Nefertari's Apothecary: Ancient Egyptian Remedies Reimagined
Step into a stillroom inspired by the cosmetic jars, resins, and sacred oils of ancient Egypt.
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore remedies recorded in early Egyptian sources — adapted safely and thoughtfully for modern hands.
Together we will:
🏺Grind and blend a natural kohl inspired by historical formulas
🏺Prepare a fragrant body oil with resins such as myrrh and frankincense — an “oil for the eternal body”
🏺Create small rounds of incense inspired by kyphi traditions
🏺Learn about honey, resins, and botanicals used in ancient preservation and care
There will be time to handle raw materials, read translated fragments from early papyrus texts, and label your jars with simple hieroglyphs if you wish.
This is not costume or theatre. It is a sensory exploration of beauty, ritual, and craft from one of the world’s oldest recorded medical traditions.
All materials provided.
No prior experience needed.
Just curiosity — and a love of beautiful jars.
🌞Expect scent, colour, and texture — and the quiet pleasure of working with materials that have travelled through thousands of years of human hands.
📍Location: The Thyme Keeper’s Stillroom, Bookham, Surrey.
🕯 Exchange: £67 per person | 3 hours | Limited to 2-3 guests per session
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore the fragrant arts of the historical stillroom — crafting aromatic incense cones, botanical blends, and floral waters using natural ingredients and time-honoured techniques. Each creation is inspired by herbal traditions once found in apothecaries, monasteries, and medieval homes.
Whether you’re just beginning or have a deep love of natural craft, this is a gentle space to reconnect with the beauty of handmade scent and the quiet joy of tending something ancient with your own hands.
What You’ll Make & Take Home:
🕯 Exchange: £67 per person | 3 hours | Limited to 2-3 guests per session
The Fragrance Apothecary: Incense, Potpourri & Floral Waters
Step into a quiet stillroom where scent, story, and memory entwine.In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore the fragrant arts of the historical stillroom — crafting aromatic incense cones, botanical blends, and floral waters using natural ingredients and time-honoured techniques. Each creation is inspired by herbal traditions once found in apothecaries, monasteries, and medieval homes.
Whether you’re just beginning or have a deep love of natural craft, this is a gentle space to reconnect with the beauty of handmade scent and the quiet joy of tending something ancient with your own hands.
What You’ll Make & Take Home:
🌿12–16 incense cones made with sandalwood, myrrh, and other fragrant herb, spice, and gum powders
🌿A botanical blend (potpourri) of rose, lavender, calendula, and more
🌿A floral water to scent your home, clothing, or skin
What’s Included:
🌿A botanical blend (potpourri) of rose, lavender, calendula, and more
🌿A floral water to scent your home, clothing, or skin
What’s Included:
All materials and tools
Step-by-step guidance with herbal and historical insights
Seasonal refreshments: herbal teas, spiced apple drink inspired by hippocras, and mulled fruits & nuts
Step-by-step guidance with herbal and historical insights
Seasonal refreshments: herbal teas, spiced apple drink inspired by hippocras, and mulled fruits & nuts
🕯️Please let me know of any allergies or sensitivities when booking, and feel free to bring your own snacks if you wish.
📍 Location: Bookham, Surrey (10 minutes from the train station, on-site parking available). The exact address will be sent 3–5 days before the event.
(Please note: the map pin on Eventbrite is intentionally inaccurate to protect the privacy of the venue.)
🌞 This is more than a workshop — it’s a gathering shaped by scent, story, and something quietly luminous. All are welcome at the stillroom table.
This workshop is inspired by the work of wise women, cunning folk, and stillroom keepers of centuries past — those who tended herbs not only for healing, but for protection, purification, and quiet knowing.
In this immersive, hands-on session, you’ll explore historical plant craft and folk traditions through four powerful herbal creations — used across time for cleansing, clarity, and subtle transformation.
What You’ll Craft & Take Home:
🌘 Flying Ointment – Inspired by historical recipes made with mugwort, rosemary, yarrow and olive oil — long associated with dreaming, intuition, and spirit journeys.
🛁 Witch’s Herb Bath Bombs – Luxurious herbal soaks made with salts and herbs like sage, rosemary, and lavender — for cleansing and renewal.
🔥 Herbal Smoke Bundle (Smudge Stick) – A traditional bundle of dried herbs for space purification, grounded in historical practices from various cultures.
What We’ll Explore:
📍 Location: Bookham, Surrey (10 minutes from the train station, on-site parking available). The exact address will be sent 3–5 days before the event.
(Please note: the map pin on Eventbrite is intentionally inaccurate to protect the privacy of the venue.)
🌞 This is more than a workshop — it’s a gathering shaped by scent, story, and something quietly luminous. All are welcome at the stillroom table.
The Witch’s Apothecary: Flying Ointments, Bath Bombs, & Smoke Bundles
Crafted by hand, rooted in history, carried by plants.This workshop is inspired by the work of wise women, cunning folk, and stillroom keepers of centuries past — those who tended herbs not only for healing, but for protection, purification, and quiet knowing.
In this immersive, hands-on session, you’ll explore historical plant craft and folk traditions through four powerful herbal creations — used across time for cleansing, clarity, and subtle transformation.
What You’ll Craft & Take Home:
🌘 Flying Ointment – Inspired by historical recipes made with mugwort, rosemary, yarrow and olive oil — long associated with dreaming, intuition, and spirit journeys.
🛁 Witch’s Herb Bath Bombs – Luxurious herbal soaks made with salts and herbs like sage, rosemary, and lavender — for cleansing and renewal.
🔥 Herbal Smoke Bundle (Smudge Stick) – A traditional bundle of dried herbs for space purification, grounded in historical practices from various cultures.
What We’ll Explore:
The history and folklore of these remedies and rituals
How medieval and early modern healers worked with herbs like mugwort, sage, lavender, rosemary, and more
The symbolic and spiritual uses of smoke, balm, and oil
A practical, welcoming space to blend, shape, and steep your own pieces of ritual history
What’s Included:
How medieval and early modern healers worked with herbs like mugwort, sage, lavender, rosemary, and more
The symbolic and spiritual uses of smoke, balm, and oil
A practical, welcoming space to blend, shape, and steep your own pieces of ritual history
What’s Included:
One of each creation to take home
Light refreshments and drinks inspired by historical recipes
A PDF guide with recipes, lore, and ritual suggestions
All materials, guidance, and care provided in a small-group setting
📍 Location: Bookham, Surrey (10 minutes from the station, on-site parking available).
Exact address shared 3–5 days prior to the event.
Please note: the Eventbrite pin is intentionally inaccurate to protect privacy.
🕯️ This is a workshop for those drawn to the quiet magic of herbs, the stories they carry, and the sacred art of handmade ritual. Come as you are — curious, weary, wild, or wondering.
Light refreshments and drinks inspired by historical recipes
A PDF guide with recipes, lore, and ritual suggestions
All materials, guidance, and care provided in a small-group setting
📍 Location: Bookham, Surrey (10 minutes from the station, on-site parking available).
Exact address shared 3–5 days prior to the event.
Please note: the Eventbrite pin is intentionally inaccurate to protect privacy.
🕯️ This is a workshop for those drawn to the quiet magic of herbs, the stories they carry, and the sacred art of handmade ritual. Come as you are — curious, weary, wild, or wondering.