Getting to Know Your Herbal Allies

When we speak of herbal allies, we’re not only talking about remedies, we’re speaking into relationship.

Rather than trying to learn everything at once, one of the simplest ways to begin working with herbs is to choose just one…. One plant that draws you in….. One you can return to again and again, like a friend. Maybe it’s chamomile with its soft, apple-sweet scent. Maybe it’s nettle, bold and grounding. Maybe it’s lemon balm, who in my experience often shows up when comfort is needed.

You might begin by brewing it as a tea and sipping slowly, noticing how it makes you feel. If it grows nearby, spend time sitting with it, not doing anything in particular, just observing its form, scent, movement, and presence. Over time, you may start to notice what it brings up in you. Calm? Focus? A memory? These subtle shifts are all part of the connection.

Journaling can be helpful, not to write formal notes or study the plant in a scientific way (but that’s also welcome if you would like), but to record your experience of being with it. The scent on a rainy day, how it tastes when steeped for longer, what thoughts arise as you hold it in your hands. These small reflections begin to form a living relationship.

It’s not routines and checklists, it’s rhythm. There may be days or weeks when you forget, and then something reminds you to come back. That, too, is part of the practice.

You don’t need to study for countless hours, receive a certificate, or have a shelf full of tools. A cup of warm water to steep herbs, your senses, and some time are enough. Working with plants in this way is simple, but deeply nourishing. Removing ‘how much you know’ with ‘how closely are you listening?’.

In my own practice, I’ve found that the slower I move, the more the plants have space to speak.

If this way of connecting resonates with you, my seasonal foraging eBook, Gathering with the Seasons, might be just what you’re looking for. It’s full of reflections, plant allies, and simple ways to bring the wild into your everyday life.

May one plant find its way to you, and may your connection with it grow, gently and in its own time.

With warmth,
Cass