Sambucus nigra, the Elder tree, is often planted in the center of the herb garden and is said to be the guardian of the garden, the keeper of the green. The other plants in the garden look to it for protection, wisdom and strength.
So it is with the elders of our herbal community.
Elders are still considered wisdom keepers, and their knowledge of the plants and teachings are sought after. At conferences and events they are often guests of honor, and other herbalists travel great distances to meet and study with them. Why is this?
Aside from the fact that these individuals are often great characters, wonderfully entertaining and full of stories, they have lived rich and meaningful lives, and their experiences reach in and touch us, giving our own lives meaning.Â
It is the elders who have kept the teachings of herbalism alive through generations of time, the wise ones who taught the children how to find the plants, how to speak with them, and how to make medicine from them. This lineage, though weakened, still lives on, and our hearts hunger for this connection to our traditions.
Often, we find in our herbal elders a passion for and a commitment to their vision and life that is extraordinary. They light the way for us. Though many of the elders have passed on, their teachings live on in those whose lives they’ve touched. And, likewise, the teachings of the green will live on through us.1Excerpted from Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health © 2008 by Rosemary Gladstar, published by Storey Publications. All rights reserved.
Voices of the Herbal Elders
Several years ago, I began working on a book that I was intending to call Voices of the Herbal Elders. I had a long list of elders lined up to interview, all herbalists I knew closely, and some of whom I had the good fortune to work with for many years. These were my friends and teachers, people I traveled far and wide to study with, to work for and be with. Many were getting older, and I was afraid that their stories and teachings would be lost. I wanted to capture some of their stories for future generations of plant lovers. I actually started the interviews way back in 1996, and still have a few of the original recordings. Then I got busy with life, projects, gardens, family, other books, and Voices of the Herbal Elders got put on the back burner…where it’s been slowly simmering, nearly forgotten, for the last two decades.
As happens, that amazing generation of elders began to pass over. First, Dr. Christopher. Then Norma Meyers. Adele Dawson. Tasha Tudor. Miss Hortense, Miss Beatrice Wright, Don Jose Matsua, Sunbear, Rolling Thunder, Bear Heart, Dr. Jim Duke, Russ and Mary Jorgenson, Juliette de Baïracli Levy, my beloved Grandmother Mary Abelian Egitkhanoff and so very many others.
These elders carried on the teachings of the plants when herbalism wasn’t popular and it was almost impossible to even earn a livelihood as an herbalist. Yet these wise elders generously shared their healing skills, wisdom and knowledge with anyone willing to listen with an open heart.
While that book kept slowly simmering on the back burner, nearly but not quite forgotten, time was sneaking by.
Soon my friends, who were those young herbalists studying at the feet of our elders, were gray-haired grandparents, shepherding the next generation of herbalists. And as happens in the normal course of time, the way the river flows, many of these elders, my dearest friends, co-visionaries and dreamers of the green, began their journeys to the Spirit Worlds, the land of stars, rainbows and quiet mystery.
Michael Moore. William LeSassier, Steven Foster. Gabriel Howearth. Jessie Longacre. Gail Ulrich. Cascade Anderson Geller. Stephen Buhner. Michael Phillips. And so many other bright souls. The list is long, and grows longer with each passing year.
I felt that old dream awaking and knew it was way past time to move that pot from the back burner up to the front, time to turn up the heat, and begin earnestly, merrily stirring.
While I have many stories I could share about each of these wise herbal elders, what I love best, and think others do as well, is listening to herbalists telling their own stories in their own plant-rich voices.
And so the stories begin…what I like to call ‘inner views,’ as we glimpse into the lives of these current herbal elders and listen to them tell of their journeys into the lush world of plants. While it’s an entirely new set of elders than I had originally intended to interview when I started this project back in the 1990s, I am so deeply inspired with each ‘inner view’ and am having so much fun with this project.
And, more than anything, I’m delighted to be able to share these stories with you.
Catch up on Voices of our Herbal Elders episodes now!
Join me on your favorite podcast platform or watch the Inner-View videos on YouTube. I hope they bring you inspiration, joy, and hope.
We would love for you to share stories of your own herbal elders in the comments below!
dear rosemary–can’t wait to hear your inner-views. there are so many herbal mentors in my life! the first herbal lecture that i attended was adelma grenier simmons and she definitely inspired me over the years. thomas debaggio, arthur tucker, steven foster and jim duke all guided me down my herbal path. and of course YOU! linda ligon was a visonary–she started the herb companion and herbs for health, and then published our herb books, which allowed so many of us herbalists to write and spread the herbal word. there are so many others–and i’m still learning! looking forward to hearing about our herbal elders. thanks and love, susan
I must tag on to Susan’s comments! 🙂
Rosemary, what an incredible, beautiful project you are sharing! Thank you for this great and wonderful work!
My first two elders began my herbal journey and include you, Rosemary, and Lolitha Thomas. Both of your books were the very starting point of my herbal experiences. From your book, ‘Herbal Healing for Women,’ I learned how to make herbal infused oils and salves! Lolitha’s book “10 Essential Herbs” gave me so much practical information on how to use 10 herbs in a myriad of ways and also introduced to me to comfrey and chaparral as well as cayenne, garlic, onion and others. Rosemary, much later I got to travel with you in Italy! Such joy!
About the time I first “met’ you, Rosemary, and Lolitha, I “met” Susan Belsinger through her articles in the Herb Companion! Oh what great information! And then before long I got to meet Susan and Tina Marie Wilcox, who is THE Herb Person at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Arkansas, in person at the Folk Center as well you, Rosemary, and many many other elders who shared their great wealth of self with all of us in attendance. We just soaked up all this knowledge and tradition like sponges. And to this day I still get to nourish my spirit at spring and fall Folk Center herbal conferences! Another joy!
I can name so many more elders who have nurtured my herbal roots at the Southeast Wise Women’s Conference that Corinna Woods began and led for a great number of years in the Black Mountain, NC, area and also the Medicines from the Earth conference in Black Mountain and Asheville organized by Linnea and Larry Cardwell.
You all are a blessing! I am truly blessed by each of you!! Thank you!
This is just simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing, Evelyn.
Helen, you were so dear and helpful on that trip with Rosemary! 🙂
Dearest Susan, Thank you for sharing about your elders. We are so excited about Rosemary’s dream of sharing inner-views of these elders and encouraging us all to pause and reflect.
With so much love, Helen
Rosemary,my Intro to Herbs/Herbals was through you and your first book I cherish HERBAL HEALING FOR WOMEN. In the 1980’s on Marthas Vineyard,I was in an Herbal group led by Heidi Schmidt owner of Vineyard Sound Herbs,from your book we’d make Medicinals in her GG Granddads kitchen by the Moon.
Such an amazing book. Thank you for sharing your memories, Debra! A fun fact, Heidi and I live in the same town in Vermont. She is an amazing herbalist.
Sounds so exciting! Great idea, I look forward to listening! The Green Man from my childhood was my grandpa, Cloyd Marty. He had lots of jobs, but his real love was gardening. He grew the flowers for the local bank and had a huge garden that fed the family and neighbors too. Grandpa planted with the moon and had so many copies of Organic Farming and Gardening magazines from clear back in the 1950s . I took all his skills for granted back then, but he did instill a love of growing and connecting with the plants. He helped me plant my first garden and it has been love every since!
Oh Nancy, thank you for sharing about your Grandpa. I am sure he is also a good part of your generous spirit and big heart!
Rosemary, what a blessing you are to this world. I am so very excited for the Voice of the Elders and am grateful you continue to be a vessel for such beauty and love. You are loved!
What a sweet and heartfelt message. Thank you, Kara!
how exciting! Thank you so much for creating this offering and bringing the voices of the elders out for the future ones! As herbalism becomes more and more popular it feels so important to know where the roots of western herbalism in the US came from and who some of those teachers were and where they learned their connection to the plant kingdom. Many blessings!
So much truth to your message, Marysia. Deep gratitude and sending love! Helen