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Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

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SCHOOL | 7SONG | | Blog

St. Johnswort

October 27, 2017 by 7Song

Belladonna flower
Chaga

Additional Information:

Scientific Name: Hypericum perforatum

Common Name: St. Johnswort

Family: St. Johnswort

Common Name: Hypericaceae

Locale: Myrthwood, Adirondacks

Specific Region: Cold Brook, New York

Description: Note the black gland dots

Date: August 11, 2004

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No Widgets

"Secondary" needs some widgets.

A Bit of Braggadocio Today was the last day of th

A Bit of Braggadocio
Today was the last day of the 2021 Weekend Herbal Program. I am sad to see this group of engaged people leave, but I look forward to seeing what they bring to the world.
The students gave presentations, and one discussed how she is thankful to be learning about herbal medicine.
This is the first time that I have found myself only 2 places beneath ‘the universe.’
(Google was #2, as it helped her find this school). I was also glad to be near the apprentices, Tahila, Taylor, and Amanda, who bring much to this program.
Thank you for this, Marjan,
~7Song

Tulsi night It is time tonight to make a few Tulsi

Tulsi night
It is time tonight to make a few Tulsi medicines (Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae [though there is some discrepancy on what this species really is]).

First, two big thank you’s.
A very big thank you to Sean Dembrowsky of Edible Acres for his open-ended generosity. I was able to gather enough Tulsi from his amazing permaculture landscape to hopefully supply the Ithaca Free Clinic until next year’s harvest. Also, to Amanda Abdou for helping me gather the plants
Next, another big thank you to the Community Herbalism Intensive students for all their help with preparing the plants by stripping the leaves and flower tops from the stems. It was very helpful, so thank you all again.

More Tulsi notes to follow, but first a tease
3 reasons you may want to consider Tulsi as a personal medicine
1) Every time you hear a balloon pop or a chair squeak, you jump 15 feet into the air.
2) You cannot fall asleep due to the many incoherent and chaotic thoughts and images playing out in your mind.
3) You feel like your sensorium is turned on fully all of the time.

Friends One of the things that becomes ever more a

Friends
One of the things that becomes ever more apparent to me is the value of friendship. Perhaps due to this damned pandemic, or the years moving past me like Dandelion fluff on a windy day, I find that it is the people in my life that bring me the greatest solace. Whether it is the weight of melancholy or confusion from too many bad choices, knowing that there are folks I can reach out to (even if I don’t) lifts the load and helps me to press on.
Lately, I have been writing more in this forlorn vein, but I want to say that I also feel very fortunate. There are people I care about who care about me. I have the finances to eat well, and live and sleep sheltered. And one of my greatest interests is how I support myself (I’m looking at you 25,000 species of plants).
But I often feel the desire to share life’s downsides as well. They seem universal. Just as I like to share my enthusiasm for plants and herbal medicine, I also feel spurred on to bring in some of the gloom and listen back to my fellow humans and their feelings.
You likely know this, but I work as a clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic. We do telehealth if you are ever looking for plant medicine suggestions. All consultations are free (though we do not ship medicines).
I hope each of you finds a danceable tune this evening and moves your body in whatever way brings you pleasure. ~7Song

I recently went back to Long Island to see my thre

I recently went back to Long Island to see my three siblings, which is the first time we have all been together since the pandemic started. We also began the process of deciding what each of us wants from our deceased parents’ belongings. Fortunately, there was very little conflict between the 4 of us dividing up these material goods. But now that I have some of them here with me in Ithaca, they can be difficult to be around. They unlock so many memories. This feeling is not continual, but sometimes when I stop my daily tinkering and look at a statue or memento the emotions wash over me like a heavy downpour.
This is a photo of me and my mom dancing. I don’t remember when it was taken, but I remember wearing that style of cargo pants sometime in the early 2000s.
I sure miss her. October 15, 2021.

So innocent-looking. Hello Poison ivy (Toxicodendr

So innocent-looking. Hello Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans, Anacardiaceae). Perhaps you should be called Allergic ivy since that is the nature of your dermatitis-causing oils (looking at you urushiol).
Answer me quick, can you name three other plants in the same family as Poison ivy? And which of these do not contain skin-irritating compounds

Sumac (Rhus species)
Pistachio (Pistacia vera)
Mango (Mangifera indica)
Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Pistachio and Sumac do not have skin irritating oils.

In the Northeast, there is one other Toxicodendron species, and that is Poison sumac (T. vernix). This plant is much less common and generally found in swamps, and hence humans come into contact with it less often.
And that is today’s quick know-what-plant-you-are-touching lesson. ~7Song

I like to sit alone perched high looking down I f

I like to sit alone
perched high
looking down

I find this vantage point
comforting
…reassuring

There is a lot to be taken in
birds, air, water
and the far-off distance

I sit for a long time
and my thoughts arrive
and leave just as quickly

They follow my line of sight
and descend
to the bottom of the chasm

From this distance
I can unscramble them
and learn
a new way (Pre touched-up photo by thesailorsdaughter)

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