Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine

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Asheville, NC
Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine

Blending the best of Chinese and American herbal medicine, with a focus on regional plants.

01/16/2026

TEACHER FEATURE!👩‍🏫🍎

Meet Katie Vie who teaches Aromatherapy for our In-Person Holistic Herbalism Program that occurs every April-October at The Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine.

Katie is a practitioner and teacher of Intuitive Aromatherapy.

When Katie teaches Aromatherapy for our students, she brings decades worth of experience blending essential oils, a deep respect for the plants and materials used in class, and a unique perspective about creating aromatic blends.

Katie is the visionary and blender at river island apothecary, a line of archetype anointing oils that correspond with the seasons of the Wheel of the Year. She’s also the content creator for The Darkwood School, and a massage therapist.

You can also follow Katie on Instagram

Check out her IG profile link for free classes, registration for the Darkwood Beat and the Intuitive Aromatherapy course, brick & mortar retailers, and her online shop. There you can also subscribe to Katie's newsletter: The Archetelegram

Or feel free to go directly to her website for more information: riverislandapothecary.com

01/14/2026

Throwback to November when I taught a class on “Chinese Medicine, Western Herbs” at the Southeast North Carolina Herb Conference (SENC) near Wilmington, NC.

Arriving a few days early to botanize with 7Song and Marc Williams made the experience even more plant-astic. 🌿

01/09/2026

Our post may be a little late, but it’s no less special. Congratulations to our 2025 Essentials of Herbalism students. These brilliant learners now know how to identify and ethically harvest wild plants, cook with them, craft a wide range of herbal preparations, and support many common ailments with confidence.

Each weekend was filled with engaging lectures, hands‑on medicine making and food preparation, and plant walks through herb gardens and the richly diverse forests of our region.

We’re so proud of the dedication, curiosity, and heart each student brought to this journey.

01/07/2026

🪶🐿️ Unexpected Visitor Alert! 🐿️🪶

Look who decided to drop in — a flying squirrel!

One photo of them on my computer bag in the closet, and one the next morning trying to hide in my pantry with the jars of bulk grains. Alas, as cute as they are, they are also nocturnal and can be noisy at night - not to mention their waste. I saved this one and brought them outside before my cat could get it.

01/02/2026

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

If you’ve been thinking about deepening your knowledge… this is your sign.

At the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, we offer immersive programs that connect you with the healing power of plants, the traditions of Appalachia, and the skills to bring herbal medicine into your daily life or professional practice.

✨ Whether you're just beginning your herbal journey or ready to deepen your clinical practice, we’ve got a class for you:

Essentials of Herbalism — foundational knowledge for everyday healing

Holistic Herbalist Program — a comprehensive path to clinical herbalism

Wild Medicine Internship — hands-on learning in the forest and field

🌲 All classes are held outdoors, surrounded by trees and flowing water — because healing starts with connection.

🔗 Registration for 2026 is open now — come learn, grow, and transform with us.

https://bit.ly/48jSPcG

12/31/2025

Fun Fact: This was our most popular post of the 2025 year😅

We always teach our students how to properly label their jars because chances are, you won't remember😅

Registration for our 2026 programs are open! Join a lineage of herbalist and apply today.

12/24/2025

While most of us know cocoa for its beans and the comfort it brings this time of year, it all begins with this—its delicate, otherworldly flower.

Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the Cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) grows small, star-like blossoms directly from its trunk and older branches—a rare phenomenon known as cauliflory. From these flowers come the colorful pods that hold the seeds we know as cocoa beans.

The name Theobroma translates to “food of the gods,” a reminder of how long this plant has been honored for both nourishment and ritual.

As light returns and the year prepares to turn, may we hold close the quiet beauty that begins in bloom. ✨

12/19/2025

Come join us for a hands-on learning experience! We are excited to continue to offer IN-PERSON classes.

Apply and pay before January 1st and receive our early bird discount.

www.blueridgeschool.org

12/12/2025

Have you read my book: Southeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 106 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness?

I am happy to say that this book has a 4.8 star rating on almost 900 reviews on Amazon (also available on the Pines Herbals website, elsewhere online, and in local bookstores).

This book is meant to be your trusted guide to finding, identifying, harvesting, and using over one hundred of the region’s most powerful wild plants. Readers will learn how to safely and ethically forage, and how to use wild plants in herbal medicines, including teas, tinctures, and salves.

12/10/2025

Join me in the garden as I harvest fresh Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) for our Tuls‑Ease Elixir.

Tulsi is one of my favorite adaptogens. Stress relieving, uplifting, heart centering, and enhances feelings of devotion.

This elixir is one of our most popular blends at Pine's Herbals Apothecary.

https://bit.ly/3wGTuam

12/03/2025

We’re excited to support ethnobiologist Marc Williams, who is also a longtime teacher with the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, as he hosts a powerful class on Afrobotany this Sunday, December 7th.

If you’ve studied with Marc before, you already know: this class will be worth your time. 🌿

11/28/2025

For those of you who take part in the gift-giving portion of this season, we invite you to keep our small apothecary in mind.

Each item in our apothecary is crafted with care. From our small-batch tinctures and herbal formulas, each offering reflects our commitment to plant wisdom and holistic living.

ON SALE NOW
- Cardamom & Citrus Bitters
- Blood Cleanse
- DeStress
- Strong Lungs
- Kava Chillixir

* AND enjoy 15% off on ALL single herbs

www.pinesherbals.com

Address

Asheville, NC

Telephone

+18285050032

Website

http://www.blueridgeschool.org/

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