When I realized the Natural Medicine community was coming to an end I felt a bit lost here on Hive. Natural Medicine has been my home. Actually, I have hardly posted anything outside of the Natural Medicine community, and I felt so welcomed there right from the beginning.
But change is a constant part of life and it sure is easier if we can fully embrace change, also when we didn't wish for it. Everything happens for a reason and it's an opportunity to learn new things and have new experiences. And I'm so happy @riverflows took the initiative.
I don't know much about herbs. But I feel inspired to learn more. I'm all about natural healing. I guess I just see herbalism as a vast topic and I easily feel a bit overwhelmed and don't know where to start. And to be honest, I don't really have much patience to go out and collect herbs and then wait for them to dry. I guess I would make more of an effort if I didn't live in a big city and if I had more space at home. But I'm very much looking forward to everything I'll learn here. After all, I feel a lot of things will change for me in a not-so-distant future and I'll not live so cut off from nature in my daily life forever.
Also, I grew up learning a lot about plants (and birds). My father had studied botany and he was very knowledgeable about plants (among a lot of other things). I know I have so much inside of me from my early years. I just don't really remember so much...sometimes I think I knew more as a child than I know now 🙂
I wanted to contribute to the first ENGAGEMENT challenge for The Herbal HIVE. It clearly stated that you didn't have to know anything about the herb so I feel free to participate 🙂 I know a bit about St John's Wort though but I don't think I have ever tried it as a treatment.
One memory I have is that it can weaken the effects of antidepressants. I remember I read that on the Patient Information Leaflet of the antidepressants I took many years ago. And I remember thinking
That's interesting. I guess St John's Wort must be potent.
It just didn't occur to me at the time to ditch the antidepressants and try a natural alternative instead. But this is actually a good reminder. Because nowadays I wouldn't take antidepressants (I also didn't have a good experience with them) but why not actually try St Johns Wort? Even though my mental health has improved a lot since I took antidepressants I still experience anxiety and rather 'dark' days sometimes.
One more thing I know about St John's Wort is that it grows wild in Sweden. Actually, last summer I went to a tantric retreat and the facilitator happened to also know quite a bit about wild herbs. She took us on a herb walk and I was truly amazed at the abundance. There were so many herbs all around us, we literally stumbled upon different ones with every step. And it was just a few of them that I actually was familiar with. I felt a bit embarrassed. St John's Wort was one of them. I wouldn't feel confident picking this plant myself though as I have understood it can easily be confused with other plants.
One thing I read and found interesting is that according to atozflowers.com St John's Wort 'was traditionally gathered and burned on midsummer’s eve (June 23), as a protection against evil spirits. This date was later christianized as the eve of the feast day of St. John the Baptist. The term “wort” refers to the old English name for herb or plant'.
And according to holisticprimarycare.net 'no herb has as strong an association with the summer solstice as Saint John’s wort. Its bright yellow five-petaled flowers were thought to embody the essence of the summer sun itself'.
I find that to be so beautiful. I have a special connection to the summer solstice and Midsummer since my birthday is just the day after the summer solstice. Even though that quite often coincides with the big Midsummer holiday here in Sweden (which is always on a Friday so not always on the actual summer solstice) I'm happy to have been born in that energy. My dad also told me once that he was so happy when I was born. He ran out onto the fields and picked a large bouquet of meadow buttercups (and other wildflowers) for my mom. I know, that's not St John's Wort but it's at least another yellow plant 🙂.
I realize that I start to think about my dad a lot as I'm writing this post. That feels good.
Thanks for reading 🌸
Love and blessings to you all 💚
