Hey everyone! I’ll be doing a talk at the Vancouver Island Herb Gathering this year. We’re finally back and in-person! Join this exciting event filled weekend and get your herb on!

My presentation this year is called:

‘The Medicinal Use of Alcohol: What is in the Menstruum?’

There was a time when all Al-kuhl (which means “BODY-EATING SPIRIT” and is the origin of the term “ghoul”) contained within it, plant and mushroom medicines. That’s right! Since their inception, spirits have carried the essences of medicinal herbs for the purpose of administration to those that require specific herbal actions in a concentrated manner. Alcohol is a technology that has allowed humans to capture the spirit of anything and everything, including themselves. In this exploration, we investigate the history, various uses, composition, and medicinal properties of what has now become a problematic substance for our species. Why we stopped infusing the menstruum with herbs and started drinking it, is a topic of conjecture but one we will enjoy exploring regardless.