The Plant Path: Herbalism, Medical Astrology & Spagyric Alchemy

Most herbs tend to be drying in nature. They're bitter or they're warming or they're astringent. The dynamic of dryness in terms of the state of our tissues or the state of someone's constitution is common. We live in a culture that is common for people to have an underlying state of dryness. So I tell my students that it's best to learn and know and memorize and integrate all the herbs that are typically moistening, and especially what organ systems they are moistening for. After that, you can assume that most other herbs are drying. In this week's blog post, I discuss why most herbs are drying, how to determine whether an herb is drying or moistening, and much more. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

Why do we get sick? When we're speaking about getting sick from some sort of pathogen, do we get sick because there are pathogenic germs that get into our body and make us sick, or do we get sick because of the terrain of the body, the ecosystem of the body, that is creating an environment that is then hospitable to those germs? It's almost a "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" kind of question. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

Bitters are a common category of herbal medicine that are universally used to support digestion. While bitters are amazing and incredible in all the many ways in which they support the digestive system, they're not always the most appropriate type of remedy for people to use. In our modern world where it seems like almost everyone has a digestive symptom of some sort, bitters are becoming significantly more and more popular and are commonly used by lay folk who aren't herbalists. There is some danger there in terms of whether bitters are appropriate for certain people with a certain constitution to be taking, as well as whether someone can become dependent on bitters. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

It's common for folks to think about willow as an alternative to aspirin. Most people know that willow bark also contains salicylic acid, which is the main compound in aspirin. But if we think of willow just as an herbal form of aspirin, it can oftentimes lead to misuse of this plant, which can lead to possible adverse side effects if you give it to the wrong person. But I also think that, contrary to popular belief, there are times where aspirin has its place. I have been adopting a little bit more of an open mind when it comes to healing and helping people. I believe that there are certain situations where an aspirin actually might be able to save a life. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. Sajah's approach honors and acknowledges the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of plants for a holistic model that uses the whole herb to heal the whole person. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path provides unique perspectives for the modern practitioner of herbalism that doesn't just want to "fix what's broken" in the body, but seeks to serve others with deeper levels of healing and transformation with herbal medicines. A unique synergy of clinical herbalism, alchemy, medical astrology, and herbal traditions from around the world, The Plant Path focuses on giving you a truly "wholistic" perspective on herbal medicine so you never fall into the trap of allopathic herbalism. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

Herbal oil applied to the skin is an excellent form of self-care. Oils provide several benefits: there's the healing from the medicinal constituents of the herb, the affirmation that we're taking care of ourselves, and the self-healing power of physical touch. We need to overcome the incorrect notion that infused oils are for skincare or to look pretty or to take away wrinkles. We do need to keep in mind that when we use oils, we're absorbing things into our skin. That's why herb-based oils are better than petroleum-based oils. This week's podcast guest is an expert in herbal oils. Kami McBride is the author of The Herbal Kitchen, and she's taught herbal medicine at several colleges. Over more than 30 years, Kami has helped thousands of families make the highest-quality herbal remedies to prevent illness, take care of common ailments, and protect their health naturally. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

Using plants to address ADD and ADHD can be beneficial for children on so many different levels, not just helping them navigate our standard educational model, which isn't always suitable to all learning types, but also helping to keep these kids off of some of these stronger medications that they're put on and some of the detrimental side effects that they can have, not to mention helping parents navigate some of this territory. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

As Ayurveda has become popular, interest in eating according to your constitutional type has grown. Over the last few years we've seen this dynamic of eating and tailoring your diet to specifically suit your unique dosha. And while I think there are some great aspects to that, I also think there are a few risks in terms of how we approach food, how we approach eating, the state of our mind, how we think about our food, and how sometimes we can turn food into a stressor. A few topics discussed in this episode are: The Origins of the Ayurvedic Diet Qualities of the Doshas Enjoying Our Food Listen to Your Body and the Seasons A Real-Food Diet ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/ ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve. ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

A student from Africa asked some questions about how to start to fit herbs into our Western model of understanding them when that information isn't readily available. In Africa, there are lots of local medicinal plants that you can't look up in your typical materia medica reference book. But if you are studying Western herbalism, it's helpful to understand your plants in terms of their medicinal actions, their energetics, their organ system affinities, and so on. So where do you start? How do you figure that stuff out? I've got a nice framework for how you can start to approach a medicinal plant that you don't know or that you can't look up and reference, and how to start to build your experiential knowledge and understanding of that medicinal plant. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. Sajah's approach honors and acknowledges the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of plants for a holistic model that uses the whole herb to heal the whole person. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path provides unique perspectives for the modern practitioner of herbalism that doesn't just want to "fix what's broken" in the body, but seeks to serve others with deeper levels of healing and transformation with herbal medicines. A unique synergy of clinical herbalism, alchemy, medical astrology, and herbal traditions from around the world, The Plant Path focuses on giving you a truly "wholistic" perspective on herbal medicine so you never fall into the trap of allopathic herbalism. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

On this week's episode of The Plant Path, Whitney is joined by herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt. They have a discussion around wildcrafting practices; how to build relationships with the plants that grow around you by learning how to honorably harvest, tend, and care for land in your bioregion; how to work with the wild plants around you for food, medicine, and healing; and much more. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. Sajah's approach honors and acknowledges the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of plants for a holistic model that uses the whole herb to heal the whole person. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path provides unique perspectives for the modern practitioner of herbalism that doesn't just want to "fix what's broken" in the body, but seeks to serve others with deeper levels of healing and transformation with herbal medicines. A unique synergy of clinical herbalism, alchemy, medical astrology, and herbal traditions from around the world, The Plant Path focuses on giving you a truly "wholistic" perspective on herbal medicine so you never fall into the trap of allopathic herbalism. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

Say there's a remedy that you really want to work with, but you don't have it available, or maybe it's an at-risk plant that has a threatened ecological status. What are the things that you want to look at in order to find an ideal replacement herb? The discussion today is about how goldenseal is used and some ideal replacement remedies for goldenseal, but on a higher, meta level, really looking at a process for what things you want to do when you're looking for replacing a remedy or finding an adjunct remedy to work with. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/ Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. Sajah's approach honors and acknowledges the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of plants for a holistic model that uses the whole herb to heal the whole person. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines. ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path provides unique perspectives for the modern practitioner of herbalism that doesn't just want to "fix what's broken" in the body, but seeks to serve others with deeper levels of healing and transformation with herbal medicines. A unique synergy of clinical herbalism, alchemy, medical astrology, and herbal traditions from around the world, The Plant Path focuses on giving you a truly "wholistic" perspective on herbal medicine so you never fall into the trap of allopathic herbalism. ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.