Half Moon Herbals

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Canada
Waterloo, ON
Half Moon Herbals

Nikola Barsoum is a certified Community Herbalist, Permaculture Designer and Ecological Farmer

The practice of herbal medicine is one of relationship building with the plants and the lands where one lives, and is a practice that is woven within all peoples histories. In gratitude and in joy, we plant, tend, harvest, prepare, drink-in and teach about healing herbs - as well as the process of reciprocity and giving back. Half Moon Herbals builds herb gardens using permaculture principals. Thr

ough observation, creative design and polyculture plantings we grow in a way that encourages respectful engagement and restoration of the surrounding ecosystem.

04/24/2026

Not flowers?? No friend, these are the beautiful leaves unfurling right now of our beloved Elder (Sambucus canadensis, I believe). How delicate and stunning! Like little broccoli, hahaha, and one of many signs of spring.

04/19/2026

Thank you for a truly profound first herbal learning circle yesterday morning that included a few songs and some beautiful personal sharing!

As the first circle of the year, we focused on the foundational process of meeting the plants and learning WITH them (not just about them), in order to deepen into our practice of Relational Herbalism.

So, we primed our senses and went out to sit with a tree and listen deeply. What came back from this was a little shocking to be honest, with how clear the message was.

The trees here are asking for us to witness them, and invite them into our spaces. We ended up setting out a seat for them in our circle (which I will keep doing in future circles, for them).

There was a big theme of death and dying in this forest, and lots of feelings of missing of friends (deer and bear)- overall grief at the loss of what was (what the land here used to be, community, health, ecosystem vitality and overall identity of the land), and also there was a deep feeling of peace and a message to stop ‘trying so hard’ and just be. That the small simple lives are vital and important. That death brings rebirth. And that the frustration and anger are shared.

It was truly powerful. Thank you all so much for joining us, on a morning that was down pouring with rain no less (!), to do this good work together. I want to do more of these specific types of circles together. I want to hear more from our mother trees here. ❤️

04/14/2026

This weekend we gather!!

With the return of spring, we’re opening another season of herbal learning circles, rooted in relationship, curiosity, and community. ❤️

These gatherings are intended to be accessible and foster cross-cultural herbal sharing. You don’t need to have any experience. Just come as you are, bring a friend, and join us as we deepen our connections to the plants, the land and each other.

DATES & DETAILS:
All sessions are Saturday or Sunday mornings, 9:30am-12:00pm.

Full descriptions of each Learning Circle can be found on the website www.halfmoonherbals.com

Sat April 18th - Tree Medicine: Getting to know our local trees through embodied exploration
Location: Breithaupt Park, Kitchener

Sat May 9th - Botany 101 for Herbalists: Identifying plants and their growth patterns
Location: The YurtKW

Sun May 31st - WORK PARTY: Herb Garden Prep, Planting & Permaculture
Location: Petersburg Community Garden

Sat June 13th - Herbal First-Aid: How to assemble a small home or travel herbal kit.
Location: The YurtKW

Sat June 27th MAKER SESSION: Tea-Blending: Making Nourishing Teas that Support Our Nervous Systems
REGISTER HERE
Location: The YurtKW

Sat July 25th: Tasting Herbal Waters: Teas, Infusions & Decoctions in Practice
Location: The YurtKW

Sat Aug 15: Herbal Touch: Oils, Salves & Skin-Based Healing
Location: The YurtKW

Sat Sept 19: Choosing your Medicine: Tinctures, Vinegars & Oxymels in Everyday Use
Location: The Yurt KW

Sun Sept 27: WORK PARTY: Herb Garden in Action Location Location: Petersburg Community Garden

FALL/WINTER Learning Circles (dates TBD)
Oct: Setting Up Your Home Apothecary
Nov: Drop-Dosing: Awakening Our Senses with a Mystery Herb
Nov: MAKER SESSION: Cough Syrups and Cold/Flu Remedies
Dec: Community Resilience & Adaptability: Herbalists Activating Systems Change (a disucssion and visioning circle)

03/26/2026

Scarifying my marshmallow (Althea officinalis) seeds today and dreaming of a future for my grandchildren… Every year I learn something new, but this slow soothing process has been the way I scuff up hard seeds to help them break dormancy for years now. Maybe I can try something new - how do you do like to do this?

03/03/2026

Processing Ashwagandha (Withania somnífera) seeds today. The little red/orange berries in their paper-thin dried lanterns are so promising and beautiful. The seeds are delicate, smooth oval disks.

I start my Ashwagandha seedlings on a heat mat to help improve germination. These seeds about a few years old, so I’ll germ test first. I told myself I wouldn’t do any of my own veggie seedlings this year (thank you for growing some trays for me!) so I could make room for more medicinals (and a few perrenial veggies) in my little indoor seed starting rack.

This all feels so timely, as we’re currently in the fourth week of the online Medicine Garden Planning Circle, which has us finalizing the large pattern permaculture designs for our gardens and starting to focus on herb selection - so exiting!! So grateful to be doing this work alongside each of you.

01/26/2026

Amidst the aggressive forces at play in the world, the heartbreak of genocide, ecocide, dominance, and exploitation, I find refuge in my garden. I find solace in the sun and the cycles. I find a safe haven to grieve, and to remember what being held in connection feels like.

The process of growing and tending my food and medicine has been a personal salvage. I also see it as a kind of martial arts side step. A sway. Not resistance, per se. But a drop in a river flowing another way. 🙂

It is a process of weaving myself back into the web of relationship with the living world. Back into connection with those upon whom my very life depends. And somehow, I can still forget…. Without the practice, the awe of sprouting seeds, the wonder of working with wild species and healing spaces, the continual observation that guides discernment about how to interact, and the resulting upswell of my will to act on behalf of life…the amnesia returns.

The forces driving disconnection are strong, and also subtle. I am a child of late stage capitalism, and so easily entrained back into consumer, transactional mentalities. My garden, however meagre, however small, is my path back home again, to who I am meant to be.

I am grateful that I took a chance in my young 20s and followed my heart towards an agrarian life. I am grateful for those around the world who sing to the plants and the water, who treat seeds with deep reverence. Oof, it brings tears to my eyes.

And I thank you, who are reading this, for your own practices of connection and practical acts of love, to land and life.

I humbly invite those seeking support in this direction to join our garden planning circle this winter. More info in the comments (just follow the link). Cost is no barrier. DM me directly with questions.

This practice is about collective liberation, and about facing that direction together, to the best of our ability. ❤️

01/15/2026

Collecting community feedback!! If you joined Heather and me at a Learning Circle this past year, we’d like to hear from you. There’s a very short survey linked in the comments below, and we’d be so grateful if you took a moment to fill it out. ❤️

Because our offerings are rooted in community-based herbalism, a central part of our role is to listen: to the plants,
to the land,
and to our human community.

This is your chance to share. Tell us your herbal questions, needs, and desires for future learning spaces. Your feedback helps shape our community of practice, which we are deeply honoured to facilitate.

If you attended a circle with us, any and all feedback is welcome. Thank you so much for being part of this work!

01/12/2026

This winter I'm hosting an 8-week ONLINE learning circle focused on medicinal herb garden planning. If you're interested in deepening into the practice of growing your own medicine, this might be for you.

I've been mentoring other herb farmers and home gardeners for years now, and I'm excited to bring this work into a learning circle format which emphasizes 'horizontal learning' and community witnessing. We will be meeting live and online (which is rare for me) to support connect across a broader community. This is ideal for growers in zones 4-6.

Come learn how grow medicinals, increase your yields and potency, and connect further with the relational aspects of land-care.

Follow the link (or message me) to learn more. Thank you for your love for the plants and each other!! ❤️

12/02/2025

Yesterday marked the last of our 2025 Community Herbal Learning Circles! On a beautiful snowy day, we gathered by the fire and brewed up a big batch of cough syrup—this one especially supportive for wet coughs—to stock our winter medicine cabinets. Elecampane, thyme, and mullein were our featured herbs. ✨

Thank you to this wonderful crew for such a joyful morning together!! And thank you to every one of you who joined Heather .earth.remedies and myself throughout the year! Your involvement has helped shape an incredibly meaningful local ‘community of practice’. These circles have given us a chance to care for ourselves, deepen our relationships with the plants and the land, and move a little closer to the vision of “a herbalist in every home.”

I’m so grateful to be on this path of discovery with you all.

If you’re interested in future sessions and aren’t yet on the email list, just send me a DM and I’ll add you—this is the best way to hear about upcoming circles and other offerings. And stay tuned for details about our online winter gathering! We’ll be meeting weekly for 8–10 weeks to explore herbal medicine gardening. ❤️

11/17/2025

Thank you the for an amazing weekend!!

I feel so grateful to have been invited to speak on their Saturday panel and give a talk on Sunday to help close the conference. My talk was titled ‘Common Ground: Herbalists, Local Farms & The Living Medicine of Place’ and dove into the question of how we as herbalists can make sure to continue to root out work into relationship with the land. This is a question that is really ‘up’ for me as I start seeing clients as a Clinical Herbalist (student practitioner), which sometimes feels detached in contrast to my usual ‘boots on the ground’ work with herbal medicine.

There is SO MUCH opportunity with this work to help ourselves heal some of our deeper wounds of disconnect and displacement. To level up with the history of the lands we now reside. To open our hearts to a reciprocal approach to healing. I had the opportunity to share a little bit about my current work growing on our leased plot with the team/family (pictured here).

I had a dear friend share this concept with me today (Imagination Activism) and I think it sums up and moves forward the questions and reflections from my talk wonderfully! I love this concept. May we, the herbal community, flex and grow our muscles of imagination as we go forward from this weekend! THANK YOU, each of you, for all you do. ❤️

11/10/2025

There’s something truly special about gathering to make remedies together! I absolutely loved our snowy Sunday together yesterday, and our first ‘Maker’ Learning Circle of the season.

Thank you to everyone who joined in to taste, smell, touch, and “tickle” these delightful berries. We each went home with 500ml of elderberry syrup (with ginger and echinacea) to stock our medicine cabinets for the winter ahead. We also left with a little sparkle of joy from creating in community.

These moments never fail to remind me that health isn’t just about what I take — it’s about who I share the journey with. ❤️

If you’re curious to join future Learning Circles, let me know in the comments or send me a DM and I’ll make sure you get on our email list.

11/01/2025

The vibrant colour of Calendula officinalis! This is what it looks like when you can gather your own flowers or source from local growers with fresh supplies. I’m very grateful to have had the chance to bring some in this season. It’s such a difference from the often washed out versions I see from the larger industrial suppliers, and for such an important herb to have around the home (for its vulnerary/skin healing action) it’s thankfully also an incredibly EASY herb to grow in many zones and soil types. It is also one of the last flowers still holding their glow through the early fall frosts. Originally from the Middle East, this flower has moved around the world due to its usefulness and beauty. Thank you dear Calendula.

Address

Mary Allen Park
Waterloo, ON

Website

http://www.halfmoonherbals.com/

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