Herbalism
The real magic of folk herbalism is in the sharing of plant remedies that passes between friends, family, and neighbors. I find that there is a natural, intuitive sharing of ancestral knowledge between folks when a remedy is needed - and the afflicted is open to receiving its medicine. I have had a beautiful experience the past couple days of receiving the messages from a few plants to aid in the healing of a neck injury...and I would love to share this plant spirit journey with you.
A few days ago, I slipped and fell while fishing out at a creek with my partner. At the time, I didn't feel that it was too hard of a fall as I just gotten a small scrape on my shin, but my partner seemed concerned. It turns our his concern was well placed, as about 24 hours later the real damage set in - whiplash.
Whiplash is an injury of the neck that occurs with the neck tissue tears slightly, essentially resulting in a sprain. The swelling and inflammation is painful in almost any position and it can even be difficult to swallow when the pain is at its peak! I have never suffered whiplash before, and it is truly a difficult and painful experience.
After 24 hours of discomfort and hoping the pain will subside on it's own (to no avail), I decided to take matters into my own hands and begin working with natural remedies. I had some dried comfrey leftover in my kitchen from stiz baths I was making for postpartum women, so I mashed it up and made a poultice. This was itchy and irritating, so it didn't last long. I went to bed cranky and uncomfortable.
The next day, my partner recommended Kratom for the pain, so I went to our local elixir bar to purchase the beverage. I sat down at the bar next to a woman, and began talking with a few friends present about what I was experiencing. Lo and behold, the woman sitting next to me at the bar was dealing with whiplash too from a car accident a few days before! She had a better option for the comfrey...to decoct it and make a compress. So, I took some Kratom to go - and her advice - and went home to get started on my healing. At home, I made the comfrey decoction in a bowl (recipe below) and placed the rag on my neck wrapped in a towel. I also iced for as long as I could stand it. That night, I slept soundly with the herbal compress, as well as some CBD salve. I awoke feeling a bit better.
In the morning, I felt to make a large cup of mugwort tea as I refreshed my herbal compressed. Sitting in my bed, all wrapped up in herbs, I slowly began to feel supported and the subtle sensation that my body was mending. Later, a woman stopped by to purchase some clothes, who happened to be a body worker. She gave me a few tips about how to care for my neck, and recommended that I head to a chiropractor. Before she left, she told me that she recently learned that Mugwort can be a helpful addition to any healing protocol, as it helps any herbs used go deeper! I hadn't even told her about the tea!
This experience inspires me to continue listening and remembering my ancestral memory. This story illustrates how plants and herbs are always speaking to us - either through our intuition or the friendly neighbors that cross our paths. Trust your intuition and allow the plants to guide you along your healing journey!