We are excited to share an exclusive interview with the author of “A Lifetime of Herbal Wisdom,” Elliot Geller, bringing together the teachings and wisdom of a renowned herbalist, Cascade Anderson Geller. This book offers a lens into the world of herbal medicine, capturing the knowledge, experience, and timeless insights of a well-known figure in the field. Join us as Elliot reflects on the journey of compiling this work, the inspiration behind it, and the enduring impact of herbalism on natural health and wellness. Whether you're an experienced herbalist or someone curious about the healing power of plants, this conversation will offer a rich perspective on the legacy of herbal wisdom.
1. What inspired you to compile and share Cascade Anderson Geller’s teachings in this book?
Cascade died in 2013 rather suddenly. She was a highly respected herbalist who taught all over the US, at naturopathic colleges, national health conferences, and in the local Portland community. When I was gifted 96 recordings of her teaching at national conferences over 22 years, I was encouraged to write a book of her wisdom. So I asked the “garlic queens”, a group of 10 top female herbalists who met yearly as friends; they all encouraged me to write this book, claiming that her teaching style was unique, her love of history, thirst for knowledge, 4 generations of herbalism, and more made her work timeless. So I recruited an herbal editor, Beth Baugh, one of the garlic queens, to help me with this book. Our primary goal was to capture Cascade’s teaching voice and the many stories she shared while lecturing. So, after 3 years of hard work, transcribing the tapes, editing and reviewing the material, edited some more, we came up with a manuscript. We gave it to several herbalists, who gave us helpful feedback. We then edited again, increased the index, and divided up a long chapter to arrive at this final copy.
2. How do you think Cascade’s teachings are relevant in today’s world?
Cascade’s combination of practical herbal wisdom, a love of history, a thirst for research and study, and her teaching style filled with facts, folk wisdom, stories from family, colleagues, and work with clients made her teachings interesting, informative, timeless, and relevant. She was also an environmental activist who spent 10 years saving Portland reservoirs and putting Mt Tabor Park on the National Historic Registry. She studied the latest in herbal research and blended her broad knowledge with 4 generations of herbalists in her family. Her work is timeless and quite relevant today in empowering people to use herbs and other health approaches with sensitivity, wisdom, and much common sense.
3. What message or theme do you hope readers take away from A Lifetime of Herbal Wisdom
Herbal knowledge is empowering in our stressful and complex world. Both preventive approaches and treatment of chronic or acute illness can either supplement or replace allopathic approaches. Her common sense and self-care approaches are very useful to my family and me. The book has several chapters on family health and the practical use of herbs and food as medicine. Some of the most helpful herbs grow locally and can be harvested and made into medicine easily, for example, nettles, dandelion, many spices, and more.
4. How did you develop the ideas or structure in this book?
We wanted to capture Cascade’s teaching style and voice. She was a mosaic lecturer who drew information from many sources. She spent over 3 decades teaching at national conferences, naturopathic schools, and in the local community. She also traveled to Nepal, Belice, Greece, France, the Amazon basin/ Ecuador, and all over the US to both teach and learn. She especially appreciated learning from indigenous people, especially in Nepal, Ecuador, and the Amazon remote villages.
Beth did most of the transcribing of the 96 recordings into over 1,000 pages of material; we identified chapter subjects, organized the material, and edited for repetition and clarity while trying to capture her unique teaching style. We were quite challenged to pull family stories from various lectures in compiling the first chapter, Inspirational Roots.
We had previously reviewed many herbal books and talked about size and structure, although this book is 2x longer than we initially anticipated.
We sent 4 draft manuscripts to established, bright herbalists for review; they provided helpful feedback. We then edited again, developed a comprehensive index, and added pictures of cascade and plant drawings. I hired a colleague to design and format the book.
5. What challenges did you face during the writing or compiling process?
Beth has had many years of editing experience, and I could not have developed this book without her wisdom. She was extremely sensitive, patient, and hard-working in moving this book along when I was discouraged. We worked together well as I trusted her experience and herbal knowledge. Nonetheless, the work was often tedious and tiring. Beth was so reassuring and helpful in structuring our tasks and discussing all changes. I only sent the book to one publisher, who was suggested by Rosemary Gladstar ( the mother of herbalism in the US and an author of several books). When her publisher turned us down, the publisher and Rosemary strongly suggested that this book should be self-published. So that is what we did.
6. Which part of the book was your favorite to write or compile, and why?
Both the most challenging for me and the most enjoyable chapter was the first one. We were able to glean several interesting multi-generational stories from Cascade’s family that she shared in her lectures. Chapter one, Inspirational Roots, captures those stories in an interesting and congruent manner. I knew some of the stories but also learned some wonderful tales of her grandparent's and great-grandparents' use of plants for healing, as was common in the Appalachian region where they all lived.
7. What research did you do to ensure accuracy or realism in the book?
Beth did most of the research to check for accuracy and clarity. We added the Latin names for all the plants, as Cascade did in her teaching. We also asked Jane Bothwell, herbalist, and dear friend, to review all the formulas used in the book; she found some small errors/ misprints and corrected them. Jane also provided an analog list of alternative herbs to use for the starred (*) herbs in the book that are at risk of extinction.
8. Cascade was known for her deep connection to plants. How does the book convey that connection?
Growing up with several generations of family from Appalachia is highlighted particularly in chapter one, Inspirational Roots. Chapter 7, Cascade’s Healthy Habits, and Chapter 8, Healing Stories, also captured her folk wisdom. Chapters 3 and 4, Plants I Have Known and Loved and Plant Preparations and Formulas, further express her deep connection to plants
9. How did Cascade’s global travels shape the content of this book?
Cascade loved to travel. She spent time teaching and studying in many parts of the world; she and Rosemary Gladstar took a group of advanced herbalists to the Amazon and Ecuador to study and learn from shamans and indigenous people. As she grew older, she often said that her most trusted plant knowledge came from the people who used plants for food and medicine daily. She also taught in Belice, southern France, India, Nepal, and the Mediterranean.
10. Are there any specific plants or remedies in the book that you feel particularly connected to?
I enjoy and often use local plants for my health and well-being, making medicines and treating health issues. I particularly like nettles, St Johnswort, various mints, and many herbs for seasoning my food.
11. What do you think sets Cascade's teachings apart from other herbalists or similar books?
Cascade taught and lived with much practical herbal knowledge. She was a fantastic educator of Naturopathic students and practitioners, herbalists, and the lay public. She taught from much experience and study; she was known for her clarity and warmth, as well as a true steward and passionate advocate for the natural world. Her decades of teaching were infused with humility, grace, and reverence for the green world. She lived her life as a strong advocate for the natural world, serving on the board of United Plant Savers, saving the Mt Tabor reservoirs, and advocating for the health of our planet in many ways.
12. How has writing this book impacted you personally or professionally?
Creating this book with Beth Baugh was an enriching and meaningful challenge. I learned new things about my partner of 32 years and revisited many of her greatest attributes. I always loved plants and herbal medicine, but co-creating this book further enhanced my understanding of plant medicine, my frequent joy of harvesting medicinal plants and making medicine, and my love and appreciation for Cascade as a partner and mother of our 2 amazing children.
13. What was the most surprising thing you learned during the process of writing or compiling this book?
I learned that Cascade was a unique and passionate herbalist and human being who loved the natural world, her family, and her colleagues. She lived a meaningful and interesting life complimented by her love of teaching, travel, and indigenous wisdom. I loved her common sense, practicality, and sense of priority in living fully each day.
14. Do you have a favorite reader reaction or story related to the book?
I have received many positive reactions to this book. One of my favorites is: “Cascade’s wisdom came from the ancients and is grounded in the present. Such a gift that her teachings have been captured and shared in this authentic collection. While this book is chock full of herbal recipes, what makes this book stand out and be special is that it is a true journey into the heart and mind of an extraordinary herbalist's life journey.”
Sara Katz, Co-founder of Herb Pharm, herbalist, and Garlic Queen.
15. How do you envision this book being used by herbal enthusiasts or newcomers to herbalism?
This book is both for beginning herbal students and more advanced herbal practitioners. I hope the nearly 400 copies sold thus far are just a fraction of what we will provide as people hear of this book. I would like to see it in many libraries of higher educational institutions, including allopathic schools and public libraries. This book can be useful in personal identifying, harvesting, medicine making, and cooking with herbs, as well as more broadly educating the public as to the wisdom available to us in the green world.
16. What legacy do you think Cascade would want this book to carry forward?
To encourage more people to study and use plant medicine in their personal lives and to add some new knowledge of herbalism, especially plants, to the vast body of information available.
17. What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a book or document another person's teachings?
Have a clear purpose, be patient and persevere, research and edit, edit, edit! Capture the special wisdom of that other person.
18. What’s next for you in continuing to share Cascade’s work and herbal wisdom?
Beth and I are busy promoting and distributing this book. We will continue using herbal medicine to enhance both my health and well-being, as well as help friends, family, and the general public.
