Teacher, carpenter, blacksmith; these are venerable trades as essential now as they were in antiquity. Alright; being a blacksmith may no longer carry the social cache that practicing law or being an advertising executive does, but it's still a recognized vocation. Other once-honorable trades haven't fared so well in post-modernity--and at the risk of spoiling my punch line too soon--herbalism is one of them. After nearly a century of censure by the (still only fairly recently) dominant biomedical establishment, the status of "herb doctors" has plummeted to the point where it doesn't even register on most people's radar. There are signs that this is changing, though, as part of the widespread resurgence of interest in sustainability, in local economies, in do-it-yourself self-reliance, and simply in health. Though herbalism is a loose, diverse, and sometimes contentious catch-all category, it's on the rise however you slice it. More and more people are claiming herb lore as a valuable part of humanity's heritage, whether through Chinese or American Indian traditions or from what their own grandmother passed along in the kitchen and woodlot.
Herbs are our original and (some of us believe) our best medicine. No matter where you live, at least a few essential medicine plants--and there aren't any plants that aren't useful as medicine--are readily available and free; I would estimate that all the medicine most people need grows within a few mile radius of their homes. This holds even for inner city neighborhoods: look at Detroit, which has half-reverted to wild fields and young forests, or New York City--I could spend a whole season foraging in Central Park. Herbs are right under our noses, if only we knew where to look.
In the spirit of fanning the flames of the wholistic medical renaissance, this post is intended to root out potential herbalists amongst you, my readers. This is not an evangelical mission--convert, convert!--but a gentle prod in the direction of asking yourself an oft-overlooked question: are you a closet herbalist? Whether as a folksie kitchen concocter or a white-jacketed integrative clinic practitioner, would using plants as medicines fulfill you and benefit others? So:
You might just be an herbalist at heart if...
-You like plants, have always liked them, felt drawn to them, wanted to draw them, identify them, smell and taste them. Or, perhaps, been intimidated or scared of them. But either way, noticed their presence, took walks in the woods for no reason other than to gather some mushrooms, sit under your favorite oak tree, see if the basswood was blooming yet.
-You like to help people. Again, maybe like me you're sort of scared of people, not entirely at ease in social situations with strangers. But you feel the flow of fulfillment when you're able to help ease someone's mind, answer a question, solve a problem.
-You're at home in the kitchen; you love to cook, brew, concoct. This is not an absolutely essential characteristic of an herbalist, since some practitioners use crude herbs exclusively or practice shamanistic "plant spirit medicine." But, historically, herbalism falls under the twin domains of outdoors and kitchen. Add to that, "laboratory."
-You're interested in ways of knowing beyond the standard, modern scientific paradigm. Reductionist science is a valid and useful epistemological model, but its microscopic tunnel vision often misses the forest for the trees. Trying to understand herbs through pharmacology alone is practically impossible, as a single plant can contain hundreds of "active" compounds. Traditional ways of knowing, from shamanistic to intuitive to "energetic," fill out the big picture view. If you are interested in these "alternative" models but don't feel you have an inroad, plants can provide the bridge.
I'm sure there are other characteristics that predispose one towards working with plants to heal, but this is what I've come up with here off the top of my head. Let me know what I've missed!
While we're honoring the humble herbal vocation, here's a small gallery of herbalists from near and far, people I've had the opportunity to learn from in one way or another.
Herbs are our original and (some of us believe) our best medicine. No matter where you live, at least a few essential medicine plants--and there aren't any plants that aren't useful as medicine--are readily available and free; I would estimate that all the medicine most people need grows within a few mile radius of their homes. This holds even for inner city neighborhoods: look at Detroit, which has half-reverted to wild fields and young forests, or New York City--I could spend a whole season foraging in Central Park. Herbs are right under our noses, if only we knew where to look.
In the spirit of fanning the flames of the wholistic medical renaissance, this post is intended to root out potential herbalists amongst you, my readers. This is not an evangelical mission--convert, convert!--but a gentle prod in the direction of asking yourself an oft-overlooked question: are you a closet herbalist? Whether as a folksie kitchen concocter or a white-jacketed integrative clinic practitioner, would using plants as medicines fulfill you and benefit others? So:
You might just be an herbalist at heart if...
-You like plants, have always liked them, felt drawn to them, wanted to draw them, identify them, smell and taste them. Or, perhaps, been intimidated or scared of them. But either way, noticed their presence, took walks in the woods for no reason other than to gather some mushrooms, sit under your favorite oak tree, see if the basswood was blooming yet.
-You like to help people. Again, maybe like me you're sort of scared of people, not entirely at ease in social situations with strangers. But you feel the flow of fulfillment when you're able to help ease someone's mind, answer a question, solve a problem.
-You're at home in the kitchen; you love to cook, brew, concoct. This is not an absolutely essential characteristic of an herbalist, since some practitioners use crude herbs exclusively or practice shamanistic "plant spirit medicine." But, historically, herbalism falls under the twin domains of outdoors and kitchen. Add to that, "laboratory."
-You're interested in ways of knowing beyond the standard, modern scientific paradigm. Reductionist science is a valid and useful epistemological model, but its microscopic tunnel vision often misses the forest for the trees. Trying to understand herbs through pharmacology alone is practically impossible, as a single plant can contain hundreds of "active" compounds. Traditional ways of knowing, from shamanistic to intuitive to "energetic," fill out the big picture view. If you are interested in these "alternative" models but don't feel you have an inroad, plants can provide the bridge.
I'm sure there are other characteristics that predispose one towards working with plants to heal, but this is what I've come up with here off the top of my head. Let me know what I've missed!
While we're honoring the humble herbal vocation, here's a small gallery of herbalists from near and far, people I've had the opportunity to learn from in one way or another.
A Vaidya (Ayurvedic practitioner) in Kapilvastu district, Nepal, pointing out some Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Bishunath Karmacharya, a Newari vaidya and alchemist, at his home in Banepa, Nepal, with some of the sought-after medicinal Yarshagumba (Cordyceps).
A father and son team at the family clinic in Naradevi, Kathmandu.
A tantric jharphuke vaidya practicing his "brushing and blowing" ritual technique in combination with herbal medicine in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Matthew Wood, author of The Earthwise Herbal and The Book of Herbal Wisdom and my primary teacher at The School of Traditional Western Herbalism.
Gail Faith Edwards, founder of Blessed Maine herb farm, author, and teacher.
Dr. Heiner Fruehauf, Classical Chinese Medicine luminary, founder of the CCM program at National College of Natural Medicine, and creator of the Classical Pearls formula line.
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