An Herbal Formula for an Embarrassing Condition
I always like to say that every client you see is a chapter in your experiential book of learning herbal medicine. And that is the very best book you can get to learn about how to use plants effectively. Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to treat a condition I’d never treated before… hemorrhoids.…
The Holistic Properties of Valerian
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is one of those herbs that a lot of people are aware of, especially in regards to its usage as a remedy for sleep. But why does Valerian help us sleep? What are the underlying properties that lend to this popularized usage? And what else can Valerian be used for? In this…
Herbs to Support the Heart in Times of Grief
“Grief expressed out loud, whether in or out of character, un-choreographed and honest, for someone we have lost, or a country or home we have lost, is in itself the greatest praise we could ever give them. Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses.” -Martine Prechtel Grief is…
The Herbal Equation: Plants AND People
I know how it goes when you first start studying herbalism, you get SO excited about learning about all of these beautiful amazing plants. I mean after all, isn’t that what usually gets us into herbal medicine to begin with, an absolute love for plants? But they are just one half of the “herbal equation.” It’s…
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…
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…
A Guide for Building your Herbal (and Alchemical) Library
We get asked all of the time “what are your favorite herb books?” – so we thought it’s about time we just compiled a list and posted it here for everyone to enjoy. It can be incredibly helpful while on the plant path to know where to go to get valuable and reliable information about…
5 Ways to Deepen Your Connection to Herbs
I got a great e-mail the other day from someone who was asking me how to have a deeper connection with herbal medicines… but from a non-spiritual perspective! This was such an awesome question that I decided the answer would make a much better video than e-mail, and I thought I’d share it with…
Clinical Patterns vs. Herbal Uses
We’ve all seen it before. You get super excited about a new herb and want to learn more about it. So you pull your herb books off the shelf and open it to the monograph on that plant. Unfortunately what you end up with is oftentimes only a few paragraphs, many of which begin with…
