About Us

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As humans, our original partners in soul development were the plants.  Since the beginning, they have clothed, sheltered, fed, protected and healed us.  We once knew them deeply. We knew their habitat, their fragrance, their taste and yes, their medicine.

We used not only our thinking faculty to observe and collect data, but our feeling faculty to sense their essence and our willing faculty to engage in reciprocal relationship with them.  The plants are longing for us to rekindle these attributes of our human nature.

Know Thy Medicine is soul-centered plant herbalism.  It’s awakening to our innate human soul faculties through reciprocal relationship with these intelligent plant beings.

I remember the moment I realized the forest is not only alive, but it’s holding me, us.  I was hiking and I stopped for a moment and for just the blink of a moment I felt a pulse, some sort of energy of aliveness, connecting the entire forest.  I was a part of this energy, not separate.

It was like I was in a womb for a split second. This feeling never left me. This was when I awoke to the realization that Earth is truly, as they say, our Mother.

Family is everything to me. And Nature is part of that.

After spending a childhood on concrete and asphalt playgrounds, I found my home in the woods when my Dad and Stepmom moved to the Inland Empire, the Lands stewarded by the Ktunaxa, Séliš and Q'lispé people since time immemorial. 

Here I found healing, where the plant spirits reached out to me and we became fast friends.  At only 18 years old a mentor took me on a medicine walk and began pointing out the wild medicinal Plants all around us. It was this walk where I fell in love with St. John’s Wort.  You could say I have been in a relationship with St. John’s Wort for 29 years, and I still feel like we’re in our honeymoon phase!

I’ve been “Momma Sandi” since I was 19 years old when i was pregnant with my oldest daughter and immediately began drinking fresh red raspberry leaf and nettle tea.  From Momma Sandi’s first aid kits with arnica and plantain to “Momma Sandi’s” culinary wellness for these past 27 years. My kids lovingly call me a “witchy” Mom, always coming up with some concoction or other..

Today I find myself entering my crone era, grateful for the wisdom and the care of the plants who have been with me on this journey, humbled by their willingness to love and care for me, my family and our community.  It is this era in which I commit to shaping myself to be their conduit.

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Education

28 years as a Holistic Mom and Hearth Herbalist

1 1/2 years apprenticing with a nurse Midwife, attending countless pregnancies and 12 births

Ongoing studies through Xálish Earth Medicines

 Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association

Certified Herbalist through the Herbal Wisdom Institute

Functional Hormone Specialist through the International Association for Functional Hormones

Completion and attainment of Autoimmune Certified Coach 

Ongoing studies in medicine making practices using different traditions which consider the plant holistically (i.e. alchemy, folk, biodynamic, etc)

Ongoing studies through Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine

Currently enrolled in Alchemical Herbalism and Vitalist Herbal Pracitioner through the School of Evolutionary Herbalism

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While many call themselves “master herbalists” I am joyful when I say that I am far from this, because it means there is so much more for me to learn!

I have come to understand that it is the plants, not I, who are Masters in Human wellness.  

The Plants are ready and willing and waiting.