7Song Biography

My name is 7Song and I have been studying plants, human health, and herbal medicine for over 40 years. My interest in the world around me started as a youngster with a fascination for things natural, beginning with astronomy, moving into herpetology, and later into plants and medicine. And all of this in the suburbs of Long Island, New York.

In my twenties, I began studying herbal medicine more thoroughly, including botany (an abiding love here), plants as medicine, physiology, medicine making, wildcrafting, clinical work, and the like. Herbal medicine seems like a good marriage of wanting to help people and have time foraging in nature.

I have been deeply involved in herbal medicine since 1981, when I went to my first herb school, The Platonic Academy of Herbal Studies (yes, that’s its real name), in Santa Cruz, California. Later, I went to the California School of Herbal Studies (1983) and, later still, the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine (SWSBM) (1994 and 1995) with Michael Moore in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I also taught botany at SWSBM and spent a lot of time studying desert plants and eating Tex-Mex.  

Along the way, I went to as many herbal conferences as possible (sliding my way in through work exchange in the early years). There, I would listen to the guest herbalists’ experiences, opinions, and teaching styles and gain valuable insights as I entered ever deeper into the herbal domain.

 

One of the many reasons I have been involved in herbal medicine for all these years is the teachers, students, peers, and friends I have met in the herb world. Many of these open-minded, generous, and caring people are now my friends and community.

The plants are one of my favorite aspects of herbal medicine. Spending time traveling and meeting new plants is one of the great parts of being an herbalist. Seeing and gathering the plants we use as medicine makes herbalism unique. It offers a direct and ancient relationship we have with our medicine. Plants are beautiful down to their anthers and rootlets.

None of this takes away from the important medical advances of our era. I often work with conventional medical practitioners (MDs, nurses, etc) and appreciate their knowledge and suggestions. While the ‘medical institution’ is a thing of worry, many of the pharmaceuticals and other interventions are marvels when administered appropriately.

 

I teach at many schools and conferences throughout the United States and abroad, which gives me the opportunity to see the varied ways that herbal knowledge is passed on. I am honored to be a part of passing this information along.

I see being an herbalist as a way to encourage community and change some of the status quo, especially some of the ways medicine is currently practiced. As herbalists, we can promote patient autonomy and be bridges between conventional and less conventional (holistic, traditional) medicine. As herbalists, we can be a boon to our communities, whether just among our friends, our locality, or wherever we are and whoever we are talking to. Knowing that we can help ourselves and those around us with at least some of our physical and mental tribulations can increase our confidence and help us be an asset to our communities. And this is knowledge and skills we can pass on freely.

Over the past 20 years, photographing plants and other aspects of nature has

become a favored pastime (much to the consternation of those taking walking with me). I am also a self-taught botanist, and I enjoy keying out plants. My favorite type of vacation is going somewhere new that has a technical flora to all the local plants and then learning their identities and photographing them. I may also wildcraft (gather) medicinal plants if there is an abundance.

I am also a wanna-be naturalist and enjoy learning about many aspects of the natural and human-made world.

As an herbalist (and human), science and clinical experience are my lenses into herbal medicine and health care.

While I have learned a lot since 1981, it feels like just the tip of understanding plants as medicine and the intricacies of human health.

Herbal First Aid and Street Medicine

An important area of study and practice for me is herbal first aid. I have worked at numerous first aid stations for over 40 years, often in off-the-grid locations. In these situations, occasionally alongside medical staff, I have learned evaluation skills and the treatment of acute injuries and illnesses such as food poisoning and staph infections.

I also attend events as an herbal street medic, either working in the street or in a nearby clinic. I feel it is vital to support people trying to bring about change.

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

I am the primary teacher and director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine, which I started in 1992. I greatly value teaching; it allows me the opportunity to pass on the herbal information that I have gleaned over the years. And a chance to share my passion for plants, herbal medicine, and patient care. It is also a learning experience as new people continually enter my life with their experiences and knowledge. It is a pleasure to see people start to wrap their minds and hands around the intricacies of herbal medicine. I am appreciative to be a part of their path. Organizing and teaching inquisitive minds is an excellent way to increase one’s own knowledge.

Ithaca Free Clinic

I am one of the founders and a clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic, where I am also the director of holistic medicine. My work there has been a cornerstone of my understanding of clinical herbal medicine. I have been a part of the clinic since its inception in 2005. It is an integrated clinic offering both conventional and holistic medicine. Consultations with all health providers are free. And the herbal medicine provided by the herbalist (myself) is also free. The clinic continues to be an invaluable learning experience for me and an asset to our community and beyond.

 

The Herbal Database

I am the curator of this herbal database. All of the information is written by me, though I am indebted to all those whom I have learned from, directly or indirectly. This has been my slow-burning project since the winter of 2021. And I suppose it will be something I will be doing for many years to come.