by Dave Meesters. In all the years that I’ve been studying, teaching, and discussing health and the human body with students, clients, and fellow practitioners, I’ve always felt a disconnect, something a little off, with the customary use of the word “reproductive” to describe a certain portion of the human anatomy & physiology. The term … Continue reading Venerable New Language for the Human “Reproductive” System
by Janet Kent It’s mid-December, 2016. I write that for future readers who may not know the context and urgency of this post. I hope these future readers are on the other side of the fight against the forces of hate and domination. But for now, I write this to you, and you know exactly … Continue reading Herbs for Resistance
by Janet Kent and Jen Stovall *CONTENT WARNING: this essay details elements of the violent and racist history of American Biomedicine. We also discuss contemporary injustice in medicine. Take care of yourself. Fifty years ago in March, 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led the march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights for African … Continue reading Herbalism as a Tool for Social Justice
by Dave Meesters and Janet Kent Holism and vitalism are related concepts—frameworks for observing, interpreting, and acting—used by herbalists and other practitioners in the quest to support health. They both encourage us to understand the broader patterns and interrelations between all of life, to see the flows and interdependencies that make life and health possible, … Continue reading Radical Vitalism
by Dave Meesters I got curious about using Bidens species as an “herbal antibiotic” after reading about it in Stephen Buhner’s book Herbal Antibiotics (2nd edition, Storey Publishing, 2012). I usually take the clinical information in Buhner’s books with a grain of salt, as he always seems to be reporting much more on the results … Continue reading Bidens as an Herbal Antibiotic: A Case Study
by Janet Kent One of the great joys of living in the woods year round is watching the seasonal changes of the plants and landscape. While fall and spring in the Southern Appalachian Mountains are famously beautiful, winter receives less acclaim, except when the hills and trees are covered with snow. Though the snowy landscape … Continue reading Winter Reverie and Rant (and why its a good time for Hawthorn)
by Janet Kent This summer, I went with my mother to visit the cemetery where her parents and other relatives are buried, less than a mile from the one room shack where she and her three siblings grew up. My grandmother, Elizabeth Pitman Buchanan, died of tuberculosis when my mother was 9 years old—and even … Continue reading Root Work
