Herbal Spotlight:
From the moment my herbalist verbalized her name, I was enamored. Herbs hold a sort of mysticism in scientific language, in mythological lore, in their ancient roots, that remains alive even today if we choose to see and sense it. To me, this consciousness has the ability to enhance the herbs’ healing capabilities. Whether that is quantum alignment with the energy of herbs or pure placebo effect, I’m not particularly concerned: it simply works.
Inula Helenium, also known as Elfwort because it xxx, was prescribed to me as a dose of “sunshine for the lungs,” as my lovely herbalist shared. We know the body keeps the score, as the infamous research and subsequent book remind us with regularity. The lungs are the organ of grief. This is where we move through and process the drowning overwhelm that at times feels like a tsunami, it’s where that inconsolable white hot panic of not knowing if we will survive or succumb lurks, just sits, stewing, sometimes violently, writhing, never settled, at times so quiet under the radar you’re tempted to think it’s gone, only for it to erupt in an unexpected swirling fury that wipes you out completely, yet again. It’s fascinating that so many people well-versed with the layers of grief compare it to water, waves, ebb and flow.
As much as healing progresses and my consciousness of these types of facts fades a bit in time, there are other times, like this year, where my body remembers the anniversaries even if my mind is distracted elsewhere. For me, it culminates in bronchitis. And I wonder how on earth I contracted it, scrutinize all the under-the-weather folks I’ve been in contact with, and eventually recall that my lungs are digesting again, through another layer.
Elecampane comes to our rescue swiftly, xxx . She is said to have been present in ancient Roman times as the manifestation of Helen of Troy’s very tears.
The mythology and stories of herbs are enchanting if you learn and align with their histories and stories. . I encourage you to dig deep and learn about medicinal residents of your herbal apothecary as you enjoy their leaves, flowers, roots, teas and tinctures.