-
Mullein
Latin Name: Verbascum thapsus Family: Scrophulariaceae I still laugh out loud thinking about the Leaves and Roots customer back in the 90s who legally changed her name to “Verbascum” after a long love affair with the plant ally Mullein. We all lovingly called her Verbie for short, and really, who could blame her? This roadside “weed” is abundant in temperate climates and brings such profound medicine with a gentle strength, no wonder she adopted its moniker as her own in homage. . Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a prolific plant of European origin that grows abundantly in disturbed soils, roadsides, and meadows throughout most of the temperate United States. This biennial plant is…
-
Answer the call of the Plants – Community Herbalist Program
Have you been called by the plants into service? … amazed and transformed by the wisdom of the plants …. desire to share their teachings with others? Our Community Herbalist Program can help be the guide on your continuing path with the plants. The Community Herbalist Program is an nine-month journey into the world of professional herbalism. We deeply explore the herbs in our Materia Medica, and the herbs in the wild around us through research, presentations, and plant walks. We guide our family and the community, supervised by professional herbalists, to grow more confident in our sharing of this wisdom with others. Community Herbalist Program includes rich, guided hands-on study,…
-
Addressing the Root: Smoke Alarm Analogy
How does holistic health address concerns differently than the modern medical paradigm? One example is the holistic approach of addresses root causes, not just symptoms. Learn more about this perspective in this week’s video on the ‘smoke alarm analogy’. This video is from our Roots of Herbalism home study course. If you like what you hear and are craving more, join us for our March Roots of Herbalism in Orlando, our April Roots of Herbalism in Fort Lauderdale, or enroll in our home study course to learn more about healing herbs any time from the comfort of your own home.
-
Black Cohosh
In this week’s blog post we take a visit to Rosemary Gladstar’s Sage Mountain Herbal Center in Vermont from Summer 2015 and visit one of our northern plant allies, Black Cohosh (Cimcifuga racemosa) More info on Black Cohosh can be found at this Materia Medica monograph from David Hoffmann. How have you used Black Cohosh? Let us know in the comments below.
-
Goldenseal with Herbalist Kathleen Maier
We enjoyed a lovely summer afternoon at Sacred Plant Traditions in Charlottesville, Virginia with herbalist Kathleen Maier, keynote speaker for the 2016 Florida Herbal Conference in February. Here Kathleen shares about one of her favorite plants, Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). She encourages us all to explore ways to fit Goldenseal into our gardens. * Florida residents, please note, if you live in Central or South Florida, our hot climate is not well-suited for the cultivation of Goldenseal.
-
Camphor
Learn more about the ubiquitous Central Florida invasive tree, Camphor, in this week’s Materia Medica video. How do YOU use Camphor? Let us know in the comments below!
-
Feverfew
Today’s Materia Medica introduces Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), an herbaceous medicinal known for preventing headaches. Have you worked with Feverfew before? What was your experience? Leave us your feedback in the comments below.
-
Vitex
Vitex or Chaste Tree, latin name Vitex agnus-castus, is a gentle yet powerful balancing herb for the endocrine system – aka your hormones. As one of the herbs we meet and discuss in our Roots of Herbalism course, and our Home Study version of that program, as well as an herb that grows well in Florida’s climate, we are delighted to share this herb with you today. How have YOU used Vitex? Leave us your experiences in the comments below.
-
Making Your Own Herbal Tinctures
From our Roots of Herbalism Home Study video, we explore Tinctures today – how to make your own concentrated, liquid herbal extracts using alcohol like brandy or vodka, vegetable glycerine, or apple cider vinegar. In today’s video, we explore making tinctures using the Simpler’s method. If you enjoy this video, you can learn more about tinctures in our Roots of Herbalism class. The next live session will be held November 14 & 15 in Orlando, and we also offer the course as a home study curriculum. Register for our November live course using the code ROOTSDISCOUNT before November 5th and receive a $50 discount off tuition PLUS Rosemary Gladstar’s book…
-
Water Prayers
Herbalist Emily Ruff brings her reflections on the healing powers of water, and the power of focusing our collective energy on gratitude and healing the Earth’s waters, in this video from a spring atop Sage Mountain in Vermont. Looking for more information on Water Justice after watching this video? Visit www.FoodandWaterWatch.org, or see our review of the movie FLOW. One of our favorite groups, Rising Appalachia, recently shared a new song in collaboration with The Dogon Lights that celebrates the beauty, mystery, and healing power of water. “Water she gathers on solid ground Water a memory yet to be found Water she wanders through my bones Water she dances, dances…