De Materia Medica: The Ancient Text that Changed the World
There is a grand mystery and pleasure in reading ancient texts that can still fulfill our curiosities about the human experience. Writings about herbalism are no exception, as they give us a sense of how our ancestors lived, survived, and interacted with the natural world around them. De Materia Medica, Latin for “On Medical Material”…
Shelf-Stable Calendula Cream Recipe
As herbalists, we turn to our trusty herbal allies to create simple and safe skincare products. We love our calendula-infused oil, our lavender hydrosol, our rose petals. But how can we bring these beautiful herbal ingredients together into a calendula cream recipe or another botanical skincare creation that is shelf-stable? After all, any time we…
Herbal Tea Blends for Morning, Midday, and Night
Timing is everything. This well-worn saying couldn’t be more true when it comes to herbal tea blends. The Sanskrit word kala refers to time or timing, and desa to place. According to Ayurveda, harmonious living isn’t just about what; it is also about when, how, and where. When it comes to what we put into…
Student Feature: Colleen Codekas @Grow Forage Cook Ferment
For the fifth installment of our Student Feature Series, we spoke with Colleen Codekas, author of Healing Herbal Infusions and founder of the popular blog, Grow Forage Cook Ferment. As the name of her blog implies, Colleen is a gardener, forager, cook, and herbalist who elegantly weaves herbs and spices into her seasonal recipes and…
Citrus and Spice: DIY All-Purpose Cleaner
Crisp cool air and tree colors turning to auburn and golden hues welcome the arrival of autumn and winter months. Tis the season to enjoy the comforts of home, like a crackling fireplace, a cozy couch, or a clean kitchen that’s ready for cooking up hearty recipes. And speaking of recipes, have you ever tried…
Floral Mist: DIY Room Spray
A few spritzes of our DIY Room Spray will transport your mind and spirit to bright and colorful gardens bursting with flowers and light. This floral mist is a sneak peek into our Natural Perfumery Course, and it combines the fragrant aroma of jasmine and rose with the citrusy cheerfulness of bergamot. The end result…
Sneak Peek into our Virtual Herbal Book Fair
This autumn, as the days become shorter and the nights start to stretch longer, we’re bringing our studies indoors, preparing warm herbal infusions and potent decoctions. The cooler months are opportune for settling in with a good herbal book from our collection to keep our minds active and continue our learning all through the season….
Once in a Blue Moon Milk Recipe with Ashwagandha and Chamomile
This year has been full of surprises, and it would only be natural for the world to give us yet another surprise during the spookiest month of the year. In a typical year, we can expect to witness twelve full moons, one for every month of the year. This year is a rare exception. In…
What is Enfleurage? Historic Perfumery Technique with Instructions
“Enfleurage” is a French word that you may have seen associated with historic perfumery techniques. If you’ve seen this mysterious word mentioned in old texts or publications, you probably found yourself wondering, “what is enfleurage?” We dug into our Natural Perfumery Course to answer that question and to share a special sneak peek into our…
Student Feature: Alyson Morgan (@Alyson Simply Grows)
For the fourth installment of our Student Feature Series, we spoke with Alyson Morgan (@AlysonSimplyGrows). Alyson is an environmentalist, gardener, slow-living advocate, and mother who has enjoyed watching her family learn herbalism alongside her. Alyson owns Earth Star Herbals, where she offers small-batch, intentional flower essences and herbal products, blog posts, and seasonal musings. Alyson…
Health Benefits of Cinnamon + 2 Warming Recipes
(Excerpted from Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.) Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most well-known spices. There are four commonly available types of cinnamon, and they can be quite different in taste, chemical composition, and herbal action. All come from the inner bark of several Southeast Asian tree…
Using Goldenrod: A Late Summer Cordial Recipe
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) flourishes abundantly on roadsides and meadows in late summer and fall. In the plant family, Asteraceae, the genus name “Solidago” is derived from the Latin word “solidare” which translates to, “make whole or heal.” This is a helpful clue into the many ways people have been using goldenrod for centuries. Aptly named,…
Queen Anne’s Lace Part II: Traditional Use of Daucus Carota
Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota) is a fascinating plant with a long and storied past. Because it has poisonous look-alikes, it’s vitally important that you properly identify Queen Anne’s lace if you’re foraging for any part of the plant. Read the first part of this two-part series in Queen Anne’s Lace Part I: Folklore and…
Queen Anne’s Lace Part I: Folklore and Identification
Do you ever look at herbs growing around your home or in your local area and think to yourself, “I should really learn more about that plant,” or “I wonder how that herb can be used?” I do it all the time. There are so many plants right outside our front door that can be…
Ginger and Pineapple Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
The following excerpt is from Jill Stansbury’s new book Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 4 (Chelsea Green Publishing, July 2020) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. This all-purpose anti-inflammatory smoothie is both tasty and beneficial. It can be used after trauma, to help recover from surgery, or to accompany a tea or tincture…
As a Black Herbalist, These are my 3 Favorite Herbalism Books
As a child, I remember going out into nature, pulling weeds, putting them in jars, and making what I called “science projects” to hide in the cupboards of my parents’ house. In my way, I was practicing herbalism, even though I didn’t know it at the time and hadn’t encountered any herbalism books or resources….
Herbal Arnold Palmer Recipe: Just What You Need!
In the late 1960s, Arnold Palmer, a famous American golfer and humanitarian, was known to request a drink mixture of mostly tea with a splash of lemonade, which was later named after him. The beverage is readily available as a non-alcoholic staple due to the perfect balance of bold black tea and citrus-sweet lemonade. The…
Student Feature: Stephanie Mary Pavelko (@My Tiny Laguna Kitchen)
In the third installment of our Student Feature Series, we chatted with herbal blogger, recipe developer, photographer, and videographer Stephanie Mary Pavelko (@MyTinyLagunaKitchen). Stephanie has completed a number of Herbal Academy’s courses, including our Botanical Skin Care Course, The Foraging Course, and both the Introductory and Intermediate Courses—all while enjoying her membership to The Herbarium. …
Vata Massage Oil Recipe (Fall and Early Winter)
Massage oil, especially when infused with herbs, can be more than just a feel-good skin moisturizer. Ayurveda teaches that fat is closely connected to love, satisfaction, and protection (Svoboda, 1999). In addition to nourishing and nurturing the skin, using herbally infused homemade massage oils produces a grounding, supportive, and protective effect on the body and…
Homemade Massage Oil for Each Season
Massage oil, especially when infused with herbs, can be more than just a feel-good skin moisturizer. Ayurveda teaches that fat is closely connected to love, satisfaction, and protection (Svoboda, 1999). In addition to nourishing and nurturing the skin, using herbally infused homemade massage oils produces a grounding, supportive, and protective effect on the body and…
Pitta Massage Oil Recipe (Summer and Late Spring)
Massage oil, especially when infused with herbs, can be more than just a feel-good skin moisturizer. Ayurveda teaches that fat is closely connected to love, satisfaction, and protection (Svoboda, 1999). In addition to nourishing and nurturing the skin, using herbally infused homemade massage oils produces a grounding, supportive, and protective effect on the body and…
Kapha Massage Oil Recipe (Late Winter and Early Spring)
Massage oil, especially when infused with herbs, can be more than just a feel-good skin moisturizer. Ayurveda teaches that fat is closely connected to love, satisfaction, and protection (Svoboda, 1999). In addition to nourishing and nurturing the skin, using herbally infused homemade massage oils produces a grounding, supportive, and protective effect on the body and…
Student Feature: Ashley York (@whimsy and while)
In the second installment of our Student Feature Series, we chatted with Ashley York (@whimsyandwhile) who has completed a number of Herbal Academy’s short courses, including the Botanical Skin Care Course, the Foraging Course, the Herbal Self-Care for Stress Management Course, and others. Ashley’s beautiful photography and seasonal approach to homemaking has caught our eye…
Study Snack! Nut Butter Recipe with Herbs for Memory and Focus (+Video)
As back to school season begins and a new year of learning stretches before us, many of us are wondering about herbs for memory and focus. After all, we certainly want to make the most of the time we spend on our studies! Improving our focus and attention can help us better understand and absorb…
Student Feature: Cat Seixas (@ The Olive Trees And The Moon)
In the first installment of our Student Feature Series, we chatted with Cat Seixas (@TheOliveTreesAndTheMoon) about how herbalism has impacted her life for the better and empowered her to more deeply understand her family’s health. Cat is an inspiration to us all. She and her partner have spent the last six years building their gorgeous…
Roots of African American Herbalism: Herbal Use by Enslaved Africans
This article cannot possibly cover more than 400 years of herbal use and knowledge by enslaved Africans and their descendants. This is just the beginning of my journey as a Black herbalist understanding my own history, the plant knowledge contained within it, and my ancestral connections to herbalism. This post skims the surface of the…
Practices and Herbs for Happiness
Given the drastic upheaval that has touched all of our lives in 2020, feeling a bit more stressed or run ragged than normal is to be expected. We are living in unprecedented times—a time of great hope and potential and also a time of great loss and uncertainty for many. If you wake up most…
A Foraged Feast: Nutritional Value of Edible Wild Food
Since we launched our foraging course, we’ve been fascinated by the nutritional density of edible wild food varieties compared to their cultivated counterparts. As a sneak peek into The Foraging Course, we’re diving into this topic with an excerpt pulled directly from Lesson 2. Wild edibles tend to contain more beneficial nutrients like vitamins and…
Anise Monograph: Pimpinella Anisum
The following anise monograph is an example of the type of thorough, well-researched monographs available on our membership site, The Herbarium. This beautiful anise monograph is written by The Herbarium contributor, Michayla Conrad. Common Name: Anise burnet saxifrage, aniseed, anise, anise seed, sweet cumin Botanical Name: Pimpinella anisum L. Family Name: Apiaceae TCM Name: Hui…
7 Best Plants for a Beginner’s Herb Garden
Growing your own herbs is a time-tested way to deepen your relationship with the plants in your apothecary. I’ll never forget the first time I brushed against sage (Salvia officinalis) in my own garden and was surprised at how cool the velvety leaves felt against my skin. Later, when I learned that sage is often…
