The Empirical Herbalist

The Empirical Herbalist Master Herbalist working for 20 + years with people of all ages and plants from all around the globe In the checkout I picked up a magazine that I often read.

I wish I could say that I was bitten by a radioactive dandelion or had a massive dose of chlorophyll and BAM I was on my way to being part of the “Herbvengers” but truth is NOT stranger than fiction. I had my lightbulb moment about a career change way back in the year 2000 doing something incredibly mundane. I was driving to a job that while it was fun and easy, it was just me going through the motions and didn’t spark any passion in my life. While stuck in traffic, I was staring at these giant mounds of upturned soil, and remembered all the fun I had as a kid playing in my great grandmother’s garden when it struck me that I should be working in the dirt. An odd thought, since I lived with my hubby in a one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the the city, but it definitely struck a nostalgic chord. Later that day for lunch, I stopped into a health food store to grab a meal. The first thing I saw when I opened it was a full page spread about an herbalist school, I felt the bulb get brighter. By the end of the day, I had a plan and I just needed to convince people I knew what I was doing. By the end of the week I was enrolled and as the cliche says- The rest is history. Over the next few decades, I’ve worked at an herb farm, taught classes on almost every herbal subject, and opened up a clinical business. Oh and yeah, there has been so much time spent in the dirt growing around 33% of the organic and biodynamic herbs I use to make products. I never knew that I would find my life’s passion on that day but every bit of me is so grateful that I did. I bring over 20 years of study and experience into every case but what I also work with a tenacity and I’m not afraid to try new approaches and get creative with herbal formulations. I often combine herbs from around the globe that belong to different modalities to get a formula or plan that most matches your situation not just the Western mindset of this issue gets treated with this herb. Both your health condition and the herbs that will help are multi layered. The benefit of working with an herbalist is the expert knowledge of the plants being used and how they work best in a treatment. Ruth (she/her) is happily married with 2 teenage children. Her passions include all things plants, great food and drink. She’s an avid reader and loves the challenge of a good board game. Her ideal day involves some time outside, several cups of tea, at least an hour reading and spending time with her family and friends, not in any particular order. Oh, Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain sounds pretty groovy too. My motto- “ A Better Life Through Herbs” extends to all aspects of life so working with me extends to all of them too. Whether you are looking to improve your culinary choices to be healthier and more tasty, you need some help with a flu bug or you are looking for help managing your chronic condition, there are herbs for it all. Communities Served

Clients of all ages- from birth through all stages of life

LGBTQ+


Specialties

Detoxes and Cleanses
Inflammation
Infertility
Unusual and rare cases
Sleep issues
Lactation Herbs
Utilizing Cell Salts
Hormonal issues such as Menopause, fertility, balancing hormones whether it’s Estrogen, Progesterone or Testosterone
Restoring Gut Health



History working with
Parasite Cleanses
Auto Immune Issues
Rebuilding the immune response
Cancer and Pre Cancerous conditions
Anxiety and Depression
ADHD
Typical health and wellness issues such as colds, flus, stress, insomnia, etc

So excited! We love traveling to SENC Herbal Conference - great fun, great classes and people and the town is adorable! ...
03/01/2026

So excited! We love traveling to SENC Herbal Conference - great fun, great classes and people and the town is adorable! Oh and did you know it's super close to the beach????

Feeling all the fun and community from Book Club last night. March meeting we will be discussing The Full Moon Coffee Sh...
02/27/2026

Feeling all the fun and community from Book Club last night. March meeting we will be discussing The Full Moon Coffee Shop. I can't wait to hear everyone's insight. Registration in comments-

02/21/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out for class today! This was a first- I forgot to record so I got to do it twice 🤪

Small businesses seem like canaries in a coal mine- we feel the shifts in the economy in real time. February is always a...
02/19/2026

Small businesses seem like canaries in a coal mine- we feel the shifts in the economy in real time. February is always a strange month but this one has been very quiet and still, lots less chirping.
I had to cancel the Salt Class earlier in the month and unless there are more registrations over the weekend, I'll be cancelling the Culinary Allies Coffee class so if you are interested- please sign up by Monday morning. I'll include the links in comments. Thank you all!

Next week we meet for the 2nd Book Club to discuss The Mistress of Spices and I wanted to give everyone enough time to r...
02/18/2026

Next week we meet for the 2nd Book Club to discuss The Mistress of Spices and I wanted to give everyone enough time to read and catch up for March and April because I know things get really busy in the Spring and I like to give people time incase they are ordering the books from the library or Online with shipping.

March we will meet on the 26th to discuss The Full Moon Coffee Shop- it's quite different from the other 2 but I couldn't stop thinking it was one that needed to be discussed.

In April, we need to meet earlier due to Event travel and we'll talk about Wayward.

Links are in the comments. Hope to see you there.

BOOK CLUB In 2 weeks, we'll meet online and in person to discuss this book. You still have time to read or listen to it....
02/12/2026

BOOK CLUB

In 2 weeks, we'll meet online and in person to discuss this book. You still have time to read or listen to it. DO NOT watch the movie though- let's just say they changed a few things.

Links to sign up in the comments. Cost is only a penny so the website will count you all. The first book club was so much fun!

Wild Medicine ConferenceHi all, I wanted to share a little bit about The Wild Medicine Herbal Conference in Nauvoo, Alab...
02/11/2026

Wild Medicine Conference

Hi all, I wanted to share a little bit about The Wild Medicine Herbal Conference in Nauvoo, Alabama. It’s hard for me to describe this event because it’s just such a full spectrum experience and even for me, a person who is known as “ a talker” has trouble capturing all the vibes, as the kids say so bear with me.

Going into its 3rd year, Michelle has put together a wonderful lineup of 16 instructors to share their knowledge, experiences and wisdom. Some you will recognize from social media or their books but each of them are not only a wealth of knowledge but are lovely down to earth cool people who are so excited to see you and share this time. It’s surreal to think that I get to be listed among them. This will be a weekend full of insight, laughter and deep connection to yourself and a larger community of souls who all have their bonds with the natural world. I know many people form very special friendships.

Just like in nature, no two conferences are alike. This year there will be a Thursday night kick off with yours truly talking about Once Upon a Mushroom- there will be myths, myth busting, facts and food featuring our Fun Guy friends. Costumes are encouraged but not required and everyone gets in with the cost of registration. It’ll be a special way to get into the spirit of the weekend.

Fridays pre conference events are add on extras but you won’t want to miss them. There are 5 different intensive options to really go deep into a niche topic. There is something for every level of herbal enthusiast or you can take the day to explore Camp McDowell, located on the edge of Bankhead National Forest. There are hiking trails and a lovely lake.

For the rest of the weekend there’s just too much to list, so visit the website but there is yoga, a concert, morning flow session, fireside stories, walking trails and so many workshops and classes.

There are plenty of lodging options and food packages including bringing your own. Hope to see some of you there.

OH- and there is a coupon code to save 50 dollars on registration with code
FEBRUARY - so jump on over to sign up.

Address

Powell, TN
37849

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

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