:: doing what I love ::

Hi there, from the woods of Maine! My name is Susan Ilka Tuttle and I am a folk herbalist, green witch, psychic medium & Spirit messenger, photoartist, and author of the book Green Witch Magick :: Essential Plants and Crafty Spellwork for a Witch's Cupboard. ‘In the Wood Botanicals’ is a line of wildcrafted plant-based body care products I’ve made primarily with simple plant allies I’ve reverently and responsibly foraged from the woods, fields, and riverside that surround my home here on the Kennebec River--the home of the Abenaki Kennebis tribe of Swango (Swan Island). I co-create with the plants to craft small batches of high-quality products made from natural and nourishing ingredients that are placed in eco-friendly containers and mailed to you in eco-friendly packaging material (including the biodegradable sleeves I use to contain some of our oil-based products during transit). Our preparations are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. My family and I enjoy using these products regularly, so you can be confident that quality and safety are of utmost importance to me.

I remember the initial feelings of excitement, wonder, and connection that pulsed through me the first time I made an herbal formulation, and each time I make them, the feelings remain. Working with these amazing plants to transform them into nourishing blends feels incredibly powerful and awakens an inner knowing that I believe all humans have within. Realizing that most of what my family and I need to support our everyday health and wellbeing grows right outside our door, fills me with deep appreciation, gratitude, and awe.

Late Spring through Fall is when you’ll find me fully exercising my green witch ways, busy caring for my flower and vegetable gardens and hiking in the forests and fields that surround my home, foraging for wild edibles and herbs. I'm rarely without my camera device in hand, marveling at and capturing all of the beautiful flora at the height of their cycle. I fill our home with drying herbs, brewing tinctures, and plant-infused oils. I practice a slow process of co-creating with these wondrous, life-giving plants. Making a tincture, for instance, will take at least six weeks, as the plant slowly releases its properties into the liquid. The time and care put into this process both honors the plants and brings to fruition unique herbal products that are infused with the wondrous energy and spirit of the plants. In keeping with conscientious sustainability practices, any unused carrier oil is donated to a local biodiesel fuel company.

Just in case you were wondering how 'In the Wood Botanicals' got its name... in the warmer months when my family is looking for me, all they have to do is call out into the wilderness surrounding our home and this faraway voice responds from 'In the Wood.'

Through herbalism, I believe we can reclaim our forgotten deep-rooted and fundamental relationship to safe, simple plant allies that nourish and restore us. By supporting this endeavor, we can be a part of that together. Welcome and thank you for visiting my shop. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I am happy to help.

If you’d like to receive shop updates and special offers via email, please sign up for our mailing list.

Here's to radiance and vitality! 

Susan Ilka

xx

As Featured In: 

The Practical Wellness Podcast with host Jaya Jaya Myra: Episode 61

I am a frequent contributor to Enchanted Living Magazine and Botanical Anthology, and regular columnist for Witchology Magazine.