We had the absolute pleasure to interview Leslie, and we are so excited for what she is bringing to our community through the Herbal Energetics workshops. Leslie has such vast wisdom and experience to share. Read on to learn a bit more about her and what she’ll be offering in this workshop…
WR: Herbs clearly have been a centered and consistent part of your life for a long time. What are a few of the essential ways that having a long relationship with herbs has affected your life?
Leslie: Herbs, trees, plants, insects, and all creatures who live in relationship with herbs are my community... Herbs are not just something I order online and have delivered - they are in the cracks in the sidewalks and they are the trees overhead. Knowing herbs for so many decades in so many situations has let me understand so much more than - "what's it good for?". It is relationship and grounding and centering. Plants have a lot to teach, if we learn to pay attention.
WR: You are offering a workshop about Herbal Energetics. In your own words, will you describe Herbal Energetics and how energetics can help people find what herbs work best with them?
Leslie: Energetics is sensual and part of everyday life. Everything has energetics. Taste the bitterness of a sip of black coffee, feel the cooling of mint tea. Tell me if you run hot or cool. Is the air outside steamy hot or below freezing? Plants are a good place to begin understanding energetics - and if you want to work with herbs, understanding energetics is a wonderful place to begin. Noticing energetics can let you begin decoding and combining herbs to find just the right mix for a specific need. In the workshop, we will sample many herbs and identify their energetic qualities while we look at how we might apply this knowledge in working with them.
WR: Do you have a favorite herb, or a particular herb you enjoy working with right now? Have energetics been a part of how you discovered a relationship with this particular herb?
Leslie: My favorite herbs vary, depending on the season, the harvest, and the need. Today, I favor skullcap, a perennial mint family plant that is generally very safe and easy to grow here. It is okay with shade, and it has blue flowers in summer, which is special; and it is an amazing pain reliever. Cherry bark is another favorite all year because it is so simple to make into an oxymel for a cough syrup - and cherry trees are everywhere!
WR: How did you begin sharing and teaching your love and wisdom of herbs and trees? What excites you the most about doing this work?
Leslie: I began with a family—my family—who were poor but wise in the ways of the land here and the growing of things. Later in life, I was managing an herbal department with ~500 bulk herbs in gallon jars, including Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs, plus capsules and loose tea that I blended. Folks came into the shop every day asking for help. To me, the best thing is that I will never begin to be an expert. There is so much to learn, and everyone is different, in different situations. There is never a plug and play herbal solution. It’s so complex, but that keeps things endlessly interesting.
WR: What do you hope people will take away from this workshop with you?
Leslie: You don't need to know everything about 150 herbs. You seldom need herbs from far away for your everyday herbal support and practice. You can work safely and very effectively with just a few herbal medicines that come practically from your own backyard.
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Leslie is a Registered Herbalist. With over 30 years of experience, she offers a wealth of wisdom about plants and trees, particularly those who share her environment and ecosystem. Because of her focus on working with local plants, Leslie shares information that cannot easily be found in books or on product labels.
Did you miss her recent workshop with us? Check out her website for her other offerings, and stay connected with us--Leslie has plenty more to share with our community, and she'll be back in the future.
www.ordinaryherbalist.com