Dear Beautiful Ones,

For me, herbalism is not and never has been just about herbalism - it's so much deeper than the culture of "this plant is for that." For with the right state of heart, herbalism has a reweaving and re-membering effect on the fabric of our very souls.

Strangely, I’ve found that this profound soul-level reweaving power that herbalism facilitates ... not named, mentioned, discussed, invited into the room of most herbal conversations. But for me - it's absolutely essential, it's why I do what I do, why I've dedicated my life to what I have.  There is always a deep sense of rightness, homecoming and reclaiming that enters the soulsphere when one embarks on the path of herbalism. It's a homecoming of no less than pieces of the ancestral soul, indigenous to all of us. 

I've seen it happen hundreds of times in my classes, I've experienced it in my own bones - herbalism heals the people, it reminds us of who we are and what it means to be here. It's for this reason I dedicated the enormous time and energy to birthing this book - because I know it works, and because I know the Earth needs us to remember.  We all know it's go-time.

As I say in the book, "Herbalism re-members us. Its introduction to the plant kingdom kicks off a reliable, natural, and sacred process of being re-membered by, reconnected to, and reattached to none other than the Earth herself. Interacting with the plants efficiently and effectively peels away the illusions of separation that cloud the modern mind, putting us smack-dab in the middle of knowing that we belong here, to this Earth. The study of herbalism heals the people. "

I'm gonna say something that might sound a bit strange - those of you familiar with me and my work, might not need this book... you probably already "get it" - that these times are about restoring the membership of humanity within the web of life, that the Mother Earth is alive and dreaming us, and that the plants are our elders and teachers. You probably already know your way around the local plants and even basic medicine making and have unsubscribed from the paradigm of modernity in big and small ways. 

So while YOU may not need it - I can guarantee that there are people around you who need it desperately. These are people who crave in their bones to be given permission to connect with the Earth, to learn the plants that are growing around them, to use their hands and hearts to make medicine for themselves and their loved ones. This ancient longing is inside of all of us. Seasonal Herbalism answers that call - it's for folks who are just waking up, looking for a gentle yet deep guide to the world of plant kinship and Earth belonging.

As one early reader shared, "From the first page, reading Seasonal Herbalism feels like coming home, filling a deep psychic hole that many are experiencing today and inviting us back to the vital relationships we stepped away from - the relationships with our planet and our plant brethren." 

I wrote Seasonal Herbalism for those people. I wrote it for myself as a teenager growing up in the bland suburbs, depressed, knowing that a deeper connection was available but not seeing it modeled outside of me. I wrote it for future generations, for all of us to remember... that, it's simple, really. Open your heart, invite them in, the plants are here for us. The Earth is here for us. We belong here. Seasonal Herbalism was written for those lucky folks who are just taking the first steps down the path of Earth-reconnection and herbalism and are hungry for the permission and essential skills to do so in alignment with the flow of life and creation.  It's just the right amount to get folks started, in a heart-centered, ancient and interconnected way. 

May it be so for you, in service to all.

With Great Love,
Lauren