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

SOME thrilling news! You can now get a cuppa or a canister of The Campfire Tea out at one of my FAVORITE coffee shops an...
04/15/2026

SOME thrilling news! You can now get a cuppa or a canister of The Campfire Tea out at one of my FAVORITE coffee shops and local businesses. Calamity's Coffee is in Oak Ridge and definitely worth the drive time.

SUPER exciting news! The The Empirical Herbalist has joined our team of vendors!!! We’re starting with one spotlight tea (available retail or by the cup), but anticipate being able to offer a much wider variety as time goes on.

To celebrate warmer weather, we’re starting with Campfire tea, an homage to the practice of eating Smores, sharing stories and friendship around the fire pits during the Summer. It combines the smoky elements of Lapsang Souchong tea with cacao and a pop of cloves for a delicious brew hot or iced, straight or with all the sweeteners. Caffeine level is moderate/medium.

Check out all that's happening at Ritterfest! Come grab some herbs and stay for all the other cool things! It's our firs...
04/14/2026

Check out all that's happening at Ritterfest! Come grab some herbs and stay for all the other cool things! It's our first time at vending here!

We have a very busy weekend of vending all the herbal teas, tinctures, sprays and elixirs this weekend. You can find us ...
04/14/2026

We have a very busy weekend of vending all the herbal teas, tinctures, sprays and elixirs this weekend. You can find us on Friday and Saturday at Schulz Brau's Ritterfest and then Sunday Glenn and I will be vending over at Ijams Nature Center for their Mayapple Festival.

So grateful to be chosen as part of The Mother's Day Gift Guide from The Maker's City. Check it out for great gift givin...
04/13/2026

So grateful to be chosen as part of The Mother's Day Gift Guide from The Maker's City. Check it out for great gift giving ideas!

Some people show up for us in ways that are hard to put into words: the ones who check in, cheer us on, and love us through all of it. This one’s for them.

Violets - ViolaParts used- Flowers and leaves as food, syrup, tincture, oil, flower essenceYes that beautiful purple w**...
04/13/2026

Violets - Viola
Parts used- Flowers and leaves as food, syrup, tincture, oil, flower essence

Yes that beautiful purple w**d that pops up all spring- It’s also known as heartsease. This plant has been used probably as long as humans were hunter gathers. While it used to be a staple in the diets of people all around the world due to it’s early spring availability, it later morphed into being used primarily as a medicine and then even that fell out of fashion and now most people just note it in the yard.

Violets provide some easy and inexpensive medicines to deliver some much needed love and care to our bodies. We use the leaves and the flowers in yummy teas, syrups, lemonades, tinctures or glycerites. She’s a wonderful ally for seasons colds and dry coughs especially with a low drying fever that seems to just sneak up on you.

Throw them in salads, infuse salts, sugars or vinegars as ways to make them part of your kitchen medicine cabinet ALL year long. She’s a wonderful anti inflammatory and has an affinity for soft tissues such as the throat, larynx and tonsils. She also moves lymph and makes a great infused oil to massage the body and has historically been used to massage the breasts as a preventative for breast cancer or even benign cysts and tumors.
A violet balm or salve is a perfect addition to breast care support as it’s moves the lymph and breaks up cysts. Her work as a grief herb helps in this too. Far too many women, feel grief and stress in their chest area and this overload of the emotional body can show up in the physical.

The ancients saw her as not only a symbol of hope but one to help with mindfulness and contemplation and of course love (she has heart shaped leaves and belongs under the realm of Venus or Aphrodite) - self love, romantic love and love of fellow humans. What a beautiful physical reminder for us all.

She’s also a wonderful herb for the physical heart, Violet leaves and flowers are packed with Vitamin C, A, and rutin, which help with circulation and overall vitality.

The history of the plant sees it as a treatment for depression and melancholy. She’s used to help with sleep issues especially for people who ruminate. She aids in digestion.

Energetically, she releases and aids in letting go.

There are links in the comments if you would like to order as a tincture or balm.

Thank you Natural Affinity and everyone who came out to the Appalachian Floral Herbalism Class yesterday! I had a wonder...
04/12/2026

Thank you Natural Affinity and everyone who came out to the Appalachian Floral Herbalism Class yesterday! I had a wonderful time teaching about flowers and their uses!

04/06/2026

T-Shirt Drop!
We are super excited about our 2026 Lavender Festival t-shirt design, created by our very own artist-in-residence, garden coach and program coordinator, Katie (See on Instagram).

To purchase your Tee ahead of time, visit 865LIFE, our t-shirt partner: https://865life.com/collections/2025-lavender-festival

SAVE THE DATE -
🌸 Lavender Festival Main Event - Saturday FREE June 20, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Jackson Square, Oak Ridge

🎨150 Artisan vendors, live music and free children’s activities

🌸 Lavender Festival is presented by Oklo Inc., providing clean, reliable, affordable energy.

Spice blends and salts are back up on the website and I've added a few new or new to the Website options. Thank you for ...
04/06/2026

Spice blends and salts are back up on the website and I've added a few new or new to the Website options. Thank you for your patience while I reconfigured.

I spent the first part of the day decanting and labeling but this afternoon I got to lay on the ground underneath my eld...
04/02/2026

I spent the first part of the day decanting and labeling but this afternoon I got to lay on the ground underneath my elders and harvest loads of violets for a new item in the shop. Grateful for a slow afternoon in the sun!

Address

Powell, TN
37849

Opening Hours

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

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