Western Herbalism
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
—Elizabeth Appell
Western herbalism broadens our materia medica, herbs of Europe and the western world, enhances the understanding of energetics and phytotherapy bringing a wider scope of herbal tradition shedding new perspectives to the way of herbs in to the practice especially as we are living in the western world.
It is a practice of the more modern world. It is based on scientific findings and research as a holistic model of health, but also includes experience, intuition and observation. It values the experience of practitioners and people using plants medicine for significant periods of time and their beneficial results.
~ you are the healer, these are tools to heal
These experiences are usually recorded in case studies for other persons using herbs for wellness and health concerns to draw from as a basis for their use of the plant medicine. These experiences come from indigenous peoples and the cultural connections to the earth, from the eclectics to the physiomedicalists from folklorists to modern pharmacy. Theory plays a role as well such as the doctrine of signatures, the humors, tastes and impressions upon the body and the senses.
Western herbalism makes use of traditions, ideology and practice of TCM, Ayurveda, Greek medicine, the wise woman way and the folk healer. The main focus remains to be the use of whole plants for whole people as opposed to an isolated ingredient in a plant as the ‘medicine’. The concepts of living in harmony with nature and the innate healing capacity of the human body are major tenants of Western herbalism. It is a personalized way of viewing imbalance or non ideal health that incorporates the physical and spiritual aspects of a person, holism. To be whole is to feel all parts of you are meshing with each other in fluidity.
Deeply seated traditions and blending of cultures world wide all with the intention of healing is a remarkably powerful idea. Freely shared information and experience facilitates everyone to feel the power of moving themselves into their radiance.