Meet Sarah
Hi! I’m so glad you’ve found my site! It’s my greatest passion to empower people to use plant medicine to enhance their health, wellness, and vitality; and you must share a similar spark or curiosity as you’ve found your way to me!
I’m a Clinical Herbalist who lives, works, and plays in Halifax, Nova Scotia—so if you live in my local area we may have met, and if you are in another part of Canada or the world, I’m delighted we can connect through my website!
Discovering a Way of Life…
I discovered the world of herbal medicine almost 20 years ago. It was an incredible time of magical discovery, as I knew then that I’d found an empowering way to be involved in my own health and wellness.
We know when we discover something that will transform and enhance the rest of our lives; when something has imprinted on us in such a way that it becomes a part of us, and us a part of it. Finding herbal medicine was one such discovery for me.
Stellaria Herbals…What?
In my early days of learning I connected with a fabulous woman, herbalist, teacher, and now dear friend, Danette Steele. Her teachings provided me with the foundation of herbal medicine, and inspired the spirit through which I approach my work today. One of the first things that we had to do in her class was give ourselves a plant name that started with the same letter as our first name. So, after days of pouring through my books of herbals and going through all the English plant names and then the Latin plant names, there it was. My plant name: Stellaria, the Latin name for Chickweed, meaning “little star.”
…so the seeds of Stellaria Herbals were sewn years ago, when I did not yet realize that this would be my life’s work.
The “Ah Ha” Moment!
My “ah ha” moment came in the middle of winter a number of years ago. I was sick, had been sick for a month, and a recent visit to the local walk-in clinic had been incredibly frustrating and disheartening. I was also totally annoyed with myself that I’d somehow let my work with herbs take a side burner (on the stove top of my life). I don’t normally get mad at myself, but I was mad! I was sick, and frustrated, and sick of being frustrated. And, so in frustration I cried out to my partner Garnet that I wished I had studied this for my career so that I would know what to do to be able to help myself—and help others feeling the same way. I hadn’t realized I’d felt this way until I blurted it out! The next turning point for me was when he simply replied “well, why don’t you?” (in a way that made it seem so obvious) …and so it was, I did…
Becoming a Clinical Herbalist
Not long after the “ah ha” moment, I enrolled in the International College of Herbal Medicine in New Zealand, studying under Isla Burgess, Dr. Nicky Baillie, and many other amazing teachers. I eventually reconnected with Danette Steele, and she became my mentor.
I’m thrilled and forever grateful that I get to do what I love every day, and that I get to help other people learn to use and appreciate the abundance that herbal medicine has to offer, and do work that feels in harmony with nature. I love that I get to be a part of the local and global community of people shining a light on the immensity of what medicinal plants have to give us, and the importance of this in our evolution as a planet and species.
About Herbal Medicine
Since being an herbalist isn’t quite as mainstream a profession as many others, I’m often explaining to others what a herbalist is, and how exactly we help people with herbs! My first two blog posts answer these questions, so if you too have these questions, you can read more about herbalism by clicking on the links below.
Well Wishes
Whatever path(s) you choose to take on your journey towards enhanced health, wellness, and vitality, I wish that you find, recognize, and are able to listen to that which resonates the most for you. If you are able to do this, you will be well on your way to finding that which you seek.
Xo Sarah Muir
Want to learn more? How about discovering what a herbalist is all about, or why you should use herbal remedies made using while plant medicine?