First Blood & Lost Rites of Passage - Kami McBride

First Blood & Lost Rites of Passage - Kami McBride

Author: Amber Magnolia Hill November 4, 2025 Duration: 1:24:53

Menarche- a girl's first period- shapes how we experience womanhood for the rest of our lives, and the lack of initiation most of us experience is itself an initiation. In this culture that has fractured from the rites and wisdom of our grandmothers, where so many of us met our first period with confusion or shame, how do we begin to heal this tender threshold- for our daughters, and for the younger version of ourselves? 

In a conversation brimming with practical suggestions, my herb teacher Kami McBride- who has led countless women's circles, developed and taught a class for cycling women, and even written a book on menstruation- shares her decades of experience and insight. Together, we explore how to remember what was once celebrated, and how to bring reverence and empowerment back to this profound beginning.

Medicine Stories Patreon (thank you!)- enter the giveaway & get a list of my favorite books on menstruation

Kami's free classes: DIY Body Butter for Gifting & Top 3 Stress-Melting Herbal Oils

Kami's course: Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils

Join me at the Medicine Stories Healing Waters Nature Immersion Retreat in Costa Rica November 2026!

Mythic Medicine herbal remedies- take our quiz to be notified when our Moment Markers Bundles become available

Kami on Instagram

Amber on Instagram

Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)


Amber Magnolia Hill hosts Medicine Stories from a place of hard-won experience, having navigated her own journey back from exhaustion. As a mother and practicing herbalist, she frames each conversation around the idea that true wellness is a tapestry woven from many threads. You’ll hear discussions that go beyond simple remedies, delving into the practicalities of herbal support, the nuances of metabolic balance, and the often unspoken realities of navigating life as a woman today. This podcast serves as an audio companion for those feeling the pull to slow down and reconnect. Episodes feel like honest talks with a knowledgeable friend, exploring how personal vitality is deeply linked to our relationship with our own bodies, our community, and the natural world. It’s for anyone curious about moving from burnout toward a more grounded and resilient way of living, with Amber’s guidance offering both wisdom and tangible practices. Tune in for a thoughtful blend of personal narrative, herbal wisdom, and collective reflection on what it means to heal.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Medicine Stories
Podcast Episodes
Mythopoetic Womb Release - Samantha Zipporah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:38
Your ancestors are with you every time the portal of the womb opens; our blood connects us to our lineage, to the mythic archetypes that hold meaning for us, and to our deepest inner selves. Whatever sort of womb release…
Holistic Abortion Options [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:14
From time immemorial, women and wise folk have carried the knowledge of how to manage fertility. From menstruation to contraception to birth to miscarriage to abortion, these processes and this knowing has always belonge…
Cultivating Resilience with Home Herbalism - Kami McBride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:14
Relearning ancestral skills is the best antidote to the fear and chaos of these times. Let's recreate a culture of simple home healing and feed the river of resilience so that all may drink from it. Check out Kami's wond…
Harvesting Light: The Alchemy of Sun & Human - Nadine Artemis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:41
In a brilliant act of human photosynthesis, our cells evolved over millennia to receive and transform information from the source of all life on earth, the sun. Yet our species has moved further and further away from the…