Today I am going to discuss Herbal Healing, in general. Herbal Healing deals with the therapeutic nature and properties of herbal plants. Herbs can be medicinal, culinary or both. An example of a medical herb is Echinacea. For an example of culinary herbs we may use something like Marjoram. For both culinary and medicinal we could use ginger root, as an example.
The active portion of the herb is called a “constituent[i]”. This is the portion that scientists had isolated and synthesized to prepare medicine. Unfortunately, this is not the whole aspect of healing with herbs! The whole plant or the active portion is necessary in order to get the full benefit of the herb, which is a living organism. The isolation of one part is not a natural harmonious act, and does not contain the effects of environment on the plant. This is the reason that synthesized herbal parts have caused poisonous or even sometimes dangerous side-affects.
Melissa or Lemon Balm, from my garden
Herbs can be gathered in the wild (wild-crafting), purchased from a store (usually in a dried form), or grown in the garden[ii]. Growing your own herbs can be a enriching experience. You can plant the seed and watch its growth from seedling to mature plant. If you purchase from a store, make sure you know where their herbals are harvested, and how they are grown. Do not wild-craft unless you are completely positive about the identification of the herbal plant. Some herbals look very much like other plants that are poisonous!
My suggestion is to begin by finding a good herbal supply store. While beginning to work with herbs, you can decide on a few herbs to plant in your garden or in pots (if you have no yard) and start growing herbs.
"Constituents" will be next week.
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