I Didn’t Know Herbalists Existed.. What is an Herbalist? - Part 1

Growing up, I didn’t know Herbalists existed.

So when I get asked the question sounding something like,…

“You’re an herbal - what?”

- or -

“What is an Herbalist?”

…I understand where their confusion or lack of understanding comes from.

However, considering the great majority of folks tend to ask others what they do for work when they first meet them, I have experienced the above questions quite frequently. Even when I meet someone who knows about herbal medicine, they may not always know what a practicing Herbalist does and different questions get asked.

Over time, it has become clear to me that, in general, folks don’t quite know what an Herbalist is - what Herbalists do - why an Herbalist might be of help to them - and/or what an Herbalist could even help them with.

It feels time to address these commonly asked or wondered questions in a more tangible way.

-:-:-

First, we start with:

“What is an Herbalist?”

This question, seemingly simple, brings with it quite the dynamic answer.

The simplest answer and the answer that lays at the foundation of every Herbalist is well stated by Merriam-Webster. An Herbalist is:

“:a person who practices healing by the use of herbs

:a person who collects or grows herbs”

Beyond this definition is a layering of intricacies- details that are important and vary depending on the person calling themselves an Herbalist.

For me, being an Herbalist means many things.

It means doing the very things that folks can observe (and are also the things that typically make up my answer to “what does it mean to be an herbalist?” question):

~ Working one-on-one with folks with various concerns (physical, mental/emotional), matching them with plants as well as dietary modifications and/or lifestyle modifications, depending on the individual and situation.

~ Teaching about the plants, nature, and our bodies. The sharing of knowledge within community feels central to practicing herbal medicine, to me, and with it comes many conversations. Conversations that shift the information into understanding and/or application; conversations that follow curiosities as well as a desire to see a different perspective or understand in a new way.

~ Working with the plants - making medicines with them and offering them to the community. The great majority of the plants, and therefore medicines, I work with grow in this bioregion. I harvest the local plants ethically and sustainably when fresh then process them into medicines myself. These are the medicines that I provide to clients and folks in the communities surrounding me. Each one made with care, intention, and respect.

...

But not all aspects of the work I do is “observable” in the way that the ones listed above are. Other, equally as important aspects of being an Herbalist include:

~ Being educated/informed (continuously). Working with both the people and the plants means I need to have a solid understanding of both. Each of these topics alone are vast and complex, much less putting them together. There is far more to these two topics that I could ever write here, but what I will say is that the human body and the plants are living entities. The human body is dynamic in its functioning; each individual is unique in their personality, makeup, and experiences; each plant is complex in their functioning; each plant is unique in their personality and energetics. No two people are the same, no two plants are the same. Continuously deepening my understanding of the human body and the plants helps me better help each person who chooses to work with me.

~ Being in relationship (daily). Relationships are a cornerstone of working with herbal medicines. There is my relationship with the land, with each and every one of the plants I work with as medicines, with each of the individuals who choose to work alongside me, with my local community as well as the greater community. Without relationship, I could not practice as an Herbalist.. Not really.

Being an Herbalist, for me, is working with both the plants and the people. - Yes.

And - There is so much interwoven within this concise definition.

What I shared here with you feels like it only scratches the surface, though I hope that if you are someone who has ever wondered what an Herbalist is that your question has begun to be answered. And, if other questions have arisen, I hope that you will ask them.

-:-:-

In my next herbal letter, I will continue to answer some of the common questions I get about practicing as an Herbalist.

Until then, I hope that you can move with the season.

Spring is ever-changing.. warm/cold, windy, damp. Adjust your food and your clothing to move with whatever the day brings, best you can - even if in the slightest of ways. Your body will thank you for it.

Be well,

~ Kara