Welcome!
I’m Alexis J. Cunningfolk and I create plant-led spaces of healing because none of us are meant to do this work alone.
I’m an intersectional herbalist, witch, and weaver of remedies. For over 15 years I’ve been teaching and writing about plants and their healing ways, centered on the values of embodiment, kinship, and a curiosity that liberates.
My childhood was spent between the urban wilds of traditional Tongva lands (aka Los Angeles) and Tokyo, Japan. Being a third-culture kid shaped my early understanding of the world and what it means to belong. Currently, I live with traditional Nisenan and Miwok / Miwkoʔ Waaliʔ lands, also known as Sacramento, CA (join me in Land Acknowledgement), within the diasporic dreams of Romanistan, and in a network of inherited and chosen friends and family.
My intersectionality, and the reason I do the work that I do, arises from my lived experience as a lesbian averse to binaries, a mixed womxn, and a practicing Pagan witch. I was lucky enough to have herbalism and magick come into my life at the same time - and I quickly realized the transformative powers of both to help us navigate our worlds with a steady compass.
You might have found me through my plant profiles, my writings on all things lunar, my seasonal explorations, studies in traditional western herbalism, or my work on the sliding scale. Oh and tarot - lots of tarot. However you’ve arrived to this space, I’m glad you’re here.
I started making herbal body care products when I was 12 (I even made labels in MS Paint and mostly sold or gifted items to friends and family) and began teaching magickal arts when I was 19. It wasn’t until college that I realized you could actually work as an herbalist for a living so after working and traveling all over the country, I began my official training as a certified professional herbalist in 2007. Since then I've studied traditional western herbalism and beyond with the likes of Dori Midnight, Julie James, Rosemary Gladstar, Margi Flint, Demetria Clark, Judith Hill, and many more.
Fast forward a few years later and in 2010 I officially opened Worts & Cunning Apothecary. Since then I've created and sold popular herbal products, taught at herbal and magickal conferences, created the online courses I wanted as a student, written for a variety of print publications on herbal and magickal traditions, and started a community of plant folk and magickal practitioners. In 2025 I wrote my first book!
As an herbalist I believe that plants are some of our most profound teachers - they our ancestors and working with them is a way to re-member ourselves home to ourselves and our communities. Intertwined with my herbal education and practice is my magickal training is as a Weaver (think Priest/ess) that infuses all that I do with space for honoring the sacred and the unknown, embracing the complexity of healing, and keeping my work grounded and earth-centered.
I call my herbalism intersectional because it is rooted in social justice, collective liberation, and inclusivity. And so is my magick. With these tools I believe that we can learn how to re-enchant our lives so that we can live with clarity and purpose, peace and presence, transmuting knowledge into wisdom that we can pass on to our collective descendants.
With an archive full of free and useful resources, I’m happy to contribute to our collective library of resources that help us reconnect to the land, our bodies, and our communities as inherently sacred. Useful tools in my practice include traditional western herbalism and tarot, astroherbology and lunar magick, sacred inquiry and mutual aid, and re-connecting with the benevolent traditions of our ancestors.
The best way to stay connected with me plus get access to some exclusive free resources, is to become one of my Magick Mail subscribers - it's simple and free to do. Plus you'll get news about my latest offerings, special deals, and insider's access to the life of a working herbalist and witch. If you’re interested in learning more about if I take apprentices, if I offer sales on my courses or just really like a robust FAQ, come this way. You can also check out my courses and offerings or connect with directly in patreon (where I have a whole other archive of patron-only resources).
I'm so happy you've taken the time to visit me and I'm excited to keep connected with you on the adventure ahead.
And in honoring the magick of the moment, here’s a gentle invitation to step away from your screen, take some time to breath, get some water and do whatever simple thing that needs doing to support the temple of your body, the song of your spirit.
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Supporting my work also helps to support the work of other radical changemakers as I donate around 5% of my annual earnings to organizations like RAICES, California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project, and fellow herbal spaces like The People’s Medicine School.
My work is supported by my incredible patreon community who have access to exclusive content and community space. You’ll also get free access to The Plant Ally Library.
Magick Mail is my free gift of love to you! When you sign up for free you get access to exclusive recipes, tutorials, and other inspiring content.
I facilitate an ever-expanding circle of herbal medicine and magick called The Lunar Apothecary. The Lunar Apothecary is a self-guided course to learn about sacred herbalism with a lunar and astrological focus. The course covers remedy-making techniques, ritual creation, devotional arts, astroherbology basics, and much, much more. Is your heart fluttering with excitement? Come this way to learn more.
I'm a tarot and oracle reader with over 25 years of experience. I write about inventive ways to work with tarot from seasonal check-ins to time travel. If you want to discover the connections between herbalism and the tarot magick check out my course, The Tarot Apothecary.
My course Solace: Herbs & Essences for Highly Sensitive People was created to help folks move from coping to thriving with the help of healing practices and plant allies.
I’ve curated a collection of breathwork meditations geared towards magickal folk - all offered on a generous sliding scale. These meditations are ones that I’ve taught and talked about in my classes for years and I’m happy to finally be able to share them with all of you.
I teach in-person classes and host gatherings in Sacramento, CA known also as the lands of the Nisenan and Miwkoʔ Waaliʔ.
My community blog features articles and resources on traditional western herbalism and living a magickal life. I write regularly on the following topics:
🪐 Astroherbology is all about the celebrating and exploring the heritage of medical astrology and astrological wisdom infused in ancient and modern traditional western herbalism.
🌙 Moon Studies focuses on lunar cycles and wisdom of the phases from tea-making to simple rituals and in-depth explorations of the hidden magick of the Moon in your birth chart.
🌿 Plant Allies features materia medica about our beloved allies of the plant kingdom who teach help us re-member our wholeness and their unique gifts, personalities, and stories.
🕯️ Magickal Arts features some of my most favorite and useful rituals, spells, and conjurations as well as ways to infuse your herbal remedies with magick.
🫖 Recipes & Tutorials are for those of you who are ready to make your own healing remedies!
🌲 Tarot & Divination is as it implies - time for tarot and divination! I've had a long-standing romance with the tarot cards since I picked them up nearly two decades ago and love making connections between magick, herbal medicine, and divinatory arts.
Podcasts I’ve Appeared On…
“In taking care of ourselves, the ultimate goal is to get us back into community.”
Intersectional Herbalism for Difficult Times on Daydreaming Wolves
“Instead of denying myself, I’m going to desire myself.”
Radical Intersectional Herbalism & Stepping into Personal Power on Dream Freedom Beauty
“Continue to write the stories. Write yourself into these stories. Make sure that you’re being seen in your own practice and your own life.”
Astroherbology, Herbal Medicine in the Tarot, and Taking Up Space in Your Own Life on Living Open
“We deserve to be taken care of, and loved, and held for the long haul.”
Astroherbalism, Intersectionality, and Consistency on Free Her Spirit
"We have these stories - oh my ancestors came to me, my guides… I met a koala! At a sketchy zoo!”
Intersectional Herbalist + Witch on Branch & Bone Medicine Show
“Hawthorn is a guardian of the hinge.”
Hawthorn on Listen
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