Reading List for Aspiring Herbalists
Hello! It is a soggy morning here in Columbia Falls. I’ve been puttering around my house, antsy with anticipation of Spring that feels so imminent when I step outside. The sun is warm, the snow is melting, and the quality of light has been shifting lately toward a more energetic, pulsing, awakening vibration. It’s a tad early for this here, but here it is. I’ll accept it.
I have never written a blog before, and I wasn’t quite sure where to start. I don’t consider myself to be the most articulate writer, and I am actually a bit shy behind the screen. The internet is a strange, intangible place to me. I don’t know who will read this. I don’t know what people will think about me, or say. I guess I’ll just speak my piece anyway.
With that in mind, I thought a reading list would be a nice, neutral start. The following books have been foundational to me in my path toward learning about plants; not just their medicinal properties but their energetics, personalities, and how to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with the natural world that is not just about taking. So often people ask, “Well, what is this plant GOOD for?” and to me, that sounds rude, superficial, and a little selfish. I understand what people are asking. I’ve asked the same question, and I know it’s not really ill-intended. However, until I began to see plants as beings that have complex lives, that communicate with their surroundings, and that are even, dare I suggest- sentient- it wasn’t until I took up this more holistic, animist view that I felt I had a more complete picture. This is not to say I feel I have everything figured out. On the contrary. There is an ocean of things I still don’t know about plants. I am learning every day. Going a little deeper, beyond the “what is she good for?” idea, I started to see plants differently, and that way felt more gracious. It’s how I’d like to be seen. Why are these miraculous green gifts of life any different?
Reading List
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
This book is full of indigenous wisdom and a gift to humanity. Highly reccomend.
Energetic Herbalism by Kat Maier.
This book is a must-read. It examines and draws paralells between healing modalities of Vitalism, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine. The explanation of the Gaia Theory- that Earth is a living, self-correcting being that communicates across species to bring back balance to herself is such a gorgeous, inspiring concept.
Evolutionary Herbalism by Sajah Popham.
I have never read anything like this. Sajah’s ideas on the synergistic relationship between all things and the deep roots of herbalism in a universal, macro-cosmic sense is mindblowing.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Micheal Moore
I love this field guide. Micheal describes the plants of the west with detail and has suggestions on different applications and preparations for wild medicinals, with a little humor.
The Holistic Guide to Wellness by Nicole Apelian, Ph.D.
If you want to have a go-to guide for common ailments with extensive, detailed protocols for wellness, look no further. This book is not entirely herb-based, but offers complete plans for healing different common illnesses.
Healing Wise By Susun. S. Weed
This may have been the first book on herbalism I read, over a decade ago. Susun Weed is a figurehead in the modern-day herbalist cannon, and her thorough introductions of seven of the most common wild plants is a great start to getting to know common healing herbs in a deeper sense.
There are many more I’d add to this list, but I think this is a good start. Maybe a part two sometime?
