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Author Topic: Herbalism  (Read 1883 times)

calum

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Herbalism
« on: March 30, 2017, 07:03:26 pm »
Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well.
I'm fascinated by the medical power of plants. They are nature's pharmacist. I will usually refuse man made medicines unless absolutely necessary; this leads me to my intention with this thread. I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine.

I believe that in taking herbal remedies you are also communing with the divine as well as getting better; what could be better!
I'm sure there are many intelligent folk on here so that someone can help me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful day
Calum.

Hildeburh

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2017, 10:38:09 pm »
Quote from: calum;204450
Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well.
I'm fascinated by the medical power of plants. They are nature's pharmacist. I will usually refuse man made medicines unless absolutely necessary; this leads me to my intention with this thread. I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine.

I believe that in taking herbal remedies you are also communing with the divine as well as getting better; what could be better!
I'm sure there are many intelligent folk on here so that someone can help me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful day
Calum.

 
http://guides.library.umass.edu/content_mobile.php?pid=25260&sid=1328400#box_1328400

Margaret  Grieve: A Modern Herbal
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/512991.A_Modern_Herbal

Dynes Hysbys

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2017, 07:21:55 am »
Quote from: calum;204450
Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well.
I'm fascinated by the medical power of plants. They are nature's pharmacist. I will usually refuse man made medicines unless absolutely necessary; this leads me to my intention with this thread. I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine.

I believe that in taking herbal remedies you are also communing with the divine as well as getting better; what could be better!
I'm sure there are many intelligent folk on here so that someone can help me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful day
Calum.


Grieves is good but a bit dated. I use it for magical work but if I'm making something I'm going to be taking then I also cross check elsewhere.

James Wong is a good start - it's a basic beginners book but it gives techniques for making up salves, teas etc and some recipes. It also seems to pop up in a lot of charity shops for next to nothing!  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grow-Your-Own-Drugs-Fantastically/dp/0007307136

Abigail

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2017, 09:54:42 am »
Quote from: Dynes Hysbys;204464
It also seems to pop up in a lot of charity shops for next to nothing!

That is actually how I have acquired most of my herbal library, charity shops, secondhand markets, garage sales etc. The most awesome find was a big dusty, yellowed with of age book in Danish. Predates the second world war and isbn numbers, it was like finding a treasure!
It's crazy what you find on "hunts" in places like that and the prices are often very decent if not on the low side.

Norman Shealy also has some excellent books, the below link being one of them.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Remedies-Prevention-Illustrated-Encyclopedia-x/dp/1862041873/ref=pd_sim_14_4/254-4080417-2017839?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=008JKW6Y19GDFQ8HXR0Y

Online you can also find a wealth of information, but a lot of sources have very minimal information about side-effects and contraindications, which is one of my pet peeves.
http://www.herbs2000.com/ is my favorite when it comes to online info, both because it does not only contain herbs but trees as well, and it actually does list side effects and warnings.

I really recommend taking your time and combining knowledge of multiple sources to make it "your own", and have fun on the journey, Calum!!
« Last Edit: March 31, 2017, 09:59:58 am by Abigail »

Jenett

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2017, 12:16:41 pm »
Quote from: calum;204450
I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine!

 
Some of the best resources are potentially local for you: many places have trained herbalists who offer classes and advice. Not only can this help with learning about the plants where you are, but some kinds of preparations are much easier to learn from someone while watching them.

As others have said, one of the challenges with herbalism is that there's a lot of older material out there which does not include current safety information.

(And this is *especially* true if you are taking any medications or have specific conditions: there are a bunch of herbs that are safe in some circumstances but not others, or not during pregnancy, or that have particular reactions with specific medications.)

For general sources, I like Matthew Wood's material a great deal - he's US based, but one of his materia medica books focuses on European herbs (the other is North American). Rosemary Gladstar also has a wide range of recipes and materials. In both cases, you'd want to double check specific herbs and situations in up to date medical sources as well.

In the US, Mountain Rose Herbs is a larger reliable source of many herbs, and they have a blog with a lot of material including recipes and techniques. I've also heard decent things about the LearningHerbs.com site (though never taken any of their courses directly.)

On the more magical side, I've been eyeing the Worts and Cunning Lunar Apothecary - I like the public info posted, which is a good mix of magical and astrological and medicinal applications with a lot of thoughtfulness.

(I am, by the way, one of those "modern allopathic medicine is good for some things, and not as good at others". I take four regular prescription meds: one is a hormone my body doesn't make correctly, two are vitamins and minerals where dietary changes are complicated and not sufficiently sustainable, and the last one is actually a medication that makes my body handle something differently in a way that's better for multiple systems but gets me into the land of 'a lot of stuff may be contraindicated' because of how it's processed in the body - any med that is processed through the liver or kidneys can potentially affect things like herbal remedies too, for example.

I like herbalism very much for help with low-grade chronic stuff (helping my body handle things better) or as alternatives to things like cold medicines, where I can design a tea that helps the specific symptoms, drink as much or as little as I need (rather than cold medicine where what you get is what you get.) but I tend to think of it as 'one way to help my body' not the first thing I do every time.)
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milkeyedmender

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2017, 12:33:10 pm »
Quote from: calum;204450
Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well.
I'm fascinated by the medical power of plants. They are nature's pharmacist. I will usually refuse man made medicines unless absolutely necessary; this leads me to my intention with this thread. I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine.

I believe that in taking herbal remedies you are also communing with the divine as well as getting better; what could be better!
I'm sure there are many intelligent folk on here so that someone can help me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Have a wonderful day
Calum.

 

I'm currently enrolled in an herbal immersion program and I've been practicing herbalism/natural foods etc for about 12 years.  

I think finding local plant guides and others interested in herbalism is the best resource.  The problem with learning only from general herbalism books or courses is its disconnect with the origins of the trade.  We have an ancestral connection to using plants to heal, and most of the modern herbalism came from an herbal tradition: and there are soon many of those.


That being said there are plants that almost every herbalist uses that aren't necessarily local:  ginger, turmeric, aloe vera... etc.  

I like the prescription for nutritional healing and prescription for herbal healing as well as some smaller printings.  

Oh and don't forget zines!  Zines are making such a comeback and there are so many great resources.  You could probably google herbalism zines, look for some around your area, and maybe even connect with this people!


I hope you enjoy your journey, and I would love to help in any way I can.  I think it's the most important part of my professional life.  

I also thought about starting a group here, but am unfamiliar with the territory.

ThreeDropsRed

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Re: Herbalism
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2017, 12:30:18 am »
Quote from: calum;204450
Hello everyone!
 I would be grateful if anyone could point me in the direction of a resource to learn how to identify prepare and administer natural remedies for a lot of common ailments (fevers, stomach complaints etc.) whether this is through books or otherwise is fine.

 
I came across this book on Amazon when reading about the James Wong book. It's worth looking into. Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs

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