When I was a kid I loved debating and we’d often use the phrase, ‘their argument is like an onion… it has lots of layers” (probably thinking we sounded far cleverer than we did 😊)
But it’s such an apt metaphor for herbalism because herbal medicine really does have lots of layers and when you’re just starting out as a beginner herablist, this metaphor can help us really understand what is herbal medicine all about.
Using herbs in daily life
So for our beginner herbal medicine guide, starting with the top layer, we’re often looking at using herbs for everyday health issues, or perhaps how to use herbs we have in our gardens.
Just remember, in herbalism, we’re an inclusive bunch and we’re not just talking about ‘culinary herbs’. Herbs for us, mean pretty much any part of a plant, and also a few non-plants too: leaves, flowers, roots, tree barks, berries, seeds, rhizomes, and fungi.
We can use support heart health using garlic in our cooking, make basil pesto from the garden, or elderberry syrup with our elder tree or turn calendula into a healing oil. These are all great ways to use herbal medicine for beginners, AND you’ll in fact, keep using herbs like this all the way through your plant journey.
Then we reach a stage, when we ask, ‘I’m using herbs, but what really is herbal medicine!?’ And we’re drawn into the next layer.
Herbal medicine is bringing the body into balance
Where we discover that herbal medicine is the art and science of using herbs to bring the body back into a state of balance and wholeness.
And here, we learn that herbal medicine has its own rich history and traditions, spanning thousands of years, and has been found in every culture around the world. We realise that neanderthals were found with herb remnants in their teeth 50,000 years ago. Certainly we know that many animals self-medicate on herbs, so it’s likely that herbs and humans have always belonged together.
With this historical use in mind, it makes sense then, that herbal medicine has its own ways of thinking and seeing the world.
Herbal medicine is relationship and looking for the root cause
Herbal medicine is earth-based healing built on a deep web of relationships and is bound up in how we go about our daily lives. It’s our ancestral knowledge and wisdom that is our birthright.
For me, herbalism is a way of seeing and understanding the world, our bodies and ourselves. A word that’s built on relationship and interconnections. This is why I call herbalism a gateway. It’s a gateway to a different understanding of ourselves and how we belong in this beautiful wild world.
As we dive deeper into this world, we realise there are some key differences between herbal medicine and conventional medicine.
Namely that, herbalism isn’t simply about using herbs to replace pharmaceuticals. We’re not merely try to use herbs as bandaids to cover up or get rid of symptoms. We’re asking the deeper questions: why is this symptom here? What is it telling us about the state of our mind-body-heart?
In modern wellness culture language, we’re asking: what’s the root cause of this symptom?
Neither is herbalism about curing disease, or even diagnosing it. That’s something doctors do and we’re not doctors. We’ve got our own herbal traditions developed over thousands of years and carefully handed down from generation to generation.
Herbal medicine is about caring for people, not labels
In herbalism, we’re caring for people, not diseases. And nowhere is this more than in home herbalism, where we’re learning to care for ourselves and our families naturally. An easy way to example here is headaches.
10 people with headaches might have 10 different root causes and might need different lifestyle strategies and herbs. Someone might have a dehydration headache, so they simply need to drink more water. A woman might have a hormonal headaches, whereas someone else’s headache comes from work stress and yet someone else from staring at screens too long.
Herbs and lifestyle can help with all these examples, but in order to choose the right herbs and strategies, we need to focus on the person, not the label, and figure out what’s going on in their unique circumstances. (Learn step-by-step how to do that in the Home Herbalist Club, an affordable online membership, so you can learn all this with our mentoring and full Introductory and Intermediate herbal medicine courses inside!)
Herbal medicine is living your best life
And then we reach a deep core of herbal medicine… at least in the way I practice and teach it, from a holistic herbalism or vitalist tradition.
At it’s core, herbal medicine is really about helping you have the best life you possibly can, within your health history, soul journey and physical circumstances. It’s about you getting to know yourself (and your family deeply or whoever you care for) and learning how to care for yourselves.
Let’s see that in a practical example: you might notice that your physical symptoms flare up when you fight with your partner or due to financial stress. So to help your autoimmune condition, learning to set relationship boundaries or becoming more financially literate might actually be a key part of how you care for yourself.. alongside herbs to nourish your immune system and manage stress.
THIS is what I LOVE about herbal medicine. It’s about LIFE and learning to live more skillfully. (Yes, I really needed the capitals there, I just looooooooooove herbal medicine!)
And your version of herbal medicine might look different to someone else.
You might love gardening and want to grow all your herbs. Someone else might have the brownest thumb ever, so buy their herbs and remedies from people. Someone might be an avid crafter, and so find they love the medicine-making side whereas someone else just wants to nerd up on all the chemical constituents.
This depth and breadth makes herbalism really accessible to everyone, and you can absolutely tailor your herbal journey to your life and your own interests. Your herbal journey doesn’t have to look like anyone elses. To use my most famous catchphrase: find what works for you!
Hope this article really helps you answer the question: “what is herbal medicine!?”, with all its beautiful layers.
