From Chamomile to Tulsi: Brittany Williams on Raising Kids with Herbs and Advocating for Holistic Health

Ready to embrace the power of plants with your family?

In this episode of The Herbalist’s Path, I had the joy of chatting with Brittany Williams of Eudaimonia Herbs—a passionate clinical herbalist, educator, and all-around plant-loving mom. Together, we explore the transformative role of herbalism in empowering families, teaching kids how to care for their own health, and advocating for yourself in the healthcare system.

Brittany shares her favorite family-friendly herbs, like chamomile, catnip, and Tulsi, and how her children grew up with jars of tinctures and teas lining their home apothecary. We also dig into the deep connection between intuition, plants, and holistic health, offering practical tips to help you feel confident using herbs in your daily life.

If you’re curious about herbalism, overwhelmed by where to start, or ready to take your family’s health into your own hands, this episode is a treasure trove of inspiration, wisdom, and humor.

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Chapters

• 1:50 Herbalist Path Podcast With Brittany Williams
• 14:21 Advocating for Yourself in Healthcare
• 23:19 Advocating for Yourself
• 31:08 Exploring Favorite Herbal Remedies
• 36:37 Embracing Local Plants in Herbalism
• 41:49 Connecting With Local Plants in Herbalism
• 55:08 Herbalist Path Educational Disclaimer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:51

Hello and welcome to the Herbalist Path, a podcast where you'll discover how to make your own herbal remedies at home so that you can take better care of yourself, better care of your family and better care of our planet. I'm Mel. I'm a clinical herbalist, environmental educator and mountain-l living mama with this crazy passion for teaching more mamas and their little loves how to use plants as medicine in a safe, effective and tasty way, so that there can be an herbalist in every home. Again, it's an absolute honor to have you on the journey down the herbalist path with me so that together we can make herbalism Hashtag spread like wildflowers.

Speaker 1: 2:41

I am so, so, so thrilled today to bring this guest, Miss Brittany Williams from Eudaimonia Herbs, on the show for you for so many reasons. Yes, she's a great clinical herbalist. Yes, she's a great educator, but most of all, she's freaking fun and brilliant and has so much incredible herbal knowledge and stories to share with you and, quite frankly, I just really enjoy talking with Brittany. So I really think that you're going to enjoy this show as well. So thank you, Brittany, so much for being here. I didn't give like much of a bio or presentation about you right there, so if you want to add a little to that as to who you are and what you do. That sounds amazing.

Speaker 2: 3:32

Well, thank you for having me. I'm really happy to be here and talk with you as well. It's always fun. Let's see, you know I've been in this I don't want to say game, because it's not really a game, but I've been doing this, this thing, for over two. Every time I have to say this and yeah, almost three decades. Wow, that's kind of crazy. Almost three decades now since I started way, way, way in the beginning, and it's been a heck of a journey, a very fun journey. But I love the fact that you know, I'm always learning and there's always something new to learn about herbs, which is the most amazing. That's like what's makes me so passionate about it. It's like, oh, wow, I didn't know that, and that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 4:13

Same. It's such a joy Like oh, I'm never going to get bored with this topic. Right, right, always something new, always something new.

Speaker 2: 4:22

And I mean you know you said it clinical and educational, sorry, educational. I've been at this for three decades and we're almost three decades and we're almost three decades and I'm just happy to be here.

Speaker 1: 4:37

I love it Awesome. Thank you so much for like that brief intro and of course, we're going to talk so much more about you and your story and I would love to like backtrack to little Brittany and how you got into this world of plant medicine and herbalism all of it together Sure In the beginning.

Speaker 2: 4:59

It's funny. We, we kind of I won't say I'm kind of the black sheep of the family, but I kind of am, in the sense that I come from a family of educators, which is great. That's where I definitely have. I feel like the education is in my you know, it's in my genes, it's just running through my, my blood and my DNA. But I also come from a family like there. The amount of doctors and my family is ridiculous. And so here I am.

Speaker 2: 5:29

I was having the discussions with the doctors, but I always find it to be really, really fun. So I think from the very beginning my uncle was the first doctor in our family who, again, very different things, but got me interested in health and wellness and just the idea of our bodies and how to support our bodies to be well right. So this start and then. So that was. I think that seed kind of got into my head really, really early. And then it started when I went to to college.

Speaker 2: 6:02

I went to the University of Maryland in College Park and I always tell this story. I I walked into this, this herb shop that is still there. Anybody ever wants to know. It's called Smile Herb Shop. It's not a paid endorsement. I just love the shop and it was your typical apothecary, right? You've got these wood floors and wood shelves and you've got all. It was like Harry Potter. You've got like all of these herbs across the wall and I was just like it's just the smell, the I don't know the the hominess of it, and I was like this is, I need to know more. I need to know more and that's how it started and the bug got me then and I haven't turned back. I started out with more herbal body care. I was doing, you know, body butters and salt scrubs before that was a thing you know and and lotions and toothpastes and deodorants. This makes me sound super crunchy, but I was, and my kids and my family are my guinea pigs, are, were, still are, and that's how it all began.

Speaker 1: 7:04

I love that. I think that a lot of people really start with the body care right and like the basic herbal remedies that you would want to use to help your kiddos, like you're a homeschooling mom as well, even though you have adult children now, and there's something that is so powerful in knowing that you can take the majority of your children's health and family health into your own hands. And then you know, you start dabbling with those fun little recipes and the lotions and the magic potions. But then you're like holy crap, what's really going on here and how deep can we go? And that's the never-ending cycle of learning in this world.

Speaker 2: 7:43

And even just the wow. That really worked that was the best.

Speaker 1: 7:48

I think I still get that one today where I'm like, oh my gosh, that worked. Oh right, right, right, duh, that's because you put this formula together of the plants that you know so well. And yeah, that's the lovely part, a surprise element.

Speaker 2: 8:04

Every time, which is still like hello.

Speaker 1: 8:07

Yeah, I love that that is so fun and I love that you're still experimenting with your grown children Like how do you feel like their perspective on all of it is?

Speaker 2: 8:20

I have got to say I'm actually. It is one of those things that I besides the education, taking control of the education of my children. This is the next best thing. I guess it is part of education as well. But I love the fact that you know we have our little home apothecary that's stuck to the side of our refrigerator with all of these jars and and you know like it's a potions and bottles and droppers and all this stuff.

Speaker 2: 8:46

And I love the fact that my, you know, 19 year old, almost 19 year old, will call me from school and be like hey, hey, mom, can you know I need some more immunity tincture Can you? You know I can use? You know, can I come home and get it for the weekend or whatever. Or my daughter's like hey, I need, can I need some more cough tea? Oh, actually I have some mullein here, mom, do you have? Like that is the best that they have totally embraced it and it's become a part of their life and that is just that's. You know, mother's a mother's gold, right there, that is. So I think they they like being the guinea pig the only thing that they do not like being a guinea pig for and almost flat out, refuse his fire, cider. They're like no, mom, please don't make me take it.

Speaker 1: 9:38

Yeah, I think that's a pretty common thing, like I. I can make some darn tasty fire cider and there's no way in hell I'm getting my daughter to take it. But I have a. I have this one particular student who's been with me for a long time and she has this little boy named Philip who is so adventurous with his taste buds and all the things and he loves fire cider. He loves it and he's like not even five yet he's like right.

Speaker 2: 10:06

That was probably my thing. I didn't start until they were, you know, 10, 11, 12. If I had started at five, I could have hooked them in, and they would have never known any better.

Speaker 1: 10:18

This is truly tasty, but I think you've got a really valid point there. Like that is a mother's goal. Like that, to me, is winning in all the ways. When, for me, my daughter's a bit younger than yours, but like we can be walking somewhere and something will happen, or you know, I can just say to her what herb would you take now? And she knows what to talk about and I'm like, yes, that's smarter than 95 percent of the United States population of adults, population of adults right there. Like that, that is such, if you ask me, that's like I mean obviously I'm biased because, like you, I've dedicated my whole life to this right, at least my whole adult life, and it's like the best skill that you can teach a child, right it really is.

Speaker 2: 11:08

I mean to be able to a. I think the biggest thing is pay attention to your body. That's one of the things that I think is really lacking when it comes to our health and our wellness is that we have no idea what's going on with our body, so we're sure as heck not going to be able to make responsible choices about how to support our body. And so when you start off really young with your kids and incorporate that into their life and that just becomes a part of their thing, where they're like I might feel a hint of a maybe, of a something in my throat. Let me start this now. Or, mom, you know cold and flu season is coming up. I hate that stupid fire cider, but I'm gonna please let me have some. Like those things are. Allergy season is coming up. Let me just prepare. That is just again gold. And the fact that they have this awareness of their body, I think is really, really important.

Speaker 1: 12:12

I think that is so true. My daughter has a much greater awareness of her body than I think is really, really important. I think that is so true. My daughter has a much greater awareness of her body than I ever have. She like, since she was a wee little one, she'd be like mom, I don't feel good. I'm like you're not showing any symptoms, you're good. What are you talking about? Bam? Two days later, like she's either sick or she like has that runny nose. That's like, oh there, there's a symptom, but we got on it nice and early, so she's not really coming to full fruition with an illness.

Speaker 2: 12:38

So, yeah, yeah, what a beautiful pretty soon she'll get to that stage. Where she will and this is the crazy thing is, she won't even tell you that she has a symptom. So you'll just see her digging around in your apothecary and you'll come down and she's got the tincture bottle in her hand and you're like what's going on? That's like, oh okay, all right, you guys do your thing.

Speaker 1: 12:58

You know she's already doing that kind of thing, like she deals with some nervousness and anxiety and, yes, we know there's so much you can do from the root there, but that's part of her personality and way of being and she's just like mom. I need more of these herbs. I need more of this because I'm out. I love you. This is so amazing that you know this. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 13:22

It's what a beautiful gift yeah, that's exactly what it is.

Speaker 1: 13:26

It's a beautiful gift, it's wonderful yeah I love it yeah, absolutely, in so many different. And yet to have them be intelligent enough to know that there is a time and a place for an actual medical doctor.

Speaker 2: 13:39

Yeah, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 13:42

I find that today, with this huge explosion of so many people using herbal remedies and finally recognizing that big pharma may not be here for us you know that the health system might be broken and might be a bit more of a sick care system a lot of people tend to be like okay, it's natural, that's all I want to do. I absolutely refuse anything. I will not take medications, I will not go to the doctor. Yeah, and I just wanted to bring that up because I have a feeling that you have some insight on that particular topic.

Speaker 2: 14:22

I have found and I think this is one of the things that I benefit from having a bunch of doctors in my family to be able to bounce a lot of things off of them, and I know I'm learning a lot more from them than they are from me, and I only say that because they're not asking right. They are still typical doctors, they don't. You know, they're getting a little bit better about understanding how supportive herbs can be. But I understand the line that we walk with our current medical system and I understand and these are things that you know I want my kids to understand that it doesn't have to be either this or that, that they can work together.

Speaker 2: 15:09

And I do think that's one of the challenges that we need to overcome going into the future is being able to find those support systems of working together and kind of bringing it full circle, knowing what's going on with your body, that this is something that I can fully support my body with herbs, or this is something where I'm going to need some outside support. You know I don't have an x-ray machine, so you know those are and you know we kind of laugh about this in my, in my family and another close family that we're with, we say well, when the zombie apocalypse comes, and another close family that we're with we say well, when the zombie apocalypse comes, we will still have some knowledge that will be able to really take us a long way. And that's just really kind of cool to understand how the two can marry and to be able to speak with intelligence, knowledge and authority with those in the medical field, with the doctors and whatnot, about what's going on and what are the best steps to take. You know absolutely.

Speaker 1: 19:06

I think that is a really, really important take right there, like, how do we communicate with them in a way that says hey, I've got some awareness of what's happening here, I have some understanding of what can be done and with alternative methods, but right now we need the extra help. But we also don't want to go down a rabbit hole of extra help, so to speak.

Speaker 2: 19:30

Well, and I do, yeah, absolutely, and I do. I must also say this as a black person living in the United States there are many challenges that people of color that the B had, where assumptions have been made just based on how I present when I walk in the door. That is just like, okay, I need you to take a step back and let's have this conversation. Stop looking at what you see with just your two eyes in the first two seconds and I can actually have an intelligent conversation with you. No, I'm not.

Speaker 2: 20:15

You know, falling into what some feel are stereotypical boxes and learning how to advocate for myself, teaching my kids how to advocate for themselves, teaching my clients how to advocate for themselves, and it's really any many different marginalized communities. It could be the black and brown community, it could be women we all know how it is being a woman and going to see a medical professional it could be larger body people, it could be you know, the list goes on and on. And learning how to kind of walk this line and advocate for yourself, I think is really really important to be able to do.

Speaker 1: 20:52

I think you are absolutely right and obviously I don't have the perspective from being a black woman or a person of color. I am a very white woman who now has darker hair, but it used to be blonde, you know, and I don my body in various sizes throughout life and see very clearly how differently you're treated when you're a little bigger than you were once before. People treat you incredibly differently. But I really want to dive a little bit deeper on learning how to advocate for yourself in those scenarios. Can you just offer a few tips? I mean, obviously that's like that's lifelong learning in and of itself.

Speaker 1: 21:44

but where can someone start to feel more confident of like, okay, this is what I do?

Speaker 2: 21:51

I think, what people have to. So there's different sides right, there's not sides, there's different perspectives. Coming from an herbalist perspective, there's that, and talking about with my doctor about an herbal protocol that I may be following and how that might sync up or not sync up with whatever they are are, are suggesting and being able to say, well, these are the things that I'm doing, and being able to speak knowledgeably about what it is that I'm doing and ask them for you know, if they don't know what's going on or you're trying to figure it out, talk about doing a differential diagnosis, like let's work through this, let's talk through what's going on. But on the other side, in terms of advocating, I think it's important to know your worth when you go into a doctor's office, know that you deserve to be there, know that you have a right as a person to get good care. And if you're not getting that, it is 100% okay to get up and leave. You can get up and leave.

Speaker 2: 22:57

And I think many of us think oh no, that's embarrassing, I don't want to do that. I have been in a doctor's office where I have said thank you. You can stop now and put my little panties back on and put my clothes back on and walk out the door. Obviously, it was an OBGYN that I was seeing. I should probably put that out there, but it's okay to do that. It's okay to question our medical professionals, whether it's your herbalist, whether it's your medical, whether it's your you know, your general practitioner, whether it's a surgeon that you're about to have surgery for. Question them, ask questions. That's what their job is to to be there to answer those questions, and I think that's in any setting. I think that's the number one thing you could do. Know that you can. You deserve to be there, you can ask questions and it's okay to leave. It's okay to leave If you're getting back.

Speaker 1: 23:53

Thursdays leave leave if you're getting back Thursday. I love those tips and and you're right when you brought up like, oh you know it's embarrassing, or some people might feel, oh it's rude, I've just got to be nice to this doctor, right? Well, when they're not giving you what you need, you don't you can you know, and maybe think of it in this perspective. Maybe you just might, if you're lucky, raise awareness for that doctor to say, hey, this is an avenue in which I could grow and learn and shift and change, if their ego is open to such a thing.

Speaker 2: 24:29

Yeah, I've definitely had both of those situations happen where I've had to leave and I've actually had the doctor call back and apologize and give a bunch of reasonings, and I've also, you know, had a situation where I've left and never talked to them again and both are again okay. It's just important to know that. Uh, I forgot what some movie where doctors they aren't the end, all be all. They don't know everything, and that's why it's okay to question.

Speaker 2: 24:59

And again, if you're, if the service is bad, you have to leave and that's okay to do that, and you probably, if you ever have to do it, you will feel awkward. There's like, let's just be honest, it's going to feel weird, it's going to be feel awkward, but these are the things that we need to do to ensure that we're. Our health is serious. We only have this one body to live in. At this period of time that we're going through, we have to make sure that those that are helping to keep our bodies well are on our, on our side, absolutely and I think one thing that's really important to bring up here.

Speaker 1: 25:33

Like I, I love all of the things and tips you just said you do have a great advantage and that's you have an incredible knowledge and skill set with being a clinical herbalist and with understanding how herbs work on the body and working with so many other people one-on-one and in all the other ways that you do. Not everybody has that, and that's where it's important to work with your doctor and maybe even work with a clinical or even just a community herbalist that can help you guide, learn and be able to speak intelligibly to these doctors, right?

Speaker 2: 26:15

And ask the right questions, because I know there's many times that people go in and they're like they don't know what to ask, they don't know what to expect, and so having being armed with those kinds of questions can be really helpful. And it's taking charge of your own health, it's really understanding this is your body, you're going to, you're going to be your best advocate, and that's a that's a good thing. And I will say, the first time I had to advocate for myself, I was a young young. I was 21 years old. The first time I questioned a doctor, the first time I went in and was like you know what? I don't think this is the right sir, I don't think this is a situation for me.

Speaker 2: 26:57

And I remember calling my mom and being like mom, I don't know what to do. And she's like you know what to do, and I'm like I do know what to do, but I don't want to do it. You know I don't want to. You know I'm a baby. I'm sure I compare it to this, this doctor, but you do so. You may not feel that you have the knowledge, but again, you know if something's, if something feels off and I strongly urge people to act on those, that intuition that you have, those feelings that you have, and and do what needs to be done and, again, advocate for yourself and it is challenging, but it can be done, no matter what your life.

Speaker 1: 27:35

I agree and I think that that intuitive piece is a big thing.

Speaker 1: 27:40

It's really huge and when we're only 21, we're not in touch with that.

Speaker 1: 27:45

Like I've definitely recognized, the older I get I'm 46 now like, oh, those nudges and pings that have been happening for all of my life. It's okay to listen to them and and not only is it okay, it's significantly more wise, which is it's really come up prevalently for me recently because a community member and friend of mine was recently murdered in our community and I used to go to her property to gather eggs or get eggs from her and whatnot, and I always remember feeling a feeling of ickness there and I knew that it was her husband. Like, I knew that inside, this is like 13 years ago that I would go there. I knew that. And now here I am a couple of weeks past her death and I'm like, oh my gosh, that was my intuition, saying hey, there's something off here. Anyways, totally off subject and really really heavy. But I mean intuition. It's powerful and it's a gift and a skill to learn to listen to it and absolutely give it love and respect yeah, and I think some of that definitely comes with.

Speaker 2: 29:05

A lot of that definitely comes with age. But when we and I know this is kind of these words have been thrown around a lot lately but those gut feelings, you feel things in your gut and that is a real significant indicator. As you know, people are calling the gut, your second brain, all these different things, and you do have these, these initial feelings of intuition, whether you feel it in your brain brain or in your gut brain or something. There are these like feelings that kind of go on sometimes and it is important to at least be aware of them and, you know, give them some credence yeah, absolutely okay, we've just talked some heavy, heavy stuff, I feel, but really important stuff, really really important stuff.

Speaker 1: 29:52

But I kind of want to backtrack a little bit. You talked about how you raise your children around herbs forever and ever and ever and what a gift that is to them. But let's talk about those herbs as a mom, from the young, young, young little babies that you have to the big adult babies that you have, what were some of their favorite herbs and your favorite herbs as a mother, to be like bam, I got this plant ally in my pocket Things are all right.

Speaker 2: 30:24

You know it's funny because even after all of this time there are still these classic herbs that it's almost I don't want to say embarrassing, but it's almost like you hear stuff about chamomile, right? Oh, chamomile is great, chamomile is the bomb, like it is a wonderful herb to work with, it is lovely, and all throughout time, from a young one to an old one, a young one to an old one, catnip, those were really great in our family. We worked with yarrow a lot, elderberry a lot. These were really big ones in our family. And it's funny, my favorite herb of all time didn't I can't even say of all time didn't even become a thing for me until maybe the last decade and that's Tulsi. I wish I had Tulsi is my boo. I wish I had Tulsi when my kids were.

Speaker 2: 31:28

I wish I had it when. I wish I was using it more and had more knowledge about it when my kids were were were so young, and now it's like that is. That is my favorite, my favorite herb to work with these days Like I said, maybe in the last decade or so, but those, and then, of course, the the powerful culinary herbs I call them the fab five. I love working with mint, oregano, rosemary sage and thyme. They are super easy to grow, super powerful herbs, super accessible. I didn't, you know, I know, when I first started really diving deep into herbalism, I fell for what many of us do and I was like, oh, let me this, you know herb, let me get the cat's claw out and see. You know, which is great.

Speaker 2: 32:22

It's a great herb to work with, but it's totally not necessary for the majority of the things, let me find this rare herb that is, you know from the mountains of such and such and and use that and that's great and fine and dandy, but completely unnecessary. You can go out in your yard, you know your plantains just fine, you can do that. The nettle that's growing there that annoys you know the crap out of you, that's just fine and super effective.

Speaker 1: 32:51

So definitely those classics have been spot on for when the kids yeah, and there's a reason why they've been spoken about for centuries and centuries and used for centuries because they are incredible medicine and like this is that interesting balance. Like herbalism can be oh so simple and yet it is so complex, you know. But as we're on that motherhood journey, like let's stick with the simple because we have enough difficulty in the journey of being a parent altogether, right. So like work with those herbs that are superpowers, like each one that you talked about obviously are huge herbs that I love as well and I I love that you brought up Tulsi and how it's like I'd say for me it's been like the last five years that I've been like Tulsi, where you been all my life, like why was I not? Why have I not been hanging out for 20 years? Like what's going on? You're so yummy, you're amazing medicine.

Speaker 1: 33:50

In fact, I was just reading an article from my good friend, dr Orna Isaacson. She's a naturopathic physician, the one I talked to you about imposter syndrome. Yeah, she had just posted an article on Blue Sky and it was like hey, this is a pretty heavily political space, but there is a good Tulsi out there and it was this great article talking about all the scientific research and studies going into Tulsi, and what powerful medicine it is for so many different things. It's delicious, it's delicious, it is great.

Speaker 2: 34:27

Body, mind, spirit, all of it Like all of those things can be worked with in so many different ways. It's funny because I would definitely say, with a lot of my clients I'm a tincture girl like, especially for meeting people where they are being able to help them in a. This is great. But I don't think it's possible for me to drink, you know, a cup of this tea five times a day, unless I have a catheter or something. It's going to be a problem, and so I definitely lean heavily. But when you're, when you're working either with those who can't do tinctures or young ones although I did do tinctures with my young ones I had no hold bar, I had no problem with that, um, but I'm.

Speaker 2: 35:14

So Tulsi is one of those ones that I recommend as a tea because it is delicious, because it it, it's. So it checks so many boxes and you don't have, I don't. I don't get tired of it, and a lot of folks that I work with they don't get tired of it either. So it's just it's. It is a wonderful herb and it grows so well in my area, like the amount of Tulsi that I have. That is ridiculous. First. First, it's the lemon balm. Lemon balm is just out of control in my yard and passion flower, which I absolutely love. But I do have a love hate relationship with passion flower to me. I'm going off on a tangent.

Speaker 1: 35:55

I'm sorry, oh please. Passion flower me Like, especially now. We're recording this in mid-December, like the most stressful time of the year. Let's talk about passion flower. Go on that tangent. I'm going to go on a tangent.

Speaker 2: 36:07

Passion flower. To me and I apologize in advance to all you cat people they're like cats. I love cats. My daughter has a cat. He's somewhere in the house right now, but we all know that cats are going to bleep me out. The cats can be, the cats can be a little ornery, let's just put it that way. Cats are going to cat and I feel that way about passion flower. It is lovely. It is beautiful.

Speaker 2: 36:32

Of course, the medicinal actions that it has in your body is amazing. But that sucker is taking over my garden like it chokes everything out. The first time it just spontaneously started growing in my garden and I was like, oh my God, this is fabulous. I don't have to source this from anywhere else, I can get it right in my own front yard, lamont, talking to my husband don't touch it, don't take it out of the garden, just let it do its thing. That was the biggest mistake, because it just it was like oh, you want me to be here. I got you Choked out all my tomatoes, choked out my lavender. It gets a choke hold on you. So I've been having to try and tame my passion flower and it will not be tamed. It will not be tamed every part of the, the doctrine of signatures, those lovely little curly cues that help with that circular thinking and just kind of help bring that all down, those also will grab on onto anything and everything in a brief amount of time and hook onto it and never let go.

Speaker 1: 37:42

So, yeah, that's when you need to go back in time and be like Lamont. I'm sorry I ever said this Attack the passion flower. Get all of your clients to like can you come over and I've got passion flower for you.

Speaker 2: 37:55

This is exactly what I do. Please take it. It's crazy.

Speaker 1: 37:59

It's awesome. What a beautiful flower, though and, yes, aggressive.

Speaker 2: 38:02

And it tracks the most lovely bees. It's wonderful to have. It just is a little bit of a blessing and a curse, I will admit it.

Speaker 1: 38:09

Mm, hmm, mm, hmm. I was a bit envious when you said Tulsi grows really really well for you. I've yet to be able to get it to grow really well for me where I am, but I'm in a cooler climate and I'm lucky to get much for sunshine at all. So I don't know, maybe I just need to tend to it a little bit better to make it just go crazy, because I love it. Well, don't feel bad.

Speaker 2: 38:34

This is I'm laughing because it is. It is so embarrassing to admit as an herbalist. Tulsi grows great. I can grow a ton of different. I've got a la campaign growing. I've got, you know, bee balm. I've got all these wonderful things, my, of course, my culinaries. The one thing that I have managed to murder has been mint. It will not grow for me, just specifically peppermint and spearmint. Of course, anything else in the mint family, lemon balm is ridiculous, like it's all over the place. I can grow my other let me say family things, but just the straight up, supposedly invasive mint, which I don't believe people anymore because it's not invasive. It's not invasive for me. It won't grow in a pot in the ground. I'm like sure. Take over my lawn mint, I'm all here for it. No, it doesn't. It's not a hat. Maybe the passion flower pushed it out, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 39:33

That's so funny, because mint definitely takes over anything where I am. But then I'll go for the lemon balm or the tulsi or culinary basil or catnip, like I can get the lemon balm and catnip to grow. But I'm like, kate, could you like start taking over my yard? And it's just like no, I'm just gonna hang out right here like, but wait, you're a mint also, you're supposed to go crazy. What are you doing? Yeah, so anyways, oregano goes crazy. Goodness gracious, could it just stop oh my gosh, it is.

Speaker 2: 40:08

And just a a side bit, I really you know a lot of different herbalists say this look at where you are. You'd be so surprised what is growing in your area. I'm in baltimore city. So surprised what is growing in your area. I'm in Baltimore city. I've got I'm in more of a, not a downtown area, so we've got single family houses and everything but all up and down my street are ginkgo trees. It's crazy up the street I my port I'm definitely known as a crazy person where I went to my neighbor and was like hey, can we cut some of your trees? This is a Linden tree. Did know that, can I get you? And he's like a what tree? But it is. You know, a lot of herbalists say this and I can't emphasize it enough. If you're interested in herbs, start with what's growing immediately around you. You would be so surprised at what's actually growing there and then it just becomes so much fun.

Speaker 1: 41:02

Yeah, because you like develop this relationship with that plant and you can like go for your walks and be like oh hi, lovely Lyndon For me like. Lyndon is a hug, lyndon, like I can feel a Lyndon trees, branches wrap around me and a loving, embracing hug to just say, hey, whatever shit you're going through right now, this is going to be okay. It's going to be okay.

Speaker 2: 41:21

I got you, you know, and my secret blend is the passion flower that's going crazy and my linden, and a little sprinkle of rose.

Speaker 1: 41:30

Goodbye, hello, everything's all right. We can handle this climate of weirdness in our world right now. Maybe, yeah, exactly Maybe. Oh gosh, I love that so darn much, especially that you have the Linden around and you know it's. It's such a valid point that you just made that there is so much incredible medicine all around us, even if you are in the city like the closest city to me is Oregon, so I mean it's already a city full of hippies and weirdos and whatnot, but there's medicine everywhere in that city there's Hawthorne trees, there's Linden, there's Albizia and like it's everywhere, right?

Speaker 1: 42:14

Medicine is everywhere you need it to be, and when you start to pay attention to these plants and to the fact that some of them are medicine, they'll jump out at you right when you need them and be like hey, hello, I'm here for you.

Speaker 2: 42:30

I think that is one of the things. If I were going to change anything about my journey, that would be. The one thing that I would change is paying attention to what was around me. Earlier, when I first started all of this, I was mainly working with the cut and sifted herbs. Right, they're dry, they're coming to me in bags or jars and, you know, over the years I've been able to identify them. But you know, a bunch of green and dried herbs look very, very similar, right, right, as you, you know, are more experienced, you begin to be able to tell them apart. But there's nothing like actually working with the growing plant that's roots are in the ground and washing it over time. Its roots are in the ground and washing it over time, over through the seasons, and and really, like you said, connecting with it. That's all. That's next level and it's a whole nother medicine.

Speaker 2: 43:30

It's a whole nother exactly and it's. It's a very beautiful thing to do and I actually I would, I would flip it for for folks and in the reverse and from what I did, would flip it for folks and in the reverse from what I did, and that is, don't always go towards those already dried and cut and sifted herbs. Find out what's going to look at what it looks like fresh, smell it. Lemon balm fresh is a completely different animal than lemon balm dried, right, and you know, basil basil, your culinary basil, totally different creature fresh than it is, than it is dried. And so I think it's really, really important to kind of understand not only some of those differences but seeing what it looks like and smelling it and touching it, and that's really best done with what's growing in your area and that's just. I think that's the one thing that I would do differently if I were to change this.

Speaker 1: 44:23

I love that. I love that so much. I was really fortunate that that I kind of chose that route. Like I first started learning like what's native around me, because I I kind of got into this because I was an environmental and experiential education so I did a lot of tree and shrub plant ID classes and you know that had me go, oh crap, this stuff is medicine, that's not just a tree. Wow, Okay, you know. And then I decided to follow that route. But I would love to hear from you if somebody is like, hey, you know she's right, I should get to know what's around me because it is easier, it's more affordable. I create that relationship. How can people start doing that and feel safe, knowing that they've got the right plans?

Speaker 2: 45:06

There's so many. You know again, being older and having some experience, you know been. You know, since I've been doing this for a while, there are so many resources out there. When I started, you know, my first herbal books, they were sketches, which is great, but like a little pencil sketch doesn't really give you the feeling of what something looks like in you know, in real life. And so you've got the internet. You know when I started that. But you can look up a video very, very quickly. And I know a lot of folks are like don't go on Google. I'm a big advocate of utilizing what we have. We have Google. We have all of these things at our disposal.

Speaker 2: 45:53

It's not your only source of information, but it can be a source, and a really good one. And of course, there are books. There's this one series. I can go get it if we have the time, but it just talks about it's it's it's regional, so you can buy it for the region that you're in. It has wonderful pictures. I'm sure there's a plethora that exist and you are able to identify what's growing in your area, find out what to be careful of. There's also that, that guy sam often. What's his last name? Kaufman? No, it's not the guy. He's like a. He works a lot with the black forager and that works a lot, but they've done a lot of things together and this guy I think it's sam he's got this wonderful. I think it is thornton right.

Speaker 1: 46:40

Did you say Thornton? I said Kaufman, but I don't think it's the same person. Now that I hear you speaking more.

Speaker 2: 46:46

He's got this wonderful book that is super extensive. I think one of the biggest things to be careful of are the lookalikes. You know you're knowing your, your wild carrot, knowing you know from, or your, your Queen Anne's lace from your hemlock and and you know from your Queen Anne's lace from your hemlock, and you know not messing the two up, and knowing how to identify them. That's really important to do, and I understand how that could be intimidating to people. Don't let it intimidate. You Like just do it, just step out and do it.

Speaker 2: 47:20

You'd be amazed that there are a lot of herbs that do have lookalikes that may cause some reactions, but there's also a plethora that do not, and you can start out with some of those and just identify them and use different ways. Look at the book, look at the app, look at the picture that you saw on Google. These are the ways that you can kind of narrow it down so that you can feel and then and then, of course, interrupting myself and then seek out other herbalists in your area. That is, that's actually number one. That's where you should start. There are, I guarantee, for a lot of folks. Even if you're living in the most rural areas, you'd be surprised at the kind of herb walks that will go on in your area, that you can actually walk and talk and see again in real life what these things look like, how to identify them. You know some of the best ways to use them, and that can be a really beneficial resource to start out with and then expand from there.

Speaker 1: 48:21

Absolutely. Yeah, I'm a huge fan of that. And you can also like, if you're out and about, if you are like going on a camping trip or something like, stop by the forest service or whatever branch manages that and talk to the rangers, talk to the people there, like what plants and other things are here and how can I identify them.

Speaker 2: 48:43

But, yeah, naturalists they'll talk to you.

Speaker 1: 48:45

They love talking about, oh yeah that's how I got into this world, so yeah absolutely, and yeah, I think it's really, really important to take those walks with the herbalists and spend time with those plants, because they are powerful and amazing and you will end up with better medicine than you will get with those dried, cut, sifted herbs. Not that all of those are bad, but they're definitely not great.

Speaker 2: 49:13

And to get a little other esoteric addition to it would be the spiritual connection that you get with these plants when you engage with them is something that you, at least for me, couldn't even imagine is possible and the type of insight that you may get. That has nothing to do with the sniffles that you may have or the little boo-hoo you may have on your finger. It may have to do with some complicated issue that you're trying to solve between the fight you have with your mom or your partner or your kid, and somehow, looking at this plant, it tells you something and again it's woo-woo. I'm all about the woo-woo, I love it. And that component of the connectivity and the interconnectivity is not to be ignored as well.

Speaker 1: 50:07

I mean, there's so much knowledge right in there, like I'm not sure if it's Rosemary Gladstar that says this statement or if it just came somewhere through United Plant Savers, but if you listen, they will teach you, and these plants can teach you in the most unexpected ways and it is a spiritual experience and humbling yes, my goodness gracious, like how brilliant these plants are. They really, really, really are. And, like I said earlier, they know when to speak to you. Yeah, I'll call you out. If you will listen, they will be like hey, I am your friend right now.

Speaker 2: 50:49

Yeah, and that's the key part If you listen, take that time to listen and they'll talk to you.

Speaker 1: 50:57

It's like that gift and skill of learning to listen to your body, right Like I think our children are actually born with that and then we're taught to forget about it. So, yes, absolutely yeah, what a bunch of gifts, gosh. You are so much fun to talk to. I'm so enjoying this. Yeah, me too. Me too, and I want to make sure I respect both of our time, because side note listeners, brittany and I, may have talked for 45 minutes before hitting record for this episode. I'm a little extra spoiled, but I also want to respect your time for the day and I want to make sure that people can connect with you.

Speaker 1: 51:40

Brittany has actually come and taught inside of some of my herbal program. She taught on smokable herbs in Apothecary Mama and she's going to be a guest teacher inside of the Community Herbalist Certification Program starting in January of 2025. I am super excited and honored to have her on board to teach everybody because, if you couldn't tell by this little interview, she's a blast and brilliant. So she also runs one-on-one consultations with people. She has an herbal product line, so if you want remedies that are freaking amazing, she's your gal. If you want to learn more, she teaches a ton and is definitely worthy of following. She runs Eudaimonia Herbs. That's where you can get most of her stuff, but I'll let you tell everybody else where they can find you too.

Speaker 2: 52:33

Sure, I mean so on the socials, so on Instagram and TikTok. It's Eudaimonia Herbs. I'm going to spell that for y'all because it is challenging sometimes. So it's E-U-D-E-M-O-N-I-A Herbs. It does mean to flourish and wellbeing, which kind of spoke to me. It has Greek origins, so that's Eudaimonia Herbs. So you can find me. I'm mainly active on Instagram, but also sporadically active on TikTok and, of course, my website. I talk about workshops that I teach locally, and also there's different teas and tinctures and things or extracts that you can purchase on my website. And, coming into the 2025, there'll be some other offerings upcoming on my website that I'm very happy about. So I hope you guys will check it out, and I'm also excited to be a part of your community herbalist program. I think that's going to be fabulous and I'm looking forward to that as well.

Speaker 1: 53:32

So yeah, I'm always excited when I get to chat with you. It's fun, so fun to chat with somebody who's passionate about something that I am really passionate about, and just a really good time to talk to. So I appreciate you in all of the ways. I will definitely be linking to all of your socials and your website in the show notes of this episode so people can absolutely find you learn from you, embrace the great medicine that you as a being are and, of course, the great medicine that you create as well. So, thank you so much. Yeah, thank you so much, brittany, I really do appreciate you. Thank you.

Speaker 2: 54:11

I appreciate you as well. It's so nice to have a conversation, like you said, about something we're passionate about and just can speak on and just helping to share this information with others. That is just such a wonderful thing. I love hearing how exuberant you are when you're talking, when you're doing these things that I see on social media when I hear your podcast. It's just it's it's, it's refreshing, and so I'm just really happy that we connected.

Speaker 1: 54:37

Yeah, me too.

Speaker 2: 54:39

We're, you know, able to do this. It's just very nice.

Speaker 1: 54:43

Awesome. Yay, thank you so much, and I wish you a magnificent rest of your week, you too, rest of your year. This is the end of 2024. Right, da-da-da-da? Yeah, thank you again. Yes, you're welcome, take care.

Speaker 2: 55:01

Bye-bye.

Speaker 1: 55:08

Thank you so much for tuning into another episode of the Herbalist Path. Being on this journey with you is absolutely incredible. If you dig this episode, please leave me a review on your favorite podcast player and share it with your friends so that together, we can make herbalism hashtag spread like wildflowers. On another note, I must mention that, while I know you're getting some good info here, it's important to remember that this podcast is purely for entertainment and educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. While the information in this podcast is absolutely relevant, herbs work differently for each person and each condition. That's why I recommend you work with a qualified practitioner, whether that be another herbalist, a naturopath or your doctor. So thank you again. I am truly honored that you're tuning into these episodes and on the path with me to make sure that there's an herbalist in every home. Again, don't forget to share this episode with your friends so that we can make herbalism Hashtag spread like wildflowers.