Each herb must be found in its den, harvested at its time, grubbed up from the dirt, culled and stripped, washed and prepared.  

It must be handled this way, then that, to find out where its power lies.  

Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again.

--Circe, Madeleine Miller p. 84 

These words from author Madeleine Miller, detailing the earthbound practices of herbal harvest in her book Circe, invite us to consider the transition to the autumnal season.  In the northern hemisphere, September 23rd marks the 2023 autumnal equinox, the time each year where we experience an equilibrium between light and dark, day and night.  For me, after this past summer full of yang energy marked by the hot weather and an abundance of outward facing social activities, the slow return of yin experienced in a cool morning, and a subtle movement towards increasing time allotted for inward practices is most welcome. 

For herbalists, Miller offers a passage to remind us that the art and science of herbalism is a season-bound practice that ultimately connects people and place.  A relationship based in stewardship of the earth, and at its best, grounded in a reciprocal relationship between humans and plants.  Moreover, she reminds us that herbs grow specifically adapted to their ecosystems, must have ample time to grow, and have a season when they are ready for harvest.  And yet, harvesting single herbs, historically, is only the beginning of the work of an East Asian herbalist.  In this tradition, herbs are most frequently used in combination. An East Asian herbal practice is rooted in exploring the power of relationship between the herbs themselves and then, in turn, developing the most prudent combination to help ease the symptoms of the patient you are accompanying. 

The smallest herbal formulas are a combination of two medicinals, called Dui Yaos.  These two-herb combinations can often be found embedded in larger formulas or added as a modification to a base formula the patient may be taking.  A Dui Yao that often draws me into the autumnal season here in Chicago is the combination of Chrysanthemi Flos (Ju Hua) and Mori Folium (Sang Ye).  In common language, this Dui Yao is the combination of the flowers of yellow mums and the leaves of the white mulberry tree, both herbs falling within the larger category of Herbs that Release the Exterior – some of the first we learn as we begin the study of East Asian herbal medicine.

A passage pulled from the Chinese Herbalism Materia Medica, an herbal encyclopedia of sorts often open on the desks of early herbal medicine students, details the seasonal life cycle of Ju Hua, our beloved yellow mum flower as follows: 

Thoroughly imbued with the qi of the four seasons, it sprouts in winter, produces leaves in spring, blossoms in summer, and reaches full flower in autumn.  In its fullness, it embraces the frost and succumbs to the essence of metal and water. P. 59

In combination with Sang Ye (white mulberry leaf), this Dui Yao has an affinity to disperse or drain heat from the upper registers of the body and has a specific affinity for the eyes.  In autumn, particularly for those impacted by seasonal allergies that result in itchy, red eyes, this Dui Yao can be consumed as a tea.  The tea bag can then be placed on your eyes, making the Dui Yao both useful as an internal formula to be sipped and an external formula to cool or brighten your eyes.  

Whether I am walking through the neighborhoods with potted mums and Cinderella pumpkins or making my way down to the Montrose bird sanctuary, where Mulberry trees are in abundance alongside other staples in Chinese medicine such as Hawthorn, I am constantly reminded that connecting with herbal medicine is but a walk away – even within our own Chicago environment.  Whether out in nature, tending my backyard potted herb garden, or digging back into some of my classical herbal texts, I remain in awe of what I continue to learn from herbs, namely that there are seasons for seeding, sprouting, growing, blossoming, and eventual harvesting.  Better understanding these cycles invites me to take pause from time to time, as these herbs are often some of the kindest and most patient teachers, humbly reminding all of us biological beings that we are not designed to constantly be producing or in bloom at all times, despite the often frenetic environments we find ourselves inhabiting and the larger cultural forces that continue to shape our ways of living.   

If you have been taking herbs for awhile and want to gain a better understanding of herbal medicine thinking and practice or are simply a nature nerd already dabbling in your own herbal medicine practice, we invite you to connect with our Five Point community to participate in our upcoming Autumnal Seasonal Offering: Mum’s the Word.  On Saturday, October 7th, you will have the opportunity to spend the morning with two of Five Point’s herbalists, Khadijah Kysia and me, Ashley Dyer.  Together, we will walk you through an experiential introduction to East Asian herbal medicine, help you understand how combinations of herbal medicine flavors unlock healing potential, leave you with some contemplative practices, and gift you with an herbal medicine goodie bag for harmonization with the autumnal season.  To learn more about the event and sign up, please check out our events page!  

As we make our way into the autumnal season, we hope you are able to take good care and please never hesitate to reach out to our practitioners and care teams for support!  For tailored herbal support specific to your body’s system as we move through the transition from Summer to Autumn, it is always recommended to meet with one of Five Point’s herbalists who is formally trained in diagnosing and treating specific health conditions.       

Hope to connect with you at Mum’s the Word or in clinic soon! 

Kind Wishes,

Ashley Dyer

Acupuncturist, herbalist, and public health-informed nature enthusiast 

Sources: 

Bensky, D., Gamble, A., and Kaptchuk, T. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica Revised Edition, Eastland Press, Seattle, 1993.

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass. First edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota, Milkweed Editions.

Miller, M. (2018). Circe. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.