I’ve been emailing with Holly for years, but as much as we’ve interacted via email and recipe exchange, this was our first time face-to-face and it was great to finally get the chance to meet her! In this episode, Holly shares so much fascinating information about elderberry (one of my very favorite herbs!) - from folklore, to crafty uses for the twigs, to tips for harvesting the berries, and of course the many ways this amazing plant can be worked with medicinally!

Holly also shared her recipe for Bright Vinegar for Colds, which just looks so delicious and enticing! You’ll find a beautifully-illustrated recipe card for Holly’s recipe here: https://bit.ly/4gGhZar

When might you turn to elder leaves, flowers, and berries for your health?

► When you need a soothing remedy for angry emotions, angry fevers, or angry skin

► As a topical first aid ointment for burns

► To help shorten the duration of colds and flu (or prevent them from starting in the first place!)

► As delicious and nutrient-rich food and drink

In addition to discussing the many benefits of elderberry, Holly also shared some fantastic tips for learning about herbs, especially for the beginning herbalist - so if you’re new to herbalism you’ll want to be sure to give this episode a listen!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why it’s important to experience herbs hands-on and not just through book learning

► A fun tip for harvesting elderberries from high up in its branches

► How elderflowers can be worked with for emotional support

► Nine medicinal benefits of elder berries, flowers, and even leaves!

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, herbalist, entrepreneur and author Holly Bellebuono has spent 30 years teaching plant medicine and business courses for natural and organic product makers. She directs The Bellebuono School of Herbal Medicine and Selle Impact Consulting.

Holly lectures globally at conferences, retreats, and universities. Her documentary book Women Healers of the World: The Traditions, History & Geography of Herbal Medicine was named Book of the Year by The International Herb Association.

Holly’s seven nonfiction books have been published in three languages. Her 8th book will be released Spring 2025: Once Upon a Place: Forests, Caverns, and Other Places of Transformation in Myth, Fairy Tale, and Film.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

Are you interested in learning more about Holly’s herbal Tuscany retreat, which will be happening in May of 2025? You can find information about it on her website here - but if you want to join, don’t delay, as spots will fill up quickly!

Holly also has a new book, Once Upon a Place: Forests, Caverns & Other Places of Transformation in Myths, Fairy Tales & Film, coming out in March of 2025. You can pre-order her book here.

Access the transcript for this episode:

https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast156.html

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Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

The secret to using...

In place of a regular podcast this week, I’m offering an entire webinar all about working with herbs during the cold and flu season! In this webinar, we’ll look at five of my very favorite herbs to work with to help with common cold and flu symptoms, as well as to help prevent getting sick in the first place!

When you join the webinar, I’ll also share with you my ebook, 5 Herbs for the Cold and Flu Season, which contains seven recipes that you can use when managing your health during the cold and flu season! This webinar and ebook will only be available for the next few days, so be sure to sign up right away.

In addition to the webinar, I also have an exciting course starting this week - my new Herbal Energetics Course! This 10-month course will teach you how to use your senses to learn about herbs, so that you can confidently and effectively find the herbs that will work for YOU. In today’s episode, I’ll share details about the Herbal Energetics Course (which is now in its final days of enrollment!) and information about how you can learn more about the course.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► What you’ll learn in the 5 Herbs for the Cold and Flu Season webinar:

• A sweet herb: for building and nourishing your immune system to prevent illness!
• A sour herb: for stopping a virus from ever taking hold!
• A salty herb: for addressing sore throats and swollen lymph glands
• A pungent herb: for warming you up when you feel chilled with a fever
• A bitter herb: for cooling you down when you feel hot and restless with a fever

► Details about my new Herbal Energetics Course

► and so much more….

My free webinar, 5 Herbs for the Cold and Flu Season, is only available for the next few days! You can sign up for the webinar here.

If you want all the details about my new 10-month Herbal Energetics Course, including how to sign up for the course, click here. This is the very first time I’m offering this transformative new course, and the price is lower than it ever will be again! But don’t delay - the doors close September 28 at 5pm Pacific time, and won’t open again for a whole year!

Access the transcript for this episode:

https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast155.html

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Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at

When I first started studying herbs over two decades ago, I learned herbs (like many people do) by memorizing herbal actions, memorizing lists, and then throwing it all together. But I found that choosing herbs for people using these memorized lists didn’t always work, which was incredibly discouraging!

Luckily, I found out about herbal energetics, and that’s what I’ve based my herbal practices on ever since. However, I’ve noticed over the years that there are a lot of misconceptions about this helpful system of matching herbs to people! In this episode, I’ll share what people often get wrong about herbal energetics - and why it bothers me.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why herbal energetics is such a practical - not mystical! - system of matching herbs to people

► Why using herbal energetics can be more effective than the modern medicine approach (especially when dealing with chronic conditions!)

► How using your senses to understand an herb can give you a big-picture view of its phytochemistry

► Why learning herbal energetics together with herbal actions is such a powerful way of understanding plants

► and so much more….

If you’re interested in learning more about herbal energetics, you’ll love my free Herbal Energetics mini-course, which is happening now and for the next week only! This video training course will show you why herbal energetics is so important - especially when working with herbs for your health!

I’ll also be sharing an important safety guide for herbs as well as my Herbal Energetics Flavor Wheel.

You can join the mini Herbal Energetics Course here.

Access the transcript for this episode:

https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/herbal-energetics-misconceptions.html

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Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!

On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal...