What hidden stories of women are tucked inside this humble herb—linking old folklore, a touch of alchemy, and even today’s healing practices?
My guest today, Alyssa Dennis, invites us into the world of lady’s mantle (Alchemilla spp.), a plant whose cloak-shaped leaves hold both practical healing gifts and threads of ancient story. From her experiences in urban herbal sanctuaries to a life-changing encounter on the sacred isle of Iona, Alyssa shares how this humble herb invites us to see plants not just as remedies, but as storytellers and companions on the path of reconnection.
Alyssa’s favorite way to work with lady’s mantle is as a tincture, using just the right amount of glycerin to sweeten it up and draw out the toning, astringent nature of the plant. You’ll find a beautifully-illustrated recipe card for Alyssa’s Lady’s Mantle Tincture here.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► Why lady’s mantle is such a trusted ally for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum healing
► How the downy leaves of lady's mantle collect dew—and why alchemists once revered this process
► What makes lady’s mantle both an ancient wound healer and a modern digestive ally
► How myth, folklore, and modern ecology can come together to shape our understanding of plants
► and so much more…
For those of you who don’t know her, Alyssa Dennis is a dedicated earth activist, educator, interdisciplinary artist, and clinical herbalist devoted to the movements of peace, justice, and ecological kinship. Her work has been to reawaken to her ancestral traditions of plant medicine in order to guide her community back into relationship with the living world.
Alyssa has two fine art degrees, advanced training in clinical herbalism, and spent years within the natural building profession. She is the founder of Eclipta Herbal and steward of a vibrant herbal sanctuary in Baltimore City—a living classroom home to over 100 species of medicinal plants (and counting). This space is a heart-centered venture of ecological conservation—of both the human body and the land body—which serves as gathering ground for plant medicine education, community building, earth skills workshops, and collaboration.
I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!
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Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com
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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.
Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.
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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.
