Mugwort: The Herb of Dreams
Mugwort is a plant famed for its effects on dreaming, but its medicinal properties and actions do so much more than that. With a distinct effect on the nervous, digestive, hepatobiliary, and reproductive systems, Mugwort navigates, regulates, and balances the highways that connect them all. In today’s plant profile, you’ll discover: Mugwort’s unique flavor profile […]
Elecampane: The Deep Breather
Elecampane has become one of my personal favorite respiratory remedies over the years, not just for its medicinal benefits for many of the common respiratory woes people face today, but as a choice restorative agent. Whether you make it into a tincture or enjoy the syrup, Elecampane is a remedy every herbalist should know. In […]
How to Strategically Study Herbs
Have you ever crammed for an exam, only to forget everything a few weeks later? Cramming never works, especially in herbal medicine. Memorizing facts might get you through a test, but it won’t prepare you to help real people. If you want your knowledge to stick—not just in your mind but in your heart—there’s a […]
Keeping Warm: Countering the Cold with Warming Herbs
There’s something about winter that makes us want to bundle up and get warm. And while many of us do this with sweaters, a beanie, and thick wool socks, there’s another critical way we stay warm: Through the herbs and food we eat. In many herbal traditions, plants are often split into warming or cooling. […]
Echinacea: Not Just an Immune Stimulant
When you hear Echinacea, chances are you think of its immune-boosting properties. But did you know that this popular use is relatively new? Traditionally, Echinacea was used for entirely different reasons. By rediscovering its original applications, we can break free from the idea that Echinacea is just a “cough, cold and flu” herb and appreciate […]
The Ginkgo Myth
Ginkgo is famous for its ability to boost your memory, focus, and concentration . . . but if that’s true, why didn’t I feel any of these results when taking some Ginkgo tincture? The truth is, there’s a big misunderstanding about Ginkgo and the way it works. Understanding the Ginkgo myth makes the difference between […]
Phytopharmaceuticals, Standardized and Whole Plant Extracts
These days, supplement shelves are filled with all kinds of different products based on plants. Tinctures, teas, whole plant preparations, standardized extractions, phytopharmaceuticals . . . but what’s the difference between them? These are the most common types of herbal extracts you’ll encounter, and they all have their own unique properties and uses. Each of […]
Do You Need to Know Phytochemistry to Be a Great Herbalist?
Phytochemistry is a fascinating study, but it can be incredibly complicated and confusing at times. Understandably, there are many herbalists who’d prefer to avoid learning it all together. The big question is: Do you really need to know phytochemistry to be a great herbalist? There are many paths you can take as an herbalist. You […]
Interview with Margi Flint
Margi Flint is a practicing herbalist, registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild, and herbal mentor from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Margi’s wisdom spans over 20 years of labor coaching certification, polarity therapy, and Reiki, alongside 40-plus years of clinical herbal practice. She teaches at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, British Columbia, and has lectured at numerous […]
