I have always been rather vain. Nothing wrong with that – I am a Libra, after all. But I care about how I look, how others perceive me, and the shape of the space I take up in this world. When I got sober and started back on the path of herbalism and alternative healing, I felt like I had to abandon any interest in my physicality. It seemed wrong to dress like I always had, to care about fashion or beauty, to wear makeup and spend time on my skin. I threw it all out, bought a bunch of linen, and focused my mind on more noble pursuits.

It was a little bit bullshit. But the fear that I feel, the fear that adornment is somehow a less worthy use of my time and energy, is very real. Rachel Budde joins me this episode to share about her journey as an artist and herbalist to become the founder of Fat and the Moon. Rachel’s product line is almost exclusively topical. She makes everything from deodorant and tooth powder to lipstick and eye kohl. She finds the ritual in adornment, the necessity in decoration. By drawing on her family’s Slovenian heritage and her own studies, she moves beauty and self-care from the profane to the sacred.

Rachel also dives into the development of her business as an extension of her artistic practice, creating a book proposal, and the idea of skin as the edge where we meet the world.

You can listen to the interview below, or on the podcasting platform of your choice. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on iTunes so Rachel’s message can reach more folks.

(By the way, my darling and very loud dog makes a cameo in the middle of the interview. She feels very strongly about finding traditional ways of knowing without engaging in cultural appropriation, and wanted to make sure to share her opinion.)

SHOW NOTES

Connect with Rachel: Fat and the Moon Website Rachel’s Website Instagram

Rachel has studied with Joshua Muscat, Isla Burgess, Aviva Romm, and Kathleen Harrison. She also had training in Hakomi somatic psychotherapy.

Rachel mentioned her friends and stockist Kitkitdizzi.

“Episode 12: Rachel Budde”