Our next book is The Language of Plants by Julia Graves
About: It is only in the age of technology that human beings have lost a sense of nature being alive. Throughout history, people spoke to nature, and nature communicated with them. During the Middle Ages, reading the “book of nature” was called the doctrine of signatures, which had always been an important part of interacting with nature for traditional healers and herbalists.
“As a child, I just knew which plant to pick up and hold to my head for a headache to go away. Once I heard about the concept of a ‘doctrine of signatures,’ I would just stand silently, in awe of nature talking to me, talking and talking in her silent, direct speech. The book of nature seemed so obviously spelled out, and in oddest contrast to what I learned in medical school. My professors seemed never to have heard of nature being vibrant and alive and brimming with patterns of energy that are right there for us to understand and use…. This direct and primordial experience of being part of nature’s omnipresent, cyclic course taught me more in the realm of no-words than any university ever could have.” ―Julia Graves
The Language of Plants covers all aspects of the doctrine of signatures in an easily accessible format, so that everyone, whether nature lovers or healers, can learn to read the language of plants in connection with healing.
About the Author
Julia Graves is a healer with a background in several modalities. Raised by an herbalist mother and orthopedic surgeon father, she also studied anthroposophic massage and healing as well as cupping in the European tradition as a teenager. She then spent four years studying medicine at Kiel university in her native Germany. Thereafter, Julia trained as a Gestalt psychotherapist. While working for Findhorn Flower Essences in their early days, she trained as a flower essence practitioner as well as a flower flower essence creator. Julia has since developed her own line of flower essences, the Lily Circle, as well as a kit of flower essences for Mayan Abdominal Massage. Her international teaching activities include co-teaching an herbal summer school with renowned Minnesotan herbalist Matthew Wood at her farm in France, as well as teaching at the International Herbal Symposium.
Date: Thursday, August 26
Time: 7-8:30pm
Upcoming Books and Dates:
The Language of Plants: A Guide to the Doctrine of Signatures by Julia Graves
- Part I August 19, 2021
- Part II September 30, 2021
Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings by Mary Siisip Geniusz
- November 4, 2021
The North Country Herbalist Guild Book Club is a way for people to share their joy for reading in a group form.
After reading the selected book, everyone can participate in a discussion, which is hosted by a volunteer.
If you have a suggestion for a book, let us know here.
Hi there! My name is Pam Broekemeier and I am a herbalist. I have been studying plants, herbs and weeds for about 10 years now. I started and own my herbal apothecary, called 
Laura Shaw Sanden
Carolyn Smith
Justine Kolb
Betsy Nelson – Food Stylist / Herbalist / Chef