Hilary Go, Clinical Herbalist & Medicine Maker, Eating Flowers
Hilary is a clinical herbalist, holistic nutrition consultant and herbal skincare formulator. She inspires simple ways to integrate medicinal herbs & healing foods into one’s routines and skin care rituals.
Hilary completed her clinical herbal training at the California School of Herbal Studies and has earned a holistic nutrition consultant certification from Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts. She is currently investing in continued education at Five Branches University’s Doctor of Chinese Medicine program and formulates for her own medicinal line, Eating Flowers.
Where are you based? Who are the indigenous peoples of this land?
I currently inhabit the territorial lands of the Southern Pomo. Also known as Sebastopol in Sonoma County.
What ignited your herbalism journey?
I was raised in the Philippines and Singapore. Growing up as a city kid, there was a lot of color and culture around me but I was disassociated with my relationship to nature and my own body. My parents were also raised in an urban, post-colonial environment and we just weren’t that exposed to the natural world or herbalism. Throughout my 20’s I lived in New York City studying and working in the art and jewelry world. I loved the creative process of making art and jewelry but I didn’t love the extractive aspects and chemical exposures that often came with working in these fields. While this was all happening, I became passionate about ecology and the zero-waste movement and eventually felt like my life’s work wasn’t in alignment with my values.
I was also going through my own health issues and learning how to take care of myself through whole foods cooking. Fate eventually led me to the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County where I met herbalists and learned about herbalism for the first time. I was immediately hooked and knew this was what I was meant to be doing with my life. I moved to the area to attend the California School of Herbal Studies program in 2019 and haven’t looked back since!
Who are your ancestors? Do they influence your herbal practices?
I have ancestors from Shanghai as well as the Fujian province of China. A big part of my herbalism journey has been a deep remembrance and reclamation of ancestral medicine. Through my grandmother I’ve also learned about food as medicine and how herbs and wellness practices have always been woven into daily life. I resonate with the philosophy and practice of Chinese medicine, especially with how elemental it is and the emphasis on balance, seasonal wellness and preventative health. I continue to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and incorporate elements of this system into my life and clinical practice.
How do you incorporate herbalism into your everyday life?
Herbalism shows up in many ways in my everyday life. In the kitchen, in the garden and the way I care for myself and others. I would say the simple daily practices infused with plants inherently make my days brighter and magical, whether that’s a cup of tulsi tea, my herbal skin care routine or a walk through the garden.
Plants are also an endless source of creativity for me- I am in constant awe of the alchemy of plants. As a medicine maker and avid homecook, I love working with plants as a medium for expression. Whether that’s creating a face cream based on local coastal ingredients or whipping up a dish with what’s alive in the garden. I’m so grateful that through herbalism, I’ve been able to intersect my passions of plants, art and healing.
What are your tips for someone who is just starting?
Follow your natural interests and what lights you up about plants. There’s no one path to herbalism!
How do you cultivate reciprocity with plants?
Centering indigenous ways of relating to the earth and our non-human relations. I’ve learned a lot from studying the roots of permaculture and how indigenous people have always observed, respected and tended the wild. I think reciprocity means continuing to question, honor and grieve our history and relationship with land. Tending the plants on the land I live on and growing a garden has also been a loving way I can cultivate reciprocity with plants on a daily basis.
What is your herbalism philosophy?
I’m driven by root cause perspectives and approachability when it comes to herbalism, as well as herbalism’s ability to empower each of us to live our best lives. When I learn about traditional cultures and my own ancestral ways, it’s clear herbs and humans have always been in relationship. This connection runs ancient and deep. We are remembering the ways our ancestors have related to the earth by weaving plants into our simple daily rituals and routines. Everyday can be rich with healing plants, aromatic yummy oils and medicinally delicious meals.
Any exciting projects you’re working on?
Yes! Earth Allies is an herbal brand I’m collaboratively a part of with two dear friends and incredible herbalists, Allie Cuozzo and Isabella Ayala de Credico. We have been working behind the scenes to launch our medicine offerings this winter 2022.
Having gone through my own serious gut issues, I’m really passionate about digestive health and have begun specializing in this through my clinical practice. Next year I’ll be starting a Masters in Nutrition and Functional Medicine to further deepen my knowledge in this area.
Finally, medicine making continues to evolve for me as a creative and ancestral practice. I’m excited to share offerings with folks in the future through my personal herbal project, Eating Flowers.
Lightning︎Round
Lightning︎Round
Favorite herb book(s): Guido Mase’s The Wild Medicine Solution is such a great read on the mythology, biology and history behind aromatic, bitter and tonic herbs. Body Into Balance by Maria Noel Groves is a fantastic book to learn about uses of herbs and the body’s relationship to them. I like suggesting it to friends and family who are interested in deepening their understanding of herbalism.
Non-herb book(s): Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nostrat, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (also an herb book!), Inward by Yung Pueblo, The Mending Life by Nina and Sonya Montenegro
Film: Howl’s Moving Castle
Song: Playground Love by Air
Artist: Georgia O Keefe
Destination: I’m dreaming of a visit to Crete to experience the nature, mythology and wild medicine there.
Tea: Nettle leaf and burdock root decoction. So earthy and grounding!
Herbalists who inspire you: I am blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible healers in my local community! I’m inspired by all the herbalists I work alongside at Farmacopia, Taproot Medicine and Earth Allies. I am also inspired by creatives who highlight the magic and medicine of plants through their craft like botanical perfumer, April Lea of LVNEA and chef + cookbook writer, Amy Chaplin.
Herbs that are always in your apothecary: Kitchen is stocked with fresh ginger, chrysanthemum, jujube dates, tulsi, lemon balm, chamomile and nettle. Also, there’s always homemade herbal skin care in my bathroom- herbal infused oils, creams and hydrosols are my staples!