Basic Herbal Medicine Making

An Online Short Course for Aspiring Family Herbalists

This popular online course serves as an introduction to the fascinating art of making your own herbal remedies. It is intended for people who want to explore the possibilities of herbalism and of becoming the family herbalist.

This introductory short course is included in the 2019 Student Starter Bundle and it features a Certificate of Completion when you pass the Final online quiz.

Upon completion of the Basic Herbal Medicine Making Course you’ll be able to:

• Define the position of herbalism in the Biblical worldview that ‘God is the Ultimate Healer’.
• Explain how to use herbs safely.
• Set up your own basic apothecary (kitchen lab) with equipment and supplies found in most kitchens.
• Explain the Rules of Medicine Making.
• Use the traditional folk method to prepare a medicinal infusion, decoction and poultice.
• Start working on your own materia medica.
• Employ a therapeutic protocol for the common cold and flu.
• Obtain the Certificate of Completion if you pass the Final online quiz and meet the other requirements.

Time to Complete: It takes between 3 hours and 6 hours to complete the course. Depending on how many of the Dig Deeper activities you tackle.

Module 1: The Principles of Herbal Medicine Making

Lesson 1: The Battle for the Body
In this introductory lesson we attempt to explain: “How/where herbology fits into a Biblical worldview wherein God is the Ultimate Healer.”

Lesson 2: Types of Healing
“Healing” means to cure or make whole. Healing can include relief from spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, and demonic conditions. It is not immunity from sickness.

Lesson 3: How the “Green People” Came to Our Aid (a Cherokee Tale)
In the foreword to her wonderful little book “Herbal Medicine”, herbalist Vicky Pitman relates the beautiful story as told by the Cherokee of how the green people came to the aid of human beings.

Lesson 4: The Irony of the “No-Result” Result in Herbal Medicine
We are not accustomed to measure our success by what doesn’t happen. We want to see something take place, even if it means being very ill and getting heroically “cured” with a simple herbal remedy.

Lesson 5: How To Use Herbal Medicines Safely
It cannot be overemphasized enough that overall, herbs are safer than drugs, but they are potent medicine, and anyone who uses them should do so cautiously and responsibly. Fortunately you don’t need to be a master herbalist to use medicinal herbs safely. All you need is a little information and some common sense.

Lesson 6: Herbalism is NOT a Spectator Sport
The key to being a successful family herbalist is to be your own best testimonial. That is: be your own example of what herbs can do for people, and that means using herbs yourself.

Module 2: The Folk Method of Herbal Medicine Making

Lesson 7: Setting Up a Basic Herbal Apothecary (Kitchen Lab)
Here’s a detailed list of the basic equipment and supplies you need to start making your own herbal medicines.

Lesson 8: The 5 Rules of Herbal Medicine Making
The following rules of medicine making is accepted by almost everyone who works with plants and makes plant medicines.

Lesson 9: The Folk Method of Preparing an Infusion
Everyone is familiar with infusions. The traditional cup of herb tea is the archetypal infusion. In this lesson you’ll learn how to prepare a traditional folk infusion.

Lesson 10: The Folk Method of Preparing a Decoction
Pharmacopoeias once included extensive entries for decoctions. They eventually fell out of favor, as they were considered inconvenient. To the family herbalist, however, therapeutic benefit outweighs convenience!

Lesson 11: The Folk Method of Preparing a Poultice
Because they are so popular you are going to learn how to make:

1. The basic folk preparation of a poultice.
2. A Flaxseed poultice.
3. A Honey poultice and you’ll get a recipe for a first aid remedy to treat burns.
4. A Cayenne poultice.

Module 3: Materia Medica – The Materials of Medicine

Lesson 12: The Importance of Botanical Names
It is not necessary to know every botanical name you come across by heart. However you simply must know the botanical names of the herbs that you use.

Lesson 13: Start Working On Your Own Materia Medica
A materia medica, or the materials of medicine, is a vital part of any herbologists repertoire and in this lesson you will learn how to start working on your own.

Lesson 14: Spend Your Time Wisely When Building Your Materia Medica
One of the most comprehensible ways of coming to terms with the vast range of herbal remedies available is to focus your attention on learning their actions on the body. This lesson is a continuation of the previous one.

Module 4: The Common Cold – A Green Healers Perspective

In this module you’ll learn how a Green Healer approaches two of the most common disorders afflicting modern mankind. It’s also serves as a reference for your next battle with a cold or flu. But perhaps most importantly at the end of this module you’ll have a better understanding of the paradigm of the modern nature cure.