Should a Client Take an Herb They Don't Like?

Now found at the NEW student blog HERE:

http://earthschooling.info/thebearthinstitute/students-blog/

Food as an Herb

Now found at the new student blog here: http://earthschooling.info/thebearthinstitute/students-blog/

Student Inspirations: Essential Oils on a Budget and More

Now found at the new student blog here: http://earthschooling.info/thebearthinstitute/students-blog/

Herbs and Medicine in Germany

I was doing research for an article today and stumbled upon this paragraph. It has nothing to do with the article I am writing, but it was such a good description of "what is wrong" with our way of looking at medicine I wanted to share it here:

(source: http://cms.herbalgram.org/commissione/intro/ceherbsingermany.html)

One of the driving forces that has resulted in mainstream acceptance of phytomedicine in Germany is the inclusion of phytotherapy in the medical and pharmacy school curricula. In the opinion of several medical groups, "modern phytotherapy is not perceived as alternative medicine, but as a part of so-called traditional medicine" [i.e., conventional medicine] (Schilcher, 1997c). Since 1993 all medical school students in Germany must successfully complete a portion of their board examinations in the area of phytotherapy as a precondition for practicing medicine (Schilcher, 1991). Medical education on medicinal plants and phytomedicines includes regular lectures in universities and medical schools, four one-week courses with 26 hours of lectures in phytotherapy in Weiterbildung (continuing education), lectures and courses in Fortbildung (postgraduate education), the publication of scientific literature (papers and books), the Commission E Monographs, and directions on product uses according to section 11 of the Second Medicines Act (AMG 76) (Schilcher, 1991, 1997c).

New Culpepper Link & Question

The new Culpeper link you sent works fine, however, I do not see where it categorizes herbs according to their properties of Hot, Cold, Moist and Dry which would make it quicker to determine proper balancing. Am I missing something?

You can find this information in the third section of the book called, "A Catalogue of Simples In the New Dispensatory". Look under each heading, "Roots", "Flowers", etc....He also mentions it within the text of some herbs.

Note to other students: New Culpepper Link at: http://www.bibliomania.com/2/1/66/113/frameset.html

Temperament MP3? Herbal Databases?

A student just wrote to ask me about the herbal databases. This is a popular question so I will post the answer again to the BLOG and also remind everyone to check this BLOG for resources. This BLOG is where I answer all student questions. If you have a question - chances are that another student has had the same question and you may be able to find the answer without waiting for me to respond to your e-mail. To find answers to your questions come visit this BLOG, scroll down the right hand side of the page and click on the topic you want to explore or have a question about.

Here is my answer to the question - "Can you send me the temperament lecture? One of the herbal databases is missing, can you send me an alternate link?"


The MP3 for Exploring the Temperaments can be found on your Naturopathic Healing, Nutritional Healing or Typology and Temperament student webpage. This MP3 download is in the right hand column - scroll down and you will see an icon that says "Typology and Temperament Lecture.mp3"

Alternate links for the Herbal Books can be found in the "Resource Page" . You can link to the resource page by clicking on the link "Resource Page" at the top of ANY of the student webpages.

You can also find more Herbal Book links at the student BLOG at:
http://naturopathichealingcourse.blogspot.com/search/label/Course Changes

If that link does not work you can go to:
http://naturopathichealingcourse.blogspot.com

- scroll down the right hand column and click on "course changes"

If you have additional questions please e-mail me any time.

Blessings & Health,
Kristie

Updates for Herbal Databases

Question and Comments by Student about the Herbal Healing Unit: Joyce Herzog's work at egregore.com is not longer on line. I can't find any replacement on another domain either.

The second required reading by Lee Nelson, has moved from www.herb-database.org

to: http://www.twomoonstea.com/herbdata.html Do you have another suggestion for Joyce Herzog's database? M. Grieves, and Michael Moores are still available, though Michael Moore's is no long at about.com. its at http://www.swsbm.com/homepage/ Also, on that first recommended book, by Manfred Junius - has been rewritten and updated.

The original book is only available used and costs $35, but the updated book written in 2007

only costs $8.90 Thought you'd like to know that info. I ordered the 2007 version.

Let me know if you have something to replace Joyce Herzog. - DF

Dear DF,

I have provided substitutes and update them monthly on the student resource page. Log into your student webpage, click on "resources" and scroll down the left hand side - you will see some databases there that are very useful and completely replace the old ones that are listed. Thank you for the detective work and replacement links for some of the old databases.

Blessings & Healt
Kristie

Student Dialogues: Using Affordable Remedies

I corrected a student test a few weeks ago and she made the following comment on her assignment:

Due to a limited budget I had to use what I had on hand! I used Hawthorne berries & Licorice Root.

My response:

That is the best way to do it. One should always explore what is on hand before purchasing expensive or new herbs. In most cases a person will either have something in their backyard, their cupboard or at the corner store available to them at very little cost. Good job!

Student Excerpts: Hawthorne Berry Tea

I enjoyed this analysis by student Aimee found in her assignment "Herbs for Women". She says,

"I think that Hawthorne should be one of the top herbs for women as it has always been very successful for me. It improves circulation, helps heart palpatations, is tonic for mood swings or panic attacks. It helps in mild forms of angina and blood pressure. I have used it to calm me down in my more anxious moments. I pick hawthorne berries into a jar until it is full, then I add a regular mickey of vodka, let it sit for 2 months drain and bottle. I use 10-15 drops as I need it. Or more commonly I drink a hawthorne tea made from the flowers."

Student Dialogues - Usage of Herbs

Excerpt from a student test:

I know its not a cold, but even if it is, I use the same remedy. (she is talking about allergies).

I make a cup of tea with Echinacea, Mint medley (has both peppermint and spearmint) and a teaspoon of Colloid silver, along with a teaspoon of sugar to make my blood sugar go up a bit.

It doesn't take long to feel better. Right now, the tea cup is sitting next to me, cooling off a bit so I don't burn my mouth on it. It is 4:30 a.m. and I just got up feeling the same 'cold' symptoms I had when I went to bed.

By 7 a.m. I felt perfectly normal. Was a perfect combination to control whatever had a hold of me last night and this morning.

This is good to treat something that is “like a cold” with the same remedies. Unlike modern pharmaceuticals, herbs are used because of their properties and because the effects they have on certain systems in the body – they are not used for specific diseases or illnesses. There are some people and companies who have mislabeled herbs “for colds”, “for PMS”, etc…but this is misleading and limits the use of each of these teas, when really, each of these “formulas” could be used for many things. Your usage of the Echinacea and mint is a perfect example of this. Echinacea is good for the immune system in general and when you have allergies it is important to strengthen the immune system. Mints are good for colds, but they also are good for runny noses, itching, stomach problems and a number of other symptoms you may have when your allergies “flare up”.

Student Excerpts: Herbs & Signatures

Kimberly did some outside research and had some lovely additions to her assignment last week. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from her assignment. Remember - the more you share with the group the more we can learn from each other:


Signatures can include an herb that resembles a specific organ, for instance, Scrophularia roots look like swollen glands, so it is traditionally used for swollen glands and hemorrhoids. (Matthew Wood, The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines).

Signatures can be suggested through the environment. For instance, Angelica grows in a damp, shady soil, and can help remove cold and damp from the patient.

Signatures can be suggested by the animals that the plant resembles. Wood suggests that Native Americans used this “spirit signature”; an example is Angelica which has a brown, furry resinous root and is called Bear Medicine.

Signatures can be suggested by plants that correspond to the symptoms. For instance, for respiratory and digestive remedies, plants that have hairy leaves that resemble the villa of the mucosa can be used. These include, Comfrey and Mullein.

Signatures can be suggested by their rhythms. For instance, Blood Root, which has flowers that unfold from morning to noon and then close again is used for migraines worse from morning to noon.

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The relationships of the constellations and planets has been seen to influence seeding experiments, as well as, the formation of certain plant organs. In Planetary Influences Upon Plants, by Ernst Michael Kranich, it says that “as early as the 1940’s J. Schultz discovered a correlation between the seed and fruit formation of trees and Jupiter’s twelve-year cycle. For red beech, the years of high seed yields coincided with specific constellations of Jupiter against the zodiac.

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Additionally, signatures can suggest which element has the most influence over a specific plant. In Healing Plants: Insights Through Spiritual Science, by Wilhelm Pelikan, he suggests that the influence of the Air Element in the Umbellifers is suggested by the airy quality of their leaves. Pelikan says, “…the way the carrot family relates to the air. These plants not only reach out into the atmosphere in leaf and flower development but also begin to incorporate air into themselves. They enclose air in their blown-up, bellying leaf sheaths, in hollow stems, stalks, fruits, and air chambers in the rhizomes. In doing so, they go beyond plant and towards animal nature.” Pelikan goes on to suggest that this reaching towards the animal nature makes them good candidates for treating patients with an ‘astral body’ condition.

Thank you Kimberly for a job well done and for making your assignment so enjoyable to read!

Blessings & Health,
Kristie