Remember:

That all the earth is fragile and that we must not take from her beyond what she can sustain. Overharvesting, particularly due to commercial collection of medicinal plants has brought many once plentiful plant species to the brink of extinction. As 'plant people', we should adopt an attitude of green guardianship for mother earth, who so plentifully provides for us.

Here are the rules that every forager should live and breathe by:

Get to know the plants that grow around you on a personal, first name basis: familiarize yourself with the herbs, bushes and trees in your neighborhood, try to learn as much as possible about the ecosystem of which you are a part and the plant members of your 'extended family'. Learn to identify them correctly and investigate all their uses. Try to understand it as part of a larger ecosystem. Which animals like it or dislike it? With which other plants does it form communities? Is it native or invasive? Does it protect the ground or deplete it of any of its nutrients? How does it 'fit' into its environment? What can you learn from its chemistry? Building this kind of holistic knowledge base will give you a much deeper insight into the nature of a plant and its role within the ecosystem. Its a lengthy process, but vital if you want to truly get to know your plant friends and the habitat you share.

It is especially important that you learn to identify the poisonous plants you are likely to encounter, lest they inadvertantly end up on your dinner plate, which could be most unpleasant or in the worst case scenario, even lethal. The importance of this point is completely obvious, but cannot be stressed enough. Some people hold the false and dangerous belief that what can be found in nature cannot harm them. DO NOT EAT ANYTHING YOU CANNOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFY AND DEEM SAFE. When you think you know a plant, think again and see what other, non-edible look-alikes might be fooling you. This is even more important when it comes to collecting mushrooms, as there are many poisonous mushrooms out there that have evolved to be masters at fooling unsuspecting mushroom hunters. There are also many more potentially deadly mushrooms with edible look-alikes than there are deadly plants with edible look-alikes.

Don't be greedy!

Familiarize yourself with the plants that are listed on the endangered species list for your area. Apart from being unethical, it is also highly illegal to pick endangered plant species. Instead of taking rare plants, consider sowing their seeds in the wild.

Only pick as much as you need and never take ALL the plants of any one kind in a given patch. After harvesting an area give the plants plenty of time to recover before returning to the same patch. Be especially conscienscious when it comes to harvesting roots and barks. Remember that often harvesting roots means the death of the plant, so before you start digging ask yourself if this plant is really plentiful and if it can sustain a harvest of its roots. If in doubt, don't collect. Consider growing some in your garden rather than depleting natural stands. Collecting barks can also be fatal to a tree. If you must collect this part, try to collect it from smaller branches rather than the stem, from branches that have fallen, or from trees that are due to be cut for other purposes.

However tempting it may look, never pick in places that are subjected to pollution from roads, industry or heavy spraying of farm chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers etc.). And don't collect from nature reserves either - these are areas set up to protect wild species, so give them their space and let them be!

Cast seeds of native species to the earth and to the winds once in a while - as a way of giving something back. Consider adopting a little patch that you are particularly fond of. When you are out and about, never leave any litter behind, but try to bring some back with you - I always carry two bags, one for foraging and one for litter picking. Give thanks to the plants and to Mother Earth who has provided them.

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Christmas again. Isn't it amazing how it creeps up on you? One minute you were just going about your business enjoying the fall colors and the scent of wood fires in the air and suddenly it dawns on you…only a few days to Christmas. I don't know how other people really feel about this occasion, whether they really enjoy it or whether they just have convinced themselves to believe in all the hype, or whether deep down they hate it, but feel obliged to be good family members and make the most of it or whether they stress themselves out with the preparations to such an extent that when the day comes they just collapse into oblivion. But I know I have had mixed feelings about this so-called celebration of love and life since I was a child. No, I am not trying to be a spoilsport, party pooper or Christmas grinch, and I don't find anything wrong in celebrating love and life, I do it every day.

Yet, there is something that really bothers me about Christmas. Where I am at I am fairly sheltered from the flood of commercialism with which the season rolls into the stores and flattens my feelings, but still, it is hard to avoid becoming aware of the wastefulness and excessive gluttony with which the occasion is marked. It seems to me that life and love should not be expressed in material goods bought at the store - special offers abound, that's how the store shows you its love to make sure you'll come back for more.

It just always seemed to me that those most in need are often forgotten altogether, or just about remembered in token fashion only, as we give alms on the day of good will. But alms never right the injustice, they just pour oil over social wounds to soothe the pain, while the root causes of poverty and hunger continue on Christmas Day and beyond, in our neighborhood, in our community, in our country, in our society and it's just the same throughout the world.

That is one of the things that has always bothered me, and, yes, I am afraid there is more. It also bothers me that mother earth quietly suffers while we celebrate her very gift of life. All year we have been fretting about global warming, soaring oil prices and the changes of the climate - but will that stop us from wasting god knows how many gigawatts of electricity for all the electric lights we feel we need to brighten up the season? Probably not. Or has anybody ever calculated the number of trees that are cut every year, not just to adorn the living room, but also to make cards and wrapping paper, all of which is chiefly produced to simply be thrown away. I wonder by what kind of percentage our 'ecological footprint' increases just for these few week of holiday season. What size do you wear?

Does that sound mean? I don't mean to be mean, but personally I have decided to send my loved ones electronic Christmas greetings and let them know that my gift this year will be a tree, an acre of rainforest or a donation to a worthy cause, to feed a hungry child throughout next year, to support a fresh water installation in a poverty stricken community or one of 5 dozen other causes that will make a difference in the world. I can't change everything, but I can change some things, and I hope others will join me so our impact will be that much greater. In this spirit I will quietly and peacefully burn my candles and give thanks to the returning light, to all the love, given and received and to life itself. And in this spirit my heartfelt thanks and blessings go out to all of you who will likewise give a thought and act in the true spirit of love and respect for life.

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In the last issue we explored the roots of western medicine and found that the medical masters of the distant past did not shy away from using herbs, on the contrary, they employed them quite skillfully. Thus one might conclude that the roots of western medicine and western herbalism are in fact the same. In some ways they are, but what today is practiced as modern herbalism is a very far, distant cry from the wilderness that is the domain of traditional herbalist.

As in all cultures, western herbalism and healing are intricately entwined with the realm of magic and mystery. It arose hundreds and thousands of years ago at the nascent beginnings of civilization itself, when the gods still walked the earth and the world was a vast mysterious place inhabited not only by humans, plants and animals, but by spirits and elves as well. Shamans and wise women who knew the secrets of each herb, their songs and spells, are the ancestors of herbal medicine. The herbal lore that has survived as fairy tales are but the thinnest shreds of ancient vestiges, echoes from a long forgotten past. In time healing became the domain of women and of midwives. Women naturally took care of nurture and sustenance, not just of their babies, but of their clan. The knowledge concerning the plants that feed and the plants that heal is very closely linked. Often they are the same, depending on how they are used. Woman, naturally also learned about the cycles of fertility and the herbs appropriate for each stage of womanhood.

It is difficult to investigate the history of western herbalism without considering the political dimension, the persecutions during the Middle Ages that sought to extinguish the flame of herbal knowledge with the same swooping campaign that was to extinguish the old religions with its ancient gods and sacred trees. A campaign that specifically attacked the rights of women and their herbal healing practices. A brutal campaign of flames and torture that left behind an intellectual and cultural wasteland governed by the fear of god and by ignorance. Only in the remotest corners, hidden valleys and far off wildernesses, where the iron arm of the inquisition did not reach did the stories of ancient gods and spirits survive along with the herb lore and healing art.

Parallel to this development a new caste of medical professionals was bred at the universities, learned men who spent their years of training debating the old masters, but rarely saw an actual sick person, suddenly claimed the domain of medicine as their own. They practiced mostly in the cities, where trade was lucrative. In the countryside, where the herbalists had mostly been burnt at the stake (and any that hadn't were forbidden to practice), the task of healing ironically fell to the monks and nuns, who started to grow medicinal herbs in their monastery gardens. They of course freed themselves from the actual responsibility of affecting a cure, for they claimed that sickness was god's punishment for earthly sins and healing was his grace. This is how it came to be that those who felt a calling towards healing increasingly sought refuge within the folds of the church, the very instrument of the demise and torture that had been leashed on countless numbers of country healers that had gone before them.

And this is why today we find that the path to the roots of western herbalism leads through the monastery gardens where in the process of assimilation the ancient gods were clad in pious garb and their herbal lore was reinvented to fit the gospel rather than the old pagan tales.

In North America Herbalism took yet another turn. When western Europeans first began to settle there they did not know many of the plants that grew around them and depended instead to a large degree on the herbs and medicines that came by ship from the old world. But this journey was a long one and often the herbs by the time they reached the shore were spoilt. Also, much like in Europe, people in the countryside, far away from the cities had to learn to rely on their own knowledge and skills - and the knowledge of their native neighbors. Some people did not shy away from trying to learn the healing skills from the native people, or, later on, from the slaves. And that is how it came to be that today modern herbalism also makes use of many Native American or African American remedies. Prickly Ash or Golden Seal or Poke Root or Sarsaparilla and Sassafras to name but a few are all remedies that have recenty been added to the medicine chest of the modern herbal practitioner. In the course of its separate development in the United States herbalism sprouted all sorts of branches, which soon developed into 'isms' like Thompsonism and 'Eclecticism'.

Today we have quite a comprehensive body of knowledge regarding the action and composition of herbs, but this knowledge is derived more from the science of pharmacy than from herbalism. We also have a number of different herbal philosophies. In an effort to become more acceptable and in-line with the materialistic/rationalistic worldview modern herbalism has left the plant spirits and devas that were once the sould of traditional herbalism far behind. The modern practice has become 'clinical' and one would barely guess that the pills and tinctures on the shelves have any relation to the wild herbs in the fields and forest.

Only rarely now does anybody venture to find the old windy path of traditional herbalism. Indeed, it is not easy to find, since it just does not fit into the rationalistic and scientific cosmology of an age where any child can manipulate a computer to spit out a list of possible herbal candidates for a given complaint, complete with their action and constituents at the click of a mouse button. But this ability does not make anybody a healer.

Maintaining equilibrium

While the practices between traditional and modern herbalism have changed drastically over the centuries, the core principle has stayed the same: to heal is to make whole. Wholeness is maintained through equilibrium, the natural balance between body and soul. Sickness is defined as a loss of that equilibrium. Thus, the primary aim of the practitioner is to assist the body to regain his inner balance once it has become disturbed. The body is not viewed as an inert machine that simply goes from birth to death in a process of gradual decay, but as a psycho-spiritual and physical entity that continuously strives for balance. Of course, our conscious mind can, and often does, interfere. At other times the imbalance is due to outer circumstances, but invariably the body-mind will try to adjust in order to regain its equilibrium. The healer's task is to assist the body in its efforts, usually by keeping the channels of elimination open, which affects an inner cleansing process.

Yet, over the centuries the methods employed have vastly changed. Where the old herbalists would regard healing not only as a physical, but as a psycho-spiritual process that requires time for introspection, the modern practitioner and patient are usually far too impatient for nature to take its course and sadly often don't give much thought to the psycho-spiritual dimension of disease and healing, but simply want to affect a cure, as quickly and painlessly as possible, and so the remedies that are given usually come in concentrated form. Labeled old fashioned and complicated the old applications, liniments, poultices, compresses, decoctions, tisanes, syrup, herbs mixed with wine or milk, steams, baths and washes, salves, oils, ointments, herb waters, potions, lotions and talisman have mostly been are mostly abandoned in favor of pills and tinctures.

Nutrition

These days nutrition is often treated quite separately from herbal medicine, but in the old days the distinctions between food and medicine were not drawn as sharply. The plants that feed us are often the same that heal. Some foods can be beneficial for some people but harmful to others, or act quite differently on the body depending on how they are prepared. Thus, the knowledge regarding the healing property of foods was naturally also the domain of the herbalist. Today, nutrition is still considered important, but nutritionists specialize in this aspect of health. The rules are simple. While there is no 'one-fits-all' dietary plan, the basic premise for all constitutional types should be to avoid highly processed and refined foods, to eat if possible only organic, additive free foods, avoid excessive amounts of meat and grease, not to eat more than your body needs, eat slowly, chew well and don't worry your mind while you are eating. Drink clean water or simple cleansing herb teas.

It sounds simple, but it is far more difficult to practice than to preach. In this day and age it is hard to even find unprocessed foods (let alone the time to prepare them), and thus wrong diet has probably become the single most important factor in serious diseases such as diabetes, stomach problems, cancers and heart disease, not to mention gout and arthritis and a host of other ailments. Before herbs will have any lasting therapeutic effect the diet must be addressed. But regular dietary needs apart, we should also never underestimate the healing power of common foods. If used properly common items of anybody's kitchen shelf can be employed remedially for a whole range of ailments, from burns, to colds and coughs and much more. (More about this in a later issue).

Hygiene

Generally speaking hygiene has much improved over the centuries and many diseases have disappeared completely, mostly because our sanitary services have improved, especially as far as the availability of clean water and vastly improved canalization is concerned. Thus, personal hygiene has also imporved - to the point where it has become almost obsessive, much to the delight of the cosmetics/household chemcial industry. But personal hygiene goes beyond regular showers and the ample use of soap. In fact overuse of soap and obsessive cleaning (with environmentally toxic substances) of either the body or our immediate environment can actually lead to an increased vulnerability towards disease causing organisms and sensitivity towards environmental toxins.

The idea of hygiene implies periodic cleansing, to rid the body of accumulated toxins. It is a term that should be applied not only to the physical body, but to the mental, emotional and spiritual body as well. In the old days people would set a few weeks in early spring aside to cleanse body and soul. They would fast and pray and drink cleansing teas, or would dispel the heavy winter sluggishness with fresh greens and bitter herbs. Fasting and sweating or steambath were also popular and not just with Native Americans, who practiced sweating as a method of inner cleansing. Herbal bath were used for healing as well as remedially for mental or emotional ailments.

Most of us carry far too much 'baggage,' yet we do not deem it important to purge ourselves of this excessive weight. Heavy thoughts that prevent us from moving on can make the body as sick as undigested food that lingers in the stomach. Lingering fear, hate or jealousy and other negative emotions can poison us from inside. These also must be cleansed. Yet, sadly instead of addressing them in terms of mental and emotional hygiene, doctors will prescribe prosac while many herbalists now have a tendency to prescribe 'anti-depressant herbs'. Traditional herbalist on the other hand would find a way to 'embody' such negative feelings and draw them from the person into an object, which could then be ritually buried or burnt. They might also prescribe baths with fragrant herbs, or advise the burning of incense to dispel the fears. They might also give calming herbs that bring light and strength to the soul to help it regain its balance.

Fresh air and exercise

Given our current level of movement, movement on our own two legs that is, it seems plausible that human beings will soon evolve to be born without legs altogether. The average lifestyle of a typical westerner is incredibly sedentary. We sit at work, in the office and at school and we sit more when we get home, mostly in front of the TV or computer. Our way to and from work is spent sitting in the car. The average American walks less than 1.4 miles per week! That includes walking around in the house, walking to and from the car and walking around the supermarket. Mothers deem it dangerous for their children to play outside. But muscles and bones need to be used in order to retain their strength. The blood and all cells of the body need oxygen. But movement and oxygen are not in rich supply when one lives in a sedentary, air-conditioned world. People wonder why they have circulation problems and look for an herb to stimulate their blood or their metabolism, when all they need to do is go for a brisk walk once or twice a day. One does not have to be superman or super-woman to maintain a healthy level of fitness that allows even older people to use the bicycle or walk for the pleasure of it. Instead of making use of one of the simplest and cheapest ways to achieve well-being and a good body tone many people rely on herbs or pills for cures once the damage has been done. It must be stressed though, that one can also overdo it. Not all exercise is good. Excessive exercise can wear out cartilages and bones and cause irreparable damage. Moderation in all things...

Traditional herbalism is a dying art, yet proportional to the degree that pills and tinctures are conquering the herbal market, the knowledge of the herbs from which they are derived drifts further into the nebulous world of forgotten knowledge. While we lament the loss of plant knowledge of a distant unknown Amazon tribe, we don't even notice how that same knowledge slips away from right underneath our own noses. Although the path of traditional herbalism is overgrown it can be rediscovered by anybody who chooses to embark upon the adventure and follow the call into the wild green yonder.

Plant Profile: PINE
PINUS ssp.		FAMILY: Pinaceae
Synonyms:	Pine, [English], pinho [Portuguese], pino, piñon [Spanish], pino [Italian], pin, pignon [French], pijn, [Dutch], Kiefer [German], fyr [Danish, Norwegian], tall [Swedish], mänty [Finnish], sosna [Russian], bor, mura [Bulgarian], bora, molike [Serbo-Croatian], peuke, pitys [Greek], çam [Turkish], chir, kail [Hindi], thong [Vietnamese], Matsu [Japanese], song [Chinese]. Pinus cembra, edible kernels = Arve, Pinus edulis, = Pinion, P. sylvestris = Scotch Pine, Forest Pine, Norway Pine, etc.

Description:

The ancestors of our present day pines already colonized the earth during the Jurassic Age, 300 million years ago. Like Gingkos they belong to the gymnosperm division, which comprises the oldest type of seed-bearing plants on the planet. People often find conifers difficult to distinguish, as their appearance superficially is very similar. A characteristic mark of Pines is the arrangement of their needles, which always grow in bundles. The number of needles in each bunch varies according to the species. In their useful stage pines all tend to look the same, a pyramidal crown upon a feeble stick of a trunk. Later the crown often flattened out. The lower parts hardly ever show any branches.. The bark tends to be gray to reddish brown, becoming scaly, flaky and deeply fissured with age, though the stems of young trees and branches can be quite smooth. Pine trees, like other conifers, exude a pungent resin, especially where the bark has been injured. The resin is very sticky at first but soon dries into brittle tears. The fresh, sticky resin has a characteristic pineol fragrance, balsamic, yet 'clean' and fresh.

Note: Depending on one's taxonomic point of view the genus pinus comprises between 90 and 120 species. They are treated generally here with references being made to specific species where appropriate.

Habitat & Ecology:

Pines grow abundantly throughout the northern hemisphere. They occur from Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska and as far south as northern Africa, Sumatra and China, but here they are restricted to the mountainous regions. Pines are very hardy and adaptive. Almost no environment is too hostile for them. They find hollows and cracks in the most unlikely places and seemingly defy all the odds by clinging to impossible rocks. The greatest diversity of species occurs in Mexico, Southern United States and also in China. However, the better-known species originate in the northern parts of central Eurasia where they grow profusely.

Pines naturally grow in harsh and difficult environments, often acting as pioneer species that make the ground more hospitable and act as protectors for other, more sensitive species. In their natural habitat they rarely crowd each other, leaving plenty of gaps for sunlight to penetrate the spaces between one tree and the next, thus ensuring a healthy and varied undergrowth development. Pines grow fast and have a light wood and very straight stems which have made them popular as a commercial timber species. Logged areas can re-grow at a relatively fast speed if they are not entirely clear-cut. However, commercial logging companies are often too greedy to give nature time to regenerate. Instead, monocultural plantations are planted in straight rows over vast areas of land, for easy harvesting. Such plantations are biologically dead. The dense growth does not allow for any understorey growth to develop, as no sunlight penetrates to the plantation floor, which, at any rate is usually covered with a dense layer of acidifying needles that make it even more difficult for other species to take a hold. There are no birds or small animals in this kind of 'dead' zone and the atmosphere is the exact opposite to that of a natural pine forest. Where the latter is lofty, serene and inspirational, the plantation is oppressive, forbidding, sad and gloomy.

HISTORY, MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE:

Familiarity breeds contempt. So common are Pines that we hardly pay any attention to them at all, except, perhaps in recognizing them as a cheap and common timber species. Yet anyone who has ever hiked on a warm and sunny afternoon through a mountain forests populated with lofty pines, firs and spruces will agree that nothing compares to their fresh balsamic scent mingled with that of the soft forest floor beneath. Their resinous aroma permeates the air and each breath one takes is like sipping nectar, invigorating body and soul. It elevates the spirit, clears the mind and makes the feet move lightly along the path. With their crowns waving gently high in the sky above, they exude an air of loftiness and serenity and spread a sense of inner peace, tranquility and calm. They embody the essence of resilience and determination, the arboreal image of 'mind above matter'. Growing among rocks and stones where there is almost no soil, beaten by winds and weather, they inspire us to rise above difficulties and persist against the odds. They also show us how: the way to success is inner peace, calmness, serenity - and letting ones spirit rise to touch the sky. Those who are worn with fatigue and stress should make ample use of the refreshing and invigorating power of pines.

In folklore, Pines, Firs and Spruces are often treated as one and the same. They are indeed closely related and for most purposes can be used interchangeably. In mythology they are frequently associated with dwelling places of fairies and gnomes, and thought of as benevolent, refreshing places where tired walkers can safely rest in the protective aura of the tree. They symbolize humbleness, good fortune and prosperity , fertility and protection. Their needles stay green even through the harsh winter months, and thus their evergreen nature has been interpreted as a sign of their vitality. In the olden days, farmers sought to transfer this vital force and its protective powers to their barns and stables by sweeping them with brushes wound from Pine twigs and pinning some above the doors as well. They were thought to ward off witchcraft and protect house and cattle from misfortune, disease and even lightning. In Germany a modern practice echoes this belief. Once the foundations of a new building are laid, the raw structure is crowned with a decorated pine tree, to attract protection and prosperity.

Once upon a time, when winter supplies tended to be much sparser than they are nowadays, the nut-filled pinecones were a very welcome and important source of food. Perhaps the multitude of seeds inspired their association with fertility, prosperity and aphrodisiac powers. It was hoped that this property was transferred by means of sympathetic magic as cattle and children were lightly spanked with the twigs. The apparent life force of Evergreens was especially welcome in the depth of winter, when they alone hold the promise of life's continuity. Pine branches or logs (Yule logs) were decorated and brought into the house to provide light and warmth and to serve as a reminder of the immortal life force. The church tried to suppress such customs but eventually could not keep them at bay. The modern Christmas tree is a novel invention, only a few hundred years old but ties directly to previous pagan customs that celebrated the tree of life.

In ancient Roman mythology Pines were sacred to Attis, the lover of the earth goddess Cybele, who was gored by a boar. After his death he was changed into a Pine tree. At his festival, which was held at the spring equinox, a pine tree was cut and brought into the sanctuary of the goddess. The trunk was prepared like a corpse and decked out with flowers. Tied to it was an effigy of a young man, the image of Attis prior to his mishap. For two days the crowds lamented his death and on the third day of celebrations the priests would offer a blood sacrifice by cutting their own arms. The accompanying music was said to drive the crowds into a frenzy and several of the worshippers would offer blood sacrifices of their own, even to the point of imitating the emasculation of their God, by cutting off their own genitals. Blood and semen are the sacred fluids of life. By offering these to the Earth Goddess it was hoped that the life force (Attis) would be resurrected and thus the fertility of the Goddess restored.

Attis is identified with Adonis and other vegetation gods of the Mediterranean basin such as Tammuz, Dionysos and Osiris with whom he shares his fate and mysteries. His cult originates in Asia Minor but soon developed a widespread following throughout the region, even spreading to Greece and Rome. Similar rituals intended to restore the fertility of vegetation deities throughout the world frequently required a blood sacrifice as part of the grueling ceremony. The reason for this seems to be that these religious rites were essentially acts of sympathetic magic in which the worshippers imitated the course of nature. To grow corn it is first necessary to slay the corn-spirit (harvest), to break up his body and bury it in the life-restoring earth-womb. The spring rites of the resurrected life-force were nothing other than a ritual enactment of these mysteries of life. Later the actual sacrifice was substituted with symbolic offerings, much as the transmutation of Christs body into bread and wine at the catholic mass is now substituted with rice paper. Christ is but the latest incarnation of these ancient deities who signify the cycle of the life-force with its annual rhythm of life, death and resurrection each year at the Spring Equinox (Easter). There are numerous similarities between these ancient cults and the latest modern version, which gives indeed much cause to ponder. In fact, when the Spaniards first arrived in the New World and witnessed one such ceremony of the Aztecs they felt that the similarities between their own and this alien ceremony were so cunningly similar that the Aztecs must have devised it merely as a mockery of their own Christian ritual.

There are several suggestions to link the Attis/Dionysus figure to the pine tree. It seems the most obvious one is the evergreen, immortal nature of pine. In Lebanon the same rites were celebrated, but here the sacred tree was the cedar, as the local symbol of immortal life. Also, both cedars and pines bear phallus shaped cones and the multitude of edible Pine nuts provides further suggestive symbolic imagery. The sacred cedar/pine forests where the rites were celebrated were said to burst into flower at spring equinox, their forest floor being covered by red anemone (Adonis sp.), which were thought to spring directly from the blood spill of the hero/god. Although the Latin name for anemone is Adonis some people believe that the frenzied ritual was induced by fly agaric mushrooms, which would also grow among the pines and cedars, and with their red caps might also allude to the hero's blood. While it is entirely possible and indeed likely that some hallucinogenic substance might have been used in conjunction with these rites, there is not enough evidence to determine just what kind of substance was involved, for while fly agarics may be found among the pines it is another question whether it would make its appearance at Spring Equinox. However, in Greece Dionysus is the successor of Attis/Adonis and his rites were not just associated with ordinary drunkenness, but his wine thought to have been heavily 'fortified' with a variety of other ingredients.

Folk Medicine:

Pines, like other trees were much used in so called 'transfer magic', a folk magical healing rite intended to avert ones pains and transfer them to a tree or in some cases to birds that happened to be passing over the tree. The ritual usually involved scraping a small patch of bark off the tree and placing some token such as hair or fingernails in the hole while pleading solemnly with the tree's spirit to accept ones pains. In the case of pines this practice was mostly used to transfer gouty pains and warts.

On a more modern note, the edible pine kernel (pine nut pr pinon) gave its name to the 'pineal gland', which it resembles in size and appearance. According to eastern philosophies, the pineal gland is the seat of the soul. For a long time Western medicine was mystified by it, but now it seems clear that, though very small in size, the pineal gland plays an important role in regulating individual biorhythms, in itself a rather perplexing process.

MEDICINAL USES

PARTS USED:

Needles, Inner Bark, Nuts, Resin

HARVEST TIMES:

Collect the needles on a warm and sunny spring day and dry with gentle heat. They can be kept for up to 1 yr, but protect against sunlight and store in an airtight container lest they lose their scent - and strength. Don't collect from the tops as otherwise you will stunt the tree's growth.

Kernels ripen late in the autumn in the second year. Depending on the species they can be hard to collect, either because the trees are too tall or the kernels are too small. Often the kernels drop while the cones remain on the tree. Squirrels and birds usually manage to be the most successful collectors. Only gather where there is plenty and leave plenty more than you take.

CONSTITUENTS:

Needles: high in vitamin C, sucrose

Inner Bark: Tannin, Quercetin, Phenol

Resin: Limonene, Essential Oil, Terpenes

Kernels - fatty oil

LEAVES/NEEDLES:

ACTIONS:

Externally: stimulant, anti-rheumatic, anti arthritic, antiseptic,

Internally: anti-scorbutic, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant

INDICATIONS:

In Europe the needles are the most frequently employed part of the pine. They constitute a very old home remedy that has stood the test of time. They are especially useful for afflictions of the respiratory system, such as sore throat, hoarseness, persistent cough, catarrh and bronchitis.

An infusion can be prepared by adding 10 parts of hot water to 1 part of dried needles. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Sweeten with honey. This brew is also useful for kidney and bladder afflictions.

Externally a strong decoction of the needles can be used as a bath additive, liniment for aching muscles, rheumatic pains and neuralgia or as a steam bath for respiratory conditions. The decoction is made by adding 4 handfuls of needles to 1 liter of water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 min. Be sure to cover the pot, as the essential oil of pine is very volatile and likely to escape unless restrained. Strain and add to the bathwater. This is one of the most wonderful blessings of the plant devas to help us cope with our stressful modern lifestyles. It is soothing and refreshing, stimulating yet relaxing. Especially recommended for burn-out syndrome, stress, nervous conditions, muscle aches and pains, neuralgia, headache and all congestive respiratory conditions especially when these are accompanied by fever. The same decoction can be applied as a liniment directly to sore muscles, aches and pains. A favorite old home remedy is pine honey, which is a strengthening, restorative sweetener that helps to loosen coughs and respiratory catarrh. It is prepared by boiling 1kg fresh pine or fir shoots in 4 liter of water. Leave covered to stand for 2 days, strain through a linen cloth. Add 1 lb of raw sugar and 1 jar of honey to the liquid and simmer until thick. Fill into jars while it is still warm.

INNER BARK

ACTIONS:

Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic,

INDICATIONS:

While Europeans mainly used the needles for medicinal purposes, North American Indians also used the inner bark. They would soak strips of inner bark in water until it became soft and could be applied to wounds, sores, ulcers and burns, which healed without becoming infected. They also used the pitch to make healing ointments and salves.

KERNELS:

Dioscurides recommends pine kernels and cucumber seeds taken with sweet wine to cleanse the blood and kidneys, and the fresh cones simmered in sweet wine as a remedy against persistent cough and 'falling sickness'. The pine nuts also have a longstanding reputation as an effective aphrodisiac. (see below).

AROMATHERAPY:

The essential oil of Pine is produced by dry distillation of the heartwood, needles and twigs, which yield a light, yellow, strongly aromatic oil with the characteristic pine aroma. It is one of the most popular (and cheapest) essential oils, and is a standby home remedy, popularly used for steam bath inhalations to remedy respiratory catarrh and congestion. Added to the bathwater it stimulates the circulation and acts soothing on the nervous system. Pine oil is both refreshing and relaxing and makes one of the best counter remedies for stress, fatigue and the modern malady of 'burn out', especially when accompanied by a cold or flu. Externally, its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory action also makes it useful for cuts and sores. For muscle aches or rheumatic pains the oil can be added to a base such as almond oil and massaged into the aching parts. Pine is a high note fragrance which means it is very volatile and its essence easily 'flies off the top'. It can be captured by a 'heavy' balsamic base such as Benzoin.

APHRODISIAC:

Perhaps it is the multitude of seeds produced or perhaps it is the suggestive shape of the cones, which gave the pines their aphrodisiac reputation. Most modern sources suggest delicious pine dishes as an appetizer for love-making. The ancients too knew of this stimulating property of pine though they did not rely on the stomach as a transmitter, as this would necessitate eating the seeds for 3 days in a row before testing their strength. Instead, a decoction made of the still green seeds should be used as a douche to wash the 'private parts' (of the female in this case). According to Matthiolus this was said to work instantly by 'making them tighter and more sensitive'. A recipe from India from 1500 has a similar recommendation, though here it is pine bark that is to be decocted, along with cumin and stamen of lotus flowers, to achieve the same effect.

CULINARY USES:

Pine kernels are very restorative and fortifying. They are an excellent addition to the diet during convalescence, though can be equally enjoyed at any other time, added to Muesli or baked into cakes. Pine nuts and Basil leaves are a particularly wonderful combination.

RECIPES:

Pine Nut Pesto

• 4oz of fresh Basil leaves
• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1oz of pine kernels
• olive oil

Place the Basil and Garlic into a food processor and grind into a paste. Add Olive Oil and Parmesan cheese and stir till smooth. Lightly toast the pine kernels and add them to the mix. Add salt to season.

Pine Nut Soup

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• pine nuts
• mushrooms
• milk
• cream fresh
• basil
• chillie pepper

Sautee onion, add mushrooms, grind pine nuts, chili, garlic and salt into a paste and add milk to make it just runny, add to the mushrooms and onion, add a little vegetable bouillon powder and gradually pour in water to make desired soup consistency. Chop basil small and stir into soup, take off flame and refine with a spoon of crème fraiche.

Pine Needle Honey

A favorite old home remedy is the pine honey, which is a medicinally useful strengthening, restorative sweetener that helps to loosen coughs and respiratory catarrh. It is prepared by boiling 1kg fresh pine or fir shoots in 4 liter of water. Leave covered to stand for 2 days, strain through a linen cloth. Add 1 lb of raw sugar and 1 jar of honey to the liquid and simmer until thick. Fill into jars while it is still warm.

GENERAL USES

Building:

Pinewood is one of the most important timber species, valued for its straight growth and fine grain. Much commercial pinewood is derived from commercial plantations and thus thought to be 'a sustainable resource' Their fast growth rate and resilience to adverse climatic conditions all add to their popular demand. However, pine plantations are ecologically 'dead'. They are dark and oppressive places and nothing grows or flourishes between them, not even birds or deer find comfort in their midst. Although it is obvious that we cannot do without wood for all its manifold uses, perhaps we ought to consider different, non-monocultural methods (e.g. coppicing=managed woodlands) of cultivation along with wood alternatives where possible.

Paper:

Pine wood is still one of the most important sources of fibre for the production of paper pulp - a terrible waste, considering the length of time required for a tree to grow to a reasonable size. Moreover, there are many plants that could be used as an alternative, with shorter growing cycles, just as serviceable as a source of paper pulp and with much less toxic by-products.

Turpentine:

Pine also is the original source of turpentine, which is commercially very important as a solvent for waxes, fats, resins, coutchouc, sulphur and phosphorus, much used in the production of emulsions, paints and varnishes. Industrial Pine oil (produced under pressure as opposed to the essential oil, which is produced by distillation) is used to make non-glossy paints to give a 'flattening' effect and facilitate an easy flow under of the brush. Turpentine is produced by distillation of the resin. The crude residue left after distillation of the oil is known as Colophony or Rosin, deriving its name from the city of Kolophon in Lybia, which was noted for its high quality resin. It is now mostly produced in Portugal and is chiefly used by violinists for rubbing the bow. Formerly Rosin was also known as Brewer's Pitch and used to coat the inside of beer casks.

Dendrochronology:

Observations of the Ponderosa Pine of the Southwestern US have led to the discovery of dendrochronology - determining age by examination of tree growth rings. Andrew Elliott Douglas, an astronomer traveling through Northern Arizona in 1904 used the method to date the construction of Anasazi ruins in the Southwestern US. Since then it has been much employed to track changes in climate and the varying composition of atmospheric gases over the past 7000, which has helped to illuminate questions surrounding global warming.

Veterinary Medicine:

Tar-water has been used as a remedy for horses suffering from chronic cough and also as an external rubefacient and anti-septic. Internally it is used as a vermifuge.

Incense:

Although the balsamic aroma of pine resin and the fresh scent of the needles suggest possibilities for a fine incense, this unfortunately, is not always the case. The incense potential varies greatly between species. While some are indeed beautiful others can be distinctly unpleasant when burned. Pinon (P. edulis) and Ponderosa pine make notable exceptions; both their resin and needles have a very pleasant smell. The scent of burning pinon wood is delicious as anyone who has traveled in New Mexico during the winter months can attest; its sweet aroma hangs over all the dwelling places, infusing the air with its warm, inviting scent. In the mountains of Guatemala a local pine species is heavily used as incense. Its resin is mixed with sawdust and formed into little cakes, which are stacked and wrapped in corn husks. These play an important role in ceremonial offerings as the medium by which prayers are taken to the Gods. Generally speaking though, the closely related spruces and firs tend to make better candidates for incense materials.

Insect and Vermin Repellent:

The tar/turpentine can be used as an application against lice. Indians used it to stuff mattresses to repel lice and fleas.

Cosmetics:

Essential oil of Pine is an important fragrance additive in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and toiletries.

Dyes:

Pine Cones + Alum yield a rich orange dye. Best results are obtained with fresh plant material.

Guest feature:

We are proud to present another guest feature. This one deal with a precious medicinal plant that faces extinction lest action is taken to protect it.

The article has been submitted by Dr Deepak Acharya, Anshu Shrivastava and Garima Sancheti) email: deepak@sristi.org

Introduction: Gymnema sylvestre - Boosts Your Insulin

In the following article, we will discuss the enumeration, medicinal value and conservation strategy for Gymnema sylvestre. The medicinal value of the plants is based on the information obtained from the tribals viz., Bharias and Gonds of Patalkot valley, and information retrieved from the internet and other libraries. The aim of this article is to make people aware of the herbal heritage of Patalkot. This is an attempt to inspire people to conserve the virgin land and its natives.

Location Profile:

Chhindwara district lies between latitude 21°23' and 22°49' north and longitude 78°10' and 79°24' east. Dense forest covers most of the area of the district. Patalkot is a lovely landscape located at the altitude of 1200-1500 feet in a valley near Tamia in the north of the district. Because of the great depth at which it is located, this place is christened as 'Patalkot' ('Patal means very deep, in Sanskrit). Patalkot is spread over an area of 79 Sq.Km. at an average altitude of 2750-3250 feet above Mean Sea Level. It is a treasury of forest and herbal wealth. There are 12 villages and 13 hamlets in this valley, with a total population of nearly 2000. Because of the inaccessibility of this area, the tribals of this region were totally cut off from the civilized world. Most of the people in Patalkot belong to 'Bharia' and 'Gond' tribes. This valley is situated on the Satpura plateau in the southern central part of the Madhya Pradesh.

During the survey, which was carried out from 1997 to 2004, Dr Acharya explored the area of Patalkot valley that includes- Gaildubbha, Karayam Rathed, Ghatlinga, Gudichhathri, Karrapani, Tamia Bharia Dhana, Bijauri, Pandu Piparia, Sajkui, Lahgadua, karrapani, Sidhouli.

All the co-authors of this article were involved in gathering information from various resources such as the Internet, University Libraries and oral information from traditional healers of their respective regions.

Why we select this plant?

Plants have been source of medicine since ancient times. Thousands of books and articles have been written so far. Several thousands of medicinal plants are discussed and used to cure various health disorders in India and abroad also. In India, almost 45000 plant species are growing naturally or being cultivated. There are many popular Indian herbs used in traditional practices to cure diabetes. Gymnema sylvestre has an important place among such antidiabetic medicinal herbs. It has shown experimental or clinical anti-diabetic activity {1} and it boosts your insulin level {2}.

During the early 1990's, this marvelous herb was found in abundance in Patalkot valley. But as it is a climber it could not survive well after the deforestation and cutting down of the big trees.

Nowadays, this herb is becoming rare in this valley. It prompted us to write an article and make it an issue so that, conservationists, botanists and NGO's may come forward to rescue and save this plant in the valley.

Plant Profile:

Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) Schultes in Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg. 6: 57. 1820; Wight, Ic. 2 (1): 3. t. 349. 1840; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India 4: 29. 1883; Duthie, Fl. Upper Gang. Pl. 2: 53. 1911; Jagtap & Singh in Fl. India Fasc. 24: 89. 1999. Periploca sylvestris Retz. Obs. Bot. 2: 15. 1781.

Synonyms :

Periploca sylvestris Willd., Gymnema melicida Edgew.

Family:

Asclepiadaceae

English Name:

Suger destroyer, Periploca of the the woods.

Sanskrit names:

Ajaballi, Ajagandini, Ajashringi, Bahalchakshu, Chakshurabahala, Grihadruma, Karnika, Kshinavartta, Madhunasini, Medhasingi, Meshashringi, Meshavishanika, Netaushadhi, Putrashringi, Sarpadanshtrika, Tiktadughdha, Vishani.

Local Names in India:

Hindi- Gur-mar, merasingi; Bengali- Mera-singi; Marathi- Kavali, kalikardori, vakundi; Gujarati- Dhuleti, mardashingi; Telugu- Podapatri; Tamil- Adigam, cherukurinja; Kannada- Sannager-asehambu; Malyalam- Cakkarakkolli, Madhunashini;

Taxonomic Description:

Extensive, much-branched, twining shrubs. Leaves 3-6 x 2-3 cm, ovate or elliptic-oblong, apiculate, rounded at base, sub-coriaceous. Flowers minute, greenish-yellow, spirally arranged in lateral pedunculate or nearly sessile cymes. Corolla lobes imbricate. Follicles solitary, upto 8 x 0.7 cm, terete, lanceolate, straight or slightly curved, glabrous. Seeds ovate-oblong, glabrous, winged, brown. Flowering: August-March; Fruiting: Winter.

Habitat:

Grows wild in forest as a climber also found in the plains from the coast, in scrub jungles and in thickets; wild.

Distribution in India:

It is occurring in Bihar, Central India, Western Ghats, and Konkan.

Distribution in Patalkot:

Gaildubba, Harra-ka-Char, Kareyam, Raja khoh, Sajkui etc.

Medicinal Property:

The plant is stomachic, stimulant, laxative and diuretic. It is good for cough, biliousness and sore eyes. If the leaves of the plant are chewed, the sense of taste for sweet and bitter substances is suppressed (Gent, 1999, Persaud et al., 1999, Intelegen, 2004). The leaves are said to be used as a remedy for diabetes (Prakash et al., 1986; Shanmugasundaram et al., 1990; Grover et al., 2002; Gholap & Kar, 2003}. It has been included among the most important herbs for all doshas (Mhasker & Caius, 1930; Holistic, 2004). It has shown effective activity against Bacillus pumilis, B. subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus (Satdive et al., 2003). Tribals in Chhindi rub the leaves on affected body parts to cure infections.

The leaf powder is tasteless with a faint pleasant aromatic odour. It stimulates the heart and the circulatory system, increases the secretion of urine, and activates the uterus. Tribals of Central India prepare decoctions of Methi/ fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), Gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Ajwan (Trachyspermum ammi), gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), vayu-vidanga (Embelia ribes), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Harra (Terminalia chebula), and chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica) to cure diabetes and stress related disorders.

Traditional healers from diverse parts of India use this plant in various ailments. The leaf is given in gastric troubles in Rajasthan. Traditional healers of Maharastra prescribe it in urinary problems and stomach-ache whereas in Madhya Pradesh, tribals and local healers apply the leaf extract in cornea opacity and other eye diseases. In Andhra Pradesh it is used in glycosuria.

Gymnema in Vedas:

According to Charak Samhita, it removes bad odour from breast milk. It is aperitive. This plant is useful as purgative, in eye troubles. The leaf extract and flower is beneficial for eyes. Bark is given in the diseases caused by vitiated kapha (phlegm). According the Bagbhat, the rootbark is useful in piles. According to the Ayurveda it is acrid, alexipharmic, anodyne, anthelmintic, antipyretic, a