Donna Troy Cleary is less than one-month old in this neighborhood, but her herbal lineage is…read morethousands of years old, as she descends from Celtic healers on both sides of her family. In addition to being a certified herbalist, she's a RN, a fiber artist, a mother and a grandmother. The story of her development is truly inspiring so you should just drop in to ask her about it, especially if you are wondering how to give yourself the permission to fully acknowledge the dimensionality of your life. Because yes: you can work your day job, pursue crafts, garden, have wonderful relationships, volunteer, lean into running marathons, learn a new language, get serious about starting that organic vegan hot pockets food truck idea, etc.
Whatever it is that you do, let Donna hold space for the fullness of your life, with some useful, organic and well-priced herbal healing.
Maybe you need some herbal tea as a thirst quencher or as medicine; or hand-crafted CBD balm to ease muscle soreness or as pain management; or perhaps some tincture for a dry, scratchy throat; or a bunch of calendula to make a soothing summertime drink that cools your system? Yup.
All of that can be found in this deceptively tiny shop that stocked to hilt as any apothecary should be but don't expect a dark little store with midnight blue velvet drapes, a selection of wands, a bubbling cauldron, crystal balls and butterbeer lol. (All the herbal majik--aka formulas that truly work and are way better for your body than Advil or Pepto Bismol--is crafted elsewhere ;)
Instead, you'll walk into an airy, duplex space that feels light and fresh, with open shelves stocking large jars of dried herbs, flowers, seaweeds, plant materials, arranged by color and texture--Donna says that this is the artist in her--that invites the shopper to get pulled in by her curiosity. Herbal folks who know what they want will appreciate that everything is easy to find and because Donna is right there to answer any questions.
I was thrilled to find the calendula I needed for my favorite summertime drink and even more so to learn that it was grown upstate. Donna shared that when she's not sourcing directly from small organic farms, she's personally harvesting herbs for her formulations and bulk offerings.
Spiral Herbal Remedies used to live in SOHO but since the shop relocated to its Washington Ave spot, (Get Donna to tell you the story of how the splendid old oak tree anchored right in front of the shop is a Celtic symbol symbol of healing that called to her to rent this spot. Goosebumps. Seriously.), the store's stock list is committed to serving its Caribbean and diverse neighborhood's needs.
This means lots of Irish Moss (pls note the Celtic connection), imported directly from Jamaica, which is not just for enhanced boom chika bow wow, but also for congestion/mucous and holds anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Irish Moss is also super amazing for dry skin and for skin conditions ranging from eczema to psoriasis. I also saw huge jars of turmeric, and rose petals, etc. easily made into beauty treatments and/or used as driving flavors in Indian, Bangladeshi, Persian, Ethiopian, Latinx cuisines. Bonus: Spiral stocks a few products not made in-house but by local neighborhood crafters and other niche herbalists. Check out the lovely candles (with embedded dried flowers and crystals) and soothing herbal goats' milk soap, too, for yourself and those you love.
Finally, Spiral Herbal Remedies has a charming cafe table set up out front where you can take a load off and have a little rest. I love this gesture to the neighborhood best. Maybe I'll see you hanging out there there I swing by next!