Article: Sam Hawkins

Photo: Debs Cook

From a small child I’ve always been fascinated by the powers of plants. From the almost instinctual use of Dock leaves for nettle stings to the heady, narcotic scent of Elder on a summer’s day, they left me enthralled. I remember clearly the sense that each one was put in its place for a purpose, although at the time I had no idea what that was.
As I grew older my interests came to encompass the lore behind each plant, their places in rituals and magic’s and the age old handed down wisdom that came with each one. The way they tasted, felt, smelt…all left me wanting to know more.

I suppose the one thing that kept my interest over all the years was the realisation that the knowledge of plant lore, which once would have been commonplace, was now such a scarce thing as to be sought out rather than taken for granted. There seemed to be no end to the usefulness of plants, from culinary to medicinal and it soon became clear that I needed some real guidance and advice.

I started browsing textbooks and recipes but discovered very early on that without some practical guidance I was never going to have the confidence to actually start following through with any of my research. From some of the books I read, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that a chemistry degree was needed to make a simple salve. So I turned to the internet for inspiration, and that’s where I came across Sarah Head and The Sanctuary.
It was one of those moments when I realised that actually, this long held dream of mine could become a reality.

Soon after contacting Sarah about the apprenticeship, she asked what my hopes were for the forthcoming year. Such a simple question and yet it really forced me to stop and think about exactly what it was that I did want to achieve. It’s one thing to say “I want to know about herbs” but quite another to break that down and think about what that statement actually meant to me.

The obvious aspect was to gain experience in the making of teas, vinegars, salves, tinctures and other herbal preparation and following on from that to gaining the knowledge to help family and friends with minor ailments. Hand in hand with that, for me, came the desire to learn more about growing and harvesting herbs, not to mention identifying them!! Once I had those goals down I started to think about what else these skills would bring to me, besides the practical knowledge. From a personal point of view I really wanted to be more in touch with nature and her seasons and gain a deeper understanding of all she has to offer.

Another wonderful aspect was getting to meet like-minded people with a shared enthusiasm for herbs and nature. On my first workshop at Sarah’s a group of us were engaged in making vinegars around the kitchen table; one person grating ginger, one person chopping garlic, one (brave) lady slicing chillies, yet others filling jars, adding vinegar and spice; when one lady, Maria I think, remarked “There’s something very special about so many hands working to create a single remedy”. That for me summed up the whole day. There really is something almost magical about sharing experiences and learning from one another, it feels…well….right.

Spending that one day at Sarah’s made a remarkable difference to me. It really gave me the confidence to finally start experimenting on my own and putting the theory I’d learned into practice. The most revealing thing I took away was just how simple and straightforward making these remedies actually was. From the rocket-science approach of some books, it was such an amazing revelation for me that actually, with a few fresh ingredients, some vinegar and some willing hands; a person really could create something wonderful. Not an unpronounceable ingredient in sight!

It really confirmed for me that becoming an apprentice was a landmark decision for me and would really open my eyes up to a whole new herbal world and the excitement when the first task sheet came though surprised even me! Far from the days when I would have read through the practical task with dread, I looked forward to pottering around in my little kitchen creating ‘lotions and potions’, as my husband kindly referred to my first attempt at salve making!

It seems remarkable to think that all these things have happened in such a short space of time, a few weeks really. I feel like I’ve set my feet on such an exciting and fascinating path and couldn’t have asked for a nicer group of people to stroll along it with me.