Michael Bruce

(Incense Optional) There’s a quiet assumption that tends to hover around herbalism. That it’s mainly for people who: Meditate daily Wake up slowly Have silent mornings Live, rather annoyingly, in a state of harmonious balance If that were true, most humans would be politely excluded. Because real life, unfortunately, looks rather different. Real Lives Are Loud Real lives include: Parents running on broken sleep People juggling deadlines Creatives burning candles at both ends Minds that don’t...

Most people imagine plant medicine as something distant. A different lifestyle. A niche interest. Something practiced by other people  in eccentric homes, with unusual amounts of shelves, too many jars, and something called a pestle and mortar. Ok that just described my home but here’s the quiet truth: You already use plant medicine. You just call it coffee. Tea. Chocolate. Spices. Skincare. A cup of chamomile before bed that Grandma brewed when tummies were unsettled.  This isn’t about...

When people hear herbal medicine , many quietly place it in a mental box marked: Alternative and slightly weird. Old-fashioned and unscientific. And something that requires some sort of wardrobe change. Often herbal medicine is placed next to all the other things they don’t intend to look into properly. (ouch! Bitter much? No...well maybe a little. Ok I'm a full on lemon juice shot with a sour chaser but condemnation without investigation is nature's own face-palm!!)  Personal irritations...