St. John’s Wort has evolved over millennia to capture the ultimate expression of sunlight on our planet and turn it into the molecule hypericin, which has numerous profound effects on our human bodies.
Find our St. John’s Wort Oil & check out my teacher Kami McBride’s course Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils.
From deep nerve healing, relaxation, and pain relief when applied externally to its antidepressant, antiviral, and liver supportive properties when taken internally, SJW has always occupied an exalted place in the medicine cabinet of the ancestral humans who were lucky enough to live where it grew, and is one of the most used and loved herbal medicines in the world today.
IN THIS EPISODE:
St. John’s Wort acts as an extension of sunlight
The endless external uses include the healing of wounds, bruises, burns, blisters, cuts, eczema, growing pains, inflamed skin, muscle pain, nerve pain, neck tension, spasms, back pain, neuralgia, sciatica, insomnia, anxiety, and stress
The oil is indispensable for menstrual pain, pregnancy, postpartum, babies, children, elders, empaths, and highly sensitive people
Photosensitivity, precancerous skin cells, and using SJW as sunscreen
Internal uses: notes on the antidepressant, antiviral, and liver supportive effects (including my shingles story)
Hypericum feeds our inner radiance and summons forth our purpose and power
This ancient herb has always been associated with fairies and other magical beings
How empire co-opted pagan rituals and herbal practices
The widespread ritual use of St. John’s Wort as a protective herb
A word on wildcrafting and non-natives v invasives
Making your own high potency, shelf stable herbal oils
Herbal medicine is so simple, yet also endlessly complex
Kami McBride speaks about St. John’s Wort
RESOURCES:
Mythic Medicinals St. John’s Wort Oil
Medicine Stories Patreon (patrons can download Rosalee’s ebook here)
Cute, short video showcasing our St. John’s Wort garden
Learn to Make Your Own Herbal Oils:
Kami McBride’s Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils online course
My video Sneak Peak at the Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils online course from Kami McBride
Previous Episodes & Books Mentioned:
Kami McBride Healing Herbal Oils: How to Make and Use Them
Lola Pickett Highly Sensitive People are the Psychedelic Plants of the Human Realm
Nadine Artemis Harvesting Light: the Alchemy of Sun & Human
Rosalee de la Foret Wild Remedies: Tending Relationships with the Land Around Us
Sajah Popham True Holistic Healing: Bridging Plant & Human Consciousness
Sajah Popham Called to the Plant Path: Herbal Myths, Healing Forward, and Human Ecology
The article Feeding Your Inner Sun with St. John’s Wort from The School for Evolutionary Herbalism
Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine by Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han
The Untold History of Healing: Plant Lore and Medicinal Magic from the Stone Age to Present by Wolf D. Storl
The Herbal Lore of Wise Women and Wortcunners: The Healing Power of Medicinal Plants by Wolf D. Storl
A Modern Herbal II by Maude Grieve
The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More Than 130 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies by Michael Castleman
More Good Stuff:
Kathi Keville’s website
My website MythicMedicine.love
Take our fun quiz Which Healing Herb Matches Your Energy?
Medicine Stories Facebook group
Mythic Medicine on Instagram
Music by Mariee Siou (from her beautiful song Wild Eyes)
