A Master Herbalist? | The Foragers Path

The word Master often gets thrown around in regards to different occupations and skills.

Master carpenter, chef, teacher, herbalist, etc.

Everyone want this title but few have earned it.
It is usually applied more for ego or marketing rather than actual skills and experience.
It’s an issue in the herb community where there are no official titles so folks can call themselves whatever they want.

I have thought about what it truly means to be a Master.

For me, it is someone who can sit down and, in their field of expertise, begin talking, rambling, storytelling, waxing nostalgic, doing a demo, creating something, doing whatever on the spur of the moment and whatever it is that they talk about has educational value, is relevant to the listeners and is often entertaining and their words contain gems of wisdom.

No notes, practice or powerpoint needed.

In reality, there are few people who truly qualify in their fields.

In the US herb community, Rosemary Gladstar and Paul Bergner are in this category as was Michael Moore.
There are others: David Winston, Tieraona LowDog, Aviva Romm, Matthew Wood, David Hoffman.

There are also Master Herbalists and Healers who choose not to write books, open formal schools or be active on social media.
We may never hear of these people nor meet them in person but they are out there, serving their communities.

One thing I’ve noticed is that by the time these folks become Master Herbalists, that title is not important.
These are the last people who would use that title in their bio.

Here’s to giving thanks for the Masters we have learned from and for saving this title for those few who have truly earned it.