In today’s ever-changing climate, more and more people have been turning to natural, holistic methods of healing. Folks are becoming more aware of the healing power that humans possess and all the remedies that nature has offered to us. Master herbalist, entrepreneur, and mother Brea Buffaloe has made it her business to make sure people have what they need to heal themselves without excessive prescriptions or medications. With this goal in mind, she founded Musa Moon, a Black family-owned herbal and spiritual healing shop. Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina (NC), Musa Moon has served the community for over 6 years. Here, a physical shop of this kind is extremely rare, let alone one owned by a Black woman! Because of this, Buffaloe has expanded her reach by offering shipping of her products all across the United States. The shop features bulk herbs of all varieties, perfect for making teas, steams, smoke blends, and capsules. Buffaloe also creates and offers custom herbal blends for people focusing on specific uses and ailments such as anxiety, inflammation, men's and women’s health issues. 

I went there myself and while the shop was slow, I took some time to get to know Brea and her story. 

What drew you to herbalism? 

“Starting Musa Moon was a full-circle moment. As a kid, my dad passed away due to malpractice during a kidney transplant. From that experience as a kid, I just knew I wanted to give back in some type of way. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I just knew that, in some type of way, I would be of service. I realized that I can’t necessarily prevent people from going through or having trauma, but maybe I can help them restore healing and self-care plans before it gets to the point of having to rely on meds for their livelihood. Maybe for that person who has extreme trauma or maybe depression, I can offer them more natural options, like lavender or holy basil or different adaptogens to help with stress.” 

Why did you choose to move to Thailand? 

“After I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to travel the world, so I got a teaching job in Thailand. I went by myself and I met a family at a market who spoke English. They introduced me to their daughter who introduced me to a community of people who come from all over the world to be healed. That’s where I learned about veganism, detoxes, enemas and I started being barefoot. In this community, they had everything they needed within; they had hospitals in town, but they didn’t need them because they had everything they needed within the community. It really showed me the power we have within ourselves. Once I came back to America, I got my Master’s in Therapeutic Herbalism and it really came full circle.” 

What was your experience with spirituality in Thailand? 

“I can’t say that Thailand “ruined it” for me religion-wise, but it did in a good way. Before I went, I was super Christian and in Christianity, it’s a sin to not be a Christian. So being in Thailand, where nobody was a Christian, I thought ‘surely all these people aren’t going to Hell.’ I realized that religion is more cultural. These people weren’t Christians not because they didn’t believe in Jesus, but because it hadn’t been introduced to them. It opened my eyes to spirituality, so I went from reading the Bible to reading about the Chakras and opening my third eye. It gave me the comfortability to look deeper beyond what was on the surface. Now I am just Love. I don’t subscribe to one particular religion. All religions have one purpose, to have a truth. People need something to believe in and for me, it’s spirituality. Christianity teaches you how to have a relationship with God, but with spirituality, it’s your own [relationship].” 

What was the most influential thing you learned through your journey that really changed your life? 

“I would say experiencing having a miscarriage before having my son, Musa. I can remember praying for it not to happen but it still happened. Then, fast-forwarding, my biggest fear was being a single mom, then experiencing that and being successful as a single mom. All this just showed me that we have choices while finding peace in knowing that your life is already destined for you. Let go of the resistance to life because what’s gonna be is gonna be and trust that everything works out in your favor. Although it might seem uncomfortable or like it’s the end of the world or that it’s putting you in a dark place, understand that everything works out in your favor. Moving to Charlotte was never on my list. Even when I was forced to move here, I thought ‘I’d only be for a year to get on my feet’ and here I am six years later and I’m having the best time of my life. So although my steps weren’t exactly what I thought they’d be, it still worked out in my favor. Learn to not compare yourself to anybody; we all want to be happy, we all want to be successful, we all want to be peaceful and loved, but although our journeys are the same, our paths are all different. Just find what works for you and if it doesn’t work, try it again. As long as it doesn’t ruffle your soul or your spirit too much, then just try it so you don’t have to live with the ‘what if.’”