Study tips for herbalists
If you have any questions about this post or if you are considering going to school to study herbalism and want some advice, don’t hesitate to ask me! If you like this kind of information consider following my facebook for other herbal posts.
There is a lot of herbal information online which is amazing! We are living in a beautiful time when it is becoming easier to find information on herbs. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation as well. My hope is that more people find good quality information and that accurate sources of herbal knowledge are more popular than websites just trying to make a quick buck off of the wellness industry. I have this post here which includes herbal websites, blogs, schools, and resources for people who need it. This post is updated a couple of times a year. Save it and subscribe to the newsletter to be notified of new herbal resources.
Resources for absolute beginners
Herbmentor.com - the very first resource I recommend to beginners who have no idea where to start
Check out my recommended books
Gather your resources sustainably
Want training? Here are some herbal schools and teachers
Paul Bergner has excellent information and courses available here
Matthew Wood is one of my favorite herbalists. He has many affordable courses on his website here
The Herbal Academy has beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses here
The East West School of Planetary Herbology is a great place to take courses
The Lunar Apothecary is a great for leaning about herb magic and lunar herbology
Check out the American Herbalists Guild for mentorship opportunities (prices are usually around 50-75 USD an hour
The Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine
Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism
Northeast School of Botanical Medicine
Herbalachia has several local courses to offer
http://www.blueridgeschool.org/
http://herbalconstituents.com/
Click here to learn more about Matthew Wood’s course on Shamanic Herbalism
Herbal blogs and websites -
There are many herbal blogs, but not all of them are by qualified herbalists! Be selective with your online resources. Here are some of my favorites:
http://greenmanramblings.blogspot.ca/
https://onewillowapothecaries.com/
https://www.henriettes-herb.com/
Herbal therapeutics - David Winston
https://herbalgoddessmedicinals.wordpress.com/
https://www.herbrally.com/monographs
Here is a list of herbal blogs written by a herbalist I trust
American Dragon - materia medica and tutoring
White Rabbit Institute of Healing - courses, materia medica, cool posters
https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/
This website will help you to find local plants (USA only)
General tips for gathering info and getting started
Check out local plant societies to see what activities they have planned. Some of them offer free plant walks that will help you to get to know your local plants. Check Facebook and Meetup for local plant medicine groups.
Become a student member of the American Herbalists Guild if you really are an herbal student. They have tons of resources.
Start experimenting with your (safe) local weeds first. For many of you, this means pine, dandelion, plantain, violet leaf, and ground ivy. Do not buy expensive and/or at risk plants, you really do not need them.
Get your warnings and safety information from reputable books and herbalists not social media. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from people who have years and years of clinical herbal experience but even if you do not have that same opportunity, you can still use discernment with where you get your information. I cannot stress this enough.
Even though social media can be a bad place to get information, it can be a very good idea to follow reputable herbalists on Facebook. I have found so many great articles and resources this way because of what they share. It is also a good way to connect with other herbalists and stay up to date with what is going on in the herb industry.
Keep a few materia medica books on hand to check for contraindications and safety instead. My go-to books for checking whether an herb is okay with me are located in the recommended books post above
Pick 1 herb a month to really focus on. Keep in mind that you can do a lot with a few herbs, some of them have dozens of uses
Learn about your herbs by tasting and using them, not just reading! Personal experience is more important than book knowledge (except when it comes to safety). If you are choosing to spend the month learning about calendula, make as many calendula based things as you can. Calendula teas, salves, lotions. What works and what doesn’t? Ask other more experienced herbalists how they use calendula and see if they have recipes they are willing to share.
Check out the recommended books list above for books on medicine making and help with tools
Oils - like grapeseed, joboba, and almond
Cheese cloth for straining herbs
Potato ricer to help with straining herbs
Muslin cloth to help with straining herbs
French press (easy way to make loose leaf tea)
Labels (never forget to label your herbs and herbal creations!)
Where to buy herbs and botanical medicine making supplies
http://chinesemedicinalherbfarm.com/seeds
http://nuherbs.com (proof that you are either a student or professional is required)
http://kamwoherbs.com (proof that you are either a student or professional is required)
https://www.mayway.com/ (proof that you are either a student or professional is required)
https://www.humboldtherbals.com/bulk-herbs/
https://legendaryherbs.com/ (Chinese herbs) (proof that you are a professional is required)
https://www.evherbs.com/evshop/ (Chinese herbs)
https://1stchineseherbs.com/
Ideas of what to start making with herbs (recipes coming soon)
Herbs for disaster relief
podcast list (coming soon)
This is for educational purposes only and it is not meant to replace the care or advice of a medical professional in any way. Please do not work with herbs if you do not have training or if you are not being advised by a professional herbalist. This post is fully of affiliate links but these are tools/books I really use or I wouldn’t recommend them!
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