Drea Moore, herbalist, educator and writer
Sober Herbalist
Wild and Free...
About Drea
I am a 51 year old (cis female; pronouns she, her) located on occupied Coast Salish and S'Klallam tribal lands (Port Angeles, Washington) and I advocate and teach "sober" herbalism. I am currently teaching herbalism in my community, growing herbs on bartered land collaboratively and working on ways to amplify consciousness of sobriety, recovery and substance abuse in wellness spaces. I frequently present these ideas in various forms at conferences. I am also a faculty member at the global online herb school, Land of Verse
I formally trained in herbalism at the California School of Herbal Studies (3 years of programs) and I have more than 17 years of continuous sobriety with an active recovery program. Before I left California, I was running a free community herbal clinic in my area where I worked with the elderly, the unhoused, and abused women. I have mostly worked in clinical environments my entire wellness career beginning as a practitioner of Ayurveda, a body worker, a yoga and meditation teacher; presently I am a self-employed herbalist exclusively. I do consulting work with farmers who grow plants like Lavender, as well. I currently focus on training folx because there aren't enough herbalists out there--especially ones who can support NA herbalism with proficiency. I do take individual clients for consultation support and can work remotely.
I am a guest teacher at the California School of Herbal Studies. You can purchase a June 2022 class recording titled, "Alcohol-free Botanical Zeitgeist; what every herb enthusiast and herbalist should know about non-alcoholic herbal medicine and why they should make more of it" at their web site.
This class is the first ever class on "sober herbalism" and is a supportive resource for anyone who wants context on non-alcoholic herbal medicine and instructional skills on how to make it. The class comes with a sleek PDF handout of instructions on how to make strong NA medicine. I highly recommend that sober people entering the world of herbalism purchase and watch this class for support and guidance.
I bring consciousness and awareness to the writings, teachings, attitudes and language used to colonize medicine making practices and herbalism and therefore perpetuate myths and practices of exclusion. I voice a non-alcoholic perspective on herbalist practices wherever I teach and participate in wellness. I fully support harm reduction and all people seeking sober lifestyles.
Contact me if you would like to know more about non-alcoholic herbalism, my classes, event appearances, conferences and symposiums.
I really want to write that book and produce a podcast but 2024 is the year of dirt, seeds, the wilds and the weeds. I am relinquishing regular social media posts and interactions, hours on a laptop and in a sound studio working on audio software for endless days so that I can just be in the medicine and get recharged after working my ass off for several years... I do not pay for all that entrepreneurial stuff that many modern herbalists have bought into. I do all my own work, research and production. I don't pay for moody photographs of my medicine and I don't live on an idyllic rural property. I simply want to teach, make, grow, learn and share. My given plant name is "Burdock" and you better believe I'm a truth telling cleanser with spiky irresistible wordseeds that are hard to ignore, remove and are most definitely invasive!
I believe that we all deserve wellness regardless of class, race, gender, size, etc. I disrupt the obsession with vanity, purity and perfection in wellness spaces. I educate myself and others to foster awareness and compassion. I hope that people get the support they need to fight substance abuse and empower themselves with plants, community and embodiment.
Follow my life and work in the medicine at my instagram account @soberherbalist
Media and Conferences
I appeared in a couple of podcast videos in Northern California from the "Embracing the Wild" series with Carey Campbell during 2020
2018 and 2020 Fall Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium, Laytonville, CA
2021 Northwest Herbal Fair, Quilcene, WA
2022 Oshala Farms Herb Camp, Grants Pass, OR
2023 Spirit Weavers Gathering, Cedar Bloom, OR
2024 Northwest Herbal Fair, Quilcene, WA
Coming up!
2025 Spirit Weavers Gathering, Cedar Bloom, WA
2025 Oshala Farms Herb Camp, Grants Pass, OR
2025 Northwest Herbal Fair, Quilcene, WA
"This info is so important and is way too challenging to find out there in the herbal world"
--Gretchen Manzer, workshop attendee 2023
Events/classes
2024
How to make the Best Oxymels
Sunday October 22, 2024 11-1pm
Dandelion Botanical Company in Dungeness Sequim, Wa.
$25 visit their website or call to register for this limited seating in person medicine making class all about my special division of live non-alcoholic medicines made with acids and honeys. Website has more info.
dandelionbotanical.com
4681 Sequim Dungeness Way, Sequim, WA 98382
(local)206-545-8892 (toll-free) 1-877-778-4869
Recorded classes for sale
***A recording of my class at the California School of Herbal studies is available for purchase online at cshs.com**********
Two virtual How-to Herbal Glycerites (one class is fresh glycerites and the other is decocted glycerites) class recordings are for sale: Venmo $25 to Andrea-Moore-181 and write "fresh glycerites" or "decocted glycerites" and your email to receive the zoom recording and a PDF handout for both or one of these two incredibly detailed classes on the art of making strong standard ratio liquid extracts using glycerine. ($25 for each class recording and handout)
Craft Vinegar Herbal Bitters --Not so strictly Bitters! A two hour live online zoom workshop about making non-alcoholic bitters using craft vinegars. Blending bitters and using them in various ways for health and pleasure will also be discussed and featured! Instructional handout included. To obtain the recording and PDF, please send $25 via Venmo to Andrea-Moore-181 and in the comments write, "bitters" and your email address. I will promptly send you an email. This class is a lot of fun and very easy to follow along!
If you attend any of my classes please feel free to email me with questions, comments or feedback of any sort. I do enjoy personal correspondence concerning this work and that is the beauty of being a person presenting ideas like this to the world!
Thanks for supporting alcohol-free herbalism and the sober herbalist. This work advocates for the broad acceptance of alcohol-free options in herbalism. We offer education to empower people so that they can access herbalism on their own terms, free from judgement, criticism and comparison.
VENMO: Andrea-Moore-181
Donations and payments go to this mission!
"The portal of sober herbalism initiates expanded consciousness of the possibilities for medicine and people. To boldly go beyond the tincture bottle and engage in a symbiotic relationship of elements, beings, earth systems is a radical practice of deep embodiment and communication with our co-evolved species of plants. This ride moves through the senses, back in time, across landscapes, through patterns of energy and relationships of tremendous healing capacity. And you don’t need alcohol to do it. "
Drea Moore, Sober Herbalist
Contact Drea
Located on the Olympic Peninsula--Port Angeles, Northwest Washington state
email me at: