Education

A monograph on the therapeutic uses of Inula helenium written by Linda Fitchett-Hewitt, a recent graduate of then Foundations of Herbal Medicine program. Elecampane - Student Monograph See More

For the Community Herbalist, acquiring dried plants is a straightforward process in the current herb market. Dried herbs are widely and easily available from many retail stores and online distributors. Plants that are best processed and/or used fresh can be more challenging to find. In the modern world of everything being instantly available 24/7, the seasonality of fresh herbs often surprises people. Important - Plan Ahead - sometimes several months in advance. Know when your desired fresh herb is available on the 12 month calendar. The following methods have worked for me over the years. 1. Grow your own in […] See More

A monograph on the therapeutic uses of rose flowers and hips. Written by a recent graduate of the Foundations of Herbal Medicine program. Rose - Student Monograph See More

It is well known that being stressed causes dis-ease. But the fact that disease causes stress is often overlooked. This is why supporting the nervous system is helpful in many (most, all?) health conditions even if the Chief Complaint is not directly related to nerves. The engagement of the nervous system in long term health care is seen in multiple ways: 1. Stress from ongoing, long term, chronic issues. This happens in many degenerative diseases such as pain, arthritis, cancer, Lyme, decreased mobility, decreased cognition, and autoimmune. Having the condition for a long time and knowing it may never be […] See More

  Botanical Name:
 Hypericum spp. H. perforatum is most commonly used in herbal medicine. The species commonly found growing in northern Arizona is H. scouleri. Family:
 Hypericaceae Common Names:
 St. John’s Wort Primary Characteristics for Field ID: H. perforatum has tiny holes in the leaves that are visible when held up to the light, hence the perforatum label. Part Used for Medicine: 
 Freshly opened flowers and buds. Some people harvest the leaves along branch tips near the flowers. Pinch the just-picked buds and flowers. Your finger tips should be stained a deep red. This shows good quality. Habitat in […] See More

The standard method of making a dry plant tincture is one part herb by weight to five parts menstruum by volume. An example is two ounces of licorice root in 10 fluid ounces of menstruum. The finished product is labelled 1:5. Most herbs can be tinctured this way. There are always exceptions and this article gives three ways to work with herbs that are too large in volume to be covered by the menstruum when the traditional method is used.These methods are: 1. Double Maceration Method2. The Blender-Smoothie Method3. The Weighted Rock Method When to Use a Double MacerationA few […] See More

Record keeping is an important aspect of being an herbalist even though it may not be as enjoyable as spending a day in the canyons and meadows among the wildflowers. The chart included at the link below is a form I have used for many years. It includes all the pertinent information needed to keep track of the When - Where - How - How Much of making extracts. Batch and Lot Numbers When wildcrafting and harvesting herbs, always assign a number to that particular batch or lot. This provides for easy tracking. This number goes on the label or […] See More

This article provides resources for promoting health-balance-support during the pregnancy, birth and nursing stages of life for the baby, mother and father/co-parent. It is most definitely *not* meant as a complete substitute for healthcare from a certified medical provider. One of my mentors, Dr Aviva Romm, says it best - “When in doubt, check it out”. Get proper medical care when you need it. **Huge gratitude to the dedicated and loving mothers who freely shared their advice, wisdom, knowledge and recommendations with me.** Birth Control & Conception ~ “Taking Charge of your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, […] See More

There are many mushrooms used therapeutically in the herb community with Reishi (Ganoderma spp.) being the the best known. One of the challenges to effectively using these gifts from the fungal world is knowing how to process them. While plants have cellulose, mushrooms have chitin. This substance is extremely hard and makes extraction difficult. The usual methods of making teas and tinctures don't work. This page is a collection of the best resources I have encountered for: -learning how to thoroughly and effectively extract the healing properties from fungi -reliable information on how various species can be used -where to […] See More