Christian Herbal Education: How to Choose a School
Inside: What to look for in an herbalism school, especially if you’re a Christian wanting to learn the traditional skills of herbal medicine, phytochemistry, foraging, gardening, and more and have become disillusioned with other schools as you’ve tried to learn.
Christians who value their salvation must be careful about the information we put into our minds and to take care of the experiences we engage in. God tells us to monitor our thoughts and what we put into our minds, and He shares over and over again what we should and should not be considering…and doing.
More and more Christians are wanting to learn the ancient ways of herbal medicine and using essential oils for therapies. Although this is absolutely excellent, there’s a stigma surrounding herbalism for aware Christians in our current world culture because so much herbal education infuses philosophies and beliefs into the educational process that Christians are explicitly told to avoid.
These beliefs may stem from pagan roots, polytheism, animism, goddess worship of various kinds, Wicca, the occult, and others. If you’re a Christian, you may see the dilemma, and if you’re interested in reading about my personal experiences with the different schools I’ve attended and why this topic is vital, read this article.
I’ve had many, many students tell me how grateful they feel to have found a Christian herbalism teacher. A good one! Not to toot my own horn, but my expertise before becoming a practicing herbalist with a product shop and clientele was as a teacher in the public school system and before that, I owned a preschool.
One important question I need to address:
Isn’t this attitude of owning an herbalism school that caters to Christian values leaving other people out?
My answer:
Not at all!
Everyone is welcome in our school and usually in other Christian herbal schools as well. We have students of various genders, beliefs, religions, ethnic and racial backgrounds….all are welcome. But the philosophical foundation for the education here at Healing Harvest Homestead is Judeo-Christian.
Unless you’re a Christian or a Jewish person, you may not realize that there are some negative attitudes toward us in the world. Healing Harvest Homestead is a school that accepts and loves everyone….but we have set the standards for discussion and education to support and align with our beliefs.
An example I recall from my own past learning experiences is when I attended a very popular and well-known herbalism school, and a Christian made a comment in the student group that God is the creator of all things and how blessed we are that He provided all the medicinal plants for us!
The negative hoopla that ensued in the chat was shocking. There were hateful and vile remarks, some verging on violent. I don’t know where the moderators were, but they weren’t protecting that woman and her right to share her beliefs just as others did.
Luckily, more and more Christian herbal schools are beginning to emerge as herbalism has been literally exploding in the natural wellness world for the past thirty years, and many Christians want to learn too. Here’s what to look for in an excellent school:
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At the HHH School of Botanical Arts & Sciences, we infuse aromatherapy (use of essential oils) into many of our herbalism courses, which makes us different and a step above in the world of herbalism schools.
What to Look For in a Christian Herbalism School
Some of these characteristics below are specific to a Christian environment, and some are just plain good teaching that all schools should have in place.
1) Christian teacher(s)
This should be obvious. A teacher who is a Believer is going to be certain they think, speak and teach from a Godly perspective. You shouldn’t be hearing about plant spirits or worship of nature, for example, if a Christian teacher is on board.
Kindness and respect for others’ needs should also be at the forefront, while also holding Christian beliefs so students feel safe to share.
At the School of Botanical Arts & Sciences, our teaching team members are all practicing Christians, from our researchers and writers to community moderators, customer service, and case study managers.
We all still care deeply for the earth, the plants, animals, and sustainability….but we do not worship these things. We feel respect and gratitude for them but we honor God as the creator of all things.
2) A Loving, Supportive Student Community…with Rules that are Kept
I’ve been a teacher a long, long time….since the age of 16 to be exact. From teaching pre-school, to owning a preschool, to teaching for decades in a large urban public school system from upper elementary through middle school, I’ve learned the value of having a student community (or classroom) that is lovingly but firmly facilitated with rules that keep students feeling safe, valued, and supported in their learning.
I’ve heard over and over again from students who come from other schools about the difficulties they’ve experienced. From hostility for a Christian to share their belief in God as the creator, to being bombarded with New Age philosophies, to simply a complete lack of engagement and activity in the group….not being able to get questions answered and other issues, these things impact the learning environment and slow the speed and comfort in herbal learning for the Christian.
Many students have written to me thanking me for our groups. I’ve also had students from other schools write to me asking for help with an herbal question because they just can’t get an answer in a student group they’re in for the school they’re attending.
Our student community is a village. And people learn best in this atmosphere where people take care of each other.
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To learn effectively and with more speed, you really do need an active, engaged, supportive village for help.
3) Searchable Content
All the course content in our larger courses, including videos and live Question/Answer replays is searchable. Inside our Village (the student community), there’s a search feature so that topics can be searched. All the answers come up in the many threads, and these contain so many good suggestions.
In many schools, especially in courses with a lot of content, searching for something is pretty much impossible. I’m a believer that students should be empowered in their ability to find answers within the course materials.
4) Transcripts
Not everyone likes to watch videos, and some prefer to read. Transcripts are available in our school for all videos, and these can be whole or just the parts you need. All courses come with text and digital books, too.
5) The Teacher Shows Up (Live Question and Answer Chats)
Most online herbalism schools provide education via pre-recorded video and text content. Our school is no different because students need text materials. They also enjoy plenty of video content! But that’s where most herbal schools stop. You buy the course. You have access to the materials. You may or may not have a student group that is active (most aren’t).
But what about getting an answer from a real herbalism teacher? Or actual practicing herbalists and aromatherapists?
When I started learning herbalism, it was before online courses were common. My first course was snail mail. Since then, I’ve spent thousands on online courses to learn. The thing that was missing was an actual mentor, an actual real person to answer my questions.
If you’ve been in this situation, you know how frustrating it can be!
I personally show up.
It’s important for students to see the teacher! To talk with the teacher. Sometimes you need more clarification than you can get in a book and definitely not in an online search.
For my larger courses, I have live Question and Answer chats, and we all get to see each others’ faces and talk with each other (if students desire). The replays for these are saved, and students have ongoing access to them in entirety or via search.
I don’t know of even one other school that does this. And my students experience amazing levels of success!
***In the video below, I did an impromptu live Q&A chat in our YouTube community. Here’s a little about what this feels like, only without the “school” structure…enjoy!
6) Researched Course Materials Based in Recent Science
There are herbalism courses and teaching out there that has never been updated for decades. I know at least three that are still teaching that comfrey can be used internally for the long-term safely. Information such as this is outdated and not upheld by clinical and scientific studies. It’s important for a school to constantly be updating content as well as adding new and relevant content.
References should be included too.
This allows students further sources to check out, and indicates that the material isn’t a myth in someone’s head.
Here’s an example of this….
Most herbal schools will give you a monograph for a plant that ranges from four to 20 pages long. Many of these don’t even have references. They just gloss over the phytochemistry, leaving students still wondering about why the plant actually works!
Or, they infuse Planetary Herbalism (astrology) into a materia medica, or…. I could go on.
But not our school.
Let’s take garlic, for example. A simple herb that many of us grow right in our gardens!
In our Garlic Masterclass for example (contained inside the Confident Herbalist Tribe as one of the many, many courses), we have video, projects, and the BOOK. The Garlic book and workbook is 80 pages filled with phytochemistry, herbal actions (and why), how to grow and harvest, how to prepare, folklore, many recipes and remedies, and of course….the basic Materia Medica.
We dig deep because students deserve the best!
7) The Teacher Can Explain Why Things Work
When I taught public school, one of the things I loved about the kids is that they would ask, “Why…?” They need to know the foundation to the information, the why of things.
Although we can’t know everything, and nobody can, it’s vital for herbalism teachers to have a grasp of phytochemistry, anatomy & physiology, holistic health practice, and others. This is so they can easily explain why the plant medicine works!
Students at the School of Botanical Arts & Sciences learn not only basic information, but they learn to understand the why, too. If a concept comes up that is unknown, we all go to work to research!
8) Safe Herbal and Aromatic Practices Taught
Good herbalism schools will emphasize safety as well as effectiveness in practice. Latin names of the plants should be taught in any plant studies, and contraindications should be discussed as well. Use of disclaimers and why they are necessary, proper language as herbalists, how to interact with community members and friends, and more all fall under this section.
You might be wondering…..
Foraging is something I love to do, and something we discuss a LOT (as well as growing herbs) in the school!
Why Not Just Leave Out the Faith Aspect in Teaching Holistic Herbalism?
Here’s the truth:
If you want to be a holistic herbalist, then you just can’t leave out spiritual practice of some kind. Holistic practice, by its very nature, takes the entire terrain, the entire being, into account. A good holistic herbalist attends to the physical body, the emotional health of a person, intellectual needs, and spirituality. Whole body wellness considers all of these factors. Faith (or lack of it) is what informs much of what any human does or doesn’t do.
This is why most herbalism schools sprinkle their beliefs into their teachings, often without even realizing it. It’s why students will encounter New Age beliefs, Wicca practices, the occult and more infused in course and instructional material. You just can’t leave out some kind of faith and spirituality from a good holistic herbal practice. For the Christian, this can lead one into dangerous territory, often unknowingly.
Even large in-person institutions like one very famous school I’m thinking of in Portland, Oregon, considers faith in the teaching and practice.
I know a young man who upon graduating high school, decided he wanted to become a Naturopathic Doctor at this particular well-known school. When he applied, and they discovered he was a Christian, he was told point blank: You can attend, but you are not to mention Christianity. Needless to say, he chose another school.
True story.
Our mini-course, Herbs of the Bible and How to Use Them Today, might be a great introduction for you! It’s a fun course with recipes! Click here to find out more.
Final Thoughts About Christian Herbal Education and Schools
I always wonder if I should talk about all of this so publicly. There’s usually some kind of backlash, but I think it’s time that all belief systems be offered education they feel safe and good about. The growing number of Christian herbal schools is a telltale sign that this is an area of need.
Hopefully, this article helps you think about what you’re needing and wanting in a good herbalism school.
One last thing I’d like to mention is that I’ve been talking with the few Christian herbal instructors and herbalists I know, and we have a group who are discussing creating an organization for Christian herbalists and schools. It’s in the works, so stay tuned!
I welcome your comments and thoughts below.
You can find out more from Healing Harvest Homestead on the website, the YouTube channel, in our FREE SEARCH Index, and from our weekly newsletter!
I hope you’ll join us in a course or two!
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
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