The Plant Path: Herbalism, Medical Astrology & Spagyric Alchemy

In this episode, we take a high-level look at what happens when you combine two of the most contrasting—and complementary—herbs in North American herbalism: Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) and Lobelia (Lobelia inflata). One stimulates, one relaxes—and together they create a powerful synergy that supports circulation, respiration, and neuromuscular function.  You'll also hear insights on how their energe...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most powerful herb pairs in North American herbalism—Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) and Lobelia (Lobelia inflata).  These two plants represent the archetypal stimulant and relaxant, and when used together, they reveal deep patterns in how herbal energetics function. You'll also discover how this triad—stimulant, relaxant, and tonic—connects to core principles fo...

Welcome to the second installment in our Anatomy of a Formula series. In this post, we'll examine a classic North American herbal duo: the archetypal stimulant, Cayenne (Capsicum annuum), and the archetypal relaxant, Lobelia (Lobelia inflata).  If you missed the introductory post, which explored a brief history of formulation in Western herbalism and the strategic thinking behind herbal pairs and...

Have you been studying herbs for a while, but you still feel unsure about how to combine them into an effective formula?  Or maybe you're newer to herbalism and ready to dive into the art and science of formulation? Formulation is one of my favorite parts of herbal medicine, so I'm excited to kick off a new series called The Anatomy of a Formula. I love the synergy that emerges when herbs are comb...

Have you ever wondered how to understand plants on a deeper level, beyond "This herb is good for that thing?" If so, you won't want to skip this post!   I am excited to be joined today by my colleague, friend, and teacher, Pam Montgomery. Pam is an herbalist, author, international teacher, earth elder, and new paradigm thinker who passionately embraces her role as a spokesperson for the green bein...

Spring is the season of renewal—and the perfect time to support your body with cleansing and nourishing herbs.  Last week, we covered the overall concept of the spring cleanse and whether it's a good thing for us to do in our modern culture. We got a birds-eye view of the qualities and characteristics of herbs that would fit into this category. Ready to learn more about spring cleansing and which...

The premise of cleansing is popular in alternative medicine circles, seen as one of the most important ways to get and stay healthy. But is it really? Is our modern take on cleansing the same as it was traditionally? And most importantly, is cleansing really appropriate for anyone and everyone? We'll cover all that and more in our exploration of the spring cleanse.  Here's what I'll cover: What ha...

In medical astrology, astral polarities offer profound insights into the body's interconnected systems, revealing hidden relationships between organ functions and celestial archetypes. By studying opposing zodiac signs, we gain a deeper understanding of how the various parts of the body interact. This perspective aligns with holistic traditions like Ayurveda, which recognize the dynamic interplay...

Today we begin our new book review series, and I'm kicking it off by reviewing Judith Hill's foundational text, "Medical Astrology: A Guide to Planetary Pathology." This is an essential book on medical astrology, and should be a staple reference in your library if you're interested in the astro-herbalism approach.   In this post you'll learn what this book has to offer, including: The six sign pol...

Mugwort is a plant famed for its effects on dreaming, but its medicinal properties and actions do so much more than that. With a distinct effect on the nervous, digestive, hepatobiliary, and reproductive systems, Mugwort navigates, regulates, and balances the highways that connect them all. In today's video, you'll discover: Mugwort's role in digestion How its bitter, choleretic, and cholagogue pr...

Elecampane has become one of my personal favorite respiratory remedies over the years, not just for its medicinal benefits for many of the common respiratory woes people face today, but as a choice restorative agent. Whether you make it into a tincture or enjoy the syrup, Elecampane is a remedy every herbalist should know.    In this episode, you'll learn: Elecampane's role as a stimulant expector...

Have you ever crammed for an exam, only to forget everything a few weeks later? Cramming never works, especially in herbal medicine. Memorizing facts might get you through a test, but it won't prepare you to help real people. If you want your knowledge to stick—not just in your mind but in your heart—there's a better way. By studying herbs strategically, you'll gain the confidence and competence t...

These days, supplement shelves are filled with all kinds of different products based on plants. Tinctures, teas, whole plant preparations, standardized extractions, phytopharmaceuticals . . . but what's the difference between them? These are the most common types of herbal extracts you'll encounter, and they all have their own unique properties and uses.    Each of these extracts has a different l...

In this week's podcast, Sajah speaks with Jesse Wolfe Hardin, an herbalist and environmental renaissance man. The author of over 25 books, Jesse Wolf has taught anima life practices for decades and was the first to coin the term rewilding. Jesse is the co-founder of the International Good Medicine Confluence Gathering, the digital magazine for herbalist healers and folklorists, Plant Healer Quarte...

Meadowsweet is often thought of as herbal aspirin. Even though it's no secret that its compounds were originally used to formulate and synthesize aspirin, can you really use it in the same way?   If you want to get the same results from Meadowsweet as aspirin, you would have to drink quarts of the tea, which is tough to do because it's incredibly bitter. Not only would you be feeling pretty nauseo...

Margi Flint is a practicing herbalist, registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild, and herbal mentor from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Margi's wisdom spans over 20 years of labor coaching certification, polarity therapy, and Reiki, alongside 40-plus years of clinical herbal practice. She teaches at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, British Columbia, and has lectured at numerous prestigiou...

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are natural compounds found in certain herbs. Despite their long history of safe use in herbal traditions, they are often misunderstood and feared, discouraging people from working with these potent medicinal herbs.   By learning more about these compounds and how to safely use herbs containing them, you can confidently incorporate them into your herbal practice.   In today...

Medical astrology is one of the most misunderstood assessment tools available in herbalism, with many flat out rejecting its usefulness or efficacy because of preconceived notions of astrology in general.  Despite its spiritual or "woo-woo" implications, astrology has practical therapeutic applications. By learning how to use this tool correctly, you can pinpoint an imbalanced organ system, tissue...

The term "holistic" is a key concept in today's holistic healthcare system. But what does it truly mean? According to the Evolutionary Herbalism model, a holistic practitioner is someone who integrates the physical, energetic, and spiritual properties of a plant with these aspects of a person to facilitate profound and transformative healing. Medical astrology stands out as one of the most powerfu...

Scott Kloos is an herbalist, wildcrafter, and medicine maker. He founded and acts as the managing director of the School of Forest Medicine and owns Cascadia Folk Medicine, which supplies high-quality, small-batch herbal extracts from the native plants of the Pacific Northwest region. He also co-founded the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and authored the book Pacific...

I know the beginning of the year is when a lot of us take a step back and look at our lives from a greater perspective.   Perhaps we're looking back on the past year and thinking about what we'd like to change or do differently...   ... Or we're looking forward and planning out how we want our lives to look and resolving to make it that way.   Hopefully as an herbalist, you're thinking about your...

With the holiday season approaching, many of you are wondering which gifts would be suitable for an herbalist. Whether you're unfamiliar with the field or have been practicing for years, we've compiled a helpful list of items you can use as a guide for finding the perfect gift for the lucky herbalist in your life. In today's blog episode, we list Medicine making essentials Wildcrafting tools that...

Do you ever feel lost in your herbal studies or not know what to do next to reach the next level of your development as a plant healer? The journey as an herbalist can seem long and daunting. There are so many books out there, courses, traditions, and of course – herbs to study.    When your path ahead is unclear, it helps to pause and make a plan to figure out where you want to go and how to get...

As you begin your herbal exploration, you'll notice that there are a lot of books out there that either talk about a plant's spiritual or medicinal aspects–but rarely both. This separation of science and spirit mirrors the allopathic approach used in conventional medicine. The problem is that this separation doesn't exist!    The more I studied the alchemical perspective, the more I learned that a...

Have you ever noticed how stress can make your body ache, your heart beat increase, or upset your digestion? Or vice versa and you eat a food your intolerant too and you get edgy, irritable or brain foggy? This happens because our mental, emotional, and physical health are all connected. Sadly, people often treat these aspects separately, which lead to treatments that don't address the whole pictu...