My Companions

My Companions

When people find out that I’m an herbalist and make herb products, one of the first things they’ll ask me is;” Do you have anything for _____.”  You can insert whatever ailment or complaint you want in the blank. But,  after 20 something years of doing this, I’ve come to realize that what they’re really asking me is;” Do you have a panacea?”

At first I was naive and thought that if I could come up with something for them, and it would really do the trick, then I would be a hero!  That would make all of this worth it!  After years of research, study and preparation, and hard work, I could bottle it up and it would be genius! Not only was that naive of me, but it was also pretty arrogant. As you might have guessed,  that never happened. Don’t get me wrong – I have used and seen herbs do some really miraculous things, but rarely did something I suggest have the panacea effect that we were all looking for.  In my heart, what was important to me was not some wonder product, but actually being able to do something to alleviate suffering.  What I was really after was being able to heal someone. And I realized that that’s what all these other companies who provide the “wonder product” thought they could do too.  I was never after the next “infomercial” inspired thing, I was after real healing.  And that put things in a whole new perspective.

It’s true that if you have an acute complaint, it can be addressed with one or more herbs.  Sometimes the complaint needs a set of herbs that complement each other, and when taken over time resolve the complaint satisfactorily. The occasional indigestion from over-indulgence can be quickly remedied by a capsule of artichoke extract, but… I digress.     When you encounter a chronic, or long-standing situation or state of being, then with this approach you are talking about symptom control.  In other words, the complaint for which you want to take the herb, is a symptom of a deeper or larger issue.  If the larger issue is not addressed, the symptoms will return.  (I could talk about how this is how western medicine works, but that’s another story)

What kind of deeper or larger issues?  The answer to that is so utterly individual, so nobody can answer that for you except you.   I would have told you some years ago that I was a healthy, normal, well-adjusted, individual until my body decided to get my complete attention.  Like most people, I had symptoms that I attributed to being acute and I treated them that way.  I took medications, herbs, and supplements to alleviate the pain and the discomfort and I ignored the signals that were trying to tell me there was something else going on.  That worked… until it didn’t.   What resulted for me was a greater, broader understanding of what it means to be healed.  For true healing to take place, it involves supporting and addressing the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic parts of us.  This is the panacea that everyone wants, but it doesn’t come in the form of a tablet or pill, so it’s rejected.   “I don’t need all that”, I thought.  Until I did.

So, I took another hard look at my tinctures and knowledge of herbs.  And some powerful allies and friends were capable of incredible support, but I (and everyone else) was asking of them what they could not be.  Nature doesn’t work that way, they said.  They were not solely responsible for healing, but assume a powerful and intimate role that aids in that process.  And they fill that role perfectly.  They became my companions.