Herbs & Spice and Everything Nice

06/23/2022

My thoughts exactly.

Written and performed by Rob HerringProduced by Rob Herring & Brandon IntelligatorMusic video produced by Mercola.com

04/28/2022

Abhyanga, or daily body oiling is one of the core therapies I used to heal myself from chronic anxiety.

Coating the entire body head to toe with oil (usually sesame oil) is incredibly therapeutic - particularly to any vata related disturbances within the body & mind (anxiety being one of them, along with stress, tension, dry creaky joints, poor sleep and and more)
Daily self oil massage also increases longevity & overall vitality, makes the skin more supple & moist, tonifies muscles & tissues, moves stagnation within the lymphatic system which supports immunity, improves circulation, supports deep restful sleep,

and in general soothes, nourishes and replenishes the nervous system - relieving fatigue, protecting against exhaustion, relaxing & calming any tension.... and the list of health benefits goes on... all from just smothering yourself with oil!

But the therapeutic benefits of body oiling dramatically increases if you infuse those oils with medicinal herbs.

Using herbal infused oils is a powerful way to absorb the medicinal properties of the plants and to also target specific therapeutic actions like replenishing the nervous system, tonifying the muscles and relaxing spasms or tension.

In this week's blog post, I share 3 herbs you can make into a medicated oil to balance your doshas or constitution.

🌿🙌🏼 💦 Tap the link below to watch the video for more on Abhyanga & making herbal oils for your specific body type: https://bit.ly/3EYWAqd

Photo of a Pitta balancing herbal oil I made with Wild Rose (Rosa nutkana) petals in olive oil 🌸

04/19/2022

Echinacea + Mars :: 🌿✨❤️ Echinacea has many obvious signs of its strong connection to Mars. First, we see Mars signatures in the pointed cone shape of the flower orienting itself up and out, much like the glyph (♂) of the red planet.

The center of the cone is filled with sharp, bristly, and pointed disc flowers. The purple color is another indication of Mars as well, which is a common color signature for blood stagnation and sepsis, which Echinacea is specific for treating.

The diffusive, stimulant, tingly sensation of Echinacea is another Mars quality, same with its primary sites of action: the immune system and blood, both of which are also ruled by none other than Mars.

The overall stimulant effect is distinctly Martian as well. Mars governs diseases of the blood, infection, wounds, bites (IE snake/spider), purulent discharge, and inflammatory states.

Mars also bears a strong correlation to Echinacea on the psycho-spiritual level too. This plant is specific for people who are worn out and depleted from overworking and pushing themselves too hard. Which could be seen as an excess of Mars leading to its deficiency.

If the connections between plants and planets intrigue you I'd love to invite you to our program Botanical Constellations. It's a 12-Month subscription program (only $27/month) where you'll learn about herbalism through the zodiac.🌿❤️🌿 Tap the link to learn more and enroll: https://bit.ly/3KVCkbs

03/03/2022

Plants are like people🌱… they have character, personality, and a depth of being that’s far beyond their chemistry, actions, or anything that can be simply summed up in a few paragraphs like most monographs try to do.

I mean, can you really get a sense for what kind of person someone is in a handful of sentences?

I don’t just want to know about the plants I work with as medicines… I want to understand them with depth, with precision, and really know them inside and out.🌿🙏🏼

If you feel the same then I want to seriously encourage you to check out Materia Medica Monthly.

Over the years I’ve created what I call the “universal monograph template,” and I’ve used it ever since when compiling research and experience on medicinal plants.

It takes literally everything you need to know about a medicinal plant to work with it holistically and puts it all together in a framework that rapidly accelerates your ability to not just learn, but understand your herbal remedies with depth and precision.🌟

This usually results in a comprehensive 20+ page monograph that’s incredibly detailed and refined. On top of that, I take that monograph and walk you through it step-by-step in what usually ends up being 2-3 hours of video… plus, every other month, you get a live Q&A webinar to ask any questions!💚🙌🏽

I’d love to offer you a FREE issue as a way of saying thank you for being a part of the greater Evolutionary Herbalism community.

✨Tap the link below to get your free issue:

https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/mmm-free-issue/

02/10/2022

YARROW: Flower Powerful Medicine

This bitter-tasting perennial of the Asteraceae family is helpful in so many ways. Its diaphoretic (opens pores and helps us sweat) and diuretic (increases urine flow) properties support our bodies during flus and fevers, as well as detoxifying chemicals in general.
Another gift yarrow offers is for healing wounds as a styptic (stops bleeding).

The flowering tops produce the strongest medicine (which I use fresh to make a tincture).

Do you use yarrow and if yes, how do you use it?

Yard Remedies = Forage for your Health!

IF YOU LIKE FORAGING & would like to jump into some medicine-making too, I invite you to check out my online course 🌱Wild Food Health Boosters & Herbal Remedies🌿 here: 👉 http://www.WildFoodHealthBoosters.com

In this course you'll learn to forage for potent wild food & create your own herbal remedies; to enhance your immune system & increase your overall health using plants that are easily available to you: Dandelion & Field Garlic. You’ll learn to forage & prepare these plants into tasty recipes that are fun to make and that you’ll love.

A substantial portion of this course is devoted to teaching you how to make your own health promoting tinctures!
🌱Wild Food Health Boosters & Herbal Remedies🌿 - explore this new powerful online course here: 👉 http://www.WildFoodHealthBoosters.com

02/09/2022

Thinking about teaching classes on herbs again here in Montrose.
I need to know if anyone would be interested. If so, just message me.

01/31/2022

🌿 EXPECTORANT HERBS 🌿

These herbs are antimicrobial, anti inflammatory, decongesting, antiviral, and immune boosting.

The benefits are endless... 💚

10/24/2021

“Alchemy is consciously assisted evolution.” ✨🌿🔥
-Frater Albertus

The foundation of Alchemy is knowing that to heal is to evolve, and to evolve is to heal. Working with a plant in the Alchemical process isn’t just about preparing medicine that will heal, but also about preparing medicine that will evolve the human who takes it.

It's like polishing an old mirror, scouring away the layers of conditioning that have clouded the true essence - revealing the real brilliance & beauty of the whole being you are. ✨🔥🌿💧⚗️✨

To begin your journeys into the tradition of Alchemy and find out how to make your own Alchemically prepared herbal medicines, follow the link below to get into the free workshop series we're sharing right now 💫

✨Free Mini-Series now closed✨

10/22/2021

Alchemy's Origins ✨ The tradition of Alchemy was birthed in the land of Khem, what is now Egypt, and has evolved over thousands of years, over 3 continents, through a melding of influences from multiple cultures. From the history we know of, there are contributions from African, Arabic, Greek, Vedic, Chinese, and European lineages of medicine, religion & science.
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As the art traveled throughout many parts of the world, each culture evolved the work of Alchemy in various ways. In the Ayurvedic tradition, there is a strong understanding of Alchemical medicine making – bhasmas, whereas the Taoists developed a highly refined system of internal Alchemy, or Qi Gong. Alchemy is also a spiritual and mystical path, as seen in the Qabalah.
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In the Herbal Alchemy Training Sessions we're sharing practices from the European lineage of Alchemy, further developed by Paracelsus in the early 1500’s. In this free workshop series you'll learn a Spagyric medicine making technique that was developed by Paracelsus.
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We’re grateful & humbled to have teachers who passed on this information to us & have granted their blessing for us to share this with you. It’s a huge privilege to have access to this information, especially when so much was lost or almost destroyed and how many gave their lives to protect it.

Due to the sacrifice of the devotees of the art, Alchemy has survived after being hidden to be protected during times of war, occupation, exploitation & persecution against those who carried its knowledge, many Alchemists were hanged or burned at the stake along with the Witches.
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It’s an honor to be able to continue on this lineage of medicine, science & spirituality today, where it is rising again from the underground to be shared at a time when this healing art is deeply needed.

✨Free Mini-Series now closed✨

✨🌿🔥💧⚗️✨

10/21/2021

Of all the things humans rely on plants for, the most intriguing is our use of them to change consciousness.

Some of our favorite herbal allies that we call upon for a shift in consciousness include Blue Lotus, Mugwort, and Reishi 💜🌿

Some more too! 😉🤫

What allies do you call on for enhanced clarity, deepened intuition, and connection to spirit?

10/21/2021

A Prescription for Life ~ by Rosemary Gladstar

"There is no great secret to good health. Despite the bombardment of advertising from the health and beauty industries that offers an instant pill or cure-all for the woes and illnesses of life, good health is, in truth, the practice of living healthfully each and every day!

If we become susceptible to illness, lack vitality, or feel unfocused or lethargic, it is generally due not to any mysterious illness but, rather, to lack of exercise, lack of sleep, poor dietary practices, and too little quality time with friends and family.

You can not get energy, health, and vitality from a pill, or even from a cup of herbal tea. Everyday radiant well-being, in mind, body, and soul, is a function of everyday self care.

It is a prescription for life! It is a part of what you do, what you take into your body, and what you feed your mind.

Eat good food, Explore your passions, Get up from your chair, Wiggle, Play hard, Rest well, Put your mind to work. LAUGH"

10/21/2021

Full Moon Magic!

10/21/2021

Making herbal tea becomes second nature the more you do it, but it can be a bit intimidating at first, especially for budding herbalists or anyone who didn’t grow up drinking tea at home.

Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that you can take to ease into your tea-making journey, and we’re here to answer any questions you may have along the way!
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​Newsletter subscribers: find our Monday email with the subject line "Tea-making tips for beginners" for full reading + our inexpensive tools recommendations! 💫🌿
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​Not a subscriber? Get on our mailing list for our Herbal Academy love letters: https://theherbalacademy.com/sign-up/ 🌼💌🙌
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10/21/2021

10/19/2021

Johns Hopkins Medicine Receives First Federal Grant for Psychedelic Treatment Research in 50 years

The question that remains to be answered: are psilocybin mushrooms -at the same dose of psilocybin - less, equal or more beneficial than pure psilocybin?

This is the first NIH grant awarded in over a half century to directly investigate the therapeutic effects of a classic psychedelic, consistent with a recent study published online that searched NIH funding and found zero grants were awarded between 2006 and 2020. Johns Hopkins Medicine will lead the multisite, three-year study in collaboration with University of Alabama at Birmingham and New York University. The study will be conducted simultaneously at the three institutions to diversify the pool of participants and increase confidence that results apply to a wide range of people who smoke. The grant, totaling nearly $4 million, is funded by NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse."⁣

Over the last 20 years, there has been a growing renaissance of research with classic psychedelics, which are the pharmacological class of compounds that includes psilocybin and L*D. These studies have been largely funded by philanthropy, resulting in impressive clinical findings for cancer-related existential distress, major depressive disorder and substance use disorders.

Can help smokers quit? National Institute on Drug Abuse has funded Matthew Johnson, Ph.D., to find out. on twitter

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/johns-hopkins-medicine-receives-first-federal-grant-for-psychedelic-treatment-research-in-50-years via on twitter

10/19/2021

I am sorry to repeat that Herbs & Spice closed it's doors over 3 years ago. This is only for information we pass on. If anyone cannot understand this I will have to close this page. Give me some feedback.

08/30/2021

The most important thing that I would like to show you, and that many books lack, is how to correctly identify these plants.

08/24/2021

Here in the Pacific Northwest, the air is hot, the land is dry and the Sun penetrates us, urging us to drink more fluids to stay hydrated.

In the same way Summer dries us out, many medicinal plants also have this effect. Whether it’s from increasing urination, exocrine gland secretions to sweating… there are actually many ways herbs do this - which can lead to an overall drying effect upon the body.

So this is where knowing your moistening materia medica is critical for success as an herbalist.

My number one remedy here is Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis). Marshmallow root is the quintessential moistening remedy in Western herbalism. It has this affinity for the lungs, the gut, and the urinary tract and it’s so versatile in its affinity for all of the mucus membranes of the body. Pretty much any time I see someone with dryness, Marshmallow sits at the front of my mind as remedies to balance this out.

This week I wanted to share an older video that has some core concepts of how dryness can be balanced using moistening remedies. I also discuss the fluid element in the body, which actually manifests in two forms: water and oil, meaning there are two types of hydration we need to pay attention to!

If you'd like to watch the video on the Importance of Moistening Plants, click the following link and tell us below, what's your favorite moistening plant? https://bit.ly/2UJl44e