195: Original Medicine: How Herbalism Belongs us to Place + Ancestry

This is a live talk given as the keynote speech at the Welsh Confest "Plants People Culture" at Pandy Farm in North Wales, just a few days ago. In this presentation, Stephanie Hazel situates knowledge of plants and herbalism within the broader context of cultural heritage, belonging, sovereignty and ecological repair.

This episode explores these themes using concrete examples of wild local plants, particularly Nettle, Dandelion and Apple.

Main points

• Plant knowledge is part of humanity’s shared cultural heritage - as such, herbalism belongs to everyone.
• Plants’ roles in ecosystems can offer clues to their relationship with human health - our bodies are mirrors of landscapes.
• Plants heal humans because humans are part of the ecosystem too.
• Knowing local medicinal plants (even just a few!) can strengthen connection to place, land and community.
• Herbalism and Western medicine can complement one another.
• Relationship to land, intuition, careful observation, traditional knowledge and rational analysis all must be woven together into a larger tapestry of wisdom.

Heading to Wales?

Check out Pandy Farm (or at least pick up some of their incredible veggies) here: www.pandyfarm.org

Want a short course on Plant Listening?

You can study with me for one month here -

⁠https://stephaniehazel.com.au/plant-allies/

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The intro and outro song is "⁠Sing for the Earth⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.