The Herbalist’s Way - The Art and Practice of Healing with Plant Medicines

527 Pages·2005·6.04 MB·English

by  Michael Phillips

The Herbalist’s Way
The Herbalist’s Way
The Art and Practice of Healing with Plant Medicines
NANCY AND MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Foreword by Rosemary Gladstar
CHELSEA GREEN PUBLISHING COMPANY
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VERMONT
Copyright© 2005 Nancy and Michael Phillips.
Originally published as The Village Herbalist, 2001.
Illustrations copyright© 2001 Robin Wimbiscus.
Unless otherwise noted, photographs are copyright© 2001 Michael Phillips.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be transmitted in any form by any means without permission
in writing from the publisher.
Designed by Jill Shaffer.
Printed in the United States.
First printing, August, 2005.
Printed on acid-free, recycled paper.
Chelsea Green Publishing Company and the authors assume no liability for personal injury from actions
inspired by this book. The information provided here is not a substitute for professional medical advice,
medical examinations, or hands-on professional training. Remember that plants and plant medicines can be
used inappropriately. Please use caution, respect, and common sense when experimenting with herbal
treatments on yourself and others. Understand the contraindications of the herbs you intend to use, and
consult with a physician, especially if you plan to use herbal remedies in conjunction with other
pharmaceuticals.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as
trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Chelsea Green was aware of a trademark
claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Phillips, Nancy, 1957-
The herbalist's way : the art and practice of healing with plant medicines /
Nancy and Michael Phillips ; foreword by Rosemary Gladstar.
p. ; cm.
Rev. ed. of: The village herbalist. c2001.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-931498-76-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Materia medica, Vegetable. 2. Medicinal plants. 3. Herbs--Therapeutic use.
[DNLM: 1. Medicine, Herbal--methods. 2. Phytotherapy--methods. 3. Plant Preparations. 4. Plants,
Medicinal. WB 925 P562h 2004] I. Phillips, Michael, 1957-II. Phillips, Nancy, 1957-The village herbalist.
III. Title.
RS164.P5335 2004
615'.321--dc22
2004028996
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Post Office Box 428
White River Junction, VT 05001
[phone]
www.chelseagreen.com
For GRACE ELENA
and all those in the next generation.
Honor the Earth.
Give glory to the Creator.
Cherish that sweet connection with the plants.
And your medicine power will be deep and strong.
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE The Medicine of the People
Traditional Healing Wisdom
Where Folklore and Science Meet
Little Medicine, Big Medicine
We Are What We Eat
Herbal Uproars
Meanwhile Back in our Communities
CHAPTER TWO The Gamut of Herbal Possibility
The Herbalist as Practitioner
The Herbalist as Grower
The Herbalist as Medicine Maker
The Neighborhood Apothecary
The Herbalist as Teacher
Tending to the Spirit
CHAPTER THREE Learning Your Path
Meeting the Plants
Plant Allies
The Herbal Library
Choosing a Mentor
Herb School
Gathering of the Clans
The Learning Never Stops
CHAPTER FOUR Considering Your Niche
Heal Thyself
Walking in Balance
Being of Service
Making a Living
Restoring Our Communities
CHAPTER FIVE The Offering of Herbal Medicine
Lawful Semantics
Assessment Skills
Geting Started
Individual Health Profiles
Body Systems
Herbal Repertoire
The Métier of Healing
CHAPTER SIX Growing and Drying Medicinal Herbs
Nurturing the Root Children
Propagation
Sound Farming
Harvesting Pointers
Ethical Wildcrafting
The Art of Making “Good Hay”
Herbs for Sale
CHAPTER SEVEN Making Earth Medicines
Community Medicine
Herbal Preparations
Plant Alchemy
Herbal Marketing Prospectus
A Righteous Label
CHAPTER EIGHT Spreading the Word
Encouraging Home Herbalists
Teaching Gardens
Word-of-Mouth Success
Workshops That Intrigue
Traditional Apprenticeships
CHAPTER NINE Healing Visions for Today
Community Health
Eco-Herbalism
The Herbalist’s Way
APPENDIX ONE Terminology to Explain the Actions of Herbs
APPENDIX TWO Home Study Courses
APPENDIX THREE Herb Schools and Apprenticeship Programs
APPENDIX FOUR Holistic Health on the World Wide Web
APPENDIX FIVE An Herbalist’s Source List
APPENDIX SIX Associations and Publications
APPENDIX SEVEN Herbal Recommendations
Bibliography
Foreword
I
consider it an honor to be writing this foreword for one of my favorite herb
books, written by two of my favorite herbalists. Michael and Nancy Phillips
personify the image of the traditional, yet thoroughly modern “village herbalist,”
and their homestead in the north woods of New Hampshire has become a place
of pilgrimage for many other herbalists and herbal students. Here one finds a
plant lover’s dream, an herbalist’s oasis—an old farmstead that has been
lovingly restored and is surrounded by forested hills, lush gardens, and a year-
round mountain brook running down through the field. Michael and Nancy and
Gracie, their budding young herbalist daughter, “walk their talk” easily and with
joy, and what they write about they actually live. Their experience lends
substance and insight to the words they spin on paper in the late nights after the
gardens are tended, meals cooked, animals bedded, and the chores of the day are
put to rest.
I have been excited about this project almost from the moment of its
conception, when Nancy and Michael first mentioned that they were thinking of
writing a book about herbal healing for would-be practitioners. I knew without
doubt that this would be more than simply another herbal “how-to” book. That it
would reach down to the heart and spirit of herbalism and capture the essence of
this great tradition of healing. That it would address the issues of being a family
or community herbalist and of “practicing” herbal medicine in the modern
world. Knowing the quality of everything that Michael and Nancy do and the
honesty and soulfulness they put into their endeavors, I fully expected they
would create a great book. As it happened, though, they have exceeded even my
greatest expectations.
This is an immensely practical book. In the context of being a community
herbalist, The Herbalist’s Way instructs the reader how to harvest, prepare, and
use a variety of useful healing plants. Wonderful recipes are provided—some of
Nancy’s favorite preparations, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to
prepare home medicine from the plants. But that’s only the beginning, a fine
appetizer to the feast that awaits the reader.