Welcome
Welcome to Medicine Cabinet, a newsletter by Madalyn Berg of The Community Medicine Cabinet.
The Community Medicine Cabinet is based in Santa Rosa, CA home of the Southern Pomo, Wappo, and Coast Miwok peoples.
On the Architecture of this Cabinet
Since 2014 I have been working within the plant world as an herbalist, artist, and educator to facilitate remembrance of the nature within ourselves and our connections to one another. I call this project the Community Medicine Cabinet and have often described it as a cabinet with three shelves, containing my clinical practice, classes, and apothecary.
Less often, have I explained that this cabinet actually hangs on the wall in a house. The house is my metaphorical art practice. Less often I explain that as an herbalist, I see myself engaging in a part of my creative practice. That might seem confusing, but even seeing a client- the interview itself, the pouring of the formula later feels like a kind of poetry. How my herbal practice is an art practice has not always been clear to me, and it might not be clear to you either, but it has always felt true. I think it will become more clear as I continue to share with you.
Within the work of the house, my mission is to be a resource for interpersonal and ecological communities. I work as both a clinician and an artist to connect people to each other and nature. By supporting humans and other animals to cultivate relationships with plants and ourselves, we make room for the collective to embrace interdependence and practice reciprocity. I believe this is sorely needed.
This substack will become a place for sharing this work, recipes, and related ephemera. It is a chance to share this practice-built house with you.
XO Madalyn + the Cabinet
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