Ep. 244: Dreaming, Herbalism, & Embodied Learning, with Kimberly Gallagher & Lauren Morgan

Today Isaac & AC welcome herbalists Kimberly Gallagher of LearningHerbs and Lauren Morgan of Herbs & Dreams to the show. Lauren recounts starting with a botanical medicine apprenticeship and now runs a community practice, circles, an apprenticeship, and the Herbs & Dreams podcast, weaving dreams into herbal work. Kimberly describes learning herbs alongside her late husband John through apprenticeships and family healing, then building LearningHerbs with remedy kits, Wildcraft, and Herb Fairies. They discuss Kimberly’s book The Aphrodisiac and a broadened view of aphrodisiacs (including nervines and nutritives like damiana, oats/oatstraw, rose, cacao, fenugreek), plus plant dreaming, dream incubation (including mugwort), nightmares, and notable plant dreams (marshmallow and hawthorn). They introduce their 7-week course Rhythms & Relationships (Rhythms and Relationships: A Feminine Way Into Herbalism), starting the last Saturday in September, with weekly modules and live sessions, and share how it was inspired by Lauren’s dreams.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

01:01 Plant Path Origins

03:16 Learning Herbs Journey

06:50 Herbal Sensuality Work

11:38 Rhythms Course Vision

16:20 Circles Moon Lodge Rites

18:31 Meeting During Covid

21:02 Dream Weaving Course Birth

25:32 Dreaming With Mugwort

31:16 Plant Dreams Marshmallow Hawthorn

36:47 The Generosity of Hawthorn

37:58 Dream Incubation Basics

38:43 Dream Rattle Ritual

41:47 Why Dreams Matter

43:45 Nightmares as Medicine

48:40 Scary Plant Dreams

52:22 Reciprocity With Plants

54:18 Embodied Learning Path

01:00:43 Course Logistics

01:05:15 Who This Course Serves

01:08:37 Links And Farewell