Marginalia Botanica

There are so many ways to be an herbalist: you can work as a clinical practitioner, teacher, apothecary, family/community herbalist, any or none of the above and still be practicing herbalism in some way. While the way in which one 'does herbalism' may constitute the 'core' or 'heart' of their overall practice, there are still many rituals that most herbalists engage in that frame and orient their primary work. This course is about introducing you to some of those rituals.

Rituals in the Margins of our Practice

Marginalia are the notes one writes in the margins as they read a book. The practice of jotting down notes in the margins of a book helps transform information on a page into embodied knowledge of the subject one is reading about.

In the same way, the rituals that thrive in the margins of our practice–those rituals that herbalists engage in that may not appear to the outside observer as 'central' to their work as an herbalist–deeply support the herbalist in cultivating a profound degree of virtuosity in their craft. These are the practices that transform 'information' about the natural world into knowledge and eventually embodied wisdom of the natural world.

Mindful walking, writing and developing one's materia medica, meditation, tea practice, and intentional observation & phenology–practices like these hone and sharpen one's vision of and ability to open their hearts more deeply to the more-than-human realm.

But too often these practices are overlooked for the sake of consuming loads of information about plants, leaving us with a sense of disconnection and alienation when we finally carve out some time to take a walk in the woods.

This course is about introducing you some of the practices I have cultivated over the years that have profoundly deepened my practice as an herbalist, naturalist, and steward–while simultaneously supporting my growth as a human being.

These practices are about integrating the wisdom we gather from our experiences and encounters in the world through cultivating a sense of stillness and embodiment. In a highly virtual world on its way to the metaverse, we are constantly pressured to disregard and disconnect from our bodies. Cultivating these practices is deep resistance to this troubling trajectory. By returning to our bodies and building relationship with our inner world, we are better able to move from our center. Moving fully from our center, we no longer react to the chaos of the world around us, but rather respond, with sensitivity and presence to our responsibilities as citizens and humans of this earth.

One way to start here is to try and incorporate a new presence practice every month, starting with the core practice mindfulness meditation. After a few months cultivating these practices, come back here for some reflection.

Drawing inspiration from ecological concepts and ancient wisdom, these lessons offer an alternative approach to developing study and note making habits that work for wiggly minded folks.

A materia medica is a personal collection of notes and writings related to the individual plants you connect with throughout your journey.

Try not to rush through these lessons. I recommend completing each part of the course over the course of one month. For example, month 1: 'Introduction', month 2: 'The Main Sections of your Monograph', month 3: 'Finishing Touches'