DIY Aromatic Fire Starter Basket
One of the coziest traditions of this season is welcoming the winter days with a warm, crackling fire. How about putting some creativity to that fire with an aromatic fire starter basket? Aromatic fire starters not only help to get that fire started, but also fill the home with a wonderful aroma. This aromatic fire…
DIY Savory Herbal Whipped Butter Recipe for Holiday Cooking
If you are looking for a special herbal indulgence to enjoy this season, herbal whipped butter is just the thing! You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer to have on hand when cooking or entertaining. Use it to cook in, spread it over squash before baking, dot…
Homemade Hot Toddy for Cold and Flu
My first memories of a hot toddy are from childhood. One of my family’s home remedies for cold and flu, hot toddies were something my mother prepared for me and my sister when the seasonal sniffles got the better of us, and something her grandmother, my mamaw, had made for her family in similar situations….
Plant Allies to Prepare Your Immune System for Winter
Winter stirs up nostalgic thoughts of evergreen trees and warm, cozy fires, but it can also cause increased stress and anxiety, with concerns of the approaching cold and flu season coupled with navigating a pandemic. Luckily, plants are available to us to help support the immune system, soothe the nervous system, and promote balance to…
How to Make Apple Spiced Liqueur
It is November. A cold chill has settled, blanketing the days with lower temperatures. It is time for cozy fires, warm food, and spiced drinks. This homemade apple spiced liqueur recipe gives your taste buds a welcome dose of sweet and spice, with a little bit of heat. The sweet taste of apples with cinnamon…
DIY Pregnancy Belly Cream: Help Prevent Stretch Marks With This Natural Blend
During pregnancy, the body experiences great changes. The belly grows, the breasts are already preparing for breastfeeding, and overall the whole system is working perfectly to create a living being inside. In this article, you will find some holistic tips to prevent stretch marks and also advice on the optimal care of stretch marks that…
15 Heartwarming Herbal Gifts for Plant Lovers
It’s the season of gift giving once more! If you are preparing your gift list and in need of ideas for the herbalists in your life, we’ve got quite the list for you. Deliver heaps of herbal joy this year with these heartwarming herbal gifts for plant lovers, from the botanically curious beginner to the…
Balance Your Holiday Menu With Ayurvedic Six Tastes
Ayurveda teaches that all things in nature are made up of some combination of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. This means that our bodies, the food we eat, the herbs that we benefit from, and even colors and aromas—are made of some combination of the five elements. This five-element paradigm is…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Liz Witter (@backcountry_botanicals)
We sat down with Herbal Academy graduate, Liz Witter (@backcountrybotanicals), to hear more about her path into herbalism and her herbal business. She currently owns and operates Backcountry Botanicals out of her home in Kanab, UT, where she distills essential oils from desert plants, and makes wildcrafted personal care products. Liz has taken Herbal Academy’s…
Ayurvedic Diet: Four Foods to Eat in the Fall
Again and again, I am drawn back to the wisdom of Ayurveda. This is for many reasons, one being that Ayurveda has helped me to become more aware of, and in tune with, the seasons. The transition from summer to fall marks the changeover from pitta season to vata season. Fall is the time of…
13 Last Minute Gift Ideas to Make at Home
When you are short on time to source the perfect gift, skip the store entirely and turn to handmade! We have you covered with our last minute gift ideas to are perfect for adding a little extra herbal goodness to a present, pulling something quickly together for the person that might have slipped your mind…
How to Make Rosehip Syrup
Rose hips are my favorite herbal ally to call on when making a syrup. The constituency profile and energetics of rose hips mesh so well with preservation and delivery by syrup. Let’s look at what makes rose hips the perfect ally for syrup making, and some of the reasons we might make an herbal syrup….
Strange Ways to Heal: Medical Curiosities of Ancient Greece
Throughout history, humans have sought ways to ease many ailments. Some lasted through millennia. Others fell into disuse. The ancient Greek civilization (c. 3,000 BCE-600 CE), practiced a variety of healing methods over centuries influenced by population growth, trade, and conflict throughout the Mediterranean region. Medicine in antiquity shifted and evolved as a result of…
11 Ways to Save Money on Herbal Supplies
As your herbal studies gain momentum, we know how tempting it can be to purchase brand-new herbal supplies: herbs, books, materials, and equipment to bring your recipes and projects to life. Like any craft, there are baskets upon baskets of fun, exciting tools that you’ll want and need as you stock your herbal supply cabinet,…
DIY Herbal Halloween Lollipop Recipe
It’s officially time to break out those cauldrons and brew up something sweet for a Halloween treat! This homemade herbal lollipop recipe is a delicious candy filled with rich flavor and simple ingredients. Watch the Golden Liquid Rise As the concoction bubbled and boiled, I felt like a Sanderson sister stirring up something on a…
Meet Indigenous Ethnobotanist Enrique Salmón
The following book excerpt is taken from the book, Iwigara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions & Science, by Enrique Salmón, and is shared with permission. SAGEBRUSH Artemisia spp. Family: Asteraceae Parts Used: whole plant Season: year-round Region: western North America Some plants are both synonymous with American Indian herbology and icons of a particular geographic region….
Essential Oils and Pets: How to Use Them Safely
If you use botanicals for your own health and wellness, you have probably wondered about essential oils and pets. How might you use herbs or essential oils with your pets and animal companions? Veterinary visits are expensive, so keeping our animal companions healthy is also often a financial priority. Yes, you can use essential oils…
10 Years Strong! Herbal Academy’s Secrets to Success
We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary this month at the Herbal Academy! Like any new business, it’s been a decade of incredibly exciting highs (like the recent launch of our brand new Business Herbal Course!), intermingled with the non-avoidable, frustrating lows (like the time our new student enrollment spike broke our website during our free course…
Herbal Academy Student Interview: Adriana Jensen (@dandelionandtherose)
We recently interviewed Adriana Jensen (@dandelionandtherose) for our Student Feature Series. Adriana has taken the Natural Perfumery Course, the Botanical Skincare Course, and is currently enrolled in the Mastering Herbal Formulation Course and the Introductory Herbal Course. She enjoys the art and creativity of putting together herbal skincare products and has plans to open her…
Herbalist Interview with lara pacheco, of Seed and Thistle Apothecary
Join the Herbal Academy for an herbalist interview with lara pacheco, of Seed and Thistle Apothecary. In the video interview below, lara speaks with staff clinical herbalist Heather Irvine about their work, Taino-influenced plant use, respecting the many ways of learning about plant use, and recognizing and empowering those who have or seek to carry…
Naturally Tinted Homemade Lip Balm Recipe
Autumn is here, showing its beauty again with warm and earthy colors and accents of red, yellow, and orange—which means time for cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, and final harvests from our gardens. The characteristic colors and flavors associated with this season are what makes it so wonderful. In addition to pumpkin pie, warming spices, and…
Soothing Herbal Cough Syrup with Elderberry, Elecampane, & Licorice
This herbal cough syrup recipe features a lovely and effective blend of elder (Sambucus spp.) berry, elecampane (Inula helenium) root, and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root, among other herbs. This recipe is a particularly good fit for dry coughs that need soothing or that contain stuck mucus that needs to be expelled without further irritation. Elder…
How to Make a Nutritive Pregnancy Tea Blend
Pregnancy is a really special time of life and so are the needs during this time. Besides a wholesome, colorful diet, and prenatal supplements, a nourishing herbal pregnancy tea blend can boost your wellbeing as well as the health and development of your baby. The nutrient requirements are heightened to properly nourish the body during…
Deep Breath Osha and Echinacea Syrup Recipe
A go-to urban herbalism recipe is the Deep Breath Osha and Echinacea Syrup Recipe below. This formula can be used for acute lung support or as a daily preventative and immune-booster. Although cities are full of exciting opportunities, culture, and entertainment, their industrial nature creates a polluted environment with compromised air quality. While the exact…
Ayurveda and Yoga: Yoga for Your Constitution
“Ayurveda is a paradigm, not a prescription” is a phrase that I commonly emphasize in my introduction to Ayurveda public lectures. Ayurveda is integrated into the medical system in India and if you work with any ayurvedic practitioner anywhere in the world, they will likely suggest herbs, dietary modifications, and other practical measures. However, Ayurveda…
Flower Essence Formula for Healthy Boundaries
Since boundaries are often perceived and felt energetically and emotionally within a person, flower essences are a handy herbal tool to support healthy boundaries from the inside out. Below is a recipe for cultivating healthy boundaries. This blend works over a period of time and offers acute boundary protection when needed. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is…
Nerve Tea With Oatstraw and Skullcap
This herbal nerve tea recipe combines skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), a superior relaxing nervine, oatstraw (Avena sativa), a nervous system trophorestorative, and violet (Viola odorata), an overall nerve restorative, to simultaneously soothe agitation and strengthen the overall function of the nervous system (Holmes, 1989a; Holmes, 1989b). Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is another go-to herb for nerve support…
Homemade Bug Bite Salve for Itchy Spots
The summertime invites us outdoors to bask in the warmth of the sun and enjoy more physical activity. All of this time outdoors leaves us sunkissed, grounded, and also, in many cases, bug-bitten. Like all the best things in life, there’s always a little bitter with the sweet. A homemade bug bite salve is the…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Jess Madsen @the.wildcraft
For the fourteenth installment of our Student Feature Series, we spoke with Jess Madsen (@the.wildcraft). Jess has completed Herbal Academy’s Introductory Course. She enjoys making her own herbal creations and works with herbalists and herbal companies as a designer and photographer. HA: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started your…
Motherwort Benefits + Recipe
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is a striking plant. Growing as tall as 5 feet, it bears the signature square stem and opposite leaves of the lamiaceae family. The leaves of this plant are toothed and palm-shaped, waving a warm hello to all that pass (Chevallier, 2000). In this post, we will discuss gathering and using motherwort,…
