Jefferson, MD
Sean and Romula will be popping up with the STRŌB tent at the Chesapeake Herb Gathering hosted by our farm partner Fox Haven Farm. Incredible herbal learning on the land with an amazing speaker lineup.
There are NO day-of ticket sales!! Get your tickets now if you're interested.

Want to order from STRŌB and pick up at the Gathering? Order online by 8pm Friday evening and put "Herb Gathering" in the notes. We'll bring it with us.

Get Tickets to Herb Gathering (https://wildgingerherbalcenter.thrivecart.com/2026-chesapeake-herb-gathering-correct/) →

Spring is here and we're celebrating with scent, honey, new teas, and community gatherings. Come see what's calling to you.

See you soon,
Olivia, Sean & the STRŌB Team 🌿✨

The Brew Crew - Your digital sanctuary for herbal wisdom and cosmic guidance. Get the early scoop on new arrivals, live classes with Sean and Olivia, weekly content, and more—$7/month. Join here. (https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286/about)

Click here for an update from STRŌB Apothecary!

04/30/2026

We're at the Chesapeake Herb Gathering this Saturday at Fox Haven Farm and we're bringing tea. Lots of tea. ☕

But if you want anything else from the shop, herbs, crystals, aromatherapy, whatever you've been eyeing, you can order ahead and pick it up right at our tent. No shipping, no waiting. Just swing by and grab it.

Here's how:
🌿 Head to strobapothecary.com
🌿 Place your order and select "Pickup at Store"
🌿 Write "herb gathering" in the order notes
🌿 Pick it up at the STRŌB tent on Saturday

Orders need to be in by Friday at 8pm so we can pack everything up for you.

Come find us, grab your order, sip some tea, and spend the day learning from some really cool plant people. See you at Fox Haven 🫖

***PS - There are no day-of ticket sales. Please register ASAP***

📍 Chesapeake Herb Gathering · Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center · Saturday, May 2nd · All Day

04/28/2026

Fresh batch of Crabby Gabby, mixed and on the shelf. 🌙

That’s Romula putting this one together by hand — Catnip, Wild Yam, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Black Cohosh, Motherwort, Raspberry Leaf, and whole Strawberries. Eight herbs, all working together as a gentle companion for your moon cycle.

Olivia originally made this blend for her niece (pictured at the end and MUCH less crabby with HER tea), and it became one of the teas people ask about the most. If you’ve been waiting for the restock, she’s back.

Crabby Gabby is on the shelf now at STRŌB. Come grab her before she’s gone again.

📍 2111 Baldwin Ave, Suite 1, Crofton MD (inside Vega Therapy Services)

🫖 The Brew Crew always knows about restocks first — $7/month on Skool, link in profile

04/28/2026

Dear STRŌB Community,

You know that thing you do when you're stressed? The pattern you fall into when you need comfort? The way you shut down (or don't) when emotions get big?

Ever wonder why you do it that way?

Your Moon placement knows. And on May 9th, April McCoy is going to help you understand it.

🌙 The Mother Within: The Astrology of Your Emotional Needs 🌙
Saturday, May 9th | 2-3:30pm
This isn't a "what's your sign?" party trick. This is a guided astrology workshop that explores why you feel what you feel, need what you need, and react the way you react, especially when you're not thinking about it.

--> Register Here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mother-within-the-astrology-of-your-emotional-needs-tickets-1986571860913)

💚 What Your Moon Placement Actually Tells You 💚
Most people know their Sun sign (your core identity, how you shine). But your Moon sign is where your emotional truth lives.. the part of you that needs safety, seeks comfort, and processes feelings.

It shows:

✨How you experience and express emotions
✨What makes you feel safe and cared for
✨Your instinctive response to stress or vulnerability
✨The emotional patterns you inherited (often unconsciously)
✨What you need to feel nurtured and whole

Your 4th house goes even deeper. It reveals your relationship to home, family, roots, and the early environments that shaped how you see yourself and the world.

Together, your Moon and 4th house hold the blueprint for why you do what you do when emotions run high.

🌿 Why This Matters 🌿
Understanding your Moon placement helps you stop fighting against your own nature.

If your Moon needs alone time to process emotions, you can stop forcing yourself to "talk it out" immediately just because someone told you that's healthier.

If your Moon craves physical comfort and routine when stressed, you can give yourself permission to make the soup, wrap up in the blanket, and stop judging yourself for not being more "productive" with your feelings.

If your Moon learned early that emotions aren't safe to express, you can start recognizing that pattern and gently create new ones.

This is astrology as a tool for self-compassion and actual change.

✨ What You'll Learn in This Workshop ✨

April will guide you through:

• Understanding your Moon sign and what it reveals about your emotional needs
• Exploring your 4th house and how early experiences shaped your present-day patterns
• Recognizing the difference between inherited emotional patterns and your authentic needs
• Grounding practices for working with your Moon's energy
• Self-nurturing rituals aligned with your chart

No prior astrology knowledge required. April translates the complex into the accessible. You'll understand your chart, not just get a list of keywords.

Held during Ta**us season, this workshop emphasizes grounding, embodiment, and self-nurturing which is the perfect energy for this work.

💜 This Workshop Is For You If: 💜

• You keep falling into the same emotional patterns and want to understand why
• You're curious about astrology but don't know where to start
• You want practical tools for self-awareness and emotional regulation
• You're tired of judging yourself for how you process feelings
• You want to understand the "mother wound" or early conditioning without years of therapy
• You're ready to give yourself permission to need what you actually need

🌙 Saturday, May 9th | 2-3:30pm 🌙
You'll need: Your birth date, birth time (as exact as possible), and birth location. If you don't know your exact birth time, we can work with what you have.

--> Register for The Mother Within (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mother-within-the-astrology-of-your-emotional-needs-tickets-1986571860913)

Your Moon has been trying to tell you something your whole life. Maybe it's time to listen.

See you May 9th,
The STRŌB Apothecary Team 🌿✨

P.S. If you've never looked at your birth chart before, this is an excellent place to start. April makes it accessible, grounded, and genuinely useful.

The Brew Crew - Your digital sanctuary for herbal wisdom and cosmic guidance. $7/month for full access.
--> Join Now (https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286/about)

Click here for an update from STRŌB Apothecary!

04/24/2026

Starting this Friday, walk in between 2–5pm and I (Olivia) will blend something custom for you, right at the counter. No appointment needed.

Tell me what's going on. Stress that won't let up. Sleep that won't come. A feeling you can't quite name but your body keeps bringing up. We'll sit with it together for a few minutes and figure out what your body is asking for. Then I'll make it while you're standing there.

Body oil. Roll-on. Inhaler. (Salves are available but take up to a week to complete). Whatever fits you.

This is what a clinical aromatherapist can do for you! A custom blend built around your body, your life, right now , by someone who's trained to listen to both.

Come find out what that means for you.

Every Friday, 2–5pm, starting today.
📍 2111 Baldwin Ave, Suite 1 · Crofton, MD · Inside Vega Therapy Services

04/24/2026

Dear STRŌB Community,

You're standing in front of a table full of crystals at our big crystal sale. Rose quartz. Amethyst. Black tourmaline. Clear quartz. Citrine. Labradorite. They're all beautiful, they all have "properties," and you have absolutely no idea which one is supposed to come home with you.

Now what?

🔮The Two Schools of Thought 🔮
There are two main approaches to choosing crystals, and both are completely valid.

Method 1: Match Properties to What You Need
This is the logical, research-based approach. You identify what you're dealing with (anxiety, grief, creative blocks, physical pain, boundary issues) and you choose a crystal known to support that specific thing.

🗻Need grounding? Black tourmaline, hematite, smoky quartz.
🩷Working on heart healing? Rose quartz, rhodonite, green aventurine.
🧠Seeking clarity? Clear quartz, fluorite, selenite.

This method works especially well if you're new to crystals and need a starting point, or if you're very goal-oriented in your healing work.

Method 2: Let the Crystal Choose You
This is the intuitive, energetic approach. You walk through the shop (or browse a table) and notice which crystal keeps catching your eye. Which one you keep coming back to. Which one feels warm in your hand or makes you want to hold it a little longer.

You might not even know what it "does" until you look it up later and often, what it does is exactly what you needed.

This method works when you trust your body's wisdom more than your thinking brain. And honestly? Your body usually knows. (That's how pendulums work!)

The truth is most people use both methods. You research what might help, then you let your intuition pick between the options. Or you follow your gut to a crystal, then research it and go "Oh. Yeah. That makes sense."

🌿 First Steps with a New Crystal 🌿
You've chosen (or been chosen by) a crystal. Here's what to do next:

Cleanse It
Crystals pick up energy from the earth, from the people who handled them and from the space they've been sitting in. We cleanse your crystals at the counter before you leave, but its always a good idea to clear the proverbial slate 😂 before you work with new mineral friends.

🌕Moonlight: Leave it outside or on a windowsill overnight (especially powerful during full moons)
💨Smoke: Pass it through sage, palo santo, or incense smoke
🎶Sound: Use a singing bowl, bells, or even your voice
🌍Earth: Bury it in soil for 24 hours (not all crystals can handle this—research first)

Charge It with Intention
Hold the crystal. Tell it (out loud or silently) what you need support with. "Help me stay grounded." "Remind me I'm safe." "Support my creative flow."

Think of it like programming. You're giving it a job.

Work with It

• Carry it: In your pocket, bra, or bag
• Meditate with it: Hold it during meditation or place it on your body
• Keep it visible: On your desk, nightstand, altar, or workspace
• Sleep with it: Under your pillow or on your nightstand (some crystals are too activating for this, just ask us!)

💚 Common Questions 💚

"Can I have too many crystals?"
Only if they're cluttering your space or overwhelming your energy. Some people work with one crystal at a time. Others keep a whole collection. There's no right answer, just what feels good to you. We have more information on where to store crystals in this blog (https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286/classroom/a6f12550?md=389acf77f36d48609b440befc78c7a19) over in The Brew Crew.

"What if I don't feel anything?"
That's completely normal, especially at first. Not everyone is energetically sensitive in that way. It doesn't mean the crystal isn't working, it just means you might experience its support more subtly, like a gentle shift in perspective or mood over time.

💎 This Saturday: Every Crystal We Own, 20% Off 💎
Speaking of choosing crystals, this Saturday our entire collection comes out.
Every crystal we own will be on display, covering the front room and filling every available surface in the shop. Tumbled stones. Towers. Raw specimens. Palmstones. Rare pieces. Everyday allies.

All of it. 20% off. Saturday only. 12-5pm.

Plus two readers:

🔮 Miss Elizabeth - Tarot & Lenormand
♉ April McCoy - Astrology & Oracle

Walk-ins welcome for readings. Crystal hunting strongly encouraged.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to add to your collection or start one, this is it.

Come find yours Saturday.

See you then,
The STRŌB Apothecary Team 🌿✨

Click here for an update from STRŌB Apothecary!

04/23/2026

When customers tell us Shut-Eye Shuttle has them ready for bed before the cup is empty, we believe them. (Cuz we know EXACTLY what we put in it!)

Chamomile, Lemon Balm, California Poppy, Lavender, and Catnip blended by hand right here in the shop.

That’s Romula .creations putting this batch together, and yes, it smells exactly as good as everyone says when they walk through the door.

This is one of those teas people come back for. Over and over again. We regularly have to make more every other month.

Shut-Eye Shuttle is on the shelf now at STRŌB.
📍 2111 Baldwin Ave, Suite 1, Crofton MD (inside Vega Therapy Services)

🫖 Want to know what we’re blending before it hits the shelf? The Brew Crew is our community on Skool — $7/month, link in profile!

04/22/2026

Dear STRŌB Community,

We've got fresh herb restocks,including long-requested arrivals, a special announcement about one controversial herb, plus events happening this weekend and next weekend!

🌱 New Herbs on Our Shelves 🌱

We have brought in a few new choices for herbs including Cramp bark and Neem leaf which so many of you have asked about! In addition to those requests, we've also gotten in three other special herbs:

• Bayberry root bark - Traditionally considered for liver and gallbladder support, plus excellent for gastrointestinal infections (a customer request that led us here)
• Stone root - traditionally considered for lymphatic and urinary support
• Slippery Elm bark - Read below for why this one's complicated

🌿 About Slippery Elm: Why We Finally Brought It In
For 5 years we've resisted offering Slippery Elm bark in bulk to aid conservation efforts. This tree native to the US is really prone to Dutch Elm disease, and we've mostly been able to get away with using Marshmallow root (another AMAZING demulcent) instead.

But there are a couple of indications where Slippery Elm is genuinely better. The impetus for finally bringing it in? A customer coming in asking for help with a chronic gastric infection.

Slippery Elm is more nutritive and has traditionally shown to rebuild damaged gut tissue better than Marshmallow.

That said: Please try to choose Marshmallow whenever possible. It's more plentiful and puts less stress on the Slippery Elm population. We'll help you determine which one makes sense for your situation.

📚 Sky House Apprenticeship: Nettle Restocked
For those purchasing your Module 1 kit for Sky House's Herbal Foundations Apprenticeship, Nettle is back in stock! Come grab what you need.

🔮 TONIGHT: Seeker's Circle Study Group
7pm | Virtual in The Brew Crew
We're discussing Chakras tonight and will be invited to engage in a healthy chakra meditation. One recommended book is Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, but you don't need to have read anything to join the discussion.

--> Join The Brew Crew to Participate (https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286/about)

💎 This Saturday: SUPER Seeker Saturday
April 25th | 12-5pm | Extended Hours!
Two readers (Miss Elizabeth Tarot + April McCoy Astrology/Oracle) PLUS 20% off ALL crystals!! Our entire collection out on display for one afternoon only.
Walk-ins welcome for readings. Crystal hunting encouraged. More details coming in Friday's email!

🌾 Next Saturday: Chesapeake Herb Gathering 🌾
May 2nd | Fox Haven Farm, Jefferson, MD
The annual Chesapeake Herb Gathering organized by Wild Ginger Herbal Center is being hosted this year by our farm partner Fox Haven Farm + Retreat Center!
Sean and Romula will be there tabling herbal teas and pottery at our STRŌB tent.

Tickets are still available (https://www.wildgingerherbalcenter.com/chesapeake-herb-gathering2.html) , and the speaker lineup is incredible.

--> Get Tickets to Chesapeake Herb Gathering (https://www.wildgingerherbalcenter.com/chesapeake-herb-gathering2.html)

There's so much happening in the STRŌB sphere right now as it ripples out further into the community and it's really exciting to see the expansion!

We couldn't do it without you.

See you soon,
The STRŌB Apothecary Team 🌿✨

The Brew Crew - Your digital sanctuary for herbal wisdom and cosmic guidance. $7/month for full access. Tonight's Seeker's Circle at 7pm!
--> Join Now (https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286)

Click here for an update from STRŌB Apothecary!

04/19/2026

It’s the number one thing people say when they walk through our door.

So what is it? It’s the loose leaf tea steeping behind the counter. It’s the herbs lining the shelves. It’s the incense and the oils and the smudge bundles and honestly it’s probably also whatever Olivia just blended in the back.

It’s everything. That’s the answer. It’s always everything.

STRŌB is the kind of place you have to experience in person because a screen will never be able to hand you this smell. So come walk in, take the big inhale, and find out for yourself.

📍 2111 Baldwin Ave, Suite 1, Crofton MD (inside Vega Therapy Services)

Want the inside scoop on new blends, restocks, and everything happening at the shop? The Brew Crew is our community on Skool — $7/month, link in bio. 🫖

04/19/2026

Why ChatGPT and Google Can't Be Your Herbalist (And Why That Matters)

Here's the thing about looking up herbal remedies online: You'll get answers. Lots of them!!! Passionflower for anxiety. Elderberry for colds. Ginger for nausea. Valerian for sleep. The internet is full of plant lists and remedy charts and "top 10 herbs for..." articles.

And none of them know YOU.

They don't know that your anxiety looks different at night than it does during the day. They don't know you're also dealing with digestive issues, or that you're on a medication that might interact, or that you tried ashwagandha once and it made you feel worse, not better.

Herbalism isn't a search query. It's a conversation.

It's a knowledgeable human looking at your whole, complicated body and life and saying, "Okay, based on everything you just told me, here's what I'd actually recommend, and here's why."

It's asking follow-up questions. It's reading between the lines. It's clinical discernment that comes from years of studying plants, making medicine, and working with real human bodies.

It's also saying "I don't know, but let me find out for you" when we hit the edges of our knowledge, because keeping your trust matters more than pretending to have all the answers.

This is the work we do at STRŌB every single day. It's why people drive from all over to ask us questions in person.

And it's what we teach in The Brew Crew, herbalism as a daily practice.

While AI can give you valuable data, what we share is wisdom and we aid in your discernment. There's a big difference there.

The Brew Crew: $7/month for real herbal education from real herbalists.

Weekly formulations, live classes, community discussion, and humans who live what they share.

Link in profile | https://www.skool.com/strob-education-hub-1286/about

04/17/2026

🌿 HAPPY HERBALIST DAY! 🌿
Today we celebrate the herbalists, the plant whisperers, and the medicine-makers.

Tag your favorite herbalist below! 👇Show them some 💞. Tell us who taught you about plants, who formulated that tincture that changed everything, who answered your questions with patience and care.

We're celebrating some of our herbalist friends we'd like for you to know:








herbs
weeds

Here's to the people who tend the plants and tend the people. Happy Herbalist Day! 🌱✨