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Happy Herbal and Aromatic Wednesday, Reader!

Are you feeling the energizing shifts of spring?

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, you're likely feeling the effects of longer days of light. Have you heard the birds chirping earlier in the day? Perhaps you've already seen the first daffodils pushing their way upward toward the sun and felt the invitation to get outside and move your body to release the winter stagnation.

I know I have!

I've been enjoying the spring air, watching the deer, elk, and turkeys on our mountain, and enjoying the plants as they shift and open, too.

Usually, at this time of year, I'm anticipating starting my gardens, anxiously checking on my medicinal perennials as I watch for them to emerge, and getting the chicken coop ready for new chicks. But this year is different.

I have some news!

We're getting ready for one last BIG move so that we can once again have our apothecary and business in the same building as our home. This will allow me to be more effective in the herb garden and help me write better, too.

We've found a place that works for this, made an accepted offer, and are now attending to the details of planning this move. Our current apothecary and business are in a 2,000-square-foot cottage cloistered in a neighborhood of our small town, and it's bursting at the seams. Due to some very long work hours, we're rarely home on the mountain (where our herb farm, homestead, and gardens are) anymore, and our garden and homestead are showing it.

So we've decided to turn our beloved property over to people who will steward it well, as we have done, to continue to make more and more improvements, and to hopefully tend to the medicinal herb gardens that are my heart.

Stay tuned!

I'll have more information about this excitement in the upcoming weeks, and I'll bring you along as I get my medicinal gardens growing again in the new location. It's hard to start over again because some of my herbs take nearly five or more years to reach maturity, but I hope this will be our last move ever, as we believe we have found our forever home.

And now, back to Spring and how + why you need to support your body right now.

In Western Herbalism, spring is a time of increasing warmth and dampness. This energy extends to the earth and our human bodies! Many people experience seasonal allergies, extra moistness, skin issues, stagnancy often felt in digestion and circulation, and other indicators.

These are signs that our bodies are awakening from the cold, dark winter and that it's time for us to support our detoxification pathways. These include the skin, the lungs, the kidneys, and especially the liver.

Herbs and Essential Oils to Support Us in Spring

Using herbs and essential oils that align with our bodies' needs each season is a wonderful way to support natural health. Here are some great ones to reach for, and I'll include some links for articles and videos that will explain more and give you practical ideas, too.

The Herbs:

• Nettle leaf and root---make a delicious and nourishing herbal tea, or use the powder liberally in your cooking!
• Black pepper---This warming spice is delightful to add to your cooking. I remember my grandmother would douse our eggs with it when we'd visit in the spring, and I learned to love it. This warming herb will enhance circulation and help your body come out of its resting state while reducing excess moisture in the body.
• Lemon juice---Add some to your water for extra cleansing and detoxification powers.
• Dandelion leaf and root---As you see these beloved weeds popping up, don't hesitate to enjoy the delicious spring leaves! These bitters are exceptional for your liver and kidney health. The roots are especially helpful for the liver.
• Ginger---Another warming spice, it also has significant anti-inflammatory powers.
• Milk Thistle seeds---Powder these and add to foods. Ingesting milk thistle is the best way for your body to take advantage of the benefits of this helpful plant.
• Turmeric---Like ginger and black pepper, turmeric is warming and anti-inflammatory. In fact, the curcumin in turmeric is best absorbed by the body in conjunction with black pepper. The piperine found in black pepper helps make the curcumin more bioavailable to our cells.
• Burdock root---One of my favorite herbs for supporting a healthy liver and gallbladder, burdock is an exceptional spring herb. It's a food herb and is very safe for most people.

You may want to take either the ​Family Herbalist Certification course​ or the ​Confident Herbalist Tribe ​to learn how to use these and many other medicinal plants for your health! Find out how and why they work, choose your perfect herbal path, and create a real apothecary!

The BEST Essential Oils for Spring:

• ​Rosemary essential oil is incredible for your mind, stimulates energy and circulation, and is helpful whenever you need additional help with focus.
• Both Ginger essential oil and Black Pepper essential oils are also wonderful! Although we use the herbs internally, the essential oils provide excellent topical applications for warming and enhancing well-being. Both are great as a counter for the dampness of Spring.
• Citrus essential oils, especially lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot: These are bright, uplifting euphorics that also help cleanse the air and clarify our thinking. They're exceptional for supporting the liver even when inhaled, and they also give the immune system a nice boost.
• ​Peppermint essential oil​

There are, of course, SO many other herbs and essential oils to help us in this season!

​When you take one or more of our amazing courses, be ready to transform your life and health as you learn about and seamlessly add healing herbs and oils into your daily life!

You can learn tidbits about medicinal herbs and essential oils in newsletters, website articles, and YouTube videos. Still, you won't learn nearly as quickly, cohesively, or as well as when you invest in your herbal education at School of Botanical Arts & Sciences (SOBAS).

For now, enjoy these additional articles and videos:

1) Liver Loving Herbal Spice Blend (SO Delicious!) --This is the article. Video below:

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​2) Homemade Fermented Ginger-Beet Kvass (Enjoy two liver-loving plants in a probiotic fermented drink---yummy!) And just below is a video on how to make beet kvass at home:

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​3) Recipe for Dandelion Greens Pesto (Don't miss this one!) If you have dandelions already popping up, you're blessed! Get out there (if they're not sprayed), and enjoy making this crazy-good pesto. You can freeze it for later, too!

Remember---there are literally hundreds of articles, formulations, recipes, and videos FREE on our website and our YouTube channel! Be sure to bookmark these and enjoy!

​4) Burdock Root and Benefits (How to Make a Tincture):

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I hope you enjoy these great ideas for waking up your body this Spring!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Ready to have a truly peaceful Spring? Get your FREE guide to Blending Essential Oils for Peace if you haven't picked it up yet! And please forward this note along to a friend who might enjoy it, too. Sharing is caring!

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The textbook for the course was a true labor of love for me:

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