The Father of Medicine: Was Hippocrates an Herbalist?
“Where there is love for mankind, there is love for art of healing.” – Hippocrates Considered the father of medicine, Hippocrates was a renowned ancient Greek physician and teacher born on the island of Kos in the Aegean Sea. He lived during the Classical Period of ancient Greece, which was a time marked by a…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Farai Harreld (@thehillbillyafrican)
We sat down with Herbal Academy graduate, Farai Harreld, to learn more about her herbal journey. Farai enjoys teaching folk herbal remedies on her Patreon channel called Folk Herbalism. She has completed Herbal Academy’s Botanical Skin Care, Foraging, and Mushroom courses. You can also find herbal inspiration on her Instagram account, @thehillbillyafrican. HA: Please tell…
Gardening By the Moon: How Lunar Planting Deepens Your Relationship With the World You Live In
When we hear a phrase like “gardening by the moon,” it can elicit mystical and magical thoughts. However, this is an ancient (rather than new age) method for managing agricultural work that continues to be a tool for farmers today. One of the most popular planting guides ever produced, The Old Farmers Almanac, uses lunar…
Tribute to Herbal Academy’s Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann
To Our Herbal Academy Community: It is with very heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann, at age 67. For the last year and a half, she bravely battled a rare form of cancer with a strength so characteristic of the woman she was. …
Reconnecting With Nature Through DIY Skin Care
Now that it’s the wintertime, I’ve had to up my DIY skin care routine due to increased dryness and irritation. At first, it seemed like a chore, but skin care has now become something I find very meditative and relaxing. Being able to source many of these ingredients directly from the earth has allowed me…
Your Guide to an Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse
Spring is often linked to a sense of renewal. As the daylight hours stretch out longer, temperatures become warmer, and blossoms emerge, you may find yourself with a desire to engage in a spring cleanse or another ritual of renewal. Ayurveda offers gentle and time-tested methods for cleansing and resetting. An ayurvedic spring cleanse can…
How to Make Botanical Vegan Pancakes Inspired by the Colors of Nature
Today I am sharing a recipe for botanical vegan pancakes made with rice milk, buckwheat flour, and egg substitute. I mixed the pancake batter with different powders to give a variety of colors to the pancakes. The powders I used are: Barley grass Aronia berry Maca Beetroot Rosehip Cacao For the dark green I used…
Herbal Aphrodisiac Candle: The Perfect DIY Project For a Romantic Evening
You know the saying “love is in the air,” and the feel of a palpable swirling energy, the kind that makes you feel exhilarated? February shines a spotlight on love and as the month bursts with store-bought flowers, chocolate, and heart-shaped trinkets, let it also be a time to reconnect. A reminder to yourself or…
Herbs for Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the Aging Brain: What the Research Has to Say
Most of us will be touched by the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Whether a parent, life partner, friend, or oneself, we face the slow loss of loved ones and difficult decisions about care. Research on herbs for dementia offers a ray of hope in this dark landscape. Research has focused on plants with…
DIY Immune Stimulating Elderberry Gummies
It’s that time of year when winter has solidly set in and cold and flu season is at its peak. Since we spend more time inside this time of year, we tend to spread colds around more readily and may be feeling more susceptible to infection. And, with an ongoing worldwide viral illness, natural immune…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Hannah Lasorsa (@hannah_aften)
For this month’s Student Feature interview, we spoke with Herbal Academy graduate, Hannah Lasorsa (@hannah_aften). Hannah owns a marketing studio called Herbal Content Cottage where she works with herbalism and gardening brands to help them create inspiring and educational content such as seasonal content, website copy, herbal lifestyle photography, and more. Hannah has completed the…
Raspberry Rose Shatavari Chocolate Delights
I have the absolute pleasure of sharing with you one of the recipes from my soon-to-be-released book: a book entirely dedicated to raw chocolate and cacao recipes. Today I am sharing a recipe for Raspberry Rose Shatavari Chocolate Delights. I have been working with cacao for many years, and this book has been a long…
Two Easy Chutney Recipes: Red and Green
Spices, pickles, chutneys, and condiments certainly make food more flavorful and fun. Homemade chutneys are a great way to provide a flavor accent to your everyday dishes. Also, there are a plethora of easy chutney recipes that utilize a host of beneficial herbs, veggies, fruits, and spices. Every time I make chutney I remember how…
Warming Herbal Foot Soak With Cinnamon and Magnesium
You’re going to want to step into this warm, grounding herbal foot soak with cinnamon and magnesium this winter. Long days of cold air can be taxing on the body and mind. During winter, a noticeable tenseness rolls through your limbs as you clutch your jacket tightly around your body. Even in climates without snow,…
DIY Nutrient-Dense Syrup as an Herbal Health Tonic
If I had to pick just one category of herbs to use for the rest of my life, I would without a doubt choose the nutritive herbs. Since good nutrition is the basis of health and wellbeing, this category of herbal allies is the one I use most frequently and liberally in my herbal repertoire….
Herbs of Apollo: Greek God of Healing, Prophecy, and the Sun
Who Was Apollo? Apollo was the ancient Greek god with a multitude of powerful associations, including the sun, music, poetry, healing, oracles, prophecy, plagues, and archery. As the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Leto, the goddess of motherhood, Apollo was one of the twelve Olympian gods who was both revered and feared…
Seasonal Medicine for the Winter
The following excerpt is from the book “Energetic Herbalism” by Kat Maier RH, (AHG). Kat is the founder and director of Sacred Plant Traditions, a center for herbal studies in Charlottesville, Virginia. In clinical practice for over 30 years, Kat teaches internationally at universities, conferences, and herbal schools. (Chelsea Green, Nov 2021). At this time…
Hot ‘n’ Spicy Essential Oils for Winter
Winter season…snow season…holiday season…fireplace season…conifer season…cocoa and tea season…cold ‘n’ flu season. For so many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter means cooler temperatures, more time indoors, and more concerns about viral respiratory diseases. In this article, we will go over various essential oils for winter. This time of year is perfect for creating…
A Healthy Nursing Tea Blend to Increase Milk Supply and Nourish Your Baby
Nursing is a close, intimate, and emotional relationship between a parent and child. Nourishing your baby and bonding over this special experience and unique relationship can be a meaningful experience. But it is not always an easy journey. Especially at the beginning, it can be quite challenging for new parents. To achieve an effective latch…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Jake Lasorsa (@meadowroot)
This month’s student interview features Herbal Academy graduate, Jake Lasorsa of (@meadowroot). We enjoyed hearing about Jake’s path into herbalism as a personal chef and how he now incorporates herbs into his handmade soap business Meadowroot. Jake has completed Herbal Academy’s Entrepreneur Herbalist Path Package. HA: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and…
Astragalus Chai With Bone Broth
The fire is lit and roaring. Deep orange flames undulate and flicker as the cold white snow falls just outside your door. The days of winter shed a chill of lower temperatures. These colder months are a time for many to find a slower pace, to seek the shelter of the indoors, and to partake…
DIY Herbal Vapor Rub
Making your own herbal vapor rub is a great way to use your essential oil collection while creating a natural alternative to mass-produced mentholated rubs. This recipe features eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) essential oil. This invigorating oil is steam distilled from the leaves of the evergreen tree, which is native to Australia and well-known for its…
Make a Plant Wand To Clear Holiday Stress
The holidays can be a stressful time. Despite messages of good tidings and merriment, the pressure of gift-giving, old traumas, or feeling lonely are all common emotional responses. Just like lighting a candle or burning incense, creating and burning plant wands gives off those same therapeutic properties. Igniting a shift and inviting in a sense…
Ayurvedic Holiday Gift Guide
The holidays can be a wonderful opportunity to show your love and thoughtfulness. Homemade gifts, party favors, and stocking stuffers are a festive way to get crafty, have a little fun in the kitchen, and apply your passion for herbalism and wellness. Making (or purchasing) ayurvedic-inspired gifts is a great way to offer something that…
DIY Herbal Wrapping Paper Craft
Anyone else love those quiet December nights? The ones where the work is done, the kitchen is closed, and there’s a calm? The soft glow from the twinkling lights fills the room. A classic holiday movie plays in the background. On these nights I love to brew a cup of tea and wrap presents with…
How to Make a Simple Chai Syrup
I love any opportunity to share the richness of relationships with plants and have always felt that handmade gifts are the most precious. There’s nothing like gifting friends and family your time and energy, packaged up, with handwritten labels, just brimming with love. This is why for Christmas this year I am offering a little…
Essential Oil Perfume: A DIY Gift Idea
The holidays are a wonderful time to give something that the receiver wouldn’t normally indulge themselves in. Something pretty, or something sentimental, or something handmade. An essential oil perfume recipe checks all those boxes! Crafting a unique scent is a fun way to show care to the receiver, and to pull in special memories through…
3 DIY Herbal Skincare Gifts for the Holiday Season
As this year is coming to an end, we are busy getting ready for the holidays. To show appreciation for our loved ones in a more meaningful way, creating DIY herbal skincare gifts during the holiday season is a wonderful option! Furthermore, it is a great opportunity to take time for yourself to slow down…
Herbal Lip Balm Recipe for Dry Winter Lips
Whipping winds, cold air, and a dry climate make for a common annoyance—chapped lips. Winter is particularly harsh on the lips, a fragile skin barrier, and it is no wonder so many stores line their end caps with lip balm during December. Tis’ the season for piling on extra layers! Not just for the body,…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Shiang-ling Bissonnette (@halfbakedbarelymeasured)
For this Student Feature, we sat down with Herbal Academy graduate, Shiang-ling Bissonnette of Half Baked Barely Measured. We enjoyed hearing more about her path into herbalism and how she manages herbalism in a self-converted school bus. You can also follow her journey on TikTok and Instagram as @halfbakedbarelymeasured. Shiang-ling has taken Herbal Academy’s Natural…
