The Human Body: Machine or Ecosystem?
Modern biomedicine tends to view the human body like a machine made up of multiple “gears.” When something goes wrong, we simply need to fix the broken part (or replace it in some instances). This mechanistic view of the body is significantly different from more traditional perspectives on our anatomy and physiology. Central to the…
Developing Your Herbal Competence and Confidence
As we walk the plant path, there eventually comes a time when we come up against certain blocks that prevent us from reaching that next level in our practice of herbalism. While it’s critical that we learn the external skills, strategies, principles and practices to become an herbalist, there is also an internal component…
The Next Generation of Herbalists: Teaching kids how to use herbs
In this video, I share a bit about my story of growing up foraging wild foods & medicinal herbs and how that shaped me as an adult today. It’s really what set me on my plant path and is ultimately why I’m an herbalist today! I also share some of the healing qualities of the…
Preventative Medicine With Astro-Herbalism
One of the main problems with modern medicine isn’t just based on the fact that pharmaceutical drugs can often cause more problems than solutions, but rather, it’s a problem of philosophy which directly influences the way medicine is practiced. The overarching philosophical approach to modern medicine is based on the treatment of symptoms. It is…
The ONLY Way I Could Learn Astrology….
Alright… I confess!! I really struggled with learning astrology when I first started. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me! I’d read about a planet or a sign of the zodiac and afterwards wouldn’t be able to remember anything about it. It was like in one ear out the other. I thought maybe…
The Best Psychological Model for Herbalists
One of the critical elements of the new paradigm of plant medicine is that there are more and more practitioners are incorporating the psychological, emotional and spiritual levels of being in their clinical work. I think this is an essential component of healing that cannot be overlooked, especially if we want to be holistic practitioners-…
Potentizing Your Herbal Medicine Using Astrology
In order to be an effective herbalist, you have to of course, know your medicines inside and out- you must know them holistically. You have to also know how to properly assess the individual asking you for help, know how to ask them the right questions and assess them holistically to determine the root cause…
Plant Medicine Through the Wheel of the Year: Imbolc
We stand upon the threshold between late winter & early spring – marked by the time of Imbolc where seeds are beginning to stir within the belly of the Earth Mother. As the land slowly thaws and the sun lights up the sky a little longer with every passing day, the hope of spring and…
Plants, Planets and Evolutionary Medicine
The synergy of astrology and herbalism provides a truly holistic framework that unites the physiology, psychology and soul of the person, with the physical, energetic and spiritual properties of plants. The result of this synergy gives us as herbalists the ability to attend to every layer of the human organism through the power of the…
Entheogenic Plants, The Quintessence, and Energetic Architecture
This week I’ve been writing about what I refer to as the Energetic Architecture of nature, which are the fundamental underlying patterns of life expressed throughout a broad spectrum of medical and spiritual traditions from across the world. One of the primary patterns of Energetic Architecture is the 5 Elements of nature: Earth, Water, Air,…
