5 Tips to Becoming a Zero Waste Herbalist
As herbalists, we love and respect the wisdom and wellness benefits of plants. Naturally, we care deeply for the earth and the ecosystems from which herbs come. Learning, practicing, and sharing herbal wisdom is something we do in our efforts to make our lives and the world better. Still, it is often unclear how our…
7 Herbs to Include in Your Morning Routine
Starting your day with a well-planned, thoughtful morning routine that incorporates herbs can help to set the tone for your day, and what better time to create a new rhythm in your life than the New Year? Robin Sharma’s book, The 5 AM Club, touts the benefits of creating a morning routine focussed on what…
5 Tips to Help Ward Off and Manage a Viral Illness With Herbs
Post Updated 3/18/2020 When viral illnesses are running rampant, here are 5 tips to help you ward off and manage viral illness with herbs. Tip #1: Prevention Is Key! When it comes to avoiding a viral infection, the following preventative measures will go a long way in helping you avoid contracting a virus. Hygiene &…
3 DIY Honey Face Wash Recipes For Your Constitution
I once heard that you should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. Truly, caring for your skin is as important as caring for any other organ. After all, our skin is our shield, our protection, and our presentation to the outside world. If you are looking for simple, wholesome DIY face…
An Irresistible Herbal Aphrodisiac Recipe for Valentine’s Day: Cleopatra’s Love Bites
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, you may be scrolling page after page on Pinterest for date night dinner menus, gift ideas for that special someone, and new ways to spice things up for your romantic night out (or in!). While we may not have ALL the answers to your browsing history questions, we do have…
Herbal Support for Wildfire Crisis
Our hearts are saddened by the great pain and loss caused by the wildfires that have caused fatalities, wide-spread destruction of property and habitat, and the displacement and injury of multitudes of people and animals. Here at Herbal Academy, we are here to help with some guidance in using herbal allies to support physical and…
Ask An Herbalist: Herbal Tonics 101
Herbal tonics, while seemingly simple on the surface, are a more nuanced topic than just “herbs for what ails you!”. In this video, Herbal Academy educator and herbalist Heather Irvine, will be shedding some light on some common misconceptions surrounding herbal tonics. First, she’ll explain what an herbal tonic is and some safety factors to…
4 Common Types of Tea To Know And How to Enjoy Them
I can’t recall the exact moment when I first began to enjoy tea. However, I do know that even as a child I was drinking strong, unsweetened iced tea. I actually enjoyed (and still do!) the tannin-rich, astringent and slightly bitter taste of the ice-cold drink. However, it wasn’t until adulthood that I started delving…
How To Make Your Own Herbal Suppositories
When things start to feel out-of-balance “down there,” it’s easy to feel embarrassed or concerned. With symptoms such as vaginal discharge, odor, or itching, it can be hard to know how to work with it and find equilibrium in your ecology or tissue states. There is an herbal option! Different varieties of herbal suppositories have…
6 Tips For Creating An Herbal Routine
Whether from the standpoint of client or practitioner, you may have experienced the phenomenon that knowing what to do is only half the battle; getting support on how to do it is the other half. It is easy enough to learn about herbalism from a book, and often times we even know what we should…
How to Ring in the New Year with Herbs
Happy New Year! As we say goodbye to another decade, many of us have our eyes lifted toward the future with dreams of vitality and peace. As herbalists, we are always looking to live our lives from a holistic perspective, and we are excited to celebrate and embrace wellness during the new year with herbs…
4 DIY Edible Herbal Gifts To Make At The Last Minute
The holidays are truly in full swing! Hanukkah celebrations are well underway and Christmas is right around the corner, with Kwanzaa right on its heels! If you are still looking for the perfect gift to share with loved ones and friends during this season of giving, we have got your back! For some fast, last-minute…
8 Ideas to Create a Natural Holiday Home
For many of us, one of the warmest traditions of the holiday season is welcoming in this special time of the year by decorating the space in and around the home. As much as a home festooned with lovely decor heralds in the holiday season, the very act of decorating often brings the most joy!…
DIY Herbal Wax Sachets for the Home and Gifting
We, herbalists, are always looking for practical ways to capture the beauty, splendor, and awakening we experience when barefoot and intertwined with our herb gardens. The rub of a single mint leaf or the brush of a hand against rosemary or lavender growing in the garden fills our senses with delightful aroma instantly. Our encounters…
How to Enhance Holiday Cooking with Herbs
Whether you are hosting a holiday meal this year or looking forward to making some festive dishes to enjoy throughout the season, here are some tips and tricks to help you when it comes to including herbs in your own holiday cooking. For many of us, the holiday season is filled with warm memories of…
How To Stay Energetically Balanced During Winter
When you think of winter, what comes to mind? Sparkling snowflakes, red berries, and evergreens? Hot chocolate and twinkling lights? Or dark, quiet days? For all of the winter lovers out there, this cool, dark season can provide a wonderful opportunity to simplify life and to slow down and reflect on the past year. However,…
8 Herbal Holiday Preparations to Start Brewing Now!
The holiday season can feel like a whirlwind with the days tumbling from one to the next, and if you are anything like me, too often your dreams of herbal crafting are lost in the flurry. You may even find that you no longer have the time needed to brew up those special herbal holiday…
How to Make and Use the Legendary Four Thieves Vinegar Blend
Have you heard of the Four Thieves Vinegar? If not, come learn about the folklore surrounding this timeless preparation, how the ingredients in it can be used to support wellness during the fall and winter, and how to make it using an easy recipe that is versatile in its actions and uses. History and Folklore…
Pumpkin Spice Wellness Benefits You Should Know About
It’s officially fall in North America. Many things hearken this wonderful transitional season: cozy sweaters, big scarves, falling leaves, scary movies, and treasured final harvests from vegetable gardens. Few things are more emblematic to the season, however than pumpkin spice. It’s a flavor that many find entirely comforting. Feelings associated with the blend of spices…
7 Gifts Ideas For The Herbalist Who Is Just Getting Started
The holidays will be here before you know it, and soon you’ll be looking for the perfect gifts for friends and family. If a person who is just getting started on their herbal journey just so happens to be on your list, you may be wondering what you can gift to them this holiday season….
3 New Goods Shop Products You’re Going To Love
We are always busily creating new offerings behind the scenes here at the Herbal Academy, and today, we are so excited to share our new Goods Shop products with you! Each of these unique botanical-themed products will add beauty to your own herbal practice and studies or make a great holiday gift for the herbalist…
Reviving Horehound: 6 Ways You Can Use This Traditional Herb
Truly an age-old herb, horehound (Marrubium vulgare) was a staple in ancient Egyptian medicine and traditional Greek medicine for a significant period (Holmes, 1989) and has enjoyed a familiar position in various folk traditions. Eclectic herbalists employed horehound to “increase secretions of the skin” (otherwise known as “sweating”), help support a chronic cough, and even…
The History, Mythology, and Offerings of Hawthorn
With the arrival of fall, I am excited for the hawthorn trees to begin ripening their fruits to crimson, soon ready for harvesting. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is a member of the Rosaceae family. This botanical family also contains red raspberry (Rubus ideaus) and wild rose (Rosa woodsii), each of which, like hawthorn, protect themselves by…
Health Benefits And Uses of Cassava Root
We are lucky to have an abundance of gluten-free and paleo diet options available to us these days, and if you are anything like me, searching out new gluten-free options is a daily adventure. One vegetable getting a lot of recent attention is a versatile and nutritious root called cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) root. While…
How To Stock Your Winter Home Apothecary: Herbal Allies For Colder Months
Depending on where you live, it might still feel like summer or perhaps the colder days of the year have already begun. Our work as herbalists involves tuning in to the seasons, and for those of us who garden or wildcraft, this includes paying attention to the growing cycles and when to harvest plants. Another…
How To Use Herbs to Care for Pets
Our pets, whether they’re domestic animals like cats and dogs, farm animals such as horses and chickens, or our reptile friends like lizards and snakes, are often a big part of our lives, and as responsible pet owners, caring for our animals is often a top priority in our lives. Caring for our animals is…
The Best Herbs To Support Active Bodies
Whether you are an elite athlete, avid yogi, weekend warrior, or casual hiker, integrating movement into your daily life is essential for good health. An active body supports an active mind, and whatever your level of physical activity, staying physically active will ultimately support a better quality of life. Once you find a fitness program…
Video: DIY Cough-Ease Cough Drops for Dry, Scratchy Throats
During the cooler months of the year, herbs have plenty of opportunity to shine and be of benefit to us, particularly during cold and flu season. Not only can we utilize herbs during this season to help keep our immune system strong—hopefully, preventing us from catching a virus in the first place, but we can…
DIY Ginger Juice Tea: A Potent Antiviral
Have you ever heard of ginger juice? If not, listen up because we want to tell you about an herb that we turn to early on when cold and flu season shows up in our homes. In this article, we’re going to share a bit of information about the ginger rhizome and how it can…
DIY Fever-Cooling Tea for Uncomfortably Hot Bodies
When cold and flu season arrives, herbs can help to support the body in a number of ways. One way herbs offer support is through strengthening the immune system so it can better defend the body against viruses. Another way they can offer support to the body as it deals with common symptoms is to…
