• And the Plants Will Set You Free

    Through knowing and using the plants that grow around us—the ones in our backyard, the weeds that resist all efforts to control them, the abundance and diversity of the species in the Cascadian forests—we are more whole, secure and free. What’s right under our feet are, by their very nature, agents of freedom. [Read full post]
  • Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

    As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. I want to push you to go past what you know is comfortable and reimagine your practice so you are doing the wildest, most liberating brilliant work that you can. [Read full post]
  • Aesthetic & Beauty in Practice

    It’s touching the dirt, digging roots, preparing and sipping beautiful garden tea blends, smelling the flowers, having my apothecary full of jars containing gorgeous, whole-leaf herbs. Microwaving a wack bag of herb tea is a completely different game. Authentic botanical practice is a lifestyle that honors the sanctity of life and the ecological patterns around us. It’s how we connect to the larger planetary system. [Read full post]

Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

Christopher Reiger "More Some Thing From No Thing" 2010

As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. Plants are extremely complex as beings, as are human (& other animals). To deal with this complexity, we like to learn a tradition and adopt a framework for navigating this wildly colorful territory.

But maybe you, like me, constantly bump up against the fact that these are indeed lenses that we choose in order to understand these relationships and subsequently interact with those around us. From our studies, teachers and experiences we create conceptual frameworks from which we act. That’s helpful and practical, but I want to push you to go past what you know is comfortable and reimagine your practice so you are doing the wildest, most liberating brilliant work that you can. It’s because I care about your work–it’s hugely important! & we, the World, want you to bring your best to us. Read More »

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Basics of Herbcraft Booklet (A Freebie!)

Once again, the Olympia Free Herbal Clinic is doing a series of workshops this quarter at the Organic Farmhouse of the Evergreen State College. All free and open to the public.

Tomorrow night’s workshop is The Basics of Herbcraft, presented by yours truly. We’ll talk about core principles of medicine making, with a special eye for branching out, being creative and developing your craft. We’ll specifically talk about infusions, decoctions, infused oils, salves and alcohol tinctures. I put together a short & sweet 12-page booklet of what we’ll be talking about for participants. It includes methods recipes, tips & tricks. For those of you not in attendance and want to obtain one, here’s the .pdf file for you to print, peruse and distribute as you see fit. Read More »

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Sacred Bathing & Herbs, With a Special Focus on Western Red Cedar

I had a great experience last night. Can I tell you about it? I took a bath. A bath with Western Red Cedar–with tea made from the fresh boughs, essential oil, flower essence, capped with a hydrosol (via Marcus McCoy) and spagyric tincture (via Sean Croke). And it was the best medicine for how I was feeling! See, my own healing journey has been greatly enhanced by regular baths. Ingesting herbs is certainly powerful, but much is absorbed through our skin. And our physical body can hold so much–there’s something about a simple bath that really helps us clear and release. So this is what I’ll share today, along with a bath salt recipe that’s easily adapted to suit your needs.

I’m inspired to write about this because we’re in the season of Water. In Chinese 5-element medicine, Winter is the season of Water–the season and element of cleansing, restoration, gathering reserves for the rapid growth in the springtime. Water holds and conducts energy and intention. So when you need some deep medicine, what better way than to immerse yourself in such a restorative medium? Read More »

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The Biophilia Hypothesis

“If natural diversity is the wellspring of human intelligence, then the systematic destruction inherent in contemporary technology and economics is a war against the very sources of mind . . . It is impossible to unravel natural diversity without undermining human intelligence as well.” -E.O. Wilson

Articulations are powerful. Good articulations shape our thinking and actions. And many years ago, Erich Fromm made a great one: Biophilia: the love of life or living systems. He first used it to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital.

Edward O. Wilson has been a prominent and inspiring voice for global biodiversity and an advocate for human’s intimate connection with the natural world. He resurrected the idea in the 1980′s and set it free into current Naturalistic thought with his 1984 book Biophilia. He cites it as the force behind human’s inherent affinity for living things. Furthermore, our natural love of life is the very thing that sustains it. It’s a product of our co-evolution with all of the species on Earth.

Biophilia. Do you not feel it as you’re lazily wandering a forest, intoxicated by the scent of conifer needles and cradled by the soft dirt? Or maybe as you’re petting the soft & buttery Calendula petals, or lovingly digging up yellow dock roots? Herbalism is biophilia in action. Herbalists are biophiles. Biophilia’s a lovely word and a terrific articulation of the basic need for humans to have relationships and connections with other life forms.  Read More »

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Skin, Dirt & Leaves: Herbcraft & the Senses

After the blizzard of last week, the snow is melting and us Northwesters are finally and frantically busting out of our houses. I was especially excited to see what branches had fallen, and was particularly hoping that Cottonwood would bestow some blessings onto me. So I drove out to the wildlife refuge and walked around a bit. And I soon became dizzy and giddy by finding many fallen Cottonwood branches and boughs. I started plucking the fragrant, sticky and tender buds. After a while, my fingers were coated in brown resin and propolis. It brought me back to the importance of touching plants—the sanctity of touch between life forms. I wonder how I would feel to the trees I interact with, how they sense me…and how my touch might help them.

There are so many dimensions of our connection and relationship with our ecological communities. So many physical forms that this symbiosis takes: We ingest local food for nourishment and local plants to maintain health; Nurture and tend the land. There’s another subtle, deep and very alluring dimension to our relationship with Nature and her other life forms: its touch and texture. Read More »

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Winter Reading List, Part Deux

Snowstorms are conducive to being tucked in lots of blankets on the couch, fire blazing, tea in hand with a book (or 2 or 3). So I’ve assembled for you a list of books I’ve enjoyed that you may find delight in. (And one thing: if you click on the links to the books, it’ll take you to Amazon, but I’d like to recommend that you check your local and/or used book seller first.)

The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth by Stephen Harrod Buhner

Buhner’s a great writer, and I’ve really been inspired about how he’s incorporated systemic thinking and complexity theory into human-plant relationships. In this book, he describes a variety of aspects of the flora kingdom’s role in the greater planetary picture–from biophilia to the ecological impacts of industrial medicine. Thought-provoking and beautiful.

The Genius Within: Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing by Frank Vertosick

I just started reading this. I think how we characterize intelligence is a crucial issue, and informs how we order and classify life forms and determines how we treat other living things. So maybe how we define and frame intelligence deserves more consideration. Plant folks, you’ll love this! Read More »

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What Makes You Curious?

Jesse Bransford, Hecterion (2009)

Whatever it is, best follow it. Cultivating and honoring your innate curiosities about the world, life, society and yourself brings you closer to your true work and encourages the emergence of true self. Read More »

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Framing Health in a Context of Interconnectedness

Regeneration (2011) by Toshiyuki Enoki

It’s a terribly chilly day here in Olympia. I’ve spent most of the day at my desk, drinking puerh tea, brow furrowed in intense contemplation over some aspects of my developing thesis. I’m exploring the question of the contribution of ethnobotanical knowledge & practices to public health and I face a number of challenges. And chief of these challenges is dealing with the conceptual frame and definition of health itself. Read More »

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Herbalism in the Space Age

Over the holidays, I was visiting family in New York. On the top of my list of museums to visit (I love museums) was the American Museum of Natural History. The featured exhibit was Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration, which focuses on humanity’s next steps regarding space exploration, travel and colonization.

Concept design for space station by Don Davis.

The event was fascinating. Whoopi Goldberg narrated the planetarium show, which stands out as some of the best science storytelling I’ve seen yet. I saw what plants dinosaurs ate, the Virgin Atlantic model planes for space tourism, models for lunar elevators, space station garden designs, the model for the space port currently in development in Las Cruces, NM, how we might deal with an asteroid, what to do when the sun burns out and the 1000-year plan for terraforming Mars into a second Earth. Read More »

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Solstice Blessings: Words, Songs & Art for Sharing

This day marks the darkest day of the year, with the Sun pulled back from the Northern hemisphere. To honor this day and the beginning of Winter, I’ve collected some works to share with you.

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Resilience & The Rise of Community Leadership

I woke up just a few minutes ago, lurked over to the kitchen to greet the day with my usual blend of yerba mate, nettles, oatraw, raspberry leaf & rose petals.

I then checked my email and received a flurry of freak-out emails from some of the global health foundations and nonprofits that I follow, alarming their audience to the devasting shortage of funds that are threatening crucial HIV prevention & treatment programs, tuberculosis programs & the like.

I don’t want to sound unsympathetic, but it’s happening everywhere. The economic calamity of the last 3 years has shaken social and health services to their core. In my community, so many more people are houseless, without medical care or any kind of safety net. Read More »

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Winter Music for Golden Thoughts, Potion Brewing & Medicine Making

Simone Martini, Annunciation (detail), 1333

It’s high time for us Northern hemisphere dwellers to gather the goods to keep us warm and cozy for the winter. These include good books, dried herbs we gathered over the growing season, and—very importantly—music.

There are few things more pleasurable than waking up on a cold morning, climbing into wool sweaters, making a fire and getting to work in the kitchen and apothecary. Though it may be ghastly outside, working with the plants I gathered and medicines I made connects me to the Sun behind the clouds and to the warmth in the ground. It helps to have candles, sweet smokes, scents & smells in the air and beautiful sounds infusing the space.

I’ve compiled my favorite medicine making, potion brewing, card-reading and golden thought-inspiring music to share with you all. The following tracks range from a few different genres—medieval, classical, witchy, Bulgarian choir, Transylvanian folk music (a hat tip to my family). It’s meant to touch that deep, ancient, celebratory and magical space in our hearts so our work & medicine is infused with timeless inspiration. I originally wanted to burn it on a CD and gift it to a few friends, but felt that you all might want to have a listen. Read More »

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Teas & Brews: Elemental Art Forms

The Wheel of the Seasons is turning, and we’re entering the Season of Water here in the Pacific Northwest. The light and warmth of the Sun has waned, and the plants have drawn their energy downward into their roots. The leaves are brown, the clouds and rain have turned the forests into misty, secretive cathedrals. And the rains have returned, cleansing, restoring and nourishing the life that will spring forth when the Wheel turns again. And this is the gift of Water.

In herbal practice, the water element shows up in a variety of ways. But one of the most important applications of Water is in teas and brews. This practice entails the interaction of all the elements: fire heating the water, water meeting the plant (Earth), infusion meeting the Air and warming the Heart. It’s elemental art at work.

There’s something so alluring about making beautiful teas & brews. The simplicity and tradition of the practice is so nurturing to the soul. It’s just about hot water and plants. Unlike other botanical preparations, my tea and brew-making activities are very informal and casual. I don’t like to fuss or worry about amount of this or that or exact times. Read More »

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Winter 2011 Reading List

For those of us residing in the Northern hemisphere, Winter’s knocking on our door. Now that we’ve travelled, harvested and feasted, we’re ready to get cozy by the fire and do some serious reading and tea drinking. I tend to keep all the books I’m currently reading stacked next to the bed and piled on my desk. And I’m always reading many concurrently. So here’s what I’m reading now–for pleasure, research, and to inspire new thinking. (And one thing: if you click on the links to the books, it’ll take you to Amazon, but I’d like to recommend that you check your local and/or used book seller first.)

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

So, naturally you’re going to be doing some amazing cooking this season. Right? Great. Well, it’s high time to challenge your skills and expand your working repetoire of flavor combinations, and the Flavor Bible comes to your aid. It’s a culinary reference of flavor combinations and affinities. So you can look up ‘tomato’ and see season and energy affinities, and then 3 columns of ingredients that pair well with it. So you can adapt, say, a basic tomato soup recipe and make it a coriander-rosemary tomato soup with asiago (to name one example). And for someone who loves to cook with wild foods and fresh garden herbs, this book is one I open and refer to a lot. A bit pricey, but it’s a staple text for you foodies. Read More »

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Tradition is Innovation & Other Useful Paradoxes

Lately I’ve been really curious about what’s considered innovative in mainstream healthcare. I have my views and visions for what I think are good next steps for a sound health system–one based in communities and ecosystems, that takes into account ecological and animal health, based on positive health principles and prevention. But hey, that’s me, I wanted to what the people actually working on healthcare reform are talking about. Read More »

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The Inspiration Series: Cultivating Celebration & Gratitude

Alan MacDonald "Daydream Believer"

It’s a cold, rainy Wednesday night here in the Pacific Northwest. When the rain returns, the whole mood of this terrain shifts. You feel the pull downward, the crystalizing and cleansing qualities of water rinsing everything. It’s a good time to take stock, and reevaluate. I’ve also been dealing with health challenges that have been begging me to slow down. (One of my best teachers, architect and whole systems designer Farouk Seif told us that “the faster you drive, the bigger the blind spot!”)

In this peaceful near-Winter contemplation, one thing that stands out is the amazing and loving work that’s taking place in the world. And I think of all the people whose heart’s work has reached mine, and it saddened me a little to recognize that I don’t thank people enough for what they give me. Read More »

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