Teacher Feature: Bevin Clare
We are blessed with many wonderful teachers at the Herbal Academy, and we are delighted to help you get to know each of them through a series of interviews here on the blog! Recently, you met one of our teachers through an interview we shared with Maria Groves. Another one of our Associate Educators, Bevin…
How To Use Essential Oils For Scarring
Essential oils are an excellent component in any first aid kit, as their antimicrobial qualities are well known, both traditionally and through scientific research, but their ability to help with wound healing and scar tissue formation, in particular, has not been as well established. While there is some anecdotal evidence that there are helpful essential…
Creating a Local Materia Medica With Motherwort
Motherwort is the gift that keeps on giving in my garden. A member of the tenacious mint family (Lamiaceae), she self-seeds herself prodigiously. Her tenacity is nothing a little weeding can’t take care of, and in turn, I have set aside a designated patch where she can reseed to her heart’s content. Let’s learn how…
6 Tips for Storing Dried Herbs
When putting together an herbal apothecary, dried herbs take center stage. Dried herbs are the first ingredient in so many different herbal preparations like herbal teas, infused oils, and tinctures. As one starts amassing a collection of dried herbs, it becomes increasingly important to be sure that you are storing dried herbs properly to ensure…
7 Tips That Will Help You Stay Cool During Menopause
Summer can be a particularly rough time for menopausal women who experience menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to cool down if you are in this season of life. Below you’ll find several tips that can help you stay cool during menopause and an herbal hot flash…
Kid-Friendly Body Care (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 5)
It’s week five for our super fun Family Herbal Summer Series, and I am so glad your family is joining us. This week we get to incorporate all of our learning into good, squeaky-clean fun by making kid-friendly body care! Herbs are great fun to use in body care products, easily lending their beneficial properties…
Herbalism and Acute Pain
The topic of herbs and acute pain is an important one for many herbalists- family herbalists and advanced herbalists alike! After all, everyone gets aches and pains or bumps and bruises occasionally. Generally, it’s much simpler to unravel the threads that lead to acute pain than it is to address chronic pain. Acute pains will…
Is Red Clover Safe During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding?
Sure, it’s a valuable herb for women (and men too), but is using red clover safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Generally, red clover is a safe herb to use, however, when it comes to this season of a woman’s life, there are a few important things to consider as there are many conflicting views surrounding the…
Essential Oils for Insect Bites and Stings
I love this time of year—the trees, the flower, the sunshine…the bugs. While I accept that they are an important part of our ecosystem, I am not a huge fan of insects. Unfortunately, they seem to love me, which is why I rely on essential oils for insect bites and stings. I am a friend…
Tips On Balancing the Solar Plexus Chakra
Looking at the ancient Eastern chakra tradition, we’ve reviewed some of the basic information about the first or root chakra (red, earth element, sense of smell) and the second or sacral chakra (orange, water element, sense of taste) and how they correspond to parts of the body, and the importance of balance. This month we’ll…
Stocking the Family Herb Cabinet (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 4)
Welcome back to the Family Herbal Summer Series at the Herbal Academy! I am so happy you and your family are here to join us for our fourth week of camp. This week during our Family Herbal Summer Series we are going to get crafty and enjoy making some wonderful herbal preparations to stock the…
Epic 5 Days of Giveaways by Herbal Academy
It’s been done just once before, the 5 Days of Giveaways is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever! As part of this year’s Epic 5 Days of Giveaways, we are opening up awesome prizes each and every day from Monday, July 18th to Friday, July 22th. Here’s what you can look forward to…
An Herbal Perspective On Managing Pain Using Herbs
How does an herbalist use herbal theory when managing pain using herbs? Most of the time, people tend to think of pain as a simple experience, one that is isolated within itself. We think to ourselves that “the problem is that I am in pain,” rather than “pain is a signal of something else.” Over…
Creating a Local Materia Medica With Plantain (+ Plantain Salve Recipe)
Part of the beauty of a local materia medica is its humility, and you can’t get much more humble than plantain (Plantago spp.). Considered a weed the world over, this tenacious and resilient plant steadfastly grows in lawns, fields, roadsides, disturbed land, sidewalk cracks—you name it. And while plantain is often overlooked today (saved by…
Teacher Feature: Maria Groves
We are fortunate to have many amazing herbalists as Associate Educators here at the Herbal Academy. They share their knowledge and expertise for our online herbal courses, contribute articles and other resources to The Herbarium, and are often active members of our MyHerbalStudies communities on Facebook and Instagram, as well. We are delighted to share…
The Truth About Phototoxic Essential Oils & How To Use Them Safely
As you look out the window, you see that it’s another beautiful summer day! You anticipate feeling the warmth of the summer sun’s rays on your head as you spend the afternoon with your friends who are coming over to share tea with you in your beautiful, blooming garden. Before leaving the house, you smile…
How To Dry Fresh Herbs Using A Dehydrator
Summer is the season of abundance. The days are long, the plants are growing, flowers blooming, and the bees buzzing and dancing in the air. It can be easy to take this abundance for granted, but of course, the world turns, the seasons change, and once again winter will descend upon us. We are fortunate that…
Family Wildcrafting (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 3)
Welcome to week 3 of our special Family Herbal Summer Series! This week it is time to get out and explore the world of herbalism in the wild with some family wildcrafting. Many useful and wonderful herbal plants grow in the wild places of the world and herbalists often adore finding their green friends growing…
5 Herbal Spice Blends To Make And Use
Throughout human history, herbal spice blends have been the stuff of legend, wars, and poetry, they have served as valuable currency, and in medieval times were the driving force behind world exploration (Dalby, 2000). These aromatic herbs have crisscrossed national and cultural boundaries over and over again as those who cook (and those who eat) have created…
Unlock the Power of Mint: A Family-Friendly Herb
Beautifully fragrant with a delightful taste, amazing mint (Mentha genus) is a helpful and welcome herb for everyone in the family. Right at home in a yummy cup of tea or in an herbal extract, the uses are simple to enjoy! There is a vast variety of mints to savor. Peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, apple…
6 Of The Best Books For Your Advanced Herbal Studies
Building a home library is essential for beginning herbalists because it allows you to cross reference different views and glean more information about a topic while you study. Continuing to add to your herbal library is also very important for advanced and career herbalists, but what are the best books for your advanced herbal studies?…
Tips on Balancing the Sacral Chakra
Last month, balancing the first or root chakra was briefly described. This month, we follow the energy upward from the root chakra to the second or sacral chakra. Understanding The Sacral Chakra The root chakra is at the base of the spine, and the sacral chakra is located about two inches below the naval. The…
Giveaway: Body Into Balance
We love Herbal Academy educator Maria Noël Groves’s new book, Body Into Balance, so much that we’ve teamed up to give you the chance to win a FREE copy of your own! This book is all about taking a holistic approach to your health and how herbs can fit in with that. Sure, healthy patterns of…
Creating a Local Materia Medica with Yellow Dock
I had originally intended to write this month’s local materia medica about another herb entirely, but then I replaced the fence around the patio and stumbled upon a new plant to my land – yellow dock. Join me as I explain how to identify and use yellow dock in your local materia medica! Discovering Yellow Dock The aforementioned fence…
Introduction to Herbs for Kids
Welcome to our very special Introduction to Herbs for Kids series! Children are often fascinated by the natural world, learning from simple interactions with a puddle or a bug or a tree. This series of lessons caters to that natural inquisitiveness while introducing children to the world of herbalism in interesting and enjoyable ways. Written towards children,…
How To Make Fresh Herbal Sun Tea
It’s an herbalist’s favorite time of year again. The earth has turned green and we have an abundance of plants all around us. What better way to become acquainted with your green allies than by sipping fresh herbal sun tea? Fresh plant teas produce a sparkling crisp drink that feels like sipping in the summer…
Enhance Your Herbal Education with these Affordable Resources!
Aromatherapy and herbalism are vast subjects, and learning them is a joyous, life-long journey! Many of us are simply impassioned with a desire to learn and we often find ourselves looking for new resources to expand and deepen our knowledge of these subjects. Building a home library is extremely helpful for anyone learning about aromatherapy…
Herb Gardening With Children (Family Herbal Summer Series: Part 2)
Welcome back to the Family Herbal Summer Series at the Herbal Academy! I am so happy you and your family are here to join us for our second week of camp. This week our Family Herbal Summer Series is all about getting outside and herb gardening with children. Learn about herbs that are useful, family-friendly,…
When Is An Herbalist Prepared To See Clients?
Some of the most common questions that we are asked here at the Academy are, “When is an herbalist prepared to see clients,” and “How will I know when I am ready to see my first client?” Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions or questions like them. Because there is no formal licensure or…
How To Stay Cool Using Herbs
Summer is just around the corner, and many of us are looking forward to the seasonal activities that come along with it—grilling outdoors with friends and family, visits to the beach or our favorite swimming holes, outdoor concerts and events, and more fun in the sun. But depending on where you live, things might be…
