The Empirical Herbalist

The Empirical Herbalist Master Herbalist working for 20 + years with people of all ages and plants from all around the globe In the checkout I picked up a magazine that I often read.

I wish I could say that I was bitten by a radioactive dandelion or had a massive dose of chlorophyll and BAM I was on my way to being part of the “Herbvengers” but truth is NOT stranger than fiction. I had my lightbulb moment about a career change way back in the year 2000 doing something incredibly mundane. I was driving to a job that while it was fun and easy, it was just me going through the motions and didn’t spark any passion in my life. While stuck in traffic, I was staring at these giant mounds of upturned soil, and remembered all the fun I had as a kid playing in my great grandmother’s garden when it struck me that I should be working in the dirt. An odd thought, since I lived with my hubby in a one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the the city, but it definitely struck a nostalgic chord. Later that day for lunch, I stopped into a health food store to grab a meal. The first thing I saw when I opened it was a full page spread about an herbalist school, I felt the bulb get brighter. By the end of the day, I had a plan and I just needed to convince people I knew what I was doing. By the end of the week I was enrolled and as the cliche says- The rest is history. Over the next few decades, I’ve worked at an herb farm, taught classes on almost every herbal subject, and opened up a clinical business. Oh and yeah, there has been so much time spent in the dirt growing around 33% of the organic and biodynamic herbs I use to make products. I never knew that I would find my life’s passion on that day but every bit of me is so grateful that I did. I bring over 20 years of study and experience into every case but what I also work with a tenacity and I’m not afraid to try new approaches and get creative with herbal formulations. I often combine herbs from around the globe that belong to different modalities to get a formula or plan that most matches your situation not just the Western mindset of this issue gets treated with this herb. Both your health condition and the herbs that will help are multi layered. The benefit of working with an herbalist is the expert knowledge of the plants being used and how they work best in a treatment. Ruth (she/her) is happily married with 2 teenage children. Her passions include all things plants, great food and drink. She’s an avid reader and loves the challenge of a good board game. Her ideal day involves some time outside, several cups of tea, at least an hour reading and spending time with her family and friends, not in any particular order. Oh, Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain sounds pretty groovy too. My motto- “ A Better Life Through Herbs” extends to all aspects of life so working with me extends to all of them too. Whether you are looking to improve your culinary choices to be healthier and more tasty, you need some help with a flu bug or you are looking for help managing your chronic condition, there are herbs for it all. Communities Served

Clients of all ages- from birth through all stages of life

LGBTQ+


Specialties

Detoxes and Cleanses
Inflammation
Infertility
Unusual and rare cases
Sleep issues
Lactation Herbs
Utilizing Cell Salts
Hormonal issues such as Menopause, fertility, balancing hormones whether it’s Estrogen, Progesterone or Testosterone
Restoring Gut Health



History working with
Parasite Cleanses
Auto Immune Issues
Rebuilding the immune response
Cancer and Pre Cancerous conditions
Anxiety and Depression
ADHD
Typical health and wellness issues such as colds, flus, stress, insomnia, etc

03/17/2026

Website is updated with items from The Open House. Thank you

03/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to Open House!

Almost ready for tomorrow’s Open House! Now I’m off to make a few herbal goodies for you to sample while you shop! See y...
03/13/2026

Almost ready for tomorrow’s Open House! Now I’m off to make a few herbal goodies for you to sample while you shop! See you from 10:00-2:00

Spring Open House Saturday is the DAY- 10:00- 2:00! Come shop The Apothecary- Special New Items-Coffee Soap - 8.00 a pie...
03/13/2026

Spring Open House

Saturday is the DAY- 10:00- 2:00! Come shop The Apothecary-

Special New Items-

Coffee Soap - 8.00 a piece or 2 for 15.00
Violet Soap - 8.00 a piece or 2 for 15.00
Rose Hawthorn Jelly - 10.00 a jar
Spirited Citrus Spray 15.00 or included in the Spray sale
Anti Inflammatory Soak - 15.00 or 3 for 42.00
Relaxing Bath Soak - 15.00 or 3 for 42.00

LEMONADES are back for the Season- get them while you can, I only keep them in stock for a few months of the year.

Sale Items-

Sale table- EVERYTHING 7 Dollars a piece- I’ve cleared the back room- so we have some tinctures, a few balms including one that I made as a custom for a client that you’ve not seen before, a few salts, bulk garlic and more

Elderberry Syrup is marked down for the season. Freeze it for fall or use it for seasonal allergies.
They will not be restocked until fall!
Quarts are 25.00
Pints are 12.00

Tea cups and Saucers are on sale for 27.00- makes a great Easter or Mother’s Day gift

All teas, lemonades and simple tinctures are 3 for 42.00

Sprays 3 for 40.00

Formulas are 2 for 45.00

Elixirs are 2 for 65.00

All sales are good only at the Open House- 10:00 - 2:00 Saturday March 14th- 2905 Staffordshire Blvd, Powell TN 37849 - Come around back through the fence and you can’t miss us.

This class is one I've wanted to teach for a long time and I'm so thrilled to be able to do it up in the Gap. We will ta...
03/11/2026

This class is one I've wanted to teach for a long time and I'm so thrilled to be able to do it up in the Gap. We will take a look at the culinary allies that are so readily accessible- spices and cooking herbs that are easily found in your spice cabinets, gardens or grocery stores and learn how to add them to your daily life to improve your health and vitality. We'll taste some things, create lots and learn even more. Thanks to a grant this class is being offered at a fraction of what I'd have to charge to do it in my classroom. Grab your spot.

Join the Empirical Herbalist for this educational workshop! Participants will learn about culinary herbs, how to grow or where to purchase them, and how to cook with them. Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kitchen-herbalism-learning-to-utilize-herbs-for-health-and-flavor-tickets-1982804835639?aff=oddtdtcreator

In  honor of International Women’s Day- I would like to the thank all the women who kept the connection to plants. In mo...
03/08/2026

In honor of International Women’s Day- I would like to the thank all the women who kept the connection to plants. In most cultures it was the women who honored and used the plants to treat illness, to ease pain, to flavor food and drink and to make clothes, robes, baskets and more. We owe so much of our evolution to them and should never forget our debt to them.

So excited! We love traveling to SENC Herbal Conference - great fun, great classes and people and the town is adorable! ...
03/01/2026

So excited! We love traveling to SENC Herbal Conference - great fun, great classes and people and the town is adorable! Oh and did you know it's super close to the beach????

Feeling all the fun and community from Book Club last night. March meeting we will be discussing The Full Moon Coffee Sh...
02/27/2026

Feeling all the fun and community from Book Club last night. March meeting we will be discussing The Full Moon Coffee Shop. I can't wait to hear everyone's insight. Registration in comments-

Address

Powell, TN
37849

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

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