The Quiet Language of Herbs
Last week I spent the afternoon at The Wenlock Witch in Much Wenlock, sharing a series of short talks on herbal folklore, energetics, and the doctrine of signatures.
Before the talks began, I found myself wandering around the shop, as I always seem to do whenever I visit. The Wenlock Witch, owned by the lovely Kerrie, is one of those rare places that feels less like a shop and more like a treasure trove. Every shelf holds something interesting, and no two visits are ever quite the same. You never know what you might discover tucked away amongst the jars, books, herbs and curiosities. What I love most, however, is the warmth of the welcome.
Kerrie has created a space that feels inviting from the moment you step through the door. There is no pressure to rush. Instead, people linger, browse, ask questions and share stories. It feels less like a transaction and more like a conversation.
As a herbalist, I am naturally drawn towards the shelves of dried herbs and tea blends. Large glass jars filled with rose, chamomile and rosemary sit alongside carefully crafted herbal teas, each carrying their own scents, stories and traditions. There is something deeply comforting about seeing herbs displayed this way; a reminder that plants have long been part of everyday life.
Alongside the herbs are crystals, books, handmade items and an ever-changing collection of treasures waiting to be discovered. It is the sort of place where you go in for one thing and emerge having found three others you didn’t know you were looking for.
The talk itself centred on the stories plants tell us through folklore, observation and the relationships people have formed with them over generations. We explored how our ancestors paid attention to the plants growing around them. They noticed which herbs appeared in particular places, what they resembled, how they made them feel and the roles they played throughout the seasons. Many of those observations became stories, traditions and herbal practices that continue to fascinate us today.
At the heart of the talks was a simple idea: that plants have much to teach us if we are willing to slow down and notice them. To pause beside a hedgerow. To run our fingers over a leaf. To wonder why a particular plant grows where it does. To become curious once more about the green world around us.
That conversation will continue on 30th June when I return to The Wenlock Witch for a Strawberry Moon Celebration alongside Kerrie and The Hag Under the Hill.
My contribution will focus on the herbs traditionally gathered at this time of year, their folklore, seasonal significance and the ways people have connected with them throughout history. Whether we approach herbs through medicine, gardening, folklore, nature connection or simple curiosity, they offer us an invitation to pay attention.
And perhaps that is the quiet language of herbs. Not something to be mastered. Simply something to listen to.
