Hi, I’m Nora Elizabeth Luce.
I’m a steward of the earth who prioritizes time connecting in nature with community.
As a folk herbalist, I know that I am only the portal for healing, acknowledging that Mother Earth is our true healer.
I have been concocting potions by the creek since I was 5 years old in Virginia- this childlike wonderment to the abundance of the natural world runs in channels through my veins.
It was my mother’s return to spirit in 2018 that awakened my role here as a tender and facilitator of ceremony. She had been diagnosed with PSP, a degenerative brain disease, a few years earlier and I had moved from living in Thailand as an English Teacher to become her full-time caregiver.
It was not an easy time in my life, but I always knew that it was harder for my mom. She slowly lost the ability to move, and at the end even her ability to speak. My mother had always loved naming and teaching me the wildflowers, so when she passed away I found myself connecting even more to the blooms of the sea islands in South Carolina where she took her last breath, in the soil where I would offer her remains.
In my grief, and through my healing, I found teachers of the plants who connected me to the Wise Women Tradition of Healing. I have spent the last 6 years deepening my knowledge in folk herbalism, community activism, spiritual ceremony, and South Carolina ethnobotany.
I hear the whisper from my plant allies and my healthy ancestors in every barefoot step I take. My connection is daily steeped in the local plants that grow wild, always appearing for us precisely when we need them. My herbal medicine cabinet is full of both wild-harvests as well as more common herbs that are organically sourced from farms that have become friends.
I trust the circle of protection that I cast around us will bring healing across many lineages through dimensions of time and space. It would be my honor and blessing to connect you to the wisdom of the plant spirits and the medicine they have just for you.
Critical Ritual
Critical Ritual started in the summer of 2022 as an herbal medicine apothecary that popped up at farmer’s markets and night markets around the city to serve the local community options for healing outside of a pharmacy or a doctor’s office.
In 2023 Critical Ritual became a full-time vendor at Sunday Brunch Farmers Market on James Island. To serve all people, the herbal medicine products diversified to both alcohol and glycerin based extracts. The pottery products also became more deeply inspired by nature and more intentionally created in ritual. The community began to ask for more guidance around wild-harvesting their own medicine, so we gathered for plant-identification workshops and tea ceremonies to drop in deeper to the wisdom of the Lowcountry.
In 2024 Critical Ritual’s root system began to web deeper into the soil. Ceremonies were hosted monthly and more 1:1 offerings have emerged as Nora has been given her teacher’s permission after graduation from her apprenticeship to lead Plant Spirit Consultations. This offering, as well as land-blessing ceremonies, have been created in even more intimacy to create the education and space for more medicine people to rise to their power.
Critical Ritual has become more than a shop at your local market. It is a container for community gathering, earth education, rituals of reciprocity and ceremony.
The Mission
At Critical Ritual, we weave together the threads of herbal medicine and sacred community, offering paths of healing that transcend the conventional. We serve as a sanctuary for those seeking to honor the wisdom of the earth, guiding souls through workshops, ceremonies, and personalized consultations that awaken their inner healers and nurture their connection to the natural world.
The Vision
To be a sacred space where the spirit of the land and the magic of herbal wisdom intertwine, creating a sanctuary for all. We envision a community deeply attuned to the Earth, empowered to embrace their roles as co-creators of healing and transformation through the rituals of reciprocity, self-discovery, and reverence.
Thank you for trusting Critical Ritual as your partner in wellness.
When you shop with Critical Ritual, you’re not just purchasing an herbal remedy—you’re receiving medicine that has been carefully crafted with the utmost respect for nature, quality, and safety. We are here to support your healing journey with integrity, education, and a mutual commitment to the well-being of our community.
At Critical Ritual, we also understand that healing is a deeply personal and sometimes vulnerable process. While we are not trauma-certified, we are committed to holding a space where all people can feel safe to explore, heal, and grow. Our goal is to create an environment where each individual is empowered, respected, and cared for. We achieve this through intentional, grounded practices that prioritize emotional safety, clear boundaries, and supportive presence.
If you have any questions about our products, safety, or practices, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to guide you every step of the way.