When I was working as the in-store herbalist for a health food store I would often be confronted by a customer asking about an herb and wanting assurances that it was strong, the strongest, right? I always struggled with this because what answer do you give? What question is really being asked? I often communicate by metaphor. The perfect metaphor can speak to folks in a way that allows for mystery and can help them to see around the corners. I never came up with a good answer – metaphorical or not – for the question – was it the strongest? But today I am going to have a hack at it. I stumbled across this friend by accident and that’s why I started thinking about herbs that are “strong”.
Poke
From my perspective as an herbalist I am not interested in having a client take the “strongest” herb. I want to move them towards health in a manner that will gently nourish and improve the body. Herbalism has a role to play in acute conditions but where it really shines is in working with folks to help reverse/release chronic patterns and habits of poor health. As these conditions have often manifested over years they are best approached with a plan for slow gradual healing. Anything else would give my clients whiplash. If your partner forgets your anniversary do you immediately say ok, that’s it – I am breaking up with you.
“Strong” herbs frequently carry with them the risk of serious side effects. They are more toxic than those herbs that we consider to be tonic and the difference between a dose at which healing can occur and a dose at which harming can occur is often minimal. Using these herbs makes a formula more complex as we may need to add in other herbs to help ameliorate the action of the “strong” herb. I still remember a woman coming in to the store and asking me for lily of the valley for her husband who had heart problems. No, no, and more no. I know how to use this herb and I would be extremely hesitant to give it to a client unless I felt that the reward was worth the risk.
I feel that wanting/needing the strongest herb is often coming from a place of fear. We, when faced with poor health, often want to get on and get over it. As fast as possible. If I can go out and get the strongest herb there is then I can resolve this and I won’t have to sit with it and be afraid and if I am really lucky then maybe I won’t have to make any real changes to my life and I can just forget about this and put it behind me.
Poke (Phytolacca americana) is a very strong herb. I was surprised to come across it growing here in Ottawa. To me it speaks of the southern U.S. Of sassafras and Appalachia. This herb is a plant that should only be used under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. It is teratogenic and as such should not be used during pregnancy. Even moderate doses can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Large doses can cause low blood pressure, suppress respiration, dizziness and spasms. Convulsion and death is a possibility with very large doses. This is an herb where a dose of tincture might be a single drop. I am not sharing this info to scare you but rather to remind you that if herbs are powerful enough to have an action upon our body then they are too powerful to be completely safe.
We just had a poplar come down on our property. I got a great guy to come and attack it with a chainsaw. Why did I not do this myself? I do not know how to use a chainsaw. I used to get politely bitchy on the phone at the health food store. Is that possible? I suppose there is a chance I was just bitchy bitchy. Someone would be on the phone asking where they could find this or that crazily strong herb. I had to tell them now! My response was always that if they had the wisdom to be using this herb then they would know where to find it.
Be gentle with yourself. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you spending time with loved ones? Are you making loving choices for yourself each day? Nourish yourself before you turn to herbs that attack and antagonize the body.
“I will be gentle with myself, I will love myself. I am a child of the universe – being born each moment.”