Episode 245: Aralia Berry for Burnout, Low Mood, and Low Libido with Mel Kasting

---

---

Episode Summary

What do you get when you combine a mysterious berry, a bottle with David Bowie on the label, and an herbalist determined to get everyone dancing?

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Mel Kasting to discuss aralia berry (Aralia racemosa), an herb that I admittedly knew almost nothing about before our conversation! Mel fondly refers to aralia berry as “dance berry” because of its remarkable ability to help people feel more at home in their bodies and more connected to one another. She also talks about the many other gifts of aralia berry, including its ability to support people who feel depleted, disconnected, or weighed down by prolonged stress or grief.

Beyond aralia berry, Mel shares insights from her work as a clinical herbalist, including a powerful lesson she learned early in her practice about the importance of meeting people where they are. We also discuss the role mentorship can play in helping herbalists build confidence, deepen their understanding, and develop their clinical skills.

You can download the beautifully illustrated recipe card for Mel’s Life of the Party Elixir, a delightful mixture of aralia berry and other herbs, from the section below. But be careful—it might just inspire you to get up and dance!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why Mel sees aralia berry as a plant of connection and restoration, rather than simply another stimulating herb

► What makes aralia berry different from other herbs commonly used as social lubricants

► Why Mel prefers working with aralia’s berries instead of its more well-known root

► How aralia differs from its cousin ginseng and other adaptogenic herbs

► Where to find aralia in the wild

► Tips for growing, wildcrafting, and ethically harvesting aralia berry

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Mel Kasting is a clinical herbalist, educator, and botanist with more than ten years of clinical experience. As Clinical Director and Free Clinic Manager at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine, she oversees accessible community care and helps train emerging clinical herbalists. Her work integrates traditional Western herbalism, clinical nutrition, somatic practices, public health, and harm reduction.

Through Forest Edge Herbals, Mel offers consultations, mentorship, plant walks, and community education. In her clinical practice, she supports people navigating chronic illness, mental and nervous system health concerns, and mast cell and allergic conditions, including alpha-gal syndrome, with individualized, person-centered herbal support.

I’m so excited to share our conversation with you today!

Would you prefer reading this episode? If so, click here to download a transcript.

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, scroll down below.

Connect with Mel:

• Website | ForestEdgeHerbals.com
• Instagram | @forestedgeherbals
• Facebook | Mel Kasting

What You'll Learn from This Episode

• [1:09] Introduction to Mel Kasting + Mel’s plant path
• [9:56] Getting to know aralia berry
• [14:30] Medicinal benefits of aralia berry
• [22:59] Life of the Party Elixir recipe
• [26:48] Aralia berry for depletion, grief, and reconnection
• [32:07] Growing and harvesting tips for aralia berry
• [38:10] What does a clinical herbalist do?
• [43:38] Why mentorship matters in herbal practice
• [49:07] Mel’s online herbalism courses
• [54:41] An herbal mistake that ultimately made Mel a better herbalist
• [59:01] Student spotlight
• [1:00:02] Herbal tidbit

Get Your Free Recipe Download!

-- TIMESTAMPS -- 

• 00:32 - Introduction to Mel Kasting + Mel’s plant path
• 09:37 - Getting to know aralia berry
• 14:12 - Medicinal benefits of aralia berry
• 22:58 - Life of the Party Elixir recipe
• 26:48 - Aralia berry for depletion, grief, and reconnection
• 32:09 - Growing and harvesting tips for aralia berry
• 38:19 - What does a clinical herbalist do?
• 44:00 - Why mentorship matters in herbal practice
• 49:31 - Mel’s online herbalism courses
• 55:12 - An herbal mistake that ultimately made Mel a better herbalist
• 59:32 - Student spotlight
• 1:00:32 - Herbal tidbit

Connect with Rosalee

• On Instagram | @rosaleedelaforet

• On Facebook | Herbs With Rosalee
• On YouTube | Herbs With Rosalee

• Website | herbswithrosalee.com


Are You Ready for More Herbal Inspiration?

The best way to get started is by joining my herbal community and weekly newsletter where I share my best herbal tips and insights.

When you join you’ll also get access to The Herbal Jumpstart Course which helps you figure out the best herbs for you.

Sign up below!

Yes!

Sign me up for weekly herbal tips, recipes, and insights. 

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy