1998
Commuting to school provided ample opportunity to be alone with my thoughts; however, at this point in time, I was so numb, I didn’t need anymore time to be alone with them. It had only been a few weeks since I’d lost my best friend to a heroin overdose.
It was sophomore year of my undergraduate studies, and my mind was preoccupied with writing literary essays and making dean’s list. I had been living at school, but after his death, I wasn’t healthy enough to stay there.
The weeks spent in bed not eating and not doing schoolwork had left me in a poor physical and mental state, and my success with final exams wasn't looking too good either.
I moved back home to commute for the last few weeks in order to salvage my 18-credit spring semester and take better care of myself. Looking back, it may have been one of the many times in life that I should have sought counseling. But at the time, I relied on sleeping and eating well, walking in nature, and taking St. John's Wart.
Anyway, the commute provided a time for music and my thoughts, and on one particular day, the topic for the final thesis in "The History of the English Language" course. As Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" CD played in my '96 Cavalier, the thesis was born to the tune of "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme."
This thesis led me down a beautiful path of knowledge that I have continued to study in the ensuing years - the healing powers of nature, gardens, music, art, and literature. Just as the soothing sounds of the song helped to heal my heart a little on that car ride, I learned that herbs and other elements of nature can be beneficial alone and combined with art and literature.
The Thesis
Natural herbs have been used throughout time to heal infections, diseases, illnesses, aches, pains, and many other physical ailments from which humans suffer. And in literature, herbs can be literal references to aforementioned plants or drugs that ease physical ailments, but they can also have a number of connotative references that symbolically heal the human soul.
Herbs in Time and Literature
From Old English through the Middle Ages to modern times, herbs have been used as healing aids in both life and literature. The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, illustrates this. In the "Miller's Tale," Nicholas, the cleric, is described as being decorated with sweet herbs and smiling of licorice root and any spice. In the translation, the spice is specified as ginger. Known for its hot, spicy taste, ginger is used in recipes and as a medicine (OED). It helps prevent cancer, heart disease, and strokes. It also helps reduce cholesterol, morning sickness, motion sickness, and indigestion (Castleman). An Ancient Indian proverb says, "Every good quality is contained in ginger." Ginger is known for its apparent ability to warm the body (Murray), so in the "Miller's tale," the forbidden and hidden love affairs can be considered hot and spicy like ginger.
Rosemary is a symbol for remembering in Shakespeare's, Hamlet. Ophelia distributes the flowers to Laertes recalling their significance, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray love, remember" (Hamlet IV, v, ii 173-4). It it thought that the flowers are for Laertes based on their conventional use at funerals, this suggests that he is to immediately remember his father. However, another conventional use of this flower is at weddings and ceremonies and represents Ophelia's return to Hamlet, "...because with his changed state those tokens of remembrance, like flowers, have lost their 'sweet breath' and 'perfume'" (Hamlet III, I, ii. 100-1).
I could go on and on...
2023
These many years later, I continue to learn about how we heal from gardening, journaling, reading, painting, drawing, working with animals, and so on. There are many things in our lives that require more healing than nature alone can provide, but even with guided therapy, many of these artistic and healing elements can be used to teach and guide us through life.
As the melody and lyrics still soothe my soul, the many uses of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme soothe anxiety, stress, fatigue, foggy brain, and much more.
* Parsley is full of vitamins A and K and known for bone health and fighting cancer. It is easy to grow year round and is a powerful additive to pesto, soups, sauces, meatballs, and more.
* Sage is an expectorant and has aided in cough relief and is high in minerals like magnesium, zinc, and copper. When diffused it can raise moods, clear congestion and support the respiratory, nervous, digestive, and reproductive systems.
* Rosemary is in itself - beautiful - and it is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral and builds the immune system. As an oil roll-on or when diffused, it can boost mood, encourage clarity and insight, relieve fatigue, and reduce stress levels.
* Thyme is one of my favorite herbs. It can be applied to the skin, ingested, and inhaled (all within reason and understanding of its uses and side effects). It is an excellent additive to many recipes. It is still one of the ingredients of Listerine.
I still feel the pain of losing loved ones to addiction, as well as the weight of other personal experiences, but I have learned how they don't have to define me or haunt me.
If you, or anyone you know, is dealing with a drug addiction or battling any type of addiction, please click here to learn more at the Caren Foundation.
There are also healing benefits to soil. Click here for more info.
Medical and Holistic Info on Herbs
(NO herbs or oils should ever be ingested or applied without research or medical consult. There are many side effects and precautions with use of herbs. Here are some links that range from medical to holistic viewpoints for more information.)
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