Herbal Workshop

Tea of our Roots

Herbal remedies for reproductive autonomy and hormone regulation have existed across time, space & lineage. To find this thread we need look no further than our own Jewish sacred texts.

Talmudic texts speak of an Herbal remedy listed as one that causes both contraception, & sterility. Hidden just beneath the surface of further Rabbinic writings are hints that these herbs could cause other changes as well.

In this workshop we will deep dive into this remedy: What plants were used? Which Rabbis (of which genders) knew of this recipe & its medicinal properties? Are there ethnobotanical or pharmacological grounds to its effectiveness? What was the cultural & medicinal context of herbal approaches in which this remedy was formulated? What were the gender and sex paradigms in which these effects were articulated? What were some halakhic attitudes towards the contraceptive effects referenced? Are there further references in other Jewish texts to this or other remedies of this kind?