How To Make Fresh Dandelion Blossom Oil
I have many favorite things about spring—one of them being the fresh, sunny faces of dandelion blossoms popping up everywhere. Dandelions are one of my favorite herbs. Not only are they readily available, but they have so many uses such as dandelion fritters, roasted dandelion root coffee, dandelion kombucha, dandelion syrup, floral crowns… even freshly…
How To Make Pine Resin Salve
One of the thrills of exploring the plants in my local materia medica is stocking my first aid kit with locally sourced herbal preparations. Here in New England we are blessed with more than our fair share of evergreen trees, and in particular an abundant helping of white pine (Pinus strobus). The bark, leaves, and…
4 Herbal Recipes For Everyday Skin Care
With farm season and warm weather coming our way and the brisk cold winter air at our backs, stocking the bathroom cabinets with concoctions from the kitchen is one way to be proactive about caring for your exposed outer layer. Skin care is not only a method of self-care and body-love, it also offers preventative…
How To Roast Herbs For An Herbal Coffee Substitute
If you’re anything like the majority of people in the U.S., you drink coffee on a regular basis—maybe even every day. This isn’t always a bad thing, especially when coffee is consumed in moderation, as it is known to have some health benefits (Liang & Kitts, 2015). But according to the Harvard University Chan School…
A DIY Herbal Grief Tea For Loss
I can honestly say that I have never experienced raw, breath-taking, life-halting grief as some people have. Yes, I’ve lost friends and family, and while some of these losses have taken time to heal, they have healed. Sure, the memories and the feelings of loss are still there, but the grief itself is not. Over…
What Everybody Ought To Know About Flower Water
Is it a “flower water,” “floral water,” or a “hydrosol/hydrolat”? Although many herbal and cosmetic retailers and websites use the terms “flower water,” “floral water,” and “hydrosol or hydrolat” as synonyms, they are not always the same thing. While there is overlap in these categories, there are flower or floral waters that are not hydrosols…
How To Grind Herbs In A Coffee Grinder
As a beginner to herbalism, you will most likely start by learning about common herbs, making basic herbal preparations, and learning how herbs can be used to support or bring balance to the body. However, as you continue on in your herbal journey, you will come across pieces of information that will change how you…
Pollinator Gardens 101: Helping Mother Nature
Have you noticed less bees buzzing around or a decrease in monarch butterflies in your area? What about a decrease in hummingbirds or moths? Our earth is in trouble, which puts us in trouble since we depend her pollinators for much of our food. Today, I’d like to share some brief information with you about…
Sweet Violets of Spring
I’m sitting here, looking out the office window over the snow-covered hills and sniffing a wee bottle of violet leaf absolute that arrived a couple months ago in an extravagant birthday basket. It is hard to describe, but Marge Clark of Nature’s Gift has this to say about it: “Intensely green initially, this absolute has…
DIY Herbal Pet Shampoo and Rinse for Healthy Skin & Fur
As the ground begins to thaw, we will be spending more time outdoors with our pets enjoying the warmth of early spring. And, just like us, our pets will be transitioning from the dryness of winter to the freshness of spring. Since different seasons have different effects on skin, pet owners should be aware of…
What Exactly Are “Parts” in Herbal Recipes?
In the sleepy morning hours, I often find myself brewing a warm pot of tea to accompany me through the day. Spoonfuls of beautiful dried herbs, fragrant and colorful, say their hellos to me as I measure them into the pot. Easily measured out with my trusty spoon, it only takes a moment or two…
(Survey) Help Us Choose Our Next Short Course!
Here at the Herbal Academy, we strive to provide intriguing, thought-provoking, and enjoyable content for our students and followers. In addition to our core Introductory, Intermediate, Entrepreneur, and Advanced Herbal Courses, we are constantly developing new content to keep our students and followers engaged with their herbal education, most recently through providing shorter courses on…
10 Herbalists to Acknowledge in 2017
These ten herbalists have sown so many seeds of inspiration for many of us in the herbal community. One thing for certain is that there seems to be a common trait among these herbalists: a consistent drive that keeps them moving, teaching, and forever learning with a deep and evident passion for herbalism. Many have…
3 Easy Herbs to Grow From Seed
Tuning in to the cycle of the seasons is an integral part of wellness, as our connection to the earth roots and nourishes us in myriad ways. I revel in the cozy cocoon and silence of winter after living out loud and hot in the summer and pushing through the ramped up pace of back-to-school…
Cooling Cucumber Mint Limeade For Hot Summer Days
I have to be honest—when I first stumbled upon cucumber mint limeade, I was hesitant but intrigued. I like cucumbers, but have never had a cucumber drink, at least not outside of juicing. I did some research and found that many people really enjoy this drink. In fact, it is a popular agua fresca served…
Find the Perfect Way to Thank An Herbalist on Herbalist Day 2017
Thank an Herbalist Day is just around the corner and is the perfect time to share appreciation for herbalists who have touched your life and influenced your herbal journey. Whether it is the celebration of a teacher, a friend, or just someone who inspires you, giving gratitude is a medicine in itself. Herbalists who have…
How To Use Essential Oils For Hair Care
As you walk down the drugstore aisle, you can be overwhelmed with the number and variety of hair care products. Their costs range from very inexpensive to an amount that would rival the gross national product of some countries. However, if you look closely, you will notice that the ingredients contain some startling similarities. Water…
6 Spring Herbs You Can Forage Now
Spring is just around the corner and foragers everywhere are looking forward to the first spring herbs you can forage as they burst from the earth. For centuries, humans counted on spring’s nutrient rich plants for food and nourishment after a long winter consuming stored foods. While fresh food is now available all year round…
How To Make Herbal Kombucha Champagne
Our new Short Course—The Craft of Herbal Fermentation, is live and we’re thrilled to be welcoming students into the world of herbal fermentation. In fact, we’re getting so much great feedback about this course (including a lot of interest in the Kombucha Unit from class) that we are excited to share another recipe with you….
Three Herbs to Support Digestion After a Long Winter
Human beings are part of the natural environment. We pass through the same natural and seasonal cycles that affect other living beings—animals, plants, and ecosystems. This is reflected in traditional healing systems the world over. Western herbalism has a long history of practices and remedies that are determined by the season, and older systems like…
Vegan Herb And Veggie Stew
Because nothing says warming and comforting winter foods quite like a big, hearty bowl of stew. Yes, even vegan herb and veggie stew! This plant-based soup is nutrient dense and loaded with beans, kale, herbs, and other seasonal winter veggies that will make any belly happy—especially after a long day of trekking around in the…
Now Enrolling: The Craft of Herbal Fermentation
We have been talking a lot about our new Short Course, The Craft of Herbal Fermentation over the last few weeks, and as of today, the course is officially live! If you purchased this course during our pre-registration sale, class is now available for you to log in and begin your studies. If you’ve have…
Nettle Beer: A Delicious, Healthy Herbal Ferment
Registration is open for our new Short Course—The Craft of Herbal Fermentation. Today we want to give you a little sneak peek inside the course so you can get an idea of what to expect. This course teaches you how to make your own herbal beers, mead, kombucha, water kefir, and lacto-fermented foods, and we…
5 Herbal Books For Parents Who Want To Support Their Child’s Health Naturally
As parents, we all want what is best for our children. For those of us who turn to herbs for life’s little ups and downs as well as for supporting a healthy holistic lifestyle, knowing which herbs to use and how to use them safely for our children is of utmost importance. Finding trusted herbal…
The History of Chocolate – Food of the Gods
Delightful, delicious, delectable, decadent. How we describe chocolate varies depending on how much we’re thinking about it! What is the number one food craved by woman? Chocolate! Did you realize that chocolate has only been enjoyed outside of the Americas for about 500 years? The History of Chocolate The cacao (chocolate) tree, or…
How To Make Herbal Homemade Wine and Mead
With the explosion of the DIY movement in recent years, more people seem to be returning to old-school food and drink traditions, many of them involving fermentation. The HuffPost’s hilarious list of “The 22 Most Hipster Foods On The Planet” includes a great many of these, from kombucha to pickles, craft beers to kimchee. But…
3 Herbal Popcorn Seasoning Blends That Friends and Family Will Love
Busy families need healthy snacks and all the better if they offer an easy way to incorporate herbs into your daily diet. Popcorn is low in calories, high in fiber, and with a little healthy oil and seasoning, it’s delicious! It appeals to kids and adults alike, is easy to make, and is much more…
Teacher Feature: Carey Denman
Carey Denman is a community herbalist and associate educator here at the Herbal Academy, and we are excited to share this interview with Carey as a way to introduce another of the wonderful teachers that are hard at work behind the scenes here at the school. Carey lives with her family on a small acreage…
How To Support A Broken Heart With Herbs
Heartbreak spares no one. Sooner or later, we all get to know that particular emotion which, for us, might show up as sadness and despair, or anger, or numbness. Our heartbreak might show up in the body as sleeplessness, a lack of concentration and focus, diminished appetite, or even physical pain. Our herbal forebears were…
3 Herbal Chocolate Recipes To Inspire Love & Passion
For many years, cultures around the world have considered chocolate to be connected to sensual desire. The Aztecs are thought to be the first to link the two, and it is said that Emperor Montezuma was notorious for consuming great amounts of the cocoa bean before, ahem, hopping into bed (O’Connor, 2006). The history…
