From the Lion’s Mouth: Dancing A Weedy Revolution
by Kiva Rose Hardin  http://animacenter.org

Common Name: Dandelion
Botanical Name: Taraxacum spp.
Taste: Bitter, sweet
Energetics: Cool, dry
“It gives one a sudden start in going down a barren, stony street, to see upon a narrow strip of grass, just within the iron fence, the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a [...]

Common Names: Goldenrod, Blue Mountain Tea, Liberty Tea
Botanical Name: Solidago spp.
Taste & Impression: Bitter, Aromatic, Astringent, sl. diffusive
Energetics: Warm, Dry
Parts Used: Flowers & Flower Buds, Leaves, Roots
Actions: digestive bitter, alterative, stimulant and relaxant nervine, diaphoretic, astringent, digestive aromatic (and carminative), diuretic, vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, bacteria-balancing (often termed anti-infective)
Specific Indications: Red, inflamed eyes, “bad skin” related to [...]

This is for the October blogparty on Bioregional Cold/Flu Herbs, hosted by Rosalee of Methow Valley Herbs.

As the colder weather begins to move into the northerly reaches and higher eleveations of the Western hemisphere, there’s been much talk of the dreaded H1N1 as well as other virulent strains of cold and flu. The most important [...]

Common Names: Silktassel, Bear Brush, Quinine Bush, Fever Bush
Botanical Name: Garrya spp.
Energetics: Cold, dry
Taste: Bitter, bitter, bitter
Actions: Very Strong Relaxant (anti-spasmodic), uterine stimulant, febrifuge, anodyne
Parts Used: Twigs & Leaves
Preparations: Tincture for the most part, as I’ve yet to meet a person, including myself, who can get the tea or infusion down. Fresh plant 1:2 95% [...]

This is for the September blogparty, hosted by Henriette, with the theme of Herbs Don’t Read Books!

Open the herbal book nearest to you, pretty much ANY herb book. Find the section on wild cherry or chokecherry, if there is one. Now check out the contradictions or warnings. It will almost certainly command you in [...]

Through the dry heat of this long Summer with very little rain, I have been drawn time and time again to the sweet cooling presence of the Onagraceae tribe. From the golden glow of the Suncups to the delicate white blossoms of the Evening Primrose to the feathery silk of the Willowherbs, I find myself [...]

A lyrical and personal piece by partner, Jesse Wolf Hardin, on the inextricable relationship between ourselves and the elements. Experiential, vibrant and deeply necessary, Wolf’s piece reminds us to expand our awareness out from out individual bodies into the larger body of the inspirited earth, to cultivate a sensorial awareness and to notice the preciousness [...]

I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
- Mary Oliver
Nature was my first mother.
I memorized the forest floor as I would
my mother’s body. This forest skin
smelled like pine sap and sweet rot, and
it stained my diapers green and
perfumed my hair, which was [...]

Herbal actions — it doesn’t sound nearly as exciting or sexy as botanical monographs or the latest cure-all, does it? I’m aware that a fair number of beginning and intermediate herbalists tend to gloss over this particular subject, probably in part because of the typically vague and boring explanations given in many books and classes. [...]

This has been previously published on my website, but I’m posting it here with a few edits and updates for your reading pleasure.
Common Names: Vervain, Verbena, Moradilla, Dormilón,
Botanical names: Verbena spp. & Glandularia spp.
Taste: Bitter, acrid
Energetics: Neutral, dry
Actions: Relaxant nervine and diaphoretic, digestive stimulant, galactagogue, vulnerary, endocrine/thyroid tonic

When most people speak of Vervain, [...]

First of all, don’t buy the media generated hysteria because all that adrenalin is just really bad for your immune system.
I’m totally not to going to write a full explanation of the Swine Flu virus because lord knows there’s plenty of that online already. Suffice to say the current fears result from a Swine Flu [...]

A trophorestorative is an herb, food or other substance that acts as a nutritive restorative for the body, usually with a strong affinity for an organ or organ system and corrects deficiency and weakness not simply through temporary stimulation but through the vital nourishment of that organ or organ system.
It is a tonic in the [...]

While I rarely comment on world politics on this blog, the overwhelming media coverage and vehement commentary from both sides of election day prompted me to ask Wolf to write something from our personal standpoint. So here it is, probably less than popular with either Democrats or Republicans (of which we are neither) but also [...]

Aromatics are easy to spot. Their strong signature aromas and tastes are dead giveaways. In fact – technically- aromatic is a taste, not an action. The proper action here should likely be labeled carminative (aromatic digestive herbs, generally). However, this action seems to have gotten pigeon-holed as only those herbs which release gas, and that’s [...]

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This is an abridged version of my monograph of Oregon Grape Root from the upcoming The Medicine Woman’s Herbal. Enjoy!
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Name: Oregon Grape Root, Yerba de Sangre 
Botanical Name: Mahonia spp.
Energetics: Cold, dry
Taste: bitter
Actions: bitter tonic, liver stimulant, antimicrobial
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Unlike many of the herbs I write about, this one has been well loved (if a bit misunderstood) in [...]