what is spiritual herbalism?

as i practice it, spiritual herbalism is a way to work with the endless gifts of plant medicine on all the levels of being- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. a crucial perspective of traditional spiritual herbal practices is that there is no place where the medicine cannot reach, no aspect of your life that cannot be worked, and no difference between what is medicinal and what is magical. from physical ailments to mental atmospheres, relationships with money and personal power to processing grief- the plants are here to help.

what is elemental herbalism?

using the symbolism and reality of the four primordial elements of earth, air, fire, and water, i work to explore the various patterns, excesses, deficiencies, and disharmonies you may be experiencing through the language of natural forces. for example, we can look at moods based on which elements they resonate with most closely- then together explore the plant medicine that supports, pacifies, or builds the element in question.

elemental herbalism as a language is incredible because we all already speak it. we understand the deeper meanings of conditions that are ‘earthy’, feel ‘fiery’, cause ‘drowning’ sensations, or express as the wild ‘wind’. working with this model which i’ve refined over the years is a powerful and effective meeting place between my clinical and spiritual connection to the plants and the experiences and goals of the person i’m working with.

what is plant spirit work?

in the deepest traditions of plant medicine, it is the spirit of a plant that facilitates true healing- the phytochemistry, scent, taste, micro and macro nutrients, and other constituents come in supportive roles.

in plant spirit work the way i practice it and the way i’ve been taught by my green allies to practice, the connection to both individual and collective plant spirits is made through me as catalyst into the being of my client. this is done primarily via a light hands-on energy work; similar to cranio-sacral or reiki. while externally it may seem as though i’m parked in neutral, i am having a rich inner experience on the visionary level which i am channeling into the client via energy and occasionally verbal cues.

plant spirit work requires no dosing and no concerns for contraindications. the appropriate plants still much be worked with which is where my years of work with the plants comes into play; i act as mediator between the green realm and human world in these sessions and both receive and guide the client to receive direct green gnosis from the plants who are best aligned to their needs.

plant spirit work is a deeply transformative, reflective, and synchronizing process. sometimes the magic happens on the table, sometimes it happens in the days following the session, and sometimes it unfolds quietly over months and years- but there is always a knowing that a seed of change has been planted.

herbal medicine and herbal magic

when we ally ourselves to the plants, we seek transformation… changing one state to something else in accord with our will, need, and intent. for this reason, the lines between what is medicine and what is magic in the context of spiritual herbalism are very blurry. moving further and further into deep states of harmony as you define it is the goal.

what is a consultation with me like?

our initial consultation is an opportunity for me to get to know you, hear about your experiences and goals in your own words (verbal and otherwise), and find out what you’d like to work on. from there, the session usually becomes quite exploratory and interesting in nature. we work with deep dialogue, questions and answers, symbols, guided meditations, biofeedback techniques, divination, inspiration, and other methods to explore how things may or may not be connected and what we can do to bring you harmony.

next, education is centered. i like to explain which herbs i’m connecting to for you, why, and ideally tell you a bit about them so that you can enter into a personal connection with them. i try to make this experience an organoleptic one to open the ways between you and the plants. finally, we work with those herbs to create formulas and a protocol to follow; which herbs, how much, how often, and in what way. all of this is done with the intent of meeting you where you are and accommodating what you are currently able to work with.

for in-person sessions, i root my work in hands-on, energetic, and visionary experiences. these offerings, for me, anchor the work we’ve done and open the ways of magic and medicine for your work with the plants.

i also like to keep my consultations very client-driven. what’s important to you is what’s important to me. if we find many expressions of a pattern, i rely on you to define what feels most important to work on right now. your words, body language, stories, narratives, experiences, hypotheses, and ideas are all incredibly valuable in this work and will always be heard and centered.

adjustments are made to virtual sessions as needed.

the ways of chinese & western herbalism

one of my teachers, michael tierra, explains that when the world’s ancient and nature-centered medicine ways are explored in detail, we find spaces where they overlap in some uncanny and incredible ways. this space he calls ‘planetary’ herbalism because it is a truth experienced across time, place, culture, and tradition.

as a student of both western (vitalist, traditional, and folkloric) and chinese (traditional and classical) systems of herbalism, i can attest to the fact that there are more astounding similarities than there are differences. so, i hold space for the thousands of years of empirical and clinical herbal wisdom evidenced by chinese traditions while also fully embracing the spirit and mysteries of the western traditions. for me, each compliments and deepens the other.

i work a constitutional model of herbalism informed by both western and chinese traditions; using the four elements, the 6 evils, earth and sky, yin and yang, land and sky, the three realms, the three cauldrons, the 6 patterns, the world tree, and so on in harmony to explore the energetic states of being- and to find the right herbs for the work to be done.

what do you mean by ‘anything goes’?

i literally mean anything goes! my work is in no way limited to physical ailments or disharmonies. we can talk about your physical wellness, your mental atmosphere, how you’re dealing with loss, how you’re sleeping, what your relationships are like, how you’re doing with finances and plenty, issues on your spiritual path,… anything! the plants are only limited to where their medicine and magic can flow by the practitioner- and i’ll help you get their power to wherever you may need it.

what can i expect from taking herbs?

your journey belongs to you, and cultivating a life of harmony is more of a process than an event, but i can say the following with a great deal of confidence:

• an increased sense of connectedness to nature, cycles, your body, plants, animals, and vital force

• an ability and willingness to explore areas of yourself that may have been inaccessible, disconnected, or too overwhelming to look at before

• a sense of being protected, guided, and nourished

• a more pronounced sense of connection to your good ancestors

• a deep curiosity about yourself, nature, magic, medicine, and what’s possible

• expanded tools to help navigate tough times and challenges; and getting through them with greater wisdom and gracefulness

• a greater sense of belonging, being part of, and being welcome in nature and the world

• resiliency, foresight, and personal power

• deeper language tools to engage directly with nature, self, and self as nature

• from energy work, most people feel a deep sense of things shifting into rightness, harmony being called in, synchronicities lining up, personal realizations and downloads, cleansings and purifications from the body, and positive adjustments to the life path- all of which are secondary, in my opinion, to the profound sense of being connected, part of, and seen by the natural world we’re part of.

of course everyone walks the labyrinth in their own way, and that’s a beautiful thing, but at the core of whatever work we do with whatever goals for however long it takes, there is a sense that things are moving in the right direction- and many signs and sensations along the way that affirm the process.

can i take herbs and pharmaceuticals?

the answer is generally yes. if herbs that i’d like to introduce you to are not a good fit with your pharmaceutical program, we’ll find other ones or send a list to your doctor to see if there are ways to stay safe. i ask for a list of your medications in your intake form and will ensure safety as we work together.

if you’re working with a medical professional, i recommend sharing your formula ingredients with them before starting a protocol and never stopping taking any prescribed meditation without their guidance.

how often should i see my herbalist?

if you’re working on a long-standing chronic issue, in my practice i’d generally like to see you once per month for three months so that we can see how the medicine moves, make changes as needed, and adapt to your own wellness transformations.

acute or less deep issues could be resolved in one or two sessions.

plant medicine really shines as a preventative; so coming around once or twice per year even if you feel great just to get a ‘tune up’, explore any tonic herbs you work with daily, and find possible things on the horizon is always a great way to stay empowered in your center.

if you ever just feel ‘off’, disconnected, away from your center, or as though your path may be getting a bit rocky- this is also a great time to engage with plant medicine.

for energy work, feel free to come in as often as you like. some clients treat it like massage or acupuncture and make it part of their pattern of personal wellness.

how much do herbal remedies cost?

i generally like to keep remedies to no more than two unless there’s a really good reason for it. since formulation is one of my areas of expertise, i can generally get you the herbs you need in one or two remedies and have them maintain efficacy while being simpler to take and more affordable to refill.

the cost of remedies are not included in my consultation fees. that being said, if you are working with a tight budget, i can absolutely accommodate.

i work almost exclusively with handcrafted tinctures (liquid herbal extracts) and teas. tinctures are so easy to take, never go bad, and are super affordable to make. the average protocol has you taking one dropper full of a tincture, straight or in some water or juice, three-to-five times per day. depending on your situation you may be taking tinctures more or less than that.

my custom tinctures average at $21 which is usually a one month supply. i can send you with a larger bottle to stretch that out if needed, but do like folks to stop in for a free refill consultation at least every 6 weeks while on a more heroic formula.

virtual clients are generally given suggested brands and formulas to procure local to them. you’ll be asked about stores near you when you book and i’ll make sure your protocol can be filled locally.

how do i refill my custom formulas?

in-clinic

using my online schedule, just book a free 15-minute refill session. this gives you and i time to discuss how you’re doing, identify if any changes might need to be made, and define if a full session might be a good idea soon or if we can keep going as-is for another 4-6 weeks.

the cost of the refill session is free- a $10 deposit is taken at the time of booking which is applied to your remedy cost at pickup. remedy refills are offered at a discount from their initial price if you bring back your clean tincture bottles!

refill sessions are not a consultation and are not long enough to really get into much more than a basic check-in, questions you may have, exploration of next steps, and seeing if we should spend an hour together soon or wait another 4-6 weeks.

virtual

you’ll receive an email from me with notes and suggestions from our session, and a second email from fullscript with all the suggested remedies at a 15% discount to you. you can also use this list as my suggested brands and doses to pick up at a local shop which i highly recommend!