The World of Herbal Medicine Folklore & Holistic Healing

By Carley Smith

PINE

FIR

SPRUCE

I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to this community and saying how happy I am to share what I have learned with you all amidst these pages. I hope that it will be a great help to you along your path in getting to know some of our local green friends and how to use them for greater health and wholeness! As we move into the winter season and towards Solstice, it seems fitting to speak about plants associated with this time of year, how to connect with them, and what healing they can share with us on both the physical and spiritual levels. So! Into the herbs we go! Let’ s talk about some of my favourite plant medicines of the season… The Evergreen Trees! Fir, Pine, Spruce, Hemlock, Larch, and Balsam! Many of you have likely heard about the healing benefits of Pine needles over the past couple of years as they have gained a lot of popularity for their antiviral activity, and they are no doubt a fabulous herbal ally! …. But, did you also know that you can actually use almost all of the “ needled trees ” more or less interchangeably!? This is something that I absolutely love about our forest medicines because it makes their medicine so much more accessible to us when we are in need! Being able to use them interchangeably makes it so you can use what’ s growing outside your back door instead of having to go on a trek to the top of a mountain for one specific species. It is true that of course they are not all exactly the same, but they DO share enough similar qualities to be safely and effectively used for most of the same purposes. So, if you don ’t have Pine where you live, try Douglas or Balsam Fir. Only have Spruce trees? Use those! Tamarack calling to your spirit? Fill your boots!

What do these trees do exactly, and how can we use them? Well, let’ s start out with getting to know a bit about their energetics and constitutional applications. Herbal energetics are an often overlooked but are a super important part of how plants “ work” in the body and bring about a healing effect. The energetics of all the evergreens are warming and drying. This tells us that by nature they will be most useful in conditions that are cold and wet. (Think: heavy boggy cold chest infections or fluid retention type conditions) Knowing a plant’ s energetics is the secret key and starting point to knowing when and how to use them. The evergreens or “ needle trees ” give us more hints about what they do for us by the way we react to them. I always tell my students: think about the first thing you do when you walk into the forest? We almost always immediately take in a big deep breath. So, not surprisingly, these trees are fantastic medicines for the respiratory system! They contain high quantities of vitamin C and loads of volatile (essential) oils which help to lift and break up heavy stuck congestion, as well as fight off the underlying microbes, viruses, or not-sogreat hitchhikers that cause these issues in the first place. Their expectorant qualities also help the lungs to “ get the gunk out” which is often much needed to ease breathing. These evergreen trees are great for keeping our resilience strong throughout the winter by their gift of supporting the body ’ s defenses and bolstering immunity with their anti-microbial properties. They can also be used internally or externally for treating fungal infections, bruises, wounds, and rashes to name a few things. My favourite way to use these tree medicines is to pick a handful of their fresh needles, say thanks to the tree, then steep them in hot, but not boiling, water in a covered mug or jar for 10-15 minutes. HEMLOCK

LARCH

BALSAM

Strain out the needles and add a little honey. Drink this as a nice foresty tea. I also add a bunch of greens to a pot of water on the woodstove or in the bathtub and let their aromatic oils and beautiful fragrance vaporize into the house. This is a great way to be breathing in their medicine throughout the day or night. If using them in the tub, they make a fantastic revitalizing body exfoliant as well and just generally makes you feel very good. (Just be careful to keep them out of your drain) Oftentimes when we ’ re feeling run down just the simple act of holding a warm mug of this tea and breathing it in is an immense comfort. (Luckily it is also great medicine too!)

Medicinal Summary: Parts Used: needles, pitch, inner bark. Flavours: Sour, Pungent/Aromatic, Astringent, Bitter. Herbal Actions: Vitamin C rich, antimicrobial, astringent, anti-fungal, expectorant, diuretic, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, disinfectant Energetics: Warming and Drying Constitutional indications: good for damp, cold, and stagnant conditions Special teachings: resilience, trust, protection.

Plants are great teachers. They so often reflect to us what would help us on our paths and in our own bodies when we gift them our attention. The time of celebration for the Winter Solstice and Yule is when we traditionally decorate our homes with wreaths or evergreen boughs. This tradition came about because we recognized the strength of these trees to survive and thrive throughout even the harshest winters, something we can see both literally and symbolically. Bringing them into our homes and our bodies helps us to build our resilience and make it through tough times. I’ ve always found that to be a beautiful teaching and feel supported by them even if it is just by brushing my palm along their boughs and breathing in their fragrance when I’ m outside as a simple way to connect and remember that we all have that ability within us. The tree medicines in all ways, are protectors. May they bring you warmth, comfort, strength, and healing throughout the season!

Carley Smith is an Herbal Practitioner and teacher based on Vancouver Island, BC. She has been studying & working with medicinal plants for over 18 years & runs a small herbal clinic and apothecary out of her home in Coombs. From here she sees patients for 1:1 consultations, teaches classes & creates her renowned Herbal remedies for her business, Elder Tree Herbals, which is the culmination of her tremendous joy, passion, and knowledge of the wonderful world of herbs. www.carleysmith.ca