March 27, 2025 • 39 mins
Join us as we uncover the inspiring path of Margie Flint, an esteemed herbalist who transformed a personal health crisis into a lifelong journey in herbal medicine. Listen to Margie's heartfelt stories about finding her community at the first Gaia Herb Symposium and how influential teachers like Rosemary Gladstar and David Winston shaped her approach. We reflect on the richness of learning from diverse mentors and the importance of integrating varied healing modalities to cultivate a holistic understanding of herbalism.
Words carry power, and in this episode, we explore their impact on our lives and practices. I share a personal tale about teaching empathy, leading to a discussion on the significance of mindful communication in herbalism. We also dive into the evolution of "The Practicing Herbalist," a comprehensive guide that offers practical advice for setting up a practice enriched by expert insights on complex topics like cancer and autoimmune diseases. Discover the innovative use of sous vide technology in tincture preparation, blending modern techniques with traditional wisdom.
The journey through herbalism continues as we discuss creating resources that reflect diversity, including a beautifully illustrated book emphasizing accessible dermatology information for all skin tones. We ponder the future of herbalism and the necessity of passing on knowledge to new generations. Learn about the emerging field of naturopathy and the enduring excitement of our profession. We wrap up with gratitude for shared insights and anticipation for future collaborations, reinforcing the value of continuous learning and transparency in practice.
Heart of Herbs Herbal School
The Heart of Herbs Podcast with Demetria Clark! 🌿 Tune in for herbal wisdom & wellness tips!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi, this is Demetria Clark from Heart of Herbs Herbal
School and the Heart of HerbsHerbal School podcast.
I know it's a mouthful.
And today we are here withMargie Flint, who I have admired
probably since the first time Itook a class with you I think
it was like in 2002.
So very long time ago Well, no,it wasn't that long ago, just
(00:25):
the other day.
And one of the things that Ihave always really admired about
Margie and her work is thatit's very unique, it's
individual, but I also feel likeit's really really practical.
Practical.
(00:47):
And the work that she does withreading the body and connecting
individuals in their healthprocess and their health path
with herbalism, I think isreally just super important.
So I would love to ask you tojust take this opportunity
really quickly to just let usknow how, how did you get
started working as an herbalist,then in practice practicing
(01:09):
herbalist and then eventuallygetting into the, into the book,
because I really want to shareabout the book with everyone how
did I get into it?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
well, like most of us , I began by getting sick, and I
didn't.
I didn't really like theoptions that were offered to me,
which were basically impendingdeath.
So I thought I didn't like thatat all.
So I began a quest, and theshort version of that story is I
(01:43):
was diagnosed with having atumor in my pituitary gland and
was told I had a year and a halfto live.
I was 24.
Wow, no, I couldn't spinning,and I got into the back of the
(02:09):
cab and was driven down StarDrive to my apartment where I
lived with my first husband, whowas, let's say, um, unkind.
So I called my parents andasked if I could come home and
they said, yes, of course, we'llmake your favorite meal.
Not the reaction I wasexpecting.
And so what I did was Ibasically changed my life
(02:31):
entirely.
I, um went back to school.
I was studying in framingham,massachusetts, and there was an
herb herb conference locally.
That was right there and I wasgoing out with a really handsome
guy from a natural food store.
So I heard about the conference.
(02:53):
It sounded interesting and itwas the first Gaia Herb
Symposium.
Wow, for real.
Yeah, wow, a little 4-H campand there were 65 people,
including all the chefs and allthe teachers, and when I got
(03:15):
there it was like coming home.
And when the conference wasover you know everyone's holding
hands and singing and Ibasically began sobbing because
I didn't want to leave.
Oh wow, I had found my place.
And who were my teachers?
(03:36):
So my first teachers at thatconference that I connected with
were Rosemary Gladstar andDavid Winston.
Oh, two of my favorites Twoincredible teachers with very
different viewpoints on how tobe and how to do, and beautiful,
both of them in their veryunique ways.
(03:57):
So I just began studying andreally that's the way I pursued
study from then on.
I basically got a new teacherabout every four years.
I would learn and learn andlearn, and, you know, hire them
to come and teach at my diningroom table or go to conferences,
(04:20):
whatever it took, and, you know, sit at the knee of the teacher
and then, teacher by teacher byteacher, I would, I would add,
accumulate knowledge and thenfrom that foundation of teachers
, you know the parts thatresonated with me became who I
(04:41):
was as a practitioner.
So you know, I would say I'm anintegrated practitioner.
You know I do a little Ayurveda, a little Chinese, a little
Huna, a little that, and youknow I'm eclectic I love that.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I'm like.
I always like joke that I'mlike the world's unsexiest
herbalist because I'm sopractical.
I'm like.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
You know, there's all these people like oh, you don't
think practical is sexy?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
well, no, to me it's wicked, sexy, right.
Like to me it's like I'm themode, I'm just like so, so
practical and stuff.
And so when you were talkingabout David Winston and Rosemary
Gladstar, they're both really,really different but they're
both super practical too, Likeuse what works.
Come on, man, you know, youknow.
So I've always like admiredthat about them and about you
(05:42):
and your work, because I just, Imean, you know, I just I like
things to make sense without toomuch thought, I just know.
So sometimes I'm like, oh, youknow, I'll just be like, oh, I
don't really know, like aboutthat.
And then I go and look and I'mlike, oh, of course that makes
(06:02):
sense, that it would work,because this isn't that.
And then it makes sense to me.
But I love the fact that you aretalking about studying from a
variety of teachers and I thinkthat's important.
I think that's one of the mostimportant things, which is, you
know people always think isfunny, because I've run an herb
school since 1998.
(06:23):
But I also always tell mystudents hey, you need to, you
know, study.
I am not the only person.
You should not want that at all.
Like no, you need a milliondifferent things.
So I love that you that youtalk about incorporating all
different kinds of modalitiesand thought processes and
(06:45):
systems into your healing focus.
I think that's really beautifuland I don't think we could say
that enough.
I think that it's interestingthat people always feel like
they need to be the expert ofeverything, and I'd rather be
the expert of none, and so I'mgoing to assume that when you
(07:07):
learned all these different waysof working, that you infuse
that into your clinical practiceworking with clients.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, I mean my clinical practice, really that
you know, rosemary, of course,david are my first teacher, so
they're always going to be apart of me and not apart from me
.
Oh, I love that.
And you know, matthew wood andwilliam lasasie were the next
(07:40):
major influence, and I I don'twant to leave anyone out I had
many, many wonderful teachers.
You know Cascade AndersonGeller oh, she was lovely.
It just goes on and on.
But William, when I studiedwith William, it was as though
(08:03):
the knowledge came in through afunnel on the top of my head and
stuck there.
Oh, I love that.
And you know, I had been exposedto his teachings prior to
meeting him, and then I decidedI would bring him here to have
him teach for me.
(08:24):
He had been off the grid forabout 10 years.
He was a very eccentric man andlived to excess, as many
herbalists do, and so I thought,well, I'll bribe him, I'll have
him come and teach and I'lljust hand all the money to him
(08:46):
after expenses.
And when he received his check,he looked at it and he just
said what this is so much money?
(09:07):
I said I want you to teach.
And he was like you have beenmissed by so many people.
All these years you haven'tbeen teaching.
So I had him come and teachthree times before he died.
Oh, wow, and I didn't know hewas sick.
It's so funny he was teachingdiagnosis.
(09:27):
Did I see his sickness?
No, when we look at ourteachers, they're on.
You know this magical realm ofyou know.
Oh, they're so perfect andwonderful.
No, we're not.
You know, all of us have ourstuff.
Yeah, he was.
He had um hepatitis c, oh, wow,okay, yeah, he missed a liver
(09:49):
transplant by one day, wow anduh.
But I had him come and teach.
I had really horrible.
I hired somebody to shoot videoand they did, but they were so
into the class the camera justdidn't move oh my goodness oh my
really, oh my god oh mygoodness, I love that it's.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That would be something I would do his, uh,
his work really is.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You know I have rosemary and and David and so
many other Kate, gilday and many, many other teachers, but
William's teaching was wonderful, the magic of my career, oh wow
I I did not practice alone, Ipracticed with the wisdom of my
(10:46):
teachers.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, I think that's true.
I think every herbalist needsto acknowledge that, even the
ones we don't like or even theones that we're like that
information coming.
We learn something so importantfrom that.
I think it's really cool thatyou, you know that you you
phrase it like that.
I'm gonna have to borrow thatyou're welcome to it, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And the other thing I really believe in is your
clients tend to say oh, youhealed, blah, blah, blah, and
it's like I didn't do.
You know, I'm like the crystalball, I have all the information
, I connect to you and I dobelieve that we, as humans,
connect spiritually with eachother.
(11:30):
We're not disconnected fromeach other and they're the ones
putting the herbs in their mouthand taking them, and you know,
making their teas and takingtheir tinctures and, better
still, making their own medicine, which is what I really believe
in.
But I don't want credit forwhat I did not do.
(11:55):
I shared information, yeah, andI was good at sharing.
Did not do I shared information, yeah, and I was good at
sharing.
And I think part of being a goodpractitioner is understanding
how to listen, and for that Ihonor karen sanders and sarah uh
for their teachings at bluewater school.
I'm not sure they're teachinganymore, anyway.
(12:17):
Uh, I'm not sure they'reteaching anymore.
Anyway, they did a lot of workteaching us how to have healthy
boundaries, how to sit and beempty and listen to somebody as
they tell their story.
You know, in the old days, whenI was a young herbalist, if
somebody started crying, I'dscoop them up in my lap.
(12:38):
You know, my nickname hasalways been Earth Mama.
It's like oh, you know, now Idon't do that.
You let people have theirfeeling.
If you cross that boundary,they aren't able to do their own
growth and their ownrealization.
(12:59):
Absolutely, I agree with thatand it's such a valuable lesson
and so many people feel like, oh, but I'm, you know, I'm
empathetic and I, you know, Iwant to be loving and kind.
Well, I am loving and kind, butthey're their tears.
They have to have their ownheart revelations and understand
(13:20):
where things build up in theirbody.
One of the other great teachersI had was actually a medical
doctor.
He was the first integrativemedicine guy in our neighborhood
and alex angelo, and he taughtme how to use the timeline.
(13:41):
Do you use a timeline?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I don't know if you define it the same way, so let
me.
What are you?
Why don't you let me in on whatyou're thinking, okay?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
all right, it's only it's like after the consultation
, it's the only paper I everlook at, okay, so, single piece
of paper line down the middle.
Some people use computers butI'm not that typey um and I'll
have you know.
If they're 50, I'll have 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 on one side of the
(14:15):
line and then the year thatcorresponds opposite, like if
they're born in 1950, it wouldbe 10 years old, 1960, because
people remember things indifferent ways.
Yeah, they might remember anevent when they were 10 or with
when it was the year, and thatway you don't have to keep doing
(14:38):
math in your head.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Herbalists, I think, are kind of notoriously not
great at math yeah, my familyjokes I can only do math if
there's a dollar sign in frontof it I said inspiration, so the
timeline.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I put everything on there, like what was your birth
like?
Okay, what were the firstthoughts your parents said to
you?
I wish I had a boy, you know,whatever it is, oh my God, that
really impacted me all my lifewhen you lived, what the
(15:16):
atmosphere at home was, all thedrama and trauma acts car
accidents, falling out of trees,deaths, divorces, births,
miscarriages, abortions all ofthat is what I consider to be
(15:36):
the pertinent information.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Oh wow yeah, I do something that's more like a
kind of like a I don't know likea mind map, almost like it's
similar, but it's like what wasyou know what was going on in
your life at this time period,or you know similar kind of
basically the same kind of thing, but a different kind of name
and and my stuff is always um, Ialways like, I doodle and
(16:05):
everything is like round and youknow, and stuff like that, and
I'll have like littleillustrations of my thoughts.
Well, I don't know I'm a goodone, but I definitely.
I like the way that you do thatthough, because a linear, I do
like linear approaches and listand stuff like that on the other
side.
So I think that's really cooland I love the way you describe
(16:27):
that.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
On the round theme, now that I've been distracted,
one of David's, one of thethings I learned from him that
I've never, ever forgotten isthere is no comma between body,
mind, spirit.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Oh, I think I remember him saying something
about that.
Yeah, yeah, yes, well, I meanit's kind of true, right, I mean
this whole everything isseparate, I think is what really
keeps us stumbling in a lot ofways.
Absolutely you know, especiallywith little.
You know.
If we could start little kidsthinking you know from the
(17:07):
beginning you're whole and thisis, you know different ways we
do things, I think that would bereally helpful because by the
time you're grown up, same theme.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Words are powerful.
Yes, exactly.
I remember when my daughter wasabout nine she had two little
friends over standing around theisland chit-chatting and I was
in the other room and I heardthem talking about another
little girl, not very nicely,and I went into the room and I
said, okay, I'm just going torepeat what I just heard, but I
(17:43):
want you to imagine that thesewords are about you.
And I repeated it a little bitof it, and I said, ok, is this
the way you want people to talkabout you and do you want to be
thought of as somebody who talksthis way?
And I just walked out of theroom.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
That's heavy that's a mom moment, right.
Like anybody who's a mama knowsthat kind of moment, right?
Oh, wow, yeah, we do we forgethow important language is?
I think nowadays we're.
So I what was it I was sayingthe other day?
It feels like we are so fast toshow our anger and our angst
(18:27):
and to let the whole world knowthat we have it, that instead of
just like holding back andletting the situation finish
before we go on our rampage.
And I think we do that with ourbodies too, because I feel like
sometimes there's an all or onesolution, there's everyone is
out there being like do this andeverything's going to be fine.
And, as your book has displayedover the years that it's more
(18:52):
than that.
So can you tell us about yourvery, very beautiful manual on
being a practicing herbalist?
Because that book that I meanseriously that book is like how
many pages is it now?
I think it's looks like whatfive 550.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
And then it goes on the index, lots of pages.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That is, this book has so much information.
So what is the exact title, soeveryone can get their hands on
it?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
The Preclin Herbalist .
All right, this is the fourthedition and you can get it on my
website.
I don't know if you put that up.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, yeah I will, but let's say it out loud so
it'll be in the transcriptsEarth.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Song Herbals and you can buy it on the website, and
you know some people like tohave it inscribed.
If you're in virginia, I willbe there, but, um, if you want
it inscribed, you have to orderit through me personally and
then that's margie flint 117, mylucky, at gmailcom.
(20:08):
Okay, cool, and that way I'llinscribe it and ship it to you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Oh, awesome.
And we like to encourage all ofour listeners to go directly to
the source when orderingsomething, because that is how
you know exactly where it'scoming from.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Except in Europe.
I don't really have anotherdealer.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Yeah, I just chose not to do that Because I, like I
, wanted to make all the moneymyself.
Yeah, I don't blame you.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Oh, look at that.
I love that.
It's so well illustrated.
I just remember the first timeI got it I think it was from you
at like a conference orsomething, and I just remember
just sitting and just goingthrough I was like this is
invaluable and that's why it'son our book list as suggested
(20:55):
books for our clinical students,because there's just so much
information.
What inspired you to put thisall together?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Oh, what a perfect segue, my lover at the time,
young bill, um.
He said, um, I was working onthe book, it took nine years to
write it, wow.
And he said well, you shouldbegin it with your own story of
how you became an herbalist andthat way people will understand
(21:25):
that no matter who they are,they can be an herbalist.
You know, there isn't any oneright background to be an
herbalist.
You can have many backgrounds,which I thought was really funny
, um, and it is a great part ofthe book.
You know it's quite blatantlyhonest about.
(21:47):
You know who I am and you knowmarriages and all that.
You know I'm not great ateverything.
It's so human.
So anyway, there's that.
But I wanted to teach peoplehow to set up a practice,
because when I was young wedidn't have like business
(22:08):
courses for herbalists.
And you know how to set upQuickBooks and how to use a
computer, for goodness sake.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I mean, oh no, I know , my first website I had to do
myself.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah, I mean, I used to do all my accounting on a
ledger the old fashioned way,and I had to learn how to use a
computer and do all that stuff.
And you know people laugh andsay, oh my God, you're 74.
You're better at the computerthan I am and I'm like, right on
, it's a necessary part of yourpractice.
(22:44):
It is, you know, and inventoryand all that sort of thing.
So the book covers verypractical concepts of how to run
a small business, how to do anintake, why you ask the
questions you ask and what arethe 10 questions that might
(23:05):
follow the answer to thatquestion, little vignettes of
stories, of client stuff, um, inbetween.
So we have the intake and thenwe I have.
You know, every practice hascertain issues that come up
again and again.
So my practice was heavilycancer ridden.
(23:27):
Oh, okay, yeah, so I had a loton cancer and I had my revered
teachers David Winston and WendyFogg.
Oh no, she was in the Lymechapter.
So Lyme cancer, autoimmunedisease, you know, sort of the
(23:48):
things that were most common inmy practice.
I would write about.
And in this edition I have alittle bit of mummy pride with
my son.
Gabriel is a really fabulouschef and restaurant owner in
Hawaii and he asked me if Iwould come and teach him how to
(24:09):
make bitters.
So I had a great time makingbitters and at the end I said
okay, so we'll shake them andpray.
We'll put them on a shelf fortwo weeks.
He goes no, mom, they'll bedone in four hours.
I said what?
So?
This is a sous vide.
You can have your tincturesdone in four hours.
(24:30):
You can spend your time prayingfor those four hours if you
want, but the taste will be muchmore true to the plant.
And I was like, holy moly, youknow from my baby.
It's so cool boy, my little 42year old baby.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I love that we, I love the, that herbalism is one
of those professions thatrequires you to keep learning
and to be flexible, becausetechnology changes and if you
don't stay with the technologyon some level, you could be
missing out on something reallyfabulous.
Like I really resisted all ofthe infusion machines, like the
magic butter and all that.
(25:09):
I was like, oh, I'm not gonna,not gonna really do that, that's
not, that's not my thing.
And then I was like, well, mystudents are wanting to know
more about it.
I need to learn more about itand even though it's still not
my favorite thing, it's a goodthing that I know how to use it
and I know what it does and howit works and all that kind of
stuff.
So I think it's cool thatyou're you're getting to learn
(25:30):
and experience this growth withyour son, which I think is
really beautiful.
I can't wait for my boys tohave a question.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
When you have students, you will learn from
your students too.
Oh, absolutely, Absolutely, Imean.
I hope so.
I don't ever want to think Iknow everything.
The more I know, the more Ifeel like, oh my God, I have so
much to learn.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
I always tell my students that I think that with
wellness, the wellness industryright, it's very easy for the
disciple mentality to you knowpresent itself and that teachers
can fall into that trap oh yeah, you've got to be really
careful that you don't takeadvantage of that relationship
(26:17):
with your clients who are likeyou helped me have a baby?
No, I didn't help you have ababy.
I suggested some herbs.
You ended up getting pregnant.
We're working together, butthat baby's not mine.
I have no responsibility forthat.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I do think I had baby magic and I might actually
believe that if I rub againstsomeone they'll get pregnant.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I love that well when you were talking about coming
into contact with differentthings I just like.
For about five years I feltlike almost every single person
that came into my practice wastrying to get pregnant and I was
just like always that way.
And you know, and then it wouldbe something else, so autoimmune
(27:00):
disorders or skin issue andyou're just kind of like and I
tell students that's normal.
Yeah, you know, like I alsotrain birth workers and I'm like
, look, just because you havethree C-sections in a row, or
three this in a row doesn't meanthis is all you're ever going
to see.
Life just happens sometimeslike that.
And so I love that you touchedon that, because it is true in
(27:21):
herbal practice that sometimesyou become the person known for
whatever for a little while.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
And you're like I didn't ask for this, yep, but it
is.
I really think it is the, theuniverse, you know, the, the
intelligence of all that givesyou those cases again and again
and again, so that you getreally good at it yeah, that's a
nice way to put it, that that'sa really beautiful way to put
(27:48):
it.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I feel like I feel like the industry is one that is
so complex and gorgeous andinteresting and I really want to
keep looking at it that way,instead of everything being
(28:10):
distilled down to one or twothings you know, like you can
only use this herb for this andI'm like no, okay let's break
that mentality here.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Years and years ago, Brooke Medicine Eagle said be
careful, the planet is changingand when the planet changes, the
uses of the plants change.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Oh yeah, of course.
What a beautiful statement, butthat makes so much sense.
Yes, stay awake, because I mean, even flowers will do things in
that season to attract whatthey need just for that moment
right, things in that season toattract what they need just for
that moment, right.
So why wouldn't plant kingdomsalso?
You know, change and evolvelike we do as human beings.
(28:56):
Very cool statement.
So you're teaching in westvirginia, correct?
And where else are you going tobe this year?
People want to check you out.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I'll be teaching in Arkansas Boy, I would have to
look on my own website to tellyou where.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
But it's all there, all the info is there, it's all
on my website, okay, cool.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
And then I have the legacy training course.
So I'm trying to train, I amtraining teachers.
I have been for years now tocarry on the tradition of the
LaSassier diagnostics the face,tongue and nail diagnostics that
William teaches, which is thefoundation of the book as well,
(29:42):
because I've had enough neardeath experiences in the last
few years to realize I betterget this done.
Oh, yeah, right, I'm teachingevery other month here in my own
home and I have five bedrooms.
So there's, you know,possibilities for people to stay
here and training them to beteachers.
(30:04):
And I would, you know, in anideal world world, have them
kind of splattered across theuniverse so that there's
somebody in Canada and somebodyin each country and each state
that can teach it, you know.
And and then you know, ifanyone's interested in that,
they can write to me and I'llsend them all the requirements
(30:27):
and what you get at the end andwhat you have to do to get there
.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
All right, that's awesome, that's really awesome.
I think that it's cool that youare thinking about things in
reference to forever change,which I think training people to
do that kind of work is foreverchange, because then they can
train people and and it'ssomething that obviously we've
lost in our modern world, butwe're getting diagnostics in
(30:57):
this book.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Have no time.
Yeah, you know it is, it's true.
They're beautiful, it's goodforever and it's so well it's I,
it's so well illustrated andit's so matt wood and I detailed
, oh awesome well it, matthewwood and I met in various coffee
shops across the country andwe'd sit and I'd say, well, I
(31:23):
think the lips go this way.
Oh, I think they're.
Oh, yeah, I know it goes thisway.
And we work it out until we hadit perfect.
And I think line drawings areso much easier to interpret.
When you see pictures, I don'tknow, it's harder to really say
this is what we're looking for,but with a line drawing it's
(31:44):
really simple I think that's,and I also think line drawings
lend itself to.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
You know more than one skin tone, so a lot of
dermatology textbooks are only.
Caucasian skin and it's likehang on a sec.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
There is a fabulous book out.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yes, I have it, the one with the dermatology?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yes, shoot, I can't remember the name of it, but I
think you were just saying it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
uh, no, uh, shoot.
I can't remember the name of it, but I think you were just
saying it.
That's the dermatology textbook.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
That's okay, this one , you know.
I always said I should writeone for people with dark skin.
I don't have to, it's alreadybeen written.
Oh, that's awesome, oh awesomebook?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah Well, cause it's always have to get that awesome
book?
Yeah well, because it's.
It is so different and we needto acknowledge that and help
people in some ways.
Yes, yes, well, but the wayrashes and stuff present can be
different.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That's awesome I mean he, this book is in sex
positions.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Hello, hello who knew we were gonna to take a turn?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
This is.
I just can't tell you what awonderful book this is.
So I don't need to write one ondark skin people because I
really don't have the experience.
I live in pasty white land.
Yeah, I've had dark skinclients, but it's you know,
melanin, the tone of skin, theeverything can be a little
(33:10):
different.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
The basic lines are the same though.
Yeah, well, that's what I was.
That's that's what I was about,what you were saying, because
it's true.
I mean I'm very fortunate.
I've lived in the South for along time, so I've worked with,
with clients from all over thespectrum of being as pink as me
to being very, very dark, andthere is a difference, and
sometimes just having the linedrawing can really make things
easier.
(33:36):
Or you can say to your clientdo you identify with something
that you see?
And you can show them imageryand they can say, yes, this is
what this feels like to me and Ilove that.
And I love that your books areaccessible and easy to use and
so detailed.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Well, I think between these two you got it all.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Well, I will not disagree with you on that.
So, how do you feel about thefuture of herbalism?
And then I will, probably.
We're getting close to the endof our time.
I know you have an appointment,so but um, uh, how do you feel
about the future of herbalism?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
I well.
Herbs are our ancestors.
No matter what we do as humans,the herbs will survive.
No matter what we do as humans,the herbs will survive.
Herbalism I have great faith in.
I believe, first of all, thatthis is the most exciting job.
(34:43):
You will never be bored.
You will never be bored.
Every day is a new adventure.
Practical skills will help yousurvive it and actually make
money.
But the future of herbalism, Iam not concerned about myself.
I mean I I stopped seeingclients and I still get calls
(35:09):
every day of somebody wanting tosee me.
It's very hard to say no, but Ireally want to have trained.
You know, there are plenty ofyoung herbalists who can
certainly handle the new clients.
And as my daughter Sarah, who'sso wise said mom, you learned
(35:30):
how to resolve issues aroundcancer because you saw one
client at a time.
Your herbalists will also learnthe same way.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
You have some very wise children over there.
I'm telling you yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Yeah, I do.
I'm very grateful for my kids.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
That's very awesome.
That's definitely, I think,good advice.
Sometimes one at a time, onestep at a time, one person at a
time, one song at a time.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Do you know who Tori Hudson is?
The name sounds she's anaturopath in the West Coast and
years ago she was at theWomen's Herbal.
So she's a lesbian.
She had on Rosemary Gladstar'svery foofy, wafty dress which in
itself was hysterical and shegot up there and she said
(36:27):
naturopathy is a new medicine.
When people call and they sayhave you treated Hashimoto's?
And you've only seen one client, you can say, in my experience,
blah, blah, blah, you've seentwo.
You can say time, blah, you'veseen two.
(36:50):
You can say time after time.
Of course I would just say Ihaven't seen anyone.
But I'm willing to try.
I'll do the research before youcome and I'll do the best I can
.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
I love that.
I love that.
Oh, that's wonderful, that'sabsolutely wonderful.
So I wanted to say thank youfor spending time with us today.
I really appreciate it.
I was a little nervous becauseI was just so excited, so
hopefully I wasn't too rude anddidn't talk over you too much.
I've just really enjoyed this.
(37:23):
So thank you so much for takingtime out of your day to be with
us today and, um, I'd love tocheck in with you sometime, or,
or, um, if you have a newedition of the book coming out,
you know, always let us know, oranything like that.
Or, and we'll make sure peopleknow how to get it, um, because
I think it's I just think it'san important read and I think
(37:46):
everyone needs to read it.
So thank you so much for beinghere today.
Thank you, you have a great day.
Thanks, all right, bye.
Hi, this is Demetria Clark from Heart of Herbs Herbal
School and the Heart of HerbsHerbal School podcast.
I know it's a mouthful.
And today we are here withMargie Flint, who I have admired
probably since the first time Itook a class with you I think
it was like in 2002.
So very long time ago Well, no,it wasn't that long ago, just
(00:25):
the other day.
And one of the things that Ihave always really admired about
Margie and her work is thatit's very unique, it's
individual, but I also feel likeit's really really practical.
Practical.
(00:47):
And the work that she does withreading the body and connecting
individuals in their healthprocess and their health path
with herbalism, I think isreally just super important.
So I would love to ask you tojust take this opportunity
really quickly to just let usknow how, how did you get
started working as an herbalist,then in practice practicing
(01:09):
herbalist and then eventuallygetting into the, into the book,
because I really want to shareabout the book with everyone how
did I get into it?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
well, like most of us , I began by getting sick, and I
didn't.
I didn't really like theoptions that were offered to me,
which were basically impendingdeath.
So I thought I didn't like thatat all.
So I began a quest, and theshort version of that story is I
(01:43):
was diagnosed with having atumor in my pituitary gland and
was told I had a year and a halfto live.
I was 24.
Wow, no, I couldn't spinning,and I got into the back of the
(02:09):
cab and was driven down StarDrive to my apartment where I
lived with my first husband, whowas, let's say, um, unkind.
So I called my parents andasked if I could come home and
they said, yes, of course, we'llmake your favorite meal.
Not the reaction I wasexpecting.
And so what I did was Ibasically changed my life
(02:31):
entirely.
I, um went back to school.
I was studying in framingham,massachusetts, and there was an
herb herb conference locally.
That was right there and I wasgoing out with a really handsome
guy from a natural food store.
So I heard about the conference.
(02:53):
It sounded interesting and itwas the first Gaia Herb
Symposium.
Wow, for real.
Yeah, wow, a little 4-H campand there were 65 people,
including all the chefs and allthe teachers, and when I got
(03:15):
there it was like coming home.
And when the conference wasover you know everyone's holding
hands and singing and Ibasically began sobbing because
I didn't want to leave.
Oh wow, I had found my place.
And who were my teachers?
(03:36):
So my first teachers at thatconference that I connected with
were Rosemary Gladstar andDavid Winston.
Oh, two of my favorites Twoincredible teachers with very
different viewpoints on how tobe and how to do, and beautiful,
both of them in their veryunique ways.
(03:57):
So I just began studying andreally that's the way I pursued
study from then on.
I basically got a new teacherabout every four years.
I would learn and learn andlearn, and, you know, hire them
to come and teach at my diningroom table or go to conferences,
(04:20):
whatever it took, and, you know, sit at the knee of the teacher
and then, teacher by teacher byteacher, I would, I would add,
accumulate knowledge and thenfrom that foundation of teachers
, you know the parts thatresonated with me became who I
(04:41):
was as a practitioner.
So you know, I would say I'm anintegrated practitioner.
You know I do a little Ayurveda, a little Chinese, a little
Huna, a little that, and youknow I'm eclectic I love that.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I'm like.
I always like joke that I'mlike the world's unsexiest
herbalist because I'm sopractical.
I'm like.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
You know, there's all these people like oh, you don't
think practical is sexy?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
well, no, to me it's wicked, sexy, right.
Like to me it's like I'm themode, I'm just like so, so
practical and stuff.
And so when you were talkingabout David Winston and Rosemary
Gladstar, they're both really,really different but they're
both super practical too, Likeuse what works.
Come on, man, you know, youknow.
So I've always like admiredthat about them and about you
(05:42):
and your work, because I just, Imean, you know, I just I like
things to make sense without toomuch thought, I just know.
So sometimes I'm like, oh, youknow, I'll just be like, oh, I
don't really know, like aboutthat.
And then I go and look and I'mlike, oh, of course that makes
(06:02):
sense, that it would work,because this isn't that.
And then it makes sense to me.
But I love the fact that you aretalking about studying from a
variety of teachers and I thinkthat's important.
I think that's one of the mostimportant things, which is, you
know people always think isfunny, because I've run an herb
school since 1998.
(06:23):
But I also always tell mystudents hey, you need to, you
know, study.
I am not the only person.
You should not want that at all.
Like no, you need a milliondifferent things.
So I love that you that youtalk about incorporating all
different kinds of modalitiesand thought processes and
(06:45):
systems into your healing focus.
I think that's really beautifuland I don't think we could say
that enough.
I think that it's interestingthat people always feel like
they need to be the expert ofeverything, and I'd rather be
the expert of none, and so I'mgoing to assume that when you
(07:07):
learned all these different waysof working, that you infuse
that into your clinical practiceworking with clients.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, I mean my clinical practice, really that
you know, rosemary, of course,david are my first teacher, so
they're always going to be apart of me and not apart from me
.
Oh, I love that.
And you know, matthew wood andwilliam lasasie were the next
(07:40):
major influence, and I I don'twant to leave anyone out I had
many, many wonderful teachers.
You know Cascade AndersonGeller oh, she was lovely.
It just goes on and on.
But William, when I studiedwith William, it was as though
(08:03):
the knowledge came in through afunnel on the top of my head and
stuck there.
Oh, I love that.
And you know, I had been exposedto his teachings prior to
meeting him, and then I decidedI would bring him here to have
him teach for me.
(08:24):
He had been off the grid forabout 10 years.
He was a very eccentric man andlived to excess, as many
herbalists do, and so I thought,well, I'll bribe him, I'll have
him come and teach and I'lljust hand all the money to him
(08:46):
after expenses.
And when he received his check,he looked at it and he just
said what this is so much money?
(09:07):
I said I want you to teach.
And he was like you have beenmissed by so many people.
All these years you haven'tbeen teaching.
So I had him come and teachthree times before he died.
Oh, wow, and I didn't know hewas sick.
It's so funny he was teachingdiagnosis.
(09:27):
Did I see his sickness?
No, when we look at ourteachers, they're on.
You know this magical realm ofyou know.
Oh, they're so perfect andwonderful.
No, we're not.
You know, all of us have ourstuff.
Yeah, he was.
He had um hepatitis c, oh, wow,okay, yeah, he missed a liver
(09:49):
transplant by one day, wow anduh.
But I had him come and teach.
I had really horrible.
I hired somebody to shoot videoand they did, but they were so
into the class the camera justdidn't move oh my goodness oh my
really, oh my god oh mygoodness, I love that it's.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That would be something I would do his, uh,
his work really is.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
You know I have rosemary and and David and so
many other Kate, gilday and many, many other teachers, but
William's teaching was wonderful, the magic of my career, oh wow
I I did not practice alone, Ipracticed with the wisdom of my
(10:46):
teachers.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Yeah, I think that's true.
I think every herbalist needsto acknowledge that, even the
ones we don't like or even theones that we're like that
information coming.
We learn something so importantfrom that.
I think it's really cool thatyou, you know that you you
phrase it like that.
I'm gonna have to borrow thatyou're welcome to it, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And the other thing I really believe in is your
clients tend to say oh, youhealed, blah, blah, blah, and
it's like I didn't do.
You know, I'm like the crystalball, I have all the information
, I connect to you and I dobelieve that we, as humans,
connect spiritually with eachother.
(11:30):
We're not disconnected fromeach other and they're the ones
putting the herbs in their mouthand taking them, and you know,
making their teas and takingtheir tinctures and, better
still, making their own medicine, which is what I really believe
in.
But I don't want credit forwhat I did not do.
(11:55):
I shared information, yeah, andI was good at sharing.
Did not do I shared information, yeah, and I was good at
sharing.
And I think part of being a goodpractitioner is understanding
how to listen, and for that Ihonor karen sanders and sarah uh
for their teachings at bluewater school.
I'm not sure they're teachinganymore, anyway.
(12:17):
Uh, I'm not sure they'reteaching anymore.
Anyway, they did a lot of workteaching us how to have healthy
boundaries, how to sit and beempty and listen to somebody as
they tell their story.
You know, in the old days, whenI was a young herbalist, if
somebody started crying, I'dscoop them up in my lap.
(12:38):
You know, my nickname hasalways been Earth Mama.
It's like oh, you know, now Idon't do that.
You let people have theirfeeling.
If you cross that boundary,they aren't able to do their own
growth and their ownrealization.
(12:59):
Absolutely, I agree with thatand it's such a valuable lesson
and so many people feel like, oh, but I'm, you know, I'm
empathetic and I, you know, Iwant to be loving and kind.
Well, I am loving and kind, butthey're their tears.
They have to have their ownheart revelations and understand
(13:20):
where things build up in theirbody.
One of the other great teachersI had was actually a medical
doctor.
He was the first integrativemedicine guy in our neighborhood
and alex angelo, and he taughtme how to use the timeline.
(13:41):
Do you use a timeline?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I don't know if you define it the same way, so let
me.
What are you?
Why don't you let me in on whatyou're thinking, okay?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
all right, it's only it's like after the consultation
, it's the only paper I everlook at, okay, so, single piece
of paper line down the middle.
Some people use computers butI'm not that typey um and I'll
have you know.
If they're 50, I'll have 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 on one side of the
(14:15):
line and then the year thatcorresponds opposite, like if
they're born in 1950, it wouldbe 10 years old, 1960, because
people remember things indifferent ways.
Yeah, they might remember anevent when they were 10 or with
when it was the year, and thatway you don't have to keep doing
(14:38):
math in your head.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Herbalists, I think, are kind of notoriously not
great at math yeah, my familyjokes I can only do math if
there's a dollar sign in frontof it I said inspiration, so the
timeline.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I put everything on there, like what was your birth
like?
Okay, what were the firstthoughts your parents said to
you?
I wish I had a boy, you know,whatever it is, oh my God, that
really impacted me all my lifewhen you lived, what the
(15:16):
atmosphere at home was, all thedrama and trauma acts car
accidents, falling out of trees,deaths, divorces, births,
miscarriages, abortions all ofthat is what I consider to be
(15:36):
the pertinent information.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Oh wow yeah, I do something that's more like a
kind of like a I don't know likea mind map, almost like it's
similar, but it's like what wasyou know what was going on in
your life at this time period,or you know similar kind of
basically the same kind of thing, but a different kind of name
and and my stuff is always um, Ialways like, I doodle and
(16:05):
everything is like round and youknow, and stuff like that, and
I'll have like littleillustrations of my thoughts.
Well, I don't know I'm a goodone, but I definitely.
I like the way that you do thatthough, because a linear, I do
like linear approaches and listand stuff like that on the other
side.
So I think that's really cooland I love the way you describe
(16:27):
that.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
On the round theme, now that I've been distracted,
one of David's, one of thethings I learned from him that
I've never, ever forgotten isthere is no comma between body,
mind, spirit.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Oh, I think I remember him saying something
about that.
Yeah, yeah, yes, well, I meanit's kind of true, right, I mean
this whole everything isseparate, I think is what really
keeps us stumbling in a lot ofways.
Absolutely you know, especiallywith little.
You know.
If we could start little kidsthinking you know from the
(17:07):
beginning you're whole and thisis, you know different ways we
do things, I think that would bereally helpful because by the
time you're grown up, same theme.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Words are powerful.
Yes, exactly.
I remember when my daughter wasabout nine she had two little
friends over standing around theisland chit-chatting and I was
in the other room and I heardthem talking about another
little girl, not very nicely,and I went into the room and I
said, okay, I'm just going torepeat what I just heard, but I
(17:43):
want you to imagine that thesewords are about you.
And I repeated it a little bitof it, and I said, ok, is this
the way you want people to talkabout you and do you want to be
thought of as somebody who talksthis way?
And I just walked out of theroom.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
That's heavy that's a mom moment, right.
Like anybody who's a mama knowsthat kind of moment, right?
Oh, wow, yeah, we do we forgethow important language is?
I think nowadays we're.
So I what was it I was sayingthe other day?
It feels like we are so fast toshow our anger and our angst
(18:27):
and to let the whole world knowthat we have it, that instead of
just like holding back andletting the situation finish
before we go on our rampage.
And I think we do that with ourbodies too, because I feel like
sometimes there's an all or onesolution, there's everyone is
out there being like do this andeverything's going to be fine.
And, as your book has displayedover the years that it's more
(18:52):
than that.
So can you tell us about yourvery, very beautiful manual on
being a practicing herbalist?
Because that book that I meanseriously that book is like how
many pages is it now?
I think it's looks like whatfive 550.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
And then it goes on the index, lots of pages.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
That is, this book has so much information.
So what is the exact title, soeveryone can get their hands on
it?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
The Preclin Herbalist .
All right, this is the fourthedition and you can get it on my
website.
I don't know if you put that up.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, yeah I will, but let's say it out loud so
it'll be in the transcriptsEarth.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Song Herbals and you can buy it on the website, and
you know some people like tohave it inscribed.
If you're in virginia, I willbe there, but, um, if you want
it inscribed, you have to orderit through me personally and
then that's margie flint 117, mylucky, at gmailcom.
(20:08):
Okay, cool, and that way I'llinscribe it and ship it to you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Oh, awesome.
And we like to encourage all ofour listeners to go directly to
the source when orderingsomething, because that is how
you know exactly where it'scoming from.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Except in Europe.
I don't really have anotherdealer.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Yeah, I just chose not to do that Because I, like I
, wanted to make all the moneymyself.
Yeah, I don't blame you.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Oh, look at that.
I love that.
It's so well illustrated.
I just remember the first timeI got it I think it was from you
at like a conference orsomething, and I just remember
just sitting and just goingthrough I was like this is
invaluable and that's why it'son our book list as suggested
(20:55):
books for our clinical students,because there's just so much
information.
What inspired you to put thisall together?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Oh, what a perfect segue, my lover at the time,
young bill, um.
He said, um, I was working onthe book, it took nine years to
write it, wow.
And he said well, you shouldbegin it with your own story of
how you became an herbalist andthat way people will understand
(21:25):
that no matter who they are,they can be an herbalist.
You know, there isn't any oneright background to be an
herbalist.
You can have many backgrounds,which I thought was really funny
, um, and it is a great part ofthe book.
You know it's quite blatantlyhonest about.
(21:47):
You know who I am and you knowmarriages and all that.
You know I'm not great ateverything.
It's so human.
So anyway, there's that.
But I wanted to teach peoplehow to set up a practice,
because when I was young wedidn't have like business
(22:08):
courses for herbalists.
And you know how to set upQuickBooks and how to use a
computer, for goodness sake.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I mean, oh no, I know , my first website I had to do
myself.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah, I mean, I used to do all my accounting on a
ledger the old fashioned way,and I had to learn how to use a
computer and do all that stuff.
And you know people laugh andsay, oh my God, you're 74.
You're better at the computerthan I am and I'm like, right on
, it's a necessary part of yourpractice.
(22:44):
It is, you know, and inventoryand all that sort of thing.
So the book covers verypractical concepts of how to run
a small business, how to do anintake, why you ask the
questions you ask and what arethe 10 questions that might
(23:05):
follow the answer to thatquestion, little vignettes of
stories, of client stuff, um, inbetween.
So we have the intake and thenwe I have.
You know, every practice hascertain issues that come up
again and again.
So my practice was heavilycancer ridden.
(23:27):
Oh, okay, yeah, so I had a loton cancer and I had my revered
teachers David Winston and WendyFogg.
Oh no, she was in the Lymechapter.
So Lyme cancer, autoimmunedisease, you know, sort of the
(23:48):
things that were most common inmy practice.
I would write about.
And in this edition I have alittle bit of mummy pride with
my son.
Gabriel is a really fabulouschef and restaurant owner in
Hawaii and he asked me if Iwould come and teach him how to
(24:09):
make bitters.
So I had a great time makingbitters and at the end I said
okay, so we'll shake them andpray.
We'll put them on a shelf fortwo weeks.
He goes no, mom, they'll bedone in four hours.
I said what?
So?
This is a sous vide.
You can have your tincturesdone in four hours.
(24:30):
You can spend your time prayingfor those four hours if you
want, but the taste will be muchmore true to the plant.
And I was like, holy moly, youknow from my baby.
It's so cool boy, my little 42year old baby.
I love that.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I love that we, I love the, that herbalism is one
of those professions thatrequires you to keep learning
and to be flexible, becausetechnology changes and if you
don't stay with the technologyon some level, you could be
missing out on something reallyfabulous.
Like I really resisted all ofthe infusion machines, like the
magic butter and all that.
(25:09):
I was like, oh, I'm not gonna,not gonna really do that, that's
not, that's not my thing.
And then I was like, well, mystudents are wanting to know
more about it.
I need to learn more about itand even though it's still not
my favorite thing, it's a goodthing that I know how to use it
and I know what it does and howit works and all that kind of
stuff.
So I think it's cool thatyou're you're getting to learn
(25:30):
and experience this growth withyour son, which I think is
really beautiful.
I can't wait for my boys tohave a question.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
When you have students, you will learn from
your students too.
Oh, absolutely, Absolutely, Imean.
I hope so.
I don't ever want to think Iknow everything.
The more I know, the more Ifeel like, oh my God, I have so
much to learn.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
I always tell my students that I think that with
wellness, the wellness industryright, it's very easy for the
disciple mentality to you knowpresent itself and that teachers
can fall into that trap oh yeah, you've got to be really
careful that you don't takeadvantage of that relationship
(26:17):
with your clients who are likeyou helped me have a baby?
No, I didn't help you have ababy.
I suggested some herbs.
You ended up getting pregnant.
We're working together, butthat baby's not mine.
I have no responsibility forthat.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
I do think I had baby magic and I might actually
believe that if I rub againstsomeone they'll get pregnant.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I love that well when you were talking about coming
into contact with differentthings I just like.
For about five years I feltlike almost every single person
that came into my practice wastrying to get pregnant and I was
just like always that way.
And you know, and then it wouldbe something else, so autoimmune
(27:00):
disorders or skin issue andyou're just kind of like and I
tell students that's normal.
Yeah, you know, like I alsotrain birth workers and I'm like
, look, just because you havethree C-sections in a row, or
three this in a row doesn't meanthis is all you're ever going
to see.
Life just happens sometimeslike that.
And so I love that you touchedon that, because it is true in
(27:21):
herbal practice that sometimesyou become the person known for
whatever for a little while.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
And you're like I didn't ask for this, yep, but it
is.
I really think it is the, theuniverse, you know, the, the
intelligence of all that givesyou those cases again and again
and again, so that you getreally good at it yeah, that's a
nice way to put it, that that'sa really beautiful way to put
(27:48):
it.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I feel like I feel like the industry is one that is
so complex and gorgeous andinteresting and I really want to
keep looking at it that way,instead of everything being
(28:10):
distilled down to one or twothings you know, like you can
only use this herb for this andI'm like no, okay let's break
that mentality here.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Years and years ago, Brooke Medicine Eagle said be
careful, the planet is changingand when the planet changes, the
uses of the plants change.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Oh yeah, of course.
What a beautiful statement, butthat makes so much sense.
Yes, stay awake, because I mean, even flowers will do things in
that season to attract whatthey need just for that moment
right, things in that season toattract what they need just for
that moment, right.
So why wouldn't plant kingdomsalso?
You know, change and evolvelike we do as human beings.
(28:56):
Very cool statement.
So you're teaching in westvirginia, correct?
And where else are you going tobe this year?
People want to check you out.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I'll be teaching in Arkansas Boy, I would have to
look on my own website to tellyou where.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
But it's all there, all the info is there, it's all
on my website, okay, cool.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
And then I have the legacy training course.
So I'm trying to train, I amtraining teachers.
I have been for years now tocarry on the tradition of the
LaSassier diagnostics the face,tongue and nail diagnostics that
William teaches, which is thefoundation of the book as well,
(29:42):
because I've had enough neardeath experiences in the last
few years to realize I betterget this done.
Oh, yeah, right, I'm teachingevery other month here in my own
home and I have five bedrooms.
So there's, you know,possibilities for people to stay
here and training them to beteachers.
(30:04):
And I would, you know, in anideal world world, have them
kind of splattered across theuniverse so that there's
somebody in Canada and somebodyin each country and each state
that can teach it, you know.
And and then you know, ifanyone's interested in that,
they can write to me and I'llsend them all the requirements
(30:27):
and what you get at the end andwhat you have to do to get there
.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
All right, that's awesome, that's really awesome.
I think that it's cool that youare thinking about things in
reference to forever change,which I think training people to
do that kind of work is foreverchange, because then they can
train people and and it'ssomething that obviously we've
lost in our modern world, butwe're getting diagnostics in
(30:57):
this book.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Have no time.
Yeah, you know it is, it's true.
They're beautiful, it's goodforever and it's so well it's I,
it's so well illustrated andit's so matt wood and I detailed
, oh awesome well it, matthewwood and I met in various coffee
shops across the country andwe'd sit and I'd say, well, I
(31:23):
think the lips go this way.
Oh, I think they're.
Oh, yeah, I know it goes thisway.
And we work it out until we hadit perfect.
And I think line drawings areso much easier to interpret.
When you see pictures, I don'tknow, it's harder to really say
this is what we're looking for,but with a line drawing it's
(31:44):
really simple I think that's,and I also think line drawings
lend itself to.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
You know more than one skin tone, so a lot of
dermatology textbooks are only.
Caucasian skin and it's likehang on a sec.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
There is a fabulous book out.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yes, I have it, the one with the dermatology?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yes, shoot, I can't remember the name of it, but I
think you were just saying it.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
uh, no, uh, shoot.
I can't remember the name of it, but I think you were just
saying it.
That's the dermatology textbook.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
That's okay, this one , you know.
I always said I should writeone for people with dark skin.
I don't have to, it's alreadybeen written.
Oh, that's awesome, oh awesomebook?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah Well, cause it's always have to get that awesome
book?
Yeah well, because it's.
It is so different and we needto acknowledge that and help
people in some ways.
Yes, yes, well, but the wayrashes and stuff present can be
different.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That's awesome I mean he, this book is in sex
positions.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Hello, hello who knew we were gonna to take a turn?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
This is.
I just can't tell you what awonderful book this is.
So I don't need to write one ondark skin people because I
really don't have the experience.
I live in pasty white land.
Yeah, I've had dark skinclients, but it's you know,
melanin, the tone of skin, theeverything can be a little
(33:10):
different.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
The basic lines are the same though.
Yeah, well, that's what I was.
That's that's what I was about,what you were saying, because
it's true.
I mean I'm very fortunate.
I've lived in the South for along time, so I've worked with,
with clients from all over thespectrum of being as pink as me
to being very, very dark, andthere is a difference, and
sometimes just having the linedrawing can really make things
easier.
(33:36):
Or you can say to your clientdo you identify with something
that you see?
And you can show them imageryand they can say, yes, this is
what this feels like to me and Ilove that.
And I love that your books areaccessible and easy to use and
so detailed.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Well, I think between these two you got it all.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Well, I will not disagree with you on that.
So, how do you feel about thefuture of herbalism?
And then I will, probably.
We're getting close to the endof our time.
I know you have an appointment,so but um, uh, how do you feel
about the future of herbalism?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
I well.
Herbs are our ancestors.
No matter what we do as humans,the herbs will survive.
No matter what we do as humans,the herbs will survive.
Herbalism I have great faith in.
I believe, first of all, thatthis is the most exciting job.
(34:43):
You will never be bored.
You will never be bored.
Every day is a new adventure.
Practical skills will help yousurvive it and actually make
money.
But the future of herbalism, Iam not concerned about myself.
I mean I I stopped seeingclients and I still get calls
(35:09):
every day of somebody wanting tosee me.
It's very hard to say no, but Ireally want to have trained.
You know, there are plenty ofyoung herbalists who can
certainly handle the new clients.
And as my daughter Sarah, who'sso wise said mom, you learned
(35:30):
how to resolve issues aroundcancer because you saw one
client at a time.
Your herbalists will also learnthe same way.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
You have some very wise children over there.
I'm telling you yeah, I have.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Yeah, I do.
I'm very grateful for my kids.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
That's very awesome.
That's definitely, I think,good advice.
Sometimes one at a time, onestep at a time, one person at a
time, one song at a time.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Do you know who Tori Hudson is?
The name sounds she's anaturopath in the West Coast and
years ago she was at theWomen's Herbal.
So she's a lesbian.
She had on Rosemary Gladstar'svery foofy, wafty dress which in
itself was hysterical and shegot up there and she said
(36:27):
naturopathy is a new medicine.
When people call and they sayhave you treated Hashimoto's?
And you've only seen one client, you can say, in my experience,
blah, blah, blah, you've seentwo.
You can say time, blah, you'veseen two.
(36:50):
You can say time after time.
Of course I would just say Ihaven't seen anyone.
But I'm willing to try.
I'll do the research before youcome and I'll do the best I can
.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
I love that.
I love that.
Oh, that's wonderful, that'sabsolutely wonderful.
So I wanted to say thank youfor spending time with us today.
I really appreciate it.
I was a little nervous becauseI was just so excited, so
hopefully I wasn't too rude anddidn't talk over you too much.
I've just really enjoyed this.
(37:23):
So thank you so much for takingtime out of your day to be with
us today and, um, I'd love tocheck in with you sometime, or,
or, um, if you have a newedition of the book coming out,
you know, always let us know, oranything like that.
Or, and we'll make sure peopleknow how to get it, um, because
I think it's I just think it'san important read and I think
(37:46):
everyone needs to read it.
So thank you so much for beinghere today.
Thank you, you have a great day.
Thanks, all right, bye.
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