I don’t advertise myself as an herbalist or natural healer but I have been working in the research and development of healing processes for over 15 years. I’ve taken classes and workshops with renowned herbalists, alternative and holistic healers, attended conferences and worked as a natural health advisor (for over 6 years). I grow and forage for my own medicinals and source others from reputable places. I have herbalist friends! And I seek out much knowledge and practices from around the world. Even as a teen (many many moons ago) I gravitated toward making my own teas and growing my own herbs, I was very limited then but the drive and desire for the knowledge and plant connection was there.
I believe deeply in our own ability to heal ourselves from nearly anything (save losing a limb, radiation poisoning, or other acute conditions) or at least minimizing the damage and supporting our systems, if given the right tools. It’s not that I don’t believe in allopathic healing; I just think it is used more often than it should be (it is emergency medicine, not preventative or supportive, it is also cascading and makes itself self-reliant). There are many types of holistic care — many of which I prefer to go to experienced healers for (much bodywork takes years to understand and complete pictures of not just the human body but an individuals own experiential and physical make up — I admire and am amazed by the dedicated work of these folks), but for the day to day, I can manage many of my own (and my family’s) needs.
I also believe that plants, especially (and especially in our shared space and time), have a knowledge of what we (and they) need, as well. In a time of deep respiratory concern (whether from pollution or viral), Mullein, Nettles, Plantain, and Goldenrod appear near and ready. Close by a patch of Poison Ivy, many times Jewelweed (the cure and mitigation) grows. From my own experience of my severe lymph issues, I was happy to learn about Cleavers (which then began to grow in great patches of my field, along with never before seen Milk Thistle). And we can enhance these medicinals with plantings of our own (since much of our ‘wild’ medicines have been eradicated from their native places and free sowings) like Echinacea, Elderberry, and Bee Balms. Last year, my body (and mind) was finally ready to tackle some big shifts and maintain some equilibrium and St. Johns Wort began growing in my herb garden.
This is not to say I think there is a sentient being bestowing blessings upon me, but I don’t believe in coincidence, either. I am not one to believe there is a reason for everything that attends to a great and culminating design, however, I think there are reasons by many agencies unbeknownst to us at any given time — so, not a design, per se, but decisive or called for directions (most having nothing to do with us humans). Such as the natural conditions of Jewelweed are also the natural conditions for Poison Ivy (because the cure and the ill are not just about humans) and that they offer each other support in a way I do not know that just happen to benefit me (but not me, because my body is unaffected by the urushiol, surprisingly since my body also naturally attracts so freaking many things out in the world trying to eat me or give me rashes).
And I struggle with folks who fight the idea that there are herbal medicinals because simply put: 1) where do you think the original medicines came from and 2) why do you bother to eat apples or anything you think is ‘good for you’ if you don’t believe it affects you. So, with that said, last Summer and Fall I put up tinctures of St. Johns Wort, Lemon Balm, Evening Primrose (root, flower, and seed), Hawthorn, Cleavers, dried Red Clover blossoms and Raspberry Leaf, Monarda, Yarrow, Boneset, Mullein, Caledula, more Cleavers and Usnea. I sourced some Antler Reishi (and got some Hemlock Shelf beauties yesterday from a friend!) and Chaga, dried Elderberries, Skullcap, Milky Oats, and Lavender. I like tinctures, teas, and baths though I have a friend who makes elixirs and another who likes capsules. There are many plants and stages of plants I prefer fresh and that is where my daily and seasonal foraging comes into play — I never believe that what I eat is just food. It should all be medicine and all has an effect.
This year I’m hoping to add more barks and roots to my medicines (likely willow and witch hazel, maybe prickly ash, buckthorn, and wild cherry, as well along with burdock, mallow, and sarsaparilla). And I’ve added Horehound, Ashwaganda, and Vervain to my garden.
My beautiful Tulips (J & D) made me some apothecary shelves a couple of years ago which I store all my goods, plus many herbal books, tools, tea making supplies, etc. They help me take good care of myself and them. I’m onto drying and tincturing that new Reishi and being in the garden today to get ready for new plant babies.
Rock Bottom Homestead 