How Do You Know if an Herb is Sustainable?
In our new Sustainable Herbal Supply Chain Intensive available in The Herbarium, you’ll learn how to discern quality herbs and understand their place, and yours, in the functional supply chain. This excerpt from the Intensive sheds light on what makes an herb high quality and how the global supply chain influences the quality of an…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Grace Jones (@gunkinthewoods)
We spoke with Grace Jones (@gunkinthewoods), graduate of Herbal Academy’s Introductory Herbal Course, Intermediate Herbal Course, and Advanced Herbal Course. Grace is the owner of Gunk in the Woods where she sells herbal products, art, apparel, and more. She also runs a neighborhood kids garden club, and is the co-creator of Seasoned, a farm-to-table herbal…
Let’s Celebrate These 8 Plants That Are Associated With the Sun
As we slowly transition out of the depths of winter and, if we are fortunate, are blessed with sun-ray glimpses of spring, this can be an excellent time to celebrate plants associated with the Sun. If you are familiar with herbal systems that place a strong emphasis on the energetics of herbs, such as Ayurveda…
Better for Your Health: How to Leave Out the White Sugar and Use Alternative Sweeteners in Food and Herbal Preparations
The sweet flavor is a coveted one by humans, and for good reason. Throughout our history as a species, we have spent a great amount of time locating food sources. Whenever we stumbled upon juicy fruits or sweet tuberous roots, these foods equaled not only a delicious find but also our survival. The sweet flavor…
An Easy Ginger and Pomegranate Syrup Recipe for Both Sweet and Savory Dishes
In the fruits of antiquity through to today’s produce sections, there exists a singular food bearing a reddish-yellow peel and gem-like seeds – the pomegranate (Punica granatum). This cherished plant transcends mere taste. Though its sweet, sour, and astringent nature is a delightful treat, pomegranate has played a larger role than just a simple food…
DIY Herbal Sore Throat Gargle
I have always been prone to respiratory infections so for me it’s not a question of if, but when I eventually come down with one of the many respiratory infections that get passed around this time of year. Now is the time to strategize. The worst part for me is always the sore throat, and…
The Practice of Spiritual Herbalism and How It Relates to Sexual Health
In The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, and Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine, Karen M. Rose explores cultural traditions of heart-based herbalism. Offering a perspective informed by tradition, science, and spirit, Karen discusses each system of the body through a transformational lens. Karen draws on the wisdom of…
Handmade Cards With Plantable Seed Paper
Elevate your homemade cards with a touch of nature by crafting them with homemade seed paper—a plantable gift that keeps on giving! The seed paper can also be turned into charming gift tags, adding a delightful and eco-friendly touch to your expressions of love. Plantable seed paper is a creative and eco-friendly way to send…
How to Use Aromatherapy for Olfaction Support in the Emotional Sphere + 3 Essential Oil Recipes to Support Your Emotions
There are times in our lives when our emotions may become overwhelming, and we may turn to pharmaceuticals and other forms of care such as psychotherapy and lifestyle interventions in addition to our plant allies to help us rebalance. But for day-to-day ups and downs or seasonal emotional swings, olfaction using our precious essential oils,…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Natalya King (@bodylovebytal)
In this installment of our Student Feature series, we interviewed Natalya King (@bodylovebytal), graduate of Herbal Academy’s Advanced Herbal Course, Intermediate Herbal Course, Introductory Herbal Course, and Tincture Making 101. Natalya is the owner and founder of BodyLove by Tal in Parker, Colorado. BodyLove by Tal is a flourishing herbal and skincare brand that offers…
5 Herbs for Mental Health Support
It’s that time of year again. The seasons are shifting, and while we savor the beauty of changing seasons, some also mourn the end of warm weather as the clouds roll in and the cooler weather settles. Many people struggle with mental health issues, and oftentimes these feelings can seem amplified in the wintertime. Note:…
Make a Fermented Pine Needle Soda That is Bursting With Winter Flavors
Not just any soda! This pine needle soda recipe makes a delightful drink that is bursting with winter flavors: pine, ginger, and citrus, as well as aromatic herbs, which really shine during this cold season. Making your own pine needle soda at home can seem a little overwhelming or advanced at first—maybe you’ve heard stories…
Cheers to a Nourishing New Year With a Gingerbread Latte Recipe
New Year’s Eve is an exciting time to celebrate and usher in a fresh new start! A night filled with reflective moments, resolutions, traditions, and delicious food and beverages. We want to help you raise a glass of gingerbread latte filled with nourishing herbs, spices, and ingredients to end the year right. This spiced gingerbread…
Waning Moon Herbal Mix For Deep Nourishment
When you observe the flow of your energy cycles during any given month you may notice that your energy ebbs and flows. Sometimes you need to hang out in an eddy; other times you are flowing forward at full force. During any lunar cycle, we tend to have times of heightened creativity, activity, and extroversion…
Make a Beautiful Winter Lantern With Pressed Flowers to Celebrate the Winter Solstice
Some celebrate the winter solstice with light—–bonfires or candles are perfect. And others celebrate with ripe fruits to acknowledge the sweetness of the season. A nice winter solstice ritual is to write down on a piece of paper something from the year that you are letting go of, and on another paper, something you are…
This DIY Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub Will Exfoliate Dry Skin and Leave You Feeling Refreshed
The holiday season can be a wonderful time to spread joy and show off our blossoming herbalist skills! We’ve got a delightfully fresh and festive recipe you’ll want to try as a gift for others (be sure to make a little extra for yourself!). The DIY Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub recipe below is sure…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Jess Bergeron (@jkb.journal)
Welcome to another installment of our Student Feature series! We interviewed Jess Bergeron (@jkb.journal), graduate of Herbal Academy’s Mastering Herbal Formulation Course. Jess is a home herbalist and focuses on educational and inspirational content on her Instagram page. You can also find her on her web page, JKB Journal. HA: Please tell us a little…
Let Your Winter Cares Melt Away With These Chai Spice Bath Melts
While many are familiar with the comforting experience of sipping a warm cup of chai, here at the Herbal Academy we have concocted another way to engage the properties of these herbs— chai spice bath melts. In this exploration, we will delve into masala chai herbs and learn how to create chai spice bath melts…
In Bloom: Floral Tea Recipe for the Full Moon
For those who pay special attention to the lunar cycles, the Full Moon is commonly recognized as a time for manifestation and fruition. If the New Moon is auspicious for intention setting, rest, and reflection, the Full Moon is the time when our intentions and dreams flower into full form. As author and astrologer, Demetra…
An Herbal Peanut Butter Cup Recipe That Supports the Nervous System
We’re deep into that time of the year when fall’s golden glow gives way to winter’s short, dark days. During this transition and into the months ahead, we may find ourselves craving warmth, be it in the form of a heavy, comforting blanket, a warm cup of tea, or sweet treats from our kitchen countertops…
How to Make Herbal Electuaries + 2 Recipes to Get You Started
As far as homemade herbal preparations go, it doesn’t get much easier than herbal electuaries. This beginner-friendly herbal concoction is quick to make and use in a variety of ways, and you may already have the ingredients sitting in the kitchen to whip up your own blends right away! What is an herbal electuary, anyway?…
Lesser-Known Uses of Sunflower: National Geographic Herbal
In National Geographic Herbal, herbalist and author Mimi Prunella Hernandez, RH(AHG), shares her passion for discovering both global traditions and local wisdom surrounding various herbs and spices and is the perfect guide through a worldwide spectrum of perspectives in herbalism. Exploring the benefits of common weeds like dandelion and red clover, as well as little-appreciated…
Supporting Creativity and Activity: Herbs for the Waxing Moon
If the New Moon is the time for planting seeds and intentions, the Waxing Moon is the time when we move from intention-setting to bringing our hopes, dreams, visions, and goals into form and action. The waxing phase of the Moon is a time characterized by heightened extroversion, activity, and creativity. During this time, we…
Cheesecloth Ghosts: A Halloween Craft for the Whole Family
Who remembers this spooktacular craft from their own childhood? A fun tradition that we very much want to pass along to all our herbalist friends, Halloween cheesecloth ghosts are cute, easy, and customizable. As an herbalist, you may just have everything you need on hand to create these adorable seasonal crafts. Plus, this gives you…
A Simple Incense Recipe Using Ethically Sourced Herbs
In Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera, traditional healer, storyteller, and Indigenous foods activist Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz invites readers to connect with the the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water that are so deeply integral to her curanderismo tradition. Felicia shares many aspects that shape her own personal practice,…
A Must Try Fire Cider Recipe Using Unexpected Herbs
Fire cider, the renowned vinegar-based infusion of pungent plants, is an altogether invigorating concoction with a real spicy history in traditional folk herbalism. In this article, we have a creative spin on the traditional fire cider with a Cranberries and Cardamom Fire Cider recipe we are sharing below! The story of fire cider recipe’s rise…
New Moon Herbal Mix Recipe for New Beginnings
The New Moon, the time in which the moon is occluded from our earthly vision due to its position in the sky between the Sun and Earth, is commonly understood as a time for new beginnings. If the Full Moon is a time for fruition and manifestation, the New Moon is the time to light…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Dave Achula (@achula__)
In this installment of our Student Feature series, we interviewed Dave Achula (@achula_). Dave is the owner of Achula, an immersive experience that invites individuals to explore the healing power of nature, directly in nature. He has completed Herbal Academy’s Intermediate Herbal Course, Business Herbal Course, and Mastering Herbal Formulation Course. HA: Please tell us…
Homemade Pumpkin Sugar and Spice Body Scrub
It’s August in Ohio as I write this and while the weather is still decidedly summery, I can’t help but look forward to the autumnal change that is right around the corner. The burst of colors from the trees, warm fuzzy sweaters, and pumpkin everything is already on my mind. While I delight at every…
Preserving the Summer Garden With Bouquet Garni de Provence Ice Cubes
It’s already late summer, which means that herbs that we planted in our summer garden have been in full bloom for a while, and we have been using them in all kinds of ways: herbal infusions, tinctures, decorations, herbal salts, adding them to meals and salads, and making other herbal preparations of all kinds… but…
