Sovereign Birch — Death/grief work and herbal support in a time of radical change

Chamomile Monograph

by Ray on August 9, 2019

The Basics

Botanical (Latin) and Common Name[s]
Matricaria recutita, M. chamomilla, of the Compositae family (previously in Asteraceae)
Chamomile, sometimes called Roman chamomile or German chamomile, though these refer to specific subspecies

Parts Used Flower

Taste[s]
Bitter, aromatic, sweet

Energetic Qualities
Warm, neutral

Tissue/Organ Affinities
Tissue: Cool/damp, Dry/atrophy
Organs: Nervous system
Digestive system
Reproductive system

Actions (Foundational and Clinical)
Draining, lymphatic, alterative, diaphoretic, vulnerary, antimicrobial, emmenagogue, astringent, stimulant, aromatic, sedative, antifungal, tonic , anti-spasmodic

Preparations
Infusion
Long infusion
Tincture
Wash

Contraindications and Cautions (if any)
Safe for everyone from children to elders, especially nice for children.

Occasionally one finds a person who is allergic to members of the Compositae family, but often they’ll know if chamomile doesn’t work for them, since the herb is ubiquitous.

Working with Chamomile

Chamomile, an herb familiar to many people as a tea that ‘helps you sleep’, is native to southern Europe but has naturalized in temperature zones around the world. A large, diverse genus with many species and subspecies, most chamomiles behave in roughly the same fashion and this monograph reflects that; this monograph does not much distinguish among Roman, German, and pineapple chamomile, for instance. The flowers are edible and are the part worked with medicinally. Chamomile’s popularity, wide-spread availability, and safety make it an accessible herb for folks new to herbalism or who might not otherwise have access to many herbs. Fortunately, chamomile is versatile, with effects on the nervous, digestive, and reproductive systems.

Chamomile’s most well-known effect as the tea that ‘makes you sleepy’ is a slightly misleading nervous system effect. Chamomile is a sedative, not a hypnotic; while a hypnotic will in fact make a person sleepy, sedatives make it so a person can no longer ignore the sleep debt they’re carrying. These days, that’s all of us. But chamomile is also helpful for the cranky child of any age who doesn’t want to go to sleep. (Chamomile also helps quiet the whining impulse, a particularly helpful action at bedtime, and “hands out hugs”, according to Henriette, helpful for those whose cravings for attention are manifesting in unhelpful ways.) In this way, chamomile makes a good ally for folks dealing with insomnia, especially at the point in which the frequency of insomnia has led the person to resist even trying to sleep because “what’s the point”. Chamomile is also indicated, according to Wood, for people struggling with nightmares or night terrors. Nightmares have always struck me as an intersection between sleep and anxiety; chamomile’s assistance with nightmares makes all the more sense then, given that anxiety is another nervous system concern that chamomile can address.

Nausea brought about by anxiety is another place where chamomile’s intersecting effects can been seen, this time between the nervous system and digestive systems. Chamomile has an anti-spasmodic effect here, soothing cramped guts brought about by allergen consumption, anxiety, or menstruation. Colicky babies can benefit from chamomile, as can children and adults dealing with gas or bloating. Chamomile also as a mild pain-relieving effect, according to Grieve and Wood, especially nerve pain and menstrual pain (this last one may also relate to chamomile’s action as an emmenagogue). As an anti-inflammatory, chamomile assists with stomachic ulcers and gut inflammation internally, and topically as a wash for wounds and skin issues. A room-temperature, well-strained chamomile rinse will also chase off conjunctivitis, if eyebright can’t be found. As a mouth rinse or gargle, chamomile’s anti-inflammatory properties can address gingivitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis, according to Zevin.

Zevin also mentions Russian research that found chamomile stimulates the immune system’s white blood cells, and recommends chamomile for urinary, bladder, and kidney problems, noting that it will increase bile production in the liver. Given chamomile’s bitter qualities, most noticeable in a long infusion or tincture, the mild liver stimulation makes sense. Other Russian folk traditions for chamomile are as a wash for blond hair, and a divinatory tool similar to daisies in North America, in which a person picks petals off a chamomile while declaring “[Name] loves me; [Name] loves me not”, with the last petal revealing the truth.

I did not explore chamomile’s divinatory properties, but I did work with a short hot infusion nightly before bed. Chamomile definitely made it impossible to simply “power through” my tiredness or sleep debt (not that I didn’t try some nights), and oddly seemed to have the effect of increasing my dreams in a way I had before only associated with mugwort. With chamomile, however, I suspect this was more of a secondary benefit to sleeping better/more deeply, rather than a direct action of the plant. Chamomile also helped my partner get to sleep at bedtime on nights when they still felt very awake when bed prep rolled around. I also had a triple-infused tincture made by a friend that I worked with on nights when events kept me out later than my standard bedtime—bitter as hell, but very effective. Once, I took a dropperful, and immediately had a huge yawn afterwards, despite having felt wide awake the moment before! The opportunity to work with chamomile as a wound wash did not present itself, but years ago on the farm I worked with a chamomile rinse for both myself and another resident to deal with conjunctivitis without needing a doctor’s visit. I don’t recall how many chamomile washes it took to clear up, but it didn’t take more than a day or two.

“Chamomile” class notes. Apprenticeship 2017, Commonwealth Center for Holistic Herbalism.

Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal, vol.1. 1971, originally 1931.

Hoffman, David. Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. 1990.

Kress, Henriette. “German chamomile”. Henriette’s Herbal Homepage. 2017. ACCESSED: https://www.henriettes-herb.com/blog/hc-18-2017-chamomile.html

Swift, Katja, and Ryn Midura. Herbal Medicine for Beginners: Your Guide to Healing Common Ailments with 35 Medicinal Herbs. 2018.

Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal, Volume I: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. 2008.

Zevin, Igor Vilevich. A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing. 1997.

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Goldenrod Monograph

by Ray on August 8, 2019

The Basics

Botanical (Latin) and Common Name[s]
Solidago spp., of the family Asteraceae
Goldenrod, golden rod, goldruthe, solidago, золотарник/zolotarnik

Parts Used Aerial parts, flowers, leaves

Taste[s]
Bitter, aromatic, astringent

Energetic Qualities
Warm, drying, tonifying

Tissue/Organ Affinities
Tissue: Atrophy, Damp
Organs: Kidneys, urinary system
Eliminatory pathways through skin
Digestive system

Actions (Foundational and Clinical)
Analgesic, anticatarrhal, anti-inflammatory, antilithic, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, urinary antiseptic, vulnerary, stimulant, diaphoretic

Preparations
Infusion
Long infusion
Tincture
Salve
Oil

Contraindications and Cautions (if any)
Goldenrod is not actually responsible for seasonal allergies! Its pollen is too heavy to be air-borne, making goldenrod strictly insect-pollenated. The true culprit is ragweed, which flowers at the same time.

Working with Goldenrod

Goldenrod, long maligned as the cause of all one’s seasonal allergy woes, is a native to both Europe (the single Solidago virga-auera species) and North America (forty to sixty species, according to Wood, with Solidago canadensis considered the official medicinal.) The various species “seem” interchangeable (Wood again), and many of the North American species have naturalized in Europe after being brought over as ornamentals, though European herbalists prefer their original native. Grieve notes that the leaves and flowers yield a yellow dye, and that when bruised, goldenrod smells like wild carrot. (Having not recently smelled wild carrot, I can neither confirm nor deny this.)

Goldenrod in the literature is primarily concerned with supporting the kidneys and the urinary tract system as a whole. Wood talks at length about goldenrod as the herb of choice when the kidneys are exhausted, especially in conjunction with illness, and others call for goldenrod when there are kidney stones, due to goldenrod’s ability to break them down and help them pass. Supporting exhausted kidneys might relate to goldenrod’s reputation as an “herb of trudging”, providing support during difficult, exhausting times when one’s only option is to just slog through until reaching the other side. Goldenrod’s aromatic oils grant a powerful antimicrobial action to deal with urinary tract infections, as the oils remain whole all the way through the body.

As a diuretic, goldenrod can help the kidneys clear out excess water and in doing so help relieve low back pain; topical applications of goldenrod-infused oil can also assist with low back pain, this time in conjunction with goldenrod’s action as an anti-spasmodic. Weiss talks about goldenrod almost exclusively in terms of addressing acute nephritis, noting that the standard medical treatment of ‘consume nothing but water’ in order to stimulate the kidneys is insufficient to address the issue, but that adding a diuretic like goldenrod is necessary to prompt the kidneys to resume elimination.

As an anti-inflammatory, goldenrod can help both the urinary tract, soothing the pain of a UTI during the healing process; and the digestive tract, including the mouth, where golden also functions as a wound-healer for issues like oral abscesses, heartburn, and stomach ulcers. Skin issues can also benefit from this wound-healing action! Wood recommends goldenrod as an answer to conjunctivitis, as well as any allergic reaction that reddens the eyes. Goldenrod’s ability to dry up soggy mucus membranes make it a welcome ally against seasonal allergies, as well as against colds and flus. Hoffman cites goldenrod as key in dealing with upper respiratory catarrh, when combined with herbs like echinacea and strong lymphatic stimulants.

Wood claims that goldenrod’s indications as an herb to address menstrual complaints have not been developed, but Grieve speaks of warm infusions as helpful for painful menstruation and delayed menstruation. Looking at goldenrod’s actions over all, I think its ability to relieve low back pain, connected to the diuretic action on the kidneys, make it a reasonable choice during menstrual trouble, and feel that the indications are already there: bloating, low back pain, and exhaustion associated with menstruation. Boericke, writing in 1901, also notes fibroid tumors among the so-called “female” complaints that this plant can address.

For myself, I worked with goldenrod primarily in its form of ‘an herb of trudging’, particularly when I worked myself up to and began apartment hunting, as well as continued to deal with my mother’s estate issues. As both a short and long infusion, I found the taste agreeable and didn’t mind drinking the tea; the tincture I worked with when traveling or if I forget tea prep! I noticed the diuretic action, but failed to pay attention during the menstrual cycle for benefits to low back pain. I find myself reaching for the tincture on days I suspect will be long, to pulse dose it to help get me through.

Boericke, William. Boericke’s Materia Medica. 1901. ACCESSED: https://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/boericke/solidago.html

Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal, vol.1. 1971, originally 1931.

Hoffman, David. Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. 1990.

Swift, Katja, and Ryn Midura. Herbal Medicine for Beginners: Your Guide to Healing Common Ailments with 35 Medicinal Herbs. 2018.

Weiss, Rudolf Fritz, M.D. Weiss’s Herbal Medicine. 2001, originally 1985.

Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal, Volume I: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. 2008.

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Bad Genetics: Herbs Don’t Care

by Ray on May 28, 2019

Recently a friend mentioned that they were trying to work on bringing down their blood pressure, so I offered to talk with them about herbal approaches if they were interested. They thanked me but declined, saying that they think a lot of their blood pressure problems simply stemmed from bad genetics.

The implication being that if you’re genetically predisposed towards a medical condition, then there’s nothing to be done about it.

I encounter this idea a lot. Common variations include “it runs in the family”, “I’ll probably get X because my [mom/dad/parents/grandparents] have it”, etc. Setting aside the question of if it’s genetic from your family or learned from your family, for the purpose of this discussion, let’s say it’s genetic.

Why would that stop herbs from being helpful?

Even if a condition is incurable, even if you’ll require pharmaceutical medication for the rest of your life (like insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes), why would that prevent herbs from being beneficial?

Herbal approaches and habit changes are particularly well-suited to helping prevent issues you might be genetically predisposed to, and supporting you through short- and long-term symptom experience.

For instance, I have scoliosis. One of my legs is an inch shorter than the other, and my spine twists in directions it’s not supposed to. Short of undergoing surgery to bolt my spine to metal rods and force it to be straight (which wouldn’t change the length of my leg), there’s not a hell of a lot to be done.

Except there is.

I can work with Solomon’s seal to help lubricate and strengthen my joints and connective tissues, tightening what’s too loose and loosening what’s too tight. I can work with mullein root for similar reasons, especially as it has direct affinity with the spine. I can do planks and other weight-bearing exercises to strengthen the muscles in my core, so they can better withstand being pulled out their ideal alignment. I can listen to my body and determine what my limits are around how long I can sit or stand before I end up in pain. I can drink bone broth, rich in collagen and minerals to nourish my joints, connective tissues, and bones. And this is only a glimpse of things I can do.

All this for something modern medicine can’t really touch.

For my friend trying to work on high blood pressure, I’d suggest removing rancid seed oils like canola from their diet, and short, ten-minute walks after each meal. After confirming they aren’t taking any contraindicated pharmaceuticals, I’d blend a tea of hibiscus, hawthorn, linden, and rose (all herbs with affinity for the heart) with a pinch of nettles, a nourishing diuretic to help flush out any excess water contributing to heart strain. (Pharmaceuticals would complicate this, because we don’t want to stack herbs that help lower blood pressure with meds that do the same.)

At the end of the day, “it’s genetic” doesn’t mean that we’re powerless to affect change in our lives. We just might need to look at it from a different lens than we’ve been taught to use.

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