Is Herbalism Dead?

Guest post by Stephanie Rose Bird

Interviews can be fun and interesting.  In preparing for an interview, I often try to prepare beforehand by figuring out what the questions will be.  Sometimes I’m dead on with a few questions but there is always the stumper.  Recently, I had an interview wherein the interviewer successfully baffled me.  I think she was playing devil’s advocate but I can’t be sure.  Her question was very thought-provoking; it was something to the effect of: With so many ready-made herbal products available why on earth would anyone want to go through all the trouble of creating their own herbal formulations? 

The question was provocative.  I thought long and hard about it.  I thought for others not myself because I am an herbalist and aromatherapist and that’s not about to change in the foreseeable future.  What came to mind as being implicit in the question: Is Herbalism dead or is it a dieing art form?  My answer is an emphatic “no.”

Regarding the fact that herbal products exist all over the marketplace--yes that is all well and good.  Years ago you couldn’t buy healing balms, herbal shampoos, tinctures, plant essences or even herbal tea bags; instead you had to do-it yourself.  Similarly, today there are readymade foods available in the freezer section, at deli-counters, for take-out and so on.  However, just as I and most people wouldn’t rely totally on pre-packaged, ready-made food for our daily diet nor would we or should we rely totally on pre-packaged herbal products for total wellness. 

There is something affirming, heart-warming, soulful and magickal about preparing one’s own food from scratch.  It is also generally a more wholesome option—the same holds true for blending one’s own herbs.  Moreover, precious phyto-chemicals, nutrients, specific medicines and powerful volatile oils are released when the plant is worked by hand.  Last by not least, you can tailor your herbal formulations to suit your family, friend, client or yourself while making it in your kitchen.

Just about everyone practices Herbalism and many of you create herbal infusions on a daily basis whether you call it that or not.  I’m talking about making tea.  Tea is a tisane and what herbalist’s commonly call an infusion.  Put simply, an infusion is pouring boiled or very hot water over tender plant parts such as the leaves of Camilla sinesis better know as “tea.”  Other plant parts that can be prepared just like black or green tea leaves are flowers, tender fruits, mosses and soft stems.  An infusion can be typically prepared in 10-15 minutes—and that is generous.  It is time we can all spare.  Infusions can be taken orally, as tea or applied topically using various methods like rinsing the hair or rinsing the mouth. Teas or infusions made with leaves include peppermint, rosemary, nettle, raspberry and peach.  Teas created from buds and flowers include chamomile, hops, lavender, marigold (calendula) and St. John’s wort.

A decoction sounds a bit more complicated and it is slightly.  It takes a little longer, more like 20-30 minutes, all told.  Decoctions are created from simmering the tougher plant materials such as the bark, roots, berries, resins and woody stems.  Herbal decoctions of this sort include, ginger root, myrrh resin and slippery elm bark, a most useful bark.  The tough, sometimes ground herbs are simmered on medium heat, covered and allowed to steep.  They are then strained and sweetened with honey if desired.

While making your herbal brew you can imbue it with your intentions simply by focusing in on the pot as you cook.  Some people pray, breathe deeply or meditate over the pot or the cup as the herbs steep.  This steps into yet another mysterious arena called Magickal Herbalism.

While it is true that being an effective herbalist takes years of study and practice, just about anyone can begin the preliminary steps towards Herbalism.  As I said, most of you already have.  Tea, tisane and herbal infusions are one in the same.  Decoctions yield warm brews from tougher plant materials.  These herbal brews can be used for mouthwash (myrrh resin), hair rinses for hair growth aids (rosemary, nettle and peach leaves), to fight depression (St. John’s wort flower and leaf, lavender buds), to help you sleep and calm down (chamomile flowers), to fight nausea (ginger root), in pregnancy and for certain women’s reproductive issue’s (raspberry leaf), soothing, healing, strengthening, and for coughs (slippery elm bark) or as an over-all curative (peppermint). 

On your path to becoming an herbalist start by finding herbal treatments for the problems in your life.  First try using readily available herbs such as those mentioned here and take it from there.  You’ll soon find out why Herbalism is alive and doing well. 

Stephanie Rose Bird is the author of The Big Book of Soul: the Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit: Legend & Lore, Music & Mysticism, Recipes & Rituals, (Hampton Roads Publishers, 2010).  She is a practicing herbalist and aromatherapist.  Bird is resident herbalist at www.naturallycurly.com writing about herbal ingredients for hair and skin care.  Bird is a member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, the American Botanical Council and the International Center for Traditional Childrearing.  Her work has appeared in “Sage Woman,” “PanGaia,” “The Beltane Papers,” “The Oracle,” “Herb Quarterly,” “Herb Companion,” “The Journal of the Handmade Soapmaker,” “Aromatherapy Today,” “Llewellyn Herbal Almanac,” and “Llewellyn Magical Almanac,” among other publications.