A year or so ago, I drew the Oak Leaf and Acorn logo we’re using on this website, as art for a week-long herbal intensive. Ryn just loved the drawing and when he built this website, made it the logo here.
I like the drawing too, but I didn’t feel so enthusiastic about using it as a logo for the school. I kept looking for something “better”, or “more fitting”, but nothing came. I made excuses like, “not everyone knows that you can use trees for medicine”, and “I don’t know how to use Oak yet”.
Eventually, though, the Oak Leaf and Acorn won out, and I have since learned some very interesting things about this tree as medicine. As often happens, the thing I fought is a very well-targeted medicine for me.
Among other uses, Oak is great medicine for varicose veins, which I’ve been working on for some time now – with some good success, but there’s quite a way to go still. Oak is also a good astringent for mouthwash, which is quite appealing, since I’ve been putting off dealing with receding gums for quite some time now.
Oak flower essence helps the person who is iron-willed, inflexible, or over-striving beyond their limits to build more balanced strength, become accepting of appropriate limits, and know when to surrender; allows the naturally strong to take a break rather than struggle on without rest. I don’t know anyone like that, but if I meet her, I’ll know that Oak could help. 
All in all, these are three uses I really need to spend some time with.
So there you have it. The Oak Leaf and Acorn are staying.
For the record, Oak isn’t the only tree that is good for medicine. You can use Pine for colds, coughs, kidney and bladder infections, Walnut for parasites and low thyroid, Ash for fever, kidney complaints and as a laxative… I am not particularly good at using tree medicines – yet. But over the course of the next year I’ll be studying them in-depth, so look for a new series of exciting tree medicine classes coming out next spring!
