HERBAL TRADITIONS

The world of Herbalism is vast and varied, a veritable rainbow of traditions. This is what
makes the study of herbal medicine so exciting and humbling. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), 70-80% of folks around the world utilize herbal medicine as
a primary means of healthcare.

In this handout, we briefly explore a few different traditions, selected mainly due to
having been ones that I, Herbalista Lorna, have explored over my years in practice.

These herbal sketches are presented to help us notice some common themes and then
we can apply these concepts to our work as community herbalists.

“WESTERN” TRADITIONS– Medical Herbalism aka Phytotherapy

This is a Euro-Anglo-American tradition of herbal practice. This clinic-based approach
utilizes herbal preparations to treat pathology (disease) and promote health and
well-being. It is also known by many other names such as Naturopathy or
Phytotherapy.

There is a focus on strengthening and supporting the body’s vitality and own natural
ability to heal itself. Phytotherapy (as all western medicine) grew out of the humoral
tradition (see below).

“WESTERN” LINEAGE– Humorism aka Galenic, Unani

This Eurasian theory states that humans possess different balances of substances
called “humors”. Illness (both physical and mental) was due to a deficiency or excess of
these humors. Diet and herbs could be used to bring balance between the humors, and
therefore bring about good health.

The humors possess certain qualities and are associated with specific elements,
energetics, emotions, and even seasons.

The Four Humors

● Black Bile – fall; earth; feces; cold and dry; melancholic (despondent and quiet)
● Phlegm –winter; water; mucus; cold and wet; phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful)
● Blood –spring; air; blood; warm and moist; sanguine (optimistic and social)
● Yellow Bile –summer; fire; vomit; warm and dry; choleric (ambitious and restless)

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From Galen to Ibn Sina (Avicenna) to present day. Contemporary Herbalists coming out
of the humoral tradition would include Christopher Hedley, an incredible herbalist who
we greatly miss being in the world. See this article on Galenic Humours that he wrote
for the American Herbalists Guild.

“TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE” (TCM)

Based on a theory of yin and yang: opposing forces, both present in all things and both
necessary for life. Harmony brings health, wellbeing and sustainability. Disharmony leads
to illness, disease and collapse.
YIN: “the shady side of the mountain” is cool, dark, moist, heavy, consolidating, etc.
YANG: “the sunny side of the mountain” is hot, bright, dry, light, expanding, etc.

The Five Phases aka Five Elements

The Theory of Five Phases explains our experience of phenomena. It illustrates how
everything is connected to each other through the control (overcoming) cycle and the
nurture (generating) cycle. Each phase or element is associated with a season, emotion,
color, yin and yang organ, etc.

● WOOD – Spring; beginnings; yang rising; moving energy and flexibility; the liver;
leadership & anger; tears; green
● FIRE – Summer; full expression of yang; heat; the heart; joy; sweat; red
● EARTH – Late Summer; the still point, stability; the stomach; compassion & worry;
saliva; yellow
● METAL – Fall; harvest; descent into yin; boundaries, judgment, and discrimination;
the lungs; grief & lightheartedness; mucus; white
● WATER – Winter; one’s deepest reserves/ the well; storing and protecting; the
kidneys/adrenals; fear & optimism; urine; dark blue and black

“AYURVEDA” The Science of Life

Translated as “the knowledge of life”, Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems
and continues to be practiced around the world today. Originating in the Indian
subcontinent, many foundational texts were written in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. The
following is from the Sustruta Samhita (15.38) and describes a healthy person.
One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas [energy patterns], balanced agni
[digestive fire], properly formed dhatus [tissues], proper elimination of malas [waste], well
functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss, is called a
healthy person.
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The Elements
● ETHER (akasha) – space, pure presence, all pervading, clear
● AIR (vayu) – movement, motion, the wind
● FIRE (tejas) – friction and fire, life, transformation, metabolism
● WATER (jala) – flow, fluidity, juices
● EARTH (prithvi) – cohesion, solidity, nurturing

The Three Doshas (or archetypal energy patterns) made from the elements
● Vata – Ether + Air; cold and dry; movement; anxiety; creativity
● Pitta – Fire + Water; hot and oily; metabolism; anger and jealousy; courage
● Kapha – Water + Earth; cold and wet; storage; attachment; love and patience

Yogic Lifestyle (Sivananda lineage)

● Proper Exercise (Asana) ● Positive Thinking + Meditation
● Proper Breathing (Pranayama) (Vedanta, Dhyana)
● Proper Relaxation (Savasana) ● Selfless Service (Karma Yoga)
● Proper Diet

HERBALISM AMERICANA
Herbalista was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia on land that is the traditional home to the
Muscogee and Cherokee peoples. The Muscogee and Cherokee lived, traveled, and
stewarded these lands until they were forcibly removed by the US government in the 1800’s.

We want to acknowledge this history of genocide and also to acknowledge the present
connection these tribes still have to their original homelands.

We acknowledge that this land is also now home to folks from all over the world, migrants
who have come here for a multitude of reasons – economic or educational opportunity, to be
near family, to flee violence or persecution, to escape environmental disasters... too many
reasons to list them all here.

We hope that all of us who call this land home will do our best to respect her and each
other. May we be good stewards and honor our connection to this land.

The very first U.S. Pharmacopeia was written in 1820 and a majority of the medicines listed
were of herbal origin. While many herbs were from Europe and other parts of the world,
almost half were native to the Americas and used by the first peoples. In fact, access to

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these herbs was a main driver for the colonization of “America” and the genocide inflicted
upon her first peoples. Witch Hazel, the Cohoshes, Goldenseal, Echinacea, and Lobelia, to
name a few, were and still are incredibly important remedies in our herbal pharmacopeia.

Unfortunately, the history of herbal medicine in America, since colonization, is a history

marked by appropriation and abuse. The white settler herbal traditions (such as the Eclectic
physicians, the Thomsonian Herbalists, and the Physiomedicalists) and much of the
“modern” American herbal revival of the 60’s and 70’s, were built on herbal knowledge
gained from the long held traditions of native peoples, often without attribution. Adding to
this knowledge base were the many traditions and plants brought by enslaved peoples from
Africa (also by way of the Caribbean) and the wisdom and plant usage of the curanderismo
traditions.

And while I am aware of the troubled and disturbing origins of American Herbalism, I also
would like to acknowledge the possibilities and opportunities for herbalism in America. We
are privileged to have inspired herbal understanding that can only emerge in a land where
folks come together from so many different places. This allows a multitude of traditions to
rub shoulders with each other.

My own personal herbal practice has been influenced by so many traditions–

phytotherapeutic, TCM, ayurvedic, eclectic, african-american, celtic, and latinx to name but
a few. It is this multi-spectrum lens that I believe allows us to notice universal concepts and
hopefully to practice a humanistic and holistic herbal medicine.

BIOREGIONAL HERBALISM
Herbalista considers this the original herbalism, even though it wasn’t termed in this way.
Before the excessive global herbal trade existed, folks worked with the plants that they
found around them. This still exists in many communities around the world and within the
consumer driven economies there is a return to these principles.

The benefits of a “bioregional” approach go beyond simply our need to reduce the massive
energy consumption that occurs when we ship herbs all around the world. When we work
with plants, we also benefit from the defenses those plants have developed to grow and
thrive. Since local plants are grappling with the same environmental stressors that we are
navigating, it follows that these plants can be especially appropriate for supporting us
through those stressors.

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HERBAL TRADITIONS
As an example, let’s consider a plant like eucalyptus. Eucalyptus trees thrive in damp
environments which can cause us lung or fungal issues. Now eucalyptus survives these

💚
damp conditions and doesn’t suffer fungal invasions as it produces an abundance of
essential oil that is antifungal. It also is an amazing herb for opening the lungs.

When discussing local plant culture, some folks will make an argument for “native” vs
“invasive”, however, I find these arguments xenophobic. Since the dawn of time plants have
been moving around the world, carried in the bowels of birds, on gusts of wind, the crests of
waves, in the pockets of people and the fur of animals. Plants don’t suffer from the sickness
of nationalism and they don’t read maps.

Please check out Laurel Luddite’s essay: This is Anarcho-Herbalism. This is the essay
posted to the top of my teacher Michael Moore’s website that sent me to herb school back in
the day.

COMMUNITY HERBALISM
Community Herbalism is a philosophy of health and healing that extends beyond the
individual and considers the larger ecosystem. Health is more than just your own isolated
internal dynamics. Health is a response to our relationships, our environment, our access to
care, the cultural and social structures we are immersed in, and so much more.
"The body doesn’t so much defend a particular set point as allow it to fluctuate in
response to changing demands, including those of one’s social circumstances...Today it
is clear that chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart-failure are
inextricably linked to the state of our neighborhoods, jobs and families. We must use this
information in the fight against rising income inequality, high imprisonment rates and
other social problems." from When Blood Pressure is Political by Dr. Sandeep Jauhar

At Herbalista, we strive for a community-based model of healthcare that is based on

solidarity and not charity. Our programming and clinic work is crafted to share skills, keep
costs down, and give us all the chance to share our love through service. Solidarity
Medicine Making Workshops, the Grow a Row Program, and Plant Rambles not only keep
the apothecary stocked and the clinics rolling, but have helped cultivate an extended
community care network throughout the local area. We see improved health outcomes,
stronger support networks, and a growing vitality that comes simply from working with
plants!

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HERBAL TRADITIONS
COMMON THEMES of TRADITIONAL HEALING
● Whole-human health – body and mind; both the physical and the emotional is
considered when assessing wellbeing.

● Personal health is influenced by and inextricable from one’s environment and

community.

● Classifying folks by “type” to focus on patterns of health so we can appreciate

someone’s inherent strengths and support their areas of weakness).

● Striving to maintain good health, as opposed to a pathological approach whereby one

offers care only after there is a health problem or incident.

● Ill health is viewed as the result of an imbalance in the system. The goal is to restore
systemic balance as opposed to simply targeting an individual symptom.

● Health is understood based on observable patterns and is often described with

metaphoric or climatic vocabulary that is accessible to the general public.

● Remedies are earth-based and either correct the elemental/energetic imbalance (i.e.
cooling a hot condition); nourish and strengthen the person (tonic therapy); or remove
the barriers to self-healing (cleansing/ detoxification).

What traditions do you connect with? Do you notice similar themes?

What are your herbal perspectives?
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RESOURCES

General
● A brief history of herbal medicine https://theherbalacademy.com/herbalism-a-history/
● The Short History of Plants as Medicine by Sade Musa
https://www.healthline.com/health/plants-as-medicine-history
● Kat Maier’s new book Energetic Herbalism
● Queering Herbalism book available as download from Etsy by Toi Scott. This book
“contains commentary and resources about holistic healing with an anti-oppressive
(namely anti-racist and pro-queer) framework and a lens toward a more historically
accurate, complete and inclusive (decolonial) history of healing.” It contains a
MASSIVE resource listing. Their website is www.afrogenderqueer.com

Western Herbalism/ Humoral Medicine

● Principles and Practice of Constitutional Physiology for Herbalists by Michael Moore.
In fact, his entire website is filled with many manuals and books from classic western
herbalists. Visit www.swsbm.com for gobs of information. Check out his
Constitutional Intake form.
● Also check out www.henriettes-herb.com for similar old eclectic and physiomedical
texts as searchable acrobat files.
● Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy Textbook by Bones and Mill
● The Canon of Medicine by Hakim Ibn Sina English Translation of this classic text as
found on NAIMH website.
● Galenic Humours An article by Christopher Hedley published in the Journal of the
American Herbalists Guild.
● Which Humor are You? By Christopher Hedley
● Writings and classes by jim mcdonald. Please see his website www.herbcraft.org.
He also has a curated links section on his website called Herbal Systems and
Approaches.
● The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism by Matthew Wood

Ayurveda
● Books by Dr. Vasant Lad:
○ Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing
○ Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing
○ The Yoga of Herbs
○ Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles Volume 1

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● Self Assessment Worksheet on Dosha Types by Dr. Lad: Ayurveda Constitution
Guidelines

Traditional Chinese Medicine

● Wood becomes Water: Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life book rec. by Gail
Reichstein
● Healing with the Herbs of Life by Lesley Tierra
● Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit by Gabriel Mojay
● The Foundations of Chinese Medicine book rec. by Giovanna Maciocia
● Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology by Chen and Chen
● Five Element Quiz Self-Assessment worksheet by Key West Wellness

African-American
● Working the Roots by Michelle Elizabeth Lee
● Wortsandcunning.com has a full section on African-American and Black Herbal
Resources
● African-American Herbalism Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 by marc williams (as posted on
the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine Blog) Part 3 has a massive list of Resources
and Further Learning.
● Rootwork Herbals – Liberation Community Herbalism and the work of herbalist
Amanda David.

🌴
● Herbalist Brandon Ruiz and @yucayekefarms on Instagram: Urban Farming, Herbal
Medicine, Caribbean Herbalism and Cultural Relevance farming in the U.S. and
teaching virtually via classes and courses. He is running a course on Caribbean
Herbalism
● Queering Herbalism book available as download from Etsy by Toi Scott. This book
contains massive resource listings. Their website: www.afrogenderqueer.com
● @inheritblooms on Instagram. In particular this video is recommended viewing.

Curanderismo
● Ancestral Apothecary and the work of Atava Garcia Swiecicki including the soon to
be released The Curanderx Toolkit: Reclaiming Ancestral Plant Medicine and Rituals
for Healing
● The California School of Traditional Hispanic Herbalism and the work of Charles
Garcia
● Los Remedios: Traditional Remedies of the Southwest by Michael Moore

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Community Herbalism + Inclusive Healthcare
● See the following sections on the Herbalista Website:
○ Healthcare is a Human Right
○ Community Healthcare
○ Trauma Informed Healthcare
○ Inclusive Healthcare
○ Harm Reduction
● “When Blood Pressure is Political” Article by Dr. Sanjeep Jauhar (New York Times)
● Herbalists Without Borders International to find a group near you!

Bioregional Herbalism
● This is Anarcho-Herbalism by Laurel Luddite
● What are your LOCAL FIELD GUIDES?
● Who are your LOCAL HERBALISTS?

Street + Protest Medicine

● Activists Guide to Basic First Aid by the Black Cross Collective [Portland, Oregon] “In
this zine, the Black Cross Collective out of Portland provides a basic overview of first
aid and health concerns as they relate to militant protests. The zine includes a
“protest fashion” section on what to wear and what not to wear to a protest, an
overview of medical conditions you may encounter at a protest (and how to help
folks), and dealing with pepper spray and tear gas.”
● First Aid for Emotional Trauma PDF by Will Hall. Sources Peter Levine + Judith
Herman. December 2008 Version.
● Herbal First Aid + Aftercare for all who have Experienced Street Violence “Bumps,
bruises & burns, chemical weapons exposure, taser, handcuff injuries, & trauma.
Plant Medicines for Resilience! Black Lives Matter. Native Justice Now.” Compiled by
herbalists, street medics, herbal first aid specialists and educators: Dixie Pauline,
Grassroots Apothecary, MASHH; Greta Montagne, Gentle Strength Botanials,
MASHH; Dana Aronson, Wild Kin Botanicals; Ingrid Bauer, MD, Five Flavors Herbs;
Jocelyn Laurel Pena, Paramedic, Blackcap Medical Collective, MASHH. Spring
2020. And here is a google doc version for printability.
● The Herbalist Street Medic by herbalist 7Song who specializes in herbal first aid.
“This handout is geared for ‘on the ground’ practitioners, meaning those herbalist’s
who are in the fray of the protests, whether walking with the demonstrators or in a
clinic set up for the event.”
● Herbalista Street Action Care Kit A bit on kit creation and an example of Lorna’s
packing list.
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● Nonviolent Strategies for Protestors Brief and pointed article by Heather Gray,
former director for Coretta Scott King’s Center for Nonviolence. Mass mobilization
and direct action are an important piece of the strategic nonviolent social change.
But it is only one part. We also need to plan and strategize and concrete demands.
We don’t look simply for victory, but for reconciliation and community building. This
article explains Dr. King’s Method of Change and nonviolent strategies for protestors.
● Protest Aftercare by North Star Health Collective. “We work in alliance with
mainstream and anti-authoritarian organizations to create a safe and healthy events.
We stand in solidarity with the need for diverse strategies and tactics. We will not
denounce fellow activists or organizations. That said, we believe in harm reduction.
We are working behind the scenes to reduce risks. We believe in maintaining open
lines of communication.”
● Safe Protest Tips “Resources for Comrades. This site aims to collect as many
guides, resources, and other information on how to ensure your safety and the safety
of others during protests, demonstrations, and other direct action. The goal is to
provide accurate, easy-to-access information under an easy-to-remember URL.”
● Stay Healthy So You Can Stay in the Streets Mini-Handout produced by medics from
the BALM Squad (Boston Area Liberation Medic Squad) with suggestions on “what
you do before, during and after a demonstration to stay well and keep fighting!”
● Street Medic Guide By Paper Revolution. Resource pages and guide. Explores
history of street medic/ action medic; street medic basics; and links to other
information sites.
● Street Medic Handbook by Chicago Action Medical. “Containing a large collection of
highly esteemed first aid tips and tricks, namely: Spreading Calm, Patient
Assessment, Not Dying, Buddy Roles. Selected by experienced Street Medics for
the use of publicans and protesters in general, adapted from Rosehip Medic
Collective and other sources.”
● Street Medicine – Keeping our Movements Health and Safe An article exploring the
role Street Medicine has played in social change and mass mobilizations. A look at
the history and philosophy.

Intake Forms, Self Assessment Worksheets + Constitutional Guides

● Constitutional Physiology - Constitutional Intake Form by Michael Moore
● Ayurvedic - Ayurvedic Constitution Guidelines by Dr. Vasant Lad
● Humoral Medicine - Which Humor Are You? by Christopher Hedley
● Traditional Chinese Medicine Five Phase Theory - Five Element Quiz by Key
West Wellness

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