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. […]
5 Ways Vitalism Transformed My Life
Diving into the world of herbal medicine and the traditions that have carried it for a long time often introduces us to new concepts, principles, practices, and ways of seeing the world around us that aren’t often taught to us in our modern world. And sometimes there’s something there that changes your life forever. For […]
Do You Need to Know Botany to Be a Great Herbalist?
Do you need to know botany to be a great herbalist? Since learning botany is like learning a new language, it’s a fair question. After all, if you won’t use it, is it worth becoming fluent in it? Being an herbalist means a lot of things: Working with people, plants, and being the bridge between […]
Why I Wish What I Did Wasn’t Called Medical Astrology
Medical astrology is one of the most misunderstood assessment tools available in herbalism, with many flat out rejecting its usefulness or efficacy because of preconceived notions of astrology in general. Despite its spiritual or “woo-woo” implications, astrology has practical therapeutic applications. By learning how to use this tool correctly, you can pinpoint an imbalanced organ […]
Pathways to Herbal Mastery
I know the beginning of the year is when a lot of us take a step back and look at our lives from a greater perspective. Perhaps we’re looking back on the past year and thinking about what we’d like to change or do differently… … Or we’re looking forward and planning out how we […]
The Lightbringers: Herbs for Brightening Dark Winter Days
The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Once it passes, the days grow brighter and longer. However, the long winter nights can still weigh heavy on the hearts of many. By using herbs that uplift the heart and soothe the mind, you can diffuse a bit more sunshine […]
Working with the Whole Plant
As you begin your herbal exploration, you’ll notice that there are a lot of books out there that either talk about a plant’s spiritual or medicinal aspects–but rarely both. This separation of science and spirit mirrors the allopathic approach used in conventional medicine. The problem is that this separation doesn’t exist! The more I studied […]
Integrative Global Herbalism
Healing has always been a collaborative journey. In the past, herbalists united in their pursuit of healing, transcending cultural boundaries and traditions. This exchange of wisdom not only laid the foundation for the thriving global herbal community we have today, but also nurtured the seeds of a promising future for herbalism. In the past, learning […]
Vitalism is NOT just about Herbalism
The vitalist approach to healing is like an ecosystem, and herbalism is only one aspect of it. At its heart, vitalism is about living in accordance with nature. This means living harmoniously with it and learning to support your body’s natural intelligence through nutrition, hydration, rest, and other lifestyle habits. By understanding how vitalism extends […]
