Herbalistix, Herbal Medicine in Kerry

15/06/2026

12/06/2026

Early on a damp British morning, Lady's Mantle holds a small pool of water in the cup of each pleated leaf.

Not rainwater. Not exactly dew.

The droplets form from within the plant itself, drawn from the air through tiny pores at the leaf margin. Each leaf a perfect cup. Each cup holding water the plant gathered and offered back.

For centuries, herbalists and alchemists had a name for it: sacred water.

The genus name is Alchemilla.

The Arabian root of that name is the source of the English word alchemy itself.

This is not a minor coincidence. Early alchemists staked cloth in fields overnight to collect dew. Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), with her cupped leaves gathering water from air, was seen as nature performing the same act spontaneously.

The alchemist's vessel. A plant made of the Water Element.
She appears in medieval herbals, in John Gerard's writings, in the notebooks of folk midwives throughout Britain. Centuries of documented use.

She grows in almost every British cottage garden.
Almost nobody uses her.

Here's what they're missing:

Lady's Mantle has one overriding gift: restoring structural integrity to tissues that have yielded too far.

Not stimulation. Not sedation. Not warmth. Not force.

The old herbalists called her "of a very drying and binding character." That phrase remains the most accurate summary.

She works on the tissue state vitalist herbalism calls damp/relaxation. The pattern that arises when something has become too open, too fluid, too permeable.

Heavy menstrual flow. Urinary leaking. Varicose veins. Leaky gut.
Different conditions. Same underlying pattern: tissue that has simply yielded too far.

Herbalist William LeSassier identified her constitutional picture precisely: the person with pale complexion and highly visible veins. Not aesthetic observation - clinical reading. Prominent veining points toward deficit of structural tone in the venous system.

Lady's Mantle's tannins tighten the venous wall. Her salicylates thin stagnant blood. Structural cause and fluid consequence addressed together.

We return to that morning cup of water held in the pleated leaf.
She gathers what is dispersed. Holds what would otherwise run.

Her medicine does the same.
Not by force. By restoration.

https://greenguild.co.uk/sacred-water-the-little-alchemist-growing-in-every-british-garden/

02/06/2026

"Ne're cast a clout till May be out".
Well it's been and gone, the flowers on that is, which is often called May blossom or tree.
Country folk used this passing, as the time when you could remove a layer of clothing/clout, as the last frost have finished, good news for farmers, gardeners, + all guardians of land.
The tree now develops haws/ berries which will be ready for us all later in the year.
Our seasons are varying widely, but depending where you live you will notice change. Change can be good, or not, but when observing and working with we can recognise signs and indicators of change.
The older we get, the more we have learned, that is if we pay attention, which is why we have the saying "respect your Elders", wisdom, life lessons and balance are often gained as we age.
However that's not always the case, as it seems we are encouraged to ignored basic facts and live high paced, and ignore natures signs and seasons.
Age makes us slow down, a reward almost for the struggle we have in youth. However we can respect, be kind and expect nothing in return other than the joy of connecting more closely with those that won't let us down.
The seasons move on they say we are now in meteorological summer, love the logic in that!
Our brain can enjoy logic like science, but the intuition and creativity are essential for understanding we are not in control or nature, but here to support and work with it.
Happy June 1st Elder time 😊

01/06/2026

🌿 Professional Course – Year 1 Overview

Begin your journey by building strong foundations in:
• Anatomy & physiology
• Materia medica
• Plant chemistry
• Research & evaluation skills for herbal medicine

📚 Modules (4-year pathway)
• Herbal Traditions 1 – Materia medica of key medicinal plants
• Anatomy & Physiology for Herbalists – Biochemistry, anatomy & physiology
• Plant Science – Plant chemistry & pharmacology
• Practitioner Development – Research skills for herbalists

💻 Delivery
• Live online webinars for every subject
• Weekly lessons via our online platform
• Filmed tuition from expert practitioners worldwide
• Dedicated forums for your intake + wider student community

🤝 Student Support
• One-to-one personal tutorials with your allocated tutor
• Additional 1:1 learning support for students with SpLD or ASD/autism

✨ Now accepting applications for September 2026

For more information about how your future could blossom with Heartwood Education please visit:
https://heartwoodeducation.net/

10/05/2026

Bealtaine is a beautiful time of flowers and really fast luxuriant growth and panicking gardeners. We were in Gorey shopping yesterday and these lovely horse chestnut trees lined the car park and of course their flowers are only beautiful at this time and low enough to get a nice picture of one of them.

Some people called them candle trees at this time and later in the year we called them conkers and I still see young people out along the banks of our river to where we have some really old chestnut growing gathering their conkers later in the year.

A gel or cream made from the conkers is used to treat varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

Tree Harvest Sentient tree essence:
Horse Chestnut harmonizes personal energy flows and eases agitation caused by friction, contrast and differences in oneself and in relation to others. The surface of the mind becomes quieter, allowing calm and clear flow of intuition, instead of being stuck with repetitive thoughts and anxieties. Impatience and intolerance lessen as empathy and intuition grow.

Some people make an infusion to use as a laundry detergent from the conkers.

This is a tree that many children know well, from climbing and gathering its fruits.

Anyway, we wish you Bealtaine Blessings and hope you enjoy the season.

22/02/2026

🌿 Herb in Focus: The Synergistic Power of Hyssop & Mullein 🤝

In the traditional apothecary, Hyssop (the stimulant) and Mullein (the soother) are frequently paired to treat complex lung conditions. Now, a rigorous 2023 triple-blind clinical trial has validated this ancient "power couple" for modern viral respiratory care.

As detailed in our new infographic, Hyssop & Mullein Tea Clinical Trial, here is what the latest science reveals about using this tea as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19:

🔬 The Study Design
The trial involved 80 hospitalized patients. While everyone received standard hospital care, the intervention group drank a specific herbal tea blend (15g Hyssop flowers + 5g Mullein leaves) three times a day.

📉 The Results: The "Day 8" Kicker
The tea group recovered much faster than the control group.

Day 2: Early relief was noted, specifically for body pain and sore throat.

Day 6: Significant reduction in all five monitored symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness, throat, pain).

Day 8 (The Big Win): While the control group still had lingering issues, 100% of the patients in the herbal tea group reported NO cough, NO shortness of breath, and NO pain.

⚗️ Why The Synergy Works
It works because they cover each other's bases:

Hyssop: Acts as a potent anti-inflammatory, regulating cytokines and even acting on opioid receptors to reduce body pain.

Mullein: Provides ursolic acid (a viral inhibitor) and cooling mucilage that heals the hoarseness and soothes the tissues Hyssop is stimulating.

It is proof that sometimes, the most powerful medicine is found in the synergy of the teapot.

Want to learn more about the herbs that heal, check out our books, https://rjhomestead.com/books

13/02/2026

Let's not rush, but observe what nature is up to. Friday comes under the influence of as does the Herb for the chest, to ease coughs and support the lungs.
Our breath is our life, sometimes it needs care and thought, as well as support, especially with cold damp conditions, our winters provide. Botanical name for this Herb means cough away,
Friday is goddess day, when feminine power rules, it's all about flow and fertility. Again nature reflects that, we can see our soil nourishing the plants and the light encouraging growth and expansion.
There are 13 moons and 13 cycles, all about harmony, balance, alignment and power.
Friday 13th is an auspuscious day, enjoy the energy and let's allow ourselves to ease into it as the rest of nature will.

28/01/2026

Medicinal mushroom regulations: An update on restrictions and herbal safety 🍄

Recent changes to medicinal mushroom regulations have impacted access to turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris). This article discusses safety legislation and the value of working with medical herbalists.

In the UK, over-the-counter herbal and mushroom supplements are sold as food supplements, which means that they are regulated by the FSA. The FSA aims to ensure that any items that are sold as food or food supplements are guaranteed to cause no harm. Whether a product has a health benefit is not considered.

This separation of food from medicine in legislation is historical and practical — to preclude inaccurate, misleading, or completely unfounded claims. It is important to remember that when herbalists prescribe and dispense herbs, they are considered medicine. When herbs are sold in a shop or a market without a consultation, they are considered food supplements, even if they are identical to what a herbalist would prescribe after a consultation.

When a supplement company is banned from selling something that isn’t really a food, or from making a claim that implies it is a medicine, it isn’t the same as preventing the public from accessing natural medicines. Medicinal herbs and mushrooms are still available to forage and purchase — over-the-counter for those that have been proven to be safe to use without medical advice or monitoring, or via a herbalist following a consultation as part of a bespoke prescription for those with restrictions. This ensures safe access to foods and medicines, which, on the whole, is a system that works well.

🔗Read the full article via: https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/safety/medicinal-mushroom-regulations-an-update-on-restrictions-and-herbal-safety/

27/01/2026

Sustainability is the theme for this season’s Power of Plants magazine. Our editor Jenny Carden-Porrett interviewed Ann Armbrecht of the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI) to find out more.

As an anthropologist by training and then a herbalist student with Rosemary Gladstar, Ann has a deep interest in the relationships that we have with people and plants. According to Ann, the aim of SHI's work is “to be a North Star” and help guide people inside and outside the herbal industry to source and buy herbal products that support health in its widest sense. Ann has some suggestions of where we can all start, whether we are herbalists, herbal product companies or consumers.

- Grow and harvest some of your own herbs. It gives real insight into the work and the costs involved to produce high quality medicinal plants.

- Take a deep dive into one herb - where it grows, how it grows, who produces or harvests it and its conservation status. Follow its journey and share that with others, whether in your herbal practice or herbal community.

- Ask questions of the companies that you buy herbs, herbal supplements or herbal products from. Do they know where their herbs come and if not, why not? Let them know why this matters. SHI is also producing a new consumer guide to help with this.

- If you are a company sourcing medicinal plants, join an SHI Learning Lab. They bring together stakeholders from across the global supply chain to explore how to make meaningful change in the herbal industry.

The next Learning Lab starts on January 27th, DM for more information.