To become a great herbalist, there are foundational principles and practices we have to understand and ultimately master. These posts focus on core holistic principles of herbalism, vitalism, and herbal traditions of the world.
With the holiday season approaching, you might be wondering what kinds of gifts an herbalist would like. Whether you’re unfamiliar with the field or have
These days, supplement shelves are filled with all kinds of different products based on plants. Tinctures, teas, whole plant preparations, standardized extractions, phytopharmaceuticals . .
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the science and spirit of herbalism are commonly taught separately. The problem with this approach is
Early this May I did a few classes at the Renaissance Medicine Conference in Portland Oregon that I thought I’d share with you. This is
Alchemy provides a unique perspective on health and disease that differs from conventional medicine. According to this philosophy, periods of sickness and health are as
This class covers some of the critical components in regards to how incorporating western alchemy and medical astrology can radically enhance your practice of holistic herbalism.
One of the biggest turning points in my plant path was the moment I came across the tradition of herbal alchemy, what is referred to
Last week I had the honor of being interviewed by functional nutritionist and Akashic Soul Record reader, Venessa Rodriguez, for her Feed Your Wild podcast
Alchemical philosophy and practice radically changes our approach to herbal medicine. By re-integrating spirituality with science, you can unlock the full potential of herbal medicine
I want to share a little bit about some of the dynamics around the taste of herbs. In traditional systems of medicine, the way an herb tastes, whether it’s bitter or pungent or astringent or sour or sweet, is a really strong indication of the medicinal properties of a plant.
In the world of alchemy, there tends to be a lot of focus on the specific processes of preparation: distillation, fermentation, calcination, dissolution, etc. and making sure they are done correctly, as well as timing the preparations in accordance with the astrological and planetary influences. But what can be easily overlooked is the importance of the prayer behind the work itself.
In this video I elaborate on the essential oil distillation process in the spagyric method. This example here is a little different from standard, as we were doing both a hydrodistillation and steam distillation at the same time (we had a lot of plant material!).