Using Herbs Safely: An Introduction to Plant Safety and Our Herbal Lineage
There are so many nuances when it comes to learning about the plants and how to best use them safely and integrate them into our lives, especially since most of us have not been raised within this tradition. But the tradition is still strong, despite the generations of separation from nature and the plants that we have experienced as a culture - a tradition that is our birthright. The plants call us home to remembering the knowing that we hold deeply in our bones. That we hold through this lineage, through the connection to our ancestors, through the way the earth speaks to us as we walk upon it, through the way the wind whispers to us through the leaves of the trees, and in the soft deer’s footsteps upon the forest floor.
So how do we begin to start learning these nuances? First and foremost is to immerse ourselves in the natural world and in plants that abound. Befriend them, become curious about them, observe them, inhale their scent, watch them as they change their way throughout the seasons. They will start to speak to you.
When you feel drawn to a plant, see if you can learn its name. In order to this we need to learn about how to identify plants correctly. Historically this was done in person directly from someone who knew that particular plants and knew its ways. While the internet offers us access to a lot of information, information overload can be too much and the distraction and disinformation fueled by commercial interests and political agendas often leaves us bewildered. I am hoping that this newsletter is a good first step in becoming familiar with the plants and plant safety within a supportive container that shares trusted and reliable traditional herbal wisdom with you.
When you are looking things up and want to learn more, be discerning about the resources you are turning to. How was this particular plant traditionally harvested, prepared and used? Our herbal knowledge is based on thousands of years of collected experience throughout many cultures and traditions. Make sure you are referring to trusted sources that are based on these traditions. For a place to begin, see my post on a few of my favourite herbal resources and herbalists. These resources will help us understand the common uses of the plant, confirm that we are using the correct part of the plant, harvesting the plant at the right time of year and preparing it in the best manner.
Of course, the most important thing in using plants safely is learning to identify plants correctly. For some of my favourite resources in this domain, see my previous post on Identifying Plants. Whenever I share a plant with you, I include both the common names as well as the latin name in order to confirm its identity. Most plants have numerous common names, and some plants share common names. Confusing 🙃. As such, the botanical classification and nomenclature of plants is important. The latin name confirms its exact identification and is what we are looking for in the identification process.
Keep in mind that plants fall on a continuum or spectrum that spans from healing foods, to nourishing herbs, to medicinal culinary herbs and spices, through medicinal plants that range from milder to more intense in their physiological effect in the body. Some of the stronger acting plants and plants with potential for toxicity are often used in homeopathic dilution to make sure they are used safely.
To give you an idea of this sort of classification I include the following pdf as a general outline to begin to understand where plants fall on this continuum. This is by no means a complete list, it is continually being updated based on experience gained and things learned. Take a look to start to understand plants in this manner to then better know the context in which they can be used
