Lavender Sachets and Dream Pillows
A delightful, calming herb, lavender is a great addition to any home during the holidays. Lavender sachets and dream pillows are a very simple yet lovely craft which can be whipped up in a snap as a last minute gift. Whether used to impart a fragrance to clothes or as a nighttime companion, lavender provides a gentle aroma…
Clove Pomanders: An Old Fashioned Holiday Favorite
Clove pomanders are a seasonal delight! Made with numerous little cloves, pomanders are a wonderfully fragrant addition to holiday decorations as well as a lovely gift to share with others. Gathered in bowls around the home, hung in windows to catch the warmth of the sun, or displayed on a tree, this old fashioned favorite…
Homemade Squash Cinnamon Dough for Holiday Decorations and Ornaments
What spice reminds us more of the holidays than cinnamon? The smell of cinnamon cookies baking or perhaps a few cinnamon sticks brewing on the stove instantly brings warm memories to mind. There are many ways to enjoy cinnamon during the holidays and squash cinnamon dough is a surprisingly fun way to welcome this beloved…
How To Make Your Own Fresh Rosemary Wreath
With its fragrant aroma reminiscent of fresh pine, rosemary is a wonderful herb to enjoy during the winter holidays. Bring rosemary into your home and adorn your walls with this beautiful aromatic herb. A fresh rosemary wreath is easy to make and will add a special herbal flare to your holidays. Be sure to make extras to…
A Simple Solution for Finding Your Way Through Winter
Winter is often a time of year that people dread. It’s filled with long nights, cold weather, and the pressure to feel connected to others during the holidays. This combination can put many of us through the emotional ringer, especially if we feel that we lack enough meaningful relationships in our lives. But while wintertime…
Reflections of an Herb Gardener
To those who are afraid of starting an herb garden, don’t be. The rewards of having your own fresh herbs to use and dry, the therapy of working in the dirt, the ability to sit quietly and meditate in your own special place far outweigh the “errors in judgment” one can make. Looking back at…
A Comprehensive School Directory & Guide to Finding the Best Herbal Education For You!
It is, after all, transformation that all the best herbal schools encourage, enabling and supporting our transitioning into informed and empowered plant healers who have amazing gifts to share with this world. – Plant Healer, Herbal Education Guide & Herbal School Directory, p. 26 It is in this spirit that the wonderful folks at Plant…
Opportunities for the Herbal Entrepreneur
Herbalism is a unique niche for the aspiring entrepreneur. Herbalist entrepreneurs can create their dream job by turning a passion for herbalism into a living. We’ve done it here at the Academy! Creating a line of herbal extracts, body care products or tea blends, growing or wildcrafting herbs to sell, or creating monthly herbal CSA…
The Secret Meaning of Herbs
Across many different cultures and time periods, humans have cherished a secret meaning of herbs and plants. Flowers, herbs, and foliage were given as tokens of good luck and well wishing – sprigs of wheat included in bridal bouquets for fertility, wreaths of bay laurels worn as a symbol of victory. Small bouquets called “tussie…
Stress Management for Parents: 3 Ways To Deeply Care For Yourself
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others. Anytime we can listen to the true self and give it the care it requires, we do not only for ourselves but for the many others…
Herbs Work As Our Companions and Allies
As herbalists, it’s important for us to learn about plants through hands-on experience, and we are richly rewarded for the time we invest in learning to live side-by-side with our herbs. As we grow them in our gardens and help the continuation of their species, they nurture our health in return. Because of the nature…
Herbs Work With Us
Herbs work with us, not against us. They can be subtle as they build us up over time, but they stand with us as we move forward. They support our health rather than mask our symptoms, and require that we are honest with ourselves as they give us the support we need. Herbs like elderberry…
Every Herbalist Should Set Goals
We look out our windows at the bare trees and snow-covered ground, and it is evident that winter is upon us. We’re only a little over a week into the New Year, which can be both an exciting and intimidating season of life. As we map out our calendar year and set our short and…
Your Solution to the Winter Blues
With the coming of winter, many things will change. The days will be shorter, and the weather will be colder. But perhaps most significantly, the coming months can lead to much darker feelings. This is to be expected, as whether or not we’re one of the approximately 20% of Americans who suffer from some form…
Teacup by Teacup
Turn up the flame, wait for the teapot to heat and whistle. Pour hot water over the jar of dried leaves and flowers. A slow stir with a spoon sends steam rising from a spinning spiral of herbs. The technology is simple: water, fire, glass. No shares, likes, pins, tweets, or re-tweets. Simply water silently…
Get Healthy The Write Way!
Clinical trials have shown that journaling boosts your immune system, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, increases feelings of happiness and diminishes symptoms of depression and anxiety. Indeed the Journal of American Medicine Association (JAMA) reports that writing about stressful experiences reduces physical symptoms in patients with chronic illnesses. There are those that suggest journaling prolongs…
