The Plant Path: Herbalism, Medical Astrology & Spagyric Alchemy

This week, we have a very interesting question that comes up from time to time in regard to whether an herb can actually work like an antibiotic and the possible benefits and risks in terms of using herbs to treat pathogenic infections. This is a pretty relevant topic these days as we are in the midst of the COVID 19 situation. I'm seeing more and more people reaching out to plants as a way of strengthening their immune system and wanting to look at antiviral and antibacterial herbs and how to protect themselves and their family. So we're going to be talking about antiseptic or antimicrobial plants and weighing their benefits and risks. We'll also have a really excellent discussion in terms of the difference between how an herbal medicine works in contrast to how a lot of pharmaceutical medications, and specifically antibiotics, work in the human organism. This week, we have a very interesting question that comes up from time to time in regard to whether an herb can actually work like an antibiotic and the possible benefits and risks in terms of using herbs to treat pathogenic infections. This is a pretty relevant topic these days as we are in the midst of the COVID 19 situation. I'm seeing more and more people reaching out to plants as a way of strengthening their immune system and wanting to look at antiviral and antibacterial herbs and how to protect themselves and their family. So we're going to be talking about antiseptic or antimicrobial plants and weighing their benefits and risks. We'll also have a really excellent discussion in terms of the difference between how an herbal medicine works in contrast to how a lot of pharmaceutical medications, and specifically antibiotics, work in the human organism. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

In this special issue of The Plant Path, Whitney interviews Lucy Jones, author of Self-Sufficient Herbalism. This book couldn't be coming out at a more important time, when as herbalists we really need to take a step back and look at how sustainable and self-sufficient we are (or aren't). Do we really take responsibility for the herbs we use to help people and work with them directly? Or are we overly reliant on big supplement and herbal companies to supply all of our remedies? This became really apparent during the first big shut down from Coronavirus... it was almost impossible to get herbs anywhere! The big supplement and herb companies weren't shipping herbs because they shut down, and many others were out of stock of a large majority of their inventory. I think this can be a little bit of a wake up call for us herbalists to really think about where our herbs come from and how we can be more directly involved in the plants we give to the people we heal by harvesting, growing, and preparing them ourselves. That's exactly what Lucy Jones covers in her book Self-Sufficient Herbalism, and what she and Whitney dig into in this interview. Grab a copy of the book right here if you're in the US or here if you're in the UK. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

In this special episode of The Plant Path, I interviewed naturopath, herbalist, nutritionist, and medical astrologer Kira Sutherland. Kira's been a clinical practitioner for over 20 years and the use of her client's birth chart has been one of her primary tools for holistic assessment and providing insights into how to best navigate her cases. This conversation was really exciting, as Kira lays out her process for using the astrological chart to help her clients by assessing their constitution, finding the root causes of their health concerns, how to find the right remedy, and even how she talks to them and creates her protocols. Here's where to find Kira online: https://astrologyofhealth.com/ https://www.facebook.com/astrologyofhealth/ https://www.instagram.com/astrologyofhealth/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathically focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Having a connection to the herbal allies you work with is essential to truly accessing the deepest levels of healing offered by plant medicines. But how do you develop a relationship with these botanical beings? In this episode, Asia Suler shares a guide for connecting to the primordial language of nature where we can learn from our plant allies. This connection to the natural world weaves us back into relationship with life. It opens the gateway to guide us in becoming instruments of blessing & healing in the world. In Asia's own words, "We live in a world that is full of medicine. In many origin stories its said that once all beings spoke the same language. And that it wasn't until we forgot this mother tongue that we lost our understanding of our place in the weave of all things, the knowledge of our own part to play in the healing. This is an invitation to remember how to speak that ancient language. The language of interconnection. Of green magic. Of intuition and spirit. It is an invitation to learn how to communicate with the growing world and to rediscover your unique medicine." --------------------------------------ABOUT OUR GUEST - ASIA SULER: -------------------------------------- Asia Suler is a writer, teacher, mystic and herbalist who lives in the folds of the Blue ridge mountains. She is the creator and concoctress of One Willow Apothecaries, an Appalachian-grown company that offers lovingly handcrafted medicines and alchemical gateways of education. A unique combination of western and energetic herbalism, stone medicine, earth-centered shamanism and intuitive healing, Asia's work includes private consultations as well as online programs and in-person retreats. You can find out more about Asia's online course, Intuitive Plant Medicine here: https://onewillowapothecaries.com/classes/online-learning/intuitive-plant-medicine//ref/45904 You can follow Asia's work through these channels: www.onewillowapothecaries.com https://www.facebook.com/OneWillowApothecaries/ https://www.instagram.com/onewillow_apothecaries —————————————————————ABOUT YOUR HOST - WHITNEY POPHAM————————————————————— Whitney Popham is an herbal practitioner and educator, pollinating the medicine of the plants to bring healing & beauty into the world. She has devoted her life to being a humble vessel for the plants to touch people's lives and do their healing work through her. Her calling to herbalism began from a deep passion for activism and a vision for creating healing and positive change in the world. Through her own health challenges as a young adult, she experienced the profound healing gifts of plant medicines and then committed her life to helping others reach vibrant levels of health. In her clinical practice she facilitates healing on the emotional, spiritual, and physical levels of health through the multifaceted lens of herbalism, nutrition and Ayurvedic lifestyle coaching. She lives on unceded Nooksack territory in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Sajah Popham, where they live and work together on their homestead in the mountains. Together they founded The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where they teach clinical and transformational plant medicine to heal people, culture and planet through their online programs they offer year-round and workshops they have on the land. She prepares traditional Spagyric herbal remedies from the lineage of Hermetic Alchemy through their product line, Organic Unity, which are used by doctors & practitioners around the world. ————————————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. ——————————————————HOW TO CONNECT MORE WITH US:—————————————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/blog 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

In this podcast you'll learn some preventative measures for keeping your immune system healthy and strong, along with herbal remedies for respiratory viral infections. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

The other day I did one of our quarterly live Q&A sessions for all of the Evolutionary Herbalism students and someone asked a question about how do we go about holistically treating influenza. It's December of 2019, and as I'm sure you know, this tends to be the season where people are coming down with the flu or people are getting colds. They've got compromised immune systems. There's all sorts of bugs floating around in the air. So I thought it would be really fun to share some of the content that I taught during that Q&A webinar. I thought this was a very fitting discussion to be sharing here in the late autumn, transitioning in to winter time. So I just wanted to do a little introduction here, I hope you enjoy some of the teachings that I shared here in our Evolutionary Herbalism quarterly webinar. We are going to be talking a little bit here about some of my approaches to holistically addressing influenza and fever. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

One of the most important skills for the modern clinical herbalist is having the ability to successfully treat the digestive system. I'm sure you're aware about what a big topic gut health is these days. In my opinion, this is one of the most important organ systems to understand how to treat holistically from the vitalist perspective of herbalism. We need to really look at traditions of herbalism that understand the human organism and plants; not just through the lens of science and chemistry, but really looking at people and plants and understanding them through the perspective of the vital force. Understanding that there is a vital intelligence within the human organism and within the plants. From those traditions, we can really see that the gut is the root of what we might refer to as the vital tree. When we think of the human organism as a growing tree, the digestive system really is the root of that tree, and as we all know, if the roots aren't healthy, the rest of the tree isn't healthy. The same is true for people, if our digestive system is severely imbalanced, there is likely going to be systemic problems happening also. This episode outlines digestive health, digestive imbalances, symptoms of imbalance, outlines a formula that can be used to help alleviate those symptoms of imbalance, and discusses the energetics of the herbs in that formula. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

In the Alchemical tradition, there is a teaching that speaks towards the Three Kingdoms of Life: the mineral, vegetable, and animal. Yet for some reason the fungal kingdom has consistently been overlooked, or lumped together with plants, and they're discussed little. Luckily for us, as mushrooms have entered more deeply into human awareness as powerful medicines not only for ourselves, but the Earth itself, they've been getting a little more attention from the alchemical community these days. That's where Jason Scott comes into the picture. A practicing alchemist, herbalist, and mycologist, Jason has dedicated his life to understanding the fungal kingdom, their medicinal properties, and their unique placement within the alchemical philosophy and practice. This includes some unique methods of extraction not discussed elsewhere in alchemy, or even standard herbalism. Jason is a contributor to the book Radical Mycology and has published articles in Verdant Gnosis. He's the founder of Feral Fungi, where he provides powerful spagyric extracts of medicinal mushrooms. Check out his work here: https://www.feralfungi.com ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

What differentiates an okay herbalist from an excellent one? I would argue it isn't necessarily how many facts we know about the plants... It's rooted in our experiential understanding of them. In this special episode, I interviewed clinical herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt on how we can balance our intellectual studies of medicinal plants with direct experience, and how the best way to do that is by actually putting the plants in our mouths and tasting them. Just by tasting a plant, you can decipher TONS of information about it, from its medicinal properties, actions, and organ affinities, to its chemistry, quality, and energetics. Rosalee breaks down the relationship between herbal tastes and energetics, and how this gives you insight into what specific constitutions of people they're best used for. Be sure to get Rosalee's Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel, an incredible herbal learning tool she developed to help accelerate you along your plant path. Click here to download it along with a customized video training course! ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/blog 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

When most people study herbalism, it's easy to get stuck in a strictly intellectual orientation to learn about plants: reading books, attending conferences, workshops, or online programs. While gathering intellectual knowledge about the plants is essential, it really only gets you so far. Let's face it, memorizing facts can be difficult and tedious (and usually not that fun). The best herbalists balance their intellectual knowledge with experiential understanding. And one of the best ways to get that experiential understanding is to taste the herbs. We have to literally "put our medicine where our mouth is!" This episode outlines the importance of the taste of herbs, how we can refine our sensory awareness of herbal tastes, what kind of information we can learn about a plant through it, and some fun ways to build a learning community around our direct experience of medicinal plants. To see the full blog post, more free videos and training, head over to our blog at: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2019/09/20/the-best-way-to-learn-about-plants/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

The revolution begins at the hearth and in the kitchen through reclaiming ancestral healing arts & making medicine together to take care of our families and communities. In this episode, herbalist Kami McBride shares how we can participate in reviving and inspiring an Earth-based culture that lives in reciprocity & sustainability. Kami shares "the Herbalist's best kept secret" - herbal infused oils - an easy to make, affordable and yet super powerful herbal remedy that you can make in our own kitchen. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Kami McBride is the author of The Herbal Kitchen and the popular online course: Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils. She is a 1992 Clinical Herbalist graduate of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine and has taught herbal medicine at UCSF School of Nursing. Suffering from a life-threatening medication side-effect when she was a teenager propelled her into the world of herbs at a young age when herbal remedies were not popular. She has since helped thousands of families learn to use herbs for self-care. She is dedicated to fueling the home herbalism movement to revitalize our relationship with the plant world and create family culture steeped in using herbal medicine for home wellness care. and can follow her on Instagram at:@kamimcbride _____________________________________________________ ABOUT YOUR HOST: Whitney Popham is an herbal practitioner and educator, pollinating the medicine of the plants to bring healing & beauty into the world. She has devoted her life to being a humble vessel for the plants to touch people's lives and do their healing work through her. In her clinical practice she facilitates healing on the emotional, spiritual, and physical levels of health through the multifaceted lens of herbalism, nutrition and Ayurvedic lifestyle coaching. She lives in the foothills of Mount Baker on unceded Nooksack territory with her husband Sajah Popham, where they live, farm and work together on their 40 acre homestead. Together they founded The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where they teach clinical and transformational plant medicine to heal people, culture and planet through their online programs they offer year-round and workshops they have on the land. She prepares traditional Spagyric herbal remedies from the lineage of Hermetic Alchemy through their product line, Organic Unity, which are used by doctors & practitioners around the world. She's also co-founded The Plant Path podcast, where she and her husband share insights and inspiration into plant medicine for the herbal healer. For more free resources in herbalism and to find out more about Whitney & Sajah's offerings & programs through their school, head to www.evolutionaryherbalism.com You can also follow her on Instagram at @evolutionary_herbalism for daily inspiration & information on herbalism and for a glimpse into their life on the farm.

In this special episode of The Plant Path, I got a chance to interview a fellow PNW herbalist, Scott Kloos, founder of Cascadia Folk Medicine, The School of Forest Medicine and author of Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness. This was a really fun conversation, as Scott and I discuss a wide range of methods of working with the medicinal intelligence of plants. From how they have the ability to heal us spiritually, to the best wildcrafting and medicine making practices, to what it really means to be an herbalist. Scott and I really have a lot in common in the way we see medicinal plants and the practice of herbalism, even though we approach it from slightly different angles, which to me is fascinating. The big thing I appreciate about his perspective and approach, is that it's geared towards healing the whole person (body, spirit and soul) through utilizing the whole plant. Scott truly honors the chemical and spiritual sides of herbalism, and understands the greater context of plant medicine, in that the healing work we do contributes to the healing of the Earth as a whole. ———————————— Scott Kloos—ceremonialist, author, wildcrafter, plant medicine maker and practitioner, animist, singer of plant songs, and aspiring integral ecologist—guides The School of Forest Medicine and Cascadia Folk Medicine and is author of Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness. Through his writing and his facilitation of co-created spaces of learning and healing, he explores various ways of working with plants and their medicine, relationships with our nonhuman kin, and ecologically integral modes of engaging with and thinking with the community of life. Check out his amazing wildcrafted handmade product line at: https://cascadiafolkmedicine.com/ as well as his teachings at the School of Forest Medicine here: https://forestmedicine.net/ For those of you in the PNW, be sure to pickup a copy of his book, an indispensable guide for the NW herbalist! https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Medicinal-Plants-Identify/dp/1604696575/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

In a similar way that the astrological pattern enables us to see the relationship between the human body, psyche, and soul, so too does it allow us to understand the connection between a plant's physical, energetic and spiritual properties. It's common in modern day herbalism to have one particular system for understanding the medicinal properties of a plant and how it acts upon the body, and a totally different model for how a plant can heal the mind, heart and spirit. But in a truly holistic model, we see that the physical symptoms of the body are reflections of what's going on in the mind and soul. As such, the medicinal properties of a plant are not separate, meaning that the way they heal the mind and spirit is based upon the same pattern in the way they heal the body. The goal of the astro-herbalist, is to learn to see these patterns of relationship between a plant's chemistry, energetics and spiritual properties, to see into the essence of the plant – it's wholeness – and how it heals the whole person. This essence of the plant is encompassed by its primary astrological, or planetary, "ruler." Each planet in medical astrology has certain qualities and characteristics associated with it that points towards which plants are connected or similar to that planetary quality. This is done through looking at organ rulerships, energetic qualities like temperature (hot/cold), moisture (damp/dry) and tone (tonifying/relaxing), morphological characteristics as seen through the doctrine of signatures, tastes, and other properties. For example, with Cayenne pepper we see a bright red coloration of the fruits which exhibit a highly pungent, aromatic taste. It has a primary affinity for the heart, blood, and cardiovascular system and a very warming and drying energetic quality. It stimulates circulation of the blood, promotes diaphoresis, eases musculoskeletal pain and inflammation, and has antiseptic properties as well. All of these properties of Cayenne are directly correlated to Mars, the red planet. Mars rules the blood and its circulation, is hot energetically, governs immunity, fever, inflammation, and pain associated with heat. Many spicy pungent plants relate to Mars, as it's the hottest of all the planets. Thus we can see that the properties of this medicinal plant are similar, or sympathetic, to the planet Mars. Based on these signatures, we can start to understand the subtler properties of this plant and how it might operate upon the psychological, emotional and spiritual levels as well. Mars also relates to our willpower, the action we take out in the world and our ability to exhibit a "warrior spirit." It's common for people with excessive Mars to be overheated both physically and psychologically, which can express as anger, irritability, frustration, or a controlling/domineering nature. If in deficiency, we'll see folks with low willpower and drive, a lack of strength in character and confidence, a timidity in the personality. As Cayenne embodies the force of Mars in such a powerful way, we may see it facilitating upon some of these patterns in the personality of the person that uses it, especially in spagyric preparations of the plant which concentrates this celestial power into the extract. In essence, the pattern of astrology helps the modern herbalist have a system for understanding the holistic properties of plants in ways that reach far beyond merely knowing its actions, energetics, chemistry and medicinal properties. It gives us one language, one pattern, one framework that unites their physical, energetic and spiritual qualities that gets us closer to grasping their essential nature that heals the whole person. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants

As a holistic herbalist, our goal is to work with the WHOLE person. From many traditional perspectives, there are three primary organizational layers of the human being. In Alchemy these are referred to as Salt, Mercury and Sulfur. In Ayurveda it is vata, pitta, and kapha, or prana, tejas, and ojas. The Chinese refer to Jing, Shen, and Chi. From the most simplest orientation, we can say that we have a body, a spirit and a soul- the spirit in this context referring to the vital force, as well as our specific psychological and emotional patterning. For the herbalist, we want our understanding of a person to orient around the physical, psychological and spiritual levels of health. But essential to the holistic model, is that THEY AREN'T SEPARATE! Rather, the body is the condensed aspect of the soul, and the soul is the most subtle, ethereal, or volatile aspect of the body. They are connected, part that constitute our wholeness. Unfortunately for a lot of herbalists, there is a separation in regards to how the body's health is perceived from the health of the mind, emotions and spirit. We may understand the body through its' anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or energetics, but then have a totally separate pattern or framework for understanding the psyche and soul. This makes seeing the connections between physical, psychological and spiritual symptoms quite difficult. This is where the astrological model comes in. Through astrology, we have our natal birth chart, which is commonly seen as representing our core personality, qualities and characteristics. In the evolutionary approach to astrology, the chart also shows us our growth edges and what lessons life is presenting to us for our soul to further its development and evolution. But what's commonly NOT looked at in astrology, is the fact that the chart also represents our physical body, our organs, systems, tissues and constitution. In this way, through our natal birth chart, we have the ability to see the pattern of relationship between what's happening in our physical body and it's connection to the mind, heart, and spiritual growth. This gives the herbalist an incredibly precise and specific tool for holistic assessment and evaluation, especially for those with an interest in attending to helping people beyond their physical health. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

A major concern of folks on the path of becoming a practicing herbalist is that they'll get sued for practicing medicine without a license. Being an herbalist in the United States is a little bit of a grey area, as there are thousands of practitioners out there helping people with plants that aren't necessarily licensed physicians. This is in certain ways a blessing because there is no governmental body telling us how to (and how not to) practice herbalism. But it does lead to legal concerns. In essence, it comes down to how we communicate about the work that we do. As herbalists we are not legally able to diagnose, prescribe medicine, or treat disease. Rather, we holistically evaluate and assess a person, make suggestions in regards to diet, lifestyle, herbs and supplements, and support the health of people's organ systems and tissues. Simply by making sure we shape our language and communication in how we approach our work is one of the best ways for protecting ourselves. This also brings us questioning around certification for becoming a practicing herbalist. Again, there is no overarching governmental body that oversees this. In North American, the American Herbalist Guild (AHG) provides the most universally recognized herbal practitioner certification, where one becomes a Registered Herbalists (R.H.) with the AHG. They have stringent qualifications on education, overseen clinical hours, and testing that enables someone to hold this level of certification. But do you really have to be "certified" to help people with plants? To see the full blog post, more free videos and training, head over to our blog at: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2019/02/03/legal-concerns-of-practicing-herbalism/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Herbal dosage is a common question amongst people on the path to becoming a practicing herbalist. Unfortunately, there isn't a straightforward answer the works across the board. Some use very low doses, some use very high doses. The one thing that's clear, is that both approaches to how much of an herb to give WORKS, and gets healing results from their clients, which is the #1 most important thing. Read the full blog post here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2019/01/27/how-much-of-an-herb-do-i-give-a-discussion-on-dosage-of-medicinal-plants/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Central to traditional systems of medicine is the understanding that the human organism is a reflection of Nature- that our bodies are not machines or composed merely of "biochemical gears," but rather that we are composed of natural forces that exist all around us. That we are a part of the ecological context of the Earth. This perceptual orientation switches not only how we understand a human being, but how we perceive and treat disease, study a medicinal plant, compound formulas, and literally every other facet of herbal. For it anchors our entire understanding and practice of herbalism back into the foundation patterns of Nature itself. In terms of assessing a person, when we Nature within their bodies, we don't just see a symptom or a disease, we see a deeper level of imbalance within the ecosystem of the body on a vital, or energetic level. Traditionally this is seen in terms of a tissues temperature and moisture qualities (hot, cold, wet, dry). These temperature and moisture patterns are at the root of natural systems, ecosystems, the weather and seasonal dynamics. These are the forces that plants are submitted to in Nature that develops their unique medicinal properties, as well as imbuing them with their own energetic qualities of hot, cold, wet and dry. Ultimately, this perceptual shift of seeing the human as an embodiment of Nature is a foundational premise of the vitalist traditions all across the globe throughout the history. I believe it's critically important in our modern world, where so many of us feel so disconnected from Nature and herbalism is becoming more scientifically studied, for us to not forget that we are first, foremost and forever students of Nature. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

A new year brings a lot of us to a place of reflection, introspection, and a desire to vision forward into our lives with greater clarity and direction. This is always a critical thing to do in all areas of our lives, and as herbalists, it's good to take a look down our plant path and see what direction we want to move into. This episode is all about creating a strategy to optimize your herbal studies for the next 12 months so that by this time next year, you'll be amazed at the level of growth, development, and precision you have reached in your practice as an herbalist. To watch the video and get the full blog post (along with an opportunity to join our monthly subscription program, Materia Medica Monthly and help us create our upcoming webinar series) click here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/mmm-2/herbal-studies/ Blessings to your new year and all the ways you're working to make this world a better place through the healing power of medicinal plants!! ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

I always like to say that every client you see is a chapter in your experiential book of learning herbal medicine. And that is the very best book you can get to learn about how to use plants effectively. Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to treat a condition I'd never treated before… hemorrhoids. This can be a bit of an embarrassing condition for people, and they might dance around what's really going on with them and not outright say it. While I had learned about what hemorrhoids are in school and knew what main herbs are commonly used to treat them, I literally had no idea how painful, uncomfortable, and challenging they can be for people! This person had been using conventional over-the-counter treatments to try and alleviate their discomfort, and they worked (a little), but the condition just kept getting worse. This is because they focus only on topical treatment, rather than working on the body from the inside out. Something like a hemorrhoid is an external manifestation of a deeper level of imbalance within the system, what the old doctors would refer to as a "relaxed tissue state." This ecological imbalance within the tone of the tissues is treated with a single primary herbal action: astringents, which help to tighten up and tonify tissues that have become overly loose, lax and weakened. Here you'll learn the specific formula I used for this person and how powerful it was to turn around their condition, bring swift symptomatic relief, and most importantly, correct the underlying physiological imbalance that was the ultimate root cause of the symptom. I was actually amazed at how quickly this formula worked, especially after conventional treatments had been used for weeks to no avail. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

I get asked a lot about whether our programs certify you to become an herbalist. This is a big question in the herbal education world, and it can be a little confusing as there is no singular "herbal certification" out there- the best is really becoming a Registered Herbalist (RH) by the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). Most schools will offer a "certificate of completion" after going through a course. There's a wide range here. I've heard of people becoming a "Certified Master Herbalist" after a simple weekend workshop, whereas others certify an herbalist after going through a set number of hours of clinical training and classroom hours. But these are "internal certifications" by the school or teacher and aren't necessarily regulated or overseen by some board or anything like that. The big point of confusion amongst a lot of herbalists, is that you need some form of certification to help people with plants. This just isn't true. There is no governmental body that oversees the practice of herbalism (thank the light) and as such, there is no licensure. In my opinion this is a good thing because it keeps herbalism in the people's hands, as I feel it is the people's medicine. Imagine what herbal medicine would turn into if the government starting controlling what we can and can't do with the plants we know and love... In my opinion, to become a qualified practicing herbalist requires a balance of study, practice, and experience- both in the classroom, the clinic, and the forest. To me, the best certification is what we receive from the plants themselves, a certain knowingness in our hearts that we are ready to start helping people. When you are ready to practice you will simply know it. Sometimes having a certification can externally instill confidence in someone that maybe isn't necessarily ready to start practicing. They may not really know what they are doing, but because they have a certificate they think they do. Luckily most plants herbalists use are super safe and don't run the risk of harming anyone, but it certainly is possible. Our confidence should be internally generated through developing competence in our herbal art. The best certification is the actual results we get in the people we serve and this requires training and practice. To clarify, I'm not totally against herbal certification- there's good ones out there, and not so good ones out there. Rather, I believe it's important as herbalists that we don't think we NEED to piece of paper to give us permission to heal people with plants. That we don't become dependent on someone telling us we can do it and have that overshadow our own intuitive sense as to when it's our time. I hope I don't offend anyone with this post, I'm certainly not trying to get after anyone here and am just sharing my thoughts on this topic, as I get a lot of questions about it. For Evolutionary Herbalism students, or anyone who might consider joining one of our programs someday, please know that we are in the process of developing both internal certification of completion of our courses along with adequate testing to make sure the information is understood and integrated, as well as having our courses help to move someone towards AHG certification as well. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evoluti

This special issue of the Plant Path explores the tradition and practice of Herbal Alchemy and Spagyrics with world renowned expert on the subject Robert Bartlett. This episode explores the tradition of Alchemy, it's applications in modern herbal pharmacy, the therapeutic effects of spagyrics, and the overall practice of REAL Alchemy. Robert Bartlett is the author of two critically important books on the art and practice of Alchemy: Real Alchemy and The Way of the Crucible. He was the chief chemist at the Paracelsus Research Institute and student of the late Frater Albertus. Robert is the founder of the Spagyricus Institute where he teaches plant, mineral, and metallic Alchemy in Washington State. To learn more about his work, go to his website at www.spagyricus.com ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

People commonly confuse the term essential oil with infused oils, not realizing they are in fact two different types of extraction. We also have the term herbal oils or aromatic oils, which also contributes to the confusion, as these terms have all been used interchangeable and applied to both essential oils and infused oils. In the modern era of the essential oil craze, many forget to traditional usage of herbs infused into carrier oils to convey their medicinal properties. These forms of extract are easy to prepare at home without the necessity for distillation equipment, and are generally more sustainable in terms of the amount of plant material needed. To see the full blog post, go here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2018/08/14/essential-oils-vs-infused-oils/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is one of those herbs that a lot of people are aware of, especially in regards to its usage as a remedy for sleep. But why does Valerian help us sleep? What are the underlying properties that lend to this popularized usage? And what else can Valerian be used for? In this episode, Sajah explains the holistic properties of Valerian as a nervine hypnotic and potent antispasmodic remedy, with applications reaching beyond just insomnia. You'll learn about some of the quirks of Valerian, especially in regards to its sometimes paradoxical reactions in some where it stimulates instead of sedates! This points towards some important considerations about when you don't want to use this plant, based on its unique energetic constitution as compared to many other nervine hypnotics. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com —————————————— 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.

Today we're joined by Chenoa Egawa, a Coastal Salish ceremonial leader, singer, speaker, environmental activist and artist. In this episode, Chenoa shares stories and wisdom from her ancestry and life experience to uplift and inspire along the healing path. Chenoa shares her insights on health, wellness and healing through ancestry. She speaks of the healing power of water and food as the first medicines. She shares guidance for how to wildcraft, harvest and work with plant medicines with respect and integrity on Native land. She shares so many gems of wisdom in this episode - way beyond what we could even describe in these notes, so be sure to listen in and enjoy many times over! --------------------------------------------ABOUT OUR GUEST - CHENOA EGAWA: -------------------------------------------- Chenoa Egawa is Coast Salish of the Lummi and S'Kallam Nations of Washington State. She is a ceremonial leader, singer, speaker, environmental activist and artist dedicated to bringing healing to our Mother Earth, and to people of all cultures, backgrounds and origins through recognition of our shared experiences as human beings. One of her principal teachings today is the importance of preserving and sharing the wisdom human beings of all cultures, languages and ways of life still hold that benefit the health, well being and protection of all life on our Mother Earth. In that regard, she serves as a voice to bring Native wisdom and perspectives to the world at a time when these teachings are particularly poignant reminders of our shared responsibility to live with respect for ourselves, one another, and for our Earth. Chenoa has long been active in local, and international work for Indigenous peoples, children and the environment. For over 20 years, she has worked in Washington State schools, creating programs that integrate Native American culture and history, often teaching through songs and storytelling, empowering Native youth and bringing greater appreciation for cultural diversity to all children in the public school system. Over the past 25 years, she has traveled throughout North, Central and South America facilitating communication among indigenous peoples with the intent of protecting and preserving cultural heritage, languages and homelands. Chenoa was an Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA) Fellow in Mexico and Guatemala where she studied and wrote on issues concerning Indigenous peoples of both countries. She was part of an international Native delegation that traveled to Chile to support Mapuche and Pehuenche Indigenous communities in their efforts to halt construction of large-scale dams on their homelands. She served as a Lummi delegate, and as a English, Spanish and Portuguese translator at meetings with tribes from the United States, Canada, Central and South America at the Earth Summit in Brazil. She also worked as an intern at the United Nations Center for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, serving as a member of the Secretariat during the 10th Session of the Working Group of Indigenous Peoples. From 2003-2009 Chenoa was Host for the Native news television program 'Northwest Indian News.' In 2010 she was Host for the television news program 'Native Heartbeat.' Both programs are still viewed across the Western United States, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska and New Zealand. Throughout her work she has served as a bridge in cross-cultural interactions, encouraging mutual respect and understanding among Native and non-Native communities, educators and environmental groups. As a vocalist, Chenoa has released five albums - Sacred Fire, Road of Life, Heartbeat of Life, Songs of Strength and Beauty, and Spirit of Salishan. In 2013, Chenoa and her brother, Keith Egawa, released their first children's book, 'Tani's Search for the Heart.' They are currently writing and illustrating their second children's book, Whale Child, to be released soon. You can find out more about Chenoa, her books, music and work on her website: http://www.swanclan.com You can find Chenoa & her brother Keith's book, Tani's Search For The Heart here: https://tanissearchfortheheart.com/ You can see Chenoa's music videos on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGJ1EQUfL1RywBLrcqNK1w You can follow Chenoa's photography on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenoa.egawa/ —————————————————————ABOUT YOUR HOST - WHITNEY POPHAM————————————————————— Whitney Popham is an herbal practitioner and educator, pollinating the medicine of the plants to bring healing & beauty into the world. She has devoted her life to being a humble vessel for the plants to touch people's lives and do their healing work through her. Her calling to herbalism began from a deep passion for activism and a vision for creating healing and positive change in the world. Through her own health challenges as a young adult, she experienced the profound healing gifts of plant medicines and then committed her life to helping others reach vibrant levels of health. In h

Modern biomedicine tends to view the human body like a machine made up of multiple "gears." When something goes wrong, we simply need to fix the broken part. This mechanistic view of the body is significantly different from more traditional perspectives on our anatomy and physiology. Central to the vitalist traditions of herbalism is the perspective that the body is a reflection of the natural world, a microcosm of nature- that it is an ecosystem. The practice of true holistic herbalism is rooted in this perception of ecological physiology, which gives us a lens to directly match the energetics of the plants to the constitution of the person. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

As we walk the plant path, there eventually comes a time when we come up against certain blocks that prevent us from reaching that next level in our practice of herbalism. While it's critical that we learn the external skills, strategies, principles and practices to become an herbalist, there is also an internal component to our work as an herbalist that is essential to address. In order to be the greatest herbalist possible, in order to reach the next level in our work with plant medicines, there is a necessity to cultivate a new level of confidence and competence in our work- that is, attending to our inner and outer development. In this video, I share with you 3 critical ways you can develop both you herbal competence and inner confidence that help you to move beyond any blockages you might be facing towards being of service to your family, community and clients in deeper ways. Check out the full blog post here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2018/05/02/developing-your-herbal-competence-and-confidence/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

One of the main problems with modern medicine isn't just based on the fact that pharmaceutical drugs can often cause more problems than solutions, but rather, it's a problem of philosophy which directly influences the way medicine is practiced. The overarching philosophical approach to modern medicine is based on the treatment of symptoms. It is a system of medicine that has its primary orientation around disease, rather than health. This is one of the unique attributes of "alternative" medicine, especially herbalism. That while we can certainly work with symptoms and disease, we also have the power to approach our practice from the perspective of preventing disease through focusing on the enhancement of health. This video discusses how medical astrology coupled with herbal medicines can provide an incredibly precise system for preventing the onset of disease through strengthening and balancing the constitution and attending to the psychological and spiritual levels of health. Get the Astro-Herbalism Mini Course right now for FREE for a deeper dive on how integrating medical astrology makes your work with plants more refined, specific and effective: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/ah-free-series-2/ To see the full blog post, more free videos and training, head over to our blog at: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2018/03/12/preventative-medicine-with-astro-herbalism/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

In this special issue of The Plant Path, Sajah interviews Adam Sommer, founder of the Exploring Astrology podcast and practicing astrologer for over 10 years. In this interview Adam and Sajah explore the fundamental principles behind a holistic astrological practice and how astrology can be used as a powerful tool for healing. Be sure to subscribe to Adam's podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/exploring-astrology-podcast/id413880792?mt=2 And check out his apprenticeship and programs and great content on his website: http://www.holestoheavens.com/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Alright... I confess!! I really struggled with learning astrology when I first started. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me! I'd read about a planet or a sign of the zodiac and afterwards wouldn't be able to remember anything about it. It was like in one ear out the other. I thought maybe I wasn't smart enough, couldn't understand it, it was over my head, or that I just wasn't meant to be an astrologer... Until I started to study medical astrology and began to directly see the astrological forces in people and plants. You see, I think a lot of the time when people approach the study of astrology, it often remains in the realm of the intellect, with a focus on memorizing the qualities and characteristics of each sign and planet. But who likes to memorize?! I certainly don't. I'd rather learn something by heart. And the difference between learning something by heart vs. memorizing information in the mind lies in have an experiential understanding- something that you directly perceive. And the only way to directly see the astrological patterns and experience them is to have the pattern become a sort of lens that you see the world through. The principles of herbal medicine provide a valuable framework for a way to directly experience the forces of astrology through plants, as well as seeing them within the people you work with. For a more in-depth FREE course on the integration of astrology and herbalism, be sure to sign up for the Astro-Herbalism Mini Course here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/ah-free-series-2/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

One of the critical elements of the new paradigm of plant medicine is that there are more and more practitioners are incorporating the psychological, emotional and spiritual levels of being in their clinical work. I think this is an essential component of healing that cannot be overlooked, especially if we want to be holistic practitioners- for we are not just our bodies, and indeed, our psyche and soul directly influence the nature of our physiology. After interacting with thousands of herbalists across the world that either currently do, or want to, incorporate psychology into their work with plants, what seems to be almost universal amongst them is a lack of system that adequately encompasses our psychological structures and relates them to the remedies they work with. If we are to work with the psyche, it's important that we have a system, a way to organize our understanding of the psychological structures that unites them to a greater pattern in the natural world. In fact, one the oldest models of psychology in the world does just that. And that model is astrology. Learn more about how to become more specific and precise in your work with plant medicine with the Astro-Herbalism Mini Course- a totally FREE in-depth training series that takes your work with herbal medicines to a whole new level: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/ah-free-series-2/ To see the full blog post, more free videos and training, head over to our blog at: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2018/02/26/the-best-psychological-model-for-herbalists/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Medical Astrology provides an incredibly precise and in depth tool the herbalist can use to understand people holistically as well as the true nature of medicinal plants. In this interview, renowned medical astrologer Judith Hill discusses the core principles of Medical Astrology, how it can be integrated into your herbal practice, and the unique ways it bridges physiology, psychology and the soul. Judith Hill is an award winning author of ten books including Medical Astrology: A Guide to Planetary Pathology; Astrology and Your Vital Force: Healing with Cosmic Rays and DNA Resonance; and The Astrological Body Types. She is a lifetime astrologer, Chartered Herbalist and the Producer of the Renaissance Medicine Conference in Portland, Oregon. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Today we're joined by Southwest herbalist Darcey Blue for a special Imbolc episode. In this episode, we discuss the potency of this sacred time of year and how to align with the energies that are coming alive right now. Upon this threshold between late winter & early spring, is the time where seeds are beginning to stir within the belly of the Earth Mother. In this fast paced modern world where our lives run on a different kind of clock & calendar than the rest of nature, it's easy to lose touch with the subtle signs that portend the shifting of the seasons. And yet every system of traditional medicine recognizes the importance of living in congruence with these natural cycles for optimal health & vitality. The ancestral wisdom shared by Darcey in this episode sheds light on how we can connect more deeply with nature within and all around us through the wheel of the year. She shares specific plant allies & practices which can help you to harmonize with the earth cycles and energies of this time of year around Imbolc. ——————————————————— ABOUT OUR GUEST - DARCEY BLUE: ——————————————————— Darcey Blue is the founder of Shamana Flora Apothecary and Sacred Wildness. She is a Devotee of the Sacred Wild, an Earth Medicine guide, shamanic herbalist & wild crafter. She has studied plant medicine & shamanic lifeways and practices for over 10 years in the United States and in Peru. She was trained as a Clinical Herbalist & Nutritionist at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism under Paul Bergner, and studied under Rosemary Gladstar and Charlie Kane. Darcey is a Mesa Medicine Carrier, Wilderness First Responder, Earth Medicine & Nature Guide and Shamanic Herbalist. It is her deep love of the wild Earth that fuels her passion for healing and teaching about sacred wilderness, spirit, deep connection and relationship with nature, and healing. She see Nature as her greatest ally and teacher, the Earth as her sanctuary, and seeding Sacred Wildness her purpose. You can learn more about her products + offerings here: shamanaflora.bigcartel.com and you can find her online courses, including "Plant Medicine for Earth Cycles" which we talked about in this episode here: http://shamanaflora.bigcartel.com/category/wisdom ————————————————————— ABOUT YOUR HOST - WHITNEY POPHAM ————————————————————— Whitney Popham is an herbal practitioner and educator, pollinating the medicine of the plants to bring healing & beauty into the world. She has devoted her life to being a humble vessel for the plants to touch people's lives and do their healing work through her. Her calling to herbalism began from a deep passion for activism and a vision for creating healing and positive change in the world. Through her own health challenges as a young adult, she experienced the profound healing gifts of plant medicines and then committed her life to helping others reach vibrant levels of health. In her clinical practice she facilitates healing on the emotional, spiritual, and physical levels of health through the multifaceted lens of herbalism, nutrition and Ayurvedic lifestyle coaching. She lives in the serene beauty of Southern Oregon with her husband Sajah Popham, where they live and work together on their 120 acre homestead in the mountains. Together they founded The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where they teach clinical and transformational plant medicine to heal people, culture and planet through their online programs they offer year-round and workshops they have on the land. She prepares traditional Spagyric herbal remedies from the lineage of Hermetic Alchemy through their product line, Organic Unity, which are used by doctors & practitioners around the world. ———————————— 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. —————————————————— HOW TO CONNECT MORE WITH US: —————————————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/blog 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

The synergy of astrology and herbalism provides a truly holistic framework that unites the physiology, psychology and soul of the person, with the physical, energetic and spiritual properties of plants. The result of this synergy gives us as herbalists the ability to attend to every layer of the human organism through the power of the holistic plant- especially when the plants are prepared according to the tradition of Alchemy. Each planetary force represents a spectrum of potential energy, a particular aspect of the psyche, and specific evolutionary pathways for the soul. We all have every planet within us, though some we are more "comfortable" with and express in a healthy and harmonious way- others we may express more of their "dark side," or less evolved qualities. These unintegrated planetary forces can manifest physically in the body, psychologically and emotionally, and show us the specific areas of the life where we need deeper levels of healing and transformation. The work of the Evolutionary Herbalist is to understand these patterns of the macrocosm within the microcosm of people and plants, and to support in the transformation of each celestial principle within the person in order to establish harmony within their inner astral body, and thus coherence with the macrocosm- or nature and cosmos. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

This week I've been writing about what I refer to as the Energetic Architecture of nature, which are the fundamental underlying patterns of life expressed throughout a broad spectrum of medical and spiritual traditions from across the world. One of the primary patterns of Energetic Architecture is the 5 Elements of nature: Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether. In section II of my upcoming book, Evolutionary Herbalism, I've been exploring these principles and their vast spectrum of correspondences and relationships to the botanical kingdom, from their morphology and habitat, to their medicinal actions, chemistry, tastes, and energetics. While writing on the Fifth Element, the Quintessence, AKA the Ether, I noted an interesting relationship between this transcendent spiritual Element and entheogenic, or visionary plants. In the way that the Quintessence relates to our own consciousness, and how this unique category of plants directly alters our perception, opens up our sensory gating channels, and enables us access into the spiritual reality here on Earth, they bear some interesting relationships with the Ether Element. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

While I've been writing this week, I thought you might be interested to hear about the things I'm studying and sharing in the current chapters I'm working on. So I decided to bring you along on the journey with me as I'm creating this book. Here's the first podcast in the series that I'll be sharing throughout the next 5 months of writing the book: Evolutionary Herbalism. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Each one of us has a story of how we ended up walking the plant path. Many stories I've heard have been a mixture of a dark night of the soul kind of healing crisis - meets - falling head over heels into the world of herbalism kind of love story with plants. Though each herbalist has their own tale to tell, there's one thing we most likely have in common - there was a pivotal moment where a plant touched something deep within that awakened the calling to share their healing medicine with others. This episode is an account of that pivotal moment that changed my life and set me upon the plant path. It's a distillation of the reason I get up every morning to follow the work the plants have set before me as an herbalist - to pollinate the healing power of the plants, helping them to spread their medicine out into the world where it's needed. ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at: http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/blog 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 WHITNEY ———————————— Whitney Popham is an herbal practitioner and educator, pollinating the medicine of the plants to bring healing & beauty into the world. She has devoted her life to being a humble vessel for the plants to touch people's lives and do their healing work through her. Her calling to herbalism began from a deep passion for activism and a vision for creating healing and positive change in the world. Through her own health challenges as a young adult, she experienced the profound healing gifts of plant medicines and then committed her life to helping others reach vibrant levels of health. In her clinical practice she facilitates healing on the emotional, spiritual, and physical levels of health through the multifaceted lens of herbalism, nutrition and Ayurvedic lifestyle coaching. She lives in the serene beauty of Southern Oregon with her husband Sajah Popham, where they live and work together on their 120 acre homestead in the mountains. Together they founded The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where they teach clinical and transformational plant medicine to heal people, culture and planet through their online programs they offer year-round and workshops they have on the land. She prepares traditional Spagyric herbal remedies from the lineage of Hermetic Alchemy through their product line, Organic Unity, which are used by doctors & practitioners around the world. ———————————— 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.

The Fire Element in the Alchemical Tradition is said to be the most important force- for it is the primary Element of transformation. The alchemists saw Fire as the terrestrial, or Earthly manifestation of the Sun, which is responsible for all changes and transformation in nature- from the turning of the seasons to the growth cycles of plants. This innate transformational property of the Sun is contained within plants which is released as the heat and light of Fire, which is what is used in Alchemy to transform plants into spagyric medicines. And because they are transformed in this way by the virtue of Fire, they hold within them this innate power of transformation when we ingest them. Get our FREE mini-course on the synergy of the Western Alchemical Tradition and Herbalism here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/herbal-alchemy-training-2 Get the whole blog post here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2017/10/24/fire-the-element-of-transformation/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Distillation is one of the primary alchemical processes used in the production of true spagyric extracts. The 2 primary methods of distillation used are for essential oils, which extracts the Sulfur (Soul) of the plant, as well as for alcohol, which extracts the Mercury (Spirit) of the plant. This episode shares some more detail around the deeper meaning and symbolism of distillation as a critical method of creating transformational forms of herbal extracts. Get our FREE mini-course on the synergy of the Western Alchemical Tradition and Herbalism here: www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/herbal-alchemy-training-2 Get the full blog post here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2017/10/24/the-art-of-distillation/ ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

I always tell my students, "don't just be an armchair herbalist!" That means in order to be a true herbalist, you need to have something more than book knowledge of plants- you need to take your understanding from an intellectual level in the mind to a wisdom that is grounded in experience. Oftentimes when I talk about having a deeper connection and relationship with plants, I speak of it in a more spiritual perspective. But in this video I wanted to take a TOTALLY non-spiritual approach for how to deepen your relationship with herbal medicines (even though each of these 5 tenets I outline here are spiritual to me). Check out the full blog post here: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com... Download the Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Or on Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/saja...

In our modern day culture of excessive stress, not enough sleep, and the overall stimulating nature of the world, the human nervous system is taxed like it's never been before. Luckily, we have a set of herbal medicines that are specific for not just relaxing tension, but replenishing, rebuilding, and restoring the nervous system- these are generally referred to as nervine trophorestoratives. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

One of the key distinguishing characteristics of the practice of true holistic herbalism is the understanding of herbal energetics juxtaposed with the human constitution. These 2 areas of study are the crux of traditional systems of herbalism and natural medicine, and are likely the most overlooked aspects of people and plants in modern medicine- both pharmaceutical and herbal. In this lecture from the 2016 Portland Plant Medicine Gathering, you will learn the key that unlocks all systems of herbal energetics and constitutional models- revealing to you the underlying pattern behind all of them. This key enables you to see the universality of these seemingly different systems and how you can integrate them into a cohesive model of how to use herbs effectively, holistically, and get out of an allopathic way of using plants. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

From anti-spasmodics and nervines, demulcents and emmenagogues, there are a wide category of herbal medicines which are considered to be ruled by the Moon. In this lecture from the 2017 Renaissance Medicine Conference, Sajah shares some key correspondences and patterns found in our Lunar Materia Medica- including herbal actions, tastes, energetics, along with some specific plant examples. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Let's face it, people want deeper levels of healing these days. Most are starting to realize that a physical symptom in the body is actually and oftentimes directly influenced by the mind and emotions. Some are even thinking that maybe their physical symptoms are there because of their psychological and emotional state! This is revolutionary to say the least. Because for a very long time we have always thought of the body and the mind as separate- that they are distinct entities and couldn't possibly influence one another. Not only do most of experiences contradict that kind of thinking, but modern science does now too. It is showing that the body and mind are in fact not separate, but are 2 ends of one spectrum. So if we think about herbal medicines within this context, we could infer that because a plant is working upon the body then they are also working upon the mind. From flower essences and plant spirits, to spagyrics and other alchemically prepared medicines (and by alchemically prepared I mean done according to the western tradition of real alchemy), many herbalists are starting to address their clients psychological and emotional well being with plants. Unfortunately, most herbalists do not have psychology degrees, or any sort of system that connects their plants to how to address the mind. This is where astrology truly shines!!

A core premise of alchemically prepared medicines is not just rejuvenation of the physical body, but also a purification and revitalization of the human psyche and spirit. Through this deeper level of healing spagyric medicines provide, they are said to contain an "initiatic virtue," meaning that they are initiating us into a "higher" level of consciousness, self-awareness, and integration with the patterns of nature and the cosmos. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

From a constitutional perspective, it appears that most herbal medicines have a drying effect upon the tissues. Whether it's from increasing urination, exocrine gland secretions, sweating.... there are many ways that herbs lead to fluids leaving the body and this ultimately has a net drying effect. Thus, knowing your moistening materia medica is critical for success as an herbalist and a formulator, especially in our modern world where there is a great prevalence of constitutional dryness. Cross comparing different traditional models of dryness, we see that in Chinese Medicine it is referred to as Yin Deficiency. In Ayurveda dryness is governed by the Vata Dosha, which also tends to be cold and tense. From the perspective of our western herbal energetic model, this would be classified as the Dry/Atrophy tissue state, characterized by weakness, emaciation, withering tissues that are malnourished and loosing function. I remember one time Michael Tierra commented in a lecture that Yin Deficiency is likely one of the most overlooked patterns by western herbalists and will usually be an obstacle to cure. If the herbs you are giving aren't working and should be working then it's likely you have an underlying Yin Deficiency to correct. In regards to herbal formulation, knowing your moistening remedies is critical because most herbal remedies are drying in nature. There are often times you want to give someone a certain herb, but the moisture quality of the herb may not match that of the person. It doesn't mean you can't give that herb to them, you simply need to formulate it in a way that will bring it into greater balance for that person. This is a formulation principle we see in the Unani-Tibb system (Arabic medicine) called corrigents. This is oftentimes seen as just adding certain herbs to formulas to make them taste better, but in actuality the principle of corrigents is adding remedies to an herbal formula to correct its underlying energetics or constitutional actions. In this episode, I share some core concepts of dryness in the body, how and why to use moistening remedies and a few of my favorite examples. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

When our minds aren't clear it's hard to accomplish anything- we scatter into the winds or sink down into the low energetic state of brain fog. But when our minds are clear, focused, disciplined, and engaged, we tend to feel uplifted, positive, productive, and more present. There are definitely certain plants that we can work with to support clarity within our minds, strengthening cognition, memory, and focus, but there are also some simple lifestyle dynamics that can be at the root of an unclear mind. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

Okay okay, I know the title of this post seems really weird coming from an herbalist. But here me out on this one, because I think there's some important stuff to consider here. People are taking more vitamins, minerals, supplements, and herbs than ever before, and I sometimes wonder as to whether this could be not as healthy as we imagine. I've had clients taking literally up to 15 different capsules of different isolated nutrients, co-factors, amino acids, minerals, supplements and other "phytopharmaceuticals" costing them over $200 a month!! And a lot of the times they don't know why they are taking it or what it is doing in their bodies. To me, this isn't good. We want to have a relationship with the medicines we work. We want to have an understanding and awareness of what we put into our bodies, and why we are putting it into our bodies, so we can assess whether it is actually helping us in the ways we need. It's also important to allow our bodies time to readjust to certain health protocols. If we just jump from one thing to the next consistently over time, our physiology doesn't have time to find its new baseline, making it sometimes difficult to assess where we are at in our lives as a whole. This is why I always encourage my clients and students to every now and then take a 6 week hiatus from any herbs, supplements, etc., and just eat a super wholesome simple diet to allow your body settle and find its physiological baseline. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

I always tell my students that for the client that is stressed and exhausted to give them herbs for the nervous system before even thinking about touching the adaptogens which are typically administered for these common complaints. Too many herbalists use adaptogens out of their clinical indications and traditional context of usage and overlook the potency and healing quality of the nervine materia medica. In this lecture I gave at the 2016 Breitenbush Herb Conference, I offer some specific delineations of our materia medica for the nervous system so you can know how to administer them holistically. ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.

It's common for people to conjure up images of plant spirits or think that energetics is some far out there esoteric "woo-woo" concept in herbalism. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, before modern science came into fruition and chemical theory of medicinal plants came into being, energetic models permeated literally every culture and tradition of plant medicine across the world. And what's interesting about these different traditions, is that they essentially discovered the same principles of how plants heal. The traditions may have been different, but their system of energetics were for the most part exactly the same. Energetics encompasses not a mechanistic model of the human body and how plants heal, but rather informs us of an ecological perspective on human health- on how we are a microcosm of the macrocosm, a mere reflection of nature. This is a highly refined system of analysis, evaluation, therapeutics, formulation, and administration of herbal medicines. And we know it works because it was practiced this way for thousands of years before we knew anything about sesquiterpene lactones, iridoid glycosides, and alkaloids!! ———————————— 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, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's 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 in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com ———————————— 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.