Working with Plant Intelligence with Scott Kloos

In this special episode of The Plant Path, I got a chance to interview a fellow PNW herbalist, Scott Kloos, founder of Cascadia Folk Medicine, The School of Forest Medicine and author of Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness.

Scott and I have known each other for a number of years and developed a good connection since we first met. We really have a similar approach to herbalism, in the way that we both do our best to integrate the science as well as the spirituality of herbalism. This is especially true in the way the psycho-spiritual properties of a plant are understood in their relationship to the signatures and physiological properties.

This was a really fun conversation, as Scott and I discuss a wide range of methods of working with the medicinal intelligence of plants. From how they have the ability to heal us spiritually, to the best wildcrafting and medicine making practices, to what it really means to be an herbalist.

Scott and I really have a lot in common in the way we see medicinal plants and the practice of herbalism, even though we approach it from slightly different angles, which to me is fascinating. 

The big thing I appreciate about his perspective and approach, is that it’s geared towards healing the whole person (body, spirit and soul) through utilizing the whole plant. Scott truly honors the chemical and spiritual sides of herbalism, and understands the greater context of plant medicine, in that the healing work we do contributes to the healing of the Earth as a whole.

————————————

Scott Kloos—ceremonialist, author, wildcrafter, plant medicine maker and practitioner, animist, singer of plant songs, and aspiring integral ecologist—guides The School of Forest Medicine and Cascadia Folk Medicine and is author of Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness. Through his writing and his facilitation of co-created spaces of learning and healing, he explores various ways of working with plants and their medicine, relationships with our nonhuman kin, and ecologically integral modes of engaging with and thinking with the community of life.

Check out his amazing wildcrafted handmade product line at: https://cascadiafolkmedicine.com/ as well as his teachings at the School of Forest Medicine here: https://forestmedicine.net/

For those of you in the PNW, be sure to pickup a copy of his book, an indispensable guide for the NW herbalist! 

 

Join us on The Plant Path

Get a basketful of fresh herbal content delivered to your inbox each week

Become a student for free by signing up for The Plant Path, where you'll get weekly-ish blog posts, access to special free workshops, and exclusive program enrollment announcements.

FROM THE HERBAL PROFILE ARCHIVE

Herbal Alchemy: The Water Element

Learn how to use the Elements as a lens for classifying and using herbal remedies. The Alchemical herbal perspective involves looking at the planetary rulerships of different herbs, their organ and tissue affinities, as well as providing a sophisticated and refined way of preparing herbal medicines according to astrological influences. In this video, I reveal how the common herb Cleavers (Gallium aparine) relates to the water element, as well as Venus and the lymphatic system.

Read More »

Willow Bark vs. Aspirin

It’s common these days for folks to think about Willow as an alternative to aspirin. Many people know that Willow bark also contains salicylic acid, which is the main compound in aspirin.

Read More »
OUR MOST RECENT POSTS
EXPLORE THE PLANT PATH ARCHIVES
Previous slide
Next slide