Trudy Norris FNIMH, MBACP - Herbalist, Counsellor

10/09/2026

Have you noticed all the plants rebooting? Here is our herb of the week, Achillea millefolium or Yarrow, on fine form..

08/09/2026

So things are busy at the moment especially as I will have my out of office on from Friday for a weeks walking break.

Inbetween times I am dispensing herbs and hoping an order arrives on good time.

Today I made up a tincture with a mix of herbs that felt almost opposite in their actions and tasres.

To harmonise the mix as well as harness the effects needed I used some Licorice or Gan cao in TCM.

Licorice is termed the Emperor of the mix, to blend, moderate and unify the actions and effects.

I also wanted to buffer the (valued) bitter taste of Hops in the mix.

Licorice is the mediator to enable the herbs to work together.

As I did this I reflected on mediation work I have done in the past. I loved this work I did as a volunteer. Learned a lot about conflict, people and how hard it can be for people to navigate conflict.

So, thanks to the Licorice for reminding me that conflict can be resolved with willingness and the right ingredients.

I hope you week is going well and

07/09/2026

Good morning, here is our thought for the week with thanks to Rachel Carson and a kin Dandy Lion I met displaying it's stamens for all..

'There is something infinately healing in repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night and spring afterwards'.

Have a good week and a message to you, in Su***de Prevention week and every week we are all connected...

04/09/2026

A lot of time is spent designing nature out of our lives.

I am inviting you to design nature into your life. To help restore and repair physicalky and emotionally.

What might you do over the weekend?

02/09/2026

'Let Food Be thy Medicine and Medicine be Thy Food'.

The Rhubarb has done pretty well despite the drought. The leaves have suffered but the stems have been fine in our patch.

You can grow Rhubarb in a very small area and once established it is pretty low maintenance.

A number of varieties of Rhubarb are used in traditional medicine especially in the Chinese tradition where it has been planted in large areas.

Research has revealed a number of pharmacological effects which for me are not that surprising.

Rhubarb can have an anti bacterial and anti inflammatory effect and also regulates gastro intestinal function and regulating gut flora. Most of the effects afe a result of anthraquinones but it is also a good supply of soluble fibre.

One thing to be aware of is Rhubarb can be hepatotoxic ( laege doses)although the reason for this is unclear.

For me, eating foods in season sits to benefit people and the planet and I don't grow or eat enough to give any concern.

As well as the taste I love the colours of this plant. Sunset pinks and purples.

One quick rwminder is to snap the stems off, don't cut them. Your plant friend will thank you for that and grow strong.
Including

01/09/2026

Here is our herb of the week. Anybody that has worked with me or been on a walk will know Nettle (Urtica dioica) is in my Top 5 plants for people and our nature kin.

A bit of a bonus to see it has rebooted in the rain.

31/08/2026

Let's start the week off with some (interesting) and very good news....

A new study found that 98% of patients in the group who stopped taking medication had no change in heart function after one year

28/08/2026

Today I had a memory triggered when I was dispensing.

In my early years training as a Herbalist I was lucky to spend some time in the practice of a number of very experienced Herbalists. I am forever indebted to their generosity, sharing skills, time, and beginning to shape my practice.

One Herbalist was Anne Warren Davies who was a very skilled practitioner with a practice in South London.

I used to dispense alongside her employee, Eleanor.

One day I was left to dispense some herbs and needed a very small amount of Capsicum tincture. I could not for the life of me get the top off the bottle and decided to take a short cut by gripping the lid in my teeth to try and loosen it.

Loosen it I did but did not expect my lips to be on fire with just a hint of the tincture residue from the lid. Oh my what to do!!

The dispensary had a large belson sink with just enough space to get my head fully under the tap!!
I had some deep learning that day! I mustered up the courage to tell Eleanor when she returned and fortunately we all laughed.

I soon learned to counter the heat of Capsicum with fat rather than water, use milk (plant or animal) so the oils will dissolve and the oils will be removed from your skin.

What a lovely memory that still makes me smile.

Today I dispensed 3ml of tincture into a blend I made up for the month for someone. That is plenty to synergise with other herbs being used to address inflammation.

If you have chilli plants keep picking the chilli's and as long as the weather is reasonable it will keep on producing for you. A couple of plants will give you a good supply for the year ahead. Remember to save some seed for next year.

Wishing you a fine Bank Holiday weekend.

27/08/2026

and as part of my own reflections on working with people I thought I would share this...with huge thanks to the insights of Carl Rogers who originated the person centred approach in Counselling and Education.

A key foundation of this approach is it firmly puts the client in charge of their own personal growth.

In my experience there is no other way. You are in charge of your growth and your goals.

Hope your week is going well so far and wherever you are you have rain.