Plant Healer Sneak Peek… & Community Alert
Releasing Dec. 3rd is the Winter issue of Plant Healer, Issue #9, continuing our mission to not only inform and inspire, but also assist the revitalization of our folk herbal community.
New Content
We’ve added 2 new departments this quarter. The first is called “The Herbalist Mother: An Intuitive Approach To Health, from Pregnancy to Childcare,” that will be written by Sabrina Lutes an other contributors. The second is a column focused on each person finding and developing their unique gift and role within the herbal community, entitled “Choosing a Path.” And Kiva’s always anticipated “Medicine Trails” column has been renamed “Medicine Woman,” in concert with her upcoming Medicine Woman Herbal book planned for release in ’13, and with what will be her next herbal and lifeways Home Study curricula: The 13 Moons To The Medicine Woman. The subtitle of her revised column is “Herbcraft and Folkways For The New Mythic Times,” which gives a taste of what you can expect.
Community Alert
It breaks our hearts to hear that Meadowsweet Herbs in Missoula, Montana has shut down its production of excellent hand-prepared plant tinctures, as a result of the ongoing crackdown by the enforcement agents of the FDA. They are just the latest of an ever growing list of small producers who cannot afford to meet the expensive and laborious requirements of recent GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) laws. While others have been able to meet the requirements, it is only the latest in what will certainly be a continuing progression of ever more stringent regulation and perhaps even prohibition. In response, we bring you a special edition of the Weedy Revolution department, beginning with an inspiring overview of herbalism as activism by first time contributor Sarah Baldwin. Sarah’s piece is followed by my expose of regulation and its effects on herbal producers and practitioners, prefaced by commentary by 7Song, and including conversation on GMPs by many in our community. This article includes a simple, clear outline of our range of choices, from laborious compliance to daunting activism, and the advantages as well as disadvantages of community herbalism going more underground. Choices will need to be made… by the maker of herbal preparations now as the crackdown heats up, and eventually by everyone involved in any way in the business of herbalism.
“Some gentle folk commented to me this could be the start of new renaissance in American herbalism. I’m less poetic. This could be the start of a well needed revolution. It is time to remember the wisdom of our grandparents and our elders and bring it back to the forefront of herbal practice. It is time to bring back the heart and passion of American herbalism.” –Charles “Doc” Garcia (Curandero)
Sneak Peek: Contents – Winter 2012/13
For The Love Of Plant Lovers – by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Art Poster: The Healer’s Love
Specific Medicine by Paul Bergner
Plant Healer Humor Poster: Never Believe a Specialist
Herbacolypse Now: Herbalism As Activism in a Shifting World – by Sarah Baldwin
Compliance or NonCompliance: GMPs, Regulation & Response – Jesse Wolf Hardin
Herbal Humor Poster: Pancho Villa, Outlaw Herbalist
Creek Indian Medicine – by Phyllis D. Light
Art Poster: Embroider Our Lives With Beauty (Ukrainian Needlework)
Grandmother Sea Buckthorn – by Leaf
Magnolia Grandiflora – by Sabrina Lutes
Leaves of Scotland, Ireland & England – by 7Song
Astringents – by Jim McDonald
Plant Healer Humor Poster: Herbalist Nightmares #2
The East – Seeds – by Susun Weed
The Art of Cameron Zarrabzadeh
The Lymph/Immune System – Part II
– by Matthew Wood
Immune/Lymphatic System – by Robin Rose Bennett
Prostatitis/Pelvic Stagnation Case Study – by Rebecca Altman
Knives For Herbalists – by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Herbal Rituals For New Mothers – by Sabrina Lutes
Art Poster:
For The Mother (17th Century) – by Georges de la Tour
Make Your Own Herbal First-Aid Kit – by Kristine Brown
Making & Using Hydrosols: Home Distilling by Catherine Skipper
Bringing Herbs To Market: Principles of Effective Marketing – by Mélanie Pulla
Art Poster: Dr. Morse’s Yellow Dock Root Advertisement (c1900)
Choosing A Path – Part I: Professional or Not – by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Meditations On The Winter Pantry – by Wendy “Butter” Petty
Prickly Pear: Looked at But Rarely Seen – by Miss Bri Saussy
Sacred Stuff For Sale: Wild Rice – by Sam Thayer
Growing Medicinal Plants – by Christophe Bernard
Art Poster: Mushroom Love – 1890s Advertising Card
Fire-Roasting Vegetables – by Loba
Elderberry Jellies – by Sophia Rose
Art Poster: The Brick Oven
Nourishment For The Winter Months
– by Katheryn Langelier
Self-Care: Part IV – The Conclusion – by Katja Swift
Parental Advisory: Exploring Offensive & Obscene – by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Plant Healer Interview I: Charles “Doc” Garcia
Plant Healer Interview II: Sean Donahue
The Medicine Bear – Novel For Herbalists – Part V – by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Art Poster: Winter’s Magic – Bear Skull Botanica
Medicine Woman Column – by Kiva Hardin
Plant Healer Humor Poster: 50s Ad Parody: Now Even
His Mother Approves
Releasing Dec. 3rd is the Winter issue of Plant Healer, Issue #9, continuing our mission to not only inform and inspire, but also assist the revitalization of our folk herbal community.
New Content
We’ve added 2 new departments this quarter. The first is called “The Herbalist Mother: An Intuitive Approach To Health, from Pregnancy to Childcare,” that will be written by Sabrina Lutes an other contributors. The second is a column focused on each person finding and developing their unique gift and role within the herbal community, entitled “Choosing a Path.” And Kiva’s always anticipated “Medicine Trails” column has been renamed “Medicine Woman,” in concert with her upcoming Medicine Woman Herbal book planned for release in ’13, and with what will be her next herbal and lifeways Home Study curricula: The 13 Moons To The Medicine Woman. The subtitle of her revised column is “Herbcraft and Folkways For The New Mythic Times,” which gives a taste of what you can expect.
Community Alert
It breaks our hearts to hear that Meadowsweet Herbs in Missoula, Montana has shut down its production of excellent hand-prepared plant tinctures, as a result of the ongoing crackdown by the enforcement agents of the FDA. They are just the latest of an ever growing list of small producers who cannot afford to meet the expensive and laborious requirements of recent GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) laws. While others have been able to meet the requirements, it is only the latest in what will certainly be a continuing progression of ever more stringent regulation and perhaps even prohibition. In response, we bring you a special edition of the Weedy Revolution department, beginning with an inspiring overview of herbalism as activism by first time contributor Sarah Baldwin. Sarah’s piece is followed by my expose of regulation and its effects on herbal producers and practitioners, prefaced by commentary by 7Song, and including conversation on GMPs by many in our community. This article includes a simple, clear outline of our range of choices, from laborious compliance to daunting activism, and the advantages as well as disadvantages of community herbalism going more underground. Choices will need to be made… by the maker of herbal preparations now as the crackdown heats up, and eventually by everyone involved in any way in the business of herbalism.
“Some gentle folk commented to me this could be the start of new renaissance in American herbalism. I’m less poetic. This could be the start of a well needed revolution. It is time to remember the wisdom of our grandparents and our elders and bring it back to the forefront of herbal practice. It is time to bring back the heart and passion of American herbalism.” –Charles “Doc” Garcia (Curandero)
Sneak Peek: Contents – Winter 2012/13 For The Love Of Plant Lovers – by Jesse Wolf Hardin Art Poster: The Healer’s Love Specific Medicine by Paul Bergner Plant Healer Humor Poster: Never Believe a Specialist Herbacolypse Now: Herbalism As Activism in a Shifting World – by Sarah Baldwin Compliance or NonCompliance: GMPs, Regulation & Response – Jesse Wolf Hardin Herbal Humor Poster: Pancho Villa, Outlaw Herbalist Creek Indian Medicine – by Phyllis D. Light Art Poster: Embroider Our Lives With Beauty (Ukrainian Needlework) Grandmother Sea Buckthorn – by Leaf Magnolia Grandiflora – by Sabrina Lutes Leaves of Scotland, Ireland & England – by 7Song Astringents – by Jim McDonald Plant Healer Humor Poster: Herbalist Nightmares #2 The East – Seeds – by Susun Weed The Art of Cameron Zarrabzadeh The Lymph/Immune System – Part II – by Matthew Wood Immune/Lymphatic System – by Robin Rose Bennett Prostatitis/Pelvic Stagnation Case Study – by Rebecca Altman Knives For Herbalists – by Jesse Wolf Hardin Herbal Rituals For New Mothers – by Sabrina Lutes Art Poster: For The Mother (17th Century) – by Georges de la Tour Make Your Own Herbal First-Aid Kit – by Kristine Brown Making & Using Hydrosols: Home Distilling by Catherine Skipper Bringing Herbs To Market: Principles of Effective Marketing – by Mélanie Pulla Art Poster: Dr. Morse’s Yellow Dock Root Advertisement (c1900) Choosing A Path – Part I: Professional or Not – by Jesse Wolf Hardin Meditations On The Winter Pantry – by Wendy “Butter” Petty Prickly Pear: Looked at But Rarely Seen – by Miss Bri Saussy Sacred Stuff For Sale: Wild Rice – by Sam Thayer Growing Medicinal Plants – by Christophe Bernard Art Poster: Mushroom Love – 1890s Advertising Card Fire-Roasting Vegetables – by Loba Elderberry Jellies – by Sophia Rose Art Poster: The Brick Oven Nourishment For The Winter Months – by Katheryn Langelier Self-Care: Part IV – The Conclusion – by Katja Swift Parental Advisory: Exploring Offensive & Obscene – by Jesse Wolf Hardin Plant Healer Interview I: Charles “Doc” Garcia Plant Healer Interview II: Sean Donahue The Medicine Bear – Novel For Herbalists – Part V – by Jesse Wolf Hardin Art Poster: Winter’s Magic – Bear Skull Botanica Medicine Woman Column – by Kiva Hardin Plant Healer Humor Poster: 50s Ad Parody: Now Even His Mother Approves