An Herbalist just like YOU! About the Author

-As in most parts of the world (with the exception of much of Europe), the practice of herbalism in the United States is not regulated by a governing body and/or set of official or codified standards. Individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds, training, and experience may call themselves herbalists without any repercussion for doing so without a license.- excerpt from Herbal Academy mini course.

This means anyone and everyone can be an herbalist. For about 5 years now I've been telling everyone that I want to be an herbalist when I finally grow up. Well today I say why wait, anyone can be and so I AM an herbalist. My journey began at 15 years old when an optometrist discovered something strange in my eye. While a pale faced group of men talked quietly with my father, I sat vainly worried that I needed glasses. They thought I might have a brain tumor and I was referred to a neurologist, he discovered the evidence of a small stroke in my left eye and determined I had a condition called sudo tumor cerebrae not a brain tumor. Great news, if only it had been so easy in person. My Father suffered from severe anxiety for weeks while awaiting test results, being 15 I was rather unphased by my possible diagnosis. My suffering came from the tests and treatment themselves and I'm sorry to say I was left with a very unflattering opinion of allopathic medicine and a fear of the profiting monsters who offered me drugs instead of relief.

At 19 I was in a car accident and because of my pre existing condition, I was treated to another 6 months of "medicine" (torture) which led me to a short but very educational period of addiction to prescription pain medication. It was then I decided to seek a better path for myself as my fear of doctors increased. My beautiful Aunt whose name I share began to educate me on proper nutrition which I was in dire need of by that time. I've long fancied myself a witch and had been using herbs for magick and meditation for years, yet I still had not unlocked the plants role in medicine. At 22 I came out of the broom closet and began to study more and more freely without fear of judgement, it helped that I was living with a boyfriend instead of a family member for the first time.

I cleaned up my eating and lost 70 pounds from 22 to 24 years old, started my own business, and married the aforementioned boyfriend. I was taking the world by storm and refusing to slow down or be impeded by myself, my feelings and relationships especially. Fake til you make it was my motto. At 26 years old I found myself in the ER having another spinal tap to drain the excess fluid in my spinal column. I examined my lifestyle and noticed that I had let stress in and had been behaving mindlessly (eating fast foods, smoking the occasional cigarette). This was when I got serious for the last 6 years I have dedicated myself to the study of yoga and herbs. In my dedication I've rediscovered things I tried without conviction as a teenager, and I realized this is what I've been researching and retaining for 16 years. In the beginning I focused on Scottish and Irish folklore about herbs. More recently I've focused my studies on Southern Folk medicine, traditional European, Ayurveda, and Wise Women tradition. I still have an affinity with the Gaelic Traditions, probably because of my lineage and interest in magical lore which is very rich in the Scottish and Irish herbal literature.

Earlier this month I celebrated my 32nd birthday and I decided not to wait another day to start sharing some herbal insights with everyone(anyone interested). For over 10 years I have owned and operated a small cleaning company, in an effort to incorporate herbs into every aspect of my life I developed several powerful household cleaning products. We have used them in our home and business with great success and I'm happy to report the results have been better than I ever imagined. Since we stopped using products containing bleach the amount of mold and mildew found or reported has been negligible. In the first 5 years of business we were using bleach products every two weeks to remove black mold stains. I love science! Bleach leaves behind phosphates which feed mold and allow it to bloom and grow every 10 days. My professional opinion is nothing cuts the STAINS from mold and mildew like bleach, so if need be use it, but you must clean the bleach off all surfaces with vinegar to remove all the phosphate residue.

In 2015 my husband Gene and I bought our home and named it Silly Goose Ranch. In 2020 we introduce our product line Silly Goose Ranch Herbals featuring our favorite herbal cleaning blends, as well as our favorite body care recipes, and a few edible herbal goodies. My true passion is for learning about herbs and people, so if you ever need a research buddy don't hesitate to reach out, let's discover plants together!