Get to Know the Plants
Herbal Healing begins when we make the decision to grow our own medicine. If you hope to be successful at growing your plants, then you must listen to our Mother Earth. This helps to initiate the healing process.
You need to listen to Nature when you grow plants. Go walk in the wild places where the wild herbs and plants grow. See with your heart how they live in their natural home. Track ecosystems, venture into new places, breathe deep and ease your spirits.
Gathering herbs provides an intimate connection with natural cycles than can never come from merely buying an herb.
To learn a plant, you cannot merely learn its name. You must learn to recognize it when you see it. You may not know the correct name. I have called plants all kinds of weird names, like that flower that looks like the one in Aunt Molly's hatband, or that creepy crawly plant that grows in rocks.
My aunt that taught me to love plants was half Cherokee. She said the Cherokee classified plants by the four directions, north, south, east and west. They also classify them by their function so they are "warrior plants" such as brambles and poison ivy, and "scout plants" such as poplar and plantain.
The Chinese divide their plants into yin (female) and yang (male) as well as by taste and by the elements of wood, fire, earth, water, and metal.
I enjoy learning about the natural healing practices of natural people from all over the world.
Gathering Herbs
When we gather plants, we become stewards and caretakers of a tremendous wild garden. Many wild herbs are now threatened or endangered. Always gather in a way that allows future growth, and gather from cultivated sources first whenever possible.
When you gather wild plants be mindful to gather in a way that ensures the growth and future generations of these plants. Be gentle!
Also:
* Know the plant's reproductive habits before you gather. ( for example: plants that reproduce from underground rhizomes should be thinned when gathering, but plants that reproduce from seeds should be gathered sporadically, with randomly placed flowers left to turn to seed.
* Know what you will be using the plant for before you gather it.
* Gather only as much as you need.
* Do not wild-gather for commercial purposes.
* When possible, gather leaves, seeds and flowers, which nature replaces easily, rather than barks and roots, whose loss may kill the whole plant.
* Do not gather endangered plants: find a substitute. For example, garlic can be used in place of goldenseal or wild echinacea for treating colds and viruses.
* Do not gather from wet ground. Your feet will compress the soil which makes future growth difficult. Wait until a dry spell comes before gathering wetland plants.
* Leave enough for animals in the area.
* Be discreet about whom you reveal your gathering spots to.
* Do not gather from sprayed areas (including marshes sprayed for mosquitoes and forests sprayed for gypsy moths, alongside roads, near a factory or farm (unless it is an organic farm) or near polluted water.
Leaves should be gathered when they are tender and showing new growth, either before the flower buds appear, or after seeding, when new fall growth appears.
Flowers are usually best before full bloom, in the mid to late morning after the dew has dried.
Seeds should be gathered when ripe and dry, but before they fall to the ground.. The
Roots are gathered in the early spring or late fall. Since sap rises and falls with the sun, an good time to gather is in the early morning or late afternoon.
Inner barks and saps are best gathered in the spring when the sap is flowing, before the leaves get full size. The inner bark is gathered from the limbs of the tree not the trunk (which can kill the tree). Midafternoon on a warm sunny day on the south facing side of the tree is best.
Shoots can be gathered year-round, though spring is preferred and most abundant. Gather from stands that benefit from thinning.
Plants gathered in the spring and late fall generally reach peak potency during cool-weather spells: violet, rose hips, dandelion root, sun tuber, and cattail shoots are some examples.
Plants gathered during summer and early fall usually need heat to develop fully and create essential oils. Gather these plants during hot spells: wild carrot seed, st. john's wort flower, chokeberry, sage leaf and mullein flower.
Try not to gather for a day or two after heavy rainfalls. Plants will soak up the excess moisture and lose potency.
Likewise, try not to gather during a drought, as the plant cells are stressed and not as potent.
* It would be nice if we could just step out the door and gather any herb or plant we wanted, but as no longer live "In The Garden" and can't always gather a plant at the optimum time, for home medicinal purposes, cut yourself a little slack.
To keep a watchful eye on your stored herbs, I find that glass jars is best for me. I can easily see if any color changes occur (which is a sign of corruption). Just be sure you keep them in a cool, dark place that is well ventilated.
I always try to give thanks or an offering to the plants: a bit of water, a pinch of pollen or tobacco, a song of thanks, a moment of meditation and thanks. This always helps me remember what the plant is being gathered for and to bless the properties it gives.
