Copy of OUR STORY

A Filipino Heritage of Healing

Welcome to Herbalaria!  

Herbalaria is a company deeply rooted in the Filipino tradition of healing and wellness. Inspired by the rich history and cultural heritage of the Philippines. Herbalaria creates a range of products that incorporate traditional Filipino medicinal practices, herbs, and ingredients to promote overall health and wellness. From moisturizers and balms to oils and hydrosols, Herbalaria offers a variety of natural remedies that have been used for generations to address common ailments and promote a sense of well-being.  With a commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, Herbalaria seeks to honor the cultural heritage of the Philippines while providing high-quality, effective products to consumers.  Whether you are looking to boost your immunity, alleviate stress and anxiety, or simply support your overall health, Herbalaria has something to offer you on your wellness journey.

Herbalaria is a certified Los Angeles Green Business, proudly supporting and sourcing from Philippine local farms, local businesses in Los Angeles, and from our own urban gardens.

In addition to products, we offer shamanic services, spiritual consultations and classes to enhance the healing process by bringing clarity, centeredness, and peace of mind. 

We are humbled and deeply honored to serve you and your Ancestors. 

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the Tongva peoples as the traditional and rightful land caretakers of Tovaangar (Los Angeles Basin & Southern Channel Islands), upon which we reside and operate. We also acknowledge the Gabrieleño/Kizh/Tongva, and Acjachamen/Juaneño as the traditional custodians of the Los Angeles region along with the Chumash to the central and southern coastal regions, and the Tataviam, Serrano, Luiseño, and Cahuilla Nations to the east and south.

We are Austronesian Filipino Visayan settlers of Hiligaynon (Pan-Ay, Capiz, and Iloilo, Panay) and Waray Waray (Zumarraga, Samar, and Tacloban City, Leyte) ethnolinguistic Indigenous Peoples from the islands to the east, including all Ancestral bloodlines (Ilokano, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Cordilleran, Bikolano, Chinese, Basque, European, Malagasy) that come from lands beyond the island groups of our most recent Ancestors. Our waters are the Pacific Ocean, the Sulu and Philippine Seas. Our mountains are Cordillera Central, along with volcanoes Apo, Banahaw, and Canlaon, which gave birth to our Motherlands.

Being on stolen Tongva territory, we have the responsibility to take great care and respect of the place we now call home. It is a deep honor and privilege to tend to Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants, as we continue to decolonize spaces for healing and connection. We ask permission from the Ancient Ones of this land to do good work and make good medicine in a good way, so that we will always be in right relationship with Honuukvetam (Ancestors), in collaboration with our own Ninuno (Ancestors), Spirit Council of Elders, and all our relations across all dimensional realms of space and time.

We pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders), and ‘eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.

Madamo gid nga salamat sa tanan.  Mula sa kamulikasan.

Origins

My name is Lyn Pacificar, a Katuuran¹ and Albularyo² traditional medicine person.  I belong to the Indigenous Peoples ethnolinguistic groups of the Hiligaynon & Waray Waray of my most recent Ancestors.

I grew up in a unique environment as a first-generation Filipina-American in Los Angeles. My immigrant parents spoke a blend of Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray, and English in our household, creating a diverse linguistic and cultural background for me.

At the age of three, I was already channeling messages from the spirit realm, listening to plants and understanding the languages of nature.

Growing up surrounded by my culture, I had the privilege of learning about our traditions of cooking, language, and healing from three important figures in my life: my paternal grandmother, affectionately known as "Mama," my maternal grandfather, fondly called "Lolo," and my dad.  I would often ask them about their origins in the Philippines, and my Mama even shared the beautiful love story of how she met my paternal grandfather, Papa.  Their willingness to share their stories with me has instilled in me a deep appreciation for my heritage and has inspired me to continue learning more about my roots.  I am forever grateful to them for passing on their knowledge and experiences to me.

Growing up, I was fortunate to have a father who was not only a Filipino martial artist, but also a Manghihilot³ with an 8th degree black belt in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate.  He imparted to me the valuable knowledge of arnis, kata, and hilot - the keys to understanding how the body can be injured and how to alleviate pain.

Through my father's teachings, I also learned about the various types of oils used in his healing practice, each one prepared with specific intentions. These teachings served as the foundation for my work in Herbalaria.

 

My mother is the reason why I grew up with compassion, love, generosity, and spirituality.  She is an unsung heroine who works tirelessly in a lab, supporting doctors in saving lives every day.

As a young girl, my mother fostered in me a strong bond with the spiritual realm and the Source.  She supported and encouraged me when I shared my experiences of seeing colors of light around people, even buying me a book on auras to help me understand what I was witnessing.  At the age of 15, she gifted me my first tarot deck, which further deepened my spiritual journey.  I remember asking her to buy me rocks and crystals from The Nature Company and Natural Wonders stores whenever we visited.  My mother is also my connection to our ancestral home, where we have farms and families that we visit and maintain.

As much as I credit my dad for teaching me the skills of being a manghihilot, I must also acknowledge my mom for supplementing my journey with the spiritual nourishment I needed to serve all of you today.

Ancestral Expression

Roots play a vital role in our lives as they provide a sense of grounding and connection to our heritage.  Additionally, they allow us to access the innate ancestral knowledge that is essential for us as healers.  During my journey to the Philippines, I was able to delve deeper into my ancestry and uncover important truths about my origins. This experience also helped me to validate the budding powers of my children and their potential as healers.

I frequently travel back and forth to the Philippines to visit our ancestral home.  In September 2015, my mother and I went to Surigao City, Mindanao, to visit my father and manage our farm on Dinagat Island.

During our time together, we felt a sense of nostalgia and surrealism.  I felt like a child again and had an intuitive feeling that my father's time in this world was running short.  So, one day, I gathered the courage to express my desire for him to tell me everything he knew about our family.

I set up a camera and recorded him as I asked him questions.  He spoke about our family's healing abilities, which were passed down to the next of kin.  He told me that I would receive a full transference of these abilities upon his death.  A "transference" is an energetic inheritance of spiritual abilities and powers from one person to another.

My father also shared stories about my great-grandmother, great-great uncles, and other relatives who possessed the power to heal and harm.  I realized that my lineage included those who worked with both light and shadow.  It was one of the last conversations we had as a family in our hotel room before my mother and I left for Butuan.

The following day, after breakfast, my father accompanied us to the bus stop.

The last thing I said to him was, “Love you, Daddy.”

At 5 am, I was awakened by the distant howling of many dogs outside our hotel room window.  According to local superstition, the sound of wailing dogs signifies that someone has passed away. I felt a sharp, cramping pain in my chest that seemed to radiate throughout my body, and I couldn't explain why I felt like I was dying.

Our first excursion was to Britania Islands, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, where we took a boat to explore different atolls and islets made up of stunning shells and corals, surrounded by turquoise waters.  During one of our stops, local vendors were selling souvenirs to tourists.  Among them was one who had the only pair of kamagong arnis sticks.  When I saw them, I knew I had to have them as if they were gifts meant for me.  I bought them and couldn't wait to show my dad the incredible find once we returned to Surigao City.

The next destination on our itinerary was the magnificent Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig. As we made our way up the path towards the waterfalls, I couldn't help but feel like the spirits of the land were watching over us.  When we reached the falls, I sat down underneath the cool, refreshing rush of water and felt a deep sense of renewal and clarity wash over me.

With my mother by my side, we both received blessings from an unknown source of comfort.  It was a powerful and humbling experience, and I felt grateful to have shared it with her.  As we made our way back down the path, I couldn't shake the feeling that we had been touched by something truly special at Tinuy-an Falls.

The day began to draw to a close as we arrived at our final destination, the Hinatuan Enchanted River.  We were fortunate enough to be the last ones allowed to swim in the river that day.  I waded into the deep, pristine aquamarine pools with hidden, mysterious caves of indigo blue. All the other tourists had left, leaving behind a calm and peaceful atmosphere.  The place was quiet, yet teeming with life - schools of large fish gliding along the edges just beneath the placid surface.

As I floated in quietude, I felt a great reverence and respect for the river, recognizing the rare privilege of being there. In a moment of tranquility, I received a message from my Ancestors, granting me permission to reclaim ancient plant and energy medicine. It was here that I felt the point of transference.

Sadly, upon our return to Surigao City, I received the news that my father had passed away.  It was then that I realized that he had given me his power with his last breath, just as he had predicted.

As a Filipina-American traditional healer of the diaspora, I became increasingly passionate about raising awareness of Philippine culture through my own experiences. Fueled by this motivation, I decided to embark on a new journey and bring my vision to life with the creation of Herbalaria.

(Original Logo circa 2016)

Full Circle

My journey has taken me to a place where my role is to serve as an authentic traditional healer, teacher, and advocate for our cultural traditions and healing practices. So many have forgotten the ancient ways of our people because of colonization, enslavement, and systematic oppression. Much of our pre-colonial shamanic rituals were eradicated with the genocide of our shamans and priestesses.

I stand today backed by the strength and permission of all my Ancestors and elders to do this very important work. I continue to expound upon Ancestral traditions by offering the means to preserve peace of mind, body, and spirit.

In addition, I offer shamanic services to bring clarity, healing, and peace of mind.

I am also the founder and principal teacher of Halamanism™: A reclaiming and asserting of Philippine medicine rooted in animistic practices for the healing of ourselves, our ancestors, our communities and our planet.

Thank you for taking the time to read the beginnings of Herbalaria, and for being a part of our community.

Katuuran Lyn Pacificar