Cross-Cultural Herbalism: Understanding Europe’s Traditions Within Western Practice

Europe holds a mosaic of herbal traditions, some thriving under state recognition and licence, others quietly surviving in rural communities or struggling under restrictive legal frameworks. This class explores the diverse herbal practices across Europe, highlighting both the richness and the fragility of these traditions.

Drawing from ongoing research and Wylde, my podcast series on herbalism in Europe, we’ll look at how laws, culture, and language impact herbal practice and herbalists themselves, from medical herbalism in the UK to folk traditions in the Balkans. We’ll also discuss the very real threat of herbal wisdom disappearing in countries where legal constraints silence traditional herbalists and limit herbal education.

This class invites herbalists to explore how we can honor and integrate this diversity, work in solidarity across cultures, and help preserve traditional knowledge before it fades. Together we are stronger, can create bridges instead of borders in our herbal work and empower cross-cultural awareness to strengthen and expand our herbal wisdom.