get beyond
"what's it good for"
herbalism
and understand your herbs with depth and precision
Learning herbs... the struggle is real
Have you ever been curious about a medicinal plant and gone to your herb books to learn more…
And end up disappointed by just a few sentences on what it’s “good for” or long lists of constituents and actions?
Do you ever feel like you’ve read about an herb over and over again, but still don’t feel like you understand it completely?
Unfortunately, a lot of books just graze the surface of the plants and don’t use the herbal monograph as a teaching tool to understand how to learn an herb.
You wouldn’t want to just know your friends at surface level, so why learn herbs superficially?
What's the key to becoming a better herbalist?
Is it wildcrafting more? Making more tinctures? Getting better at plant ID?
While those are important, the true path to herbal mastery is consistent study and experience of materia medica.
But that doesn’t mean just reading about herbs every now and then.
There’s a strategic way to approach learning herbs so you come to understand them with depth, not just superficially knowing about them.
Truth is, effective herbalists know their remedies far beyond what symptoms they’re “good for.”
They know the essential healing pattern within each plant and how every medicinal virtue weaves together into a complete whole.
So how exactly do you approach studying plants holistically to get beyond superficial herbalism and come to understand their core medicinal essence?
How do you develop herbal competence so you can heal the people you serve with the herbs you know and trust with confidence?
materia medica monthly
subscription program from the School of Evolutionary Herbalism
Your Pathway to Herbal Mastery
Materia Medica Monthly is like your own personal herbal Netflix, with new content added every month.
Strategically designed to build your holistic understanding and experience of medicinal plants, this course lays a solid foundation for the beginner, yet gives advanced herbalists critical insights and perspectives on the remedies they rely on.
You get deep-dive training on foundational principles of herbalism, like herbal actions, tastes, energetics, and constitutional systems, alongside a vast library of single herb monographs.
That way you don’t just learn about the herbs themselves, but the fundamentals behind a successful herbal practice.
Core Herbal Patterns & Properties
Essential Clinical Indications
Herbal Safety & Contraindications
Effective Extraction & Preparation
Dosage & Administration
Flexible Formulation Strategies
Traditional & Modern Perspectives
Esoteric & Spiritual Properties
The Monograph as Teaching Tool
What's in a monograph?
We believe we’ve created the most comprehensive herbal monographs out there. These aren’t just lists or short paragraph descriptions.
These are strategically designed to teach you the core principles of herbal medicine, to understand not just how to use a remedy, but the why and how behind it.
We treat the herbal monograph as a sophisticated teaching tool to learn holistic herbal medicine.
Most of the PDF monographs are well over 20 pages long, and the accompanying video lessons range between 2-3 hours. All on a single plant!
Click the tabs below to see the three core sections of the Materia Medica Monthly monograph.
Part one of the monograph is the foundational principles of understanding a plant holistically, what we call the “Five Keys.” This section answers:
- Tastes: What is the primary flavor profile of the plant?
- Affinities: Where in the body does this herb target in terms of systems, organs, and tissues?
- Actions: How does the plant influence and act upon those systems, organs, and tissues?
- Energetics: How does the plant influence the ecology of the body in terms of temperature, moisture, and tone, as well as the constitution as a whole?
- Special Potency: What unique properties does the plant hold beyond the previous four keys? What are its key indications, specificities, and psychological, emotional, or spiritual virtues?
Not familiar with some of these concepts? Not to worry, every lesson breaks down specific terminology and concepts so the lesson doesn’t fly over the beginners head.
You won’t just find a list of these properties, but an in-depth and synergistic description of how the Five Keys weave together to reveal the medicinal essence of the plant.
Most herbal resources have lists or short paragraphs of what symptoms and conditions plants are good for. Rather than trying to memorize all of that, these monographs break down the core clinical patterns the plant heals in the body.
While this covers symptoms, diseases, and conditions the remedy is used for, you’ll learn the the why and how that plant addresses those complaints. That way you understand the specific type of people with the condition that plant helps, getting you more precise in your remedy selection.
This gives you a very different lens to understand how the plant functions, what it does, and is much easier to learn and understand than lists of symptoms. This section teaches you how to think about and work with the plant holistically to heal the whole person.
The third section of the monograph covers critical teachings that guide you in effective administration of the plant, including:
- Pharmacognosy and Chemical Mechanisms of Action
- Safety, Contraindications, and Herb-Drug Interactions
- Harvesting, Preparations, and Pharmacy
- Formulation Strategies
- Planetary, Elemental and Philosophical Principle correspondences
- Esoteric and Spiritual Virtues
This gives you a full-spectrum understanding of the wholeness of the plant, understanding it chemically, energetically, and spiritually, so you can treat the whole person.
For both beginner and advanced herbalists
Totally new to herbalism? We’ve got you covered. Core concepts, principles, and terminology are explained so nothing goes over your head. Plus there’s special bonuses (see below) that’ll give you a solid foundation in holistic herbalism.
Already practicing? Materia Medica Monthly is like a massive digital library and database to use for quick reference on tough cases, not to mention more depth on the plants than you’re likely to find anywhere else.
We have students of every kind in this course: from total newbies with zero background in herbalism to naturopathic doctors and a spectrum of health practitioners.
So wherever you are on your plant path, you’re guaranteed to get powerful tools that make you a top-notch herbalist that gets results.
“This content is incredible. It’s so much more in depth than any other resource, books, or course I’ve taken and has become the standard that I hold every other resource to.”
In every conceivable way this course has made me a better herbalist.”
—Dr. LaDonna Rocha, Naturopath, The Health & Holistic Collective Wild Hare Apothecary
WHAT YOU GET
& HOW IT WORKS
the most
In-depth Monographs
Every other month you’ll get a new deep-dive training on a single medicinal plant. You’ll learn everything you need to know how to use it holistically— from its herbal actions, energetics, clinical patterns, chemistry, formulations, specific indications and more. You’ll walk away from each lesson with a profound understanding of that herb.
the library
You've Always Dreamed of
Get access to the past archive of Materia Medica Monthly issues, with over 50 remedies covered, as well as deep-dive lessons on herbal actions, formulation, energetics, constitutions, and all past Q&A sessions. This is a treasure trove of herbal gold you’ll return to for years to come. Plus the entire program is a searchable database, so you find what you need quickly.
LIVE
Classes & Q&A's
Get a chance to ask Sajah your questions directly and engage with the community every other month in our live classes and Q&A’s. Get the personalized attention and coaching you need to reach the next level of your plant path and have fun remotely hanging out with your herbal community. Can’t make it live? Every session is recorded and posted in the portal.
study
at Your Own Pace
You can study whenever it’s convenient for you. You’ll be able to take your time and watch the videos over and over again. There’s no deadline to finish the course material – you can study as fast or slow as you like. We just keep adding content each month!
material available
Online or Offline
Every lesson in Materia Medica Monthly is in video format, but you can also download MP3 versions of the lectures and in-depth PDF notes, charts, handouts, and monographs, making it easy to get your herbal studies in anywhere.
searchable
Course Database
Materia Medica Monthly is a completely searchable database. If you have a question or are looking for something specific, just search to find the exact lesson you’re looking for. You also get access to thousands of articles in our knowledge base.
No commitment
Cancel Anytime
There are no contracts or obligations. You can cancel anytime you wish! Once you end your subscription though, you’ll no longer have access to the online resource center where we archive all of the past issues.
engage & connect
with Community
Engage with the community in our student teahouse. Setup your profile, post in your activity feed, start a forum discussion, update us on your program progress, start a study group, and make connections with other like-minded herbalists.
fully
Supported
We’re here for you every step of the way. You’ll have all the help and support you may need throughout your journey from our team of experienced & knowledgable herbalists – on the phone, chat, email or through message in the student portal.
“Let’s just say, I learn more from Materia Medica Monthly than I have from about half the books in my library. I am being trained proper.”
—Yoali Rodriguez
But you can get a sneak peak into the program...
get your free issue of
materia medica monthly
You'll also get a special invitation to join the full program once it's open
“Hands down this is the best herbal resource I have encountered in all of my research and study.
Sajah’s knowledge and breadth of perspective is unmatched in any of the teachers I’d been exposed to previously. The cost of Materia Medica Monthly is almost unbelievable for the amount of information that is made available. The resources here will continue to grow my herbal understanding and practice for many years to come.”
-Jennifer Knight
Horticulturalist & Community Herbalist
“Honestly, this is an insane amount of in-depth content for such an amazing price! The value is incredible and I’m yet to find such comprehensive monographs anywhere else.”
– Samantha, Bachelor of Naturopathy, Witch Hazel Herbal Apothecary
Materia Medica Monthly
To get a sneak peak into Materia Medica Monthly and a special invitation to join.
“The amount of information that this program brings to your fingertips is priceless.
It has really helped me appreciate the depth I can bring to my intakes in terms of finding specific remedies for clients. I always learn something new that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Honestly, this program is an incredible support for my practice.”
—Jaimie McClyment, The Herbal Clinic and Dispensary- Toronto, Ontario
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Sajah Popham
Author of Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Medicine & Spirituality from the Heart of Nature
Hey there! I'm Sajah, core instructor and founder here at the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. You're probably wondering who I am and what my qualifications are.
I received a BS in Herbal Sciences from Bastyr University 2008, which formed my foundation in herbalism: rooted in science but also central to my Earth-centered spirituality. From there I received clinical training through studying and shadowing some of the best herbalists.
For the past decade of teaching thousands of folks from around the world through our school, my goal has been to have a truly holistic approach to people and plants, one that honors the physical, energetic and spiritual aspects of life. I strive to support people in transforming their lives, to not just be symptom free— but physically vital, mentally inspired, emotionally uplifted, and growing into their life purpose. The plants are at the root of this transformational healing, for that's what they have provided to me.
I hope to be able to share a little bit of the medicine I have gathered along my plant path with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
You get a detailed monograph on one herb with video lessons every other month. In between those monograph months, every other month you also get a live class with Sajah where he’ll teach a class on other important herbal topics, such as understanding herbal actions, for example. In this live class, Sajah does a Q&A with students so you have an opportunity to ask him questions about any of the course material. Once you sign up you get instant access to all of our past monographs and recordings from previous Q&A sessions.
Every other month a new monograph is released, which runs about 2-3 hours of video on one plant.
Every other month Sajah does a live zoom class with a Q&A session for MMM students to ask their questions about the course material – these sessions are usually 3 hours long.
You can expect to spend about 3-4 hours a month between the videos and studying the written material for the content released each month.
However, with your subscription you also get access to our massive archive of previously released monographs, so there are hundreds of hours you could spend watching those additional videos and reading monographs.
This course is self paced, so you can study whenever you have time, you can move as fast or slow as you like. We’ve designed it this way because we know how busy life is and want you to be able to study at your own pace.
When you register, all the classes are taught through videos lessons, and come with the option to download audio mp3s and PDFs for further reference as you move through the content.
We have two subscription plan options:
- Annual: $270 (special discount for winter 2023 enrollment only)
- Monthly: $27 a month
Tuition can be paid via credit or debit card. We do not accept PayPal, Venmo, cash or check.
We offer a 30-day money back guarantee. After 30 days past enrollment, we’re unable to offer any refunds.
You can cancel your subscription anytime.
If you choose to cancel your subscription, you’ll no longer have access to any of the course material.
No we don’t offer any certification through this program. This course is ongoing and content is continually added, so there isn’t an end or completion to this specific course. If you’re looking for a certificate, check out our programs: the Vitalist Herbal Practitioner Program or Alchemical Herbalism.
However your hours of study in this course can be used toward American Herbalist Guild certification to become a registered herbalist, along with their additional requirements.
Absolutely. This program is an excellent addition to any of our other programs. It gives a great foundation for your understanding of herbalism and it goes into more depth on individual plants than we offer in any of our other courses. Materia Medica Monthly is a distinct course separate from any of our other programs, so you won’t find this material in any other courses you may be enrolled in.
We currently do not take work traders or interns as we don’t have the infrastructure to manage and oversee helpers at this time.
Absolutely! One of the key things you’ll learn in this course is how to study and understand a medicinal plant. Once you become familiar with the framework, you’ll have important tools to know how to identify the actions and energetics of plants which can help you to apply this knowledge to plants in your local region. Many of the herbs covered in the course are used throughout the world.
Even if you don’t know a lot about herbs and you consider yourself a beginner, this program lays a solid foundation that gives you the skills & tools needed to use herbs holistically.
We’ve had students with zero background in herbalism who excelled in this program. Sajah breaks everything down in incredibly simple yet profound ways that are easy to grasp to get your foundation solid to grow from.
This program was designed to give advanced practitioners new strategies and perspectives that will accelerate your herbal practice to a more refined and potent level.
We’ve had naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, and many holistic practitioners who said this course brought their whole understanding of herbalism to new depths.
We do not currently offer any in-person classes, but we do offer live classes online every other month which will enable you to ask questions to Sajah directly.
Yes! All of the new monographs we’ve been releasing for the past year have had captions on the videos. We’re still working on getting some of the previously released monographs updated with captions. It takes our team quite a bit of work to edit the captions, so it’s a work in progress and not all of the videos have captions available.
You can download all of the written herbal monographs, which have a ton of information available to read.
Unfortunately the videos in the mini-course are not downloadable and will only be available to watch until our special winter 2023 enrollment closes for Materia Medica Monthly.
Absolutely! If you’re buying this program for a friend or family member, please send a message to [email protected] or give us a call at (833) 988-4433
Yes! Our goal here at the School of Evolutionary Herbalism is to make herbal education available to everyone. This is why we focus so much energy in publishing so much content for free on our podcast, blog, YouTube, and social channels, as well as offering these more in-depth training sessions and mini-courses.
Our scholarship program is for our larger courses, such as the Vitalist Herbal Practitioner Program, which may be financially inaccessible to some.
However, we don’t offer scholarships for this particular program. We created Materia Medica Monthly to be an affordable, accessible resource that most folks can enjoy without it being a financial stress.
If you have questions about our scholarship program, you’re welcome to reach out to our support team with any questions at [email protected]
ask us a question
Our knowledgable team of experienced herbalists are here to support you
phone
We’d be happy to talk with you and answer any of your questions!
You can call us at (833) 988-4433
chat
We’re available to chat with you live during our business hours, just click the chat box on the lower right side of this page. If we’re closed, leave us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we return to work.
Drop us an email with any questions you may have and we’ll get back to you as swiftly as we can. Send us a message at [email protected]