Summer Solstice: Mark the Changing of Spring Into Summer With Intention
It seems to me as though the more years I accumulate the faster they seem to fly by, each racing past more quickly than the last. A core lesson of my adult life has been to find ways in which I can regularly slow down and honor the passage of time. One of my favorite […]
How to Make Pressed Flower Lanterns to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
The sun has reached its peak angle and is in its full, brilliant splendor throughout the long summer days before making its slow descent toward its lower arc during winter’s relative darkness. We have reached a turning point in the year. The summer solstice, coming from the Latin words “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (still or […]
DIY Old-Fashioned Beard Oil: A Perfect Father’s Day Gift
A child’s first hero, protector, provider, teacher, and best friend, a father figure can be such a guiding force in a child’s life. The dad jokes, advice, and many memories throughout the years are something to be cherished. Families are a unique complexity as we all know. Some families you are born into and some […]
How to Grow Your Own Tea Garden + Helpful Harvesting Tips
It’s an Appalachian summer morning and the sun is just starting to peek its face over the mountain. I start my day in the tea garden. The tops of the trees glow gold while the valley is still cool and covered in dew. I wander through the garden, favorite mug in hand, snipping a bit […]
Sitopaladi Churna: Sweet Cough Powder for Respiratory Support
With spring in full swing, consider yourself fortunate if you are not affected by seasonal allergies or other respiratory issues. On the other hand, if you do experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory allergy symptoms, you may find yourself looking for new methods of respiratory support. Or, perhaps you simply want to have some […]
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Elliot Durt
We recently interviewed Herbal Academy student, Elliot Durt, who completed The Mushroom Course through our option of online courses. In his travels, Elliot enjoys exploring different forests and bioregions, learning about the different native herbs and medicinal plants that grow in each area. You can find him on Instagram at @the.durt.family. HA: Tell us a […]
How to Make Your Own Tea Blends + a Soothing Sleep Tea Recipe
Have you ever tried an herbal tea that was so delicious you just couldn’t put it down? What about one that you couldn’t finish drinking, no matter how hard you tried, because it tasted like muddy water? The art of making herbal tea blends is a skill that takes practice, experimentation, and observation. It requires […]
A Fresh Green Juice Recipe With Alterative Herbs
Spring is finally here. The days are getting longer and the sunlight more intense, which allows the first herbs of the season to appear again with full fresh energy. After a long winter, we crave a little reawakening. Fresh herbs that are lush and green are an ideal choice in spring to kickstart this change […]
How to Make Cinnamon Crème Chocolate Hearts With Reishi Mushroom Powder
The perfect balance between bittersweet chocolate and a rich and creamy cinnamon filling, these chocolate hearts are the stuff dreams are made of. Nourishing ingredients, and of course love, make these cinnamon cremes both healthy and pleasing to the tongue. Providing fibre, magnesium, and antioxidants, cacao is packed with health benefits. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum syn. […]
Aromatic Plant Preparation & Uses
The following aromatic plant excerpt is from the book, “Botanicals With Benefits: Develop a New Relationship With Your Garden: The Aromatic Plants Volume” by Kerry Hughes, and is reprinted with permission. Kerry Hughes, MS, principal for EthnoPharm (www.Ethnopharm.com), is an ethnobotanist, herbalist, and author with a 20-year record of success in natural product development. Kerry also is […]
3 Must-Read Books to Enrich Your Relationship with the Plant World
Books have the capacity to transport us simultaneously deep within our own minds and to far-off destinations. The experiences we have while reading can help us to see our own world with new eyes and renewed wonder. This shift in lens is definitely the case with the must-read books for plant people I want to […]
DIY Baby Herbal Diaper Balm to Soothe Rashes and Keep the Skin Healthy
A baby’s delicate skin is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and harmful substances. Therefore, it is critically important to choose products that contain substances that don’t irritate. For instance, if you are dealing with a diaper rash, it is important to use a diaper balm that is safe and healthy. Creating your own allows you […]
A Mother’s Day Tribute to ALL Mamas!
Being a Mom looks different for everyone. Much like our herbalism journey, no two paths are the same. We asked some of our inspiring students and herbalists – How has being a Mom influenced your herbalism journey? We’ve put together a Mother’s Day tribute highlighting a few of these responses. Read the powerful messages below about […]
Make Your Own Herbal Facial Care Kit for Mother’s Day
“The days are long, but the years are short” is a saying so true it can almost define parenthood. Sleepless nights during infancy, navigating the rough waters of toddlerhood, answering the infinite questions of a young developing mind, tending the delicate balance of raising a teen, and managing the worries of a young adult child […]
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik (@mayernikkitchen)
For our Student Feature series, we recently interviewed Herbal Academy graduate, Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik (@mayernikkitchen). Shannon and her husband own Mayernik Kitchen, an herbal apothecary located in Northern New Jersey. They grow over 50+ medicinal herbs on their herb farm in Sussex County, NJ, which they use to create plant medicines. They offer a wide range […]
5 Helpful Study Tips for Herbalism
As a new student of herbalism, oftentimes it can feel overwhelming as we try to soak in the abundance of information we are learning. Trying to remember lists of new terms, the benefits of common kitchen spices, and the unique energetics of all the different herbs may feel quite daunting! Much like our time in […]
Triphala: Time-Honored Digestive Support for All Types
Most herb lovers have their shortlist of herbal essentials. These are the single herbs or formulas that you are sure to keep in stock, the ones that you always throw in the travel suitcase or day bag. If you were stranded on a desert island, which three herbs would you want to have with you? […]
Getting Ticked Off: An Essential Oil Blend to Repel Ticks
Ticks are arachnids from the order Ixodida, divided into three families, the Ixodidae (hard ticks), the Argasidae (soft ticks), and Nuttalliellidae, which contains only one species living in southern Africa (Wikipedia, 2022). These parasitic relatives of mites are vectors for numerous human diseases, the most widely recognized being Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever […]
DIY Foraged Chickweed Salve
Chickweed (Stellaria media) is one of the most common medicinal lawn weeds in North America. It enjoys cool temperatures, so it is typically one of the first weeds to arrive in early spring. This common weed has many herbal benefits; it has traditionally been used to soothe skin issues, which makes it a great ingredient […]
Growing an Edible Flower Garden
No garnish elevates a drink or dish quite like an edible flower. While I am sometimes able to find edible flowers among the fresh herbs in my local grocery store, nothing beats the quality and freshness of being able to pluck them fresh from my garden. Growing an edible flower garden is easily done in […]
How To Make A Floral Vinegar Infusion + A Spring Salad Recipe
Spring blooms make their way from the once cold soil, emerging and bringing life back to our gardens. The vibrant flowers and leaves that were deep in sleep are now wide awake, swaying in the breeze, soaking up the warm sun, and ready to be used once more for homemade herbal creations. The particular recipe […]
Chickweed Pesto: How to Make This Wild Greens Recipe
Chickweed (Stellaria spp., including Stellaria media) is one of the first herbs to appear each spring. If you’ve been cooped up inside all winter and you’re ready to hit the forests and meadows the minute the weather warms, then chickweed is a fantastic edible green to learn how to recognize and use in herbal recipes, […]
Prepare Your Herb Garden With These 4 Spring Tasks
Spring is an exciting time in the herb garden! So many beloved herbs are perennials, and as they begin to sprout and grow after the long winter slumber, we may have visions of abundant harvests ahead. By preparing your herb garden for the season with these spring tasks you can make that vision a reality. […]
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Rachel Baker (@3_sources)
For this month’s Student Feature, we spoke with Herbal Academy graduate, Rachel Baker (@3_sources). Rachel has an online business, 3 Sources, to help others maintain optimal health using nutrition and lifestyle as medicine. She is currently enrolled in the Intermediate Herbal Course and Mastering Herbal Formulation Course, and has contributed to Herbal Academy’s blog with […]
3 Best Botanical Illustration Books to Inspire Your Studies
Books have a way of inspiring us to better ourselves. Wouldn’t you agree? They often help us to expand our knowledge on a particular subject or show us how to develop a skill in some form of handicraft. They even provide decor to our homes, which often stimulates good conversation amongst visitors. Botanical illustration books […]
Andean Plants and Their Herbal Uses
The Andes mountains are home to at least 20,000 endemic species of Andean plants (Myers et al., 2000 as cited by Cueva-Agila et al., 2019). In Ecuador, the Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests ecoregion boasts up to 8,000 different plant species (Richter et al., 2009). The southern part of the country, especially the Loja and […]
7 Foods and Herbs to Add to Your Diet for Postpartum Nourishment + A Nourishing Stew Recipe
The first weeks after birth are a very special chapter like no other—this period can be one of the biggest physical, emotional, and spiritual transitions someone will go through in their lifetime. Postpartum is the time to recover, for both parent and child. The baby slowly gets used to the new world and an intimate […]
A Spring Equinox Drawing Exercise with Botanical Illustrator Joséphine Klerks
As we’ve worked behind the scenes on our new drawing exercise mini course, Botanical Drawing for Herbalists, we’ve spent many hours oohing and awwing over the incredible artwork produced by talented botanical illustrators of our day. One artist who regularly catches our attention with Earth-centered illustrations that capture the spirits of medicinal plants is Joséphine […]
A Day In the Life of a Botanical Illustrator With Madison Safer
Madison Safer is a freelance illustrator who beautifully interweaves her creative artwork with her herbal practice. You may have seen her work in Taproot magazine or on social media, where her cozy, nostalgic designs illustrate topics that are near and dear to naturalists and herbalists of all skill levels. We particularly love her Fire Cider […]
How To Make A Kid’s Fairy Garden With Foraged Materials
Raise your hand if you want to live in a tiny mushroom house in a magical forest (ME)! Surrounded by regal trees, waking up to dewy moss, serenaded by nature’s creatures…ah, the stuff fairytales are made of. According to my five-year-old, building a fairy house brings fairies to your house. Naturally, with that profound logic, […]
