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…
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…
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…
What Exactly is Herbal Energetics?
It’s common for people to conjure up images of plant spirits or think that energetics is some far out there esoteric “woo-woo” concept in herbalism. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, before modern science came into fruition and chemical theory of medicinal plants came into being, energetic models permeated literally every…
My Top 5 Herbs for Mental Clarity
When our minds aren’t clear it’s hard to accomplish anything- we scatter into the winds or sink down into the low energetic state of brain fog. But when our minds are clear, focused, disciplined, and engaged, we tend to feel uplifted, positive, productive, and more present. There are definitely certain plants that we can…
Medical Astrology for the Practitioner of Botanical Medicine
Recently Whitney and I were super blessed to have the opportunity to head out to the east coast and participate in the 2017 International Herb Symposium. We’ve been to A LOT of herb conferences, and this one is hands down one of our favorites. I mean how amazing is it to stand in a room…
The 5 Keys for Using Herbs Holistically
In the modern world of herbalism, strongly influenced by information from Google and the phytopharmaceutical and supplement industries, there is an increasing lack of traditional knowledge in the common mindset and usage of plant medicines. This had led to an allopathic approach to herbalism and “holistic amnesia,” where we treat plants like drugs and not…
The Elements in People and Plants (Part 2)
In part 2 of The Elements in People and Plants, we explore some the Elemental patterns as they exist within the botanical kingdom. From the perspective of ancient traditions, everything in the manifest universe contains all of the four Elements of nature: Earth, Water, Air and Fire- that is, the only way something can physically exist…
The Elements in People and Plants (Part 1)
In part 1 of this 2 part lecture, I discuss some of the primary correspondences between the 4 Elements of Nature and the human body. The Elements are the foundational model of energetic architecture within the context of Evolutionary Herbalism. They help us understand the deeper order or blueprint of nature and how we as human…