Welcome To My Garden | Spiritual Herbalism Rooted In Science

My first real introduction to herbs happened in graduate school, in a clinical setting. And yet, one of the first people to introduce me to the world of herbalism was Rosemary Gladstar, often called the mother of modern herbalism.

She reminded me of so many women I had seen on bookstore shelves, in YouTube videos, or even featured on HGTV. They seemed to have something in common. They had built a strong relationship with the environment around them, and in doing so, they had created lives that felt beautiful, intentional, and deeply connected.

At the time, I recognized what I admired about those women and, in a broader sense, what drew me to herbalism. But I tucked that interest away in my “clinician’s toolkit,” thinking it might become useful someday.

As I continued my studies, herbs kept reappearing. They are food, after all.

Still, I was already overwhelmed by how much there was to learn about the human body, nutrition, and physiology. The thought of adding the entire study of plants felt daunting. There was so much to know, and I was not sure where herbalism would fit into the work I was already doing.

Then the pandemic began.

Like so many people, I felt surrounded by fear and uncertainty. I needed something constructive to focus on, something that could give all of that nervous energy somewhere to go. I decided to formally and intentionally study the plants that kept appearing in the ever-growing pile of research papers on my desk.

I expected to learn more about their medicinal benefits and how they might be used in clinical practice. I did learn those things, but something else happened too. I began to feel an attachment to herbs that went far beyond what they could teach me in a textbook.

Around that same time, I started homeschooling my children. We spent more time outside, and that only increased as we became involved in homeschool groups and nature-based activities.

Slowly, I began to notice something I had not expected. My nervous system started to settle.

It was a sense of regulation that I am not sure I had ever fully experienced before. The more time I spent outdoors, experimenting in my garden, working with herbs in my kitchen, and using them in clinical practice, the more I began to feel like my truest self. Not just the version of myself who was completing assignments, meeting deadlines, or building a professional life, but a version of myself who felt connected to something deeper.

I felt as though I was finally carrying out part of my life’s purpose, even when that purpose looked as simple as learning a plant, making tea, growing something in a container, or paying closer attention to the natural world around me.

Since then, I have come a long way in both my herbal and spiritual practice. I still value research, physiology, safety, and evidence. I want to understand how herbs affect the physical body, what their constituents do, when they may be useful, and when they may not be appropriate. But I am equally drawn to herbal energetics, body wisdom, traditional knowledge, ritual, and the relationship that develops when we stop viewing plants only as products or remedies.

That is the part I feel called to share.

I believe there is a kind of joy and belonging rooted deeply within us, but modern life makes it easy to lose touch with it. We are constantly surrounded by information, technology, noise, and demands on our attention. We become disconnected from the seasons, the land around us, and sometimes even from the signals of our own bodies.

The answer is not always to abandon modern life or move somewhere with acres of land. Sometimes, we begin by reclaiming small moments.

We step outside.

We learn the name of one plant.

We notice what is blooming.

We make a cup of tea with intention.

We listen to the quiet inner chatter of the body instead of immediately pushing it aside.

We grow what we can, even if it is only a few herbs in containers.

We become better stewards of the plants that give so much to us in a culture that often takes more than it needs.

Little by little, we rebuild the relationship.

That is what Herbal Wellness Collective is meant to be. A place for spiritual herbalism rooted in science, where plant energetics, body wisdom, traditional knowledge, and modern research can exist together.

Do I have acres of land with rolling hills of lavender? No. But I do have a growing garden of knowledge, experience, resources, curiosity, and love for this work.

This is where I will share what I have learned, what I am still discovering, and what I am creating through herbalism, from plant energetics and body wisdom to traditional uses, modern science, seasonal practices, herbal recipes, and deeper connection with the natural world.

It may not look like acres of herbs growing in neat rows, but it is still a garden I intend to keep tending, alongside the modest collection of herbs growing around my home.

And I hope, in some small way, it helps you begin tending your own.