Herbalism for Beginners: What to Expect

If you’ve found your way to this blog series, I’m assuming that you have a strong interest in herbalism, but don’t quite know where to start. I’ve been there. There is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you want your herbalism journey to look like. Since there are many schools of thought in the herbalism community, I’ll share a bit about my herbalism background so you can decide if this blog series is a good fit for you.

I consider myself a Southern folk herbalist, as my study of herbalism has been most informed by the traditional use of plants in the southernmost part of the United States. As a Black American woman, my practice is also heavily influenced by the traditional use of natural remedies in the Black American community. I combine my general knowledge of medicinal plants with my cultural background to make herbal concoctions that fit my needs, and the needs of women in my community.

When I first started out, my big mistake was thinking that I needed to know everything about herbalism (ha!). I was a scrambled mess of questions. There are a ton of herbalism schools out there, but which ones were a good fit for me? What did I want my conceptual basis to be? What type of herbalist did I want to be? Did I want to serve others, or study for myself?

I was overwhelmed with the amount of information I was consuming, and found over time that much of the information I was force-feeding myself wasn’t actually very useful to me in my daily life. I decided from that point to narrow my focus to what I was most interested in at the moment, and this changed everything for me. Without this gigantic end-goal in mind, I was able to simply enjoy my plants--and in turn, learn a bunch about them.

What you can expect from me: This blog series is a great starting point for people looking to get a clearer picture about what herbalism is, and gain some basic tools for developing their home apothecary. This blog series is not a substitution for a full herbal education (but this guide might help you make an informed decision about what type of herbal education you want, if you plan on attending a program in the future).

As a fellow lifelong student of herbalism, I’m here to help you to narrow your focus and to create a personal practice best suited to your needs and goals. I’ll be sharing the details on herbalist certifications, the research tools I find useful, as well as how-to guides on simple herbal preparations (tinctures, vinegars, etc..). It is important to note that I am not a clinical herbalist, so you won’t find information about how to diagnose or treat clients if you plan on developing a clinical practice.

Now that you know all about me, it’s time to dig in! I’ll be linking you to the next post at the end of each article. Click here to get started: https://bloomcoshop.com/blogs/bloom-co-blog/herbalism-for-beginners-how-to-become-a-herbalist