TheBanyanTree: Herbal Medicine

[Russ Doden]

I had to smile at Tobies description of Chinese medicine.  Not laugh 
at her, but sit and nod my head going, yup, been there, know what 
she is talking about.  I am now a firm believer in herbs, but she is 
really spot on about the taste sometimes.  Some things are just so. . 
. so gross that it is all you can do to get it to go down.  Then the 
magic happens - and it works its magic on my body.  

I had an old indian (feather, not dot) medicine woman I used to talk 
to and she often gave me herbs to take.  A few years ago I was 
feeling kind of crappy in general and I bumped into her in town - just 
a chance meeting at a shop I used to hang out in before it closed 
down.  I didn't feel bad enough go see her yet, but I knew I was "off 
my game" as it were.  She just looked at me and told me that I wasn't 
taking care of my self.  Then she said "you will hate me again, but 
you  need to use the rest of the stuff I  gave you a while back, and 
add some raspberry leaf to it."  That combination of herbs tasted like 
dirt mixed with dead fish with some bugs thrown in.  It was AWFUL.  
The raspberry leaf was the best part.  On a good day it smelled like 
old gym socks that had been left to die.  On a bad day, well, on a 
bad day I had to heat it up outside because it would stink up the 
house too much for me to handle.   

I nearly always had to argue with her to take money in payment 
when she would help me.  She took delight in working with people 
and always said she was doing what she was supposed to be doing.  
I didn't understand what she was saying until I really got involved in 
shamanism and energy work myself.  Now, I'm learning about herbs, 
and will be learning for the rest of my life it seems.  I also use 
essential oils and practice energy work.  I don't ignore modern 
medicine, it is just that for many things, the "old ways" seem to work 
just as well or better and I can afford them!

She passed away a few years ago, and a lot of us really miss her.  
Some said she was difficult and abusive with her language, but to 
me she was always kind and good.  She once told me that "it was 
too bad I didn't have any blood," meaning being born Native 
American, "or at least with some NA heritage, because I would have 
made a good Indian and she didn't like charging good indians for her 
services."  I took that as a great compliment.  

One time we were talking about being "Native American" and she 
asked me where I was born.  I told her Iowa.  She sat and nodded 
her head and said, "so you were born on Turtle Island" meaning 
North America, "I guess that makes you Native American, even if 
you aren't Indian."  She then smiled her old wrinkled smile and told 
me that if people would realize how connected we all are, there 
wouldn't be so many problems.  She said something that I read often 
now - We are all One, and what we do to others we do to ourselves.  

I still miss her, and every year on the day she passed I offer prayer 
ties, and make a smudge of sage, sweet grass, cedar and lavender.  
I add the lavender because she loved the smell of it.  I miss her 
healing almost as much as I miss her wisdom.

Peace,
Russ