
Herbal Medicine
Why Herbal Medicine?
Herbal medicine is a truly holistic tradition which sees the body as a whole, a constellation of systems which continually seek balance and homeostasis when supported. Plants which are used in their whole form work together with the body synergistically, this is the basis for every herbal tradition around the world.
The use of isolated, synthesised plant constituents (for example in pharmaceutical studies) ignores the traditional use, which would always use the whole plant: a complex composition of many constituents all working together to achieve a goal… much like ourselves. Plants are a medicine our DNA knows well, and readily responds to. If we consider that our bodies are listening to everything we consume: food, media, relationships, environment, it becomes vitally important to provide the best possible nourishment. Supplements and constituents are much like reading a single page from the middle of a book – there is a basic understanding, but no context; plotlines could be confused, wrong assumptions made and the magic is lost.
In my approach, I seek to address the root cause of underlying imbalance, support overall wellbeing and to ease symptoms. Symptoms are the body’s warning signs and should never be suppressed, they point to a larger pattern in the body and require careful attention.
This process requires active participation, “meeting the medicine”, where change is required in many aspects of life, not just suppressing symptoms. Long-term, sustainable progress requires embracing change at every level.
Plants are some of our greatest teachers, speaking to the body directly, without words or agenda.
Original Medicine
Plants are our original teachers, they were here long before we were, and offer us the knowledge of interconnection, evolution and adaptability. Teachers who guide us without words, who speak to the body directly and without agenda, wholly adaptable to our individual needs and underlying constitution by their innate intelligence.
Up until the 1900s, herbal medicine was the only medicine, relied on for tens of thousands of years in times of illness, for prevention and general vitality. This knowledge lived within every household, and shamans were the original keepers of herbal knowledge.
Evolutionary Herbalism is a tradition which considers not only the physical characteristics and actions of each plant, but the wider patterns of how and why they work. Astrological, elemental, alchemical, energetic, spiritual and esoteric considerations are made, creating a signature which helps us to match people with their plants. We move beyond the “this for that” approach and zoom out into a wider perspective. This is where the microcosm and macrocosm are seen, repeating patterns at every level in our reality, which give us insights into patterns of health and imbalance.
How can Herbalism help?
Digestive issues, skin conditions, strain on the nervous system, sleep disturbances and everything in between can benefit from herbal medicine. Medicines which are tailored to your individual constitution (by using diagnostic tools such as iridology and the astrological birth chart) and are supported by proper nourishment and natural therapeutics which actually address the root of imbalances while also alleviating symptoms. Changes which take place at the root are shifts that last.