Green Tidbits | The Medicine Woman's Roots

Earth-Deep: On Roots and the Cold Moons

“Deep roots are not reached by frost” – J. R. R. Tolkien As the dark months roll in and the seasons change, I find myself spending a great deal of time digging, washing and chopping freshly gathered roots. The sharp fragrance of Elecampane, the earthy bite of Cebadilla, the anise intensity of Sweet Root, the unmistakable aroma of Oshá and perhaps especially the sweet spice of American Spikenard all permeate the cabin kitchen, the medicine lodge and even my skin. I have often been known to take bites right out of the freshly washed Aralia or Ligusticum roots, chewing them thoughtfully as I continue my processing. I find that this direct sensory interaction with the plants greatly aids my understanding of how the herbs work and the particular properties...

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The Sensory Language of Life

One of the most fascinating aspect of working with plants is the how and why of what they do in the human body. I’m the sort of person who is endlessly (and perhaps annoyingly) curious, like an eternal four year old asking everyone –why– about even the most obvious aspects of the world around me. For this reason, I spend a significant amount of time reading medical and botanical research. It’s the same reason I spend even more time up close and personal with plants and people. All the research in the world can’t begin to replace personal experience and the knowledge that stems from it. Herbalism is, by it’s very definition, a healing art comprised of many overlapping and complimentary fields. From the essential knowledge of how to identify each plant...

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Herbal Roots: Healing Wisdom for Children and Beyond

Herbal Roots is a beautiful monthly online zine created, written, illustrated and published by community herbalist Kristine Brown. Published on the last Monday of every month, this periodical is a wonderful ongoing inspiration and resource for anyone interested in medicinal plants. Much more than a zine, Herbal Roots is really an ongoing herbal course for children and beyond. She features one herb per issue, highlighting medicinal potential, herbal lore, recipes, craft uses and beautiful hand drawn illustrations as well as lots of creative interaction focusing on the plant that’s fun for both parents and children. There’s even an ongoing herbal journal project to keep kids interacting and learning between issues! Kristine describes the zine in her own...

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Creating a Wild Remedy: Sharing Knowledge and Celebrating Tradition

Hello folks, here in the Canyon, the Wild Roses (Rosa woodsii) are just beginning to bloom, the Blisswort (Scutellaria potosina) is flowering beautifully (more on those very soon) and the land is green and lush with such an abundantly rainy Spring! I’ve been on a bit of a writing hiatus, and my time’s been consumed by working on many big projects, not least the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference but also on several other exciting things I can’t really talk about just yet. What I can tell you is that I’ll be back to writing on a more regular basis very shortly, and that I’m putting together even more herbal, healing and related online goodness for ya’ll. To help make up for the lack of Kiva words lately, I want to...

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From the Ground Up: Grassroots Training in Traditional Western Herbalism

At long last! –– the release of the greatly anticipated COURSE 1 of a 5 course program for the village herbalist: From the Ground Up: Grassroots Training in Traditional Western Herbalism FOUNDATIONS IN TRADITIONAL WESTERN HERBALISM Written & Taught by Kiva Rose Hardin After years of preparation, the essential first course in Kiva Rose’s comprehensive 5 course program has just been released, with openings for a select number of committed students. Foundations in Traditional Western Herbalism provides information and tools that are important for understanding and getting the most from the 4 other courses in this groundbreaking series. Kiva’s attention to the basics makes the practice of herbalism comprehensible for a beginner, while her...

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Wild Water, Food and Flowers

Spring has come a little late to the Gila but is now emerging full force, right in step with the tumultuous pace of the San Francisco River flooding its muddy banks. Thanks to snowmelt and significant rains, southwest New Mexico is remarkably well watered at the moment which most likely means a wildflower rich Spring! While there are already many flowers blooming at lower elevations in the Gila, here at about 6,000 feet we’re still at the beginning of our season. Every year, this diminutive but beautiful little flower commonly known as Mountain Candytuft (Noccaea fendleri subsp. glauca) is one of the very first noticeable wildflowers to bloom in the Canyon. It’s colors range from bright white to lavender to purple, depending on exactly where...