My herbal journey began after the birth of my fourth child and a long episode of overlooked and undiagnosed postpartum depression.  A homeschooling mama of four children, I desperately began seeking alternative health treatment so I could just make it through the day.  At the time, the essential oil business was booming.  I looked into the oils but felt that, while they certainly have their place, they seemed a bit too strong and powerful for what I needed…I needed gentle, nurturing plant love to help me flourish and thrive.  So I decided to look directly at the plants from which they came.

Being a homeschool family, I knew that the only way I’d prioritize herbal studies of my own was if we did it as a family.  And so our herbal journey began.  We spent an entire season of Advent studying the plants that made up the smells of the season: cinnamon, cloves, peppermint, cacao, pine.  We tinkered in the kitchen, dabbled in the garden, and took our nature study lessons to a whole new level.  We found love in botany and herbs and healing.

Inspired by this new (yet deeply innate knowledge), I decided to invest in myself and I enrolled in Sage Mountain where I studied for three years under Rosemary Gladstar.  Each new lesson, each new plant seemed to inspire and drive me to learn more…and the more I learned, the more I shared.  I shared everything I learned with my own children who have now developed a deep appreciation for healing naturally (they love nothing more than a collection of herb jars and the freedom to create formulas based on the knowledge they have acquired).  My love of teaching fueled a local movement where I began teaching botany and plant identification classes at a local homeschool co-op and I eventually formed classes for adults interested in herbal knowledge.

Over time, I began to notice that not every plant worked for every person.  Curious as to why, I began researching and found the key to effectively using herbs: learning to balance the energy of the plants with the energy of the person.  I admired the systematic way the Chinese diagnose and treat and so I eventually found my way here, in 2019, to East West Planetary School of Herbology where I am consistently challenged to learn more and supported by an amazing group of elders and budding herbalists.   I have grown exponentially as an herbalist in the past two years and I attribute that to  the support system this school offers along with the challenging course work and the annual seminars.

At the end of the day, I may be defined by plain words: Wife. Mom. Homemaker. Homeschooler. Herbalist.  But my life is anything but plain. It is full of beauty and gratitude and I feel it in the simple things of life: deep dark chocolate, a steaming cup of herbal tea, freezing time with the click of a camera, and sharing what I know through teaching (be it formal classes or one-on-one consultations). I am grateful for each step along this herbal journey and I remain prayerful that I am able to continue to share my knowledge with those around me.  You can find me blogging at www.witheveryintention.com, you can follow me on instagram @witheveryintention  and you can find a short video of us at the beginning of our herbal journey over here https://youtu.be/lWKGLRrGz7c

 

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