August 21, 2026

Happy Friday, Reader!

I've taught herbalism for over 15 years now, and one thing I've noticed is that many herbalism students feel like the answer to becoming a better herbalist and one who is more confident is just to learn more herbs!

In fact, a nurse (RN) with no herbal background whatsoever once told me she felt like an herbalist should need to know (GASP) 500+ herbs!

But really....this isn't true. We need other skills....

So many herbalism students just keep buying more books. More courses. Studying more. And learning yet another list of herbs that are "good for" this or that condition.

And yet, they're still not confident, and most of them aren't able to formulate well or create a good, solid protocol for a family member, friend, or client who needs support.

Worse, when someone in the family actually needs help, many tell me they still hesitate.

Which herb should I use?

And I get this! It's one of the many stages in becoming an herbalist!

Here's the thing:

That's a very important question, and the fact is that if you've been studying herbalism for any length of time, chances are good that you already "know" a great deal of herbs. You might even have dozens of them sitting in your apothecary right now!

But the problem is NOT that you need to learn another 50 herbs...although again, this is important information to keep adding to your knowledge base.

The REAL problem is that you simply need to know how to THINK differently about the herbs you already know. Even one single herb can do many different things, and many herbs have overlapping actions. But they'll still work differently on different bodies.

This is where understanding how herbal energetics works changed my entire herbal practice.

When we're first learning, it's very natural to think in terms of conditions and remedies. We learn that this herb is used for a wet cough, another is used to help heal an ulcer, and another might support a sleep disorder.

That's useful information, of course. We do need to know what our herbs do.

But eventually, we begin to discover something more vital to our herbalism practice, and that is that two people can have what appears to be the exact same problem and need completely different herbal support!

People are different, and this is truly where herbalism shines in health care!

One person may have dry, irritated tissues while another has excess mucous and congestion. Some people "run warm," while others feel colder most of the time. Even the same symptom can present very differently depending on the person, her constitution (how her body "runs" in various ways), and what's REALLY going on in the tissues of the situation.

Once this starts making sense, then you quickly begin to see why herbalism isn't about finding the "herb for headaches," or asking, "What can I do for pain?"

It's because the person matters, the situation matters, and the herb(s) of choice and the combination of these also matter according to these first two.

It's about learning how to look at all of these so you can make a good decision for who you're working with.

That's what knowledge and practice of Western Herbal Energetics helps us to do!

Instead of reaching for a list of typical remedies that may or may not work, you begin to observe what's happening inside the person you're working with. You start recognizing patterns in the body and even the mind...and you then begin to understand how the qualities of the plants matter in a much more useful way.

This junction is where herbal formulation gets super interesting! And exciting!

Because now you're not just copying someone else's recipe and hoping it works. You'll now be able to look at a recipe and know exactly who it will work for and who it won't. That's herbal power right there.

Understanding Western Herbal Energetics allows you to understand why certain herbs work together well for certain situations and people....and why that same combination may not work for another. And then you'll also begin to understand how you can adjust a formulation based on the person you're actually helping.

This is what builds confidence in your herbal abilities.

These processes are what I teach inside my course, Master Western Herbal Energetics.

You'll learn constitutional patterns of the body, all about tissue states, plant energetics, and how all of these pieces work together. Then I show you how to take what you're seeing and use it to make thoughtful formulation (and entire protocol) decisions of your own.

The goal isn't to memorize another enormous pile of information.

The goal is for you to be able to go to your herbal cupboard, look at the herbs you already own (even your kitchen herbs) and have a much clearer and faster idea of what to choose and also the all-important WHY.

At some point in our herbal education, we need to make that shift from learning and collecting information to actually thinking like an herbalist.

If you've been studying herbs for a while but still find yourself second-guessing which herb to choose or wondering why something that "should have worked" really didn't, this may be the missing piece for you.

For the next two days, through Sunday evening, I'm offering my valuable course, Western Herbal Energetics with Formulation Strategies for 25% off!

The regular price is $197.

It includes videos, a complete digital textbook, history, highlights of the other main herbal energetics systems of the world, how plants interact with each other and with your body, and how to bring all this together for a friend or client....and a whole lot more.

It's practical.

It's useful.

And until Sunday, you can enjoy it for 25% off at $147. It's a savings of around $50.

Please use the coupon code: 25OFFSPECIAL when you enroll.

The sale ends this Sunday.

If you've been thinking, "I know quite a few herbs, but I'm still not always sure how to choose between them, I created this course for exactly that place in your herbal journey!

NOTE: Some Christians hear the word, "energetic" and immediately think of New Age or Woo.... This isn't the case at all. Western Herbal Energetics gives herbalists a way to make decisions about the human in front of them, the situation they're dealing with, and the best herbs to choose for them.

And Western Herbal Energetics is based on thousands of years of history and traditional use stemming from before ancient Greek and Roman physicians to other Western herbalists through time, up to now. It's not dangerous. It's necessary knowledge to have so you can be a solid herbalist.

You probably don't need another list of herbs.

You may just need a better way to understand the bodies around you, conditions, and the plants you already know.

I'd love to teach you how,

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. One of my favorite things I love to hear from students after they learn energetics is that they finally feel more comfortable creating their OWN formulations.

That's the goal. It's not about memorizing more information, but it is about becoming more capable of making good herbal decisions for yourself and the people you care for.

Be sure to use the coupon code: 25OFFSPECIAL

I'll see you inside!