Introduction

LEARNING ABOUT HERBS felt to me like remembering something from long ago. Everything I read made sense both logically and intuitively. Although I grew up loving science, it was always something I had to work hard to fully comprehend. This was different. The information flowed in and miraculously stayed. Not only that, I could access it whenever I needed it. It was a love affair of sorts—and one I’ve held in wonder. I hesitate to use the word magic, but to me that is what herbal medicine manifests. Once I opened my herb shop and began to teach about herbs, I noticed the same thing was happening with my students. I call it the herbal awakening. I start each new herb class by asking students what brought them to it. Most want to help themselves and others, and using herbs just makes sense to them.

If you go to any herb conference, women will most likely surround you. Many men have also embraced herbal studies of course, but women seem to have a strong calling to it. Even though women have historically been restricted from training at the schools of medicines, they have always been the lifeblood of the home, farm, and community. Knowing that yarrow flower tea could be used to break a fever, for example, or that wormwood would dispel worms from the body was imperative to survival. In fact, herbs were so important in many circles that they were viewed as sacred, and only an indoctrinated priestess could gather them. When you’re out in the woods, away from it all, it is easy to visualize that beautiful blend of gathering healing plants and ritual, and that era doesn’t seem far away.

There are countless books on the history and usage of herbs in various cultures. Much of the information they contain is still relevant today or can be easily modernized. It has led to the creation of pharmacognosy, the branch of knowledge concerned with medicinal drugs obtained from plants or other natural resources. Today, we can all give thanks to healing plants and the scientists that study them. Many of our modern life-saving medications originated from them. The key to consider here, though, is that herbs, in their natural state, still work. Although science has expanded by leaps and bounds, discarding the use of herbs in their whole form is shortsighted. Having a well-rounded education in both modern and traditional medicine creates a treasure trove of options.

It can be difficult to stand up for what we believe in, whether it is how we choose to care for ourselves or against any type of injustice. Finding communities to support us can be hard. Our society’s view of women, for example, needs to be reshaped.

Addressing discrimination effectively has proven challenging and is often met with judgment. But strengthening and unifying our female communities through self-acceptance is one way to shift the current paradigm. That is what this book is all about: teaching you about your body, showing you how to care for it naturally, and encouraging you to know yourself inside and out. When we do this, our power increases. Your decisions are driven by who you really are, not by what society expects you to be or do. Your self-worth is a measurement you create while striving to be the best you can be without allowing others to weigh in. When we view ourselves as worthy, we afford others the same respect. When we view ourselves as worthy, great things can happen, and we can allow ourselves to be seen and shared with the world.

The Woman’s Herbal Apothecary teaches the foundations of herbal medicine and women’s health. The words women and woman are not intended to limit those lessons to those who have an anatomical uterus. I use these words to impart feminine energy, power, and healing to anyone who wishes them. If you are looking for herbal guidance and have an anatomical uterus, but you don’t relate to the word woman, you can still use this information to care for your physical body. I honor my womanhood and balanced masculinity and femininity, so this book is written from that perspective, but I do not intend to exclude anyone from the healing wisdom of herbs with the language I use.

This book will guide you through the years of your life, offering insights and self-care all along the way. I’ve also included pearls of health so that you can fully understand how the female physical body works and functions. The more we know, the more empowered we are and the less room there is for fear, shock, or bewilderment when our body starts to act in a new way. It is my hope that the information contained within these pages will empower you in a multitude of ways. Perhaps it will unlock the passions of herbal medicine or provide you with the support you need to honor all of your glorious body. At the very least, it should give you plenty of context to know your body better and to support it from day to day.