Professional Herbalist Program

Cracking open the new books...in my "herbal study corner"

The New Arrivals!  East West School of Herbology Books Are Here!!

A big announcement in our world is that over a year of saving, dreaming, delightful internet searching, praying (and friends praying, too!), and slowly collecting relevant books has resulted in AT LAST being able to enroll in the East West School of Planetary Herbology.  Thank you, God...I am SO grateful!!  

There are really good herbal distance-learning programs available online for folks like me who have no schools to access locally.  It was hard narrowing down the choices to just one, but in the end I really liked the books I had read by the East West school's founders Micahel and Lesley Tierra, who have combined the best of western herbalism with both traditional chinese medicinal herbalism and ayurveda.  The merging of the three major herbal "paths" allows for tailoring herbs very specifically to the individual...an approach both empirical and intuitive.

The coursework is said to take up to two years to complete, give or take, and it is fascinating and challenging.  Much guidance is provided in various venues so that a student can learn within the framework of a richly diverse community and excellent sources.  As the coursework progresses, there are written assignments to complete as well as hands-on projects with (what else??) the herbs themselves (FUN!!!).  I've created a sister blog Herbin Living in which I'll chronicle this process specifically.

The course I've enrolled in is the Professional Herbalist course, and I don't know where exactly this road will take me, but I do know it's on the right path.  It seems like most of my life my studies and career choices were so often derailed from where my natural inclinations lay because of various reasons...raising a child, waiting for a husband to finish schooling, financial necessity, lack of resources or transportation, life crises, and so on.  So many jobs I have had in the past couple decades have been necessary but far afield from what I recognize as being "me."  The longer I continue in such, the less energy I seem to have to devote to the things that I'm actually good at, am energized in doing, and feel a real sense of purpose in.  Being able to go to herbalism school is truly a dream realized, because it helps me remember who I am, aligns me with a strong sense of purpose, helps me develop skills and knowledge I believe is truly necessary for myself and others, and brings me great JOY!!

I ask God to bless this effort for His glory, since He is the one who allowed this time to come about and brought this amazing opportunity to fruition.  I hope anything I learn is not for my benefit alone, but for the benefit of many, to return to a wiser design of natural health and healing and to regain knowledge and thereby regain independence from some of the mainstream "advancements" that have derailed sound traditional practices.  I do not want to be caught up in any arrogance of a "one true way" in the study of healing and plants, but to acknowledge the wealth of human experience that preceded our generation, and to give it its due respect, and to learn from it.  We have lost in large part the wise elders at whose feet we could sit and listen, and their stories and experiences disappear if there is no one left to value them and apply their lessons to our own day and age.

As in so many other areas of my life, Jeremiah 6:16 continues to ring true:


Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls..."

I am delighted that God does not leave us directionless when we come to the highway and have many routes  from which to choose.  I treasure seeking and asking for the ancient paths and treasure the fact there IS a good way and that it does bring contentment.  

YHVH, please bless this effort!

I'm delighted that this day has come...thank you for sharing in the joy of a dream realized, and a new "old" path begun!!

:-D   Robbyn