Mountain Medicine & Magic: Appalachian Herbalist Andrew Bentley (Part 1)

What Dreamers Do

In this episode, I interview longtime friend an accomplished Appalachian Clinical Herbalist Andrew Bentley of Lee County, Kentucky.
This is part one of two, where he shares his earliest experiences learning about herbs from his Irish-American family, and talks about his childhood in Appalachia.
You'll learn about all the components of his education which went into his eventual decision to pursue herbalism as a full-time career, including his family traditions, his studies of chemistry and molecular biology and his later forays into linguistics and anthropology, his travels throughout Central Asia and his work with indigenous healers there, and the ways he learned to assess the illnesses of his patients to help determine which herbs might best support each person's equilibrium.
We also talk about his fascinating family history stretching back to Ireland, with ancestors who were Bards and Travellers, and who have long shared medicine, history, stories, and music with their communities.
We finish up this episode discussing how he forages and crafts his medicines, his philosophical approach to the healing arts, and how he blends science and traditional wisdom to provide holistic care for his community.
Links From Show
Andrew Bentley's Facebook Page
Andrew Bentley's Instagram Page
Andrew Bentley's Website
Andrew Bentley's YouTube Channel
Starvation on Hell Creek played by Charley Fraley of Lee County, KY
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