Herbalistix, Herbal Medicine in Kerry

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

Bealtaine is a beautiful time of flowers and really fast luxuriant growth and panicking gardeners. We were in Gorey shopping yesterday and these lovely horse chestnut trees lined the car park and of course their flowers are only beautiful at this time and low enough to get a nice picture of one of them.

Some people called them candle trees at this time and later in the year we called them conkers and I still see young people out along the banks of our river to where we have some really old chestnut growing gathering their conkers later in the year.

A gel or cream made from the conkers is used to treat varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

Tree Harvest Sentient tree essence:
Horse Chestnut harmonizes personal energy flows and eases agitation caused by friction, contrast and differences in oneself and in relation to others. The surface of the mind becomes quieter, allowing calm and clear flow of intuition, instead of being stuck with repetitive thoughts and anxieties. Impatience and intolerance lessen as empathy and intuition grow.

Some people make an infusion to use as a laundry detergent from the conkers.

This is a tree that many children know well, from climbing and gathering its fruits.

Anyway, we wish you Bealtaine Blessings and hope you enjoy the season.

14/04/2026

🌿 Deep Dive: The Golden Healer (Calendula officinalis) 🔬

We just started our flats of Pot Marigold seeds under the grow lights, and we always make sure to dedicate a massive section of the homestead garden to this bright, cheerful flower. But did you know that Calendula officinalis is so much more than just a pop of color for the wood chip beds? It is a medicinal powerhouse backed by centuries of traditional use and serious modern clinical science!

As we compile the research for the Grow, Gather, Heal series, we are breaking down the top therapeutic properties of this amazing plant.

🩹 Accelerated Wound Healing
Calendula is world-famous for its ability to accelerate tissue repair.
🔹 The Mechanism: It actively stimulates the production of new collagen and promotes angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels). Clinical studies have shown it to be highly effective in treating severe and chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and surgical incisions.

🔥 Cooling the Fire (Pain & Inflammation)
Packed with natural active compounds like triterpenoids (especially faradiol) and flavonoids, Calendula acts as a systemic coolant.
🔹 The Mechanism: It actively reduces swelling, redness, and pain at the cellular level. This is exactly why it is our go-to base for soothing homestead ointments for acute musculoskeletal injuries, severe burns, and allergic skin rashes.

🛡️ The Mucosal Protector
From soothing diaper rash to treating severe lip inflammation, Calendula is a savior for irritated, raw tissues. It acts as a botanical bandage, and has even been proven clinically effective in easing oral mucositis and preventing acute radiation-induced dermatitis in cancer patients!

🦠 The Natural Antiseptic Shield
The essential oils and extracts pulled right from the sticky resin of Calendula petals exhibit strong antibacterial, antifungal, and even antiviral properties.
🔹 The Target: It helps fight off common pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Candida, making it an excellent natural antiseptic to keep infections out of deep cuts and scrapes.

☀️ Grower's Tip: The Power of Orange
When you are growing Calendula, the deeper the orange, the better! That vibrant color comes from a massive concentration of carotenoids and flavonoids. These act as heavy-duty antioxidants, scavenging harmful free radicals and protecting your cells from oxidative stress and environmental damage like UV radiation.

How do you use Calendula in your daily routine—salves, teas, or oils? Let us know!

14/04/2026

Connective Tissue Tonic 🍃✨🌿 This formula is traditionally made into a tincture, though it can also be used in infused oils or salves, to support healing of tendons, ligaments, connective tissue, and bones.

🌱 Ingredients:
40% Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)
20% Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
20% Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica)
10% Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
5% Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)
5% Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)

It works on multiple levels:
🌱 Mineral support for musculoskeletal tissues (Horsetail, Nettle)
🌱 Connective tissue deposition and repair (Boneset)
🌱 Circulation and tissue stimulation (Cayenne, Lobelia)
🌱 Fluid lubrication and tone adjustment (Solomon’s Seal)

Solomon’s Seal leads the blend, providing a gentle, moistening quality that helps lubricate joint fluids and adjust connective tissue tone.

Would you add any other herbs to your connective tissue support? Share below 👇🏼💚

22/02/2026

🌿 Herb in Focus: The Synergistic Power of Hyssop & Mullein 🤝

In the traditional apothecary, Hyssop (the stimulant) and Mullein (the soother) are frequently paired to treat complex lung conditions. Now, a rigorous 2023 triple-blind clinical trial has validated this ancient "power couple" for modern viral respiratory care.

As detailed in our new infographic, Hyssop & Mullein Tea Clinical Trial, here is what the latest science reveals about using this tea as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19:

🔬 The Study Design
The trial involved 80 hospitalized patients. While everyone received standard hospital care, the intervention group drank a specific herbal tea blend (15g Hyssop flowers + 5g Mullein leaves) three times a day.

📉 The Results: The "Day 8" Kicker
The tea group recovered much faster than the control group.

Day 2: Early relief was noted, specifically for body pain and sore throat.

Day 6: Significant reduction in all five monitored symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness, throat, pain).

Day 8 (The Big Win): While the control group still had lingering issues, 100% of the patients in the herbal tea group reported NO cough, NO shortness of breath, and NO pain.

⚗️ Why The Synergy Works
It works because they cover each other's bases:

Hyssop: Acts as a potent anti-inflammatory, regulating cytokines and even acting on opioid receptors to reduce body pain.

Mullein: Provides ursolic acid (a viral inhibitor) and cooling mucilage that heals the hoarseness and soothes the tissues Hyssop is stimulating.

It is proof that sometimes, the most powerful medicine is found in the synergy of the teapot.

Want to learn more about the herbs that heal, check out our books, https://rjhomestead.com/books

13/02/2026

Let's not rush, but observe what nature is up to. Friday comes under the influence of as does the Herb for the chest, to ease coughs and support the lungs.
Our breath is our life, sometimes it needs care and thought, as well as support, especially with cold damp conditions, our winters provide. Botanical name for this Herb means cough away,
Friday is goddess day, when feminine power rules, it's all about flow and fertility. Again nature reflects that, we can see our soil nourishing the plants and the light encouraging growth and expansion.
There are 13 moons and 13 cycles, all about harmony, balance, alignment and power.
Friday 13th is an auspuscious day, enjoy the energy and let's allow ourselves to ease into it as the rest of nature will.

28/01/2026

Medicinal mushroom regulations: An update on restrictions and herbal safety 🍄

Recent changes to medicinal mushroom regulations have impacted access to turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris). This article discusses safety legislation and the value of working with medical herbalists.

In the UK, over-the-counter herbal and mushroom supplements are sold as food supplements, which means that they are regulated by the FSA. The FSA aims to ensure that any items that are sold as food or food supplements are guaranteed to cause no harm. Whether a product has a health benefit is not considered.

This separation of food from medicine in legislation is historical and practical — to preclude inaccurate, misleading, or completely unfounded claims. It is important to remember that when herbalists prescribe and dispense herbs, they are considered medicine. When herbs are sold in a shop or a market without a consultation, they are considered food supplements, even if they are identical to what a herbalist would prescribe after a consultation.

When a supplement company is banned from selling something that isn’t really a food, or from making a claim that implies it is a medicine, it isn’t the same as preventing the public from accessing natural medicines. Medicinal herbs and mushrooms are still available to forage and purchase — over-the-counter for those that have been proven to be safe to use without medical advice or monitoring, or via a herbalist following a consultation as part of a bespoke prescription for those with restrictions. This ensures safe access to foods and medicines, which, on the whole, is a system that works well.

🔗Read the full article via: https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/safety/medicinal-mushroom-regulations-an-update-on-restrictions-and-herbal-safety/

27/01/2026

Sustainability is the theme for this season’s Power of Plants magazine. Our editor Jenny Carden-Porrett interviewed Ann Armbrecht of the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI) to find out more.

As an anthropologist by training and then a herbalist student with Rosemary Gladstar, Ann has a deep interest in the relationships that we have with people and plants. According to Ann, the aim of SHI's work is “to be a North Star” and help guide people inside and outside the herbal industry to source and buy herbal products that support health in its widest sense. Ann has some suggestions of where we can all start, whether we are herbalists, herbal product companies or consumers.

- Grow and harvest some of your own herbs. It gives real insight into the work and the costs involved to produce high quality medicinal plants.

- Take a deep dive into one herb - where it grows, how it grows, who produces or harvests it and its conservation status. Follow its journey and share that with others, whether in your herbal practice or herbal community.

- Ask questions of the companies that you buy herbs, herbal supplements or herbal products from. Do they know where their herbs come and if not, why not? Let them know why this matters. SHI is also producing a new consumer guide to help with this.

- If you are a company sourcing medicinal plants, join an SHI Learning Lab. They bring together stakeholders from across the global supply chain to explore how to make meaningful change in the herbal industry.

The next Learning Lab starts on January 27th, DM for more information.

22/01/2026

This book is still on reading lists for those studying but it available for every home to own.
🌿The story of Maude and Hilda is worth exploring as these 2 remarkable women made history with how they supported others, educated, and helped during the wars.
🌿Mrs C. F. Leyel is our Hilda, she used a pen name as was the fashion back then.
🌿Hilda wrote the introduction and edited the book, as well as founded The Society of Herbalists to protect the profession from government control.
On her death it became The Herb Society a registered educational charity that is now in its 99th year.
Perhaps you are a member, gaining the many benefits we offer and enjoying a community that speaks out and supports herbs in all their virtues.

15/01/2026

It’s time to introduce our first fantastic speaker for our first online event of 2026!

We will be joined by Lynn Shore, who will be talking about ‘The Magic of Foraging: Reclaiming Intimacy with the Land.’

A longstanding member, and now Trustee of The Herb Society, Lynn is also active in the Association of Foragers, Herbalists Without Borders, the Dutch Phytotherapy Association, and the Complementary Medical Association. As a Trustee, she brings expertise in urban herbology, education, and community engagement to inspire sustainable herb use and connection with nature.

Originally from Bristol, Lynn grew up in a farmhouse on the edge of the city, where early experiences of foraging and observing wildlife sparked a lifelong passion for the natural world. She now lives in Amsterdam with her family.

After earning a degree in genetics and working briefly in genome research, Lynn became a biology teacher. She has pursued extensive training in herbal medicine over 25 years, studying with practitioners including Susun W**d and Glennie Kindred, and holds Dutch qualifications in herbal medicine, stress management, and depression coaching.

In Amsterdam, Lynn runs Mugwort and Marigold, a complementary therapy practice, and Urban Herbology, which reconnects people with urban nature through foraging walks, workshops, and online courses. She also manages a community herb garden where residents grow and tend local herbs.

In October 2025, Lynn’s first book, The Green City Witch: Weaving a Magical Life in Urban Spaces, was published by Aeon Books.

When: Saturday 28th February from 10.30am - noon
Tickets go live: Monday 19th January
Who can join? Anyone with an interest or passion for herbs!

This event is open to members and non members. Tickets can also be purchased in advance to access the recording if you can’t join live.

14/01/2026

Some of the main herbs and their organ affinities. An oversimplification to be sure but a good place to start: Wormwood-digestive tract; Elecampane-lung; Calendula-skin; Saint John's Wort-nerves; Yarrow-blood; Comfrey-tissues and bones; Mullein-lymph; Hot Peppers-circulatory system; Echinacea-immune system; Elderberry-also immune system; Dandelion-liver; Aloe-skin and digestive tract; Hawthorn-heart; Tulsi-spirit (an adaptogen); Spilanthes-oral mucosa; Goldenseal-mucous membrane; Valerian-central nervous system; and Arnica-muscle and ligament. Seeds and plants available online at www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com. The classic medicinal cookbook is "Making Plant Medicine." One of the best references for more information on growing, harvesting and utilizing medicinal herbs is "Growing Plant Medicine Vols 1 and 2."
Pretty pictures at this video link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pISCQbRxg2E