The Herbalist's Path

I have long been interested in herbs and how they can help heal. So I learned how to blend herbs for teas. I learned how to make incense. Then I learned how to make bath salts. Then I learned how to make tinctures and salves. When I made things, I would give some to others to see how they liked it.

Each step of the way, people told me that they were enjoying the products I made. That was a double pleasure because I started out making these things for my own personal use. So to get these unsolicited comments when I was not trying to impress anyone or sell anything was a very satisfying development.

Enjoying working with herbs, in turn opened the path to gardening. Once I started gardening, I loved watching the plants and how they grew, and how they responded to the elements. I am still mystified by the way a seed becomes a plant and how they look when they flower, and the shape their leaves take. The textures, scents and colors are sometimes very subtle, and that adds to beauty.

It is fascinating the way the scent and taste change as you go from fresh to dried. As you make things, you notice how some herbs blend well with others,and how paying attention to their properties and characteristics. The folklore surrounding herbs is very intriguing.

The path to becoming a herbalist takes different turns for different people. The magic, healing and beauty of the plant world is a path of joy and discovery that rewards the traveler down this path in many ways.