Results for Category: Ancient Wisdom
The History, Mythology, and Offerings of Hawthorn
With the arrival of fall, I am excited for the hawthorn trees to begin ripening their fruits to crimson, soon ready for harvesting. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is a member of the Rosaceae family. This botanical family also contains red raspberry (Rubus ideaus) and wild rose (Rosa woodsii), each of which, like hawthorn, protect themselves by…
Herbal Beer: An Ancient Drink for Modern Times
It’s funny — I never thought I would write anything positive about beer. My husband homebrews, so it has always been his thing...
Herbalism: A History – How Herbalists Of The Past Paved The Way For Today
Have you ever wondered how modern-day herbalism came to be? Before the dawn of Instagram herbalism or online herbal education (lik...
What The Spring Equinox Means To The Herbalist
Have you ever wondered how our ancient ancestors kept track of time? I suppose the further back in time you go, people were more focused on survival than keeping track of the minutes. However, as people learned about the world around them and cultures began to form and progress, time became an important concept. My…
Doctrine of Signatures: An Introduction to Deepening Our Connection with the Beneficial Properties of Plants
Some ancient methods of understanding the natural world relied on symbology and the unique appearances of plants, animals, and other life form’s signatures. By learning about signatures in nature, we can gain insight into the properties of plants, how they may be supportive to humans, and even glimpse an understanding that all things are connected…
Ancient Lore Surrounding Herbs of Christmas Past
The holiday season is upon us. As we decorate, plan our meals, and decide on gifts―the remnants of ancient traditions linger in ...
11 Herbs of King Arthur’s England
In southwest England, in Somerset, sits the town of Glastonbury, a quaint historical town that has been inhabited since 7th millen...
Motherwort Through History
Here at the Academy, we often talk about historical knowledge and folk tradition comprising one of the legs of the three-legged stool that informs our understanding of a plant’s therapeutic uses. Scientific studies and the first-hand experience of modern herbalists are the other legs that complete the stool, balancing and reinforcing one another to give…
Herbal Myths, Lore, And Legends: Lady’s Mantle, Mint, Fennel, Mandrake, Elder, Thistle, and Belladonna
Every culture offers myths, legends, and folklore to justify some event, instruct us on proper behavior, or issue horrible warnings if a person breaks the rules of proper behavior. Myths are generally about the gods, e.g., Zeus, and are usually a symbolic account of what happened rather than factual. Folklore sometimes has mythical creatures like…
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! Wha...
