Rowan + Sage

04/23/2026

Ta**us Season Plant Medicine 🌙🌸 At this time of year, the lush, verdant growth that sprang forth in the Aries season now begins to explode with blooms, a signature imparted by Ta**us's ruler, Venus.⁠
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Ta**us is the mid-morning sun and the flowers that open in its light; it is the joyful bird song on the morning breeze; it is a reminder to stay grounded and enjoy the simple pleasure of existing on this Earth. Part of Ta**us’ role in the zodiacal wheel is to take the firey spark of Aries and mold that energy into physical form. We see this around us as the literal ground beneath our feet and the minerals in soil and stone.⁠
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Astrological herbalism helps us keep time with the seasons and offers a way of organizing our herbal learning. This is a big focus of our programs and my personal practice.⁠
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This month in our virtual Herbaria community, students are encouraged to study one of the following plants: peach, thyme, lady's mantle, hawthorn, rose, lilac, chickweed, violet, or red clover.⁠
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Find this medicine in your landscape + guidance on how to connect with them in our Herbaria community space 🌿 comment SPROUT and I'll send you the link to join so you can access all the plant profiles, recipes, resources, and more!

04/23/2026

Tinctures are one of the most common herbal preparations you will encounter when sourcing herbal products at your local grocery store, co-op, or herb shop.

But what are tinctures, how are they made, and how do you take them? These are the most common questions I get as an herbalist! Let's break it down.

Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts that utilize alcohol to extract the therapeutic compounds of plants.

Herbalists love tinctures because they are extremely effective, super portable, and easy to take, making them a simple and accessible way to bring herbs into your everyday life. But not every herb is best extracted in alcohol, and sometimes other preparations are a better choice.

Learn more on the blog →

What are herbal tinctures, how are they made, and why do herbalists love them so much? This is perhaps one of the most common questions I get as an herbalist! Let's break it down in this simple herbal medicine making resource.

04/21/2026

If herbalism is still feeling really confusing to you, it's likely because you need to revisit your foundations 🌿✨ Starting with herbal energetics!⁠
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This is a foundational principle in herbalism that describes how a plant impacts the body's temperature, moisture, and tone. Understanding the energetics of herbs helps us choose the right remedy every time. ⁠
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If you want to learn more about herbal energetics and the foundations of herbalism, like actions, taste, tissue states, and temperament, check out our online course, Vitalist Herbcraft. Comment VITAL and I'll send you the link!⁠
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04/17/2026

Is your favorite herbalist even real? 🤖🌿⁠
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AI slop has officially infiltrated the apothecary. Last fall, a report showed that up to 82% of herbal books on Amazon (maybe more now) were AI-generated, and we've been informed of entire "educational" programs built on hallucinated data. This isn't safe, responsible, or ethical in any industry, but certainly not in herbalism.⁠
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Ask yourself these questions when evaluating someone's content:

1️⃣ Is their output volume even humanly impossible? ⁠
2️⃣ Is it clear that they have a direct relationship with plants?⁠
3️⃣ Do they talk about lived experience, or just repeat facts from books?⁠
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If an herbalist isn’t upfront about their journey and practice, that’s a BIG red flag. 🚩

A lived, embodied relationship with the earth can't be faked.

If you're looking for a place to grow alongside herbalists dedicated to cultivating an embodied relationship with nature, WITHOUT AI – join us in our Herbaria Membership 🌿 comment SPROUT and I'll send you the link to join!

04/16/2026

Our favorite bioregional soap 🐚🌊🌿 Selkie⁠
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Inspired by the ancient tales of shape-shifting selkies carried by our ancestors for generations, Selkie calls you to the liminal edge where sand meets sea, and moonlight glimmers on saltwater skin. ⁠
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This soap blends wild elements from the space between the sea and the forest’s edge. With a base of organic rendered tallow, it offers a creamy, hydrating lather that gently cleanses and nourishes the skin. Wildcrafted nettle and pine hydrosols refresh like forest rain, while seaweed extract, sea clay, and sea salt purify with the strength of the tide.⁠
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Selkie will disappear from the apothecary until later this year once this batch sells out 🫧 order yours via rowanandsage.com/shop

04/15/2026

Will I make the herb encyclopedia of your dreams in print form? Someday 😏 ⁠
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Herbaria is where curious plant people and dedicated herbalists go to learn how plants work and ways to incorporate them into their daily lives. We have herbalists of all levels in this community space, and enough materials to last a lifetime. Drop in for a month to learn about a particular seasonal plant, or stay forever. We'll always be here for you!⁠
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Comment SPROUT for the link to join!

04/10/2026

Decolonizing "western" herbalism starts with being honest about the fact that it...isn't western.

This is a colonial construct propped up by a white dominated industry to maintain power and control over a way of healing that is used by People of the Global Majority every single day as a lifeway.

Western herb schools abject refusal to address this and instead spread a white washed, sanitized history of our craft is ludicrous and an example of epistemic violence.

Let em know!

04/08/2026

"Western herbalism" wouldn't exist without Central & West Asian knowledge 🌿 I shared some of these books on my stories last night, and folks asked for the titles. I have more I could share but here are 10 books that I'm reading or often reference to reconnect with my ancestral wisdom. Some are more accessible than others, in price and writing style/length.

Find more papers, PDFs, and resources inside my Herbaria learning library. If you join, you'll also get access to our robust materia medica section, which includes 60+ plant profiles on medicinal herbs found around the world. We work to share as much as we can about how plants are used in their homelands...my particular area of study focuses more on Islamicate medicine, so you can find a lot of detail on Persian herbalism in those monographs.

Comment SPROUT and I'll send you the link to join Herbaria 🌿

04/06/2026

If you're struggling to apply herbs in real-life scenarios, understanding herbal energetics might be your missing link 🌿

To practice herbalism confidently, you have to understand the language of your craft. This is what you'll learn in our online course, Vitalist Herbcraft 🌼 enroll here → rowanandsage.com/vitalistherbcraft