Herbal Magic: An Introduction to Herbalism

Leaves, roots, bark, berries, flowers—basically, plants are nature’s OG witches.

My herbalism journey kicked off over ten years ago with one humble plant: comfrey. Why? Because I literally rolled my ankle into a swollen mess the size of a softball (not cute, not functional).

Lucky for me, the garden where I worked was packed with comfrey plants, mostly used for compost tea. But after some digging, I said, “Why not?” Wrapped my ankle in a comfrey compress, sat tight for 45 minutes—and boom! The swelling poofed away, and the pain? Barely a blip. Mind = blown.

That’s when I fell hard for herbalism. I wanted to know everything—how these green badasses work, how my ancestors leaned on them, and how to bring their magic into daily life. Turns out, Mother Nature is the ultimate healer, gifting us powerful plant medicine no matter where we are on this wild ride.

Over the years, friends and family hit me up asking for the miracle herb that fixes everything. If only it were that easy. Instead, I throw the questions back at them: What’s your diet like? Hydration? Sleep? Movement? Because here’s the real tea: without those basics in check, herbs are like wing-women who can only do so much.

Herbs are badass allies—when you use them right. But they aren’t some magical cure-all (even if comfrey fooled me at first!). I’m not about that one-herb-every-day life. Nope. I rotate herbs with the seasons and use them to support acute issues. Our bodies know what’s up when we work with nature, not against it.

Want to Dig Deeper? Here Are My Top Herbalism Resources:

  • The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook by James Green — A killer guide for making your own herbal remedies at home.

  • Mountain Rose Herbs Blog (mountainroseherbs.com/blog) — Herbal wisdom, DIY recipes, and plant-powered inspiration.

  • The American Herbalists Guild (americanherbalistsguild.com) — For anyone ready to dive deep into the world of herbal medicine and learn from the pros.

Whether you’re just testing the herbal waters or you’re full-on plant nerd mode, remember: herbs are powerful teammates, but they shine brightest paired with a solid lifestyle. Now, go brew yourself a cozy cup of herbal tea—you earned that self-care, badass.

Ready to start your own herbal adventure?

Drop a comment below with your favorite go-to herb or a question you’ve been dying to ask about herbalism.

And hey, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter Loop’D In to stay in the know!

Let’s get rooted together!

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The Power of Support: Part 1 The Basics