Do you ever wonder about the herbs you grow in your garden and wish you knew more about what they can do to help you and your family stay well? At Co-Lin we are offering you the opportunity to find out just how you can safely make use of these herbs in your everyday life.

For centuries people have believed that plants contain healing powers, with many herbalists and ethno-botanists of note believing that our planet grows all the herbs to cure all the ills. This introduction to herbal therapy is designed to give you a taste of the wonderful art of our forefathers.

Without the benefit of modern knowledge, one wonders how our ancestors knew which herb would be most beneficial for which disease. Mostly they followed what is known as “The Doctrine of Signatures,” the principle that a plant’s appearance indicates its use. It is a fascinating theory, and one that is being proven to be right time and time again by the introduction of scientific examination of plants’ constituents. It is good to have this science so that new health giving discoveries can be made. One day we will find the magic bullet, or the cure for the common cold, but it is extremely important that we not lose sight of where it originated.

Herbal therapy uses that vast arsenal of teas, tinctures, syrups and more that has been relied upon since the dawn of time. My grandmother, and yours I don’t doubt, treated our ills with these potions. They would have been handed down to them from their mothers and fathers, many never being documented. This special interest course will open up minds to even greater possibilities and to the beneficial potential of the beautiful flora that grows all around us.

Please join us for our class which will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays at Co-Lin, Sept. 30 through Oct. 28. The registration fee for the class is $40. For more information or to register please contact Beth Richard, continuing education coordinator, at 601-446-1103 or e-mail beth.richard@colin.edu

Patricia Taylor, ND, BSc (Phytotherapy), SAC, Dip, MNIMH, RH (AHG) is a consultant medical herbalist and doctor of naturopathy.