Mrs. Thompson's Herbs, Gifts & Folklore

01/29/2026

And now I'm available through Venmo

Use Venmo to connect with Mrs. Thompson's Herbs () - Herb apothecary, herbalist school, consultations, clinical herbalist, clinical nutritionist Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir since 1994

01/24/2026

More Brigid house charms arrived in the post! Light weight and thin etched Brigid's crosses in birch plywood with knotwork from Missouri and one Ukraine woven straw Brigid's cross still available. 5 inches in diameter, $20 for local pick up, $24 includes shipping send me a message if you'd like one of these for the upcoming holiday 💙

12/25/2025

🌺 The poinsettia we love at the holidays has roots that stretch back to ancient Mexico. This vibrant plant was called cuetlaxochitl (kwet-la-sho-she) by the Aztecs who used it for dye, medicine, and celebration. Its natural December bloom caught the eye of Franciscan friars, who wove it into Christmas traditions as la flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower. 🌟
In 1828, Joel Roberts Poinsett, brought it to the U.S., where it eventually became the iconic holiday symbol we know today. Whether you call it poinsettia, flor de Nochebuena, or cuetlaxochitl, its story reminds us how plants carry culture, history, and beauty with them. ❤️✨

12/24/2025

An excerpt of a post by writer Rebecca Solnit and an announcement from me at the end 💚

"A friend bemoaned that online shopping has gutted local options and then online has undergone ensh*ttification, meaning that most of our options have withered and degraded. I thought I'd expand my comment: One thing I think about a lot is the way that buying in person locally from local businesses gives you far more than a commodity to take home; it keeps profits in the community, leads to many of the small moments of connection that knit us together and counter the isolation tech has produced, and maybe offers a diversity of products. A local store might offer a living wage or be staffed by the proprietor, leading to the possibility of longterm relationships [that] high turnover in chain retail does not.

Brick-and-mortar shops offer goods you can actually touch and feel--I buy a lot of my clothes online now (more used than new), because even in my city retail has faded, and sometimes they're great and sometimes I misjudged key aspects from pictures and descriptions, and I hate that that contributes to the mountains of packaging.
..I wrote about Cliff's Variety earlier this year, which to me represents the very opposite of this world of alienation--it's the 89-year-old hardware and general store on Castro... I also get things money can't buy and Amazon can never stock there. Including joy and banter." ~Rebecca Solnit

31 years ago I opened my 'brick and mortar' herb apothecary and Celtic imports shop in downtown Eugene. Six months ago I left a sorely mismanaged property and a shop I'd worked on long and hard. It put me into some deep soul searching:

Will the community support my efforts to open a new location? Is it still needed, an actual herbalist selling herbs and herb formulas made and grown by myself and other local herbalists? An herbalist you can talk to before you purchase, who can guide in getting the results you want, let you see and smell what you're getting before you pay for it. That can insure the herbs haven't been touched by other customers, and that they are the actually botanically correct herb to get the results you want. That the herbs are botanically fresh, not warehoused, but cared for as the dried produce they are, within six months to a year of the harvest date, and no more, always certified organically grown, samon safe or ethically harvested in clean wild places. That the community still wants to learn from me in my training course and in individual classes. That they still want books and learning materials that have been read and recommended by me for accuracy, authority and non AI authorship. That the community still wants access to private health consults with me, a trained clinical herbalist & clinical nutritionist. That there are folks who still want to bring their families in to meet me when they visit from out of town. That generations of customers continue to come in; while pregnant, then their kids, eventually their grandchildren. Are people still interested in connecting to Celtic culture through personal artifacts they can take home, wear, give as gifts, eat, drink, read or learn one of the languages?

In the past six months I've heard a resounding YES from the community and from my souls calling. People have been out there on my behalf searching for the perfect place for us all to gather in this way

I've got it! And now my little, independent, non corporate locally owned 'brick and mortar' apothecary will be housed in...a historic brick and mortar building 💚 If you know, you already know where. I'll give specifics when it's ready for visits

It's going to take a bit for me to build out the apothecary. And you know I'm the cheif designer, builder and painter, I'm estimating a February opening. In the liminal time between it's creation I will continue to fill and refill your orders from my dedicated workroom at my home. Thank you for your decades of patronage and for urging me on to continue to steward this work, here in Eugene.

Feel free to add your answers to my pondering above and let's keep our local shopping resources open pollinated, filled with local goods, good will and good cheer

Blessings, Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir Clinical Herbalist, Clinical Nutritionist & Apothecary

12/20/2025

More wonderful things!
Goats milk bay rum shaving soap $12, wood and natural bristle shaving brush $7. If someone in your life needs these in their stocking contact me to arrange a pick up in West Eugene. Blessings Heather 541 686 6136

12/20/2025

Beautiful things to give and have for holiday gatherings. Celtic knotwork pewter serving ware from Cornwall in Britain. Cornish mines have been producing metals for spectacular objects for thousands of years. These pieces, made in Cornwall, wisely have not obvious stainless steel parts where the piece meets food.

Each comes in it's own purple satin lined black presentation box. Click on the images for more details.

If either or both of these needs to come home with you, contact me for West Eugene pick-up, Blessings Heather 541 686 6136

12/17/2025

If you wanted to give hand-made things for Solstice and haven't had the chance to make things, I've got you covered! 💚 Give me a call and we'll set a day and time for you to pick up your gifts in West Eugene. Blessings Heather 541 686 6136
P.S. I can gift wrap too at no charge

12/16/2025

Just arrived, American made durable cotton, screen printed 24 inch finished squares of historic book illustrations featuring plants and animals.

Suitable for table covers, wall hangings, to create a pillow cover and to use as a harvesting cloth. Soft enough to fold into a headband, neck band or wear as a scarf. The dandelion, thistle and clover, when folded just right create a sort of plant tiara headband that is most delightful.

These are my images on the ironing board after ironing them, so they are double this size.

$24 each. Let me know which you love best and I'll prepare it for you to pick up.

Blessings, Heather
541 686 6136

12/14/2025

Nature art cards by well loved artists from history $5 each. Lovely matte finish on firm cardstock with a matching envelope not only is a gift unto itself, at 5"x7" they make great affordable art to frame 💚 Add these to your shopping list and let's make a time for you to come pick up all the seasonal goodies you need. Blessings ~ Heather 541 686 6136

12/14/2025

New stuff 💚

10/16/2025

Headache, migraine, stress, neck tension, thinking and worrying too much...yes, yes that's what I formulated Head Tonic for.

Made of spring willow bark, blooming feverfew, blossoming skullcap, dandelion whole plant, rose petals, budding wood betony, spring crampbark and gillyflowers. Unwind it, lift it, release it.

Available beginning today. Bring your own bottle, or I'll provide your first and you can get refills as needed.