What a delight this past weekend was with herbalist, teacher and mentor, Kathleen Maier, of Sacred Plant Traditions, hosting herbalist extraordinaire, Phyllis Light, 4th generation healer and herbalist in the Southern Appalachian Folk Medicine Tradition. She'll be back next month and again in August to share more of her wisdom and ways learned as a child from her grandmother, from the late Tommie Bass and other elders of a very rich herbal heritage.
For me, what is so exciting about Phyllis' teachings is the regionality and tradition that she brings with her ... teachings about plants that are growing in my own meadow and garden here in central Virginia ... nettles, honeysuckle, wild geranium and wild ginger among others. Yet regardless of where you live in the United States we all have many plants in common and they heal just as well if they harvested in Vermont, Virginia or Alabama.
It is also the historical factor or tradition at work in her teachings that makes what she brings to the herb kitchen so compelling for me. Lessons brought down through the generations from Native American Creeks and Cherokees, mixed with the healing traditions brought to this country by some of its earliest settlers ... the Spanish with their African slaves, the Scots-Irish and Welsh who settled in the south long before the Puritans arrived in Plymouth.
Just as important in her work is lifestyle and prevention of illness ... how we exercise and play ... a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and unprocessed foods ... slowing down to heal our overtaxed Adrenal Systems and our daily attitudes all serve to improve our outlook and keep us healthy.
Oh please say more about Phyllis Lights workshop - what were the top three pieces of herbal information that was new to you?
Posted by: Ann | June 19, 2009 at 09:22 AM