The Medicine Woman's Roots

Please Download, Print & Share
THE NEW COLOR POSTERS

for the

TRADITIONS IN WESTERN HERBALISM CONFERENCE

Your help is kindly requested, sharing the new trifold brochures for the conference, and making time to put up some of the matching posters. TWHC CoDirector Jesse Wolf Hardin spent nearly 20 hours designing and creating them, with his logo framed by a selection of his and my medicinal plant portraits. The background earth-tones are from his photo of volcanic cliff-rock near the Animá Sanctuary, but was picked for its ability to evoke the earthen pastel tones of the beautiful hills surrounding the Ghost Ranch conference site.

Write us to request whatever number of brochures you can put to good use, ideally handed to herbal and health related business owners who may want to participate by sponsoring, vending or practicing there, or left in small piles in herbal stores that will agree to keep them out. We can send you the files if you would like to print them off yourself, though you would need to know how to print on both sides.

The color posters come in 2 sizes, large 11×17 ones that we hope you can get store owners and health practitioners to commit to keep up in their windows or on their counter fronts from now until the event next September. We will be selling these as art posters at the event, but will also be happy to give a signed copy as a gift to you along with however many copies for you to post in your region or on your travels. The smaller version is 8.5X11, and is available either by writing us, or by downloading and then printing the linked poster file.

Ideal places for posting the large and small posters are herb stores, natural health stores, natural food stores, health practitioner waiting rooms, herbal and healing school foyers, university student union buildings, university medicine and botany building bulletin boards, and culturally conscious cafes. Please don’t feel like you have to take on a load… if a goodly amount of you could commit to posting even 5 or 10 – and to checking back to make sure they stay up and aren’t covered over – that would be a huge contribution!

That so many people want to involve themselves and help, is essential to making this conference a success and to ensure their will be others in subsequent years. It is also satisfying in itself, the connection we feel in this alliance of purpose. Thank you dearly from us both.

Kiva Rose & Jesse Wolf Hardin
TWHC
Kiva(at)TraditionsInWesternHerbalism.org
www.TraditionsInWesternHerbalism.org

DOWNLOAD SMALL TWHC POSTER HERE

I hope you enjoy this very timely piece on authority, regulation and certification by my partner Jesse Wolf Hardin. This applies to every aspect of our lives, but is perhaps especially applicable to lay herbalists and other folk tradition based healers at this moment in time. -Kiva

Because It’s Good For You:
Insurgent Thoughts On Authority, Certification & Law

by Jesse Wolf Hardin

My advice is not to trust all authority, but to find the authority in ourselves
to know who and what to trust!

“Because I told you so!” was the answer I often got as a youngster, when – from parents and teachers alike – I’d routinely ask the reasons for what it was I was being told to do.  If the adults in charge had simply explained the reasoning behind the order, custom, protocol,  tradition or rule, there’s a chance I would have a considered it the beneficial and honorable thing to do.  But telling me “because I told you so” is like saying “because I’m bigger than you,” “older than you,” “better connected than you,” or “better armed than you.”  This is the limited reasoning and self justification of bullies, whether it be an expansionist empire or playground antagonists.  Having such advantages might mean that they can make us do something, but that doesn’t mean it’s right to force us to bend or conform, nor does it mean that the ways they want us to behave are necessarily good or just for us, the human spirit, the things we cherish or the larger world.  I wouldn’t buy it back then, I’m not buying it now.  I would have much preferred the exhortations of the wise and caring mother, the caretaker, the healer: “Because it’s good for you!”  And even then, I would have wanted to know exactly why, how, and under what circumstances and amounts any medicine or course of action might be best for me.

I was willing to heed, but not heel.  And what I most readily heeded was counsel and direction from people who clearly knew more than me, who were more experienced and appeared to have grown or learned something from their experiences, who acted out of a deep sense of caring and strong set of principles, with allegiance to truth and to justice.  As a teen runaway, I took advice from old bikers on which year Harley-Davidsons had the coolest ride, and I had no objection to coming to a stop when ordered to by a life-saving traffic cop.  I kept the counsel of well meaning hobos who had “been around the block,” trading normalcy and security for a life of minor privation and immense freedom.  I took to heart the lecture of a drawling rural Sheriff who kindly counseled me not to do stupid illegal things I didn’t even believe in, and from a confirmed outlaw who talked about it being just as important to break those laws that we know to be “wrong-headed” or unconstitutional.

That I could respect and listen to individuals on both sides of the law, is an indication of how little significance I placed on costume and insignia.  Then as now, I couldn’t understand the military expression “salute the uniform, not the man.”  A person who was worthy of being respected, listened to and followed seems just as worthy to me whether out of uniform, off duty, retired or fired!   Conversely, those unwise or unworthy in character remain ignorant and unworthy regardless of what official clothing they might don, or what agency or administration finances and directs them.  And just because something is either mandated or banned in one of the hundreds of thousands of laws that govern every aspect of our civilized lives, doesn’t make it right… nor make it honorable for us to obey.

Authority is simply not something that a government or agency can give someone.  Genuine authority cannot be “vested” as they say, it can only be earned.  And because it has to be earned, it can also be undermined through unfair application, squandered away on superfluous regulation, and overturned if based on or upheld by false premise and manipulative lies.  It’s not authority without the weight of truth, it is only base imposition and oppression.  And the problem with exercising power over someone or something, is that it only works so long as enough pressure can be put on.  Somewhere, sooner or later there is a break, a lapse or loophole through which not only truth and liberty but all kinds of trouble can arise.  The wife-abuser is only really in control until he falls asleep, as a number of angry men have found out to their horror.  The schoolyard bully can hold you down with a head-lock for only just so long, the second he stops to rest there’s nothing except possibly fear or self doubt to prevent you from retaliating or remedying.

If there is authority in a truth, standard or directive, it retains its influence without mandates, manipulation and control.  It rings true when we are alone and our acts unwitnessed, as surely as when we are being closely monitored or working under the gun.  When such is the case, we do not need the force of law to rein in our actions nor compel us to act.  As herbalists, it isn’t certification that determines how effective we are, it’s our actions, means and results, and government inspection of plant medicines will never be the reason why we seek to use the finest quality and teach the safest methods and amounts.

We’re unlikely to ravage and steal even though no one is watching and there may be no price to be paid, if we feel deeply that rape or theft are wrong.  And hopefully, we don’t obediently toe the line, surrender our rights and liberties, compromise our beliefs and march to the orders of the established powers… just because they happen to control the military and the most awesome weapons ever developed, will soon have video surveillance cameras on every street corner, have planted informants among every activist group and provocateurs in every citizen militia, wield a court system that functions to protect the elite and punish the independent, can count on the connivance of “new world order” strategists and the support of multinational financiers, and have made the building of new jails and penitentiaries the fasting growing industry in America.  I agree with the prickly ex-Colonel in the movie Legends of the Fall, and his feelings regarding this nation’s ruling administration and its morally compromised minions: “Screw ‘em,” he said in a voice slurred by a powerful but obviously not debilitating stroke. “Screw ’em!”

The origin of the word “authority” is from the Latin auctoritas, from the word auctor which means both “originator” and “promoter.”  Our authority is our ability to affect and influence, as parents and teachers, craftspeople and gardeners, artists and healers.  It is a result of what we put forward and promote, and as such, it can only originate with us.

———–

(Share and post liberally.  To learn more, go to the Writings and Correspondence Course pages of the Animá School website at: www.animacenter.org)

From the Lion’s Mouth: Dancing A Weedy Revolution

by Kiva Rose Hardin  http://animacenter.org

Common Name: Dandelion

Botanical Name: Taraxacum spp.

Taste: Bitter, sweet

Energetics: Cool, dry

“It gives one a sudden start in going down a barren, stony street, to see upon a narrow strip of grass, just within the iron fence, the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a spark dropped from the sun”

- Henry Ward Beeche

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them”

-   A. A. Milne,  Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

If there’s a single personal symbol of hope for me, it’s that golden-faced flower that peeks out from under trash-strewn vacant lots, takes over carefully controlled lawns, bursts from sidewalk cracks and blooms even on land damaged by nuclear radiation and other environmental degradation. Yeah, you know, that weed people are always pulling up and cursing and dumping poison on. Yep, Dandelion. This much maligned wildflower when looked at honestly embodies profound possibility for change and incredible capacity for the regeneration of life in the most hostile of situations.

In many ways, Dandelion is the very definition of insistent wildness, of life that survives and thrives anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Perpetually persecuted, it still adapts to nearly any climate, seeds itself in concrete, rock crevices, chemical-laden yards, vacant lots, and even in a sprinkle of earth and rock tossed atop a slab of metal. Dandelion is persistence, joy in the face of adversity and bliss even while broken-hearted. Dandelion is also sunshine with teeth, for her very name is from the French Dent de lion, meaning teeth of the lion. The name refers to the typically jagged leaves as well as the  tenacious nature of the plant itself. This once revered medicine and food is now looked upon as a trouble-making misfit, a smiling badge of resistance that defies all attempts to shut down insistent life and nature’s bountiful diversity.

Not one to be swept aside by convention, Dandelion is a cheerful outlaw as she slowly but surely busts down walls and breaks up sidewalks. She reminds us of the wildness of the earth beneath our feet wherever she goes. Regardless of zoning laws, landscaping plans and subdivision “weed-free” regulations, this vibrant plant is likely to dance in on wish-blown seeds and settle right down, enriching the soil and offering you medicine, whether you asked for any or not. Dandelion is the activists’ emblem, a brilliant spokesperson for necessary action and groundbreaking revolution, no matter the consequences or cost. And like the best revolutionaries, she also shows us how to live fully and encourages us to indulge in a tango or two. The happiness inherent in her nature is imparted by her very presence as well as through nutritional and medicinal means.

The freshly picked flowers of Dandelion infused in olive oil, make a very effective rub for all sorts of aches and pains, from knotted muscles to injured joints. It’s especially helpful for those who feel saddened or depressed by the pain and need a little extra sunshine in their lives. The flowers also make a fabulous wine, and every Spring I’m sure to gather enough to make at least a few quarts of the wine and mead. I specially reserve one of those quarts for my special Southwest Sunset Melomel made with Dandelion flowers, Prickly Pear fruit juice and desert wildflower honey. The wine and mead are a wonderful cheering tonic for the long Winter days and the blues that often accompany them. Small doses of the flower tincture can also serve the same purpose.

A nomad with deep roots, this plant travels far on the white wings of her seeds but also sends her taproot down far wherever she settles, fully engaging with the land wherever she is and provides us with an excellent example of presence, focus and a life fully lived. The bittersweet roots are grounding in nature, restoring the proper circulation of fluids in the body and nourishing the kidneys and heart in the process. Dandelion leaves and roots are very effective diuretics and especially helpful for those with a constitutional tendency towards high blood pressure, gout, bloating, feelings of excessive heat, a sense of too-tight skin, water retention and scanty urination.

The roots tend to be more bitter and diuretic in the spring and more sweet and starchy come autumn frost, teaching us the value of living by the seasons and that a plant’s medicine changes through the year. The bitter taste of both root and leaf  can initially turn many people off, but this same unpleasant experience is part of Dandelion’s most important medicine. It increases the release of gastric juices throughout the digestive tract and improve digestion, especially if there’s symptoms of heat and acidic imbalances. The leaves make an excellent food-based digestive bitter and can be added to all manner of salads and cooked greens for their bitter bite and their high mineral content. They’re a great addition to pestos (as are the flowers), soups, pickled greens and even kraut! The roasted roots make a bittersweet but pleasant and hearty brew, well accompanied by cinnamon, nutmeg and a splash of cream.

Dandelion is also a primary medicine for almost anyone with hepatitis. The cooling, heat-draining nature of the herb is wonderful for relaxing and cooling an overworked, irritated and liver and accompanying hepatic functions. For the same reason, it can be very helpful in clearing up red, itchy rashes as well as many chronic skin issues such as eczema and acne that are rooted in an inflamed or stuck liver function. The bitter taste promotes the movement bile and prevents sludge and stones from from forming. However, care should be taken if there are already existent stones, as moving the bile in such a case could actually lodge a stone in a duct and cause further problems as well as pain.

The medicine of this wild and rampant weed is pervasive and wide-ranging, and lifetimes could be spent delving into her generosity. Children are naturally drawn to the bright spark of her flower and share the blossoming exuberance that accompanies her presence.  Every time I see a Dandelion, I smile, and am filled with the reminder of what a powerful teacher this plant is. Her courageous insistence to not only survive, but thrive in the face of hurt and hostility, has repeatedly given me renewed hope. I take her fierceness and fervent joy to heart, and close my eyes and make a wish every time I spread her seeds with my breath. We healers and earth people are all dandelions shattering concrete with delicate, yet infinitely strong roots. Every wild food, plant medicine & healing choice that takes us closer to wholeness is a revolutionary act and a step towards radical wellness on a planetary level.

Cautions & Contradictions: A generally very safe and food-like herb, Dandelion is still a strong diuretic and those with low blood pressure or already excessive urination should avoid its use. Additionally, avoid if you have active gallstones.

~~~

Pic (c) 2009 Kiva Rose Hardin

The wooden bookshelf in our den where I work everyday is filled to the brim by my favorite field guides, ethnobotany texts and herb books, topped by a hand carved bear drum and precious pieces of bones, crystals and potsherds. The Medicine Lodge houses yet more, the bookshelves there full and overflowing now into piles on the floor. I try to only keep what is most useful to me, but find the allure of beautiful plant photos and drawings too hard to resist at times. I’ve been a bibliophile my whole life, and when I lived on the streets as a teenager, my small backpack was full of books and CDs rather than clothes. And even as a very small child, I naturally gravitated towards those books that contained drawings or photos of flowers, herbs and trees. From well illustrated storybooks to the Rodale encyclopedia of herbs that my mother gave me, I treasured them all.

In recent history though, I blame it all on Wolf… he began my now bountiful plant library years ago by gifting me with one huge hardback tome filled with gorgeous pictures from all over the country called Botanica North America. It’s been downhill ever since, with his most recent contribution being a another huge book, this one the infinitely useful Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel Moerman. If anyone has supported me and rooted me on in my journey through herbalism, it’s Wolf. The large herbal library being only one small part of that.

One of these days I’ll get around to writing a more general version of this, but for now even herbalists in other regions of N. America or the world may really enjoy and benefit by some of these books (especially Michael Moore’s). By way of introduction, you should realize I’m a bit of a book snob so there’s a lot of books that are available on this subject that I won’t include here. I’m only listing the ones that I have found useful and practical (and hopefully beautiful too). Feel free to recommend additional titles in the comments, I’m always excited to hear about new plant books, especially bioregional ones.

Although I specify New Mexico in my post title, herbalists from Arizona, southern Cali., Texas, Colorado  and other SW and Rocky Mt. states will likely find all of my suggestions quite useful.

Field Guides

Flowering Plants of New Mexico, fourth edition by Robert DeWitt Ivey – Vinyl cover, spiral bound. THE field guide for NM and a refreshingly comprehensive look into a region and subject that is extremely neglected (which is WHY I’m writing a field guide of the Gila after all). Black and white drawings grouped by family, with a good botany intro and key in the beginning. If you’re not familiar with plant families and are addicted to color pictures, you could find this book to be a bit frustrating. However, if you can handle the plant families and have a basic grasp of botany, you’ll appreciate this monumental contribution. It doesn’t include every spp. in NM (I think that might be impossible), but covers a very broad range and the drawings are very accurate. They also purposely exagerate the defining characteristics of the plant which can be a real boon when IDing. Also provides maps of the state to give you a good idea of where the plant will likely be found in NM. I love the vinyl cover and spiral binding because it allows it to lie flat and the cover is easy to clean with water and a rag. The new edition is a significant improvement over the last. It can be purchased for somewhere between $50-$100 usually, and if you’re a member of the Native Plant Society of NM, you can get a discount on it through them.

Plants of the Rocky Mountans by Linda Kershaw – Divided by tree, shrub, herbacious plant, lichens etc and then arranged by plant family with a flower color key at the front of the book. Pictures are a bit on the tiny size for in depth IDing, but useful nonetheless and the book is conveniently small, tough and light for backpacking. Large number of sp. but rather restricted in its listing of subspecies, and definitely biased towards the northern range of the Rockies. Despite my criticisms, it is one of my favorited field guides for the high country around here. Recommended for those living in the higher elevations of the SW or in the Rockies proper.

Medicinal and Edible Plants of the Rocky Mountains by Linda Kershaw – Similar to the above listing with an emphasis on edible and medicinal plants. Surprisingly good, and beautifully designed with larger pictures than her larger field guide and gorgeous color drawings. Solid info for the most part and she has obviously done her homework with references to Michael Moore, Terry Willard and the like. As per usual, the cautions are a bit on the extreme side (although better than Tilford, in my opinion). I would keep this book just to look at the pictures even if it sucked as a field guide (which it certainly does not). I’ve found it very useful and it’s small and tough enough to carry just about anywhere.

Plants of Arizona by Anne Epple – Huge variety of plants found throughout the SW, especially NM and AZ and therefore exceedingly useful. Arranged by color of flowers, which is annoying on many levels and the book would be greatly improved by being redone according to plant family and including more than just pictures of the flowers. The front half of the book is all color photos, one for each flower, by color. The second half is the text, which you reference either by the index or by the number next to the plant picture. Included basic botanical info. I’ve keyed out a lot of plants with this book and am very fond of it, but it would be SO much better if arranged just a little differently.

Bioregional Herbals

Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, revised edition by Michael Moore – THE book to have if you live anywhere in the SW mountains. It’s the first real herb book I ever owned and I was on a mountain and could only have ONE herb book, this would be it. I love Michael’s no BS writing and I love the fact that it’s all based on personal experience even more. There’s many hidden gems in his work, little comments that often seem to go unnoticed, but in reality, EVERYTHING herbal the man say should be paid close attention to. While he occasionally misses significant uses in his profiles of plants (Elderberry and Alder spring to mind), in general he’s so right on it’s scary. I love Mimi Kamp’s drawings too, they’re clear, easy to recognize and pretty. As with most of Michael’s books, basic instructions for standard preparations are given. He also lists other very important info such as where habitat the plant migh be found in, how stable the herb is once gathered, how to gather it, ecologic status, distribution maps, primary constituents, best preparations, contraindications and even cultivation tips. The herb book standard by which all others should be measured.

Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West by Michael Moore – Another great book, though it will be even better when and if it gets revised in the same manner as the Mountain West book. Interesting tidbits abound, much of which I really wish would be expanded upon or clarified. I do especially love his Milky Oats profile, especially in the context of the era in which the book came out.

Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore – Rivals the Mountain West book for my favorite, and despite the title, has many of the plants found in the intermountain West as well. Great stories, great plants, great info and great drawings (by Mimi again) with pretty much all the same features as the Mountain West book, with less emphasis on cultivation. I like to read Michael’s books just for pure entertainment and find myself marking new finds every time I re-read. As with the other books, I would have liked more photographs but they’re really not necessary for anything besides aethetic pleasure since we have Mimi’s great drawings.

Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest by Charles Kane – This Tucson herbalist and former student of Michael Moore has made a great contribution to SW herbal literature with this book. It’s clear, concise, practical and right on. Its focus tends to be more around desert level plants but does include some specifically mountain type plants like Wild Peony. There’s a center section of full color photographs and paintings of every single plant that’s very helpful. While I find some of his profiles to be a limited in their understanding of the plant, what’s there is extremely accurate and often unusual info. Clearly influence by the structure of Michael’s books, much to my joy. Highly recommended.

Healing Plants of the Rocky Mountains by Darcy Williamson – This is the book that confirmed my experiences with Alder and got me to work with the tree further and deeper. While Darcy is from Idaho, many of the Rocky Mt plants she covers are also common plants in the mountains of the SW (American Pennyroyal, Alder, Horsetail, Chokecherry, Elder etc) and beyond. She’s had some unusual teachers (many indigenous) and therefore has some really interesting insights into plants you won’t hear much elsewhere. While it does have lovely painting of the plants, it doesn’t have a lot of use for IDing so bring a field guide too. Her pamphlets (sold on her From the Forest website) also contain some totally unique and fascinating insights that I’ve found quite helpful.

Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican-American Herbal Remedies by Joie Davidow  – A great look in traditional Hispanic uses of herbs, especially in the Southern Cali tradition. It also offers a fairly accurate history of Hispanic and pre-Hispanic herbalism, along with interviews and profiles of current traditional healers in the SW. I really like the book and reference it on a fairly regular basis. That said, the woman who wrote the book is not an herbalist but a journalist who dabbles in herbs and has spent a lot of time with traditional healers.  This means you should already know your plants when you use this book and take everything said with a grain of salt. There’s some very glaring errors included, and a lot of places where there’s a clear misunderstanding of the traditional usage of the plant. Worth having if you’re in the SW, but it shouldn’t be used by a complete beginner or without other, more dependable backup references.

Bioregional Ethnobotany Texts

Los Remedios: Traditional Herbal Remedies of the Southwest by Michael Moore – Michael’s very first book, a sweet little volume listing the most commonly used herbs in the New Mexico Spanish tradition. Traditional uses are given, as well as Michael’s comments upon how useful or safe the plant has been in his experience. A great book that gives brief overviews of many common herbs, both native and imported, including Lavender, Garlic, Corn Silk, Coriander and many, many others. Understandable, straight-forward, and written from experience.

Healing Herbs of the Upper Rio Grande: Traditional Medicine of the Southwest by L. S. M. Curtin, edited by Michael Moore – The classic NM ethnobotany text, with many exciting comments on very unused plants as well as some very strange medicinal practices with animal parts and excretions that I have yet to try. As with most ethnobotany books, it wasn’t written by an herbalist, but by a curious researcher. There’s much to be learned here but don’t use it as an encyclopedia of plants and their uses (actually, don’t use any book that way, get to know your plants personally instead). Be sure to get the edition edited and annotated by Michael Moore, he’s corrected some important errors and his notes often make things much more sensible and understandable.

By the Prophet of the Earth: Ethnobotany of the Pima by L. S. M. Curtin – A small book giving a rare overview the many ways in which the Pima interacted and worked with their native plants. It’s out of print as far as I know and can be found for free online right here.

At The Desert’s Green Edge: An Ethnobotany of the Gila River Pima by Amadeo M. Rea – A truly moving and fascinating look at the plants and people of the Gila River in Arizona. Not only a thorough compendium a traditional herbal uses, but a great exploration of the way in which this group of indigenous people classified plants (in a detailed and incredibly accurate manner generally only credited to the Aztecs and modern botany) and the way their language and stories intertwine with their experiences and knowledge of the plants. Written by a man who spent much of his life working with the Gila River Pima, and knew them intimately. Beautifully complemented by the Sumi-e brush paintings of Takashi Ijichi. While not written by a practicing herbalist, and drawn from a culture that is very quickly forgetting its relationship wiht the plants, it is an extraordinary opportunity to take a glimpse into the relationship traditional peoples had with the herbs. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in herbal medicine and ethnobotany, even if you don’t live in the SW.