Welcome To Soul Earthy!
You are here by no accident. My name is Phyllis and I am a Community Herbalist, specialized in women's wellness. I have had the pleasure of working with women who have uterine health issues such as endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome and infertility. I help women reconnect with their body and femininity by utilizing the spiritual and medicinal properties of herbs to address their physical symptoms.
I think it's important for people to know who they are supporting and learning from. I have decided to create an FAQ of the most common questions I have received as an herbalist.
Why did you decide to pursue herbalism?
I did not grow up aspiring to be an herbalist. I was more interested in climbing the corporate ladder and that I did for many years. I then started to become unfulfilled in my role. I got tired of taking my work home, tired of going to bed with my job on my mind. My work was consuming me. It was revealed to me in divination that I learn and study herbalism. Although during this time I had a cabinet full of herbs for my rituals and spiritual baths, I knew nothing about them medicinally.
So I brought some books and a few courses and started studying. I had no interest in learning about herbalism, as a matter of fact I was quite bored reading and watching my material. So I left herbalism alone for a while.
A year passed by and something sparked inside of me. I wish I could tell you what or explain how, but I can't. I picked up my herbalism books again and it's like I was reading it from different lenses, everything became very interesting and started to make sense. I was hungry to know more and that I did. I have been studying plants medicinally going on two years now. I am living proof that what is for you will find its way, even if you can't understand it.
What does Soul Earthy mean?
The name Soul Earthy is ancestral. I wish I could tell you I had a list of names written down to pick from, but I didn't. It just came to me one day. It was very random when it came, in fact I wasn't even thinking about my business when the name came to me.
My forefathers inspired the branding and name for my business. They were prominent business men, revolutionists, and jazzy men. The way they dressed and the music they listened to was just soulful. Soul Earthy is multidimensional, she is a woman wellness brand, but she has ancestral roots that are connected to everything soulful and earthy.
Why do you only work with women?
As a teenager, I suffered from severe premenstrual syndrome that impacted my life and health. I remember the days I would sit in class jerking at my desk because it felt like I was being stabbed in my uterus. I would get recurring uti’s. I did not take care of my health and it manifested in chaos wreaking havoc over my life in every aspect.
When I decided to take control of my health and heal my uterine issues holistically, I came across powerful woman who helped me address my womb sickness spiritually and physically. Now I teach women how to do the same.
How did you start your herbalism journey?
When I decided to get serious about herbalism, I was still working my corporate job. However, at that time I knew I wanted out. I had a very demanding job and while I didn’t have as much time to study I had the funds to invest in my education and so I did.
I was able to find some elders in the community that were offering courses. I purchased them and was able to learn so much. From there I decided to start working on myself. I knew I had issues with my womb, and so I started there. Once I realized the medicine I was making for myself worked, I started to make medicine for my family. Once it started working for them was when I realized I need to push my knowledge and medicine into the community. That's when I decided to transition to community herbalism.
I get this question a lot, especially on social media. My answer is this: If you have the money to invest in your herbalism education, consider joining a school. If you don't, self study and learn as much as you can. Some people feel discouraged by the self studying method and I'm here to say as herbalists we are forever students. Regardless of where you are on your journey you will be learning, sometimes the same concepts over and over again. You will never meet an herbalist who knows everything, and if you meet one who claims they do they are a liar. It's impossible to know everything. We have thousands of plants being discovered every year and so many new concepts being born. Even after death we will still be learning about plants because we will be experiencing them from a different lens. I hope that grounds you enough to continue self studying. Perfecting your craft may take time but that does not mean you have to wait to start. Share what you have learned along the way.
As you are studying, practice making your medicine and share it with your community and the world.