Between the Shadows

Between the Shadows: 1 oz

A tea for after the storm, when you walk out and take stock of what's still standing.

Between the Veils meets grief where grief lies. Between the Shadows meets what comes after.

A storm moved through the farm. We prepared, we braced, and then we stepped outside to see what was left. Standing there at nature's whim was humbling. It reminded us how small our plans are, and how bound we are to something much larger.

The māmaki was hit hard. Between the Veils will rest until it recovers.

The storm cleared away more than plants. It loosened our grip on control. It showed us the stories we'd been holding about the farm, about ourselves, about each other. Fear lived in those stories, and so did expectation. We were pressed up against our own shadow, and the only honest choice was to turn and meet it.

So we slowed down. We listened before we responded. We walked the rows and watched.

There was so much life. ʻUhaloa, low and stubborn in the torn-up ground. Lemon balm pushing new growth. Lemongrass still standing. Tulsi and lokelani still in flower. Destruction and flourishing were in the same rows at the same time.

The land asks to be seen through more than one lens. It asks us to keep adjusting those lenses until they match its rhythms. Grief and beauty sit side by side.

This blend is built from what survived. We drink it to remember to keep listening, and to carry what the storm gave us into what we grow next: clarity, perspective, and a deeper bond with this land and our community.

The wound is where the light shines through.

*All herbs are grown, harvested, and blended here on our half acre in Kīlauea

Profile

Temperature: Cooling base with a gentle warming lift

Primary Actions: Nervous system support, emotional steadiness, digestive ease

Taste: Earthy, lightly bitter, bright citrus, floral

Best For: Stress, grief, recovery after hard seasons, daily grounding

The Blend

ʻUhaloa is the base. It is indigenous to these islands and one of the toughest plants in Hawaiʻi. It grows where little else will: roadsides, dry slopes, disturbed soil. In lāʻau lapaʻau it has long been used as a throat and chest medicine. Earthy and bitter, cooling and drying, it gives the blend its spine.

Vana Tulsi is the wild tulsi, greener and more herbaceous than its cousins. Warming, aromatic, and adaptogenic, it helps the body meet stress without bracing against it.

Lemon Balm is cooling and citrus-bright, a nervine for a mind that won't stop circling. It loosens worry and lets the shoulders drop.

Lemongrass is new to this blend. It is clean and aromatic. It moves sluggish digestion and lifts the heavy, waterlogged feeling a storm leaves in the body.

Lokelani Rose comes last. It is softly cooling and heart-opening, and it is the note that lingers.

Between the Veils was a tea for thresholds. Between the Shadows is a tea for the stillness after, and the honest look at what's still alive.

Brewing

1 tablespoon per 8 oz of water

Heat water to 185–200°F

Steep 5–12 minutes. Longer steeps bring out more of ʻuhaloa's bitterness and depth.

Brew lighter for daytime, stronger for evening

Suitable any time of day

Around 10–12 servings per bag

Harvest & Process

All herbs are harvested in the morning, when essential oils are concentrated, leaves are fully awake, and the day is still cool. This timing preserves flavor, aroma, and medicinal quality. After harvest, herbs are hang-dried or dehydrated at low temperatures. This lets the medicine transition gently and preserves color, energetics, and potency.