Elizabeth Blackwell: Pioneering Herbalist and Botanical Illustrator

Elizabeth Blackwell: Pioneering Herbalist and Botanical Illustrator

Author: Icy Sedgwick June 6, 2026 Duration: 19:21

If you’re interested in herbalism or plant lore, chances are that you’ve perused a herbal or two in your time. Culpeper's Complete Herbal: A Compendium of Herbs and Their Uses, Annotated for Modern Herbalists, Healers, and Witches is a particularly well-known title, even if the contents have been surpassed with scientific advancements.

Yet did you know that one of the most well-regarded herbals of the 18th century was created, and marketed, by a woman? And that she even got endorsements from the Royal College of Physicians for the book, used by apothecaries for decades?

Let’s go and meet Elizabeth Blackwell in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

Find the blog post with all the images and references here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/elizabeth-blackwell/

Join Herbaria here: https://school.rowanandsage.com/courses/herbaria?affcode=437598_3qokpyep

From St Cuthbert to the Wizard of the North: The Magical Legends of the North East talk: https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/events-activities

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

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Each week, Fabulous Folklore with Icy offers a compact, fifteen-minute dive into the strange and storied shadows of our world’s traditions. Host Icy Sedgwick, a writer steeped in fantasy and Gothic horror, brings a storyteller’s eye to the material, weaving together tales of local legends, deep-rooted superstitions, and ancient myths. The podcast moves beyond simple retellings to consider the cultural soil from which these stories grew-why people believed what they did, how these narratives functioned in society, and the peculiar, often unsettling details that make them endure. You’ll hear about the oddities and occult practices that textbooks often overlook, all delivered with a blend of curiosity and a slight chill. It’s a consistently engaging exploration for anyone fascinated by the weird corners of history and human belief, a weekly reminder that our world is far more mysterious than it seems. Sedgwick’s background ensures the tales are told with both authority and a palpable sense of wonder, making each short episode a perfect gateway into a larger, fabulously folkloric universe. This isn’t just a catalog of curiosities; it’s an invitation to look at the familiar landscapes around us and imagine the layers of story hidden just beneath the surface, all packed into a brief, compelling listen that easily fits into a daily routine.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Fabulous Folklore with Icy
Podcast Episodes
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The London Plane: A Tree Suited to City Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:18
Periodically, I choose a plant, tree or fungus to explore, only to find there is very little folklore about them. Invariably, there are two reasons for this. First, the plant, tree or fungus has little use to humans, so…
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Duration: 57:59
Najah Lightfoot is the multi award-winning author and regular contributor to the Llewellyn annuals. Najah’s magickal staff is on display and part of the permanent collection of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft. She is a…
Children's Beliefs: Superstitions, Luck, and the Brenin Lwyd [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:17
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by children. Adults are not i…
Urban Legends among Children: Clowns, Insects, and Ice Shards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:30
In January, I asked people if they wanted to share any children’s folklore as part of my February theme. As a branch of study, this largely refers to folklore created, shared, and maintained by children. Adults are not i…