Herbal Studies

[rhoda_bruce]

I had been thinking a long time that I should learn all I can about healing herbs and possibly get a certificate. Well, a few weeks ago, I filled out my app and sent off my first check and on the 5th I got my books in. I was really planning on studying mainly when I'm at work (do nothing job), but I began using the study equipment as light reading at night. I'm using Penn Foster's program for now.
Well, DH found the sample test questions and I have used it to go back and review what all I didn't feel I knew well enough. I'm probably ready to take the official test, online, but I want to do a little extra on the 25 herbs I need to know and use. So I took my school books to work last night, as well as a field guide and a book on herbs to give me a better appreciation of what the herbs can do for me. I didn't just want a quick diffinition, type explanation of what the herb does.....I wanted to actually have it cemented in my brain.
One of my first assignments was to find a weed and draw it.......really connect with it. It is shocking how much more you notice when you do that. I"m having a bit of difficulty identifying it though, but I may have it right. I"m seeing that weed everywhere. It might be called Sesbania punicea. The one I drew was under one of my cypress trees, but there is a more mature one growing on the bayouside where I work, on the bridge....that one has yellow flowers. I wish I knew about taking pics and downloading, cuz I'm sure one of you could probably help me with that. I'll have to ask one of my more nerdy kids to help me download because there are LOTS of wild plants around here.
Decided to start a thread here because I just wondered if anyone has done this, is thinking about doing it or is in the process of doing it.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Thanx. Actually I was in a pinch and the first batch was done as an experiment, but I do have a friend that has a rugosa rose hedge and she has offered to call me when her roses are in bloom. Roses have medicinal value for some things. I know they are good for the eyes, in the treatment of conjunctivitis and they pop up at various places in the study of herbs, but in this case the only mention the herbist gave was that it gave a sweeter smoke. The herbist's claim is that any flower that is a certain color will do certain things due to the color pattern, so if you trying to make a sedative, you want a purple flower or blue flower. I can't recall all of the attributes and not sure what it will do with smoking, but my friend has blue roses growing. The church gave me a combination, but it was mostly red.
As far as medicinal value goes for cigarette smoking, the main herb that is helping my friends, co-workers and family is the mullein, which is a mucolytic. I regret not making my mother some cigarettes. If you have a family member with any form of COPD and they still basically killing themselves, you might want to take my herb list and fly with it. You could save a life or 2 and help their pocket books. I'd have to say when you can't breath properly, a lot of things must be left undone, so seems to me if someone is helped by a cigarette, then the closets can get cleaned, the dishes can get washed, supper can be cooked, etc......just because they have more O2 in their bloodstream. This is all wishful thinking, but still.....
My contacts have a variety of opinions as to liking and disliking the cigs. Some have a very open mind about it. I would think that if someone buys a cigarette making machine (again, it costs under 50 on amazon), that they can catch back all their expenses in a month and then the real savings will start and thats not even going the herbal route.....the herbal route would save them even more, including their lives. But as an added bonus, they could allow close family members to come over with their tubes and tobacco and make use of the machine. Don't know about all of ya'll but I have relatives that I've had to rescue many times and if you can take a $150 + habit and turn it into a $50 habit, then they just might not need you for other things. J/S.

 

[so lucky]

I am very interested in it, but lately have a hard time sticking to one thing. (Maybe advanced-age ADD?) I'm glad you started the thread, and hope you will keep us posted on your progress. Are you planning on getting some certification for use in a job/career, or is this mainly for your own use? If I remember correctly, aren't you an RN? That would be a great combination to be qualified to do something.....just not sure what.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I am an LPN. But I can't work as a nurse because my feet hurt too much, so I took a nice cushy job, doing nothing. I don't really get paid big money, but I do have benefits (for now). Also everything in nursing is going to computers and its kinda scary. You need to know how to do all kinds of computer summersaults, which I don't know and its all timed, so if you don't get your stuff done on time, its on the record....how am I going to get it done on time, when I am a nurse and not a computer tech? I am really good at fixing wounds and handling emergencies.....not that I like the latter, but I'm capable of doing it.
I have always been interested in herbal healings and have dabbled with a little. But lately (past few years), I really feel pressed to learn this stuff. Honestly, if we have a government take-over of healthcare, I just don't know that we will have doctors at our disposal, or medician when we need it. I'd like to have some kind of backup plan, if I can't visit my doctor or if my children are sick.
As far as money goes.....I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. It could be that I could make a living using this knowledge, if its accepted enough and I've done a good enough job for a few people. But I tell you what...I don't think it will be wasted one way or the other.
As far as I've been told by all the schools I've checked into, a lot of healthcare personel have begun studies in alternative healthcare choices; so I must not be alone.
In other countries, mainstream medician is teamed up with herbal remedies, as a way to regularly treat illnesses.

 

[hqueen13]

Have you found a good place to learn yet? This is something I want to invest in as well, but haven't found a source I trust. There are a lot of bogus things out there that just want your money :-/

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I'm using Penn Foster's for now, but might later on check out Herbal Healing Academy. I had checked into Evergreen, but what I'd have to pay wasn't feasible for what I really expected to do with the knowledge. The only way I could have thought it was worth it, was if I planned on having a huge career and make lots of money, pushing the stuff.
I'm not sure if my certificate will be recognized in LA, but I'll have it, just in case someone wants to see it......if I ever even use it. I will more than likely, just use it for family and friends and people I trust.

 

[hqueen13]

That is my motivation. If I may not be able to get healthcare, or even get it quickly in an emergency, I want to know things I can do to help manage the situation and get on to healing faster.
I would ideally like to meet someone that can help me because I do much better hands on WITH someone. In the meantime, I keep dreaming...

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I know what you mean. We have wildlife that you absolutely wouldn't believe and the vegetation here is major. EVERYTHING grows.....in fact, you sometimes feel like you better not keep still too long or it might wrap around you. I'm hoping I can turn DH on to being my study partner, because he has real talent with plants. I want to get myself to a place where I can just look at anything and know what it is. I'm beginning to believe that my mystery weed is wild indigo.
I'm not allowing myself any casual reading for now. I'm trying to memorize plants/herbs and what they do for us, like some people memorize scripture passages.

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Rhoda!

We have Cream Wild Indigo that grows on our place and I love it as it blooms and grows well with no care from me at all.

We had a thread started back in January about Online/Correspondance classes for herbal medicine?? and I talked about my interest there. The course I wanted to take is going to cost more than I'm willing to pay at this time (I want my truck running again and would love to get started on building the cabin...the camper is shrinking ).

I know and utilize a few basic herbs for our own personal use but really want to expand my knowledge. We have a friend here who knows the woodland plants and has offered to teach me what he knows but between his health issues and docs' work schedule we haven't been able to get out in the woods together yet. I figure it will all come together when the time is right.

I just checked out Penn Foster (after reading your post) and have information coming from them for enrolling in the course, thank you!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Thanks. If you go on that link and scroll down to the bottom and click on yellow wild indigo, you would come close to what I have. But the leaves are clover like and all the pics I see of it show about 3 leaves, where my plants have a whole branch full of these clover like leaves, but that is what it looks like otherwise and the flowers are the same. I swear, one of these days I'm going to learn how to cut and paste and take pics and do all kinds of things.
I can't swear that the class I am taking will give me any legal right to 'work' with herbs, but I couldn't justify the expense of the colleges I check into. I can tell you that so far, I'm 2/3's into my first assignment and the answers that I needed to know for the pre-test, your average person wouldn't have been able to just spit it out. There are some very helpful applications that the author suggests trying, involving salves, wine, vinegar, tintures and teas. On just the 2nd chapter she listed 25 herbs to know, which were easy to identify and readily available through much of the US with good write ups on how each could help us.
I'm acting strange lately. My godchild wanted me to go outside to see a supercell and it vanished before I got where I could have seen it, but suddenly I was walking around looking at grass and weeds.....saying,"I"m not supposed to look for plants at roadsides, but I wonder what this is." and then in my yard..."Now how long have I had all this stuff and I don't even know what some of it is." then when I was leaving work yesterday I saw plantain not 5 feet from my car and I texted DH about it....which he told me I had plenty more in my yard.
I'd say when someone starts studying this stuff, they start looking at the whole world like its one huge garden.
I'm going to probably finish reading everything I need to for my first test tonight. I have one year to finish the program and I believe I have 11 tests to take. I started studying on the 5th. Hope I don't procrastinate, but I doubt it. Once I set my mind to something, I hate to fail. Esp if money is involved.