This Apiaceae has its roots in European folk medicine, and whilst similar in taste to the Illicium Star Anise, it is unrelated and more complex medicinally. The spicy, warm, sweet & fragrant flavour of aniseed is very unique and identifiable. This flavour is a big part of its medicine. It immediately gets to work calming the tissues it touches in the digestive & respiratory systems. The sweet flavour is building, tonifying and nourishing, making it suited for dry and depleted states. The spicy fragrance penetrates whilst the warmth stimulates blood and oxygenation - which means energy to move & detox.
{ ANISE SEED ::: Pimpinella anisum }
This Apiaceae has its roots in European folk medicine, and whilst similar in taste to the Illicium Star Anise, it is unrelated and more complex medicinally.
The spicy, warm, sweet & fragrant flavour of aniseed is very unique and identifiable. This flavour is a big part of its medicine. It immediately gets to work calming the tissues it touches in the digestive & respiratory systems. The sweet flavour is building, tonifying and nourishing, making it suited for dry and depleted states. The spicy fragrance penetrates whilst the warmth stimulates blood and oxygenation - which means energy to move & detox.
You can tell a lot about a plant by crushing it up and smelling it, or placing it in your mouth and investigating its flavour. The way its smell and taste impacts you - contraction, relaxation, heating, cooling etc. is how it is interacting with your body as you digest it.
A main use of aniseed medicinally is to calms contraction in the stomach and wind tension (gas) in the intestines. It was once known as ‘solamen intestinorum’ (comforter of the bowels). Matthew Wood calls it as a parasympathetic relaxant - and we are learning so much more about how calming the nervous system directly remedies belly distention.
When it comes to the lungs, that fragrant penetration becomes anti-catarrhal, meaning it breaks up phlegm. Once it’s broken up it’s much easier to cough it out and clear your breathe. This also means it can be a great ally for asthma by opening the lungs and calming coughing attacks.
Have you noticed that the flavour is a little numbing too? That’s aniseed’s anodyne properties, and whilst mild that can be really relaxes and relieving to the body when there is pain from periods, digestive cramps or coughing so much it hurts.
Laurel Dewey describes Aniseed for a kapha type who is a “slow, steady, purposeful character”, or someone who has a nervousness from mild perfectionism.
#aniseed #anise #Pimpinella #Pimpinellaanisum #apothecary #nimbin #nimbinapothecary #herbalmedicine #herbalism #herbalmonograph
]]>{ PELARGONIUM ::: Pelargonium sidoides }
The Pelargoniums are a wide range of herbs native to Africa from the Geraniacea family. They are closely related to Geraniums, which host loads of aromatic medicines including Herb Robert.
There are many cultivars within the Pelargoniums which have deliciously scented leaves that makes them useful as a flavouring in food and sweets. There are lime scented Pelargoniums, peppermints, lemons, lemon balms, roses, strawberry lemons…
A primary medicinal species is the Pelargonium sidoides whose stems and tubers are used for respiratory ailments by inhibiting the attachment of viral particles as well as bacterial adhesion within the lungs. It also stimulates the movement of the bronchial cilia to bring up mucous. In South Africa the roots would traditionally be boiled into a drink to utilise these effects to slow a respiratory infection, quicken recovery time, and alleviate the symptoms. When it comes to modern medicine, this plant has gone largely unnoticed and much of its evidence is based on its long standing traditional use with Zulu herbalists.
For those that get to know this plant, they will discover a herbal ally that is exceptionally skilled at treating sinusitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, colds, flus and sore throats. It is great with children as well, especially for asthmatic children who are prone to coughing a lot during an infection.
It’s most effective when started at the first signs of illness and symptoms can be gone within 24 hours. You must continue using it until you are a few days into the clear or symptoms will return.
#Pelargonium #geranium #herbalmedicine #herbalism #apothecary #nimbin #nimbinapothecary #naturalmedicine #ancientmedicine #traditionalmedicine
]]>You’ve likely heard of this herb as it’s quite a famous plant that has crossed over to modern medicine beyond the traditions of herbalism. An open minded doctor might even suggest you take Echinacea as an immune stimulant. There are 3 main echinaceas from the Aster family that are mostly used interchangeably, however angustifolia is considered the strongest. It’s popular today as an immune herb, but it was traditionally used in ways I’d like to explore here.
{ ECHINACEA ::: Echinacea angustifolia / pallida / purpurea }
You’ve likely heard of this herb as it’s quite a famous plant that has crossed over to modern medicine beyond the traditions of herbalism. An open minded doctor might even suggest you take Echinacea as an immune stimulant.
There are 3 main echinaceas from the Aster family that are mostly used interchangeably, however angustifolia is considered the strongest. It’s popular today as an immune herb, but it was traditionally used in ways I’d like to explore here.
Echinacea is a cooling stimulant, like lavender or peppermint. This is an interesting blend of effects that can treat hot tissues that are under active. When a tissue is depressed (inactive) for too long it is unable to transport toxins out of itself and becomes septic & inflamed. It can then emit heat even though it is actually under active and malnourished. This is a great indication for echinacea as it is also antiseptic. Lastly since it is sweet in flavour it will nourish depletion, so is suited for times of sickness brought on by tiredness from overwork and stress.
When cells become exhausted and putrid, the blood will also become hot and inflamed and immune reactions are more likely including to flare up including auto immune conditions, swelling such as boils or abscesses, eczema, infections, and swollen lymph. In these cases Echinacea will increase white blood cells in the spleen to improve the immune response and vital force of the body to combat sickness.
#echinacea #echinaceaangustifolia #echinaceapallida #echinaceapurpurea #nimbin #nimbinapothecary #apothecary #monograph #herbalmedicine
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{ ELDER ::: Sambuccus nigra }
How could a plant be named after the Elders and be considered anything other than important! Elderberries and flowers are both from Sambuccus nigra, a Honeysuckle that is an Oldworld European and North American primal remedy. It’s a herbal staple, like the potato or yam of food, that has supported the poor and the wealthy to health for generations.
The Elder tree pops up throughout history & myth as a gateway to the Faery world or Underworld, and sleeping under one might make things interesting as you meet the hidden folk that dwell in this magickal tree. Sambuccus refers to the Sumbuka pan pipes that can be made from this haunting wood, connecting Elders with Pan - a Greek God of the forest.
It has an incredible mythological history, but now to its medicine. Elder is sweet, sour, sedating and stimulating. Matthew Wood mentions that it “opens all the channels causing diaphoresis, emesis, purgation, diuresis, expectoration, and menstruation—also building and detoxifying the blood.” Plants don’t just do one thing!
The flowers stimulate the blood to the surface whilst cooling things down by opening up and dispersing. They are immune building, and mildly cleansing by encouraging elimination. The counter actions of stimulating and calming create a balanced effect.
The berries work similarly however they also build blood as a tonic in depleted people. Elderberry syrup is a great remedy for a sore throat or a cold, but large doses are also purgative.
The bark is mildly toxic (from cyanogens) and can cause vomiting, but it can also move lymph and get fluids flowing in the body in a helpful way. The leaves also disperse heat and have mildly antifungal actions externally.
Over all, the Elder is best suited for irritated, tense and depressed tissues to soothe, cleanse, tonify and disperse. This may present as a hyperactive child, a person with puffy, irritated red cheeks, or any tissues that are full of water, a person with a cold or flu, or also to support during a fever or build immunity during the winter.
#elder #elderberry #elderflower #sambuccus #sambuccusnigra #nimbin #apothecary #nimbinapothecary #herbalactions #monograph
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{ EVENING PRIMROSE ::: Oenothera biennis }
This little yellow flower is called ‘falling sun rose’ by the Cherokee from the North American lands which it is native to. The flower can be spotted open brightly on a night when all is darkness. It is said to be for the sallow person who appears full but expressionless. Whose face is dull and mentality gloomy, but is somewhat puffy with a dirty tone to their hue.
In the west Evening Primrose is well know the its seeds which have a remarkably high essential fatty acid content, so much so that it can be used for nutritional supplementation. Whilst it was used traditionally, much of its knowledge and use has not been passed onto modern herbalism. It does seem to have some feminine associations where traditionally it was used by the Cherokee for premenstrual pain and breast tenderness.
The plant is harvested when in full bloom before seeding; stem, roots, and leaves, and can be used as an infusion fur spasms in the intestinal tract and similarly spasms in the uterus during menses. So there is an affinity of relaxing lower pelvic wind tension and torpor, helping to support proper elimination of toxic air and griping.
The oil has many uses and that’s because these essential fats are essential for the functioning of much of our health. When you blast the brain & nervous system with these oils it can reduce dementia, memory loss, alzheimers and neuropathy. Supporting your body with healthy fats like those in Evening Primrose can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. In the female reproductive organs things like PMS, endometriosis, and menopause can all be aided. And when it comes to the skin it treats acne, wounds, ulcers, psoriasis and grows stronger nails.
This sweet little flower and its oily seeds has deeply important medicine for our systems. Humans have evolved alongside our plant persons in honouring relationship.
#eveningprimrose #oenothera #oenotherabiennis #efas #nimbin #nimbinapothecary
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{ JUNIPER ::: Juniperus communis }
The Juniper person is retraining too much water in their body. They have a slight waddle in their step which is tedious and exhausting and their lower back aches. Their legs can be swollen like tree branches, and so can their arms with little definition of where the hands or feet joint. They feel heavy in their hearts, bodies and mind as if a haze is between them and the world. They may feel achy with cramps in their body, headaches of the mind, and generally tired with little appetite for the day.
This is a general overview of the person Juniper is a great ally for. You don’t need to have all of these symptoms though to appreciate this herb.
Juniper is imprinted with the signature of the water, a deep blue berry that is warm, aromatic, pungent, bitter, acrid and sweet. This cypress is native to North America, Europe and Asia and is a traditional diuretic which is irritating due to its volatile oils. It’s used for treating the COLD & DAMP, as well as EXPELLING WIND.
Juniperus treats renal congestion, that is water-logged kidneys that may be swollen or have mucus in the membranes. If the kidneys are phlegmatic, so will be the heart and oedema is a common sign of this state. Volatile oils break things up & spice things up. They can penetrate through stuckness, expel wind tension, and remove the coldness or dampness from the tissues improving blood flow. Wind tension can be felt as bloating, gas & spasms in the belly & organs. Damp in the lungs can mean asthma coughs, and sickliness. Juniper then strengthens these areas that are opened up, including the memory and mind. When there is cold or damp in the body the cells become depressed, and so does the brain. A congested mind may have headaches and brain fatigue.
Juniper is an amazing ally to support your kidneys, and so much more. If your kidneys are tired, it’s very important to treat this before serious health issues begin developing - the kidneys are so important!
#juniper #juniperus #monograph #herbalmonograph #juniperberry #juniperberries #herbalism #herbalmedicine #nimbin #nimbinapothecary
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{ WORMWOOD ::: Artemisia absinthium }
Wormwood was one of THE MOST IMPORTANT EUROPEAN HERBS in history. This Asteraceae contains aromatic oils, some toxic, and bitter lactones. It’s now found in North America as well as being native to Asia and Europe and likes to grow on broken landscapes like walls or overrun pastures. It is a very strong herb to work with, that has potent implications on the broken parts of ourselves. Artemisia’s offer an important role in treating malaria throughout the world and are heavily relied upon for this in developing countries that rely on herbs as primary medicine.
This herb is known to strengthen the stomach acid and improve digestion, returning the weak to health. The bitter principles are also cooling and decongest the liver and aid the gallbladder. “The sun never shone upon a better herb for the yellow jaundice” according to Culpeper (1653). It also has a reputation for killing parasites in the intestines. When something as powerful as Wormwood starts to work on these organs, the improvements won’t just be around the digestion of food, but the assimilation of life itself through the primary organs of breaking down, assimilating and transporting. This will impact how well nourished a person is which gives them energy, embodiment and strength. It will also begin to release old, hot and toxic emotions and pain and invite in ease and grace.
Matthew Wood uses Wormwood the same as the North American Sagebrush for the mental states of “people suffering from devastation, hopelessness, poverty, abuse and unwinnable situations” through small internal doses of 1 drop per week. It’s important to bring up the issues in the tissues slowly, it it can result in causing more depression. One must be careful with large doses due to the thujone content which is toxic and in some countries not legal.
#wormwood #artemisia #monograph #herbalmonograph #materiamedica #naturalmedicine #absinthium #nimbin #nimbinapothecary #apothecary #herbalmedicine
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{ MUGWORT ::: Artemisia vulgaris }
This very old wort (medicinal herb) is an Artemisia, named so after the famous Greek goddess Artemis who governs the hunt and the protection of the wilds and its animals. She was worshipped by rural folk especially in regards to women’s fertility and childraising, protecting virgins and the ill.
Mugwort is an aromatic bitter, that’s energy opens up to draw down. Aromatics open up, and bitters stimulate and cleanse, allow improved digestion and assimilation of things.
It has a strong connection with the feminine and the moon cycle, being suited to women of all ages from maiden to magar. However it is not suited to pregnant women as it’s important to keep the lower energy centres contained at this time, and not dispersing downwards. It is so powerful that it can be used to bring on labour, pass the afterbirth, and even birth a still born.
It is a beautiful herb for women recovering from sexual abuse, who have had difficult pregnancies or abortions and are holding emotional and physical scars in their wombs. Just like Artemis protects Mumma Gaia’s creatures, so does this Artemisia protect the injured feminine. It brings life to the depressed tissues of of the sexual organs of women also through its action on the FSH and LH sex hormones. Matthew Wood stands behind it a remedy for hyperandrogenism. An increase in androgens like testosterone can cause PCOS, menstrual disorder, infertility, coldness in the pelvic area and the digestive tract especially the liver/gall bladder, depression, frustration and anger.
I could write pages about this herb, but lastly I will mention it’s pertinence within Chinese Medicine. This wonderful herb emphasises the feminine principle, restoring it where ‘the masculine has raced ahead and left her behind’. She can be burned as moxibustion to drive warmth and carry blood flow into the depths of the body eradicating cold, but it most not be used when the life force is too low as it will deplete further.
Mugwort can be used for dreaming, speech disorders, creative blocks, dyslexia, insomnia, low blood pressure, nervous system irritation, poor appetite, and so many ways that I couldn’t even summarise this plant in one post accurately.
#mugwort #artemisia #artemis #herbalmedicine #nimbin #nimbinapothecary #apothecary #mongraph #naturopathy
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{ MARSHMALLOW ::: Althaea officinalis }
This is such a well utilised and well known herb. It’s used all around the world for its mucilage content, which is moistening to dry tissues. It can also be used to soften tissues (known as an emollient). This makes it a primary herb for the dry or hot tissue state, and its anti-inflammatory effects add to this. It is useful for any hot, dry and hard tissues in the body, especially mucosal linings of the lungs and digestive tract. However, it is specific for the kidneys due to its salty flavour (flavour of the water element in Chinese Medicine - bladder/kidneys/nervous system). What is interesting is understanding the dry tissue state deeper, to known when moistening herbs like this Malvaceae are needed.
Dryness certainly expresses itself in the lungs, with a dry cough or asthma. Hardened mucus (remember how it softens things) could also be an indication for marshmallow, such as in the case with a congested and unproductive cough. Dryness is something that shows up in the digestive tract with constipation. What about dryness in the joints - arthritis. And in the urinary tract - scanty urine & dehydration.
But dryness doesn’t stop here. It continues into the nervous system and the personality. Whenever there has been a trauma to the nervous system that has not healed in the short term, it manifests in the long term as dryness. That means that bringing in moisture to a neglected tissue will begin healing deeply embedded emotional wounds as well. This soft and sweet herb is used for hardened personalities; to soften inflexibilities and intolerances with its emollient actions energetically. Conditions of deep depletion like post COVID or other virus’ often have dryness associated with them and require the healing moisture of herbs like Marshmallow to recover cellularly.
Mucilage is better in a cold water extract or as a powder, and not as effective in the tincture (alcohol) form. Both the leaves of marshmallow and the root are used somewhat interchangeably, however according to Hoffmann generally the leaf is more appropriate for the lungs and urinary system, and root is for the digestive system.
#marshmallow #althaea #althaeaofficinalis #dryconditions #nimbin #apothecary #nimbinapothecary #herbalmedicine #monograph #herbalmonograph
]]>This plant originates in Europe, Named after John the Baptist, with its use dating back to the very beginning. It has so many uses, like most plants, so let’s explore its key signatures to understand how to use this plant more simply.
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{ ST. JOHN’S WORT ::: Hypericum perforatum }
This plant originates in Europe, Named after John the Baptist, with its use dating back to the very beginning. It has so many uses, like most plants, so let’s explore its key signatures to understand how to use this plant more simply.
Hypericum is actually a balsam, which means it has oily resins that are calming & curative (Melissa is also balsamic). Oily herbs have a moistening sensation that can coat and soothe frazzled nerves. This herbs is a key one for the nervous system! Hypericum works powerfully on injuries to the nerves aka sharp, shooting pain & inflammation or neuralgia and is a key herbal pain killer. In the Middle Ages this herb was used to ‘drive away evil influences’ working to keep the spirit strong and one less likely to be ailed by mental illness. Don’t those yellow flowers just light you up!
Oils also build mass & tissue, and more cushioning means more protection; this plant is for fragility, fatigue, burnout, malnutrition and anaemia.
It’s sweet flavour means it works on the Earth element and digestion, and in this case particularly the parts of digestion that are connected with the nervous system. Remember how stress affects your appetite? Hypericum works on the animal instincts of the gut, according to #matthewwood. This is going to improve your gut instincts and rebuild trust of your internally digested world.
Oily herbs also connect with the liver, as the bile from the liver & gall bladder are designed to break down oils - they become intimately entwined. St John’s is a liver detoxifier working by helping the liver to process toxins as complex as pharmaceuticals. When it comes to elimination, the plant also promotes the release of heat in the bladder, relaxing the emotions of fear that are stored in the Water channels of the Kidneys and Bladder. This makes it great for bed wetting - again nervous energy & lack of tone in the organ system.
We can see the calming release of tension this plant has on the nerves when ti comes to the mind, the physical body, digestion, and the bladder. It would take pages to write about this plant. You can use it externally as an oil, or internally as a tea/tincture.
#stjohnswort #hypericum #medicinalplants #herbalism #herbalmedicine #nimbinapothecary #nimbin
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The Medicine of the Pine.
The Pine tree is one of the most widely known evergreen trees in the whole world, and it happens to be the iconic Christmas tree along with its quintessential seed pod the pine cone. This tree is ancient, a gymnosperm that reproduces in an old way with naked seeds, with the pine cone being the female seed. It’s pinon resin is used in aromatherapy and salves, pine nuts are used as food, pine needle tea is drunk, and its wood a revered building material - this is one important tree!
Pine is an aromatic stimulating pungent herb with antiseptic qualities. It can be used for treating toxic states of cold. That is, when a tissue is depressed and becomes unable to remove waste from itself and now needs an antiseptic to clean up the mess whilst stimulating cellular function. It wakes things up and gets them moving early on so it’s great for the onset of a cold to stop it in its tracks, and it’s especially targeted to the lungs to treat infections with a tea of the bark (strongest), leaves or the resin can be burned and the body smoked to relieve the body aches of a flu.
“The infection is often deep down in the bottom of the lungs, or sometimes in the sinuses. Pine’s adhesive, antiseptic resins attach themselves to the mucus and draw it out.“ #matthewwood
So it’s not just a pretty tree in the European’s winter celebrations, but it’s actually great medicine for the Winter time when we are prone to cold invasions and infections.
Pine sap salve is a well known cure all remedy for external use, from skin issues, wounds, to arthritis, & much more. “A Navajo man told me he used sap of the pinyon pine to pull a bullet out of his horse. It kept the wound clean, and good skin formed afterward.” (Erichsen-Brown, 1989). The pattern of cleansing, uplifting and drawing out is that of the Pine. Walking in pine forests is good for the mind and nervous system, it is calming and increases introspection, clearing the mind and inspiring energy. The Bach homeopathic flower essence is used for guilt and self blame.
The pine tree is a part of our history, a tree we have leaned into and balanced ourselves on. What’s great is that they grow in many countries, and it’s generally not hard to forage some for yourself!
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Christmas is in the air, and we’re all left wondering as the years take us further away from our roots, where does this festive season sit in our hearts? Are yours homes & hearths filling up with family connection and anticipation of the celebrations to come? Are you not sure what Christmas is even about any more? The children seem to remind us that giving them presents is at the core of the season. But we all know something is missing, something that we once held close bundled into this day.
Amidst the shopping malls and fairy lights, there are moments of ancient nostalgia as we interact with the Christmas herbs, these signature plants we have come to associate with the festive time. These herbs predate Christmas, and take us into even older traditions around Winter Solstice and the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Let’s meet one Christmas herb and explore its folklore! We must remember that our festivities in Australia’s summer match a Northern Hemisphere climate, a place where Christmas is white, cold, and connected to the darkest day of the year in deep winter.
MISTLETOE :::: Viscum album
This gorgeous plant Viscum album has become a symbol of Christmas, but before that it was used in the Winter celebrations of Europe as decorations to attract fairies and hung on doorways to keep bad spirits away. This parasitic plant has white berries and a white viscous layer on its leaves where it gets its name. It has long been connected to fertility throughout many cultures. Perhaps this is where the kissing comes in?
Mistletoe is ‘an old plant of the druids and the wise’ and used for constricted states of the body from the heart, lungs, uterus and mind, bringing smooth flow to the bloods of the body. It will enhance oxytocin to help induce smooth natural birth contractions, and can only be used in pregnancy at the brith. It works powerfully as a cardiac tonic for the tension of high blood pressure and may ease the constriction of edema in the extremities. It is a superior nervine tonic for constricted mental states such as nervousness, epilepsy, excitability and hysteria. Mistletoe is a plant for a person going through a breakup or experiencing a sudden loss, helping one to return to a place of openness; to kiss under the mistletoe is to have a joyful heart once more. Mistletoe is said to ‘help a person breathe through emotional problem’, and opens up the constricted lungs of an asthmatic, and smoothes. Rudolf Steiner followed the doctrine of signatures to read how the Mistletoe grows (parasitically to a host) and explore it as a cancer herb.
Only the leaves are used, as the white berries are actually quite toxic.
Wherever Christmas fits into your traditions, may it be a time of connection, open-heartedness, joy, laughter, generosity - a time for the constrictions of the body to exhale with ease into a place of peace.
#mistletoe #herbalmedicine #herbalism #edemaherbs #nervinetonic #asthmaherbs #nimbinapothecary #apothecary #herbalmonograph #rudolfsteiner #christmasherbs
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