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 mo

tions 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

Testimony from client- "So, I have a story to share with you. Hubby came in about half an hour ago. He was doing a bunch...
09/01/2026

Testimony from client-

"So, I have a story to share with you. Hubby came in about half an hour ago. He was doing a bunch of yard work. Anyways, when he came in, he was very much in distress. Close to tears actually. A yellow jacket had flown up one of his nostrils and stung him inside the nose. I didn’t know what to do for him. Then I thought about your sinus spray and figured it’s not likely to make it worse so let’s give it a shot. Anyways, he uses the sinus spray and within seconds the pain was almost gone. Within minutes, it was TOTALLY gone. I don’t know if you’ve ever used it in that capacity but I thought you might find it interesting. Thank you my friend XOX. "

WHO knew? I love this quick thinking and finding a very inventive way to use an already favorite product!

I couldn’t do my work without my husband. He’s been my biggest cheerleader from the beginning and my sounding board for ...
09/01/2026

I couldn’t do my work without my husband. He’s been my biggest cheerleader from the beginning and my sounding board for more conversations than I’m sure he’d like, not to mention all the weekends and nights we spend working on this business after he’s put in his regular full time job. In honor of his half century, I’m passing the savings on to you! Shop the whole website and save 20%

September Newsletter! September by Helen Hunt Jackson The golden-rod is yellow;The corn is turning brown;The trees in ap...
08/31/2026

September Newsletter!

September by Helen Hunt Jackson

The golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian’s bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook
From dewy lanes at morning
the grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.
By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.
But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.
T is a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.

For me that day would be my hubby’s Bday. Whether you are a new customer or long time frequenter of my events and classes, you will know that I can NOT do any of this with out the support and help of Glenn. In the beginning, he was the one to cheerlead me on and whenever I wanted to throw in the towel over the last 23 years, he’s been the one to listen and help. So in honor of his big 5-0 Birthday coming up, I’m offering a site wide sale. From September 1st until his actual Bday on Sept 9th. Use the code - HappyBDayGlenn- be careful with the spelling- he’s a double N- for 20% off all orders - that includes classes, tinctures, consults, teas, sprays and any thing on the website.

So yes, the other big news is that I am opening up 6 spots for new clients and those are included in the sale. I will be reaching out to anyone on the wait list to get you scheduled or you can go ahead and purchase on the website and I’ll be in touch.

Calendar-

September 1- 9th SALE on the whole website- Use coupon HappyBDayGlenn for 20 % off

Sept 11th- SAIL Day in the Park - 9:30 at Lakeshore Park- FREE event to help stay active and independent for life- There will be a full class for free, give aways and a food truck- This is my 5th one and I can’t wait- it’s one of the most fun days of the Fall!

Sept 19th- Up in Smoke- Let’s look at another aspect of herbs- their relationship with fire. After a short lesson, you will get to craft your own herbs to go up in smoke! - create an herbal candle, an herbal incense, a fire starter to help with all those fall nights around the fire and an herbal cleansing wand.

Sept 24th Book Club- The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Sept 29th- WTH is a Vermifuge - A vermifuge is a term that refers to an herb, herbal protocol or medicine that is used to expel pests or worms from the body. I can’t think of a better time to know this information.
We're going to take a deep look at the herbal allies we have and talk about all the ways to prepare and make it an easier and safer process. I'll also cover some of the herbs that guard us against pests in the house and in the yard.
This class is being offered in person and online. If the minimum is met, there will be a scholarship available.

Oct 10th- Herbs and Astrology - I was teaching a class up in The Gap and I off handedly said something that of course this herb is good for that because it’s a Sagittarius herb and the whole class stopped and one student said WAIT- do herbs have signs? And I said well there are herbs that are associated with each sign of the Zodiac and we can use them to treat astrological issues and look at connections with constitutions and more so this class was born! We are going to have some fun with it! It’s a great class for beginners and the more advanced astrology learner.

October 11th- 18th - CLOSED for Fall Break

Oct 24th- East TN Holistic Health Fair - 10 - 4:00 at The Tennessee Valley Universalist Unitarian Church - come check out this new Health fair. More info will be coming later but I will be doing a talk on herbs for the brain!

Oct 29th Book Club - Slew Foot by Brom

Nov 7- 8th- SENC Herbal Conference- Come one come all to learn from herbalists from all over the south east. This conference is all about building sustainable community for plants, people and the planet. I am so very proud to be part of it as a Keynote Speaker and vendor.

As you can see Fall is shaping up to be full of lots of fun and learning! Hope to see you at some of the events. All the events that I am hosting are on the website and available for the discounted sale. Thank you all- let me know if you have any questions of topics you are interested in.

08/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out for bookclub last night! See you all in September

September Book Club is in honor of the long awaited sequel to Practical Magic coming out on 9/11. Come discuss the book ...
08/27/2026

September Book Club is in honor of the long awaited sequel to Practical Magic coming out on 9/11.

Come discuss the book that influences the movie- Link in the comments for both in person and online options

What- A Free Book Club offered online and in person
When - Sept 24th
Where- The Empirical Herbalist's Classroom and online
Time- 6:30 IN PERSON in the Classroom
Book- The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
cost- 1 penny to make it available on the website

This book club is a chance to read fiction books that have have a element of plants. Some will be historical fiction, fantasy, romantasy, myth retelling, cozy mystery etc but all will have somesort of plant aspect to it. So if you like to talk about witches, goddesses, herbalists and deepen connections to like minded people. check us out.

You will need to register for inperson limited space) and online (to get the link to join) but the cost is totally free. Books will be announced at least 6 weeks out so you have time to buy or check out a copy. We will have a discussion and some herbal goodies and hopefully build a community.

This book club is open to everyone. There will be discussions that are frank and honest and sometimes might be triggering.

This is a Magical Realism prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and focuses on the Aunts before the events happen in the first book. It tells the story of the Aunts and a long lost Uncle. If you love the movie or the book- this one is going to make you love them even more.

Death and Grief: Frequent and devastating character deaths, loss of parents, and tragic accidents.
War: Impacts of war and military conflict on the characters.
Relationships and Taboos: Inclusion of an adult/minor relationship and incestuous/distant-cousin relationships.
Substance Use: Alcoholism and heavy drinking, plus drug abuse.
Other Themes: Homophobia and bullying, cancer, and suicidal thoughts.

So what the heck is a Vermifuge??? A vermifuge is a term that refers to an herb,  herbal protocol  or medicine that is u...
08/27/2026

So what the heck is a Vermifuge??? A vermifuge is a term that refers to an herb, herbal protocol or medicine that is used to expel pests or worms from the body.

We're going to take a deep look at the herbal allies we have and talk about all the ways to prepare and make it an easier and safer process. I'll also cover some of the herbs that guard us against pests in the house and in the yard.

This class is being offered in person and online. If the minimum is met, there will be a scholarship available.

Cost is 35.00

Link in the comments-

Also peep this very homemade, anti AI flyer that will be recycled.

Come get your herbal crafting on! On Sept 19th you will learn some of the history and modern takes on burning plants. Th...
08/26/2026

Come get your herbal crafting on! On Sept 19th you will learn some of the history and modern takes on burning plants. There will be a short lecture part explaining some practices and attributes about a whole slew of plants and then you will craft and create your very own herbal candle, an herbal incense, a fire starter to help with all those fall nights around the fire and an herbal cleansing wand. You can even buy extra supplies for gifts. We are going to have so much fun! Link in the comments

Of course she did ❤
08/26/2026

Of course she did ❤

Did you know that Dolly Parton had a lichen named after her? Dolly’s Dots (Japewiella dollypartoniana) can be found in the Appalachian Mountains and are particularly prevalent in heath balds of Southern Appalachia. The small purple cups here are the fruiting bodies (apothecia) of Dolly’s Dots.

Photo by Tomas Curtis CC BY-NC 4.0

This was a lovely pick me up last week! Lavender Haze is a special tea to me because I crafted it with Cyl and in the la...
08/25/2026

This was a lovely pick me up last week! Lavender Haze is a special tea to me because I crafted it with Cyl and in the last two years, I’ve sold so much that it’s making a run for my top 5 selling teas of all time ❤️

Address

Powell, TN
37849

Opening Hours

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

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