Mission | History | Staff

Moonrise Herbs – The History
by Irene Lewis, Herbalist & Proprietor

Sisters Sarah and Lisa Hoyt established Moonrise Herbs in 1985. Their vision was to be a resource for high-quality herbs, natural healing products and information on natural medicine.

Lisa was attending the California School of Herbal Studies when Sarah’s 1-year-old daughter Ciel contracted a nasty case of impetigo. Sarah had tried the doctor’s recommendations of antibiotics and an ointment but was not finding them to be effective. At her wits' end, Sarah asked for Lisa’s help. Lisa used her newly acquired herbal knowledge to make up a poultice of usnea and clay to apply to the impetigo scabs and brewed herbal teas for Ciel to drink.

Ciel’s impetigo resolved itself within a week’s time and Sarah was sold on herbal healing. But when she tried to purchase herbs locallyshe found had a hard time finding them. So she realized our community was in desperate need of an herb store.

So, with little money but a lot of dedication, Sarah and Lisa created Moonrise Herbs. At first, the store found a home in a small Victorian House on a side street in Arcata, California. They divided the rented house in two; half they sublet to massage practitioners and herbal consultants and the other half, which included the kitchen, became the work space where herbal concoctions like salves and oils were made as well as the humble retail space that sold a selection of bulk herbs, inspirational books, music and the locally made herbal products.

Soon after the inception of Moonrise Herbs, Lisa left to pursue an education in nursing. She is now a practicing Nurse Practitioner and Ayurvedic Healer. Strapped for cash, Sarah staffed the store with volunteers who were willing to work for a dollar an hour in store trade. She was truly inspired by the wonderful support and interest our community had for Moonrise Herbs.

In 1986, the first Moonrise Herbs newsletter was printed. In those pre-desktop publishing days, Sarah used a typewriter and then manually cut and pasted the articles and drawings for the one-page newsletter. She mailed out 85 copies of that first newsletter, and everyone loved it! They found the articles informative and the recipes fun.

In 1988, Tim O'Leary, Sarah’s future husband, started writing delightful fairy-inspired stories for the newsletter. Tim also created an herb garden that extended from the front of the house, to the side yard, and all the way into the back. It was very sweet and beautiful, and many people came just to sit and breathe in the serene space.

During that same year, Moonrise Herbs' current logo was created by Sarah's friend, Joanne Rand, a locally known singer and songwriter. The new moon (signifying the birth of beginnings and ideas) and the plant known as self-heal are now seen on t-shirts and sweatshirts all over the world.

As time passed, the store grew in popularity and demand, and Moonrise Herbs outgrew the little Victorian house with its sweet garden. It was a difficult choice to make, but in the store’s best interest, Moonrise Herbs moved in 1996 onto the Plaza in Arcata. Because of the store's central location, Moonrise was able to reach out to many more people and practitioners. The new space had room for guest instructors to teach classes on herbs, astrology, psychic awareness and other healing modalities. Additionally there was room for an expanded merchandise selection, such as fair trade clothing and bags, beautiful silver and stone jewelry, inspirational statuary, crystals and a much broader array of herbal teas, tinctures and supplements.

I, Irene Lewis, first entered into Moonrise Herbs as a vendor in 1990. I produced a product line called Irene’s Dream Simply Herbal. Moonrise Herbs was quite supportive and really was inspirational in the growth of my business. At that time I lived in the mountains an hour from town.

In 1998, I moved closer to Arcata and was longing for more social interactions. I was hired by Sarah and worked on the sales floor giving herbal consultations two days a week, continued running Irene’s Dream, and taught herbal classes too. Working at Moonrise Herbs, I became increasingly aware of how closely people held Moonrise to their hearts. The store was like a dear friend, inspiring many, and had become a retreat for several whom entered the store just simply to breathe. I also came to realize that Moonrise Herbs was and is highly respected by physicians in our area who regularly send their patients to us who are seeking herbal knowledge.

In 2003, after running the store for 18 years, Sarah put Moonrise Herbs up for sale. She was ready for a new phase in her life. Creating the newsletter reminded her of her dreams of being a writer, and she wanted to explore new career possibilities.

After 13 years of manufacturing and selling my herbal lotions, salves and soaps, I too was ready for a new phase in my life. I love to bring beautiful ideas and concepts to life and wanted very much for Moonrise Herbs to remain in the family. I truly understood what everyone loved about Moonrise and I was concerned that a buyer from out of the area might not be as in touch with our community’s needs. Sarah and I started discussing how I would purchase the store, and in August of 2004, with a lot of help from our dedicated staff, I took on the daily management of Moonrise Herbs. Escrow closed in October of that year and I officially became the new owner.

Thankfully I have been able to keep the essence of Moonrise Herbs alive and well. I have also been fortunate enough to envision and enact some fantastic additions. You can now purchase organic pure essential oils by the drop at our Scent Your Soul service window, sure to enhance any salve or oil, or make your own personal blend.

I upgraded our kitchen so the store could offer an all-organic soup and salad bar. We created homemade soups and featured locally grown spring greens, and other fixings like mushrooms, olives, tofu, bread and dressings. Our salads were seasonally decorated with edible flowers, creating a vibrant and clorful that was a feast for the eyes, body and soul.

Now, with the shift in the economy, I've made the decision to return to our herbal roots and let go of the salad bar. Now, our customers can enjoy a cup of custom selected herbal tea at our tea bar.

New items arrive daily to keep the store well stocked with exciting and different products. Come and see our ever-expanding meditation and yoga supplies, fair-trade items and fun, tasty teas.

May this beautiful wheel keep spinning, always facing towards the light, as we grow, shift and change, may we never lose sight, of the essence of the beginning and the reason we delight.

Bye for Now,
Irene