15 Uses for Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a much loved staple in our kitchens. Its sweet, floral, clove-like, earthy, and spicy aroma and flavor complement cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, breads, oatmeal, cinnamon toast, applesauce, and mulled wines. Cinnamon is also included in spice blends from many cultures and is used throughout the world. Cinnamon’s virtues extend beyond its taste and…
How to Make Herbal Ear Drops
Earaches never seem to happen at a convenient time. They often sneak up on you in the middle of the night causing pain and misery. Thankfully, having a supply of herbal ear drops on hand can help ease pain and support the body when fighting a possible infection. I should know, as I recently found…
Vegan Golden Cinnamon Turmeric Latte
First it was kale. Then quinoa. There always seems to be a trending vegetable, spice or superfood that pops up on everyone’s radar all at once. And the latest food trend is all about…turmeric! Today, I want to tell you about the benefits of turmeric and how to easily incorporate it into your diet, and…
7 Useful Herbs You Can Harvest in the Fall
It’s autumn, and we’re deep into the annual cycle of harvest at the close of a growing season. Sure, we’ve been harvesting plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and gorgeous leafy aromatic plants for several months now, but when it comes to herbs, fall is a special time for harvest. The plant energy that was devoted…
Win $100 In Herbal Goods From The Herbal Academy Goods Shop
We’re giving away $100 in Herbal Goods to one lucky winner. You can get right to it and scroll down to enter, but first let us give some background as to why the Herbal Academy is celebrating with this special giveaway. Over the years, our primary focus at the Herbal Academy has been creating quality…
8 Terrific Ways To Use Pine Needles Right Now
Have you ever wished you could stock your herbal apothecary with only a handful of herbs? Herbs that have so many uses, you’d never find yourself in a situation where you didn’t have something that would work? I know I have. Many times, apothecaries can grow large and overwhelming. When you focus on selecting herbs…
How To Craft Your Own Herbal Smoking Blends
There’s something fascinating about the alchemy of herbs and smoke. Part of it is visual. We can see the plants undergoing a violent physical change as they are transformed into smoke and ash. It’s also something that we can experience as we breathe in. The smoke has a taste and a texture, and it resonates…
Teacher Feature: Anne McIntyre
Some of the most brilliant minds in modern herbalism have come together to bring you the wonderful courses, blog articles, and myriad resources at the Herbal Academy and in The Herbarium. Having so many perspectives and so much knowledge shared among our Associate Educators is one of our greatest strengths! Today, we would love to…
Creating a Local Materia Medica with Burdock
Most of us know burdock, even if we don’t realize we know burdock. This plant’s ingenious seed dispersal system—its clingy burrs—demands we pay attention eventually, for example, when removing them from our clothes, our hair, or deep in our dog’s plush fur. Inconvenience aside, you’ve got to give burdock credit for ingenuity. Swiss engineer George…
How To Balance the Third Eye (or the 6th Chakra)
From the root or base to the throat chakra, each month we’ve looked at attributes of the first five chakras as well as ways to bring balance to each of them. Today, we will look into how to balance the Third Eye or the 6th chakra. As goes the rainbow, so go the chakras up…
Safe & Powerful Alternative “Thieves” Blends For The 1%
One of the most famous and best-known essential oil blends is the “Thieves” blend and all of its variants. This blend is named for thieves during the Black Plague, who, reportedly, robbed the dead bodies, yet avoided catching the plague themselves because of the herbs they wore. This blend is designed as a powerful antimicrobial…
6 Ways to Display Dried Herbs in Your Fall Home Décor
As the fall months roll around, your herb gardens may be coming to an end. However, herbs aren’t only used for their great tastes and flavors. You can easily display dried herbs in your fall home décor! The subdued colors and great fragrances make dried herbs a wonderful addition to your fall décor. Plus, they…
Demystifying Weight-to-Volume Tinctures
Many of us begin our exploration of herbalism by making tinctures using what is often called the Folk Method. And there’s nothing wrong with this method—tinctures made this way can be absolutely effective. They are made and used by the most experienced of practitioners as well as those of us who make tinctures for home…
14 DIY Herbal Fall Gift Basket Ideas For Friends and Family
Fall is a time of shifting light, color, and energy. The plants are releasing their seeds and directing their energy inward and downward as they prepare for the cold winter months. Our energy is shifting as well, and this is a good season for slowing down and enjoying creative work. Using herbs, we can focus…
How to Make an Herbal Syrup
The cold days of autumn and winter bring to mind cozy socks, warm cups of tea, good books, and for many herbalists, pots of simmering herbal syrup. Perhaps one of the most delicious ways to take herbs, herbal syrups are wonderful to have on hand during the colder months of the year. Enjoy learning the…
3 Balancing Herbal Recipes for Bodies in Pain
Herbs are a time-honored way to comfort and balance bodies challenged by pain. They offer ways to nurture the nervous system, soothe the fires of inflammation, and ease tension. There are many different herbal recipes for bodies in pain that have been used for these purposes down the ages, and we’ve been exploring some of…
Creating a Local Materia Medica: Holy Basil
There is an herb in my local materia medica that is not native to my area, does not grow wild, isn’t hardy here in New England, and isn’t perennial—it requires annual seeding in the garden and is sensitive to frost. Despite these limitations, I am undeniably, profusely, and irrevocably in love with holy basil, and…
4 Tasty Avena Sativa Recipes To Try At Home
Avena sativa, otherwise known as oatstraw or milky oats, is one of those lesser known, yet powerfully potent herbs. This herb can be a great support to the body through a variety of issues, but no matter how great an herb may be, if it’s lacking in taste, it can be difficult for people to…
Sage Throughout the Ages: Discover Its History and Uses
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of sage? Food? Herbal support? For many, sage is known as an herb that elicits feelings of warmth and comfort. Its properties can also lower cholesterol, rebuild vitality and strength that has been lost during an illness, and it is a tonic…
Tips on Balancing the Throat Chakra
As we have moved up the body and looked at the main chakras: the root, sacral, solar plexus, and heart, we now encounter the fifth major chakra located at the throat. We’ve learned that in the Eastern traditions, the chakras are our energy centers and each is attached to certain areas of the body. For…
The Transforming Power of Clay for Animals
Clay has long proved a valuable companion to me. It taught me the art of baking delicious muddy pies that my mother would so kindly pretend to eat. It’s been a stronghold, protecting the lucky frog families I would rescue from all the princesses looking to kiss them. It provided essential camouflage in my valiant…
How To Make A Mushroom Double-Extraction Tincture
Although the art and science of making plant preparations can seem to grow ever more complicated the longer an herbalist maintains a practice, the accessibility of making full-spectrum plant extracts frequently remains within the grasp of do-it-yourself home preparation makers. Today I’m going to share with you how to make a mushroom double-extraction tincture. This…
Approaching Inflammation and Chronic Pain Through Diet and Herbs
As we discussed in Herbs and the Chronic Pain Puzzle, sometimes inflammation and chronic pain are interrelated. In this article, we will explore more about the connections between diet, herbs, inflammation, and chronic pain and how herbs can be incorporated into a wellness plan that addresses these connections. At the heart of the matter is…
How to Make an Herbal Decoction
That simple, tasty cup of tea is only one way of extracting the many virtues of herbs into water. Other ways include the making of infusions and decoctions. Today I am going to share how to make an herbal decoction and which herbs are used for this type of herbal preparation. Infusions are used with…
Lemon Balm: The Immortal Life of Bees
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) goes by many names: bee balm, Melissa, heart’s delight, and sweet balm. Whatever we call it, bees adore the plant. Lemon balm has been used enthusiastically by beekeepers since ancient times. And it’s no wonder. This member of the mint family has an irresistible scent—the leaves smell both minty and lemony at…
Teacher Feature: Marlene Adelmann
Today, we would love to introduce you to someone we hold very dear here at the Herbal Academy: our Founder and Director, Marlene Adelmann! Little did Marlene know that the first local herb classes she taught in the Boston area would one day grow up to be a global online herb school. We’re so glad…
Lavender Essential Oil: A Must-Have For Every Natural Medicine Chest
The lavender essential oil botanical family “Lamiaceae” is prolific in its production of aromatic and medicinal plants. One of its most famous members is lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), one of the most widely researched and commonly used essential oils in our modern pharmacopeia. It is so useful, in fact, that it is often called…
How To Make and Use Ginger Syrup
Ginger is a great herbal ally that should be a part of every home herbalist’s apothecary. Not only does it have many health benefits, but it can be used in a variety of herbal preparations. Today, I want to show you how to easily make and use ginger syrup in your daily life, but first,…
How Autumn Energetics Affect Our Self-Care
Summer is officially a wrap. The barbecues and pool parties have ceased, children are back to school, and you might be reminiscing over your vacation experiences (or looking longingly at others’ vacation photos on social media!). Gardeners have harvested their peak season of tomatoes and melons, while the lettuces and leafy greens emerge from their…
12 Traditional Herbs That Ease Pain
Over-the-counter pain relievers are a modern invention, but before they were available people relied on many different herbs to bring comfort during injury and illness. This article looks at twelve traditional herbs that ease pain and how herbalists approached their use. Many of these herbs have full profiles in our online learning resource, The Herbarium,…
