In traditional societies around the world, every tribe had a shaman. He was a kind of hybrid between a natural healer and spiritual leader, and was deeply revered for his kinship with nature, and his ability to unlock the healing secrets of plants and mushrooms. If a member of the tribe had an illness, he was the go-to for knowing what plants to use in what combination in order to heal them.
The shaman’s journey was usually a long one. He would apprentice with a village elder starting in adolesence and absorb all the elder’s knowledge until they passed, and he took on the role. Whether we’re talking medicine men in native tribes, traditional Southern Appalachian herbalists, or modern herbal healers, the nature of the journey hasn’t changed much. Learning how to harness the vast complexity of the Appalachian plant ecosystem for natural healing takes years of commitment, studying under someone who’s lost count of how many hours they’ve spent in the field.
SARCRAFT’s Foraging and Plant Medicine Instructor
Phil Winter is SARCRAFT’s shaman. He serves as SARCRAFT’s foraging and plant medicine instructor. Phil has been interested in natural medicine and the power of plants all his life. He has a Bachelors of Science in Alternative Medicine from Everglades University, and has completed two years at Botanologos School of Herbal Studies as well as the Herbal Basics Course at Human Path. He is currently in is 7th year studying under the legendary Appalachian herbalist Daryl Patton at the Deep South Center for Herbal Studies. Phil is a certified mushroom forager, a mushroom cultivator, and loves experimenting with different types of fermentation. He enjoys growing edible and medicinal plants, and is also the owner and operator of Twisted Vine Herbs LLC. He is currently enrolled in the Traditional Naturopath program at the Heirloom Academy of Healing Arts.
A solid knowledge of foraging and plant medicine is a vital part of a well-rounded outdoor skill set. Hunting, trapping, and fishing for high-protein animal food sources is great. But getting skilled at the “gatherer” half of “hunter-gatherer” is arguably more valuable. Edible plants are much easier to find, less calorie-intensive to get, and most importantly… they don’t run away. And hunting and foraging aren’t exclusive of each other – our ancestors would forage for plants they found as they were stalking game and running their traplines.
The Power of Plant Medicine
A working knowledge of plant medicine is also valuable. Knowing which plants can be used in a pinch for medicine in the field makes for a safer and more enjoyable experience outdoors. I will always say that there’s nothing inherently wrong with modern medicine. I believe that staking out a position of natural medicine vs. pharmaceuticals is a false binary. Many manufactured pharmaceuticals do exactly what they’re supposed to do, and save countless lives. But discounting natural medicine is foolish, and reeks of modern arrogance. Our ancient ancestors spent thousands of years experimenting and learning what worked and what didn’t. In some cases, their knowledge was a part of modern pharmacopiea until as little as fifty years ago. They weren’t wrong, and they weren’t uneducated.
I find that there’s nothing that silences the doubters of plant medicine like seeing the results for themselves. Watching a plantain poultice instantly stop a bleeding cut, or feeling the quick effects of a mountain mint tea when they’re sick tends to make believers of nearly everyone. This stuff works, y’all.
And the best way to learn it is in the field, with a qualified instructor. Phil Winter is a modern-day medicine man, and we’re proud to welcome him back to the SARCRAFT Instructor Corps. He proudly carries on the traditions of the Southern Appalachian herbalists that came before him, and is a joy to learn from. You can check out his Instagram at @twistedvineherbs, or join us for whenever he teaches Wild Edible Essentials here at SARCRAFT!
