Herbalism Booklist Plus Instagram Accounts, Educators, and Apothecaries
Ancient humans had an intimate connection to nature - we lived by the cycles of the sun and the moon, followed the flow of water when determining where to settle, and planted and sowed according to the shifts in seasons. We used herbal remedies for just about any ailment. One major difference between our current lifestyle and those of our evolutionary past is an increasing distance from natural settings as our lives have become more urbanized. However, by our very being, we are a part of nature.
In our most “well” state our bodies and minds are tuned in and aligned with the natural world.
“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.”
Nature gives us so much, and truly has the power to heal. Whether it be medicinal woods, the spices found in our kitchen pantry, essential oils, flowers foraged from our gardens, or organic and sustainably harvested herbs, nature can work wonders for our mind, body, and spirit.
This book list is a round up of our favorite books for exploring more about herbal medicines and natural remedies. We’ve included classics and more modern approaches to cultivating natural healing into your life. Some featured focus on remedies and prescriptions, others discuss cultivating your own herbal garden. Let the list be your full encyclopedia of herbology.
The Complete Herbalism Book List
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar
In this book, Rosemary Gladstar brings her 20 years of experience in the herbal community as a healer, teacher, and visionary, to elucidate the impact herbal remedies can have throughout a woman’s life. Through easy to follow, step by step directions, Gladstar teaches us how to select the right herbs and prepare hundreds of remedies to treat common symptoms of adolescence, childbearing years, pregnancy and childbirth, and menopause.
Herbalist Visions and Visionaries: New Conversations With Inspiring Plant Healers of The 21st Century by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Featuring a collection of insightful, in-depth conversations and interviews, Herbalist Visions and Visionaries: New Conversations With Inspiring Plant Healers of The 21st Century shares personal stories, secrets, tools, and tips from the most influential herbal icons including plants healers, activists, botanists, herbal clinicians, gardeners, folklorists, mystics, and plant geeks. Whether you are an experienced herbalist or a novice, this book offers a diverse range of intimate perspectives that will inspire you as you wander down your own herbalism path.
Written by master herbalist, Sarah Farr, Healing Herbal Teas covers everything you need to know about tea blending. Within its 101 original recipes, this book provides great-tasting formulations to benefit each body system and promote overall well-being. You’ll also find detailed information on herb gardening and preservation so you can develop your own herbal mixtures tailored to your personal needs.
Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying More than 100 Herbs by Tammi Hartung
In this easy and fun to read guide, Tammi Hartung’s over 40 years of herbal experience will inspire you to plan, design, and maintain your own herbal garden. With 101 in-depth profiles of 101 popular herbs, you will learn the ins and outs of seed selection, planting, maintenance, harvesting, drying, and pest control and disease management. Hartung will also show you how to incorporate your herbs into a variety of meals, home remedies, and crafts.
Southern Folk Medicine: Healing Traditions from the Appalachian Fields and Forests by Phyllis D. Light
Written by one of Southern and Appalachian folk medicine’s last practitioners, Phyllis D. Light offers an autobiographical perspective to herbalism that is uniquely American. Easy to read, she will take you through a journey into the history, culture, theory, and practical application of a system medicine that has been passed down through generations of oral tradition.
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments by Andrew Chevallier
Written by an experienced medical herbalist and healer, this encyclopedia is your go-to comprehensive guide to herbal medicine featuring 500 medicinal herbs and nearly 220 remedy units. Not only does this encyclopedia provide a detailed breakdown of each herb- habitat, cultivation, key constituents, key actions, research, and traditional and current uses- it also offers you the opportunity to learn to grow, harvest, and process your own ingredients to create natural remedies and improve your health.
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory is the premier reference to herbal remedies. Covering quite literally everything you need to know about herbs, this guide offers detailed instructions for making approximately 250 herbal medicines you can make at home- all tested by the authors, both expert herbalists.
Working The Roots: over 400 years of Traditional African American Healing by Michele Lee
African American traditional medicine began with the healing knowledge brought with the African captives on slave ships, later merging with Native American, European, and other healing traditions, and have lasted to this present day. Directly from her studies in the rural South and West Coast regions of the United States, Lee shares interviews of healers, their stories, and a comprehensive collection of traditional African American medicines, remedies, and the many common ailments they were called upon to cure.
Herbal Medicine for Emotional Healing: 101 Natural Remedies for Anxiety, Depression, Sleep, and More by Tina Sams
With a gift of making herbalism easy, Tina Sims shares gentle yet effective plant medicines to support emotional well being. Through herbal profiles and 101 rejuvenating recipes, you will learn to make teas, tinctures, salves, and other simple but potent preparations (all with key safety guidelines) to relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, phobias, and stress.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Botanist and professor of plant ecology, Kimmerer embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers, that the objective and scientific world is only enriched by the mystical. As a mesmerizing storyteller, she reflects upon her Potawatomi ancestry to illustrate the culture of gratitude in which we all should strive to live.
Want to go deeper? Learn more by following these Instagram accounts and shopping with these apothecaries.
BIPOC herbal educators to follow on instagram
Apothecaries we recommend purchasing from
Sacred Vibes Apothecary
69herbs
Blue Nile Botanicals
Rosalie Apothecary
Snake Root Apothecary
Anima Mundi Apothecary
