When embarking on your herbal journey, it can be confusing to think through all the different career pathways that may be available to you. Herbalism is a unique and special field and there are so many options open to us professionally.
This post is intended to serve as a guide to inspire you about the many different ways herbalists impact the world. But don’t let it limit your imagination, either. Many herbalists merge a variety of these paths into their own personalized career. There’s no cookie cutter way to be an herbalist, this is a field that allows for a great amount of creativity.
When reflecting on which of the pathways you may want to go down, take stock of what your skills are and what you enjoy doing. Are you more of a people person, or do you love to make potions in your kitchen? Does absorbing and dispersing information sound exciting to you, or would you prefer to work with folks to help them heal on an individual, clinical basis? Knowing your skills and passions can serve as a guiding force to help you find the perfect career path.
Another factor to consider is the importance of having entrepreneurial skills as an herbalist. While there are some pathways where you can find employment with your herbal skills, most herbalists end up running their own businesses. This can be a daunting task, which is why Artemisia Academy has a Holistic Entrepreneurship Program designed to help you sort out all the details that come with running your own business.
Herbal Pathways
Clinical Herbalist
One of the most popular and common professions for herbalists is to work clinically with clients to educate and coach them towards more healthful lifestyle practices and herbal supports. This can be done through running your own business, at an herbal clinic near you, or in partnership with local doctors or other healthcare providers.
As a clinical herbalist, it is vital to get a high level of training and to stay within your scope of practice to provide effective and ethical care for your clients.
Clinical herbalists take many pathways to gain their skills, such as:
Becoming a licensed acupuncturist (an approach that allows you to actually prescribe herbs, rather than simply recommend them)
Obtaining nutritional training
Studying clinical herbalism at an herb school
Gaining experience through volunteering/working at a free herbal clinic
And more!
Jiling Lin, one of Artemisia Academy's instructors, is also a local licensed acupuncturist and clinical herbalist located in Ventura, CA. Check out her website and this interview with her to learn more about how she utilizes her herbal training in her daily work. She’s also spoken with Artemisia Academy to provide 6 Learning Lessons for Clinical Herbalists.
Herbal Product Maker
Another popular way that herbalists work professionally is by making herbal products. This can include things such as teas, tinctures, skin care products and more. Artemisia Academy has beginning and advanced medicine making classes and there are many other great training programs to gain herbal product making skills, including the Herbaculture Internship Program through the Herb Pharm.
There are many Artemisia Academy grads who are now successful herbal product makers and small business owners including:
Maria with Blue Hour Goods
Lauren with Sea Soil Sky
Justine with Moon Magic Herbs
Herbal Educator
Participating in the dispersal of information is an excellent way to make herbalism more available to more people and help folks feel empowered to take charge of their own health. This could include starting an herb school in your local community, making podcasts, writing blog posts, articles, books and more.
Emily Watson, the Founder and Director of Artemisia Academy, is a great example of a local herbal educator bringing the power of herbs to more people. She realized that there was no herb school in her local Santa Barbara community, so she started one herself! Artemisia Academy has many online programs, making it easy and accessible for people all over the country (and world) to engage with her interactive, community-focused teaching style.
Herb Rally is a great example of an herbal podcaster who is promoting conversations and education through the work they do. And Alicia Heiser, one of Artemisia Academy's graduates and employees, merges herbalism, astrology and other modalities together in her podcast Conversations with the Planets.
Herb Shop Owner
Starting an herb shop can be a great way to make it easier for people to integrate herbs into their daily lives. You could sell bulk herbs, herbal products and more. Herb shops are also a great space for other local herbalists to sell their goods and even facilitate community events and educational opportunities.
Herb Farmer
Growing high-quality herbs is an amazing way to utilize your herbal skills and form a deeper connection with the herbs and earth. The Applegate Valley in southern Oregon is full of some amazing herb farms, including Oshala Farm, Pacific Botanicals and the Herb Pharm.
Closer to home here in California, Mary Andrews has her own farm in her backyard where she grows an abundance of herbs, foods, ornamental flowers and more. Mary is a talented and well-informed gardener with a degree in Horticulture. To follow along and see pictures of her beautiful farm, make sure to check her out on Instagram at @the.tree.planter.
If you want to learn from Mary's years of farming experience, she teaches a Holistic Gardening Class for Artemisia Academy. In this class, you learn the skills necessary to grow your own herbs, either for personal or commercial use. She has taken the time to chat with Emily and give some great pointers for being a holistic gardener.
Compliance and Administrative Support
This is a less common route that you may not have considered, but working behind-the-scenes to help other herbalists is a vital part of maintaining a healthy herbal community. This could include providing administrative support to other herbalists or even working to help the herbal community be compliant with laws and regulations. The better we manage our practices to be ethical and value-oriented, the stronger the herbal community is.
Up in Williams, Oregon, Alexis Durham is a talented herbalist and teacher who works as the Director of Education for the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). AHPA is a voice for herbal products makers that promotes “the responsible and sustainable commerce of herbal products to ensure that consumers have informed access to a wide variety of safe herbal goods.”
Researcher
There is a huge need for more safe and reliable information about the way herbs work, and participating in herbal research is a great way to build awareness around the many benefits that herbal medicine can provide.
Some companies that conduct herbal research include Herbalgram from the American Botanical Council and organizations that produce publications including United Plant Savers and the American Herbalists Guild.
Botanist
Being a plant nerd comes in many forms, and working as a botanist specializing in herbalism could be a great route. If you want to get started on your botanical journey, Artemisia Academy has a Botany for Herbalists class that you just might love. Botanical organizations vary by state and region and you can find one local to you through a simple Google search.
Herbal Astrologer
In addition to being an herbalist who has studied with Artemisia Academy and the Herb Pharm, I am also an astrologer and run my own herbal astrology business called Alicia Cielle. I give astrology readings, blend personalized herbal teas, have a podcast called Conversations with the Planets and write blog posts about herbs, planets and magic. You can find all my offerings and work by visiting my website www.aliciacielle.com.
There are infinite ways to show up as an herbalist in the world and it can be so fun to find your own path, get inspired and be creative.
I hope it's clear that there are a multiplicity of ways that herbalists can impact the community and get paid with their skills. This list is not definitive, there are so many ways to blend herbalism with your other skills and passions.
Ready for More?
Finding a unique way to bring your skills and pasisons to the world can be so empowering and Artemisia Academy is all about helping you find the ways that you can shine in your own way. If you're looking for more guidance on how to get started on your herbal journey, the Herbal Apprentice Program is a great place to start.
And if you're ready to kickstart your own small holistic business, join the waitlist NOW for the Holistic Entrepreneurship Program.
I've enrolled in both of these programs and they got me so excited about building a career in partnership with the plants. We'll also be putting together a blog post soon about the education and training you should consider getting in order to become a professional herbalist, so stay tuned for that!
About the Author
Alicia Cielle Heiser is an Astrologer, Herbalist and student at Artemisia Academy. Her work centers on facilitating a greater understanding of the cyclical nature of the world and the ways that we as humans fit within the greater whole. She is writing a series of materia medica blog posts for Artemisia to make the wisdom and knowledge of herbal medicine more available to more people. Alicia also has a podcast called Conversations with the Planets and she offers herbal astrology readings and crafts personalized herbal tea blends. You can find her at www.aliciacielle.com.
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