About the Book
A collection of the spoken words and written communications of internationally renowned herbalist and educator Christopher Hedley.
In its coverage of humoral medicine, materia medica, and the importance of knowing the living plants that herbal medicines are made from, Very Generous Things Plants - We Don't Deserve Them Really is a companion volume to Plant Medicine.
However, while Plant Medicine is a collection of teaching materials, this volume provides the reader with a healthy dose of Christopher’s “gentle teaching style and his child-like curiosity”, which enables readers, whether they be students, herbalists or other plant lovers, to grasp the living knowledge of the herbal tradition.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by bendle
Introduction by Guy Waddell
Roots—Resourcing humoral thinking for plant medicine
THE CHOLERIC HUMOUR
THE SANGUINE HUMOUR
THE PHLEGMATIC HUMOUR
THE MELANCHOLY HUMOUR
THE HUMOURS TOGETHER
Flowers—Materia medica for plant medicine
ARTIST’S BRACKET (Ganoderma applanatum) AND OTHER GANODERMA SPECIES
ASTRAGALUS (Astragalus mongholicus syn. A. membranaceus)
BALM, LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)
BITTERSWEET (Solanum dulcamara)
BONESET (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
BORAGE (Borago officinalis)
CAYENNE (Capsicum annuum syn. C. frutescens)
CHASTE BERRY (Vitex agnus-castus)
COMFREY (Symphytum officinale)
CRAMP BARK (Viburnum opulus)
ECHINACEA, CONEFLOWER (Echinacea spp.)
ELECAMPANE (Inula helenium)
EPHEDRA (Ephedra sinica)
FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare)
FIGWORT (Scrophularia nodosa and S. aquatica)
FLY AGARIC (Amanita muscaria)
GARLIC (Allium sativum)
GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba)
GOAT’S RUE (Galega officinalis)
GOLDEN SEAL (Hydrastis canadensis), BARBERRY (Berberis vulgaris), MAHONIA (Berberis aquifolium)
GREATER CELANDINE (Chelidonium majus)
HAWTHORN (Crataegus spp.)
HERB BENNET, WOOD AVENS (Geum urbanum)
HOPS (Humulus lupulus)
JUNIPER (Juniperus communis)
KELP (including Fucus vesiculosus)
LADY’S MANTLE (Alchemilla vulgaris, A. mollis, and other species)
LILY OF THE VALLEY (Convallaria majalis)
LIME FLOWERS (Tilia spp.)
MAYWEED (Anthemis cotula)
MILK THISTLE (Silybum marianum Syn. Carduus marianus) and other thistles
MOTHERWORT (Leonurus cardiaca)
MUGWORT (Artemisia vulgaris)
MYRHH (Commiphora molmol)
NETTLE (Urtica dioica)
PASSION FLOWER (Passiflora incarnata)
PELLITORY OF THE WALL (Parietaria judaica)
PEPPERMINT (Mentha piperita)
PLANTAIN (Plantago major, P. lanceolata)
POLYPODY OF THE OAK (Polypodium vulgare)
PRICKLY ASH (Zanthoxylum americanum)
RASPBERRY LEAF (Rubus ideaus)
RHUBARB (Rheum officinale, R. palmatum)
ROSE (Rosa spp.)
ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB, FIREWEED (Epilobium angustifolium)
ROSEMARY (Salvia rosmarinus syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)
SAGE (Salvia officinalis)
SKULLCAP (Scutellaria lateriflora and S. galericulata)
ST JOHN’S WORT (Hypericum perforatum)
VALERIAN (Valerian officinalis)
VERVAIN (Verbena officinalis)
WORMWOOD (Artemisia absinthium)
Seeds—Living plants and philosophy of practice for plant medicine
My favourite bit
It’s wonderful
It’s a good exercise
Spending time
You can actually make it up
Three inches off the ground
Always
Totally possible
Donuts
Tradition and direct knowing
Feel better
Three names
Why do you ask?
You’re my best friend
Canadian Fleabane on a busy road
Choosing herbs
When with patients
The third floor of the Natural History Museum
A very good understanding of biochemistry
Make a tea
Pushed down
Anybody could have done it
The plants themselves
It won’t let me use it
The way she uses the herb
Even you and me
Slingbacks or open-toed sandals
Make it up as you go along
Two rules in herbal medicine
Become a different person
All that matters
Shut both eyes
Your own
Best medicine
You just describe it
I want to be a Victorian vicar
Egg-sucking
Studying the herb itself
In search of a trunk
Up until that point
Storing sunsets
How the plant is in the world
How it be
Adopting ancestors
Ineffable mystery
More baggy here
I shouldn’t worry
Most together
One degree under
Get below
Really
References
Index
About the Author :
Christopher Hedley (1946-2017) was a Fellow of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and taught herbal medicine at all levels, from beginners to MSc in Herb Schools across the UK and the USA, specialising in material medica and pharmacy.
Guy Waddell PhD fHEA MNIMH is a herbalist and educator who lives and works in London. He is Director of Studies at Heartwood Education, which provides foundation and professional level courses in herbal medicine. Previously, he was a lecturer in herbal medicine in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster. He has authored The Enchantment of Western Herbal Medicine: herbalists, plants and nonhuman agency (Aeon Books, 2020). He has a particular interest in how humans and plants know each other and what may come of this.
Review :
"With this slim volume of carefully curated vignettes of plants and practice, editor Dr Waddell makes Christopher’s conversational style accessible to all—from curious students to proficient practitioners—while preventing the superficial simplicity of the text from concealing its underlying message, which is an approach radically opposed to the mainstream biomedical thinking dominating herbalism today. Taken together with his earlier compilation of Hedley and Shaw’s teachings Plant Medicine, Waddell and Aeon Books have gifted western herbal medicine with a unique corpus that contains a compelling alternative vision of a possible future herbal medicine."
Jonathan Treasure, practitioner, author, scholar of western herbal medicine
"Very Generous Things, Plants is a very generous treasure house of wisdom, stories, insights, and practical experiences from our late herbalist elder and friend, based on his decades of experience as an herbalist, naturalist, clinician, student of medical history, and earth-wizard. How do we really want to learn? Not by memorizing books! We want stories! We may or may not remember memorized facts, but we will never forget a good story. This book is like wandering in fields with Christopher and chatting. What a wonderful resource!"
Paul Bergner, director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, and editor of Medical Herbalism journal
"Most books on herbal medicine discuss the uses of plants and try to find new ways to say the same things. The late Christopher Hedley was a plant wizard and knew plants not as inanimate objects but as beings with personalities to be befriended, to learn their story and in the process discover their overt and hidden qualities. This level of mastery is rare and if you studied with Christopher, you knew the opportunity was a blessing to you and your future patients. For those of you who did not have the good fortune to learn from him, this book is a distillation of his decades of experience and wisdom and is a treasure for us all."
David Winston, RH(AHG), DSc (hon.) Author of the best-selling Adaptogens, Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief
"Very generous things, plants is such a great book! It's pages and pages of laughter, kindness and insights. Everyone who uses medicinal plants should read it. I could wax on about it forever, but I won't. When you read it, you too will recommend it to everyone. It's awesome."
Henriette Kress, herbalist, Helsinki, author of Practical Herbs 1 & 2, owner of henriettes-herb.com
"This compilation of Christopher Hedley’s stories, anecdotes and comments delightfully conveys his unique wisdom on herbs and the people that need them. You will find it an easy read, with a quirky humour that will make you laugh out loud. But make no mistake, its simplicity conveys profound understanding. Christopher was surely the most influential UK herbalist of his time, and this book will enable future herbalists to benefit from his wisdom as we did."
Robyn Soma, President of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists
"This book is not only an academic text but is an engaging and thought-provoking insight into the philosophy and practice of Christopher Hedley, master herbalist. It is an autobiography enriched with the stories and anecdotes of his lifelong devotion to plants and people within his practice. As a notable scholar of humoral medicine and traditional herbal practice his doctrine is based on an understanding of the unique physiology and lifestyle of the person and the importance of matching the herb to the patient."
Dr Julie Whitehouse, Principal Lecturer Herbal Medicine, University of Westminster (retired)
"There is no way of describing the actual truth of things, so we have to approach it sideways with stories.” If you resonate with these words from Christopher, you will love this book. Playful, insightful, informative and highly readable, it is a peach of a book. It is filled with unique and personal pointers on the road to herbal practice, is brimming with memorable ways to befriend plants, and radiates love for people and plants, just like its author. Christopher inspired generations of herbalists, and this book will continue that process."
Keith Robertson MSc. FNIMH, director of education at the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Isle of Aran, Scotland
