Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
My Story
Why I Became a Herbalist
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 16 years old. After a couple of years in and out of hospital in various states of crisis, taking steroids and trying to work in my remissions, I discovered the demulcent herb Comfrey.
Within 2 weeks of taking Comfrey all my pain had ceased, my ability to eat and subsequent energy returned and I was back on the road to health.
This obviously made a lasting impression on me and I started to teach myself everything I could about this fascinating subject from books and became a lay herbalist.
However, the Crohn’s continued to flare up occasionally whenever I reached a prolonged period of extreme emotional stress. In 1997, I had an acute intestinal obstruction and had 4 foot of my large bowel removed. I had refused to believe that it was a relapse of the Crohn’s because I was so terrified of hospitals, and so it remained untreated.
This denial led to such a monumental error of judgement on my part that I made the decision to study herbal medicine at a professional level. After a long and convoluted path I arrived at the Scottish School and attained my goal.
Why the Ziggurat?
What do you see first,
the leaf or the Ziggurat?
To me, there’s something magical about Nature. When I am in my garden or the countryside surrounded by plants and wildlife, I feel more alive, more present, more grounded and a sense of peace soothes my troubles away.
Ziggurats are a type of stepped temple built by the ancient Mesopotamians. They reflect the universal archetype of the Sacred Mountain, the purpose of which is to link Heaven and Earth, or Spirit and Matter. This symbology can also be seen in the Mayan pyramids and the spiral Tors (sacred hills) found in Britain.
What I really want to do is bring the sacred into everyday life; to be able to stay in touch with that magic. So, in my business, I’d like to help people re-connect to Nature, revere our Planet Earth and to bring that innate healing power of transformation into everyone’s lives.
The Bees
I love bees. I’ve included one in my logo because they are an obvious link between the plant and animal kingdoms. They are ecologically vital as pollinators and possibly because of this they have a rich history in folklore and myth of being sacred. My father was a beekeeper and I grew up associating the scent of honey and propolis with him. Although I’m aware of the many therapeutic products from the hive, I am actually a vegan and believe that the bees, especially in their current crisis, would benefit highly from being left undisturbed. Planting organic bee-friendly herbs and flowers and leaving skeps to make homes in would help to increase their numbers in the wild.
Love this photo? Greetings cards will be available for sale soon.