Today we’d like to introduce you to Saidy Corneglio.
Hi Saidy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
Since I started talking as a tiny tot, I’ve spoken with plants, flowers, stones, and trees. They’ve always called to me: offering wisdom, comfort, support, and solace in a world that has always seemed to be upside down to me. This wild curiosity and wonder I cultivated as a child was dampened as I became more standardized in the mainstream world. I almost lost that magic. But the gardens saved me. As a child, I tended my mother’s gardens, eventually caring for the flowers, the raspberry bushes, and the vegetable gardens in our front yard. As a young adult, I lived in apartment buildings in Chicago, San Francisco, and Rotterdam, so I improvised and had houseplants and window boxes. I always found a way to have plants around me.
A decade ago, I gave birth to my first child. She sparked a fire within me to expand my plant path into the medicinal realms, so I could care for her the best way I knew. I enrolled in Rosemary Gladstar’s famous herbalism program: The Science and Art of Herbalism, which changed my life. Not only did I graduate as an Herbalist, but she led me to the spiritual aspects of Herbalism, the Green Path. I realized that what I vividly remembered from childhood wasn’t some fantasy. Talking to plants and stones and trees wasn’t delusional. They are sentient. They are wise. And they are threads of the same tapestry of reality that we are. 7 years ago, we moved to Toronto. I still lived downtown; however, now I had a yard! Immediately I took to work and installed gardens featuring medicinal and culinary herbs, vegetables, flowers, and berries. The next year I turned our front yard into a wildflower garden in conjunction with a local pollinator conservation project. And so, my gardens brought me another love: bees. I could watch the beautiful dance between flowers and bees all day. Inspired by the idea of using honey and beeswax in my herbal products, I signed up for a year-long Sustainable Urban Beekeeping course. This led to the creation of Mystic Sister, which I am still running today.
In 2019, Mystic Sister started as a beekeeping company in Toronto. I set up honeybee hives in residential backyards, rooftops of bakeries, front yards of yoga studios, and urban organic farms. I came for hive checks once a week, and at the end of the season, my clients got a portion of the honey harvest. By 2020, we expanded our shop to offer seasonal herbal products like teas, tinctures, syrups, and salves. I started selling at farmers’ and artisan markets across the greater Toronto area and teaching organic gardening and workshops related to Herbalism.
In late 2021, our family relocated to New Braunfels, Texas. I’ve worked diligently re-building Mystic Sister via edible gardens, medicinal herb gardens, and a pollinator paradise for our honeybees and the native bees and butterflies. It’s been an incredible journey learning about native Texas medicinal plants, the local ecosystems, and gardening in zone 8b (coming from 5b!). My journey in Texas has brought me to meet many kindred spirits and, through them, opportunities to share my gifts at markets. You can find me at the Austin Witches Markets each month and at other local markets featuring herbalists like Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen and Cultivate Community Gardens.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
I am a mother of 4 (ages 10, 8, 6, and 4). I homeschool them and work from home. I tend to our homestead daily, caring for the gardens, honeybees, and ducks. There are challenges to managing my time and navigating burnout. The biggest challenge is prioritizing self-care and learning when I need to let things go to preserve my life force.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I am an herbalist, a beekeeper, a Reiki Master practitioner, and a professional gardener and educator specializing in Biodynamic and Permaculture practices. I make seasonal, small-batch artisanal herbal products like herbal teas, tinctures, syrups, salves, balms, infused honey, and beeswax candles. What sets me apart is that almost all of the ingredients I use to make my products are loved and cultivated by me on my homestead. When you use my products, you know exactly where they’re coming from and that they were grown organically and with love. My honey is exceptional, too. I don’t use chemical treatments or antibiotics, but I also don’t use any plastic foundation in my beehives (99% of beekeepers do, even the organic ones). This means there are no petrochemical residues in my honey.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Austin’s food science, music scene, and access to nature. I don’t like the traffic, but who does? I dislike the trend toward corporatization and big box stores/companies the most. I’d hate for Austin to lose its indie soul – that makes this place so magical.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mysticsister.us
- Instagram: @mystic.sister
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/mystic.sister/
