This is an invitation to cut through the fluff and dive deeply into THE ART OF “SIMPLING” — A TRADITIONAL PRACTICE THAT HELPS YOU GET TO KNOW ONE HERB SO WELL, YOU CAN TOSS YOUR REFERENCE BOOKS OUT THE WINDOW.
The Art of SIMPLING
DEVELOP YOUR HERBAL INTUITION
ONE DAY (AND PLANT!) AT A TIME
Simpling is a form of traditional herbal study that is often skipped over in formal herbal programs. It is a tried-and-true method for developing deep relationships with plants, and the more you repeat it…
… the more quickly the puzzle pieces of herbalism will start fitting together.
Your
Guide
Hi, friend — I'm Meagan!
When I first began to study herbs, I tried to cram as much information into my head as possible:
As you can guess, that didn’t work too well. I continually found myself forgetting things and having to return to herbal books and online searches, again and again — relying on these resources instead of my own intuition and knowledge. Sound familiar?
in my hustle to learn it all, I neglected the foundational piece of the herbalism puzzle —
the plants!
Memorizing the best herbs for common conditions will only take you so far. The secret sauce of learning to use herbs is to spend time with individual plants, work with them one-on-one, and let them teach you their secrets. Then the puzzle pieces will start to fit together, your other herbal studies will begin to make more sense, and you won’t feel quite as overwhelmed.
WHAT TO EXPECT from
the art of simpling
In-depth lessons delivered to your inbox five days a week. Complete lessons each day or save them up for a weekend study session!
Hands-on herbal activities and exercises to bring your lessons to life, including written and video instruction for making a variety of herbal preparations.
Journaling and engagement prompts to help you dig deeper into each lesson and intuitively connect with the plant of your choice.
Step-by-step instructions for how to create your own herbal monograph to refer to whenever needed. Start building your herbal materia medica right away!
Interviews with well-known herbalists about the importance of simpling and how studying one herb at a time has grown their own herbal practice and intuition, including Rosemary Gladstar, Phyllis D. Light, Rosalee de la Forêt, and Kiva Rose Hardin.
Priority email access throughout the entire course so you can ask me questions, share answers to your journaling or engagement prompt, and get direct feedback from me right away, which means space is limited to only 30 students per session.
A beautifully designed PDF download (and a printer-friendly version) of the entire course to keep forever, so you can repeat this process again and again.
Access to FREE digital bonus materials that will help you on your simpling journey!
After registration, you'll have a week to gather your supplies followed by 3 weeks of lessons. Then we'll have a gap week with no lessons. Take a break or use the time to catch up on your studies if you're a bit behind. Finally, you'll have 3 more weeks of lessons, and that's a wrap!
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS COURSE
Building Your Herbal Foundation
Lay the bricks for a solid and long-lasting herbal foundation. You’ll choose the one special herb that you’ll be working with throughout the course, and we’ll set you up for success by sharing safety notes, recommended supplies, and more.
Getting Messy in the Kitchen
Dive into lessons accompanied by daily, hands-on exercises. Pour yourself a steaming mug of tea, enjoy the written lesson waiting in your inbox, and then be prepared to move on to your kitchen or apothecary to start whipping up some herbal magic. You'll even find an exclusive interview with herbalist and best-selling author Rosalee de la Forêt.
Treasures Found in Water
Move on to one of my favorite and most approachable herbal preparations - tea! We’ll also discuss herbal actions and energetics and how they apply to various water-based preparations.
Getting to The Sweet Stuff
Wrap up water-based preparations and move on to the sweeter side, using honey and sugar to create syrups, electuaries, and pastilles. Then hear from fourth-generation herbalist, Appalachian healer, and author Phyllis D. Light.
Putting It All Together
Strain and bottle the herbal oils and tinctures you made earlier in the month. We will also expand our herbal monographs, learn how to carry our herbal practice into the future, and hear exclusive advice about herbal intuition and simpling from the “godmother of American herbalism,” Rosemary Gladstar. (Yes, THE Rosemary Gladstar!)
Wrapping Up
Finish your herbal monograph and discuss ways to apply what you’ve learned to future experiences. We'll also hear from folklorist, author, and herbalist Kiva Rose Hardin of Plant Healer magazine.
BY THE END OF THIS COURSE
You will have thoroughly studied one single plant, created an herbal monograph to use for future reference, made and used a variety of herbal preparations with your plant to get to know it better, learned how to use your plant in different situations, and ultimately…
… further developed your herbal intuition, which will call this plant back to you time and time again over the years to come
— no books or online searches needed!
only $87
Who This Course Is For
BEGINNER HERBALISTS
If you’ve never used herbs, are scared of side effects, or can barely make a cup of tea using a prepackaged tea bag, this course is for you. You will find plenty of safety information along with a list of herbs that are generally safe for persons of all ages (including those who are pregnant or nursing, those taking medications, and those with previous health conditions). I’ll also show you how to test your herb for a potential allergy, and I’ll walk you through making each herbal preparation with detailed, step-by-step directions. Not only that, but you'll have direct email access to me throughout the entire course, so you can ask me questions any time.
DABBLING HERBALISTS
If you’ve used herbs here and there over the years and are familiar with making various herbal preparations but have never taken the time to get to know the herbs you’re using one-on-one, this course will help you structure a routine for your learning. Sometimes all you need is a guiding hand to walk with you before you feel ready to walk on your own.
EXPERIENCED HERBALISTS
If you’ve been using herbs regularly for years and have a good solid knowledge base to draw from, you will likely have a head start where creating monographs and making herbal preparations go. However, if you feel like you’ve yet to develop a relationship with the plants you’re using, this course can help you find your sweet spot between book knowledge and your own personal intuition. Not only that, but it can be nice to set aside all of the “right answers” for a while and simply let the plants teach us. Am I right?
register for the summer session now
This was just what I needed! I've been wanting to get to expand my knowledge and wisdom of herbs, and I feel this course did just that. I now have the tools to use with any herb I choose to study. This was an immense help!
PAT DEAN
The format of this course was perfect for me! I loved that the lessons came directly to my inbox each day, serving as a reminder that they were there. Each lesson was short enough to complete in a day, but I liked that I was also able to save the lessons and tackle them all over the weekend if I needed to. Another thing I really enjoyed was the various learning styles incorporated into this course, such as the text lesson itself, the writing exercises that made me think deeply, and the hands-on projects for personal experience. Thank you, Meagan, for creating a fun course that really took me back to a more traditional practice of herbalism. I really enjoyed it, and I can't wait to do it again with you next year!
MAGGIE WINSTON
I really enjoyed this course. It was organized and thoughtfully put together, and I feel that it really wove aspects of traditional and modern herbalism together so well. Thank you so much! I loved the bite-sized lessons, and the interviews with the herbalists was such a nice way to end each week. And wow—what a list of inspiring herbalists! I loved hearing their thoughts on studying herbs one at a time and developing one's herbal intuition. So good! I also enjoyed having access to you via email. Thanks again for sharing this information. I now feel like I have a good foundation for getting to know a new herb and developing a personal relationship with it.
SHARON H.
01
rosalee de la forêt
“Getting to know one plant at a time helps you to form a deeper relationship with that plant. It’s not unlike getting to know a person. With time you learn what they like, what they don’t like. How they thrive, what challenges they have. What their gifts are and how to play it safe.”
02
ROSEMARY GLADSTAR
“One will always develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with a plant if we approach them as individuals and get to know their qualities and many characteristics before mixing and blending it with other herbs.”
03
PHYLLIS LIGHT
“I was taught that it was better to know everything a few plants could do rather than knowing one thing a hundred plants could do. Simpling is about learning to use the plants around you in their fullest capacity."
register for only
$87
AND GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY
build your herbal practice on a solid foundation
I have created The Art of Simpling herbalism course to teach you the framework I have created to get to know one herb so well, you don't have to rely on someone else to tell you how to use it.
Not only will you learn my personal process and tips and tricks I've learned over the years, but you'll hear from seasoned herbalists about how the art of simpling has been a foundational part of their herbal journey.
Are you ready to experience how herbs work for yourself?
FAQ
WHEN CAN I GET STARTED?
Right away! Just check your inbox after registration to find a Welcome email with all the details you need to know before class starts. You'll also receive a list of supplies needed for the hands-on projects, and you'll have a week to gather these items before class starts the following Monday!
WHAT SUPPLIES WILL I NEED FOR THIS COURSE?
You will need an email address, a computer, tablet, or phone to read your lessons on, a printer to print worksheets and the final PDF, if desired, as well as a journal with a pen or pencil to create your monograph and take notes. You will need access to the herb that you choose to study (preferably in fresh and dried form), along with common kitchen supplies like jars, strainers, spoons, etc. (supply list here).
It will be helpful to have access to study aids, such as herbal books, an online herbarium, and/or Google.
HOW DOES THIS COURSE WORK?
You will receive a daily email lesson, Monday – Friday, for 3 weeks before we take a 1-week break. You can use this gap week to relax from your studies or catch up on lessons or exercise you're behind on. Then class will resume for another 3 weeks. Each email will contain a lesson, a project or exercise to complete, photos, and journaling prompts. On the last day of class, you will receive a beautifully designed PDF to download of the entire course so you can keep it forever — repeating it as often as you desire!
IS THERE A CLASS SCHEDULE? I'M A BIT STRAPPED FOR FREE TIME.
Nope! You set your own pace and schedule!
You can complete lessons each day they are received, or you can save all your lessons for the weekend. I recommend setting a daily alarm on your phone and setting aside 30 minutes each day to complete your lesson. You can also set a weekly alarm and scheduled 2-3 hours on a weekend to complete the week's lessons. With that said, don’t stress about falling behind. Take advantage of the gap week between week 3 + 4 to catch up, or simply do away with all scheduling and complete lessons when you find the time. All course material is yours for life, so feel free to make this work for YOU and your lifestyle.
I DON'T LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES. WILL THE HERBS COVERED IN THIS COURSE APPLY TO ME?
Absolutely! This course teaches the framework I use to get to know a single plant so well, you don't need to rely on reference books or online searches to know how to use it. The herb you choose to study is totally up to you. I recommend choosing an herb that is local and accessible to you.
THE PAYMENT IS IN US DOLLARS. DO YOU ACCEPT PAYMENTS IN OTHER CURRENCIES?
Yes! Your currency is automatically converted when you check out. If you would like to check the current exchange rate, this useful online currency converter is my favorite.
CAN I SHARE THE EMAIL LESSONS OR COURSE PDF WITH OTHERS?
Obviously, no! This course is copyrighted material and is only available to the person who purchased it. I’ve worked hard to create this course, and you paid good money to have access to it, so please, make sure that you respect my copyright. With that said, if I see emails being forwarded, I will remove you from the course immediately without a refund. Thanks for understanding.
DO YOU OFFER REFUNDS?
Due to the digital nature of this course, refunds are not available once the registration period closes.
YOUR HERBAL TEACHER
Meagan Visser
Meagan Visser is a registered nurse turned herbalist who lives in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband and four sons. Herbalism has been the primary form of healthcare in her home for the last 16 years, and she teaches others how they can do the same on her website, Growing Up Herbal. She is also an herbal educator at the Herbal Academy and teaches local herbal workshops in her small town. You can further connect with her on her website or on Instagram @growingupherbal.