The Black Madonna’s of Southern Italy are representative of the original primordial mother—the cosmic mother and the earth mother. In Campania they are intimately associated with the Tammurriate rituals which for a very long time have been performed in their honor. These dances predate Christianity and were originally performed as ecstatic rituals in honor of the great mother in various forms—often Cybele and Isis, as is evidenced by many of the current Madonna sanctuaries being built at their sites of worship. An old story tells us of a meteorite that struck the Earth and created the first Black Madonna. Throughout the lands she is venerated, stories abound about her being discovered in the Earth and performing miracles specifically for the disenfranchised—the peasants, outcasts, the subaltern. This elixir is made for all the Black Madonnas around the world—the many iterations of the Great Mother that have existed throughout time, from the ancient gods, to the Sybils, to the Black Madonnas. It is made in acknowledgment that the Earth is alive, powerful, and also in pain. As Matthew Fox writes in his foreword to Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna by Alessandra Belloni, “It takes a certain fierceness to face climate change, the extinction of countless species, the disappearance of rain forests and trees and soil and animals in our times.” Black Madonnas embody this fierceness, wildness, justice, and show us the necessity of diversity, all of which will be necessary to truly face the planetary crisis of our time.

Made with the blossoms of the apple tree as a reclamation of the forbidden sinful fruit as sacred, just like the movements of the Tammurriate which embody the gestures performed again and again by peasant farmers and in sensual acts of love and creation; Rose long associated with Isis, the wild fruits of the forest, and the mythic lemons of the Campanian coast—the elixir is formulated to invoke the dark mother in all of us—to help us remember ourselves as forces of nature, with a shared home and mother that we owe our attention, care, and protection, and to whose children we are indebted to. Formulated as a heart, gut, and nervous system tonic to offer invigorating, restoring, and refreshing effects to our whole bodies, the Black Madonna Elixir invites us to this dance of humanity in all its diversity and embraces us in doing so through supporting our nervous systems, opening our hearts, and helping us put into perspective our place here on earth so that we may do the hard work of our time.

Taste profile—Sweet, tart, floral.

Comes in a 2 oz. amber glass bottle with dropper top

Ingredients (all organic)) | Wild Rose (Rosa Canina, Multiflora, Rugosa, Gallica), Apple Blossoms (Malus sylvestris) Frutto di Bosco (Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Redcurrant ), Sorrento Lemon, Organic Spirits, Spring Water.

Please note orders ship within 5 - 8 business days. This apothecary is the work of one artisan who does not believe in rushing, rather moving at a healthy pace and prioritizing being thorough, careful, and paying attention to each and every detail. I appreciate your patience and support of slowly made hand crafted goods.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.