This episode is a thought provoking discussion with Lily Aagren aka Lily of the Herbs, who is a herbalist, permaculturalist and ZenThai Shiatsu practitioner on Warrandjuri country in Warrandite, Victoria.
In this conversation, Twiggy and Lily discuss their journeys in herbal medicine and the need for a more nuanced approach to herbalism education in Australia. Lily shares her experiences learning herbal medicine through volunteering and skill sharing, as well as her motivation to become an educator.

They also discuss the challenges and limitations of herbalism education in Australia, and the importance of reclaiming and celebrating different aspects of herbalism. They both express their excitement for the future of herbalism in Australia and the potential for more diverse and accessible education options.

In this conversation, Twiggy and Lily discuss the accessibility of herbs, the power of inspiration and manifestation, the importance of land accessibility and community living, the integration of herbalism into daily life, the empowerment and sovereignty that comes with herbalism, the impact of connections and planting seeds of inspiration, the availability of herbs in supermarkets, current herbal allies, upcoming offerings and trainings, and closing thoughts on trust and gratitude takeaways.

🌳Volunteering and skill sharing are valuable ways to learn herbal medicine
🌳There is a need for more nuanced terminology and recognition of different aspects of herbalism
🌳Herbalism education should be accessible and cater to different learning styles and interests
🌳The landscape of herbalism in Australia is changing, with more diverse education options emerging Herbs can be made more accessible by supporting herb growers and organic farmers
🌳Inspiration and manifestation play a key role in creating the future we want to see
🌳Land accessibility and community living can enhance the practice of herbalism
🌳Herbalism empowers individuals to take control of their health and make informed choices
🌳Connections and sharing inspiration can have a ripple effect and create positive change
🌳Exploring different herbal allies can provide unique benefits and support
🌳There are various offerings and trainings available to deepen knowledge and practice of herbalism
🌳Trusting the journey and expressing gratitude are important aspects of the herbalism journey.
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Background
02:01Journey in Thailand
04:12Working with Fresh Herbal Medicine
06:29Connection with Plants in Traditional Cultures
07:44Relaxed Attitude towards Healing
08:30Journey of Learning Herbal Medicine
11:10Learning through Volunteering and Skill Sharing
14:00Becoming an Educator
19:11The Way of the Herbalist Course
24:00The Need for Nuanced Terminology in Herbalism
29:51The Changing Landscape of Herbalism in Australia
38:00The Future of Herbalism Education
43:27Making Herbs More Accessible
44:07Inspiration and Manifestation
45:05Land Accessibility and Community Living
46:03Daily Integrated Practice and Health Sovereignty
47:12Empowerment and Sovereignty
47:48Creating Connections and Planting Seeds of Inspiration
48:06Herbs in Supermarkets and Unexpected Discoveries
49:15Current Herbal Allies
53:14Upcoming Offerings and Trainings
55:37Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

Show Notes:

Lily's website:

https://www.lilyoftheherbs.com/

Find her on IG:

@lilyoftheherbs

The book mentioned:

Herbal Harvest by Greg Whitten

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠⁠ and donate to the crowdfunding campaign ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠⁠and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support The Elder Tree at the same time!⁠⁠www.patreon.com/theeldertree⁠

You can also follow The Elder Tree on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠sign up to the newsletter⁠⁠.

During this episode, I chat with Brenda Rogers a clinical naturopath and life coach specialising in hormonal transitions, particularly menopause. She’s passionate about working with a new generation of strong and empowered women who have something wonderful to offer the world and who know that age does not matter.

Brenda gently guides women to reclaim their health and vitality, eliminating discomfort and finding self-worth so they can take care of others without compromising on their own dreams and ambitions. 

During our chat, Brenda candidly shares her experience with diet culture during her teens and the unhappy, self critical spiral this triggered. 

We chat about how studying naturopathy in her early 20’s took her down a different path and opened up a deep and continuing connection to nature, providing a source of healing and allowing her to recognise that witnessing and noticing the cycles of the natural world is a form of medicine. 

Brenda is currently studying End of Life Coaching, and explains how becoming comfortable with death and the process of dying has emphasised to her, the importance of finding a way to be more present and developing an appreciation of the sacred in the everyday. 

Don’t ask her to slow down- we agree this can be condescending- but finding a way to engage the senses and be present while enjoying everyday moments is essential.

Brenda has a lovely way of describing how she tunes into the whispers that sometimes beset us when self care hasn’t been a priority…she talks of a process of ‘sifting’ and honest reflection- and how it’s the witnessing of the whispers and what they might be telling her that can be most valuable. 

I love the wisdom of perspective that Brenda shares when speaking about the barriers to self care, how youth and ignorance can sometimes be real impediments to investing in ourselves. When we treat symptoms like fatigue, period pain or skin conditions as mere inconveniences, it’s often because we don’t have the understanding of these symptoms as signs of a deeper wrong.

Brenda’s passion for nourishing food shines through during our chat, her connection with the folks who grow her food and her joy at creating wholesome basics like beautiful gelatinous broths. This is food as medicine at it’s best and we’re lucky to have Brenda share a very special recipe which showcases and preserves what’s in season in your garden! 

**SPECIAL OFFERS**

Brenda is offering the Elder Tree Podcast listeners a special complimentary 30 day trial of her popular Well- Nourished Woman program. This program provides a monthly membership to nourish and heal your amazing body, based on the Wise Traditions Diet and other proven methods. Access more information on the program here:

https://qwomen.com.au/well_nourished/.

Brenda has also shared a beautifully nourishing Skin Beauty Serum recipe, which will be available to The Elder Tree Trove Patreon Community.

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support the Elder tree at the same time! 

**CONNECT**

You can connect with Brenda here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwomenshealth/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-rogers-quintessence/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwomenshealth/

Website: www.qwomen.com.au

Email: [email protected] 

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.

You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the newsletter.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected]

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.

Tyson Yungaporta is a professor of Indigenous Wisdom at Deakin University and in my opinion one of the most exciting minds in Australia today. He blends ecological systems thinking, global indigenous mythological framing and Indigenous Australian wisdom into a compelling and rich reframe for human consciousness. In this interview, Stephanie and Tyson yarn about plants, how to pay attention to what plants tell us about the time, place and season of country, how plants change in response to humans and how to avoid the trap of flights of fantasy in plant communication.

SHOWNOTES:

Read Tyson's book 'Sand Talk: How Indigenous Wisdom can Save the World' here.

Check out his interview on the Emerald here (great content about conspiracy theories that really helped me make sense of this thorny issue).

Join Stephanie's next Plant Listening short courses here.

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠ and donate to the crowdfunding campaign ⁠here⁠.

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support The Elder Tree at the same time!⁠ www.patreon.com/theeldertree⁠

The intro and outro song is "⁠Sing for the Earth⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here

Miriam Latif - a curious and cunning herbalist from a medical family - is also a storyteller, cultural explorer and systems thinker. She is interviewed here by Stephanie Hazel, and together they chart the important but often-ignored terrain of invisible narratives that shape the way we think about health and healing. How often do you think about the stories you tell yourself unconsciously? Do these stories actually support an experience of life that is connected, interrelated and inclusive, or do these stories support an obsession with individuality and productivity? What about the stories you tell your clients or your friends and family about health and herbal medicine? These are powerful parts of the healing that can happen with plants, but something we often do entirely unconsciously.

You can find Miriam via instagram https://www.instagram.com/___understory/

You can also delve into mythopoetic relationships to plants through Stephanie's 6-week Plant Allies course, coming up in March.

https://www.stephaniehazel.com.au/courses/find-your-plant-allies/

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠ and donate to the crowdfunding campaign ⁠here⁠.

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support The Elder Tree at the same time!⁠www.patreon.com/theeldertree⁠

You can also follow The Elder Tree on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠sign up to the newsletter⁠.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters ⁠here⁠. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  ⁠[email protected]⁠

The intro and outro song is "⁠Sing for the Earth⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here

Embark on a journey into the verdant world of Seed Saving with Maria Gillies. Living a simple yet profoundly enriching life, she is a devoted member of the Mareeba Seed Savers coordinator's team in Far North Queensland and volunteers with the National Seed Savers Organisation to connect all Australian groups and provide seed-saving knowledge and skills.

Maria left her life in the laboratory to take off her shoes and follow her curiosity for "food as medicine" and the insightful world of seeds after experiencing a deep connection with Papaya and the lessons learnt from being present with seeds and healing with nature.

It wasn't until Maria visited France during a two-year sojourn that she had her hands in the soil, discovering the abundant joys of cultivating fruits and vegetables.

The turning point in her journey came when she engaged in a transformative woofing experience with Isabel Shipard, a renowned herbalist and author on the Sunshine Coast. Under Isabel's expert guidance, Maria realised the significance of preserving seeds from one's garden.

Join Maria as she shares her insights, experiences, and the rich tapestry of lessons learned in the world of nurturing and preserving life through seeds.

SHOW NOTES:

CONNECT:

**THE ELDER TREE TROVE PATREON COMMUNITY**

You can join our Patreon here and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support the Elder tree at the same time!

To learn more about The Elder Tree, visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.

You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for the newsletter.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected]

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.

Linda Bates is a fourth generation herbalist who trained in 19 schools around England and the Mediterranean. She has been in clinical practice for 4 decades and is a truly inspirational herbal elder in Australia. I met Linda about a decade ago, at Pindari farm in Tasmania at a week-long medicine making intensive which was taught by her and Sandra Parker (who I interviewed in episode 17).

In this episode we discuss the importance of herbalists doing the ongoing self work- the spiritual work is important to be able to hold space as a practitioner to create a space of love and compassion for the patient.
Linda shares about how the word herbalist back in ancient Greece meant doctor, and the role of the doctor was teacher. We discuss the importance of clinic being educational. The teacher should be opening minds and expanding hearts.We share the importance of attuning with and talking to the plants and listening to what they have to say.

Linda shares her passion and belief that herbalists should have 10 years of clinical practice before being able to give clinical training to herbal students. She shares her dissapointment at the lack of experience many lecturers at university have these days and the necessity of being truly ready before entering into clinical practice. She offers wonderful mentorship for university graduates to assist them in coming into their own clinics- this is a wonderful bridge!

Linda shares wisdom around Angelica, Lavender and Basil. She shares her way of integrating herbs into a hospital setting and also addresses the issue of mass produced heavily processed medicines on the market lacking the fresh vitality and wholeness.Linda shares some wonderful stories fro her time in the London theatre working for Lindsay Kemp. It was here that she assisted famous opera singers with her herbs. She dispensed herbs to David Bowie and was even kissed by Mel Gibson!!!

It was such an honour to interview Linda, she is a herbal elder who I respect immensely and am grateful that I had the opportunity learn from her face-to-face. I am sure you will all enjoy this episode!

Learn more about Linda here:
https://www.lindabatesherbalmedicine.com/about
Follow Linda Bates Herbal Medicine on FB.

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠ and donate to the crowdfunding campaign ⁠here⁠.

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support The Elder Tree at the same time!⁠www.patreon.com/theeldertree

You can also follow The Elder Tree on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠sign up to the newsletter⁠.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters ⁠here⁠. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  ⁠[email protected]

The intro and outro song is "⁠Sing for the Earth⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here

During this episode I have a deeply nourishing chat with Jess Allan- a conversation filled with imagery and story telling.

Jess is a herbalist, Bowen therapist and the owner of Skindoona Apothecary in Newcastle NSW, where she manufactures a range of herbal and vibrational skin care.

Having a deep love and connection to the natural world and an affinity for sensing and communicating emotional profiles, Jess followed her path into herbs and healing and has enjoyed experiencing the alchemy of people and plants for almost 20 years. 

During this episode, Jess shares how after feeling quite disconnected from the natural world during her early childhood, it was the school camps she experienced later in her youth, where she spent time in the bush, hands in the earth and felt her eyes open and her soul start to connect with the plants. 

Jess is a beautiful story teller and during our chat takes us on a special journey, sharing how she connects with individual plants on a deep level to create potent flower essences. 

She describes feeling disconnected and even skeptical after completing some introductory courses on Bush Flower essences…but being immersed in a Nature Philosophy course and meditating in the bush amongst the wildflowers helped facilitate a profound connection and a deeper knowing of flowers and plants.  

Jess’s connection with herbs was deepened even further, during a transformative experience on a medicinal herb farm in Tasmania. It was here that she really started to connect strongly with the herbs, understanding their vibrations, and feeling a whole new world opening up, a sense of safety and belonging. 

Jess has been deep in motherhood over the past ten years and shares how it’s really easy to lose sight of self care and that daily investment in ourselves. She describes the feeling many of us experience- that there is a bigger dream than just surviving each day.

**CONNECT**

Skin Doona Apothecary

https://skindoona.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/skindoona/

https://m.facebook.com/p/SkinDoona-100063083926324/

**SHOW NOTES**

Find out more about the Nature Philosphy Course Jess references here

Learn more about Australian Bush Flower essences here

Connect with the Lighthouse Health Hub where Jess manufactures her beautiful skin care range here

**THE ELDER TREE TROVE PATREON COMMUNITY**

You can join our Patreon here and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities- plus support the Elder tree at the same time!

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.

You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the newsletter.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected]

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.

Morag Gamble is a global award-winning permaculture educator, speaker,  gardener,  ⁠podcaster⁠,  ⁠humanitarian⁠, the founder of the ⁠Permaculture Education Institute⁠ and the creator of ⁠Our Permaculture Life blog⁠ and ⁠Youtube Channel⁠ (viewed over 6 million times). She teaches permaculture teachers on six continents through her in-depth online course, the ⁠Permaculture Educators Program⁠, and permaculture gardeners in another course, The Incredible Edible Garden.

You can join her monthly for free Permaculture Film screenings and permaculture masterclasses. Join her ⁠newsletter⁠ to get updates of all her latest events, films, podcasts and offerings. 

Morag lives with her family amidst her permaculture garden in Gubbi Gubbi country near Maleny, where she homeschools her two boys. In this conversation, she talks us through the medicines growing at her back door and her role as a teacher of teachers, where she supports a worldwide network of educators and explains it in terms of mycelium. With her podcast "Sense-making in a Changing World", she shines the light on people, solutions and the thinking we need to navigate a positive and regenerative way forward for a thriving one-planet way of life.

CONNECT:

SHOW NOTES:

THE ELDERTREE TROVE PATREON COMMUNITY: ⁠Join here!

You can join our Patreon ⁠⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠⁠and gain a deeper connection to our podcast. Pay only $2 per week to have access to bonus and often exclusive resources and opportunities - plus support The Elder Tree at the same time! ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/theeldertree⁠⁠⁠

To learn more about The Elder Tree, visit the website at ⁠⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠⁠ and donate to the crowdfunding campaign ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. You can also follow The Elder Tree on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠sign up to the newsletter⁠⁠. Find out more about this podcast and the presenters ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ ⁠The intro and outro song is "⁠⁠Sing for the Earth⁠⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Springtime blessings to all of you tuning in to this

If you have been tuning in recently, you would have noticed that over this past moon cycle, we have each been giving a deeper insight into our individual segment's journeys over the past year.  Here in this episode, I am going to share with you the past year’s deeply explorative journey in the Herbal Education segment. 

After that, I will share with you all a bit about where we are at with The Elder Tree project and where this podcast fits in with the vision of The Elder Tree

Thank you for your support, encouragement and assistance during this time. The future ancestors also thank you.

5. Reciprocity with Herbs: Alyson Maier on Herbal

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/5-reciprocity-with-herbs-alyson-maier-on-herbal-education/id1646328719?i=1000583733494

9. Paradigm Shifts in Herbal Education: Heidi Merika on

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/9-paradigm-shifts-in-herbal-education-heidi-merika/id1646328719?i=1000587310877

13. Informal Education and the Dream for Inherited

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/13-informal-education-and-the-dream-for/id1646328719?i=1000591026765

17. Creating Your Own Homegrown Dispensary: Sandra Parker https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/17-creating-your-own-homegrown-dispensary-sandra-parker/id1646328719?i=1000594854900

21. An Elder's Perspective on Being a Student and

25. Preserving Endangered Herbs- Christopher Smith https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/25-preserving-endangered-herbs-christopher-smith-on/id1646328719?i=1000605227690

29. From Farm to Apothecary & Community Herbalism:

33. Building a Culture of Collaboration in the Herbal

37. Nature as a Co-facilitator and the Need for Deep

41. Attuning Ourselves to Herbs: Stephanie Hazel https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/41-attuning-ourselves-to-herbs-stephanie-hazel-on-herbal/id1646328719?i=1000621435020

45. Grassroots Herbal Educators Sprouting up from the

49. Herbal Medicine is the People's Medicine: Sharn

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.

You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the newsletter.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected]

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here

Charlie Mgee is a songwriter, ukulele player, permaculturist and founder of the world-renowned ecological funk/swing band, Formidable Vegetable. Growing up in a tin shed with a veggie garden, rainwater tank and one 100W solar panel for power in the south-west of Western Australia, Charlie lived the low-impact lifestyle from a young age, using a 'Dunny' that didn't flush and hanging out with his chickens for entertainment, which made him realise early on that you don’t need a lot in life to be happy.
Later on, Charlie went off to study permaculture and, soon after, formed Formidable Vegetable – a band based entirely around principles of sustainable living and being good to the planet, with the hope of inspiring people everywhere to grow regenerative gardens/lives/communities and generally make the world a better place.

In this episode, Charlie shares his earlier childhood years living in Arnhem land and how this time influenced his perspective of music as a pattern language, and the powerful experiences he had listening to the traditional songs as a way of knowing and remembering, to propagate culture.

Our conversation explores his career as a musician, how he came to use it as a tool for education and why he believes that real change is going to happen at a community level with local and bioregional scale solutions. We touch on topics such as; diversity in our landscapes and gut microbiome, the soil food web, and staying healthy on tour with some special medicinal plants.
Charlie's music has since made it into the United Nations (who praised Formidable Vegetable for writing about the 'important issues of our time'), onto the stages at Glastonbury Festival alongside such acts as Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and The Rolling Stones and has inspired the creation of many a backyard and community garden.
Fresh from a sold-out national tour, Formidable Vegetable is back with some all-new Spoonbill-boosted electro-funk and positive climate action that the whole neighbourhood can get down to as they launch their brand new album 'Micro Biome' - an organic harvest of family-flavoured beets to inspire young and old to connect to the beyond-human World.

SHOW NOTES:

CONTACT:

Website: ⁠www.formidablevegetable.com.au⁠ and ⁠http://growdoit.com.au⁠

Facebook: ⁠http://facebook.com/formidablevegetable⁠ (and Grow Do It Permaculture Education group on FB)

Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/formidableveg⁠

Other/s: ⁠www.patreon.com/growdoit⁠

To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.

You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the newsletter.

Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  [email protected]

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.