Why herbalists & gardeners get stuck
How to move past surface level learning
I talked in my last newsletter about some fairly large changes happening here at Woodspell. Mainly the move away from creating bitters, and towards creating more resources and tools for the home medicine maker/grower with the planner being at the center. But I also want to use this space to create some continued learning opportunities for those who are interested in deepening their knowledge and connections to the natural world. A space to answer some big issues we face as budding herbalists and gardeners.
You take the courses, you buy the materials, you memorize the terms and “rules”. You know mullein is good for the lungs, valerian is good for sleep, ginger for an upset stomach. But then you are faced with the wall. Where do you go from here? How do you learn about the more intricate relationships between plants and person?
I personally have never been a linear learner. I’ve taken big expensive courses only to come away with a surface level of understanding. The times when I’ve been able to really peel back the layers of these skills is through the small experiences that expose more of a plant’s story and true nature. Those little lightbulb “aha” moments are monumental.
I think the best way to gain that deeper knowledge is by apprenticing with a teacher one-on-one. But many if not most of us lack the time or means to invest in this type of experience. Or perhaps you’ve already done an in-depth study, but want to continue building on this wisdom.
So after months of experimenting and falling in love with the Substack platform, I’ve decided to finally turn on the “paid” option for any subscribers who want to keep adding to their plant knowledge wellspring. Subscriptions are $8/month or $80/year. For less than the price of a yoga class you can expand your perspective on all things plants.
I will still be sending out free weekly newsletters as I think everyone deserves access to this information that was a part of all of our lineages at one point. But those who subscribe for the paid option will also receive 2-4 lessons per month on my particular case studies, essays, recipes, tutorials, or anything I feel will help unlock those more complex layers of understanding. (It will also help me keep writing and sharing as much free information as I can).
I love this form of learning because it is low pressure and bite size. I’ve found that the most useful information often comes in smaller portions. There are no quizzes or big time commitments. You can consume the information at your convenience. Substack is great because it allows me to deliver these lessons to you in the form of writing, video, audio or images so it is very flexible depending on the subject. It also allows the content to grow and evolve with the seasons so that the information can be relevant for the time of year we’re in. And of course the comments section can be used for questions and discussion.
A sneak peek at some lessons I have in mind:
Deep dive into the medicine of white pine
Understanding the magic of the “officianalis” plants
The infamous herbal tincture from the early 1900’s that revolutionized women’s reproductive health
Analyzing the Leechbook and other Old English Herbals
How to craft the perfect bitters blend
My approach to learning and teaching about the medicine of plants is to let the heart, history, the ancestors, and the plants themselves lead. The meeting of these things is where true alchemy is made.
This paid option is best for those who have at least a basic understanding of herbalism. For example, I won’t be going over how to make a tincture or how to tell whether an herb is moistening, astringent, etc. This is a space to build off of that core knowledge.
If you want to climb over the wall and journey deeper into the world of plant medicine where the soil, stars, spirit and science meet, it would be an honor to have you here!
I’ll also be adding an experimental section to the free newsletter called “mooncast” as a companion to the Lunica Planner where I will go over what I’m doing in the garden and apothecary in conjunction with the movements of the moon that week. Hopefully this will be helpful in timing your own tasks throughout the months to come.
Much love,
Val
If you want to move deeper into a seasonal land-based life, consider pre-ordering my 2024 edition of the Lunica Planner. Because learning to live in tune with the land doesn’t come from grand gestures or life-altering shifts, but rather from daily routines, devotions and observations of the land and how we relate to it.
This yearly planner is the love child between a farmer’s almanac and your daily lunar planner. It weaves seasonal land-based practices with modern living so that you can live more intentionally and presently within every season of your life. It was created for the plant people, the land lovers, the gardeners, and the seekers to plan their lives around the rhythms of the earth as our ancestors have for thousands of years. More than just a planner, Lunica is a practical yet spiritual guide to living, working, gardening, and celebrating in tune with the ever-shifting world around us.
Purchasing a planner also helps support this publication!
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Dear Val, I also want to dive deeper ✨
See my hand go up! Ready to learn more from you Val. This is brilliant news 😊