Podcasts about elecampane

Elecampane has become one of my personal favorite respiratory remedies over the years, not just for its medicinal benefits for many of the common respiratory woes people face today, but as a choice restorative agent. Whether you make it into a tincture or enjoy the syrup, Elecampane is a remedy every herbalist should know.    In this episode, you'll learn: Elecampane's role as a stimulant expectorant for cold, damp, unproductive coughs How it encourages deeper, more productive coughing to clear stagnant mucus Its use as a stimulant diaphoretic to break fevers and warm the body Why it's considered a respiratory trophorestorative for chronic lung conditions How its antiseptic properties help clear bacterial infections with yellow or green mucus The connection between Elecampane, gut health, and its prebiotic inulin content ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at:  http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com   Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/   Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ   Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism: https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/   ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve.   ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines.    ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.  

Wanting to arm yourself with a full arsenal of immune support this season? Nature really has provided us with everything we need! On this episode of Vitality Radio, Jared welcomes back Jamie Cotter from WishGarden Herbs to talk about their Kick-Ass Immune formulas (yes that's really the name of the products!) You'll learn the incredible benefits of the carefully selected herbs in each of their formulas for preventing illness, kicking it when it does take hold, specific symptom support, as well as how to support the recovery process and rebuild resilience. And for the moms out there, they also have formulas for pregnancy and nursing as well as a great line for kids! You'll want to check them out!Products:WishGarden Herbs FormulasAdditional Information:#420: Fast Relief From Seasonal Allergies Using Some Kick-Ass Herbs with Jamie CotterVisit the podcast website here: VitalityRadio.comYou can follow @vitalitynutritionbountiful on Instagram, or Vitality Radio and Vitality Nutrition on Facebook. Join us also in the Vitality Radio Podcast Listener Community on Facebook. Shop the products that Jared mentions at vitalitynutrition.com. Let us know your thoughts about this episode using the hashtag #vitalityradio and please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you!Just a reminder that this podcast is for educational purposes only. The FDA has not evaluated the podcast. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The advice given is not intended to replace the advice of your medical professional.

There are so many benefits of elecampane root! It's famous for coughs but be warned: it doesn't help ALL types of coughs. Instead, elecampane truly shines for one type of cough in particular (and yes, I've got all the details in the episode). Elecampane root is also totally underrated as a bitter herb to support digestion. In this episode, I'm sharing my love for this powerful medicinal plant. As a listener, you'll also get access to my favorite elecampane herbal bitters recipe. (Be sure to download your free, beautifully illustrated recipe card!)If you have elecampane in your garden, or you simply want to know how to use it, then don't miss out on all my best tips for getting the most benefits of elecampane root!►►► To make it easy for you to keep this information organized, I've created a beautiful ebook as a companion to this episode. Receive your Elecampane ebook by signing up for my weekly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3th7E0EAfter listening in, you'll know:► Why elecampane is not the herb to reach for when a cough has certain characteristics► What type of digestive complaint elecampane can be especially helpful for► Why elecampane can help you support a healthy gut flora (and how harvest time affects this)► How to harvest elecampane root without killing the plant► and much more----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.

Join me on a personal journey, from the tranquil Oregon coast to the jarring reality of wildfires and their environmental toll. I'll delve into the healing embrace of herbal allies like Mullein, Marshmallow, Elecampane, and Licorice Root for easing smoke-irritated lungs. We'll also explore familiar remedies like Thyme, Fennel Seed, Anise Seed, and Plantain. In these times of challenge, discover how herbalism and nature's wisdom offer solace and healing, not just to us, but to our planet too. Tune in to unravel the deep connection between herbal remedies and nurturing our Earth.

Elecampane has become one of my personal favorite respiratory remedies over the years, not just for its medicinal benefits for many of the common respiratory woes people face today, but as a choice restorative agent. Whether you make it into a tincture or enjoy the syrup, Elecampane is a remedy every herbalist should know.    In today's episode, you'll learn:   Elecampane's pungent and aromatic taste and how it corresponds to its core respiratory properties Why this herb is a primo respiratory remedy The connection between Elecampane and homesickness  Elecampane's correspondence to the Sun and Air Element  How to prepare medicinal remedies with Elecampane ———————————— CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY ———————————— To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at:  http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com   Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels: http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/   Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ   Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/   ———————————— ABOUT THE PLANT PATH ———————————— The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve.   ———————————— ABOUT SAJAH ———————————— Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy. His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines.    ———————————— WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST? ———————————— If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.

You have a treat in store with this episode featuring Henriette Kress and focusing on the gifts of elecampane (Inula helenium). I think you'll see right away that Henriette is a very gentle soul and very modest in spite of the wealth of herbal knowledge she possesses. She even shares things about elecampane that were new to me (and that's saying something, after years of being herb-obsessed)! As a listener, you'll also have access to Henriette's effective and yummy elecampane cough syrup recipe.By the end of this episode, you'll know:► Why Henriette's herbal website, which was one of the first sites out there, is such a treasure in the herbal world► Why elecampane is one of the herbs Henriette always turns to when formulating a tea for grief► The connection between Pokemon cards and Henriette's educational work as an herbalist► The wonderful herbal tradition Henriette remembers from her grandmother's villageHere is one of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: “Elecampane is special. It's very grounding, and it's good for coughs and good to get long term stuff out of the lungs. And it's good for digestion.”For those of you who aren't already familiar with her, Henriette Kress has been working with herbs since she was about five. She's a bit older than that now, with a head full of gray hairs and all. She attended the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Arizona in 1998, and has been a full-time herbalist in Helsinki, Finland ever since.She has a large website, has written a few books, lectures a lot, and has a distance course in Finnish and Swedish. As you'll see, she's very down to earth and practical.I'm delighted to share our conversation with you today!----Get full show notes and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.comFor more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!The secret to using herbs successfully begins with knowing who YOU are. Get started by taking my free Herbal Jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it!On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.----Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her...

We're back to our apothecary shelf herb profile tour! This week we have a pair of herbs who both support respiratory function. They demonstrate two types of heat: pungency and the hot aromatics.The root of elecampane, Inula helenium, taste in a way we fondly refer to as “peppery mud”. This herb is fantastic for cold, damp lung conditions. When you feel like you'd need a shovel to get all the phlegm out of your lungs, look to elecampane for help. Inula is also an excellent digestive herb, and these effects are most comprehensive when it's taken as a decoction.The leaves and, especially, the berries of juniper (Juniperus communis) are bright with warm, airy aromatic movement. Simply holding a berry in your mouth and letting its vapors pervade your sinuses & lungs is an old trick from the Nature Cure movment. Today it's a good habit for when you're traveling or in a large group of humans! Juniper's an excellent urinary antiseptic also, and for Katja, it's a standout emotional support herb.Our Respiratory Health course includes more discussion of elecampane & juniper, as well as other key herbs to work with, and methods for targeting herbal remedies to the sinuses & lungs. Asthma, cold/flu/corona, COPD, and other troubles are covered in detail. Plus, you get everything that comes with enrollment in our courses. That includes: lifetime access to current & future course material, twice-weekly live Q&A sessions with us, open discussion threads integrated in each lesson, a buzzing student community, study guides, quizzes & capstone assignments, and more!If you have a moment, it would help us a lot if you could subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen. This helps others find us more easily. Thank you!!Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.Support the show

In this episode, I talk a bit about current events and my new cookbook, I announce the free Latin tutorials I am launching this week and both the fascinating history and multitude of medicinal uses of Elecampane. Learn Latin with me for free! https://quizlet.com/_bxds3p?x=1jqt&i=26s5srHere is the link to the book: https://archive.org/search.php?query=Latin%20Grammar%3A%20Preparation%20for%20the%20Reading%20of%20the%20Missal%20and%20BreviaryRead about my new book, Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6 Visit my Substack and sign up for my free newsletter: https://judsoncarroll.substack.com/Read about my new other book, Growing Your Survival Herb Garden for Preppers, Homesteaders and Everyone Elsehttps://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/04/growing-your-survival-herb-garden-for.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4LYV9RAnd The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Bitter Herbs: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-encyclopedia-of-bitter-medicina.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5MYJ35RandChristian Medicine, History and Practice: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/01/christian-herbal-medicine-history-and.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09P7RNCTBHerbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.htmlAlso available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMWXL25Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/southern-appalachian-herbsBlog: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/Free Video Lessons: https://rumble.com/c/c-618325

We had a few heat waves this summer, so I had plenty of opportunities to try out herbs and foods to stay cool! I made cold infusions instead of hot teas with cooling and moistening herbs like Hibiscus and Rose, and switched my regular body massage oil to cooling coconut oil. Ayurveda gives us lots of insights into the energetic qualities of herbs, and this includes how foods and herbs affect our body temperature. I will review a list of dietary recommendations for Pitta, because as we know Pitta is hot and wet, so this can give us some ideas about how to adapt our diet and herbal protocol during summer (Pitta time!). I will also mention some herbs for the lungs that are helpful if you have been close to a wildfire. In this case, we can combine cooling and demulcent herbs with lung tonics and expectorants. Plantain, Mullein, Licorice, Linden, Thyme, Coltsfoot, Elecampane, Schidsandra berry, Nettle, Cordyceps, Vasaka, and Astragalus come in very handy during emergencies like this. Join my free herbal channel on Telegram! Follow my updates about the herbs I'm taking, planting, or harvesting in nature! You just have to download and set up the Telegram App on your phone first (it's easy!), then click this link to join my channel. Dive deeper into herbal studies with me! I am posting herbal inspiration videos every week or so, and at least one full herbal class (live over zoom and recorded) or detailed case study a month for my Ko-Fi members, so make sure you are signed up! This is a fun way to learn and supports this podcast's creation. I appreciate your interest in Herbalism, you are helping to keep this knowledge alive! Would you like to work with me one-on-one and book your Online Health Consultation? Send me a message through the contact form on my website: www.herbalhelp.net Or click on my calendar to book a free 20 min call to get your questions answered directly and to see if we are a good fit for each other! I am a professional, clinical Herbalist registered with the American Herbalists Guild and would love to give you personalized help! YouTube Channel: Herbal Help by Tamara Follow me on Instagram: herbal.help If you like the show please let others know and write me a review! You can rate me on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Castbox, Audible Podcast Addict and more, and it's super easy, just click on this link. This show is meant for educational purposes only. This is not health advice. Please send me a message through the contact form on my website. I love to hear from my listeners and get feedback! What herb would you like me to discuss next on this podcast? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/downtoearthherbalism/message

The Herbal Business Program brought to you by CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism LEARN MORE AND REGISTER Dreaming of launching an Herbal Business? Join the Herbal Business Program! This course has it all: GMP, marketing, taxes, insurance, even building your website and getting comfortable with the tech you'll need to run your business… They literally break down every single task you need to do for every single aspect of your business, and then provide very specific instructions about exactly how to do it, with videos, pictures, worksheets, reference guides, and more! Plus - you get lifetime access so it doesn't matter how fast or slow you go. Move at the pace that's right for you! And you can ask questions lots of ways: including live and in person twice a week, every week, if you like! You can also send questions in writing (they reply in 24 hours or less!), and there's a whole community of support too, so you can get lots of opinions! You don't have to have any previous business experience, all you need is your herbal skills and a good idea. You'll do the rest together! LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Episode 80!  Today is a short solo episode about herbs to support with long-haul viral infections such as covid. It is a very short list of herbs I love to work with including hawthorn, cats claw, elecampane, schisandra berry, nettles and ginger. I would love to hear from you any favorite plants for illness and recovery. You can find me on Instagram @thymeinthestudiopodcast and let me know in comments or send me a dm. Also supporting your gut microbiome is the golden ticket to supporting your immune system. I created a list of over 60 things you can do to easily support your belly. Hop over to www.aidazea.com to grab that free checklist. And I'm teaching a class on Nourishing your belly to Transform your health on April 20 at Rebecca's Apothecary. The class is online and in-person and I would love to see you there!Also big thanks to Aaron Travers for the show music.  If you enjoyed this interview please share it with a friend and leave a review where reviews are found.If you want more fun resources you can join the patreon at www.patreon.com/thymeinthestudio And to sign up for my newsletter go to  www.aidazea.com. To sign up for my upcoming gut health class or to purchase the teas mentioned in this podcast please go to www.rebeccasherbs.comThanks for being here and may our efforts benefit all beings! Thyme in the Studio links:https://www.patreon.com/thymeinthestudiohttps://www.instagram.com/thymeinthestudiopodcast/https://www.aidazea.comwww.rebeccasherbs.comDiscliamer: I am not a doctor. I am an herbalist. This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. This podcast and none of my handouts, classes, videos, audio or consultations are considered medical advice.  Please do your own research to determine what is right for you.  

Runny nose, itchy eyes and pharmaceutical antihistaminics make you drowsy? No worries, we have holistic remedies that work even better and strategies to address the root issue! Let's dig into some of the ayurvedic theories to explain hay fever and draw from the wisdom of global herbalism to get effective short and long-term relief. Some of the herbs covered are Nettle, Astragalus, Elecampane, Schisandra, Turmeric, Chrysanthemum, Elderflower, Cubeb Berry, Pippali and Guduchi, which we can choose based on their drying and warming, cooling, and/or immune-boosting action, depending on which of the doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, seems most out of balance! We will also discuss some really helpful vitamins and minerals. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to work with me one-on-one and book your Online Health Consultation! Send me a message through my website: www.herbalhelp.net Or click on my calendar to book a free 20 min call to get your questions answered directly and to see if we are a good fit for each other! Get access to exclusive weekly inspirational herbal videos and posts through my ko-fi donation site (like Patreon). Your one-off or monthly recurring contribution (membership) supports the creation of this podcast and helps me reach my goal of buying a good microphone (the one I am using is borrowed). Or just buy me a coffee (a cup of herbal tea actually) to say thanks for the podcast! Thank you so much! YouTube Channel: Herbal Help by Tamara Follow me on Instagram: herbal.help If you like the show please let others know and write me a review! You can rate me on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Castbox, Audible Podcast Addict and more, and it's super easy, just click on this link. Send me a message through the contact form on my website. I love to hear from my listeners and get feedback! What herb would you like me to discuss next on this podcast? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/downtoearthherbalism/message

Gather round the sacred circle - it's time to trust yourself. Skills come faster with friction. Your progress is expanding. Keep your discerning eyes open with Lavender as you go higher and higher with Elecampane. And so it is. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/herboracle/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/herboracle/support

Elecampane is a beautiful majestic plant that fights infection, supports lung and digestive functions, and so much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yes, I've had it, the disease du jour, the Virus that has our planet in its grip. Gladly, everything went fine for me and my family. Was it thanks to the herbs that I took, before, during and after? I think so. Spoiler alert: I don't have any miracle cure. Just reliable, solid, effective herbs that have proven themselves over and over again in scientific studies and under real-life circumstances since millennia. I will reveal all the herbs and supplements that I took to take care of me and my family in the best way that I know. This includes immune-modulating herbs like Echinacea and Astragalus, lung herbs like Elecampane, and other good and trusted herbal flu remedies like Elderflower and Honeysuckle plus effective anti-inflammatories like Curcumin, Vitamin D and C. Listen in for my full herbal Covid support protocol. Absolutely free of any trendy miracle cures and false promises. I would be delighted if you could recommend this podcast to a friend, and leave me a review on Apple Podcasts! Thank you! Check out my website www.herbalhelp.net for info about individual health consultations. Write me a message through the contact form on my website or through Instagram @herbal.help Youtube Channel: Herbal Help by Tamara --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/downtoearthherbalism/message

In this rich conversation, Mason sits down with the brilliant herbalist Sajah Popham; Founder of School Of Evolutionary Herbalism and Organic Unity in southern Oregon, for a journey into the otherworldly space of plant alchemy, herbal remedies, spagyric medicine, and the inextricable relationship between man and our magically healing plant friends. Geared with both the Science and esoteric understanding of herbal medicine and trained in real alchemy by the great Robert Bartlett, Sajah brings a holistic understanding of the universal truths and principles that govern plants and healing. Sajah's depth of knowledge and reverence for plants as healers is truly a gift to this world. A guardian of the plant kingdom, he walks his path devoted to healing and teaching people that plants are not something we use mindlessly and forget about once healed. He reminds us they are our allies, guides, and protectors, that we should seek to understand and develop a connection that deepens with time. Make sure you tune in for this one!   "If we can imagine back to the first human beings ever to exist on planet earth and think of who was the first teacher of herbal medicine? Well, it was the plants themselves. And that's something that I really want to come back to in my own work."   -Sajah Popham   Mason and Sajah discuss: Spagyrics and the process of creating medicine. Medical astrology. Medical Alchemy. The three philosophical principles of alchemy (Tria Prima). How do we bring together science and spirituality? Universal themes among ancient medicine systems. Esoteric knowledge and how it relates to plants and healing. The importance of developing a relationship with the plants we utilise as medicines. Looking at people and plants through an energetic lens. The three Doshas of Ayurveda. Integrative medicine; Eastern and Western systems of medicine coming together. Returning to the heart space and sitting in earth energy for healing.    Who is Sajah Popham? Sajah Popham (B.S. Herbal Sciences), founder and core instructor of Organic Unity and School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is a student of the universal truths found within both ancient and modern herbal traditions from around the world. The focus of his work is on integrating ancient teachings for a new paradigm of plant medicine, one that is truly holistic in its honoring of the spirit, energetics, and body of both people and plants. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north and south, above and below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology. Sajah’s vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physiological healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness, for a truly holistic practice of plant medicine. Sajah’s teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his art.   Resources: School Of Evolutionary Herbalism Facebook (School Of Evolutionary Herbalism) Instagram (School Of Evolutionary Herbalism) YouTube (School Of Evolutionary Herbalism) Evolutionary Herbalism Book The Plant Path Podcast with Sajah & Whitney Popham Organic Unity- Alchemical Herbal Extracts   Q: How Can I Support The SuperFeast Podcast? A: Tell all your friends and family and share online! We’d also love it if you could subscribe and review this podcast on iTunes. Or  check us out on Stitcher, CastBox, iHeart RADIO:)! Plus  we're on Spotify!   Check Out The Transcript Here:   Mason: (00:00) Hey Sajah. Welcome, man.   Sajah Popham: (00:01) Thank you.   Mason: (00:02) All right. How are you doing down there in Oregon? Can you tell us a little bit about where you're at, where you've landed in the world and what you're up to there?   Sajah Popham: (00:11) Yeah. I live in the Southern part of Oregon State here in the United States and I live out here on 120 acres with my wife, Whitney, where we host our school called the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where we teach a lot of workshops to herbalists and people wanting to really reconnect with the wisdom of plants and different traditions from around the world that have used plants as medicines. And we also spend a lot of our time out here preparing spagyric herbal extracts for our business, Organic Unity, which is an aspect of the alchemical tradition from Europe and very specific methods of preparing herbs into medicines that concentrates their physical properties, as well as their spiritual and energetic properties as well.   Mason: (01:02) What made you get into spagyrics?   Sajah Popham: (01:03) [inaudible 00:01:03].   Mason: (01:05) Yeah. Awesome. And I forgot but I think I'd mentioned before we jumped on and coming up to Oregon to go to the American Herbal Guild Symposium in October. Don't know if you're going to be around there, but looking forward to going out to get out there, but I meant the spagyrics. I'm really interested to hear what got you into that aspect of herbalism, because I don't know what it's like in the US whether it's spreading a little bit. I'm sure thanks to yourself, it has, but it hasn't permeated just the everyday herbal community here in Australia.   Sajah Popham: (01:39) Yeah. Well, I would definitely say that's true out here in the States as well. When we're talking about alchemy and spagyrics we're getting on a pretty fringy part of herbal medicine that I feel very committed to opening up more to the verbal world. For me alchemy and spagyrics was really the missing link. It was the missing piece of the puzzle for me in terms of my plant path, my journey into the world of herbal medicine. And I was studying at Bastyr University up there in Seattle and in the herbal sciences programme. And for me, as the programme implies, it's a very scientifically oriented programme. So we're studying the botany and the chemistry and the pharmacology and plant constituents and how to best extract them and anatomy and physiology and biochemistry, and a very scientific model of herbal medicine, which I love. I really loved science.   Sajah Popham: (02:45) I love that whole aspect of it. But during that time as well I was really deepening just in my own direct connection with the plants. And I think a lot of people experienced this where our lives are changed when a plant heals us. It's like sometimes we're going through our life and we're having a hard time with something, maybe something in our body, maybe something in our heart or mind, and then a plant comes to us and we take that plant into our body and it fundamentally changes who we are and heals us. And so for me having this deep spiritual connection to the plants and this very scientific model of understanding plants, created this little rift inside of me, well, maybe a big rift. It was like, how do I bring these two together? How do I bring together the science and the spirit of herbal medicine?   Sajah Popham: (03:41) And I think that's something that's going on on a cultural level as well, just how do we bring together science and spirituality? And that led me to study a lot of different medical traditions, spiritual traditions and eventually that led me to Tuscany, Italy, where I was doing a study abroad trip there. And there was a man that talked about medical alchemy, medical astrology, and he was talking about just all this very esoteric knowledge and how it relates to plants and healing. And I remember it just really clicking something into place for me because in alchemy they utilise chemical terminology to denote a spiritual principle. And that really made a lot of sense to me and how they had methods of preparing plants that would concentrate their chemistry that works in the body, but also methods of concentrating the spiritual properties of the plants and how those influence our minds, our emotions, and ultimately our spiritual growth and evolution.   Sajah Popham: (04:56) And that became a very fundamental model for how I perceived plants and practised herbal medicine. I didn't really want to just approach herbal medicine to "fix what's broken in our bodies" because they did so much more for me in my own plant path. I wanted to assist people in that deeper connection to the true self, deeper connection to nature, deeper connection to the spirit that's in all of life. And I believe that the plants have an incredible capacity to do so. And it was through the spagyric preparations that I found it best to help people in that way.   Mason: (05:37) And just for my sake, can you take me a little bit through that preparation model? I understand it from way back in a heavily alchemical process, it's probably not something that downloads easily down to a couple of sentences or paragraphs, but just to understand what that process is, if you mind.   Sajah Popham: (05:54) Yeah, sure. Well, everything in alchemy, they say everything in nature, or everything in creation has three fundamental principles. What they call Tria Prima or the three philosophical principles, and in alchemy, they see that as they call sulphur, mercury and salt, and this correlates to the soul, the spirit and the body of any particular thing, whether that's a person or a plant or a stone or whatever it is, everything in nature has these three principles and we can see that threefold pattern reflected in a whole lot of different traditions around the world. Ayurveda has its three doshas. Chinese medicine has its three treasures. Astrology has its three modes. There's all manner of Holy trinities, so to speak in different medical, scientific and spiritual traditions. So in spagyrics, which is plant-based alchemy, they say that the sulphur, mercury and salt of a plant corresponds to the essential oils, the alcohol-soluble constituents and the mineral salts.   Sajah Popham: (07:07) And so in the spagyric process, the sulphur, mercury and salt are the oil, the alcohol and the minerals are all separated from the plant through different techniques. The distillation, fermentation, rectification, calcination, disillusion these different spagyric processes whereby these three fundamental principles of a plant are separated purified, and then recombined back together into what is said to be an evolved expression of that plant and the soul, the spirit and the body of the plant is present in the medicine. It acts upon the human soul, spirit and body as well. And so in that way, spagyrics are said to have an evolutionary function or the way the old alchemists put it, it has an initiatic virtue, meaning that it's initiating us into a higher level of consciousness. And the thing that's really cool about the that really was what hooked me was, when I was in college and learning how to make herbal medicines, I always wanted the strongest medicine I could get.   Sajah Popham: (08:22) And so I would tincture it and re-tincture it and cook it down and boil it in water and extract it and vinegar and put it all together and put a flower essence in there. It's just like I was crazy. I just wanted the whole plant there, but what always ended up happening is I had to throw the plant material away and it always really bothered me. I always felt like there was something there that I wasn't getting. And in the spagyric process, we never throw the body of plant have away. I would say that has the salt principle. And so in spagyric works, once a plant is extracted we'll actually burn the plant down to an ash and then take that ash and run it through some further processes that basically yields crystals.   Sajah Popham: (09:14) We extract crystalline mineral salts from the plant that they say, that's the purified body of the plant. And when you have that body of the plant, you're anchoring the intelligence of that plant into its physical body so that then it can influence our physical body in a much deeper way. So we don't throw anything out in the spagyric process. You really get the whole plant. And when you get the whole plant, it's going to work on the whole person. And that to me is one of the foundational elements of what it means to practise holistic herbal medicine.   Mason: (09:52) Thanks for explaining it like that as well. That's landed with me so hard, especially with the throwing out the herb after you're done with a tea or a tincture, or maybe doing a vinegar extraction or anything like that. The best we can do here is just get them back into circulation, composting them. But there's this saying, so [inaudible 00:10:09] especially about we've got like in the West, we can all probably agree that we've got that scientific way and reductionist way of approaching herbalism down-packed and gone for the chemistry. The aspect that you're talking about and connecting with the spirit and the personality of the herb, the patterns of the herb, that part of the herb where you can actually develop a relationship. Generally you can say that's a bit deficient.   Mason: (10:40) Now, for some reason, I've just started thinking about an array of people out there who are in that frame of mind, where it's like a pill for the ill, "I've got a symptom and I need to knock it on the head." Now that's like in health food stores in major cities, et cetera, there seems to be a glass ceiling on actually being able to go and connect with the spirit of the herb or get out of that mentality of just trying to fix yourself, trying to cure these symptoms. Stay with me because I don't have a question. I'm just going through something here. I'm really interested in talking to ways and it seems like we're already talking to it, to continue to bridge that gap, especially for people who are in the trenches of cities.   Mason: (11:37) I know I go off on tangents and some pretty elaborate tangents and recommendations. And I had a lot of moms. Moms come to me and be like, "Mason, cool, your jets now. I got four kids and I need something solid that I can get into now." Let's talk to that a little bit. Let's talk to that in practises that can transfer across whether someone's like in the 9:00 to 5:00 grind in the city or in the country, what are the best ways you find to bridge that gap from the mentality of "fix me" to "let's grow and explore and evolve", especially with getting to know herbal personalities.   Sajah Popham: (12:17) Yeah. Great question. I think there's some layers to that. On the one hand you have people that maybe are experiencing health issues, health concerns, and they'd like to take a more alternative route which it's funny that we call it alternative, but it really should be this normal-   Mason: (12:38) Yeah. And you're right.   Sajah Popham: (12:38) ... to work with nature. And I don't necessarily... It's not everyone's path to have these deep spiritual connections to the plants and to the vegetable realm and I don't think that that would negate the efficacy of someone working with plants in that way. And then on the other end of that spectrum, we have people that are maybe naturopaths or clinical herbalists or the plant people. And those tend to be the people that I'm more communicating with. And so one of the things that I always like to encourage people that are working with the herbs in a deeper way, that we want to have a relationship with those medicines, we want to have a relationship to the plants that we're utilising as medicines.   Sajah Popham: (13:33) And it reminds me of something one of my teachers, Matthew Wood says. He says, "Don't be just an armchair herbalist." And I always really liked that because he says, "There's some herbalists out there that just sit in their arm chair and read the books and do the bookwork and the studies, which is great. But that relationship with the medicines we use takes on this whole other level, when we go out into the forest and we find the herb and we pick it and we eat it and we make medicine out of it. And maybe we sit with it and pray with it and make offerings and go through this deeper process of having a relationship with that plant that we're working with. And then when we get that remedy to someone there's an added something special to it, there's an added power to it because we know that plant and that plant knows us. And so we have a deeper connection and relationship to it."   Sajah Popham: (14:35) And so one of the things that I think also the different element of your question that I was hearing there is, to me, I'm just thinking of folks living in the city and maybe not having very deep relationship to the natural world. To me, this is one the core sicknesses or imbalances that I think is permeating the world right now is this disconnect from the natural ecosystem that is Gaia and it's ironic because the human being is as much a part of nature as everything else.   Sajah Popham: (15:19) It's just that we have created this world. I always say we use the terms world and earth very similarly. But to me they're very different. To me, the world is what is the human mind made manifest. So we think of a city. You're in a city on the concrete and there's the lights and the advertising comes in, the signs and you're literally surrounded by the human mind made into manifest form into something physical, like someone had the idea to make that sign or create this light or this shop and all these things in there. And it's like, mind, mind, mind. It's like, we're surrounded by the human mind and that's the world. But the earth to me is something... The human mind didn't create the earth, something greater than the human mind created the earth.   Sajah Popham: (16:15) And I always say it's like the earth is created by the mind of the creator, but it's not really a mind, it's a heart. And so to me, it's like the earth and the natural world of which we're a part of, is an expression of the divine of the love of creation and that when we surround ourselves by a natural habitat, that it strengthens this connection to the human heart. And it's the split between the world and the earth, and the mind and the heart, and the science and the spirit. It's that division that I think is making people sick on a lot of different levels. And so to me, just by having a deeper connection and relationship to the natural world that is giving us life every day, it's like we're all breathing the same air. We're all drinking the same water. We're all being nourished by this food that's grown from the earth. It's like we're all a part of that.   Sajah Popham: (17:22) And so when we bring that into a greater level of awareness, I think there's a reassembling of the human spirit that happens. And I think there's something, a deep healing that happens in our hearts where we feel connected to something greater than ourselves. And I think it's interesting that in our modern culture, that we see so much depression and so much anxiety and so much heart disease. I think these are physiological expressions of a split in the location of our consciousness, of being up in the mind and being in the world as opposed to being in the heart and being in the earth. So that's what comes to mind just based on what you were mentioning there.   Mason: (18:13) And did you get interested in herbalism especially, and immersing yourself in nature? Were you having the experience of the separation yourself?   Sajah Popham: (18:22) Oh, absolutely. I was not raised by hippie parents or in the woods or anything. I grew up in a little suburb between Tacoma and Seattle, Washington. I grew up in about as a conventional lifestyle, as one could imagine eating fast food and going to public schools, nothing too special about me.   Mason: (18:49) I'm sure there's lots of special values. I feel something similar then in terms of growing up on the fast food. Growing up I can one-up you and say I went to Catholic school. And so what I'm interested in is talking more about... I don't know about you, but in my early days, I felt even my mind, I sensed I wanted to be unified once again within myself and with the world. I could still feel an excess of that mind energy, being attached to arriving at a place where I can now I'm unified. Almost in a melancholic way that was like, not that I'd actually consciously think this and that makes me better and more in the know than other people. And it was a really fun and interesting process to feel as the mind and body unity began to occur that I've started really falling in love more and more with that process rather than the destination of unifying. And actually there is no destination there at all. Are you feeling me on that one?   Sajah Popham: (20:00) Absolutely. Yeah. The way that I think of it especially in the health world, and in the spiritual world as well, I feel like it's so easy for our minds to create some sort of, like you said, a destination, an idealised image of the self, of perfect balance, and we want that so bad. We want that vitality. We want that rejuvenation. We want that perfect health and balance and harmony, and maybe we'll get there for a moment. And then the wind will blow and then create... It's like everything's in constant flux. I love that saying that the only thing that doesn't change is that everything changes. And it makes me think about the Ayurvedic concept of doshas.   Sajah Popham: (21:00) These three doshas Ayurveda is really the basis of their anatomy and their constitutional theory and the way they classify herbs of these three doshas of Kapha, Vata, and Pitta, which are composed of our five elements of nature, ether, air, fire, water, and earth. And I love that definition of dosha is basically that which goes out of balance. And so it's the foundation of the way they understand the human organism is that balance itself is a changing phenomenon and that we can only get to a certain place for so long and then that's going to change. And so I think that's always an interesting thing to consider in regards to our health, that there is no end goal, there is no peak of the mountain. It's like we'll get to the peak of the mountain, but then we're going to see four or five more after that, if that makes any sense.   Mason: (22:05) Yeah, it does. And I'm only in here talking about gaining relationships with herbs, especially before you were talking about that moment, where if you have a relationship with the herb and the fact that you go through a healing journey with it, or if it heals you or if it helps you gain access to something within your body, then all of a sudden that relationship, it's solid, it's spiritual, you're mates with that herb. I've definitely experienced that. And especially in talking about the Western mindset of coming to herbs is just "fix me". And especially with when for me you're approaching herbalism heavily from the tonics, you're getting into Daoist tonic herbalism in the beginning and really enjoying that and still enjoying that where that sits within a holistic lifestyle, but starting to get schooled a little bit on the fact that there is no balance point. The herb's aren't going to get you balanced. Sometimes they might actually take you off balance so that you can further understand how to come back into balance within yourself.   Mason: (23:21) When I began to open up with understanding the varying ways that I can have a relationship with a plant or with a herb and what we were talking about before we jumped on, which I'd like to weave into this is moving away from the textbook. This herb reishi, whatever, is good for the heart, tones the liver, does this to the immune system, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. "Okay, cool. I'm going to use that herb to fix me in this or to get me a balance in this," but then all of a sudden you start actually, with any herb, you start actually introducing it in a way that gives you the opportunity to actually feel what it's doing, and then what your body's doing with that herb. The herb all of a sudden opens up and you go, "Okay, there's no black and white uses when it comes to this herb." And you realise you've opened up a can of worms way bigger than just taking a herb.   Sajah Popham: (24:14) Oh yeah. Really good question. It brings multiple points to mind, the first of which is that no one herb is right for everyone. I think one of the things with... Well, let me backtrack a little. I think one of the things that's important to understand about, I would say all traditional systems and models of herbal medicine, is that there's always a context within which a plant is taken into the human body. And most traditions that utilise plants as herbs are just using herbs. They're also implementing diet and nutrition as a major part of their medical practise. And I think this is a critical facet that I think is overlooked often. And no one likes it when I say that, because everyone just wants the magic bullet. If we want them to take the three drops of the tincture and all of your ails and problems are just going to magically disappear and you don't have to change. And I think that's the big piece here is that we all want a quick fix and we want to have a healthy life, but maybe we don't want to change the way we live our life that has led us to the particular state of health or lack of health that we currently have.   Sajah Popham: (25:42) And so that's one thing that I always encourage my students and people that I talk to about herbs is if the root cause of, say someone has a chronic digestive symptom, for me, I'm not going to give them some peppermint or fennel or some bitters. I'm going to do a really in-depth assessment of like, "What are you eating every day that might be contributing to this problem? Because it doesn't matter how many herbs I give you. If you eat something that's upsetting your digestive system, am I really helping you by giving you herbs? Actually I could be enabling you to continue living an unhealthy lifestyle that could lead to a deeper, more serious issue in the long term." So for me, it's always taking a step back and looking at someone's overall lifestyle and doing that detective work of like, "Okay, what is it that they're doing that might be contributing to this?" Of course we use herbs to help, but the herbs, aren't just the sole focus of it.   Sajah Popham: (26:51) The sole focus is giving people strategies ultimately for how they can optimise living in a very healthy way. So that's the first point that comes to mind. Second point that comes to mind for sure, this is one thing that comes up for me. It's one of my little pet peeves in the herb world and it's the question that I always get, "Oh, what's that herb good for?" To me, I think of plants like people, and that's just the way that I tend to think of them. And I always jokingly say, whenever I talk about this, I say, "You'd never go up to someone when you first meet someone and be like, "Oh, hey. My name's Sajah. What's your name? Oh, Hey Bill. Oh. So what are you good for?" You know, with like, we would never say that to someone but we say it about the plants all the time. And so to me, I'm less concerned about what a plant is good for. I'm more concerned about who that plant is.   Mason: (27:53) Can I just point, Sajah, when you bring that up, I don't know whether this is a bit glum, but I think there was a time when humans would talk about other humans that way. And there are probably times when we want to be moving, like humans want to be learning from or moving on from, and I feel like this really brings into that whole, it's that the herbs are working for us. That slave mentality rather than an actual unity, right?   Sajah Popham: (28:19) Totally. And to me it's like... And I think that's the thing that it's easy to get stuck in the world of herbal medicine, especially in the realm of, you had mentioned the Chinese tonic herbs and there's this whole world of products, basically a product industry, a multi-billion dollar product industry that says, "Hey, take these herbs and you'll have more energy and you'll sleep better and you'll have a better mood and you'll be smarter and run faster. And everything is going to be okay and you don't have to change. And this herb is good for everyone or this herb is good for this or good for that." And what ends up happening is we lack specificity in our practise of herbal medicine.   Sajah Popham: (29:18) So this brings me to talking about traditionally, when a traditional herbalist looks at someone and here I'm really referring to traditional Western herbalism, to Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, things like that. They always understand the uniqueness of the person in front of them. So they're not saying, "Oh, this person has a urinary tract infection. Okay, let's give them all of these herbs that are good for a urinary tract infection." They're going to say, "Oh, here's a unique person with a unique type of urinary tract infection. And we want to select those herbs that are going to be specifically suitable for this unique person with this unique condition." And this is one of my problems with the use this herb for that symptom mindset, is that it often times lacks this level of specificity. And one of the simple ways that we can get more specific is looking at people and plants through an energetic lens, meaning what is the temperature and the moisture quality of the symptom and of that plant?   Sajah Popham: (30:40) So take a respiratory tract infection. This is usually one of the easiest organ systems for people to really understand the importance of energetics. Say you've got two different people and from a Western perspective, they both have, say, bronchitis or some respiratory tract infection. And one person, when you hear them cough, it sounds really dry and really wheezy and really harsh and intense, and they've got a bright red face and their tongues really red, and they feel really overheated. The other person say when they cough, it sounds really gurgly and wet and cold, and they feel a bit pale and they feel cold and their tongue is white and has a thick coating and pale. And when they do expectorate something, it's got a thick white pasty look to it.   Sajah Popham: (31:39) This is the difference between what we would call basically a hot-dry cough versus a cold damp cough. Now, if we think of the way a lot of herbalists are trained, they say, "Oh, this person has bronchitis. They have a cough. So we want to give them an expectorant." And the expectorant category herbs are just, those that support the cough reflex and are typically used to treat respiratory tract type infections. And in that whole category. So you go to your herb book and you look up expectorants and in that category, and I might list herbs that maybe you all don't use there in Australia, but here in North America, you might see herbs like Lobelia, and Osha, and Lomatia, wild cherry and Coltsfoot and licorice, and marshmallow and pleurisy root and Elecampane. These are all herbs under the expectorant category. And someone might just say, "Okay, we'll just pick some expectorants because these are all herbs that are good for a cough, right?"   Sajah Popham: (32:43) But if you look at that list, you see marshmallow root right next to Lobelia right next to something like Elecampane. These are three very different types of expectorants. If you give the marshmallow root to the person with a cold damp cough, it's going to make it worse because marshmallow is a very moistening demulcent type remedy. If you give it to the person with the hot, dry cough, they're going to love you forever because it's going to soothe and cool, everything down and moisten the dried mucus membrane, and really feel very supportive for them. Conversely, if you give the Elecampane to someone with the hot, dry cough, it's going to be very aggravating because Elecampane has these pungent hot oils and resins that are very stimulating and can be very irritating to someone with too much heat and too much dryness in the respiratory tract. But to give it to them with the cold damp cough, and it's going to help loosen up all that phlegm, it's going to make the cough more productive, it's going to stimulate the bronchial tree and the mucosal membranes to clear all of that damp stagnation out of the tissues.   Sajah Popham: (33:58) I like to mention that because there's deeper layers of specificity with herbal medicines. And I think it's very important to match the herbs to the person. And this is where we start to run into some problems where they say, "Oh, this herb is good for this condition." That's what can lead to herbs, maybe being used haphazardly, herbs, as you said, that might actually lead to further imbalance if it's not suitable for that person's constitution. And that's where, to me, this integration of herbal energetics is super critical if we're going to practise holistic herbal medicine. And really it's like... The energetics was practised in Western herbal medicine all the way up to the early 1900s.   Sajah Popham: (34:56) It's really over the last 100 years or so that we see as this biomedical model has come into place. As we focus more on constituents, as we focus more on the chemistry and such, I think we've lost touch with some of these traditional models of looking at herbs. And I'm all about both. I'm not trying to bash the science in any ways. I think that's all great, super useful, and we know more about some herbal medicines than we have ever before and how they work. It's great stuff, but I don't think we have to throw away thousands of years of accumulated knowledge.   Mason: (35:38) I hear you on that one. And I already am looking at the name of your company, Organic Unity, I mean, having a unity spec there in the middle, I love it because you find an integrated model. I mean, there's a lot of people talking about integration which is amazing. And I like looking at that more and more because it gives me... For me, it gives me something to attune to, and I can really... When I get into my envisioning of my dreaming of where I'm moving towards an integrated model, I just see. As you were saying, because growing up, I know how much looking at constituents and looking at the chemistry of say in this example of a herb, how useful it is.   Mason: (36:17) And in fact rather than... Because what I did for a while there is I kicked back completely against like a modern medical or modern scientific model just because I'm just like, "It's the devil. I don't want to be identified with it in any way." And so I tried to kick back and identify being someone who doesn't identify with the modern science and medical system, which was just a mess, rather than being a nice, calm, centred person who was just like, "I'm just going to contemplate where this has led me in for me." As you were saying, we can understand so much of what herbs are doing within the body chemically. That can be a catalyst for me in considering deeper and more subtle energetic actions that the herb has within different layers of the body. Have you experienced that dance between those two polars?   Sajah Popham: (37:23) In terms of the chemistry and the more subtle properties?   Mason: (37:28) Yeah.   Sajah Popham: (37:30) Yeah, absolutely. For me, because I was predominantly initially trained in the scientific model, the last number of years for me has been becoming more aware of that connection between really learning the herb from the herb itself, even just through tasting it. One thing I like to talk about is we can understand an herb really almost all the way through simply by tasting it and by understanding what happens through the different properties of those tastes. So for example, you taste something that's very pungent and spicy and hot that typically will stimulate digestive secretions, have a carminative action, typically stimulate circulation of the blood. Oftentimes they're very warming, energetically, oftentimes drying energetically versus you taste something very bitter that typically indicates that it's gonna act upon the liver and gallbladder, it's going to have a cooling drying, energetic action, typically draws the vital force down and in oftentimes have antiseptic properties.   Sajah Popham: (38:46) So we can really just through tasting the herbs, understanding the complexity of their tastes through being sensitive to our bodies, being able to be aware of our organ systems and how they're changing, being aware of even our mind and our emotions. For me, it's like when I take a herb, I really do my best to just be very aware of what's going on inside of the wholeness of my being. I really want to feel and understand how that plant is influencing the totality of who I am. And there was another thing that you mentioned there that I really appreciate. I feel like it can be so easy to really go against the modern medical paradigm and be like, "Well, screw those guys. They're poisoning everyone. I don't have any need for it." And I totally resonate with that. That's where I was too in my early 20s. I was just like, "Screw the system. I don't need any doctors or anything like that. I just need my herbs and I'm all good."   Sajah Popham: (39:58) And boy that really came back to me and bit me, because I got very sick in my early 20s with Lyme's disease and got faced with the decision of, "Okay, well, we caught it early. You can take some antibiotics and probably take care of this and clear it and not have Lymes disease." Or I could be very rigid in my paradigm and say, "Well, the hell with that. I'm just going to use my herbs, but potentially have Lyme's disease for the rest of my life."And then that was the moment where I realised that Western medicine does have its place because I took the antibiotics and you know what? They healed me. And that was a really big eye-opening experience for me and realising that do not be too extreme... Just for myself personally, I know this isn't for everyone, but for myself, I realised, I need to be able to see where things have their place and not to be too extreme, which I do have a tendency to be sometimes.   Sajah Popham: (41:03) So that was a really good learning experience for me to actually be healed by those pills that I was so against for so long. And of course for me, I'm predominantly working with the herbs for health maintenance and things like that. But I do feel that in those extreme situations, that Western medicine can be miraculous.   Mason: (41:25) That's so interesting. That's exactly the same thing that happened to me late last year. I had the dregs of my "fuck the system" really hanging on tight. And we were a month away roughly from due date of having our baby. And I went down with this tick, same thing and I went, "That's okay. Get on my herbs. I'll get on everything hard and I'll be fine." And after 10 days I'd had one up period where I was like, "Yeah, I think I'm getting this, I'm getting through this" and then smashed on my back and then had to... I sat there for a whole day meditating on it going, "Do you really want to mess with..." And everyone just saying as well, everyone would just stop the back of a couple of Lyme disease podcasts.   Mason: (42:19) So everyone is right up on that now, which is nice to everyone can be in on that conversation of hearing what these of symptoms are and what you're looking down the barrel of. If you too proud to realise that, "Hey, maybe something like doxycycline or whatever it is does have a place to come in." And it could be really... It's interesting because going into an extreme isn't in any sense, whether it's an extreme naturalist or extremist in terms of herbalism, where for me, I'm losing sight of usefulness of other areas of expertise or other people's passions. It really took me far off balance. So man, I'm with you 100% exact same experience in two days, all symptoms were gone. And then I didn't take my finger off the pulse as I'm sure you've probably gone about quite a solid cleanup mission after that, I'm sure.   Sajah Popham: (43:10) Yeah. So I would say about two years, it took me to get my digestive system back in balance. Because I was on doxycycline for about six weeks straight. And a boy that really rocked me for sure, but, I'm very grateful to it because I haven't been sick with Lyme disease since then.   Mason: (43:34) I found it really interesting because even I was on doxy for three and a bit weeks. Came off that little bit early because I felt that was just for me, I really felt that that was appropriate and it was the time to do that. However, even I was looking into doxy before I took it and saying that it's one of these antibiotics that if there's any there are degrees of severity in which they wipe out the bacteria. But that even it's like a quick uptake in the small intestine. And even then they're like compared to others which get down deep and annihilate the bacterial colonies. Even then I've definitely experienced a setback, but in saying, you've had to spend two years really repollinating. It's amazing appreciation for the use of poison as medicine and that comes up in herbalism as well, right?   Sajah Popham: (44:33) Oh, absolutely. I mean, that's actually a pretty big premise of alchemy. The AHS said that the most powerful poisons in the world are also the most powerful medicines and the difference is in dosage and in preparation. So that's the one thing you see in more of the mineral and metallic works in alchemy that they will work with some of the most powerful poisons: mercury, antimony. And there are certain ways of preparing those poisons to make them into a medicine. And they say, like my teacher in alchemy, a man named Robert Bartlett. He makes a medicine from antimony called the Oil of Antimony. And he's seen that cure everything from cancer to all sorts of very serious sicknesses. And in alchemy they say, "The higher you climb the rungs of the ladder in alchemical works, the less medicines you need." And they say that you get to that point of creating what they call the universal medicines, that one medicine that will cure all things. And that's the way that they talk about the Oil of Antimony, but boy you prepare it wrong it's real toxic.   Mason: (45:53) Just one thing I don't want to leave the interview without talking to you about is this concept... East West medicine is beautifully ensconced, wouldn't you say in the herbal and the herbal scene with a lot of integrated doctors and a lot of allopathic doctors even taking on Eastern principles into their clinic. I don't know if you'd say that same thing, but do you agree that it's like getting some are getting more and more momentum?   Sajah Popham: (46:20) Yeah, absolutely. I think the concept of integrative medicine, bringing in... I think it really started with Chinese medicine really coming to the West and acupuncture becoming much more accepted. I think it's our generation now seeing Ayurvedic medicine becoming much more popularised, much more accepted, much more integrated. I absolutely see the Eastern and Western systems of medicine coming together. And that for me is a really beautiful thing because to me, it's like for me in my plant path, I've always been most interested in the universal principles. So whenever I'm studying I want to see what are the things that pop up all across the world that have withstood the test of time, so to speak? It's like if we see a principle in Ayurvedic medicine, that's also in Chinese medicine system, that's also in Greek medicine, that's also an Arabic medicine, that is also mentioned by Samuel Thompson in North America, that is also mentioned by an herbalist in the Amazon rainforest. It's like, okay, all these people are saying pretty much the same thing, there's got to be something to it. And so for me, that's always been my approach and why I really appreciate integrating these models is because it gives us new perspectives and it gives us a well-rounded understanding and really gives us those universal truths and principles of healing and rejuvenation about plants as well.   Mason: (48:22) And then for you, where did the North South aspect of herbalism and lifestyle come into play?   Sajah Popham: (48:33) Yeah, well, for me yeah. I was first introduced to the concept of what Michael Tierra calls Planetary Herbology, which is integrating Chinese and Ayurvedic principles into basically classifying Western herbal medicines in a similar way to the way they would in Ayurvedic medicine or in Chinese medicine, which is great. That's been a major foundation for how I work with plants. But as I was saying earlier, for me, there was always this spiritual connection to the plants. There was always a relationship to the plant itself that was very important to me. And one of the things that I've noticed in travelling both through North America and South America and have been very blessed with the opportunity to work with first nations people in both North and South America, is that I saw that the foundation of their whole model of herbal medicine for the healers themselves was based on their relationship with the plants.   Sajah Popham: (49:48) And they said, "Anytime you want to use an herbal medicine, you need to have a relationship with that plant. You need to know that plant and that plant needs to know you." And so for me, the integration of East and West is incredible. And I think it gives us an amazing model for clinical practise. I think it gives us an incredible means for understanding people in more depth and how to effectively formulate and administer herbal medicines to people. But the North and South piece for me is really the foundation of all of it because it's that direct relationship, it's that direct knowing with the plants themselves that really is the foundation of herbal medicine. I always say it's like we can think back to the first human beings ever to exist on planet earth and think of who was the first teacher of herbal medicine?   Sajah Popham: (50:54) Well, it was the plants themselves. And that's something that I really want to come back to in my own work. And I really see that in a big way in the herbal medicine world is people don't want to just learn them from a book. People want to touch it and taste it and see it and sit with it. And they want to have a vision with it. They want to have a dream with it. They want to have this deeper connection, this deeper relationship to the plants. And to me, that's what the plant path is all about. It's like as an herbalist, it's like we're moving through our road of life. And as we go through our own challenges, our own sickness, our own difficulties on this road of life, different plants will make themselves known to us. And as we learn those plants, we make a good relation with that plant.   Sajah Popham: (51:48) It's almost like that plant becomes a part of who we are and we carry that plant inside of us. And it is so much more than just a plant. It's like our friend. It's our ally, it's our guide. It's our protector. It's something that we turn to in our time of need. And when someone else comes to us and ask for that help, it's like the plants have authorised us in a way to use them to help these people. So to me, the North and South model is a little bit more of a spiritual... I would say a little bit more of a spiritual perspective on herbal medicine that is really rooted in learning about the plants from the plants themselves and having a very good spiritual connection to them and having good relations with them.   Sajah Popham: (52:39) I remember when I was in the Amazon the last time I was on a plant walk with an herbalist and there's all these plants, we're in the Amazon, right? So it's all these plants and I'm so shocked to finally be seeing them. And I would be asking them a lot of questions like, "Oh, this plant how do you work with it? And what it tastes like? And what's it spirit like?" And I was asking them all these questions and he would always say, "Oh." Basically they would never answer my questions. They would just say, "Oh, you just need to die at that plant." And what they mean when they say you need to die at that plant is basically, you need to take a period of time in isolation and really restrict certain foods from your diet, basically eat a very bland diet and just ingest that plant for a prolonged period of time so that you are building that relationship and that connection and really getting to know that plant from the inside out. And they say that's how you learn in herbal medicine.   Sajah Popham: (53:53) They say, "If I tell you, it's not going to have as much power as compared to the plant telling you itself." And they'd say that the way you work with plants built up that way, there's something different about it. There's more power behind it. And that's where we really see these miraculous healings happen through the plants, so where people use a plant in a way that no one else uses it and it works for them. But if someone else was trying to do it, it may not work for them because they don't have that level of connection. So it's the North and South piece of it is... To me, it's a little bit of a more spiritual take on herbal medicine. That certainly is not for everyone, but I think for anyone that is serious about practising herbalism, I think just getting down to the simple piece of it. It's just important to have that good connection and relationship to the plants that you use. I'd rather know 20 plants really well, and have a very deep, good connection with them than know 200 plants superficially.   Mason: (55:11) Oh, beautiful man. I really heard you on that one, 100%. If people want to tune with you, you've got evolutionary herbalism there in Southern Oregon. Is that website the best way for people to find out about that?   Sajah Popham: (55:26) Yeah. You can go to evolutionaryherbalism.com. I've got my blog on there with lots of free videos and we do some more in-depth, free mini courses that are available there. All of our programmes are available online, so it's all distance learning format. And then we do have live workshops that go alongside with some of those programmes as well. And just started our own podcast this year called The Plant Path.   Mason: (55:53) Oh cool.   Sajah Popham: (55:54) So be sure to check that out to you and then our spagyric herbal extracts you can check that out at organic-unity.com.   Mason: (56:06) Man. I love it. Thanks so much for coming on today. I really enjoyed it and I've really got a lot out of it.   Sajah Popham: (56:12) Thank you very much. I really appreciate you inviting me on and then maybe we can do it again sometime.   Mason: (56:17) Beautiful. Peace man.   Sajah Popham: (56:18) All right. You take care.

Who is this elegant beast… It is Elecampane! With the reliable and steadfast loyal vibe of the Knight of pentacles to help us progress and get things done this week! Know that we are on the right path and we are in tune with mother earth and that is how we strengthen and heal ourselves. Teach your wisdom through your actions. Create the vision and follow it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/herboracle/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/herboracle/support

Knight of Pentacles! Let’s go on a journey together and expand our view of herbs with The Herbal Tarot by Michael Tierra.  You can purchase the deck & book together: planetherbs.com/shop/herbal-tarot-deck-spirit-of-herbs-companion-book-set/  And remember to become a patron of Herbal Marie today to really help this herbal podcast grow! www.patreon.com/herbalmarie  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/herbalmarie/message

Hello! We have a podcast for you. We talk about the plant that made creamy icecream possible, awesome plant scientists from Ethiopia and stone cold birds.

Welcome to Episode Twenty-Six of Lucretius Today. I am your host Cassius, and together with my panelists from the EpicureanFriends.com forum, we'll walk you through the six books of Lucretius' poem, and discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. Be aware that none of us are professional philosophers, and everyone here is a self-taught Epicurean. We encourage you to study Epicurus for yourself, and we suggest the best place to start is the book, "Epicurus and His Philosophy" by Canadian professor Norman DeWitt. Before we start, here are three ground rules.First: Our aim is to bring you an accurate presentation of classical Epicurean philosophy as the ancient Epicureans understood it, which may or may not agree with what you here about Epicurus at other places today.Second: We aren't talking about Lucretius with the goal of promoting any modern political perspective. Epicurus must be understood on his own, and not in terms of competitive schools which may seem similar to Epicurus, but are fundamentally different and incompatible, such as Stoicism, Humanism, Buddhism, Taoism, Atheism, and Marxism.Third: The essential base of Epicurean philosophy is a fundamental view of the nature of the universe. When you read the words of Lucretius you will find that Epicurus did not teach the pursuit of virtue or of luxury or of simple living as ends in themselves, but rather the pursuit of pleasure. From this perspective it is feeling which is the guide to life, and not supernatural gods, idealism, or virtue ethics. And as important as anything else, Epicurus taught that there is no life after death, and that any happiness we will ever have must come in THIS life, which is why it is so important not to waste time in confusion.Now let's join the discussion with today's text:Now learn at length the form of these first seeds, these principles of things, how widely different is their shape, of what variety of figure their frame consists. For though many are endowed with a form not much alike, yet all are far from being of the same figure. And no wonder, for since (as I have said) their number is so great that no end, no bound is to be set to them; they ought, for the same reason, to be all of a different contexture, and not fashioned alike of the same form.Besides, consider well mankind, the scaly fry of silent fish that swim the flood, the verdant trees, wild beasts, the various kinds of birds, such as flock about the banks of pleasant streams, the fountains and the lakes and those who frequent the thick covers of the woods; consider all these in their several kinds, and you will find them all consist of forms different among themselves. 'Tis by nothing else the tender young knows its own Dam, and thus the Dam distinguishes her young, thus we see each creature knows its own kind, no less than men, and so unite together. For often before the gilded temples of the gods a young heifer falls a slain victim beside the alter flaming with incense, and breathes from her heart a reeking stream of blood. The Dam, robbed of her young, beats over the fields and leaves the marks of her divided hoofs upon the pressed grass, and searches every place with careful eyes to find her the young she lost; then stops and fills the branched woods with her complaints, and often returns back to her stall, distracted with the love of her dear young - no more the tender willows, or the herbs freshened with dew, nor can the running streams within the full banks divert her mind, or turn away her care, nor can a thousand other heifers, as they play wantonly over the grass, take off her eye, or ease the pain she feels - so plain it is that she searches for her own, for what she knows full well. And thus the tender kids find by their bleat their horned Dams, and so the sporting lambs know their own flocks, and, as by Nature taught, each hastest to the full dug of its own Dam.Observe again the various sorts of corn, you'll find each grain, though in kind of the same, not so much alike; but there will be a difference in their figure; and so a great variety of shells, we see, paints the Earth's lap, where the Seas gentle waves feed the most sand along the winding Shore. And thus, by parity of reason, it must follow that the first seeds of things, as they are formed by Nature, not made by Art in any certain figure, must fly about in shapes various and different among themselves.It is easy for us now to unfold the difficulty why the flame of lightning is much more penetrating than our common fire race from fuel here below. You may give this reason, that the subtle Celestial fire of lightning consist of particles much smaller, and so passes through pores, which are fire, made from toe or wood, cannot.Besides, Light, we perceive, finds a way through horn, but water does not; because the principles of light are smaller than those of which water is composed. So we see wine passes swiftly through a strainer; on the contrary, heavy oil moves slowly through, either because it is made up of larger seeds, or its principles are more hooked and entangled among themselves. And thus it happens that the several particles cannot be so soon separated from one another so as to flow through the little holes with the same ease. Thus it is that honey and milk pass in the mouth with a pleasing sensation over the tongue; on the contrary, the bitter juice of wormwood and sharp Centaury torment the palate with a loathsome taste. From whence you collect easily that those things which agreeably affect the sense are composed of particles smooth and round; and such again that seem rough and bitter are bound together by parts more hooked, and closer twined; and therefore they tear the way to our senses, and wound the body as they enter through the skin. In short, such things as are agreeable to our senses, and those that are rough and unpleasant to the touch, are opposite, and formed of a figure very different from one another; lest you should think perhaps that the grating sound of the whetting of a saw was made of parts equally smooth, without the soft notes of a lute, which the musician forms upon the strings, awaked, as it were, by the gentle strokes of his fingers.Nor are you to suppose that the seeds are of the same form which strike upon our nerves of smell, when a filthy carcass is burning, or when the stage is fresh sprinkled with Cilician saffron, or the altar sweetens the air with the odor of Arabian incense.And so in colors you must not imagine such as are agreeable and delight our eyes are composed of the same fashioned seeds with those which prick our sense, and force us to weep, or seem dark or ugly, and shocking in appearance to us; for whatever pleases and delights our senses cannot be composed but of smooth particles; and, on the contrary, things that are hurtful and harsh cannot be formed without seeds that are filthy and disagreeable.There are other seeds, likewise, which you cannot properly call smooth, nor are altogether hooked, with their points bent, but are rather shaped with small ankles, a little jutting out, and may be sad rather to tickle than to hurt the senses; such as the acid taste of the sweet sauce made of the Lees of wine, or the sweet sauce made of the sweetish-bitter root of Elecampane. Lastly, that burning heat, or freezing cold, being formed of seeds of different figures, do affect the body with different sensation our touch is evidence sufficient to evince.For Touch, the Touch (blessed be the Gods above!) is a Sense of the Body, either when something from without enters through the pores, or something from within hurts us, as it forces its way out, or pleases, as the effect of venery tickles as it passes through, or when the seeds, by striking against each other, raise a tumult in the body, and in that agitation confound the Sense; and this you may soon experience, if you strike yourself in any part with a blow of your hand. It is necessary, therefore, that the Principles of Things should consist of figures very different in themselves, since they affect the Senses in so different a manner.

Dans cet épisode je m’entretiens avec Morgane et Nicolas, deux représentants des Concrete Knives, un groupe indé comptant 6 musiciens, qui s’est formé il y a plus de 10 ans en Normandie. Morgane est la chanteuse de ce groupe, Nicolas est guitariste et aussi l’auteur de la majorité des textes et compositions. En février 2018, les Concrete Knives ont sorti leur deuxième album « Our Hearts », paru sous le label Vietnam. Cet album longuement muri et peaufiné arrive plus de 5 ans après leur premier opus « Be Your Own King » qui les a alors entrainé dans le fou tourbillon du succès. Durant ces 5 années ils ont grandi, ont eu des enfants pour certains, menés des projets musicaux personnels comme Elecampane pour Nicolas, Augustin et Guillaume, Samba de la Muerte pour Adrien, Faroe pour Corentin. Les 6 amis se sont enfin retrouvés pour notre plus grand plaisir. C’est en juin dernier que je rencontre Nicolas et Morgane dans les loges de la salle de la Maroquinerie à Paris, juste avant leur concert. Pour en savoir plus https://www.concreteknives.com Extraits diffusés : - Brand New Start (à 1:32) - Babies (à 12:04) - Sometimes (à 17:50) Musique générique : The Pool - Portier Dean Enregistrement et montage : Alexandra Lebrethon Production : Alexandra Lebrethon et Jean-Patrick Labouyrie © onlike.net

This monograph on Elecampane is the audio from the Elecampane video in their Holistic Herbalism Materia Medica course, an online exploration of more than 85 keystone herbal allies. This course is part of the Herbalism 101 program, which includes not just Materia Medica, but also detailed video lessons on how to make each type of herbal remedy in the Herbal Medicine Making course.  When you enroll in the program, you get access to 40 hours of video covering more than 85 plants, and 18 hours of video demonstrating each type of herbal medicine making, plus supporting materials, feedback on your homework, and direct access to Ryn and Katja in the integrated discussion forum. You can watch it anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection! LEARN MORE Herbal Medicine for Beginners is your everyday reference for common ailments using 35 popular herbs. You don’t need to buy hundreds of hard-to-find herbs to start your journey with herbal medicine. Herbal Medicine for Beginners shows you how to use a few important herbs to promote the body’s ability to fight infection and heal naturally. Herbal Medicine for Beginners shows herbalists-in-training how to use a limited number of versatile, medicinal herbs to craft herbal remedies for common ailments. From allergies to fevers to headaches, beginners will gain the essential knowledge they need to blossom into natural healers and practice herbal medicine. Katja and Ryn are a husband and wife team of clinical herbalists who founded the CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism in Boston, MA. They offer consultations and classes for herbalists from beginners to professional training.  Thank you for listening! Please share with an herbalist friend if you're loving the HerbRally Podcast. Or give us a shout-out on Instagram. We truly appreciate all of the love

Podcast Episode 070 - Elecampane Root   Ever heard of elecampane? Yeah, my guess is no! But thats okay, because I hadn't heard f it either. (Kinda the reason why I started this podast in the first place...to learn about herbs.) This striking plant grows 4-5 feet tall that looks like a cross between a dandelion and a sunflower...but in tuth I can see in the not so distant future that one elecampane will become a household name. Listen to today's podcast, and find out why you might want to give this weeks herbs a honest try.   Please remember to Subscribe, Rate & Review! To leave a comment, or feedback, leave a message at 404-828-0051

Belle Benfield shares with us her deep rooted connection with Elecampane. She became a herbalist after years of studying on an apprenticeship with Karen and Fi from Sensory Solutions and now works side by side with them. Elecampane is a root which is harvested in Autumn. I have grown this herb and candied it in the past for coughs but Belle raised other uses with me. Such as, it's amazing ability to kill MRSA! She also spoke about its associations with Helen of Troy and... Amparo's website:  www.bellebenfield.com  Sensory Solutions' website: www.sensorysolutions.co.uk Belle's seed pilgrimmage: https://seedpilgrimage.wordpress.com/

Elecampane What’s it good for? • How to use Elecampane