Herbalist and teacher Nathaniel Hughes works at the intersection of intuitive plant communication, traditional healing lineages, and contemporary Western herbalism. Founder of
Ruskin Apothecary and author of several books on relational herbal practice, including ‘
Intuitive Herbalism’ (2014), ‘
Weeds in the Heart‘ (2018), and ‘
Wild Enchantments‘ (2024), Nathaniel’s path bridges early training in organic chemistry with a deep commitment to experiential, spirit-led plant study.
In this conversation, Nathaniel shares his transition from academic science into a more embodied, animist understanding of the vegetal world shaped by apprenticeship, personal revelation, and an openness to plant intelligence. Together, Nathaniel and Dr Simon Ruffell consider how herbalism has been marginalized through colonial and reductionist histories, why conventional scientific models struggle to capture the complexity of human–plant relationships, and how reconnecting with ancestral approaches can restore a sense of reciprocity and reverence.
This episode also explores the ethics of respectfully engaging with Indigenous science, the nuances of cultural appropriation, and the resurgence of interest in traditional healing practices, emphasising the importance of cultivating direct experience, listening beyond the measurable, and honouring the relational field that plants invite us into.
Nathaniel is a practitioner, writer, and educator at
The School of Intuitive Herbalism, advocating for an herbalism rooted in humility, curiosity, and deeper connection with the living world.
Engaging with plants respectfully is a core tenet of Onaya's six month
Psychedelic Mentorship Training - next cohort starting January 20th, 2026. In the spirt of this we're thrilled to offer the Intuitive Herbalism community a 15% discount to join the course, with the checkout code: INTUITIVE15
What is In & Through: The Onaya Podcast?
In times of political, ecological and psychospiritual crisis — the only way out is In & Through.
Join Onaya as we welcome some of the most interesting people we know, to discuss eclectic topics from psychedelic medicine and Indigenous ways of knowing, to spirit entities, the meaning of dreams, and singing to the plants.
Your main host is our founder Dr Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist and research psychologist with a PhD in Amazonian ayahuasca and a student of Shipibo curanderismo.
Onaya is dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional indigenous knowledge and modern science, including a not-for-profit research arm that studies ayahuasca and other Amazonian plant medicine practices.
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Co-producers: Robbie Redway and Caspar Montgomery
Music: United Freedom Collective