• And the Plants Will Set You Free

    Through knowing and using the plants that grow around us—the ones in our backyard, the weeds that resist all efforts to control them, the abundance and diversity of the species in the Cascadian forests—we are more whole, secure and free. What’s right under our feet are, by their very nature, agents of freedom. [Read full post]

  • Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

    As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. I want to push you to go past what you know is comfortable and reimagine your practice so you are doing the wildest, most liberating brilliant work that you can. [Read full post]

  • Aesthetic & Beauty in Practice

    It’s touching the dirt, digging roots, preparing and sipping beautiful garden tea blends, smelling the flowers, having my apothecary full of jars containing gorgeous, whole-leaf herbs. Microwaving a wack bag of herb tea is a completely different game. Authentic botanical practice is a lifestyle that honors the sanctity of life and the ecological patterns around us. It’s how we connect to the larger planetary system. [Read full post]

Author Archives: Renée A.D.

Winter Music for Golden Thoughts, Potion Brewing & Medicine Making

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 7, 2011

It’s high time for us Northern hemisphere dwellers to gather the goods to keep us warm and cozy for the winter. These include good books, dried herbs we gathered over the growing season, and—very importantly—music. There are few things more pleasurable than waking up on a cold morning, climbing into wool sweaters, making a fire [...]

Posted in Apothecaries | 4 Comments

Teas & Brews: Elemental Art Forms

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 27, 2011

The Wheel of the Seasons is turning, and we’re entering the Season of Water here in the Pacific Northwest. The light and warmth of the Sun has waned, and the plants have drawn their energy downward into their roots. The leaves are brown, the clouds and rain have turned the forests into misty, secretive cathedrals. [...]

Posted in Medicine Making | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Winter 2011 Reading List

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 26, 2011

For those of us residing in the Northern hemisphere, Winter’s knocking on our door. Now that we’ve travelled, harvested and feasted, we’re ready to get cozy by the fire and do some serious reading and tea drinking. I tend to keep all the books I’m currently reading stacked next to the bed and piled on [...]

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

Tradition is Innovation & Other Useful Paradoxes

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 25, 2011

Lately I’ve been really curious about what’s considered innovative in mainstream healthcare. I have my views and visions for what I think are good next steps for a sound health system–one based in communities and ecosystems, that takes into account ecological and animal health, based on positive health principles and prevention. But hey, that’s me, [...]

Posted in Originals, Systems Theory | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Inspiration Series: Cultivating Celebration & Gratitude

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 16, 2011

It’s a cold, rainy Wednesday night here in the Pacific Northwest. When the rain returns, the whole mood of this terrain shifts. You feel the pull downward, the crystalizing and cleansing qualities of water rinsing everything. It’s a good time to take stock, and reevaluate. I’ve also been dealing with health challenges that have been begging [...]

Posted in Announcements | Tagged | Leave a comment

Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 15, 2011

As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. Plants are extremely complex as beings, as are human (& other animals). To deal with this complexity, we like to learn a tradition and [...]

Posted in Medicine Making, Originals | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Why I Don’t Want to Talk About Natural Cures

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 15, 2011

I dislike the phrase ‘herbal remedies’. Reminds me too much of bad marketing campaigns over the years. Honestly, I also don’t like to use the word ‘natural’ either. It’s been so co-opted by all sorts of factions of society. I think of Clorox’s Greenworks, or the rebranding of Aspartame as Aminosweet and being marketed as [...]

Posted in Opinion | Tagged | 6 Comments

Aesthetic & Beauty in Practice

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 11, 2011

While reviewing the scientific literature on my thesis on the contribution of ethnobotanical knowledge & practice to public health, I come across a ton of ethnobotanical surveys, case studies and what-not that tend to skirt the issue and dance around this connection. The information I do find basically states: ethnobotanical knowledge/practice leads to greater self-care [...]

Posted in Opinion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Emerging Patterns & Trends, Happening Now

By Renée A.D. | Published: October 14, 2011

In the digital chatter of Twitter, @HenryDeMaio said: Just FYI, everything is going to be amazing. There’s momentum building lately. And I like where this is all heading. The status quo is changing. We don’t care about commodities, standardization and corporatization anymore. We want authenticity, wildness, audacity, art and magic. We’re becoming more connected, more real [...]

Posted in Originals | 2 Comments

And the Plants Will Set You Free

By Renée A.D. | Published: October 7, 2011

Through knowing and using the plants that grow around us—the ones in our backyard, the weeds that resist all efforts to control them, the abundance and diversity of the species in the Cascadian forests—we are more whole, secure and free. Grocery stores could shut down tomorrow and I could ride my bike 10 minutes out [...]

Posted in Originals | Leave a comment

She’s Back from the Blogging Hiatus!

By Renée A.D. | Published: October 1, 2011

There’s quite a bit that goes into creating and maintaing a blog. It’s a complex medium that requires some semblance of consistency and regular input. If you start to change your thinking around it, it shows. Earlier this year, I lost my stride a bit. I felt that the content had little cohesion and I didn’t really [...]

Posted in Announcements | Leave a comment

Larger than the Licensing Issue: The Debate Over Herb Regulations in the U.S.

By Renée A.D. | Published: February 1, 2011

Honesty moment: I’m really concerned about the conversation going on today about regulations over herbal practice. As a present herbalist and former research and policy analyst, I am interested in the policies being formulated that will affect herbal practice and feel a responsibility to participate in the discussion around it.  And as a human being, [...]

Posted in Opinion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

On the History of Herbals

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 8, 2010

Some time ago I began working on what I’ve dubbed a working herbal. Er, maybe just a notebook of plant information…either way, I have a 18″ by 30″ monster of a moleskine notebook (my unrivaled favorite notebook). Each page is dedicated to an herb. At first I freaked out because the paper was unlined. I [...]

Posted in Books, History & Lore | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Plant Healer Magazine

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 8, 2010

This week saw the first issue of the new Plant Healer Magazine: A Quarterly Journal of Traditional Western Herbalism. It dubs itself as the quarterly journal for the new folk herbalism resurgence. And, after doing a hearty and enthusiastic read-through yesterday, I quite agree! This is the new creation of Anima Center’s Kiva Rose and [...]

Posted in Publications, Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Infernal Proteus: A Musical Herbal

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 8, 2010

The herbalist Karyn Sanders gathered a bunch of artist and music folk to compile an album of songs about plants. This 96-page book contains 40 songs about plants–each from a different artist. Each band chose a plant to compose a song around. From her site: The musical styles cover an equally as diverse spectrum as [...]

Posted in Art & Other Wonders | Tagged , | Leave a comment