There are many herbs who automatically bring summer to mind. Saint John's Wort's strong association with the Summer Solstice makes them an obvious example of the solar guild. Here in Southern Appalachia, we also harvest Yarrow and Lavender during this time of year. And of course Rose blooms and blooms from May into June. This year, I came to associate a new herb with the longest days of the year, Linden, Tilia spp.

Janet and I live in rural Appalachia, where we've been offering herbal remedies and health advice to our neighbors for a couple of decades. Most of them grew up with herbalism in their families — grannies brewing catnip tea for restless children, kids peeling cherry bark to trade for candy at the local store. They didn't need convincing that herbs are powerful. They knew it already, and they sought us out right away.

As we move through this new era in health care, herbalists and biomedical providers alike are seeing a rise in the indiscriminate use of herbs and supplements. You may have already noticed the steady influx of supplement ads in your social media feeds. You may also have noticed that people who have never used supplements before are talking about them. What concerns me is the number of people I see every month who are buying supplements without knowing how to ascertain their quality, and without understanding whether or not they will be useful.

Hawthorn medicine works at the intersection in each of us where the metaphoric and anatomic heart meet. By this I mean that Hawthorn is potent medicine for the anatomic heart, the organ that pumps blood through our cardiovascular systems but also the spiritual heart. Hawthorn strengthens our hearts and cardiovascular systems and helps strengthen and regulate the heart muscle. Simultaneously, Hawthorn supports our spiritual hearts by providing a steadying force, easing agitated states, and supporting emotional balance.