Herbalism: A New Era (Coronavirus)

A bioregional herbalist’s look at the Coronavirus (CoV 2019) and important herbs to consider prior to and during exposure

Note: July 7, 2023

Although I’ve been meaning to write an update to this entry for many, many months the opportunity evaded me (see last update to this article below from 3/2023). Suffice to say, my thoughts are very different now and have been for quite some time. Sadly, there simply hasn’t been all the time to write that I’ve needed (but checkout my Substack where I publish any writings first).

I simply add here that much of what I’ve written here regarding the so-called coronavirus, I no longer find to be relevant. But I will leave it all up for now as a testament to one’s right to change one’s mind upon discovering new information, or more importantly, having the courage of one’s convictions while accepting only what one feels to be true based on the information provided.

Simply put, I no longer believe in the theory of viral contagion. There was always a question, but I felt myself too inexperienced and uneducated to form such an opinion. Thanks to those who are more educated than myself who spoke the truth, I was able to accept my own thoughts and feelings on the subject while expanding my mind, simultaneously.

I thank the likes of Dr. Tom Cowan, Dr. Andrew Kauffman, Dr. Stefan Lanka, Drs. Sam and Mark Bailey, and many others for helping educate myself and the public at large about the extended fraud of virology.

In the end, I am a Vitalist and have been for many years. I am only now more fully a Vitalist in my thoughts and actions. I believe in the inherent integrity of the organism and the body’s ability to maintain that integrity under optimal internal conditions. Blessings to all - John

Updated: April 20, 2020

March 23, 2022: Despite going through a considerable transformation in how I view disease and illness (not so much has changed as to how I really understand herbs as agents of healing), I am leaving this post as it stands for reflection. I intend to write new posts (too many have been composed but never written) soon to convey the direction of my thoughts.

Mexican elder (Sambucus mexicana, syn. S. canadensis, subsp. nigra)

Scroll Down to view a Virtual Plant Walk with John in the Sonoran Desert for a discussion of herbs used for SARS CoV-2

Although there are great concerns across the land at this time, I feel this is a tremendous opportunity for growth. Allow me to explain my thoughts.

I've been focused on utilizing local plants for healing for over 2 decades now and at no time has the interest ever been greater. I would dare say that the interest has grown exponentially over the past 4-5 years. Yet we may be at the very beginning of a whole new wave of interest in herbal medicine.

Now, with this emerging pandemic virus we are in an entirely new scenario, at least in North America, and it's going to change a lot of how we interact with the world around us.

I feel that this virus provides a perfect opportunity for growth into a greater appreciation of herbal medicine. And not just that - a greater appreciation of our local resources, as we are now going to be forced to stay closer to home whether that means school is closed, travel is limited, personal illness, or a conscious decision to self-quarantine in order to slow the spread and "flatten the curve".

Part of why I say this is due to the fact that there is no conventional treatment available for coronavirus at this time, and it will doubtfully come available any time soon. This is not a judgement of the effectiveness of intended medications. This is simply an echo of what's already been stated by the CDC. The medicine, or vaccine, simply doesn't exist. Whether or not they would be valuable (or not cause greater injury to some) is another matter entirely.

But what of our herbal allies? Can we really rely on them for a pandemic virus? I mean, herbs are great and all, but do they really work for such a thing??

I believe this will be the time for medicinal herbs to shine.

Herbalist Stephen Buhner published Herbal Antivirals in 2013. This book has been purchased by many people, but very few have had the prescience to take some of it to heart. I feel that Stephen’s extensive research into the pathophysiology of viruses (and bacteria in another book) highlight the interdependence of life on this planet and the inevitably of us mingling, mortally, while also bringing forth concepts from medical literature research that allows us to see the simple connections for using certain herbs. Admittedly, many of them I wouldn’t have found or understood without this research. This is one way of accessing and rounding out our knowledge about herbs. We are able to pull in information from different sources, amalgamating them within the heart.

Buhner wrote about SARS and coronaviruses in Herbal Antivirals (pg. 54-58) in 2013. After extensive research, and experience with herbs, Buhner details a sophisticated herbal approach to coronavirus infection (see an updated protocol HERE). The pathophysiology is complex. There are a chain of events initiated by the presence and attachment of the virus to the nasal mucous membranes (and perhaps elsewhere) that require a deeper understanding of the immune system and how the virus hijacks our immune system to turn it against ourselves. But one important thing to understand - and Buhner was the first to point this out - is that there are herbs which can help support, modulate, or stimulate the actions needed by the human body, as well as reduce, prevent, or inhibit the impacts of the coronavirus' presence in our systems, and there aren't any pharmaceuticals that can do any of this.

This isn't to say that anyone who takes these herbs won't get sick, or can't possibly die. I don't think that's true. But it does say, from my view, that these herbs are ready and able to provide the exact assistance that we'll need at this time. And I'm not the least bit surprised.

UPDATE (4/22/20): I have received several first-person accounts, very recently, from people who are taking the CV formulas for unconfirmed cases (the vast majority). These people have all stated how much better they’ve felt upon ingesting the formulas, and/or how quickly they have recovered upon ingesting the formulas at the directed dosages (or lower). Upon a flare-up of symptoms, they resume taking the formulas and the symptoms subside.

It doesn't matter whether the supply chains from offshore pharmaceutical manufacturers are disrupted or not, in this case. Even if they were, what would they have to offer?

Another related topic, which I may have to come back to in a subsequent post, is in relation to our dependence (in this country) on herbs grown in China (as several herbs in the Buhner Protocols are grown there). Fortunately, several organic farmers have taken up production of many of these herbs, but the vast amount still comes from China. We are already seeing the issues with this predicament - many of the large herbal suppliers are already out of several herbs from China with no clear expected date of replenishment. And with Chinese leaders now blaming the US Military for the initial spread of the virus, things may only get worse.

Anyone who's ever been to any of my classes or presentations knows that I've been promoting an awareness of our local resources for quite a long time. This scenario is something many of us have anticipated, but were unaware of when, or how, it may materialize. Regardless, it seems it is now upon us.

So I thought I'd take some time to write about some of the herbs that I feel will be important upon exposure to CoV-2, but first, to help put some of this in perspective, let’s take a closer look at viruses..

How Does a Virus Harm us?

First, it’s important to understand that a virus is not really alive (or is it?) in that it doesn’t possess a nucleus, like single-celled organisms (e.g. bacteria) but is simply a sophisticated collection of RNA. Just.

It’s interesting to note that a virus does very little to us, per se. It’s what the virus is able to get us to do to ourselves (once our defenses are breeched) is what leads to all the symptoms, and if severe and unregulated enough, death.

I will simplify for the purpose of expediency (and, to some extent, my limited understanding).

The current virus of concern, SARS CoV2, aka COVID 19, is believed to spread via droplets. Thus, it does not fly through the air at great distances like the chicken pox virus or measles, for example. It is believed, also, that it can remain active and viable on particular (steel, plastic, ceramic, etc), relatively cool (and out of the direct sun) surfaces for up to 9 hours. It also has an affinity for our nasal mucous membranes. This necessitates the commentary on consistent hand washing as we may touch something that the virus was deposited on (or touch something that touched something that the virus was deposited on in a public area; e.g. credit card, phone, hat, soles of shoes, etc.) and then go to touch our face (or rub our nose, touch our mouth) where the virus may easily gain entry to our mucous membrane layer of defense (some say it may enter through the eyes as well).

Once the virus has met the surfaces of our mucous membranes, it has a several step process it is engineered to engage in. This is what that looks like:

First step: Viral Attachment

A virus utilizes a sticky compound known as hemagglutinin to attach itself to the cell surface. To inhibit this action is where we get the biggest bang for our buck. This is the cellular equivalent of stopping the spread of the virus via social distancing/quarantining practices. Preventing viral attachment has huge downstream beneficial effects because if the virus can’t attach it can’t do anything.

All viruses do this, but they choose particular docking sites to attach to. Coronavirus attaches to ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme-2) proteins, first in the epithelial lining of the lungs, then it can migrate to other ACE-2 sites in the gut, kidneys, cardiovascular system.

Here, there are two ways we can protect against attachment with herbs: 1) herbs that have shown an ability to inhibit hemagglutinin (Scutellaria baicalensis, Zingiber officinale), and 2) herbs that protect ACE-2 (Glycyrrhiza, Scutellaria baicalensis, Sambucus, Aesculus hippocastanum, Polygonum cuspidatum, Rheum officinale).

Second step: Softening the Cell

In order to enter the cell (to begin hijacking the cell’s DNA), the virus must alter cell wall permeability. It does this with an enzyme - neuraminidase. This enzyme causes the cell wall’s structure to cave in to the virus (a “priming event”), essentially, inviting it in to take up roost. Once this occurs, the damage that ensues is exponential (much like the spread of a virus throughout a population).

This is where pharmaceutical attention (Oseltamavir) has been directed, understandably. Although effective, we have herbs that fulfill this role as well (Glycyrrhiza, Scutellaria baicalensis, Sambucus, Zingiber officinale, Rhodiola rosea, etc.).

Third Step: Entry and Hijacking - Proliferation

Once inside the cell, the virus is contained within a vacuole (bubble within the cell). Contained within the vacuole, it will likely be unrecognized by the innate immune complexes now circulating, looking for its genetic signature. Once again, the virus utilized hemagglutinin to open an entry point to the cell’s cytoplasm. Here it can disassemble itself into the cell causing the cell to produce copies of the viral RNA along with its toolkit of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (Scutellaria baicalensis can inhibit this release). From there, it releases these copies into the surrounding intracellular space to begin rapidly expanding throughout the tissue, performing the same sequence of tasks, cell by cell.

After a certain point, the cell dies. But by now, the flu-like symptoms have likely begun, or will rather soon. But once that happens the walls have been breached. Nonetheless, herbs can continue to assist in lessening the damage and expediting the clearance of waste products from the lungs and elsewhere.

Mexican elder leaf (Sambucus mexicana, syn. S. cerulea subsp. mexicana, syn. S. cerulea, etc.)

Given the approach I’ve taken above, I’ll continue to follow that line of thought for now and provide a brief overview of our featured herbs at each stage of the virus’ activity on and within our cells.

First Stage: Preventing Viral Attachment

The first step is to prevent attachment of the virus to the cell. Our bodies know how to do that, to some degree, already, however, we must come to terms with the fact that our vitality is not at its optimal level, whenever that’s the case, and prepare or respond accordingly.

I’d also like to mention here that Vitamin D status [25(OH)D] is an essential factor in respiratory immunity. I’ve posted some information on my facebook page recently (March 9, 10). Having levels at least at or above 30 ng/ml is crucial, but 50-80 ng/ml is optimal (for most) in my opinion. See my posts for more details (how we make it from the sun and when, etc.). This is not to be overstated. It’s more important than herbs for virus prevention.

That said, let’s look at some herbs for preventing viral attachment.

There’s two things to consider here: 1) how hemagglutinin is utilized to help the virus attach and 2) the points at which the specific virus is attaching.

1) This is where Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) are most helpful. Baikal skullcap should be part of a core protocol (as it is in Stephen Buhner’s Core CV Protocol). It can be used as a tincture. Ginger can be regularly and copiously added to foods, juices, smoothies, teas, etc. as a fresh root or dry. Ginger can also be tinctured and added to protocols. It may be more appropriate still in cases where nausea is a factor. I’m not sure though as the mechanism inducing the nausea may be different here.

Bioregional Herbalist’s Note: I have never used Baikal skullcap. I have mostly relied upon what I can find within my bioregion, or, on occasion, other bioregions that I visit. This way I ensure that I have a closer relationship with the medicine that I use. With that, I am intrigued to begin utilizing our native Scutellaria in the greater Southwest region. Not just any skullcap, but the species that are suffrutescent (herbs with woody bases) not the water-loving North American skullcap that is exclusively sold in commerce. As Baikal skullcap in commerce is just the root (and, generally, has entirely different applications that the Western skullcaps) I would like to begin utilizing the roots of our Southwestern species that fit this profile. But first, we need to begin cultivation as there isn’t enough in the wild, in my opinion, to begin gathering for just the roots.

2) ACE-2. Herbs that have been shown to have the ability to protect ACE-2 could play a crucial role here as Coronavirus is known to attach at these linkages. According to Buhner’s research, we have several herbs that fulfill this role, as mentioned above: licorice (Glycyrrhiza), Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), elder (Sambucus species), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Japanese knotweed root (Polygonum cuspidatum), Turkey rhubarb (Rheum officinale), and plants high in procyanidins and lectins (e.g. cinnamon).

Reports have also been coming in about central nervous system effects (or “neuroinvasive potential”).

Second step: Maintaining Cell Integrity

The pharmaceutical Tamiflu is targeted at this action, but we do have herbs that can work wonderfully here. Again, Buhner provides a list: Glycyrrhiza, Scutellaria baicalensis, Sambucus, Zingiber officinale, Rhodiola rosea, Isatis, Amorpha fruticosa (this herb is widespread across North America).

As this is a preventative measure, well before symptoms arise, these are herbs that can be taken prophylactically in advance of any symptoms.

Third step: Triaging - Minimizing Damage and Bolstering Immune Response

There’s an even lengthier title to this step but that will suffice. Here we’re focused on how the virus will be spreading and potentially wreaking havoc on the mucous membranes of the respiratory system (and possibly beyond that) through its hijacking of our immune system.

This is where the term “cytokine storm” may be applied. Although this is a possibility, its likelihood is low in most cases, including severe cases. This occurs due to the perfect storm of pathogenic virulence and significantly reduced host immunity.

Hopefully, I can post more on these subjects soon, but for now let’s get into discussing some of the herbs…

Take a Virtual Herb Walk with John in the Sonoran Desert

*Use password: JS20

Elder (Sambucus species)

Elder is one that is often brought up in any discussion of viruses. Not only does elder help prevent attachment through inhibition of neuraminidase, it also protects ACE-2 making it exceptionally important at the early stages of prevention and limiting the initial impact of the virus. Another aspect of elder’s effect on humoral immunity is to increase T cell production. This is important due to the virus’ effects on the dendritic cells of the lungs as the progression advances. This hinders the dendritic cells capacity to generate an adequate immune response leaving us even more vulnerable. Elder (as well as licorice and red root) can significantly improve the response.

Is elder safe to use in viral infections because of cytokine storms?

Without going into the current debates floating around the internet regarding this subject (mostly related to elderberry) let me just say “yes, it is safe”.

Let me also clarify something else. It is quite possible that any herb when given appropriately, in accordance with its known uses and applications could provoke an unwanted, undesirable, or uncomfortable symptom. That is due to several different possible causes, I feel, but the important thing to understand is that there is considerable value in recognizing that there is something that we don’t know - in any situation. Having this degree of humility and curiosity can lead to some fascinating discoveries and allows us to see and appreciate more deeply the myriad nuances of interrelationship that exist within the natural world (of which viruses, bacteria, spleens, mucous membranes, cold winds, roots of shrubs, saliva, etc are all a part).

So if you take an herb on the well-intended suggestion of a family member, friend, journal article, herbal book, or even your own personal herbalist, and it provides unwanted effects, then it is purpose for a reassessment. This is, in part, why it is referred to as a practice. No one gets it right all the time, and many people can respond in unique and unpredictable ways.

Okay, I hope that wasn’t too long-winded.

My preference, at this time, is elder leaf. I suggest elder leaf in this case due to its potent antiviral effects. This is what at least some research indicates. In practice, I find it to be true. It has benefit on its own, and it works really well in formulation (more on that later).

Nearly any herbal book that mentions elder leaf (or stem, bark, root) refers to it as being particularly toxic and it should be avoidable. Well, first of all, many toxic remedies are useful, but in this case, elder is not so toxic as it’s made out to be. Decocting (simmering as a tea) the fresh, or dry leaves of elder functionally removes the content of hydrocyanic compounds (HCN, or prussic acid) from the tea. Why is this important? Because in some individuals nausea may result even from ingesting small amounts of HCN. It’s not a good herb to do an herbal steam with as the volatile acids vaporize into the air above the simmering tea and you don’t really want to inhale that. Instead, simmer the herb for 30 minutes, with the lid closed, then remove the lid and allow to simmer on low-medium heat for another 2-3 hours until the initial volume of tea is reduced by half.

Here are some ratios:

4oz fresh elder leaf, coarsely chopped

64oz (half gallon) of filtered water (tap water works, too)

(1:16)

Simmer down until there’s only 32oz of liquid left.

This concentrated tea can be taken internally in small servings of 1/4 tsp-4oz, as needed.

Additionally, one can preserve it by adding 25% alcohol, which, in this case, would be 8oz of 95% ethyl alcohol (e.g. Everclear) bringing the total volume to 40oz. This “decocted tincture” can be taken at doses of 1ml to 1-2oz in severe, acute infections, or, again, as part of a broader formulation.

So the only real difference is that the decocted elder leaf tincture should not produce nausea in anyone, whereas the fresh leaf tincture could possibly do so. Additionally, the fresh leaf tincture may prove useful as a cough relaxant due to the effects of the HCN. So that’ll be missing in the decocted tincture, but that’s okay. We can use herbs like passionflower, lobelia, California poppy, or maybe elecampane in those cases.

I would also consider using the flower, in tea, especially in cases of fever with clear signs of irritability, redness, and perhaps dry skin. The cooling, relaxing properties of elder come across clearly in a hot tea. Interestingly, the fresh leaf of elder (and in its tincture form) is also diaphoretic - more decidedly so, in my opinion, than the flower.

Where to Find Elder

Fortunately, elder can be found throughout North, Central, & South America, Europe, most of Asia, South Africa, the Hawaiian islands, SE Asia, and SE Australia. Right now, mid-spring elder is fully leafed out and beginning to flower in our area (southern Arizona), and will be leafing out soon over the rest of North America and elsewhere. In our region, look to moist places. Elder is often an understory tree/shrub accompanies by mesquite, black walnut, canyon hackberry, black willow, ash, or perhaps soapberry. It is one of the first trees to leaf out in the winter here, but will stay leafed out throughout the mildest winters.

Mexican elder (left) together with black willow (right)

As one heads up the mountains in our region other species of elder are encountered. These will flower much later and produce fruit in late August (lower elevation elders fruit late June before the rains arrive).

I am not recommending elderberry for what’s going around right now, but I’m not particularly concerned about cytokine storms either. I just don’t think that elderberry will do much here. That’s my seasoned opinion.

I would consider, however, a multi-fractional combo with elder leaf, flower, and berry (but only if you have all 3 on hand at this time) where one would perhaps decocted the leaf and berry together, then add the flower to the hot tea once it’s been removed from heat allowing to sit covered for 1 to several hours before straining. Next one could add 25% alcohol (or the tincture of another plant, such as yerba mansa or yerba santa [I’m getting creative]) to stabilize the decocted tea. You could also add about 25% wildflower honey to aid in preservation as well as provide some throat soothing properties. I’m trying to show you that you can alter and modify to some degree - ultimately in relation to what you have on hand (something that we’re all going to have to become much better at really soon).

This concoction can be taken daily as a preventative and can be taken in acute infection a higher dosages (as above).

Another word about elder leaves…they can be used as a poultice wherever aching pains are experienced (this could result from some feverish conditions). Mash the leaves somewhat then apply directly, cool, if the pain is hot (probably more likely), or steam heat the leaves first and cover upon application to relieve chilled pains.

There is so much more to say about elder, but remember it helps prevent the virus from being able to attach to the cell, it augments immunity once the virus hijacks the cell and attempts to unhinge the innate immune response, and it protects ACE-2 sites (where the SARS virus has been known to attach). Overall, it will help this feel a lot less severe.

*See Resources section below for where you can purchase.

As I write this (over the span of days by now), I am continually being exposed to new information as this develops across the globe. The information release is rapidly accelerating, exponentially (similar to viral replication). Interesting information from Germany (taken from THIS ARTICLE) states that viral replication is taking place in the upper respiratory tract tissues, not just the lungs. I had suspected this was true upon hearing one report so far. Now it is confirmed. Unlike previous SARS-CoV, which was primarily in the lower respiratory tract (as well as the initial reports from the outbreak in China), we are now seeing viral replication in the upper respiratory tract (nasal membranes, sinuses, throat, perhaps trachea).

This leads us to what I feel can be another important therapy this is easily accessible throughout the Southwestern desert regions.

Chaparral, aka creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) in bloom, with seedpods

Chaparral (Larrea tridentata) is a broadly acting antimicrobial, antifungal, and most importantly here, antiviral agent. What I’d like to focus on is the steam inhalation. Gathering up a large amount of leaves and young stems (use generous amounts if the plant is abundant and easily accessible near you), add them to cold water in a pot of 6-10 qt and begin to set to boil. Allow to boil for 10-15 minutes, then turn off and let sit another 10-15 minutes. Bring the pot to a table (with something underneath as it’s still hot) and get ready to sit at the pot with a towel held overhead once the lid is removed. Stay under the towel for at least 2-3 minutes taking deep breaths. Close the lid and rinse the face with cold water, enhancing this hydrotherapy. Repeat 3 times to complete 4 rounds. This can be done 1-2 times a day as a preventative (viral replication can be taking place prior to any symptoms) and several times a day during acute stages of infection (Day 3/6-14).

Additionally, 2-4oz of the tea can be taken internally to aid in clearing dampness from the lungs (evident by belabored breathing). If body aches are present, then pour the hot tea into the bath tub and draw a hot bath to cover the affected parts of the body once finished with the steam. Repeat as needed.

*See Resources section below for where you can purchase.

Chloroquine

Earlier this week, Elon Musk tweeted about chloroquine. Then Mr. Trump extolled its virtues. Now the University of Minnesota is performing a controlled study on the possible benefits of this age-old pharmaceutical. Those who are in the trial are to show no symptoms currently, yet have been exposed to a confirmed contagious source. The control group gets a vitamin.

Chloroquine is an interesting compound, and for herbalists, it harkens back to the time of the British army utilizing this remedy to establish its colonial strongholds across the tropical belt of the planet. Many a British soldier developed tinnitus then went deaf due to this treatment.

More recently, several COVID patients in France were treated with a cocktail which included chloroquine. Several were revitalized using this therapy, and quickly, so it has gone to testing.

It’s unsure what the mechanism of action may be, however, it’s understood that it is some other action than that which protects the cell’s hemoglobin in malarial disease. Although this is a valuable medicine, this is something other than what this virus is presenting with. However, one theory is that chloroquine is somehow disrupting the endosomic pH making it more difficult for the virus to hijack a cell. But this is clearly conjecture at this stage. Even at that, it’s not believed by many that chloroquine unto itself will be able to arrest the spread of COVID 2019.

All that said, there is the herb cinchona bark (from which quinine is derived) to be considered. But I’m more interested in some of the other members of the Simaroubaceae such as Ailanthus, or tree of heaven.

This cosmopolitan tree is found in the old mining towns of Arizona, Midwestern vacant lots, urban parks on the east coast, or Chinese gardens in southern California - it has a wide distribution. Ailanthus, like other Simaroubaceae, possess a class of alkaloids called quassinoids which are known to be anticarcinogenic as well as antiviral. In my experience, a tea of the inner bark of Ailanthus is mildly expectorant and surprising demulcent. Ailanthus has been shown effective against Plasmodium, and is an ACE-2 inhibitor, and can alleviate asthma enhancing chi in the lungs and may also inhibit TH2.

See Resources section below for where you can purchase.

Where I Stand Currently (Treatment, Prophylaxis, How to Proceed)

As I continue to process information that is streaming in I remain confident that plants are our allies and will help see us through this.

I also remain confident that remaining calm will be essential to keeping a clear mind in order to make appropriate decisions for ourselves, families, and communities (sometimes, or at some point, we will be forced to do this very quickly).

I see that it’s imperative that we organize ourselves around our local resources - natural and material resources, skilled laborers, food growers, people familiar with logistical organization, community healers, nurses, good listeners, organizers, and on and on - in order to be prepared should our way of life begin to shift suddenly and significantly (as it already has). If we are not sufficiently or properly organized, we will suffer more for it and become destabilized in a similar way that our immune system stumbles once the virus hijacks our cells’ own immune response to serve its own needs and agenda.

I am less confident in the particular virulence of this organism, overall, as I was even a week ago (statement date 3/23/20), and even more suspicious about the origin of this virus.

Although social distancing seems a very rational approach to prevent the rapid spread of this illness and “flatten the curve” the economic impacts (I am beginning to see over the past 3-4 days) will be absolutely devastating to our society. This does not appear to be a sustainable option and I feel that there are ways to effectively address this pandemic without closing schools and so many businesses where people congregate and where the local economy is kept afloat. Given the multitude of ways we seem entirely unprepared for this (lacking medical supplies, “no proven therapies” (doesn’t appear to be true, very limited to no testing available, and the vulnerability of nearly the entire medical establishment) it also seems that we are at the mercy of whatever mandates are given to us and we shall wait for our orders. However, I feel that we can change this around.

I have been recommending that people take this initial time of social distancing and voluntary quarantining as a means to go within and look at our own internal resources. To find that connection to who we really are. Spending time in Nature is a wonderful way to accomplish this as well as rejuvenate ourselves. We can mend our immune systems while connecting with that inner voice, our own knowing and inspiration that many may call our spiritual side. At this time, I feel this is very important, essential even, as our entire way of life is being challenged.

Yes, our way of life has many things that need to change, but please don’t let that distract you now. What is challenging us now is far greater than any of these problems. If we turn within, and turn to Mother Nature, I feel that each of us will find our necessary inspiration - our orders for the day. Then it’s our mission, should we choose to accept it.

Given the vast array of talents and abilities we all possess (some known, many still latent) I believe in our ability to find creative solutions around all of these seemingly insurmountable challenges.

I don’t believe that a vaccine is an answer, nor will it ever be. I do believe that some of our current pharmaceutical medications will be of use (as shown to be effective in China) as will so many of our herbal allies, as well as nutritional therapy (Vitamin C), and simply spending time in Nature (to boost and maintain immunity).

Stay calm.

Practice reasonable discernment.

Inhabit your Heart-Mind.

Support and trust your immunity.

Herbal Resources

Desert Tortoise Botanicals (Tucson, AZ): Elder Leaf Tincture, Decocted Elder Leaf Tincture, Ailanthus Tincture, Licorice Root Tincture, Red Root Tincture, Chaparral Herb, Desert Willow Tincture, Skullcap Tincture, Rhatany Tincture; Coming Soon: CV Core Formula, CV Immune Formula, CV Cell Protection Formula

Woodland Essence

Mountain Rose Herbs

John J Slattery LLC

Bioregional Herbalist

Tucson, AZ

www.johnjslattery.com

Herbalism: A new era (Coronavirus - an Invitation)