I’m a Medicine Woman, Too!
by Jesse Wolf Hardin
© Hops Press 2009, 8.5×11” Hardcover, 48 pages
35 Full Color Illustrations  ISBN 978-1-892784-31-5

So here it is, folks! The beautiful hardback edition of I’m a Medicine Woman, Too! published by HOPS Press is finally available. Wolf and I put a huge amount of work into this project and I am so incredibly proud of the end result! This empowering story has touched both adults and children, and the artwork enchanted everyone from tiny toddlers to proud fathers to smiling abuelas nostalgic for their own childhood learnings and yearnings. 

Many of you will be interested in knowing that part of the proceeds of the donations for this book will go towards the writing, design and publishing (which will probably be done by our own small Sweet Medicine Press) of my upcoming Medicine Woman’s Herbal. If we make enough, we might even be able to pay for offset printing of a color edition of the book which would be more affordable than color print on demand and more beautiful than b&w print on demand. 

If you do purchase the book we would love to hear your thoughts and comments, thank you so much for reading!!!

We are so grateful to the support and encouragement of people like John and Kimberly Gallagher, Rosemary Gladstar,  Jim McDonald, Thomas Elpel and all our wonderful readers who’ve helped make this amazing book possible!

~Kiva

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 Finally available, personally signed hardback copies, with a FREE signed Medicine Woman art print ready for framing:

I’M A MEDICINE WOMAN TOO!
Herbal Wisdom & Personal Empowerment for Budding Healers & Daydream Believers

An illustrated story of self discovery and personal empowerment for all children and adults alike… and not only for budding healers but everyone heeding a calling, seeking a purpose or pursuing a vital dream

Written & Illustrated by
Jesse Wolf Hardin

    “I believe I’m holding a new children’s classic, a book that will be treasured by children –and their parents – for years to come.”
-Rosemary Gladstar, Herbalist, author of The Family Herbal

The author’s delightful daughter Rhiannon was the inspiration and model for this tale of realization and growth, as she first resists believing she could ever be a Medicine Woman like the herbalists and healers she’s met, but then realizes the ways in which she is already the woman of power she hopes to be!  Includes a “Name the Herb” medicinal plant identification game.

Notice: The first 250 people to order will receive a FREE hand signed and numbered (limited edition of 250) color print of a new “The Medicine Woman Tradition” drawing by the author and illustrator, as seen below, ready for you to frame and hang!  Rhiannon was the model, along with Mama Kiva of course!

Personally Signed Copies

• In the US: $15. Donation + $6.50 Priority Shipping
• In Mexico & Canada:  $15. Donation + $9.00 Shipping
• International Orders: $15. Donation + $11.00 Shipping
• 3 Signed Copies: $40. Donation + $10. Priority Shipping

Click here for book excerpts or to place your order

To see photos of Rhiannon modeling the making of the enchanting Rose Elixir, Check out the Kiva’s new lesson on LearningHerbs.com

And click here for information on Animá Medicine Woman Courses & Events

When ordering directly from us instead of somewhere like Amazon, you should know that only $7 of the cost goes to the publisher, Hops Press, whereas the other $8 is able to help support the continued restoration of the Animá Botanical Sanctuary and our Medicine Woman herbal and lifeways school!

Be sure to tell us the name of the person you would like it signed to, and a little about you or them!

Finally, you likely understand the degree to which we depend on people like you to spread the word about “I’m a Medicine Woman Too!” and its message of personal empowerment to others who might benefit and enjoy.  If you know of any independent book stores or herb shops that might want to carry it, please take a minute to show them your copy and suggest they contact Hops Press directly for wholesale quantities.  And when emailing your friends about it or posting on forums and blogs, kindly include our Medicine Woman Too website address: www.medicinewomantoo.com  The site includes excerpts and more art samples as well as PayPal buttons for easy ordering of your signed copies.

We sure appreciate you interest and help, and Rhiannon as well as all of us would indeed LOVE to hear you impressions of this book and how it affects you, as well as any reactions or responses from its younger readers.

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The Author & Illustrator

Jesse Wolf Hardin is the author of 7 books and over 500 published articles, a teacher of Animá nature-inspired practice and cofounder of the Animá Medicine Woman tradition.  He and his partners offer empowering online courses, as well as counsel and healing consultations, retreats and Summer events at their botanical sanctuary in the enchanted wildlands of Southwest New Mexico.  His work has been praised by luminaries from Gary Snyder, Paul Winter, Edward Abbey and Joanna Macy to Terry Tempest Williams.

“Wolf’s work helps us to see the world as whole – even holy.” 
–Terry Tempest Williams

“My initial inspiration,” the author writes, “included not only my daughter Rhiannon, but all those kids who from an early age seem inclined towards self exploration, challenge and growth, sometimes longing for meaning and a special purpose as much as they desire fun and love.  This includes the fortunate daughters of herbalists and healers, looking for affirmation, positive archetypes and strong women models to look up to…. as well as all the other little girls who seem called to tend and heal, or who feel drawn to the amazing ways of nature and intimate company of plants.  It was halfway through putting this book together that I realized I was actually doing it for every child including little boys – and indeed every person regardless of their years on the planet – who might be able to benefit from it’s core theme: learning to believe in ourselves enough to dare to live our dreams.”

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“I felt the voice of the Earth Mother herself speak from the pages of I’m A Medicine Woman Too!. The sense of presence and higher awareness will benefit younger and those with accumulated years as well. A fine offering to raise consciousness!”
-Margi Flint AHG HM, author of The Practicing Herbalist

“A book thoroughly enjoyed by both myself and my little boys, I’m a Medicine Woman, Too! entices us not to look to others for ourselves, but rather to go within and bring out what we are, and know in doing so that we give the world around us what it needs.  That such an important insight is accompanied by such beautiful images makes this book even more of a treasure.
-Jim McDonald, astute Herbalist and teacher

“I’m a Medicine Woman, Too! is full of wisdom, beauty and encouragement not only for young girls, but for people of all ages. The author’s exquisite illustrations quickly draw the reader in and cleverly teach about healing plants. A high recommendation to empower all medicine women!”
-Lesley Tierra, author of Healing with the Herbs of Life

“This is just the kind of story I want my children hearing over and over – the kind of story that will help them grow into themselves with grace and beauty.”
-Kimberly Gallagher, M.Ed., CCH, LearningHerbs.com & HerbMentor.com

“I’m a Medicine Woman, Too! is a wonderful book to connect children with herbal traditions.  The story role-models an ethic of healing and caring for other people and honoring our elders.  The delightful illustrations touch the reader at an emotional level, compelling us to become healers too.”
-Thomas J. Elpel, author of Botany in a Day and Shanleya’s Quest

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For The Weeds of Summer Blogparty hosted by Darcey Blue over at Gaia’s Gifts

Prequel: An Irreverent Introduction to Weeds and Other Wild Things

Unruly and feral, weeds annoy us with their promiscuous strut and blatant disregard for convention and known boundaries. Many of them are immigrants and gypsies, with a reputation for sneaking into happy domestic scenes with troubling ease and for taking over the garden party with a sensual but insistent tangle of tendrils and roots. Some, like Sacred Datura, Stinging Nettles or Poison Ivy, burn or hurt the human hand who attempts to pull or hack them from their desired home. Others, such as the Asian Elm so common to the Southwest, suck much needed groundwater into themselves and away from the parched surroundings or, like Salt Cedar, create an environment inhospitable to all other plant. Some, such as Horehound, create a veritable monocultures as they rapidly overcome the native ecology. And some, like Dandelion, seem almost benevolent with their cheery smiles and myriad medicinal uses.

Most all of them have little use for human coddling or outside permission for their movement and growth. They will cheerfully crowd out delicate garden specimens, spreading out their roots and settling in comfortably between the petunias and tea roses and sometimes strangling the life right out of weaker, less well adapted (to a particular environs) plants. What they all have in common, is attitude.

Weeds serve as an icon to outcasts and misfits, representing the outlaw nature of all things strong, wild and hellbent on not only surviving, but proliferating. If we cannot find it in our hearts to love them we can at least step back and respect their tenacity and intelligence as inspiration in our own species’ quest to adapt and thrive. Many of our most common weeds seem to love the company of humans and follow us wherever we go, serving as food, medicine, plague, decoration, pest and sometimes all of the above.

What we call weeds tend to grow in disturbed ground where human impact is obvious, whether in vacant lots, tilled farmland or roadsides. These plants are looking a new frontier to colonize, but they’re also often active healers of hurt land. Many weeds restore much needed nutrients to ground often stripped of its topsoil or severely burned. It’s also important to remember that “invasive aliens” act not from a place of malicious intent (a trait primarily constrained to humans, I’m afraid), but are more reacting to their relatively sudden loss of context and ecology they have evolved to. In many cases of invasive species taking over, there is some initial degradation to the original environment that allows for new and different plants to move in and become dominant species. And sorry folks, that patch of dirt you dug up and call a garden? That’s the disturbed ground that a weed calls “easy pickins.’”

It would be foolhardy to attempt to place a value judgment upon these wild creatures, especially the categorical labels of the typical human who sees whatever benefits us as good and whatever hurts or detracts from our goals as bad. In the end, weeds, like everything (and everyone) else, want to live. It’s that simple. They, like us, are designed and adapted to survive, thrive and spread. Whether we or they are beneficial to the larger picture, is a whole different matter (and post).

Truth is, all plants have been around far longer than we, and even the most maddening Bindweed or voracious Japanese Honeysuckle tribes are our elders and teachers. This doesn’t mean that it’s not sometimes appropriate to relocate or pull a plant, but it’s a fine balance between the human arrogance that allows us to believe we are and should be in control and the reality that we are only one tiny piece of the living being we call planet Earth.

So here we are, a bit of writing on one of the planet’s most infamous and cursed weeds — the much maligned Stinging Nettle, often addressed in english expletives even ~I~ won’t publish in my blog.

How a Plant Makes You Like Them, or, More Redeeming Features of Stinging Nettle

Urtica spp. (U. dioica is probably the most common, but I work with U. gracilenta, our local Mountain Nettle)

Usually I like to go for the lesser known bioregional herbs for blogparty topics like this, but there’s such a dearth of information on this particular aspect of a very well known weed, that I wanted to use this opportunity to expand upon my previous writing and clarify about the harvesting and preparation process.

Whenever I say Nettle to anyone remotely interested in herbs, their eyes light right up (the opposite effect it has on your average rancher or landowner). Thanks in part to Susun Weed’s writings as well as the widespread reach of the plant itself, this is one of North America’s most common and well-loved herbs. It’s so familiar in fact, that it’s hard to get past many people’s preconceptions on what part of the plant to work with and how. I usually need to say the words ‘seeds’ at least several times before the person slows down, makes a confused face and starts to stutter about ‘so and so says’ and ‘well, I’ve always…’

Not that there’s anything wrong with the leaf (or the root, for that matter), it’s a fabulous food and medicine and one of my most used remedies without a doubt. We just need to expand our vision a little to include a bigger picture of this vital native remedy. Nettle seed is almost always one of the first herbs I think of when a case of renal failure or deep adrenal depletion comes up. Yes, Nettle leaf is good for the kidneys and adrenals (as well as the rest of the endocrine system) and is certainly a nourishing medicine. However, the seed is far less cooling and drying and has a far deeper nutritive and restorative effect upon the kidneys and adrenals, making it more broadly suitable for deep-seated exhaustion or deficiency.

I have already written much about my experiences (both personal and clinical) with Nettle seeds which you can find at my website or in the blog archives as well as on the Herbwifery forums. As a quick summary though, I have seen several clients go from near renal failure to normal levels within a few months and I have also observed much improvement in mood, energy and general endocrine/nervous system health in clients with adrenal burnout.

Below are instruction based on my experience of harvesting, processing and using Nettle Seed.

When to Harvest

• When the little flower threads (covered in fluffy green pompoms) droops heavily towards the stem, it is ready to be harvested. The seeds will be fat, fluffy and vivid green (note that the seeds in the pic above are not yet ready to harvest). Here’s a very clear pic from Henriette of the exact moment in which to harvest.

When NOT to Harvest

• When you can still see little flowers on the threads.
• When the threads are still sticking straight out.
• When the seeds are brown.

HOW To Harvest

Remarkably easy, (Henriette has a post on this as well). Two methods:

1. Just take your gloved fingers (bare handed if you prefer, but you can get stung) and either remove the whole string and place in basket or bag.
2. Cut the whole top half or third of the Nettle off, place in basket or bag.

If your Nettles are annuals like ours, be extra careful to leave enough seeds to for the patch to reseed itself.

How to Process

1. If you cut the whole tops off, you can bundle and hang to dry over a newspaper or in a paper bag (don’t want any runaway seeds). If you just pulled the seeds off (my preferred method), just place in a thin layer on a finely woven drying basket, rack or on newspaper and turn regularly until dry.
2. Once the seeds are dry and removed from the plant, you need to put them through a sieve or something similar to get out any leaf or bug bits. Some people are very sensitive to Nettle dust, so do consider wearing a face mask to keep from breathing silica and Nettle particles into your lungs. Many people also recommend wearing gloves for this part, but I have generally found it unnecessary.
3. Now that you have a nice pile of bright green Nettle seeds, you need to jar them up and keep them in a dark, cool place. They can last at least several years this way.

How To Partake in Nettle Seed Magic

1. Eat ‘em (my preferred method), I just take anywhere from a pinch to a tsp. of seeds and chew them up very well, then swallow. Nice and simple and comes complete with trace minerals and other goodies. Dosage runs anywhere from a small pinch to a heaping TBS several times a day. Start small and build up. Too much is indicated by feeling overstimulated or unable to sleep or rest. Some people never get this at all, some people even from a tiny bit.
2. Tincture ‘em. Works very well as a kidney trophorestorative this way and moderately well as an adaptogen. You miss out on the extra mineral goodies though. Dosage starts at 2 drops and usually goes up to about a dropperful depending on the person and what exactly is going on in the body.
3. Use ‘em in food. In theory, this is a great idea and it does work well for small doses, especially in salt or gomasio blends, but it does often make it hard to actually get ENOUGH Nettle seeds into a very depleted person. AND, I don’t think heat does the medicine any favors, the fresh, non-cooked seeds seems the most potent to me.

What to Use ‘em For, or, Human-centric Reasons for Alliance (or at least tolerance).

1. Kidney Trophorestorative. Works shockingly well for many MANY cases of renal failure (even in latter stages) for people and other animals, even in cases of chronic or terminal disease. David Winston first gave us this use (direct from the Nettle, too) and it works on a miraculous level sometimes. My clinical experience with this has several times left me open-mouthed and speechless (a fairly difficult task to accomplish).
2. Adrenal Adaptogen. Utter magic for the adrenally depleted, especially if accompanied by exhaustion, nervousness and inability to concentrate. If you have adrenal burnout you’ve probably noticed how chronic fatigue can take the sparkle out of things, and make your thinking cloudy and muddled. Everything takes on a dull, grayish cast and you feel like you’re carrying a piano on your back just walking to the front door. So, Nettle seed is fairy dust for your adrenals, and brings back sparkle, clarity and spring to the step for many people with adrenal deficiency, even if there’s thyroid or other endocrine involvement. I’ve written extensively about Nettle seeds as an adaptogen, and so has Henriette, so please read more before using yourself.

Please Note: You cannot heal Adrenal burnout with JUST herbs (although you can sure as hell suppress it for a while). Stress reduction, lifestyle change and nutrition must also be a part of the package or there will be deeper burnout and a larger price to pay in the end. Please don’t use adaptogens as a crutch to burn yourself further out ( or as jim says, get out of the damned frying pan).

Warning: Fresh Nettle seeds can be extremely stimulating, enough to keep you up all night, so please use caution in their use. I suggest using only the dried for those with adrenal exhaustion.

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All Pics (c)2009 Kiva Rose

Monsoon season is a magical time in the Southwest. The air grows heavy, the clouds roll in and the thunder rumbles across the mountains. Within days of the arrival of the first storms, the golds and sages of the semi-arid woodlands, grasslands and meadows erupt into a riot of vibrant wildflowers and lush green growth. Although Summer is our busiest guest season, and I can’t keep caught up even with 13 hour work days, I simply can’t resist the siren call of the Canyon to come out and play.

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One of the most alluring of all the Canyon’s Summer plants, is the gorgeous Beebalm, known locally as Wild Oregano or Oregano de la Sierra, named for its strong, spicy flavor. Matthew Wood also notes that it has also been called Rose Balm by some authors, which of course is a name I like a great deal! While there are many varieties, both wild and ornamental, of Beebalm in North America, the most common spp. here is Monarda fistulosa var. menthaefolia, although we are also blessed with the presence of M. pectinata and M. punctata.

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Any of the spp. make a wonderful spice to use anywhere you would usually add Oregano, with which it has much in common. Our Beebalm tends to be spicier than Oregano, with a slightly buttery taste and an extra layer of lemon-tanged pungency that makes it excellent in beans, marinades, stews, chile, tomato sauces and many other dishes. The fresh flowers with their sweeter but still very spicy taste are wonderful in salsas, chutneys, many sauces and certainly as an infused honey!

~~~

Each year, to gather our annual harvest of Beebalm for both medicine  and food, we head up a long winding arroyo that runs next to the mesa into the higher, moister mountains. Halfway up is a special place we call the FaeryGrounds, a rippling staircase of crystal-studded black and red rock. It’s here where the Beebalm grows the richest and thickest, bursting from crevices and and cliff-sides in a vivid display of pink and purple flower fireworks.

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There’s no doubt that Beebalm is a magical flower, and one that specifically helps us to see the enchantment of the everyday. Its spicy-sweet taste and extraordinary blossoms bring us back to the present and urges us to notice the beauty and sweetness of life. This is a plant of movement, and excels at shifting circulation and energy outward and up in the body while clearing stagnation and heat.

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As a nervine, Beebalm is lightening and opening, and promotes a strong sense of euphoria, joy and calm. It’s a wonderful remedy for those with depression, sadness or anxiety based in stagnant or old emotions and situations. Combine with Rose for feelings of self-doubt, nagging depression and a feeling of not being able to move on from deeply sustained pain.

It does have the potential to be too diffusive and upward moving for some individuals, especially those with a tendency to be ungrounded, spacey and are already too diffused and uncentered. I have seen more than one vata/airy type person nearly float away on butterfly wings upon simply breathing deeply of Beebalm’s scent. Perfect for those people who have forgotten we can fly but sometimes uncomfortable for those who have trouble staying rooted.

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Further up the wash, past the FaeryGrounds, above the Butterfly Pool and among higher elevation plants such as Mountainspray, Wild Valerian, Gooseberry and Oregon Grape Root are the gorgeous Castle Rocks (as seen as above). Yet no matter how high you climb, there’s even more Beebalm gracing the mountain sides.

Beebalm is prolific but it doesn’t give the impression of working hard to keep its foothold in this rugged terrain, it simply seems to explode out of rock ledges and gravel with the immense ease and grace of someone well acquainted with their power and abilities. Even after the most ferocious floods and during long term droughts, this wildflower insists upon expression and fruition, predictably bursting into bloom every June.

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The culmination of Beebalm’s profound moving powers and it’s spicy oils results in it being one of the most effective herbs I’ve ever used in nearly any case of infection. My years of alliance with this plant have resulted in literally dozens of case studies illustrating its effectiveness in the treatment of MRSA and many other antibiotic resistant infections in myriad manifestations. This all began with reading Matt Wood’s original reference to the plant’s use for UTIs and chronic yeast infections in his classic Book of Herbal Wisdom. Experience and extrapolation has taught me that Beebalm’s usefulness extends to almost any infection, whether chronic or acute. I especially like it combined with Alder for the additional lymphatic and metabolic support.

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This gorgeous flower is also an effective and multifaceted diaphoretic, the spicy tea works wonderfully in many cold/flu/fever blends. Likewise, it’s a prime digestive herb in many cases of stagnation, fermentation and general gut inflammation.

Keep in mind as well, that Beebalm also make a great poultice, especially for for burns. Tincture, fomentation, infused honey and vinegar also make a great burn soother, especially when combined with Rose and/or Evening Primrose.  I adore Beebalm flower honey just for its incredible taste, but it is phenomenal as a burn dressing (including burned tongues!), cough syrup or sweet addition to a hot diaphoretic tea.

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In the middle of the arroyo, very near the Faerygrounds grows a beautiful old Velvet Ash tree whose roots were left partially exposed by our last large flood. In the gnarled fingers of the tree have collected stones, crystals, leaves and bits of wood and plants. The result is a bit of enchantment bound together by the elements and certainly a gift to us humans who happen upon it.

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Back home again, fresh from the river where the arroyo finally empties out, with my arms full of the bounty of wild land.  To read even more about this special indigenous American herb, you can also read my monograph on the Medicine Woman site.

All pics (c) 2009 Kiva Rose, except the portrait of me at the end which is (c)2009 Jesse Wolf Hardin

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Additional Reading:

Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Michael Moore

The Earthwise Herbal (New World Plants) by Matthew Wood

The Book of Herbal Wisdom by Matthew Wood

The Practice of Traditional Herbal Medicine by Matthew Wood

Personal correspondence with jim mcdonald

Here you’ll find a few pointers for both neophyte and tenured herbalists practicing in rural areas based on my own experience. Seeing as my community is a tiny village in the mountains of New Mexico, I have neither office nor herb store nearby so I am my own walking dispensatory and workspace most of the time. There’s lots of old-fashioned house calls and short followups in the general store here, and my work as an herbalist mingles and blends with everything else I do within the community rather than being a nine-to-five thing. I’m sure some of this applies to an urban practice as well, but I can only speak from what I know, so my tips are firmly situated from a country person’s perspective.

Be a Part of the Community.

I’m a fringe-dweller and loner by nature (and really, I’m kind of odd from anyone’s point of view) but I make an effort to get to know my neighbors and the local people. And despite differences (be they political, class, ethnicity etc.) I try to find some common ground. Around here, much of that’s based on being self-reliant, low-income and hard-working, which is something I really like and value about rural NM. The benefit of this is that people trust me with their kids and grandmas in a way they rarely grant to outsiders or city-slickers. They’re not afraid to tell me about their health woes or emotional ups and downs, and will often share more with me than with their doctor or spouse. And sometimes they tell me about how their great grandpa used herbs or the plants their abuela used for healing, sharing a bit of precious, nearly lost story and information of the land and people here.

Cultivate Mutual Respect

I try to be aware and sensitive to their cultural affinities and in return, ask them to treat me with respect even if they don’t like what they think they know about my religious views, parenting style, carnivorous eating habits or weird hippy clothes. I’m here to help people, and hopefully they’re here to be helped. It’s that simple.

At all costs, avoid politics! Raising the client’s blood pressure by arguing the merits or downfalls of the president, gun laws, abortion or immigration is not helpful to the healing process or respectful of their trust in you as their herbalist. And I say that as a very outspoken and opinionated woman (just ask anyone, heh). I’m not quiet about my views, I just save them for outside the intimacy and vulnerability of the practitioner/client relationship.

Consider Trade, Sliding Scale, Payment Plans and Donations.

Taking trade and donations are definitely not the way to make big bucks (but hell, if you were out for the bling, you probably wouldn’t have become an herbalist anyway, right?) but it does make your work accessible to many people who might not otherwise be able to afford an herbalist’s services. Being willing to take payments over time and using a sliding scale can also be very helpful, and may make a consultation more feasible to someone even if you ask for a set fee.

In order to prevent a client from becoming dependent on purchasing my medicines for their health maintenance, I try to teach each person how to gather and make their own medicines (yet another reason to use common, local plants), if they show even the slightest hint of interest. If they won’t or can’t make their own, I’m open to trade in the form of garden space, fresh eggs, handmade knives, garden grown veggies, chickens (no, really), wild meat, local honey, mechanic work, guns, and other useful things in addition to or instead of payment or donation.

And remember, accepting donations or even working for free doesn’t mean you’re devaluing or allowing other people to devalue your work and help. A gift isn’t worthless just because it didn’t cost the person any money. I’ve found that if my clients aren’t grateful and respectful of my gifts, I probably don’t need to be working with them. Respect yourself and your work at all times.

Focus on Local, Common Plants.

I know damn well that if I recommend that my clients go buy some proprietary herb extract or tea, chances are slim to none that they’ll ever do it. Same with local students, if I suggest they buy some Ginseng and Goldenseal from an herb farm, it’s never going to happen. These people can’t afford expensive plants from other places for the most part, nor would they know one end of a health food or herb store from another (and the closest one is at least two hours away). They may look at me like I’m loco for suggesting they pull those sticky buds off Cottonwood trees or eat the Mallow that’s taking over their garden, but they’ll know exactly what I’m talking about and how to go about it. If I were in an urban environment, I would likely have to change this around to suit local needs, but this is what works here.

People around here really like the words “free” and “cheap” and the idea that they can get food and medicine from their backyards and local riversides is appealing to them. So I mostly teach about local, very common, easily recognizable plants. Clients and students appreciate this and feel like they have something special on their own land, as indeed they do.

Simple Preparations.

People often get scared by the ideas of ratios and math when it comes to making tinctures, so I’m more likely to teach how to create simple teas, infusions and decoctions for both internal and external uses. Just about everyone drinks tea and/or coffee, which makes it easy to explain water based herbal preparations. For those who are more self-motivated and interested in the process, I’ll teach them the simpler-style proportions for tinctures and infused oils.

Stay in Familiar Settings & Maintain Focus.

I try to do my plant walks on well-known, well-liked local people’s land so that a variety of people feel welcome and on familiar territory. Once a group has had a good experience I’m more likely to do walk on wilder public land with them. Same goes for workshops, either at a local person’s home or at a well-known and easily accessed public place. Consultations usually take place in the local café, their home or on a bench outside the corner store. I try to keep things relaxed but focused, and refuse to compete with casual chatter or screaming children. I know from experience that distractions will keep the client from benefitting from or being able to integrate what I give them, so I’d rather wait until they have time to give it their full attention.

Work with Local Doctors and Health Care Practitioners.

Life as the village herbalist is a whole lot easier with a close alliance with the local general practitioner, chiropractor and other health care professionals. I’m especially blessed that our village doctor is a Seventh Day Adventist and so exceptionally open to alternative treatments. Even if your client base is only as broad as your immediate family, you’ll still likely be sharing them with a doctor or dentist. The more you can cooperate with them, the easier your life will be. It’s no fun at all for a client to feel like her doctor and herbalist are playing tug of war with her health by constantly negating each other’s advice and recommendations. Of course, I’m unlikely to ever encourage the use of statins in any case and they’re probably not going to understand my paleo/primal dietary guidelines but nevertheless, I try my damnedest work with and not against the doctors.

Be Human and Be a Role Model (At The Same Time)

It’s entirely too common for alternative health practitioners to try to project an image of purity and holiness, complete with self-righteous dietary rants and broad condemnation of other people’s lifestyles. A word to the wise: get over yourself. There’s no point in trying to be perfect for your community, they prefer you human and relatable — someone they can talk to without fearing judgement and vilification. Save the fire and brimstone for the local preacher, he’s probably better at it anyway.

The balance to being human for the herbalist is being a role model. They’re not really different, after all, just two sides of the same coin. The reality is that people will watch you. They want to see your humanness but they’ll trust your help more if you can take your own advice. If you stress nutritional measures in your consultations, be prepared to answer questions about your own diet and have people be annoyingly interested in your plate when you’re in the local café.  In the city, it may be possible to maintain some kind of professional anonymity, but in a village with a population of 300, not so much. I’m not saying you have to be the perfect model of health and moderation, or even that you have to give up your two pack a day habit. Just that the more you can consistently come from a place of authenticity and down to earth wholeness, the more the medicine will peek out from your own face and come tumbling out of your mouth. It’s not JUST the plants after all, you personally are a big part of the healing your clients will receive from your work. So go ahead and get comfortable with that now, and settle in for the long haul.

Please Forward to Friends & Post to Any Forums– Announcing:

The Shaman Path Intensive
(for both men and women)

July 2nd - 5th, 2009

www.animacenter.org

A 3 day intensive held not in a classroom but an ancient Place Of Power. Taught by Jesse Wolf Hardin and Medicine Woman Traditon cofounder Kiva Rose … with the focus on realizing a deep and experiential understanding of empowered self… and on redefining the role of the contemporary shaman in terms of envisioning possibilities: maximizing awareness, discovering purpose, bridging the worlds, and personal, community and ecological healing.

“The change of direction can be accomplished only through what Carl Jung has referred to as ‘an obedience to awareness’.”
-Joan Halifax  The Wounded Healer

Specific topics will depend on the needs and desires of the participants, but may include:
• Developing conscious hyperpresence, hyperawareness, hypersentience, precognition and intuition, tapping primal instinct
• Sensing, connecting with, drawing energy and discerning lessons from the various manifestations of the earthen spirit.
• Recognizing and learning from our kindred spirits, including our animal totems
• Reshaping perception
• Plant medicines and teachers
• Moving energy, and the Animá principals of healing
• The Animá Medicine Wheel
• Reincorporating the scattered or denied parts of our whole selves. Reintegrating mind, body, heart, spirit and earth.

“Kiva, your class and counsel has been transforming for me and I continue to reap the benefits of your teachings daily. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have you both as a dear friend and mentor. Your canyon medicines are amazing!”
- Angie Goodloe, Herbalist and Medicine Woman Student

Kiva will do the opening teaching session with the help of Loba, orienting, defining, grounding and evoking…. as well as discuss plant medicines and teachers, cofaciliate a Medicine Wheel discussion and possibly lead a plant walk if there are enough requests.   Wolf will join Kiva teaching any other topics the group chooses to focus on, and will provide shamanic drumming at a special location on Saturday night.

    “A surprising experience; archaic, fresh, future, wild, refined, all at once… my respects to Jesse Wolf Hardin.”
-Gary Snyder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Together participants walk through the portal of the feeling heart, to enter into deeper connection with the daily miraculous… taking responsibility as potentially powerful, artful co-creators of our world and our reality. Those wishing, have the option of spending a night or more out on a mini-quest, or otherwise customize the weekend experience to best meet their needs.

“I find Kiva Rose to be wise, inspiring, inquisitive and kind…and surefooted, as she walks the land and learns from the green growing things.”
-Kimberly Arana, Herbalist, Propriatress of The Blessed Thistle

“Jesse’s voice inspires our passion to take us further — seeing the world whole — even holy.”
-Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge

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To Participate, Click Here For Your Shaman Path Registration Form:

shamans-path-intensive-registration.doc

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 Download this Announcement without photos, to kindly forward and post:

shaman-intensive-announcement.rtf

If you’d be willing to printout Shaman Intensive Flyers and post them in appropirate places, please dowload the file here:

 Shaman Path Intensive Flyer

And click here to read Jesse’s essay: “The Shaman: Awakening the Powers Within”:

5-shaman-path-essay.doc

Logistics & Particulars will be mailed to anyone sending in a Registration Form.

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    “Jesse Wolf Hardin has a true understanding of embodied spirituality – the sacred spirit in nature and in human beings… not as an abstraction but in ways sensual, practical, and transformative.” 
-Starhawk, author of  Spiral Dance

  “Wolf sings us Full Circle to the raw, sweet wildness within, and calls us forward to the future primeval.”

-Joanna Macy, author of World As Self, World As Lover

“Kiva Rose inspires me. Her passion, fascination and perpetual curiosity of plants, people, nature, and the relationship that binds them in wholeness stirs those touched by it; encourages our own listening, our own insights and musings.  Kiva, in a word, rocks.”
-Jim McDonald, Practicing Herbalist, Teacher & Author

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Thank you very much for forwarding this announcement, and posting it on any forums or sites you may be involved with.

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I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
- Mary Oliver

Nature was my first mother.
I memorized the forest floor as I would
my mother’s body. This forest skin
smelled like pine sap and sweet rot, and
it stained my diapers green and
perfumed my hair, which was always
tangled with bits of leaves, small sticks,
and moss…
- Brenda Peterson, Nature and Other Mothers

Botanical Name: Salvia spp. (Most commonly Salvia officinalis, but nearly any aromatic Sage will work, including Salvia apiana, Salvia subincisa, Salvia lemmoni, Salvia carnosa and many others )

Taste: Aromatic, acrid, sl. bitter to very bitter (depending on spp.), oily (in the more aromatic species usually), slightly to moderately astringent

Energetics: Cool-warm (variable temperature herb), dry
Actions: relaxant/stimulating diaphoretic, nervous system trophorestorative and relaxant/stimulating nervine, aromatic digestive (carminative and spasmolytic), cognitive tonic (nootropic), vulnerary, mild astringent, blood tonic, oily tonic

Specific Indications: Poor circulation with cold extremities, skin soft and relaxed, concurrent anxiety and depression, tremors or shaking, excessive fluid loss or lack of body fluids, low specific gravity urine, blood stasis or loss, overall weakness with myalgia and chronic headache, chronic sore throat

The scent of Sage has always had comforting connotations for me. Even as a child, I was well known for my tendency to use ridiculous amounts of the aromatic herb in almost everything I cooked, from spaghetti to stew to salad dressing. To me, the plant tasted and smelled like something so soothing I couldn’t get enough of it — like the strong, sweet arms of a smiling mother whose hair holds the scent of spices, rich soil and summer. In retrospect, I can see how that sensitive little girl was already stressed and in need of the nourishment and centering Sage offers to both body and mind. When I began my herb garden in my parent’s back yard, Sage was among my very first plants, and I eventually grew many different varieties of Salvia, both culinary and ornamental, simply because I was so enamored of the calming spirit of this generous species. I would often kneel in the middle of the garden with my face buried in the Sage bed, just breathing in all its concentrated store of herbed sunlight and heady warmth that grounded me back into my body and the earth.

Sage is a member of the mint family, a fact easily ascertained by its square stems, generally strong aromatics and provocative flowers. The appearance of the plant varies a great deal depending on spp. from the silver-grey pebbly leaves of Salvia officinalis to the dark blue-green and sharp-edged foliage of S. subincisa. The flowers range from all shades of blue to red to lavender, purple or pink, creating a fascinating and sensual display in any garden or wild area. We tend to think of Sage as strictly a garden plant, yet in reality, various wild species thrive throughout the world, including much of North America. Being a common culinary herb, it often brings to mind domestic scenes  such as cozy kitchens and warm hearths but a closer look at the nature of this plant quickly reveals the wild spirit within. While certainly a traditionally important woman’s and cooking herb, Sage is also a denizen of wilderness and an ally of shamans.  This herb is respected wherever it grows, across many continents and cultures, as an important healing plant. It is also known almost universally for its ability to clear negative energy, bad vibes or even evil spirits when its smoke or steam is allowed to permeate an affected area, it was even used traditionally by the indigenous Cahuilla peoples to clean hunting tools touched by a menstruating woman. However we interpret this, it’s simple enough to see that Sage has a calming and cleansing effect on both people and environs it is used for. The smoke of several of the most aromatic Salvias were also considered specific for fumigating areas contaminated by sick or dead people, indicating its usefulness in warding off viruses and bacteria and perhaps stimulating innate immunity.

Overview

Sage is a classic tonic in the sense of deep nourishment and foundational restoration, especially for the nervous system, digestive tract and cognitive organs. While there are many well known quotes along these lines from the herbal literature of antiquity, this primary trait does not seem to be well utilized in modern American herbal practice. In fact, Sage’s very name derives from the latin word Salveo or Salvare which means “to heal” or “to save” and according to Grieve’s A Modern Herbal was even sometimes known as Salvia Salvatrix (Sage the Savior).  Traditional Western Herbalism, including European, Appalachian, Hispanic, Indigenous and other sub-groups, have made extensive use of its considerable range of healing attributes.

The Bottom Line

When reading some of the seemingly contradictory actions and indication in the description of Sage, it will be helpful to keep in mind that the herb seems to act primarily as a balancer of fluids in the body, whether there is too much or not enough. It also serves as an oily tonic, making it doubly useful in many cases of moisture imbalance. Its balancing effects include the blood, which Sage both moves and tonifies with astonishing intelligence. It also restores much needed minerals to the body, being rich in calcium, magnesium and other nutrients.

Whatever this herb does, it does it reliably, efficiently and without fanfare. Sage is a remedy filled with common sense, down-home wisdom and practicality — it gracefully does what needs be done and gets on with life, all while tasting good and filling the kitchen with its savory scent. Being a variable temperature herb and both stimulating and relaxing, it is adaptable to many circumstances and bodies, making it extremely useful in variety of situations.

Indications & Actions

Sage effectively clears both dampness and heat and is a perfect choice as a constitutional tonic in cases where there are signs of dampness (especially excessive phlegm, a wet or slick tongue, moist and/or relaxed skin or flesh and copious sweating) and heat (flushed face, a chronically sore throat, hot flashes, night sweats and a general sense of being chronically overheated.) In line with its variable temperature nature, it can also address systemic coldness (esp. in cases of poor circulation) or cases where there is general coldness but with flashes or waves of heat, usually from deep-seated constitutional dryness.

It is equally useful in acute cases where a virus has manifested in the body with symptoms of dampness and heat. This aromatic herb has a special affinity with the upper respiratory tract in situations where there is congestion, drippiness and a general feeling of having one’s head filled with soggy cement. It helps to dry up excessive secretions and soothe the inflammation of sinusitis, either taken internally or as a nasal wash. Steam inhalations made with Sage, especially in conjunction with Monarda, are excellent at breaking up congestion, loosening constriction, decreasing overall inflammation and preventing or treating any respiratory infection that might occur.

It is well known in the treatment of chronic or acute sore throats, especially if accompanied by swollen or tender glands. A favorite formula of mine for painful, scratchy throats is a tincture or elixir (with honey or glycerine added to the tincture when making it) made with equal parts Rose, Sage and Mallow. An infused honey of these ingredients is also very soothing and healing to the throat. Where there are also chronically swollen glands, it works wonderfully when formulated with Alder.

Sage is markedly helpful in relaxation and stasis of the digestive tract with bloating, gas, cramping and general atony. If the tongue is flabby and damp with teeth marks on the sides, especially in the back it is doubly indicated. Because of its variable temperature nature, Sage can be of help whether the tongue is pale or red, in cases of either heat or coldness.

As a hot tea, the herb stimulates sweating in a dry fever and can speed recovery from a virus. Taken as a cool tea instead it often lessens excessive sweating, menstruation, urination and other fluid loss, especially where there are cool extremities and a relaxed tissue state.

Sage can be of great use in systemic dryness, specifically where the flesh looks limp or somewhat withered, with a distinct lack of oil in the skin. Dryness is not only caused by a shortage of moisture but sometimes by lack of oils. Different herbs and foods will be needed in each case. Often if there is a significant lack of oil in the body, the tissues will be unable to retain proper fluids as well. Matt Wood explains it thus:

“Sage helps in the digestion and utilization of fats and oils. By building up the lipids of the body it helps the nutrition and hydration of the cells. It “plumps” up the tissues, retains water and provides a medium for the movement of hormones. ”

In the same vein, it  has the ability to greatly lessen or completely dry up breast milk, so is not advisable for lactating mothers who with to continue to nurse but can be great for assisting the weaning process.

Sage is considered to be what is commonly termed a nootropic (sometimes dubiously referred to as “smart drugs”), which simply indicates that it works well to improve clear thinking, memory, concentration and other cognitive functions. It can even boost functional intelligence if the thinking process stems from weakness, debility or poor circulation. It is indicated in many cases of dementia, Alzheimer’s and other expressions of cognitive decline, especially where specific constitutional factors are also present. I have found that Sage often teams up remarkably well with a good adaptogen/tonic herb such as Ashwagandha or American Ginseng to help bring renewed vitality and sparkle to many older people or those weakened by a long illness, trauma or grief, especially if incorporated into a constitutionally appropriate formula or regimen.

I consider Sage a primary remedy in the treatment of tremors, irritability, insomnia, sensory hypersensitivity and brittleness in either acute or chronic form. I have had excellent results from small doses of the tincture (especially the tincture of S. subincisa) in the treatment of adrenal fatigue with exhaustion with chronic anxiety (esp. if accompanied by tremors and poor circulation) as well as possible depression. Both stimulating and relaxing in nature, Sage is a nervous system trophorestorative that helps modulate moods and works amazingly well for people who have concurrent or cycling depression and anxiety.

My own experiences using Sage as a nervous system trophorestorative came about quite by accident. Several years ago, I was actually looking for a patch of Scutellaria and came about our native Salvia subincisa, which is a very small Sage with dark blue flowers and a skunky smell. I didn’t find the Skullcap that trip but decided to tincture the Salvia and see how much it resembled Garden Sage in action. Back in those days, my nervous system was extremely worn down and I had chronic tremors in my hands and the feeling of constant shaking from the inside out, accompanied by intense anxiety and exhaustion. After trying every native and commonly available herbal nervine, I found that the S. subincisa was the only remedy that calmed the shaking (both visibly and internally), as well as the insistent nervousness that plagued me. A few drops would completely mellow me without sedating me or affecting my ability to think or function. I have now had the opportunity to use the herb in more than half a dozen clinical cases with similar indications and it has worked remarkably well, calming and soothing when other, much stronger herbs have had little effect. I have found that it is one of those herbs that can perform miracles when specifically indicated but may have little more than a slight calming effect on more general cases.

The smudge, tincture, tea, steam, infused oil or other aromatic preparations are excellent at helping to bring a panicked or traumatized person back into their body. There are few scents in the plant world as calming as White Sage (S. apiana) and many of its indigenous American relatives. Use specifically where there is rapid breathing or hyperventilation, a feeling of disassociation and bone deep fear.

Sage is similar in action to Lavender as a vulnerary, although somewhat more cooling in nature. Excellent for burns, swellings, sprains, rashes and other red, irritated wounds. It reliably takes down inflammation and swelling while speeding healing and protecting from or resolving infection. Additional, it works nicely externally when included in pain liniments and salves.

Also like Lavender, it can be a very effective in the treatment of many different kinds of headaches, especially those originating from tension but helpful in nearly any kind of head pain. It is also useful internally and externally for all kinds of muscle achiness from nervous tension. In fact, TCM herbalist Jeremy Ross considers it specific for “patients with recurring muscle aches or pains” especially when concurrent with “anemia and debility, and are easily chilled by exposure to cold and winds, resulting in recurrent myalgia… they have recurring headache, muscle aches, irritability and depression.” Exhaustion, depression and headache either post- or pre-menstrually are very common in these cases as well.

The picture of Sage that comes together when we look at all of its diverse actions together show it as an ideal herb for many of the discomforts common to menopause, especially if there are night sweats, hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, irregular menstruation. Matt Wood specifically says:

“…it is suited to older women, in menopause and afterwards. It is helpful with making the transition from ‘fertility estrogen’ made in the ovaries to ‘post-fertility estrogen’ made in the adrenal cortex, as Phyllis Light explains it.”

A more unusual use of the plant is as an excellent blood mover where there is chronic pain as a result of stagnant blood or even problematic blood clots. This is better known in connection with Chinese Red Sage root (S. militiorrhizae), but the Sages of the Americas and Europe seem to act in a nearly identical way. Even some of the less aromatic Salvias, such as S. coccinea, have been traditionally used to move blood and thus relieve pain (and also calm anxiety, in this case).

Sage also make a wonderful flavoring for all kinds of foods and drinks, aiding in digestion of rich meals, calming the mind and aiding in focus on whatever is at hand, even if that happens to be a delicious dinner we need to be present to enjoy and celebrate. Its warm, classically herby taste brings extra depth and richness to many dishes, from simple scrambled eggs to nut-crusted flax bread to the fanciest cream sauce. It’s also a great addition to many homemade ales and wines, or to pestos and vinaigrettes.

Even now, whenever stress or worry becomes too intense for me to deal with, I head for a cup of Sage tea to drink and my beloved bottle of White Sage infused oil to rub into my arms and pulse points. Nothing brings me back to my center as quickly and sweetly as this plant. Sage and Rose remain my own personal rescue remedy in any time of acute anxiety, with Milky Oats added in during extended periods of stress. And I still think of Sage as a strong yet soft mother figure with wide open arms, a ready smile and wise eyes. Human projection though it is, this image has allowed me to see deeper into the nourishing, deeply restorative core of the herb I have loved since childhood, and that continues to heal and nurture me so many years later.

Preparations:

Sage is very amendable to many different preparations, from the sweet spiciness of the infused honey to the savory warmth of the slow-sipped tea. A stronger infusion can be made for acute needs and taken in doses of 6-8 ounces up to three times a day. The tincture is also very effective and especially useful for the small doses generally used as a nerve tonic. A mineral rich and very tasty vinegar can be made with freshly dried Sage, and of course it is a wonderful and popular spice in a variety of dishes. Externally, the infused oil or salves is very useful and warm fomentations work well. White Sage is less extractable in just water than Garden Sage, and I was taught by Michael Moore to soak the leaves in a light coating of grain alcohol before infusing in water. Don’t ever boil the herb, as the intensity of the heat will destroy the delicate aromatics so essential to the medicine. Steam inhalations are a great way to work with respiratory ailments and pastilles (especially when combined with Rose and Mallow or Elm) are great for sore or irritated throats.

Cautions & Contradictions: Not recommended during pregnancy or lactation.

References & Resources:
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study using Salvia officinalis in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease
Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions by Charles Kane
Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest by Charles Kane
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West by Michael Moore
The Earthwise Herbal by Matthew Wood
The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism by Matthew Wood
Personal correspondence and unpublished writings of Matthew Wood
Western Herbs According to Traditional Chinese Medicine by Thomas Avery Garran
Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine by Jeremy Ross
A Modern Herbal by Maud Grieve

If I were a plant, I would be this particular plant. Not just a general Rose, but wild New Mexico Rose growing on the lush banks of the Gila’s riparian forest. Not only because the flower is exquisitely, delicately beautiful but because the Wild Rose is tough and tenacious, living through flash floods, long droughts and even cattle grazing. She smells sweet from a mile away but as soon as you get close she tries to shred your clothes and tangle in your hair. There’s something to be said for beauty with attitude.

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I’ve written an extensive monograph on the medicinal uses of Rose here, be sure to check it out if this amazingly multifaceted herb appeals to you! 

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Here, the Wild Rose grows in hedges along the water, usually in the company of Alders, Wild Grapes, Evening Primrose, Blue Elder and Nettles, which is fine company indeed! The deep red of the Roses’ curving stems make it easy to pick out from other greenery even when they’re not flowering.

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Many domesticated strains of Rose are thornless or nearly so, which I think takes away from the fierce beauty and feisty personality of the original wild varieties. If you get tangled up enough in a Sweetbriar hedge, you’re likely to think the plant is a bit on the aggravated side, or even downright mean — but with fruit and flowers as sweet as they have, they certainly need to have some protective defenses.

~~~

Most people use only the petals of Roses for medicine, but I’ve found that the leaves are also very calming and healing and use them extensively. They also have their own strong musky scent which balances out the sweeter aroma of the blooms. I find that the strongest smelling leaves are also sometimes much more calming than the flowers. Studies also show that the leaves of Roses contain the same anti-inflammatory and vasculature strengthening antioxidants as the flowers and fruit.

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Unruly, delicate, fierce, armed to the teeth, ungainly and incredibly vulnerable all describe this plant. Not so much a bundle of contradictions as a fine balance of complementary attributes. Well integrated, if you will.

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Wild Rose flowers change shape and form constantly throughout their blooming process. From the tightly furled bud to the shy unfolding to the brazen bloom to the slightly misshapen and oddly wrinkled, they are a delight to watch. And a lesson in the authenticity that real beauty is.

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The lifespan of the Wild Rose flower is a short and tumultous one - it begins a brilliant magenta and fades to nearly white when it falls from the plant. The shifting textures and colors of the petals only add to its appeal, rather than detracting from it. Every wrinkle and curl and subtle variation begets personality and character. The sweet aroma of the petal and musky scent of the leaf combined with the plants myriad, transforming shapes compound the herb’s heart opening effect.

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The medicine of the Wild Rose is in its cool touch, the way it soothes burns and infections and pain with a quick yet firm touch -  in the calm nourishment that goes right to the heart and womb, unfolding into vitality.  And in the way those thorns grab you and pull you in, bringing you face to face with magic and the present moment, even if you have to bleed a little to get the point. That’s a Rose for you - equal parts sweetness and in your face attitude.

~~~

Wild Rose Elixir 

• 1 canning jar (or other sealable glass jar)
• Wild Rose petals (and some leaves and buds if desired)
• Raw honey (preferably a lighter wildflower variety since darker honeys will tend to muffle the Rose taste more. Vegetable glycerine can also be used, especially for diabetic or people who can’t have any sugar at all.)
• Brandy (although vodka or everclear can work. If using everclear, dilute to about somewhere between 40-50% alcohol with water)

Fill jar with petals, then fill about 2/3 of the jar with alcohol, then fill the rest of the way with honey (less or more to taste). Cover and let steep in a cool, dark place for about a month.

A note on straining your elixir: You can strain the petals out and eat them separately if you like, they taste very yummy and have lots of medicine in them… you could candy them or put them on a berry flax cake or any number of other yummy things.

Use your elixir as a substitute for Rescue Remedy or whenever a calming, mood-enhancing, heart opening influence is needed. It’s also great externally for burns, bug bites, infections and wounds, along with MANY many other uses.

 ~~~

All pics (c) 2009 Kiva Rose

Herbal actions — it doesn’t sound nearly as exciting or sexy as botanical monographs or the latest cure-all, does it? I’m aware that a fair number of beginning and intermediate herbalists tend to gloss over this particular subject, probably in part because of the typically vague and boring explanations given in many books and classes. What you may not realize though, is that this particular subject is both the foundation of the key to being an effective and insightful herbalist. As jim mcdonald puts it in his own introduction to herbal actions and properties:

“I don’t think I could possibly overstate how important it is to understand the properties by which herbs work. This knowledge is what separates a mediocre herbalist (someone who memorizes the name of a problem and the name of the herb that is listed next to it and says use this for that) from a good herbalist (someone who says, “Ah… dry, enflamed tissues… which mucilaginous herb should I use for this?”)… learn this stuff. Years later, you’ll either be glad you did, or wish you had.”

And while herbal actions ~sounds~ pretty dry, the actual experience and reality of it is very exciting because it has everything to do with the how the plants speak to us through our bodies. In my opinion, there really isn’t anything more appealing than and fascinating than talking to plants!

If you were to check out the list of actions in nearly any herb book, you would likely find them to be an overwhelmingly long list of very short, often cryptic definitions, most of them with the prefix of anti-. There’s usually an enormous amount of overlap and no arrangement of primary and secondary categories, along with a complete lack of consideration for herbal energetics. I’ve always found this to be immensely frustrating, which is exactly why I’ve been writing my Terms of the Trade series for this blog exploring primary actions and now providing this introduction to herbal actions.

You won’t see anti- anything as a primary action in my writings, this is because it’s much easier to understand the herb through what it promotes in the body rather than what it kills or stops. In fact, I would go so far as to say that herbal medicines simply aren’t anti-oriented. Even when they happen to help eliminate bacteria internally or systemically (as opposed to topically on the skin), it’s most often through some kind of enhancement of the native immune process rather than through direct attack on the bacteria itself. This can be hard for modern antibiotic oriented minds to understand. We keep asking ourselves when the bacteria is going to get herb resistant, showing how linearly minded we’ve become and how out of touch with natural processes we tend to be. I feel that the anti- prefixes only reinforces this kind of thought process. Therefore, I attempt to focus on the ~vital~ actions that the herbs excel at and which herbal medicine utilizes so well.

We do need to understand that there are many herbs that, while normally safe and life-enhancing, can be used in a suppressive or dangerous manner in inexperienced or overly forceful hands. A large part of the herbalist’s (and herbs’) job is simply to remove obstructions in the path of the anima (vital force) so that the body can do what it does best: heal, balance and thrive. Also, herbs that work primarily on a constituent-based physiological basis (think narcotics) are often best left to acute situations in the hands of experienced herbalists. The plants I DO talk about here should not be thought of any less powerful than ones such as Opium Poppy or Henbane. To the contrary, I consider plants that act in a nourishing, vitality increasing way to be far superior to those of limited usage and potentially dangerous, although both can be useful in the proper context.

Learning the Language of the Plants

Herbs are dynamic, living beings, as are we. Both the human body and the plants have the ability and tendency to adapt as needed. For this reason, there’s a fair amount of unpredictability involved in herbalism (much to the chagrin of the scientific and mainstream medical industry), but the perceptive herbalist will learn to recognize what is most likely to happen with certain herbs and what is most likely to happen with certain people, and not get attached to the idea of one herb creating the exact same effect in every person. A rose is a rose is a rose, but in one person the Rose may help them to feel relaxed and joyful and in another person it may trigger a sensation of physical coldness or even cause them to feel jittery and spaced out. The usefulness of understanding energetics and actions, is that it helps even the less experienced herbalist to better see what will likely happen in a relationship between any given herb and person.

Energetics and actions are not lists of correspondences and memorizable terms, but rather a mode of perception through our senses. A way of listening to the language of the plants with our bodies.

Herbal actions are the general tendency of the herbs in the body. They are not set and unchangeable but rather a continually adapting relationship between human and plant. Yes, astringency will always tighten the tissues, but how much and where will vary greatly depending on which plant, what other plants it might be mixed with, where that plant grew, when it was harvested, how it was processed, and so on.… it will also depend on the constitution and condition of the individual who ingests, the climate they live in and how they ingest it. Beyond that, there is the less tangible territory of intent and the subtleties between the person and the plant. Our emotions, state of mind, modes of perception and open-heartedness all play a large part in how everything around us enters and effects us, not least the plants we evolved beside and have allied with for millennia.
Actions are our perception and description of how the herbs effect the anima that flows through us. In most cases, the plants are encouraging our body to remove obstructions to the vital force (through stimulating circulation or diaphoreses or digestion, by modulating the immune system, by feeding the nervous or endocrine systems, by relaxing the muscles or countless other ways).

Primary & Secondary Actions

Primary actions indicate that the action is the foundational tendency of the herb in the human body, often deriving directly from its energetic propensities like astringent or demulcent. Secondary actions are those specific to certain organ systems like pectoral (lungs) or hepatic (liver). There is yet another category of actions (the anti- actions, I call them) that are dependent on the remedy’s ability to kill certain organisms, suppress or stimulate a function of the human body such as anti-fungal or narcotic or sudorific — we won’t be dealing with this third class much here because these plants are often poisons of varying degrees and thus depress vital function.

The easiest and often most accurate way to discern the action of any given plant is through our senses. The sensory input an herb gives us through taste, smell, texture and color can provide us with very specific insight into what the herb will likely do in the human body and in many cases, even ~how~ it will do it. This is the way the plants speak to us (and indeed the whole world, if we’re paying attention.

Previous and future posts on specific actions indicate how determine each action through the senses. A future post will also cover basic energetics and their relationship to actions.

Our Responsibility

While the plants possess an extraordinary amount of innate intelligence, it is up to us listen and observe closely enough to know which plants are needed in what way and amount. All humans have the inborn ability to do so, and it is the calling of the herbalist to specialize in this matchmaking process. We are not just well-trained pharmacists or researchers who can recite lists and cures from books, but sensitive practitioners with one hand on the human pulse and the other in the soil.

Below is a guest post by Brooklyn Herbalist/Acupuncturist Karen Vaughan on two different kinds of flu and two different types of treatment. This was originally posted on Facebook by Karen and I found it so interesting I asked her for permission to reprint it here. There’s been a polarity in the reactions to the H1N1 flu, from hysteria to complete cynicism and denial. Personally, I don’t think either approach is useful at all. I am also of the opinion that cytokine storm and the different kinds of flu are certainly worth understanding (not to mention fascinating to anyone interested in health and the human body), if not for the present, then for the future. Wherever you stand on the issue, I hope you enjoy Karen’s intelligent exploration of the subject.

~Kiva

The H1N1 Swine Flu may operate in two ways, one of which acts like seasonal flu except is more widespread, and the other which causes the immune system to produce the most damage.  What is not clear is whether the current flu is a cytokine storm type flu where you are better off with a low immune response, or a more normal flu where you are better off with a strong immune system. According to Wikipedia:

“A cytokine storm, or hypercytokinemia is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells, with highly elevated levels of various cytokines.[1]..The primary symptoms of a cytokine storm are high fever, swelling and redness, extreme fatigue, and nausea….When the immune system is fighting pathogens, cytokines signal immune cells such as T-cells and macrophages to travel to the site of infection. In addition, cytokines activate those cells, stimulating them to produce more cytokines. Normally, this feedback loop is kept in check by the body. However, in some instances, the reaction becomes uncontrolled, and too many immune cells are activated in a single place. The precise reason for this is not entirely understood but may be caused by an exaggerated response when the immune system encounters a new and highly pathogenic invader. Cytokine storms have potential to do significant damage to body tissues and organs… If a cytokine storm occurs in the lungs, for example, fluids and immune cells such as macrophages may accumulate and eventually block off the airways, potentially resulting in death….

“It is believed that cytokine storms were responsible for many of the deaths during the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed a disproportionate number of young adults.[1] In this case, a healthy immune system may have been a liability rather than an asset. Preliminary research results from Hong Kong also indicated this as the probable reason for many deaths during the SARS epidemic in 2003.[4] Human deaths from the bird flu H5N1 usually involve cytokine storms as well.[5] Recent reports of high mortality among healthy young adults in the 2009 swine flu outbreak has led to speculation that cytokine storms could be responsible for these deaths.[6] However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that symptoms reported from this strain so far are similar to those of normal seasonal flu,[7] with the CDC stating that there is “insufficient information to date about clinical complications of this variant of swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.”[7]“

In the cytokine storm flu, which appeared to occur in Mexico, the healthy young adults are more likely to get sick than children or the elderly. Their strong immune system over-reacts, causing the fever to spike, interfere with opening the pores, heating them up and exhausting their ability to fight. Pain and spasm may block sweating, so relaxing herbs like black cohosh are useful. You do not want immune stimulating herbs like maitake or reishi which increase cytokines. You do want heat-clearing herbs like lomatium, isatis, coptis, scute and forsythia buds. Echinacea may possibly increase cytokines, although it works by several paths and the late great herbalist Michael Moore thought it should be given for epidemic flu when avian flu was considered possible.

However the CDC notes that the current Swine Flu may not be the cytokine storm variety, at least in the mutation we have currently. In these other types of flu, the elderly and young children are mostly at risk, and you ought to use immune stimulating as well as symptom alleviating herbs. If the fever is tolerable and helps induce sweat, it should not be suppressed as it usually shortens the course of the disease. If it progresses inward and gets hotter, with a rapid pulse, scarlet tongue, big sweat, make sure that the bowels are moving.

It’s a good year for herb books, folks! I have the proof sitting next to me on my desk in a pile threatening to topple into my lap at any moment. I thought I’d briefly (or not so briefly, knowing me) discuss the ones I like the best for those of you who might not have heard of them yet or are on the fence about purchasing them.

Keep in mind when reading my reviews that I’m very picky (you might even say persnickety) about my herb books and I only keep about one out of every ten I purchase. So here you go, my very own opinionated opinions, your mileage may vary.

Herbal Medicine: Trends and Traditions by Charles Kane

The Tucson-based author of the bioregionally based Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest (a great book by the way) is back at it with his new and broader based materia medica. It covers over a 100 popular and widely available medicinal herbs along with about 50 color plates of the herbs. Charlie studied with Michael Moore and is of the same common sense bent. The genius of his work is how based in clinical experience it is, a rare and valued quantity in herb books, I assure you. The writing is often dry and pragmatic, but is also concise, useful and a very informative. Because his work is based in the experiential and not just scientific studies, he often includes tidbits on herb uses you just won’t read elsewhere. Kane can also be counted on to be extremely specific, and completely avoids the annoying tendency of many herbals to lump every herb into some kind of universal panacea, sticking instead to usable, real life anecdotes and therapeutic suggestions. The practical, even conservative, approach taken in this book is nicely complimented by Matt Wood’s broader look at materia medica in his books. It also serves as an excellent companion to Michael Moore’s classic herbals of the American West.

Kane includes an extensive bibliography, glossary, index (regular and therapeutic), guide to common preparations as well as fluidextract worksheets, plant family groupings, weights and measures chart AND repository (that includes preferred preparation, alcohol percentage and suggested dosage of each herb) making this a great reference with a broad range of use to either the student or practicing herbalist.

Evidence of how much I like this book is that my copy has already gotten the preferred herb book treatment which includes being wrapped in a protective binding and then taking a pen and highlighter to the interior for notes and key points to remember.

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The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants by Matthew Wood

The second book in Matt Wood’s new materia medica is the one I’ve been waiting the longest for, since it specifically covers the New World plants that I primarily use in my practice. The introduction to American herbal energetics, especially the section on Appalachian/Southern Blood Typology is really fascinating and certainly added to my understanding of the subject. I probably would have bought the book just for the introductory portion.

As an added benefit though, the body of the book stands just as strong as the earlier bits. I’ve always loved how Matt speaks in clear specifics about the nature and personality of each plant as an individual and draws not just from own experience but also from other practicing herbalists, eclectic and physiomedical texts as well as even older literature for his eclectic and often unusual information. The herb entries vary a great deal in size, from tiny paragraphs for herbs such as Sweet Clover (a bit of a disappointment, really) to several pages for Lobelia. Some monographs, like the one on Rose, really require that you have both volumes of the materica medica (Old World and New) to get the most from the information. For the longer entries, Wood includes additional information on Taste, Tissue States, Specific Indications, Preparation and Dosage and reference in the literature.

The selection is eclectic, including standard herbs of commerce as well as lesser known botanicals like Virginia Creeper. His emphasis and deep understanding of little used herbs such as Cherry, Beebalm and Sumach never fail to fascinate me, and it’s always refreshing to read an herbalist who refuses to dwell in the well known and widely accepted (in any way). I also appreciate how the author repeatedly emphasizes that the information comes from experience and traditional knowledge rather than constituent breakdown or animal studies.

I tend to think that Wood’s work most benefits experienced herbalists in that he can range into the tangental and complex and includes many concepts and terms probably unfamiliar and intimidating to the neophyte. However, given the practical value of the writing, I would recommend all of his books to any serious student with an interest in Traditional Western Herbalism.

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Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health by Aviva Romm

This sizable text (nearly 700 pages including the index) is really one of the first in-depth looks into the botanical treatment and maintainence of women’s health. There have been plenty of books on the subject but most of them have either been seriously lacking depth and practical application or almost entirely based in the biomedical approach. Aviva is a practicing herbalist and midwife as well as an MD, giving her a wide breadth of experience and knowledge to draw from and making her a perfect bridge between the medical industry and grass roots health care. Nutritional information and alternative approaches such as acupressure are mentioned and suggested throughout the text.

Guest articles are inserted through the book, including writings by David Winston, Susun Weed, David Hoffmann, Mary Bove, Isla Burgess, Margi Flint, Lisa Ganora, Christopher Hobbs, Amanda McQuade Crawford, Ruth Trickey, Jill Stansbury and many many more. These additions really give the depth and tone of the book, making it much more informative and interesting than it would have been otherwise. Case histories are also sprinkled throughout the text, which is great, although I definitely found myself wishing for more. There are formulas and recipes, as well as numerous charts, graphs and other informational tidbits widely distributed through the books many pages, and they add both visual interest and a quick, concise reference on notable subjects.

The book is divided into five parts. The first is called Foundations of Botanical Medicine and includes extensive sections on herbal actions (which earned it some serious points from me), dosage, preparations, constituents, ethical considerations, specific indication in the eclectic tradition and even a bit about selecting quality herbal products.

The second is called General Gynecologic and Menstrual Health Concerns which covers everything from the normal discomforts of adolescence to polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and all manner of endocrine issues and disorders.

The third is entitled Fertility and the Childbearing Cycle and is just that. It includes detailed looks at infertility, pregnancy, labor postpartum and breastfeeding, including common complications and issues. It also lists herbs most commonly used during pregnancy and suggestions on those best avoided, among many other charts and info boxes.

Part four is The Menopausal Years and includes a great section written by Susun Weed entitled Reframing Menopause: The Wise Woman Perspective. It also explores both conventional and botanical approaches to common menopausal issues from hot flashes and depression to low libido and vaginal dryness.

The final section is Plant Profiles that includes Black Cohosh, Blue Cohosh, Chaste Tree and Dong quai. There are also shorter portions on specific plants throughout the book, usually as relating to a particular issue. Personally, I felt the plant profiles were the weak point of the volume and actually found myself yawning through the generally reductionist look at these “women’s” herbs, with much of the information simply extrapolation of scientific studies rather than clinically based knowledge.

The appendix also includes an extensive chart briefly describing common name, botanical name. preparation, use, dosage and cautions of each herb.

In general,  find the therapeutic suggestions to be useful guidelines and starting points for many cases. I am admittedly disappointed with some parts of this book, especially the outdated nutritional information that promotes low fat diets and the way too in-the-box profiles of most of the herbs. Nevertheless, it is an excellent resource and one that should probably be on the bookshelf of every practicing herbalist who regularly treats women. It would also be useful for the more advanced student or those with a background in nursing, physiology etc. This is a textbook, no doubt about it, and those looking for a light read or personable story won’t find it here. If, however, you are searching for an up to date, in-depth clinical look at botanical treatments for women’s health by an experience practitioner will be very pleased with this new resource.

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Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal

The lovely little book was first released in the UK as Hedgerow Medicine last year, but has been adjusted for the North American audience re-released here with its new name. First of all, this book is an absolute joy to peruse — it’s just one of those books I want to sit down and take a long look at and then look some more. You know how they have those obscenely yummy culinary photographs they call “food porn”? Well, this is surely “plant porn” for the flowerophile (yes, I made that up all by myself) as well the aesthetically obsessed herbalist. Brilliantly colored photographs of plants, plant parts, flowers and preparations nearly fill every glossy page. Old botanical drawings are also featured and are very nice when placed in contrast to the more modern photos.

Beyond the simple beauty of the book, there is also substance. This herbal is fairly broad in content, drawing from modern writers such as Matthew Wood as well as from older texts such as those of the Eclectic physicians. There is also a fair amount of info that falls in the range of lore/myth/theory that I’m not terribly fond of, but seems an integral part in the broad-audience general herbals so popular these days. It does include some clinical/first hand experience including small case studies here and there which add a lot to the reliability of the text as a whole.

One of my favorite aspects of Backyard Medicine is that being from the UK, there seems to be a fair amount of common uses for well known plants that aren’t so common on this side of the pond. That’s the kind of thing that absolutely delights me and why I will read this book from cover to cover. I also really like the little sidebars included with each plant that list botanical family, description, habitat, distribution, related species, parts used and then uses by preparation. There’s also other informational sidebars and text boxes with recipes, safety notes, harvesting instructions and other little tidbits that help hold interest and provide quick info bites for the focus challenged.

I would highly recommend this book to the newly plant obsessed and most herbal students. I would recommend it to practitioners who have the money and time to purchase and read yet another herb book, but would not recommend it above the more in-depth volumes above. All in all, a very nice little tome, and one I will be pleased to peruse time and time again.

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Ok, so no real rants this time around, maybe I’ll get to that next time