Plant Cunning Podcast

Plant Cunning Podcast
  • 4.9 (52)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Plant Cunning Podcast brings together people wise to the ways of plants, fungi, healing practices, & the natural world to explore the mysteries of Nature. Co-Hosted by astrologer, gardener & musician, Isaac Hill and herbalist & educator A.C. Stauble-Hill. We invite herbalists, mages, mycologists, gardeners, community organizers, healers, spiritual seekers & all kinds of other interesting people to the microphone to share their wisdom. We like to bridge different worlds, make connections, inspire, and at times, have our minds blown by our amazing guests. Enjoy!

  1. 1d ago

    Ep. 240: William Padilla-Brown

    Plant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026 MycoSymbiotics Mushroom & Art Festival July 29- August 2d, 2026Today on the podcast, AC & Isaac Hill interview mushroom citizen scientist and community builder William Padilla-Brown about his path into mycology, from early curiosity about consciousness and “plant medicine” to diet-driven health struggles that pushed him into growing his own food, foraging, and functional mushrooms. He credits discovering online superfood and medicinal-mushroom content (including David Avocado Wolfe) as a turning point, then explains how mushroom videos took off on YouTube and led him to start MycoSymbiotics and launch MycoFest in 2015 to create a lasting community and legacy for his family. Will recounts cultivating cordyceps after finding a specimen at the first festival, rejecting the idea that it was “impossible,” and learning through observation—treating life as a readable language. He describes MycoSymbiotics’ cutting edge work: wild strain selection, DNA barcoding, cultivation, extraction, third‑party analytics, and making potent products affordable. The conversation also covers ecological literacy through mushrooms, conservation concerns like Pine Barrens development and matsutake habitat loss, the importance and diversity of native truffles (including training a dog to find tuber canaliculatum), aroma as a form of “medicine,” modern distraction and nervous-system hijacking, and adapting to AI by leaning into uniquely human creativity. He closes with MycoFest details (first weekend of August; July 31–Aug 2; MycoFest.net; Artemis, PA; code MYCOMMUNITY), plus MycoSymbiotics sites, classes, a farmer co‑op, and local projects. 00:00 Meet William Padilla-Brown 01:55 Origins in Plant Medicine 06:03 Health Wake Up Call 09:09 David Wolfe and Medicinals 11:28 Myco Symbiote to MycoFest 13:12 Nothing Is Impossible 15:30 Learning From Living Signs 21:05 Mycology Cutting Edge Today 23:44 Matsutake and Habitat Threats 25:29 Truffles as Ecological Gateway 27:16 Native Truffles in Pennsylvania 30:14 Truffles and Sensory Depth 30:41 Overstimulation and Numbness 31:54 Aroma as Medicine 33:58 Capitalism and Responsibility 36:16 Distraction Casino Reality 38:53 Using the System for Good 40:53 Social Media and Rage Bait 44:27 AI Music and Human Spark 48:55 MycoFest and Community Wrap

    Ep. 240: William Padilla-Brown

  2. Jul 15

    Ep. 239: Dreaming Herbs & Scientific Inquiry into Astrology with Will Morris

    Today on the Plant Cunning Podcast, Isaac and AC welcome back Will Morris, PhD, DAOM, MSEd, LAc, RH, a interdisciplinary healer and scholar whose work spans traditional Western and Vedic astrology, Chinese medicine, pulse diagnosis, sound healing, and education. Will explains his compulsive, spiritually driven path across traditions and how transdisciplinary study reveals shared underlying structures, including medical frameworks of location, process, and severity and recurring 12-fold patterns across nature and culture. He critiques mainstream scientific testing of astrology as method-driven, politically shaped, and often logically flawed, arguing the right assessment depends on the question and may require qualitative approaches. The conversation explores intuition, divination versus science, horary use in clinical settings, dreamwork and oneirobotany, mugwort’s shamanic origins, catnip’s “wind” associations, and Will’s upcoming books, including Evidence Ecology: Science and Astrology. 02:10 Why Study Many Traditions? 03:39 Life Path Music to Astrology 08:36 The Benefits of Transdisciplinary Studies 12:00 The Science Industry and Astrology 13:13 Is Astrology Divination or Science? 19:31 Testing Astrology Properly 27:59 Clinical Astrology in Practice 31:07 Book of Dreams and Yesod 32:48 Dreamwork Pulse and Herbs 36:59 Sedative Herbs Mix 37:10 Catnip and Wind Pathology 39:08 Eight Winds and Charts 40:32 Wind as Science Debate 41:23 Dream Plants: Mugwort 42:17 Dybbuk Clearing Story 44:58 Artemisia and Dreamwork 49:08 Cycles and Plant Motion 51:47 Pan Celestial Thesis 01:01:24 Land, Climate and Relocation 01:05:16 Universalism vs Relativism 01:08:15 Books and Future Projects 01:13:45 Closing Thanks

    Ep. 239: Dreaming Herbs & Scientific Inquiry into Astrology with Will Morris

  3. Jul 8

    Ep. 238: Ceremonial Magic in Mexico with Jorge Nájera

    In this episode of the Plant Cunning Podcast, Isaac and AC interview Jorge Nájera in Guadalajara about Mexico’s ceremonial magic scene and his role leading the Fraternidad del Círculo Dorado (Circulo Dorado Web) a mystical and magical school founded in 1986. Najera recounts how a small study group grew through work with BOTA, Golden Dawn-style ritual, Freemasonry, and later affiliation with the Servants of the Light (SOL) lineage of Dion Fortune and Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. He describes meeting Ashcroft-Nowicki, trips to Egypt, learning to build an “astral temple” and inner contacts, then adapting SOL material for Spanish-speaking students by creating their own structured curriculum centered on astrology, Hermetic and Sephardic Kabbalah, and coherent symbolism. He explains the school’s three-degree model, its emphasis on lived experience and service, and how COVID shifted much of their work online, including new digital tools. 01:04 Meet Jorge in Guadalajara 01:55 Founding the School in 1986 03:08 Early Growth 05:02 Joining Servants of the Light 08:11 Egypt Trip and London Temple 11:06 Astral Temple Training 13:11 Adapting SOL for Latin America 14:56 Building the Curriculum 16:07 Kabbalah as Foundation 19:22 Courses and Temple System 21:05 Jorge’s Early Influences 25:10 Astrology Awakening and Teaching 29:58 Fruits and Mission of the School 33:26 From Rituals to Creativity 34:57 Information vs Wisdom 37:34 Mystery Schools Go Digital 42:14 How does a Mystery School work in the Age of Aquarius? 46:10 The Importance of Coherent Symbolic Training 50:52 The Degrees of Initiation 56:24 The Ideal Student 01:00:02 How to Connect and Closing

    Ep. 238: Ceremonial Magic in Mexico with Jorge Nájera

  4. Jul 1

    Ep. 237: From Soil to Soul with Laurie Szott-Rogers: Plant Archetypes, Tarot & the Council of Plants

    Get your tickets for the Plant Cunning Conference here: Plant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026Find out more about Laurie here: Laurie Szott-Rogers Bio - Self Heal DistributingThis episode of the Plant Cunning Podcast features herbalist, author, gardener, and educator Laurie Szott-Rogers discussing her new book, From Soil to Soul, and her blend of herbalism, astrology, archetypes, tarot, and dreamwork. Laurie shares how dandelion first drew her into plant medicine, her path from early interests and government work to partnering with her husband Robert Rogers, and what her current life looks like in Alberta’s cold climate gardening. She explains her “24 herbs” framework, the Plant Council concept, and how she writes from the plants’ perspectives using attunement, trance, drumming, and automatic writing. The conversation also addresses AI-generated imagery, explores dandelion’s archetypal qualities, and dives into tarragon’s dragon mythology and its King of Swords tarot association, along with practical uses like tarragon pesto.00:00 Meet Laurie Szott-Rogers00:23 Plant Cunning Conference Plug01:41 Her Plant Path Origins02:25 Dandelion First Love03:47 Astrology Meets Herbalism05:43 Life in Alberta Garden09:04 Store Products and Teaching10:17 Council of Plants Concept13:29 Attunement and Plant Rituals16:02 Writing as the Plants17:23 From Soil to Soul and AI Art21:08 Recipes and Dandelion Archetype22:42 Dandelion Resilience Medicine25:05 Planetary Archetypes in Dandelion26:43 Bitterness Shadow and Renewal28:08 Why Humans Love Archetypes29:48 Plant Surprises Mint Myth31:28 Tarragon Dragons and Growing32:55 Tarragon Pesto Kitchen Uses35:03 Tarot Links King of Swords38:42 Neoshamanic Plant Journeying41:07 Next Projects Oracle Deck42:27 Where to Find the Book43:21 Closing Thanks and Farewell

    Ep. 237: From Soil to Soul with Laurie Szott-Rogers: Plant Archetypes, Tarot & the Council of Plants

  5. Jun 24

    Ep.236: Don't Be Afraid of the Herbs: Andrea Beaman on Natural & Spiritual Healing

    Find out more and get your tickets for thePlant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026 here!Today on the Plant Cunning Podcast, hosts Isaac and AC Hill interview nutritionist, health coach, herbalist, and educator Andrea Beaman. She shares how she healed her thyroid through diet and lifestyle changes and later navigated a debilitating 2012–2013 illness she associated with Lyme after recurring lung infections, joint pain, and depression. Beaman discusses fear of herbs as cultural residue from witch trials and modern medical suppression, encourages experimentation with time-tested remedies and kitchen herbs, and stresses grounding, meditation, and heart-based intuition (including muscle testing). She outlines thyroid imbalance symptoms, links many cases to nutritional deficiency and stress, touches on autoimmune thyroid issues and parasites, recounts powerful experiences with trees and ayahuasca, and invites listeners to her courses and Health is Wealth community at andreabeaman.com. 01:29 Meet Andrea Beaman 02:50 A Health Crisis Begins 06:07 How did you find out it was Lyme disease? 09:01 Breakthrough with Teasel 13:09 Herb School and Self Testing 14:16 Trusting Herbs and Tuning In 19:04 Healing Beyond Food 21:47 Thyroid Healing Origins 23:00 Thyroid Signs and Root Causes 32:41 Herbs for Mind and Spirit 34:12 Ayahuasca and Plant Connection 36:06 Do Plants Speak? 41:17 Central Park Tree Spirit 43:11 Why People Fear Herbs 45:03 Witch Trials Trauma Echoes 47:49 Reclaiming Plant Confidence 50:40 Kitchen Herbs and COVID 54:00 Fear Physiology and Hospitals 57:33 Trust Your Heart Intuition 01:01:17 Meditation Cracks the Heart 01:03:11 Rethinking Education and Nature 01:04:34 Where to Learn With Andrea 01:08:17 Simple Recipes and Farewell

    Ep.236: Don't Be Afraid of the Herbs: Andrea Beaman on Natural & Spiritual Healing

  6. Jun 17

    Ep. 235: Summer 2026 Astrological Forecast with ZamboniFunk

    Find out more about the Plant Cunning Conference at Plant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026Astrologer ZamboniFunk returns to talk about the astrological forecast for summer 2026! We discuss the Cancer Mercury retrograde as a loud season for mistakes, delays, review, and serendipity, followed by Mars entering Gemini and conjoining Uranus, trining Pluto in Aquarius, heightening anxiety, disruption, experimentation, and possible tech/cybersecurity volatility. Jupiter’s move into Leo is framed as more defensive support amid “pirate season” boundary-testing, with a key July 29 Jupiter cazimi opposite Pluto alongside a full moon conjunct Pluto, suggesting power plays and revelations. The episode closes with herbal support for stress and heart strain: harvesting motherwort, and combining it with hawthorn and rose for courage, boundaries, grief, and tension. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:20 Conference Announcement 01:17 Summer Forecast Begins 01:55 Mercury Retrograde Setup 03:38 Mars Uranus Volatility 06:25 Experimentation Pirate Season 08:41 Mercury Retrograde Lessons 14:04 Jupiter Enters Leo 20:04 Jupiter Pluto Power Plays 23:03 Nodes Shift Authority 24:18 Era of Air Metaphor 24:58 Redistribution Scenarios 26:36 Mutual Aid Power 27:19 Jupiter Pluto Togetherness 28:28 Eclipses Chaos Reset 29:37 Robots Hive Mind 31:09 Adaptability Job Shakeup 34:46 Pirate Season Skills 35:29 Motherwort Heart Medicine 38:18 Hawthorn Boundaries 40:44 Courage Against Tech Future 43:05 Delusion & Hope 47:37 Conference And Farewell

  7. Jun 10

    Ep. 234: Earth Energy, Dragons and Faeries with Trista Haggerty

    Find out more about the Plant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026Today, AC & Isaac interview Trista Haggerty, author of When the Dark Mother Calls, about her path into mysticism after a dark night of the soul and two decades of mentoring with a German mystic while traveling to sacred sites in places such as Peru and Ireland. They discuss what makes power spots sacred, stone circles as “acupuncture,” and caves as initiation spaces, plus practices for trusting intuition through body-based discernment. Trista shares her work at Hawk Circle, a couple-hundred-acre land project where she’s building stone circle, trails, and a perfumery inspired by Egyptian temple recipes to fund youth nature programs. The conversation also explores fairies, dragons, the “threefold path,” and her upcoming talk at the Plant Cunning Conference (July 24–26) alongside other speakers. 01:38 Trista Meets Her Mentor 03:31 First Sacred Site Journeys 06:21 Earth-Based Mysticism Lessons 08:22 What Makes Sites Sacred 11:26 Primal Earth Energy Work 15:08 Mystic Path and Hidden Teachings 19:07 Trusting Intuition in Noise 23:51 Hawk Circle Vision and Land 29:51 Perfumery and Temple Scents 31:49 Essential Oils Impact 32:04 Ritual Perfumery Journey 33:11 Fairy Lore Explained 37:15 Threefold Path Teachings 40:14 Dragons and the Land 42:08 First Dragon Encounter 43:45 Connecting With Dragons 47:39 Awakening Landscape Dragons 48:38 Dragon Humor and Myths 53:31 New Earth Vision 56:41 When the Dark Mother Calls

    Ep. 234: Earth Energy, Dragons and Faeries with Trista Haggerty

  8. Jun 3

    Ep. 233: The Hot Tincture Method with Mary Blue

    Learn more about the Plant Cunning Conference at:Plant Cunning Conference – In-Person in New York – July 24-26, 2026On this episode, Isaac and AC welcome community herbalist, author, and teacher Mary Blue to talk about the "hot tincture method" and why applying a hot water extraction can dramatically improve tincture color, aroma, taste, and effectiveness while saving plant material, storage space, and time. Mary shares her path from environmental and protest activism into herbalism, her day-to-day running an herb shop and farm, and the mentors and experiences that shaped her teaching focus on herbal actions and solvency. They discuss safety lessons learned from heating alcohol, plant-specific considerations (including mushrooms, marshmallow, comfrey, and milk thistle), glycerins and oils, and how herbalism functions as a form of activism through accessibility, community support, and sustainable practice. 02:23 Meet Mary Blue 02:55 Activism To Herbalism 04:46 Running Farmacy Herbs 06:14 Mentors And Training 08:01 Teaching Solvency Basics 09:55 Common Solvency Confusions 11:26 Accessible Teaching Methods 13:53 The "Hot Tincture Method" Explained 16:19 Why It Works Better 23:09 How Mary Blue almost burned down her apothecary 28:01 Tincture Ratios 31:24 When Not to Tincture 31:50 Comfrey Safety Debate 33:12 Liniments and Compresses 34:43 Glycerins and Pre Extraction 36:01 Heating Oils for Extraction 36:29 Classes and Farm Intensives 37:46 Hosting Herbal Events 39:25 Herbalism as Activism 40:55 Burnout to Micro Activism 47:02 Fulfillment Through Service 47:58 The Future of Herbalism s52:55 Creativity and Community Play

    Ep. 233: The Hot Tincture Method with Mary Blue
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4.9
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

Plant Cunning Podcast brings together people wise to the ways of plants, fungi, healing practices, & the natural world to explore the mysteries of Nature. Co-Hosted by astrologer, gardener & musician, Isaac Hill and herbalist & educator A.C. Stauble-Hill. We invite herbalists, mages, mycologists, gardeners, community organizers, healers, spiritual seekers & all kinds of other interesting people to the microphone to share their wisdom. We like to bridge different worlds, make connections, inspire, and at times, have our minds blown by our amazing guests. Enjoy!

Information

  • Creator
    Plant Cunning Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    240
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Plant Cunning Podcast
  • Show Website
    Plant Cunning Podcast

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