My health issues launched me into a new lifestyle

About five and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with having fibroids.  Or as my “highly recommended,” female, western-medically trained, ob/gyn told me – I have benign tumors.  She dismissed my concerns, telling me my tumors will go away with menopause.  Meanwhile, she also ignored the increasing rate with which I was suffering from a “side effect” of these non-cancerous growths.  Hearing this news freaked me out.  I heard her repeating the words “tumors.”  Don’t you hate it when doctors speak to you in such a way, that you feel unworthy of asking proactive questions?

Then a good friend told me about a holistic doctor who specializes in fibroids.  This doctor even wrote a book.  Holistic means he was fully licensed physician (western trained in his early career),  trained in homeopathic/natural remedies, and considers whole life aspects.  He could write prescriptions as well as tell me natural remedies.  Turns out, this specialist was located only a few towns away.

I decided I needed to see him when I found myself so tired that I couldn’t cross the sidewalk (with 9 seconds left!) and it took all my energy to go up a flight of subway stairs that I used to zip up in my rush to get home.  The doctor looked at my chart I had created of my moon cycles, and noticed the increase in length over the past years.  By the time I saw him, my period had easily been sixty days, with only a three-day break.  He took blood tests, probably eight vials.  A few days later he called with urgency – that I needed to get iron into my system immediately!!  Apparently, I was 7/10^th of a point away from being rushed to a hospital for a blood transfusion!  Get the iron pills, red meat and darkest greens into me stat!

My fibroids were not in a position to be removed.  I was not in a position to be able to take the 4-6 weeks recovery time even if I did opt for surgery.  Thus began my quest to take control of my issues naturally.  He had me start on clean eating (one reason I started my adventures in learning to cook!) as well as other natural methods, such as using herbal tinctures.  My health issues triggered a whole new way of living, triggered a whole new set of adventures in changing my old patterns into healthier ones.

Plants as medicine

The use of plants to heal fascinates me.  Funny how life presents you with challenges which help you learn more lessons.  In this case, I had a selfish reason to look deeper into alternative medicines.  My friend Aileen, someone who already followed a healthier, clean eating and natural lifestyle, turned me onto the newsletter of an internationally known herbalist, Susun Weed.  Susun has a series of “Wise Woman” books, one of which I had read over 20 years ago when I was first pregnant!  Besides her newsletter, Susun also has her own YouTube channel.  I looked at some on the tinctures I was taking, and it seemed too complicated for me to want to try on my own.  The adventure to answer this fear soon showed up in a course Susun was offering – a long weekend at her farm where I could receive an introduction to plant medicine.

The view of Susun Weed’s farm from the top of her driveway. It was hard to imagine when I got there how my view would shift from “unkempt” to verdant source of wild food and medicine.

My three take-aways from the Green Witch training were:

• Plant medicine has been around for thousands of years, and we have the ability to take our healthcare and well-being into our own hands, to be self-reliant and empowered.
• Weeds and plants that are all around us, free for us to pick, have healing properties
• After her teachings, I can make my own tinctures and infusions if I want to!

Gretchen Gould’s land where herbs and plants grow freely

Susun Weed and her close friend Gretchen Gould, who owns “Herb Hill” – her place in the Catskills where herbs grow wildly and abundantly.

Gretchen’s beauty herb “factory” – at age 76 she still harvests from the wild plants on her property to make natural beauty products.

We were in luck, the St John’s Wort (or as Susun calls it, St Joan’s Wort for it’s ability to heal sunburns) was in bloom. This plant has the ability to heal pains, as well as be a mild anti-depressant. (But be careful, it can countermand birth control…oops)

Susun Weed (in foreground) showed us how to make a tincture with vinegar. When placing the herb in the bottle, make sure it’s packed lightly “like a faerie bed.” I fell in love with that description – it’s so evocative. In the background is one of her apprentices (at the time). Apprentices pay to learn under Susun (who is incredibly smart, as well as having extensive knowledge on plants). They often stay for at least 3 months, though some are able to make part time arrangements.

It’s important to learn how to identify plants. This looks kind of like yarrow, and kind of like Queen Anne’s Lace, and also kind of like Poison Hemlock…but it’s not…time to consult another book to identify it! (As they say, have at least three confirmations…because you don’t want to get it wrong!) It’s Valerian, which is good for insomnia, anxiety and making your cats crazy.

Getting ready for a Green Witch ceremony where we created and acted out a performance about goddesses (definitely a great team builder – after a long weekend, it was a lot of laughs)

Susun as the “Goddess Lady Liberty” (when she explained why Lady Liberty is a goddess, it made complete sense! She is worthy of revering!)

The impact of becoming a Green Witch

The lesson of taking charge of our own healthcare was a big step for me.  I became a bigger participant in my health solutions.  Learning about what the holistic doctor prescribed for me, I was better able to either integrate it or decide it wasn’t working.  (As an aside, just switching to clean eating helped me lose weight.  More importantly, I was able to shrink my fibroids and better control my moon cycles to manageable levels.  And I am grateful I didn’t “just wait for menopause” as that finally happened five years later!  I can’t imagine having spent the last five years in that kind of misery or worse.)

The lessons of learning about the possibilities of weeds, flowers and plants keeps me wondering about discovering more of that magic.  I’ve explored the medieval herb gardens at the Met Cloisters (a museum in northern Manhattan), frequented an herb shop in the City called Flower Power, been introduced to Native American medicines, and learned (or re-learned) about plants from a survivalist.

At the Met Cloisters Museum you can see all sorts of medicinal plants grown in medieval times (including hops!). Here is a favorite, the plants that are featured in the famous Unicorn Tapestries.

Those evil nightshades!

Is Mandrake a plant featured in Harry Potter?

All the jars of magical herbs at Flower Power (in the East Village, NYC)

Lillies, (seen here in my backyard) while also being good salad mixings, apparently also have anti-cancer agents. (The Chinese have some complicated process, including picking buds at dawn that will bloom that day.)

I found this mullein plant while camping with my Native American friends. While generally associated with a curative for coughs/colds & lung issues, many Native Americans also use it as a poultice for healing wounds. (Here’s a funny one – a nickname is “nature’s toilet paper”)

It’s scenes like this that make me wonder what medicinal or edible magic is in that beautiful landscape in front of me.

Camping near water and the woods means ticks, with a high likelihood of the kind that carry Lyme disease. Here I learned mint plants are a natural deterrent, while the essential oil, rose geranium, has been shown to be as effective (and way less dangerous) as DEET

Herbs can grow lots of places, not just the wilds of mountains or backyards. These Brooklyn bathtubs had several herbs which offer more than good salad.

While in Oregon I “identified” this chicory plant, found alongside the road. While the blue flowers are a pretty addition to a salad, and the leaves adding a bitter taste (similar to endives), the roots are the real healers – helping with all sorts of gut issues.

I brought home lavender from a Farmer’s Market in the City. They’ve lasted several years. I haven’t really used them as a remedy yet, but they sure do smell nice, and are relaxing to have around while gardening.

St John’s Wort grows easily. Mine doubled itself and became two bushes! I had very happy bees

How to make a tincture: Fill jar with the cut plant parts (stems, leaves and flowers can be used). Pack lightly, like a faerie bed. Cover with 80-100 proof alcohol. Store in a dark place for 4-6 weeks. Every few days, check it out, stir around, make sure it’s still covered in alcohol. After 4-6 weeks, strain the plant out. Use the tincture for healing!

How to make your own infusions

Infusions are different than tea.  Tea bags have about 1/10^th of and steep for a few minutes. Infusions allow the herb to steep much longer.  Basically, you take an ounce of dried herb – placed in a large jar with a lid, and pour a quart of boiling water over it.  Let it sit for at least four hours, or even overnight. The five favorite plants that Susun Weed likes to make her daily infusions (she rotates them throughout the week) are red clover, nettle, linden, oatstraw and comfrey.

If you watch Susun’s videos, she tells you the benefits of each one.  I remember searching the nutrition of nettle (shortly after my mom had complained about pulling these weeds out of her garden – and with stinging nettle you need gloves!  Unless, of course, you have arthritis and want the anti-inflammatory effect!)  Here’s what nettle offers: Minerals – iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, boron, strontium. Vitamins – A, C, K, and B vitamins. Phytonutrients – chlorophyll, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, quercetin, rutin.  I don’t know enough about phytonutrients, but it sure sounds good.

Bunches of nettle that had been harvested earlier, and hung up to dry. Susun and her apprentices will use these for future nettle infusions. All weekend we drank a variety of infusions. They took getting used to, but after a while I felt so much better.

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve made an infusion.  Over the past year or two I’ve been drinking nettle tea – which doesn’t deliver the powerhouse nutritional punch of an infusion.  I believe I’m going to start back up!  A sort of Spring cleanse.  What do you think – will you try an infusion?  Or are you more interested in learning more about healing plants?  Willing to try an alternative medicine to help prevent the bigger illnesses?  It is Spring…and I’m thinking of what I will be planting soon – my adventure in herb gardening!