From Nature to Nurture

What does it mean to move beyond consuming herbal information and into true relationship with the plants?In this episode, we explore the philosophy of reciprocal herbalism, a slower, more relational approach to learning plants rooted in stewardship, attentiveness, observation, and coexistence. Together, we’ll discuss information overload in modern herbalism, ethical relationship with the land, and the subtle ways working with plants can begin reshaping how we move through the world itself.From deer eating elderberries to rescuing worms from the driveway after rainstorms, this conversation reflects on the quiet shifts that happen when we begin seeing ourselves as part of an ecosystem rather than separate from it.This episode is an invitation to slow down, notice more deeply, and remember that herbalism is not just something we study: it's something we live.If this conversation resonates with you, I am about to open enrollment for the Reciprocal Herbalism program, a 15-week relationship-based herbal learning container rooted in slow study, sensory learning, seasonal rhythm, and deeper relationship with the plants.Learn more here: https://www.rootandwandercollective.com/reciprocal-herbalism-program

In this episode, I’m joined by fellow herbalist Amelia Andrade for a conversation rooted in the wild edges of spring.We explore the role of bitters in herbal practice, not just as a category of taste or action, but as something that invites us back into relationship with our bodies. Together, we talk about wild weeds, especially Dandelion, and the quiet, persistent ways these plants support digestion, movement, and renewal.This conversation moves between the medicinal and the energetic: how bitters wake things up in the body, how spring asks us to shift and soften, and how working with common plants can become a daily, lived practice rather than something abstract or occasional.We also reflect on nourishment this time of year, what it means to support ourselves gently as we come out of winter, and how paying attention to what’s growing around us can guide that process.If you’ve ever felt drawn to the plants growing just outside your door, or are curious about how to work with herbs in a more grounded, relational way, this episode is an invitation to begin.Check out Amelia's Free Bitter Support Guide:'A beginner’s guide to offer you support in introducing bitters back into your life, expanding your palate & developing an appreciation for this forgotten flavor.' https://darling-dandy-botanicals.myflodesk.com/wwdlamgq83Follow Amelia:instagram.com/amelia_the_wildflowerhttps://bio.site/amelia_the_wildflowerBio:Amelia Andrade is a folk herbalist and mystical muser. Drawing from the Wise Woman Tradition of Healing, her passion is nourishing the sacred and wild relationship between people and plants. While also exploring the world and wisdom of bitter botanicals, inspired by her devotional relationship to the dandelion. 

Nettle has long been woven into folklore as a plant of protection, resilience, and quiet strength.In this episode, we step beyond the physical medicine and into the stories and spirit of Nettle. I share traditional folklore, including the Nine Herbs Charm, along with reflections on the energetic qualities of this plant and the messages it carries.Join me and listen more closely to what Nettle can teach us. This is an episode for those who want to know the plants, not just use them.The translation of the 9 Herbs Charm that I used.

In this episode, we explore Nettle (Urtica dioica), a deeply nourishing, mineral-rich plant that I often return to again and again. It’s also one of the most beginner-friendly herbs to grow and work with, making it a beautiful place to start your herbal journey.We’ll walk through how Nettle supports the body, from its role as a nutritive tonic to its affinity for the kidneys and its overall impact on vitality. Nettle is a foundational plant in herbalism, offering steady, building support over time rather than quick or dramatic effects.We’ll also talk about how to begin incorporating nettle into your everyday life in simple, approachable ways, whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your understanding of this foundational plant.This episode focuses on the practical, physiological side of nettle, and in the next episode, we’ll move into the folklore, energetics, and deeper relationship with this plant.

In this follow-up conversation with spagyricist Mo Judith, we shift from alchemical history into the substance of the work itself.We explore what defines a true spagyric preparation, how it differs from a conventional herbal extract, and what distinguishes the spagyric process on a chemical level. From mineral salts to extraction techniques, we discuss what is happening in the process, not just in theory.This episode offers a broad overview of how spagyrics are made, with particular attention to material processes rather than mysticism. Whether you’re an herbalist, student, or simply curious about the intersection of alchemy and chemistry, this conversation brings clarity to a subject often obscured by romantic language.While this episode can stand on its own, it builds on our earlier conversation, Alchemy as Animism with Mo Judith, where we explored the philosophical and historical foundations of alchemy.Bio:Raised closely to the natural world, Maureen (Mo) Judith was shaped by the quiet intelligence of plants, ecosystems, and wilderness from an early age into adulthood. She became a life-long student of nature, she began to study herbalism in her teenage years. She left the country at 18 years old in pursuit of traveling to broaden her understanding of life and those who inhabited this earth. Drawn not only to local ecologies but also the ways life expresses itself across the globe. She spent around 5 years traveling and hitchhiking around the world, seeking to learn from the earth and those who still spoke her language. Today she runs Aura La Voura, a project, laboratory and brand dedicated to alchemical herbalism and right relationship with the earth. Their work scratches the surface of a new kind of research– one that bridges wisdom and soul with modern science and chemistry. She donates a percentage of her profits to foundations dedicated to reforestation and coral rejuvenation.Connect with Mo Judith:https://www.auralavoura.comhttps://www.instagram.com/auralavoura

The spring equinox marks a moment of balance, equal light and dark, and the subtle but undeniable return of the sun’s strength. Across cultures and centuries, this turning point has been honored with fire festivals, fertility rites, cleansing rituals, and the tending of early green medicines.In this episode, we explore the folklore and traditions surrounding the spring equinox, from the Persian New Year to agricultural and ancestral rites that mark renewal, reciprocity, and awakening. We’ll look at how communities historically understood this seasonal threshold, and what it meant to prepare both land and body for the growing months ahead.You’ll also learn herbal allies that support this transitional time, bitters for movement, nutritives for rebuilding, and gentle strategies for working with spring’s upward energy rather than pushing against it.Finally, I’ll share simple, grounded traditions you can try yourself. Bring in the renewal energy with these rituals that are rooted in ecology, not aesthetics.

In this episode, we explore the many ways humans communicate with plants, from asking permission before harvest to sensing subtle shifts in the body, to dreams and intuitive knowing.Plant communication is often dismissed as mystical or “woo,” but relationship with the living world is something our ancestors understood deeply. Today, emerging research on plant signaling, bioelectricity, and environmental attunement offers a bridge between science and lived experience.In this conversation, I share some of my own experiences speaking with plants, along with stories submitted by listeners who have encountered the plants as teachers, guides, and companions.We explore: – What it means to ask permission before harvesting – How to begin listening if you’ve never tried – The science of plant signaling and energetic exchange – Why reciprocity matters in herbal practiceThis episode isn’t about proving anything. It’s about widening the lens. Whether your relationship with plants is practical, mystical, scientific, or somewhere in between, there is room here.When we begin to listen, the plants often respond.Thank you for our submitted stories:Nikki Pazdra @khemiaapothecaryAbigail Warner @fae.of.ilariaAmelia Andrade @darling_dandy_botanicalsFurther Reading & Research:Simard, S. (2021). Finding the Mother Tree.Mancuso, S. (2018). The Revolutionary Genius of Plants.Fromm, J., & Lautner, S. (2007). Electrical signals and their physiological significance in plants. Plant, Cell & Environment.Karban, R. (2008). Plant behavior and communication.Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory.

In this episode, I sit down with ecoherbalist and High Garden Tea cofounder Leah Larabell for a conversation that feels like a walk through the woods: grounded, honest, and quietly revolutionary. We talk about what it means to be in right relationship with the land, how plants communicate when we slow down enough to listen, and how herbalism becomes regenerative when it’s rooted in reciprocity, not extraction.Leah shares her vision of ecoherbalism, not as a trend, but as a return to an older, wiser way of knowing. Along the way, we explore grief, hope, soil, story, and the small sacred acts that reconnect us to the living world. This episode is a love letter to the earth, a call to remembrance, and a balm for those who wonder how to stay hopeful in heavy times.Connect with Leah:www.highgardentea.cominstagram.com/highgardenteaBio:Leah Larabell is a two-decade trained and teaching clinical-level herbalist, and the creator of High Garden Tea. A passionate conservationist and forever student of the land, Leah's work centers on ecoherbalism, a name she calls "a new term for an old way." Her approach is rooted in land-based herbalism, focusing on regenerative, reciprocal relationships with plants as part of their ecosystems. She is a forever student of the land and eternally grateful for the teachings of the many elders who walked the plant path before her and shared it, so we may all know the plants as the healers that they are.  

In this episode of From Nature to Nurture, we journey into the timeless lore, rituals, and symbolic beauty of Rose, a plant cherished across cultures as an emblem of love, sacredness, and sovereign boundaries.You’ll hear stories of Rose as a guide through grief and rebirth, explore her energetic role as a heart protector and softener, and discover how she can be invoked to build boundaries and reconnect with self-worth. From ancient myth to everyday magic, Rose continues to be a fiercely gentle teacher, and in this conversation, you’ll feel her thorns and her tenderness.Whether you’ve long been devoted to Rose or are just brushing her petals for the first time, this episode is an invitation to sit with her wisdom and with yourself.