About Us


Our online, self-paced courses and in-depth resources offer a portal into the realm of aromatic medicine. Deepen your connection to the natural world, create your own custom fragrances and remedies from natural botanicals, and explore the ritual of scent.

OUR STORY

Since our founding in 2014, we’ve helped thousands of students from around the world develop the confidence and skills to craft their own homemade incense, natural perfume, and herbal products. From herbalists and aromatherapists to incense connoisseurs, product makers, and total beginners, our courses are a great fit for anyone who wishes to unlock the power of plants for joy, healing, ritual, and connection.

Located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, we draw endless inspiration from the sacred, fern-soaked lands of this region. Our Founder, Evan Sylliaasen, finds great joy in harvesting richly scented resins, saps, gums, flowers, and other plant parts near our headquarters, and throughout all of our courses we share tips for how you, too, can learn to harvest and enjoy the fragrant plants near your home. Because some beloved aromatics are mainly grown overseas - like frankincense and myrrh - we also interweave helpful information about sourcing exotic plant material while keeping sustainability top of mind.

By sharing this Earth-centered wisdom, we hope to empower our students to connect with the aromatic plants of the world - learning to recognize and appreciate each one’s unique gift for the mind, body, and spirit.


Nature doesn’t judge for age, race, religion, gender, sexual preference, or political affiliation - and neither do we. If you’re inspired by the ancient craft of aromatic medicine, and you hope to make the Earth a bit greener in the process - then you’ve found your people.


MEET THE TEAM

Our Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine team ignites the teachings and knowledge of time-tested aromatic practices for the world to experience. We’re grateful to be surrounded by a community of like-minded botanical experts who help us bring the earthy and floral energies of the fragrant arts right to your home.

Evan Sylliaasen | Founder & Visionary

As an artisan incense crafter, aromatherapist, and herbalist, Evan has been sharing the ancient wisdom of traditional aromatherapy for 15 years.

Erika Galentin, MNIMH, RH | Instructor 

Erika Galentin is a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, distiller, grower, and medicine-maker who consults from Sovereignty Herbs in Athens & Columbus, OH.

Summer Goon | Operations & Student Support Manager

Summer is a folk herbalist and administrative magic maker living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Melissa Szaro | Content Manager

A clinical herbalist and yoga teacher based in Portland, OR, Melissa regularly taps into the energy of the plants through her personal herbal practice, Blossom & Thorn.

Dawn Gibson | Content Creator & Social Media Manager

Originally from a small community in Saskatchewan, Canada, Dawn grew up nurturing an intimate relationship with nature.

Tyler Penor | Videographer & Photographer

Tyler is a film photographer, videographer, and astrologer who lives on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington state with his partner, herbalist Mamie Wartelle, and their daughter.


We’ve had the pleasure of teaching more than 3,000 students from 67 countries, and we’d love for you to join our aromatic community!

All courses are online and experienced in your space, on your time. Your fragrant journey awaits!

Over the years, Dawn has nourished her partnership with the botanical world by studying herbalism, the aromatic arts, and the ancient practice of Ayurveda. Dawn is currently in her second year at the Ayurvedic Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, where she completed the Ayurvedic Health Counselor program in June 2022 and has continued on to the Ayurvedic Practitioner Program.

Dawn is deeply inspired by her teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, whose teachings have allowed her to understand how divinely connected we are to the world around us. Over the course of two years, her studies have included Ayurvedic principles and therapeutics, herbal medicine, Sanskrit, yoga, pranayama, nutrition, meditation, dinacharya, Vedic astrology, marma, pulse examination, Eastern philosophy, pathophysiology, and anatomy. Her deep love for herbalism and Ayurveda led her to the perfumed world of aromatic arts where she has learned to incorporate fragrant botanicals into a clinical and therapeutic setting. She welcomes the healing aromas of plants into her practice through medicinal preparations, incense, and aromatherapeutic essential oils.

Dawn’s educational background also includes courses in Western herbal medicine, a 200-hour yoga teacher training, and a diploma in photojournalism. Over the last six years, she has been writing professionally. In her free time, Dawn finds great joy in traveling, practicing yoga, cooking, and gardening, and has a fervent love for forever learning and creating.

You can follow her on Instagram @_thebreakofdawn.

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Erika Galentin is a Clinical Herbalist, aromatherapist, distiller, grower, and medicine-maker, consulting from Sovereignty Herbs in Athens & Columbus, OH. She holds a degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK and Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Glasgow, UK. She is a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and the American Herbalists Guild (USA). Over a decade of clinical practice has provided a platform for witnessing the efficacy of medicinal plants and aromatics within a clinical environment. It is through this clinical practice that Erika seeks to encourage positive, learned relationships between plants and people and people and their bodies. She is a firm believer in celebrating the role that emotions and the psyche play in the ecology of our physical terrain. In addition to clinical practice, Erika is both a student and teacher of horticulture, native medicinal plant conservation and ecology, and the phenomenological and Goethean study of plants and their medicinal virtues. Erika participates as a member of the Education Committee of the American Herbalists Guild as well as the Stewardship Committee of Appalachia Ohio Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of land and water in Southeast Ohio.

Over the last decade, Erika has dedicated her time to excelling in her clinical practice. She achieved a degree in herbal medicine from the University of Wales in Cardiff, UK, and the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in Glasgow, UK. She continued on to become a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and the American Herbalists Guild (U.S.).

Erika’s practice provides a clinical stage to observe the nature of plants and aromatics. Through this herbal journey, Erika seeks to encourage positive, learned relationships between plants and people and people and their bodies. She’s a firm believer in celebrating the role that emotions and the psyche play in the ecology of our physical terrain.

In addition to her clinical practice, Erika is both a student and teacher of horticulture, native medicinal plant conservation and ecology, and the phenomenological and Goethean study of plants and their medicinal virtues. Erika is a member of the Education Committee of the American Herbalists Guild and the Stewardship Committee of Appalachia Ohio Alliance, which is dedicated to the conservation of land and water in Southeast Ohio.

You can follow her on Instagram @themedicinegardener and @sovereigntyherbs.

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Evan started out as an incense connoisseur in high school and quickly harnessed the ritualistic, medicinal, and enjoyable benefits of incense. After studying aromatherapy, herbalism, Ayurveda, and Western Alchemy in 2008, Evan began his role as Head Incense Formulator for his own sustainable incense company, Higher Mind Incense, in 2011. Shortly after, Evan founded The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine in 2014 to share the age-old power and gift of the aromatic arts and to guide others on their own plant-filled journeys.

With Evan’s guidance, aromatherapists, herbalists, at-home healers, and incense enthusiasts travel through ancient realms of scent - building a deeper connection with plants, expanding their scope of holistic healing, and crafting their own unique blends and formulas. Through virtual teaching, Evan offers the practice of aromatic arts as a profound therapeutic tool to support a healthy, balanced, and joyful life.

Evan draws endless inspiration from Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula where he lives with his wife and sons. He’s an avid hiker, outdoorsman, and gardener who loves to explore nature’s bioregional bounties with his family. One of Evan’s favorite pastimes is foraging botanicals like fir resin, Poplar buds, and rhododendron flowers for personal incense crafting.

Evan completed a one-on-one advanced aromatherapy mentorship under aromatherapy pioneer, Avraham Sand, in 2012 and went on to study herbalism under his close friend Sajah Popham, founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. He elevated his aromatherapy expertise through his studies under master aromatherapist, David Crow, in 2013 and began working as a spagyricist and tincturist at Natura Sofia (formally Organic Unity) that same year. Evan continues to learn and feel inspired by his teacher, mentor, and traditional alchemist and chemist, Robert Bartlett.

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Erika Galentin is a Clinical Herbalist, aromatherapist, distiller, grower, and medicine-maker, consulting from Sovereignty Herbs in Athens & Columbus, OH. She holds a degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK and Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Glasgow, UK. She is a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and the American Herbalists Guild (USA). Over a decade of clinical practice has provided a platform for witnessing the efficacy of medicinal plants and aromatics within a clinical environment. It is through this clinical practice that Erika seeks to encourage positive, learned relationships between plants and people and people and their bodies. She is a firm believer in celebrating the role that emotions and the psyche play in the ecology of our physical terrain. In addition to clinical practice, Erika is both a student and teacher of horticulture, native medicinal plant conservation and ecology, and the phenomenological and Goethean study of plants and their medicinal virtues. Erika participates as a member of the Education Committee of the American Herbalists Guild as well as the Stewardship Committee of Appalachia Ohio Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of land and water in Southeast Ohio.

Over the last decade, Erika has dedicated her time to excelling in her clinical practice. She achieved a degree in herbal medicine from the University of Wales in Cardiff, UK, and the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in Glasgow, UK. She continued on to become a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and the American Herbalists Guild (U.S.).

Erika’s practice provides a clinical stage to observe the nature of plants and aromatics. Through this herbal journey, Erika seeks to encourage positive, learned relationships between plants and people and people and their bodies. She’s a firm believer in celebrating the role that emotions and the psyche play in the ecology of our physical terrain.

In addition to her clinical practice, Erika is both a student and teacher of horticulture, native medicinal plant conservation and ecology, and the phenomenological and Goethean study of plants and their medicinal virtues. Erika is a member of the Education Committee of the American Herbalists Guild and the Stewardship Committee of Appalachia Ohio Alliance, which is dedicated to the conservation of land and water in Southeast Ohio.

You can follow her on Instagram @themedicinegardener and @sovereigntyherbs.

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Summer's herbal education began at the Self-Heal School of Herbal Studies in San Diego, CA. From there, she shifted her focus to bioregional herbalism of the Southwest U.S. in 2019 and completed a wild food and medicine apprenticeship with Daisy Jones of Daily Daisy Botanicals.

Throughout her apprenticeship with Daisy, Summer nurtured a deeper understanding of plant wisdom and traditional uses in food & medicine. During her  journey with herbs, Summer decided to incorporate the fragrant world of aromatic botanicals into her path by taking the Traditional Incense Crafting course at the NW School of Aromatic Medicine. Her adoration for this perfumed practice grew, adding another beautiful layer to her work with plants and enhancing her experience in ways beyond imagination. The influence of fragrant arts led her to quickly jump on the opportunity to work with Evan and other aromatic experts in 2020.

Summer is a mother to two adult sons and loves to cook in her downtime. She’s passionate about supporting local regenerative agriculture and she and her husband recently moved to Western North Carolina to pursue a lifelong dream of building a tiny homestead where they can grow food and medicine to share with their friends & neighbors. Summer finds great pleasure in leading medicine-making circles and workshops in her local community.

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Over the years, Dawn has nourished her partnership with the botanical world by studying herbalism, the aromatic arts, and the ancient practice of Ayurveda. Dawn is currently in her second year at the Ayurvedic Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, where she completed the Ayurvedic Health Counselor program in June 2022 and has continued on to the Ayurvedic Practitioner Program.

Dawn is deeply inspired by her teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, whose teachings have allowed her to understand how divinely connected we are to the world around us. Over the course of two years, her studies have included Ayurvedic principles and therapeutics, herbal medicine, Sanskrit, yoga, pranayama, nutrition, meditation, dinacharya, Vedic astrology, marma, pulse examination, Eastern philosophy, pathophysiology, and anatomy. Her deep love for herbalism and Ayurveda led her to the perfumed world of aromatic arts where she has learned to incorporate fragrant botanicals into a clinical and therapeutic setting. She welcomes the healing aromas of plants into her practice through medicinal preparations, incense, and aromatherapeutic essential oils.

Dawn’s educational background also includes courses in Western herbal medicine, a 200-hour yoga teacher training, and a diploma in photojournalism. Over the last six years, she has been writing professionally. In her free time, Dawn finds great joy in traveling, practicing yoga, cooking, and gardening, and has a fervent love for forever learning and creating.

You can follow her on Instagram @_thebreakofdawn.

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After completing her degree in Sustainability and Sustainable Ecosystems, Melissa’s natural values led her to study herbalism at the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine where she completed her clinical herbalist certificate. Inspired to share her wealth of herbal knowledge, Melissa founded her own herbal business, Blossom & Thorn, where she crafts small-batch products that are sourced with respect and care and handmade with love. She weaves all of her passions and her vast connection with local herbs into her plant practice.

Along with Melissa’s mission to provide sustainable, effective herbal offerings, she finds great joy in leading Plant Spirit Meditation circles and herbalism workshops at the Elderberry School and other various herb shops. Apart from her herbal path, she received Trauma-Informed yoga teacher training through Living Yoga and is an E-RYT 200 yoga teacher. Melissa’s aromatic journey began with the collection and ritualistic burning of incense made from local evergreens, like cedar and douglas fir. She was excited to join the fragrant community after her herbal endeavors caught the eyes of The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine.

When not working on one of her healing-inspired projects, you can find Melissa gardening, rock climbing, volunteering, crafting herbal medicine, camping, or spending time in nature with her dog, Rudy. Her dream is to continue sharing plant medicine and empower others with accessible education.

You can follow her on Instagram @blossomandthornbotanicals.

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Tyler’s unique astrology style is rooted in the present moment and in the concept of living in tune with nature and its cycles. He is the Founder of The School Of Living Astrology, a fully online school that offers a range of programs from Seasonal Cosmology to an in-depth, comprehensive, astrology training course.

Since establishing The School of Living Astrology, Tyler has also pursued his passion for cinematic arts and now supports nature-oriented businesses with video production and photography. Tyler and Evan have been close friends for decades and are excited to be bridging their talents and passions on upcoming projects!

Tyler's long-term dream is to not only have a successful video-production company running alongside The School of Living Astrology, but to also open a brick-and-mortar film shop in the tiny seaside town where he lives with his wife and daughter. When he's not editing photos or teaching, you can find Tyler playing the Native American flute, expressing his creativity through leather or beadwork, and cruising around on his one-wheel with a vintage film camera (or two, or three).

You can follow him on Instagram @living_astrology.

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