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We realised the day before Solstice that this is the last chance to get in an Interview Sessions before 2019! Where does the time go? Thus, Hive account@thetreeoflife and me, Hive account@riverflows, got together for a chat. It was a lot of fun and cool to reflect on the growth of this wonderful collective. Please add to this reflection by commenting below. What are your first memories of this group? What is your experience so far? What have been the highlights for you? We've set a steembounty on this post so the best comments will be rewarded in steem when the post pays out!

LOTUSPAGEDIVIDER

TOL: OK! Hi Hive account@riverflows! Here we are, almost solstice... Summer for you, winter for me, but either way an excellent time for reflection! I've only been a member of Hive account@naturalmedicine for a few months, and I barely know the background of this group. What inspired you to take on this project, and did you ever expect it would take off like this?

RF: Oh gosh. I love solstice as it feels everything is stilled just for a tiny moment as there's that shift as the sun hits it's low or high point (I'm in summer here - it officially starts December 1st but for me, it's solstice that marks it) - as if everything is just poised for some kind of magical transformation! I've been reflecting quite a bit about my year in general and my year on Steemit so this is a great way to solidify my thoughts a little.*

Well, I'm a passenger on the Hive account@ecotrain here on Steemit, a group dedicated to making the world a better place. It's run by Hive account@ecoalex who had this gorgeous vision of bringing people together that were focussed on sustainability and earth centred practices. Although it's now opened up to the whole of Steemit, which is awesome, there was a core crew that used to meet in Discord chat rooms and connect. Somehow I formed quite a close friendship with Hive account@holisticmom, who had dedicated a good part of her life to holistic health and suggested we form a group focussing on bringing people together who were interested in natural healing. So in my hyper obsessive way, I set about creating Hive account@naturalmedicine - enlisting Hive account@hungryhustle to create our logo, creating the Discord channel and so on.

I guess I had really hoped it would take off - I mean, when I have a dream, I get quite enthusiastic and hopeful, you know? And I kept seeing all these awesome people writing about spirituality and herbalism and all kinds of healing modalities and knew there could be a kind of loungeroom of sorts for them to connect.

Has it gone beyond that dream? Yes, I reckon!! I mean, the people that came on board have really blown me away with their love, generosity of spirit, enthusiasm and willingness to help out.
Whilst Hive account@holisticmom has followed her own path of buying land in Spain and is no longer present on this platform, others have jumped in to help and I've ended up running the whole show, which I did NOT expect at all - I think I would have been far too terrified to jump in otherwise!

TOL: I know exactly what you mean, I'm the same way with enthusiasm about projects. Haha well you were right, we all needed a meeting ground, a tribal space! Everything seems to happen the way it was meant to, it seems. You had partnership in it at exactly the right time for you to make a huge difference. And now here we all are.

_{In formatting this post, Hive account@riverflows had to include this - a tree of life beside a flowing river - seemed apt, no?}

RF: Ah, yes, everything happens for a reason - like you coming in - you just whooshed in out of nowhere it seemed and found your place here immediately, jumping straight into the 'Interview Sessions' which I think is one of the best series here on Steemit! And it DOES feel like a tribal space, a gathering point. The radio show on Friday seems like an annual end of year meet!

TOL: Exactly! I learned about steemit almost a year ago, but for some reason I waited and when the time was right... Everything just sort of happened! What's crazy is that even as the steemit platform slowed to almost nothing activity wise, the Hive account@naturalmedicine group seemed to somehow keep not only active, but growing. Like really growing. Just in the past few weeks we've had how many new members? We keep finding people who seem to fit right in. Everyone is still sharing. Still enthusiastic. Almost over the moon about this place. Every time someone new comes in, I wonder what we ever did without them here. LOL.

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RF: I know right! Post hard fork, and with the drop of crypto, there was a lot of FUD and we lost a huge delegation from Hive account@tribesteemup, which was a little disheartening. Yet I quickly realised people weren't here solely for the upvotes - I mean, that's a bonus and I'm always trying to figure out a way that we can reward people in that regard - but they were genuinely here for the community and for the shared, collective wisdom. And that's not a platitude - it sounds like one, and 'being here for the community' is something that's thrown around a lot on Steemit, and with good reason, but honestly, the community just rocks. And yes - can you imagine Natural Medicine without Hive account@artemislives 100 year old Thai medicine garden, Hive account@nateonsteemit's enthusiasm about permaculture and apple cider vinegar or Hive account@digitaldan's awesome videos? Or Hive account@porters? Or Hive account@alchemage's dropping in talking about chemical processes? And Hive account@walkerland's kitchen witchery? Or Hive account@zen-art's neuroscience psychology?Oh goodness I'm starting to list them aren't I? But honestly, they all need celebrating! I always thing of the world wide wood - how funghi and trees 'communicate' in the forest - it's always been a metaphor for the internet for me, how though we are all seemingly disconnected by miles, we're connecting and communicating through these virtual networks to mutually benefit each other. And I'm super proud when new crew pop in, or dolphins notice us and go - hey wow! - you guys are proper buzzing over here!

TOL: That's such an awesome analogy. We can bring anything back to fungus can't we hahaha

RF: You betcha! People might say there isn't mushroom for more funghi, but I'd say that's impossible...

TOL: I got so mushroom for more....YEP, we are proper buzzing! Speaking of that, what kinds of projects are happening in the group right now that we should share with the steemiverse?
(. .. Or Hive account@mountainjewel homegrown herbs, or Hive account@metametheus TCM, or Hive account@yestermorrows witchcraft and wizardry!)

RF: Giggle. That joke never gets old for me. Oh gosh, well, we're a little bit on a winddown for an end of year break, but at the same time, there's lots going on, if that makes sense! Ha, that's solstice for you - and LIFE! As this post goes to publication on the Blockchain, it's the last day of the Witch Challenge where Steemians were asked what 'witch' meant to them, and we're brewing an idea for a New Year's challenge which will likely come out mid January. I love putting that to the community - what topic do YOU GUYS want to write on, or think is worthy of exploration? We're still offering steem for Natural Medicine D-Tube videos if you use the circle logo and link back to us - Hive account@nathanmars is doing some awesome work with Dtube there - and of course the radio shows! We're always open to new ideas and community projects aren't we? I'm not keen on stagnation - and I always love ideas from the group about how things should be run and where we should be going. I kinda feel like I'm just the organiser and you guys are the ones that really make it go!

TOL: Yes, it's life, and momentum, which so far we have no shortage of, it seems.

RF: Oh! And I wanted to mention Hive account@sagescrub, one of the early members of NM and delegator - his project Hive account@homesteaderscoop! Talking of trees in the forest - I feel like Natural Medicine is like a birch tree on one end and there's - hmm - Hive account@homesteaderscoop is like an oak or something (not forgetting some of the other tribes which share similiar visions - Hive account@ecotrain is definitely a lovely ash or a willow and of course there's Hive account@earthtribe and even Hive account@cannacurate) - we have the same excited vision for steem networks. On their marketplace website, which you can find here, they have a whole section for natural health and we're starting to see Natural Medicine crew list their wares for sale - how awesome is that! Hive account@ofsedgeandsalt just listed her pinion bitters and Hive account@mountainjewel has an awesome 'Nourish' tincture. I just need a carrier pigeon to get them to Australia - the post is a killer!*

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TOL: I really feel like the partnership of Hive account@naturalmedicine and Hive account@homesteaderscoop has so much energy behind it. It was literally one of the greatest partnership decisions I've seen here. I was just talking to Hive account@sagescrub and we were discussing the possibilities of adding services to the co-op as well. (hope he doesn't mind me mentioning that here!) There is no shortage of inspiration, or resources, or talented individuals with goods and services to share. My hubby and I just last night were saying when we finally go off grid, we need to switch to the carrier pigeon system. Hahaha! And Hive account@cannacurate is like a flowing field full of renewable hemp.

RF: Ha really? Oh yes, I talk quite a bit with Hive account@sagescrub - it's a fabulous partnership. Hive account@naturalmedicine have been trying to figure out a way to connect natural healers with clients for a while, perhaps when the bulls start running again, we'll get a lot more new Steemians on board and the raining crypto will help fund that! Hive account@homesteaderscoop having that 'external' marketplace linked to Steem is a great way to do that - he's a very clever and creative man, our dear Hive account@sagescrub! Oh, and of course! He he - I can see all these trees and mushrooms and fields of hemp - that's some solstice magic right there!

TOL: And the whole idea of purchasing goods and services with D-funds, just awesome. We are all not only natural medicine gurus and enthusiasts, but crypto pioneers. Pretty cool!

RF: Oh gosh I just got shivers down my spine. I started steeming back in March and I knew NOTHING about crypto or this platform - I'm still quite blown away by how things have ended up. I just want to hug everyone here, lol, just love it.

TOL: So what do you think is on the docket for next year? Any big plans? Or do you think things will more organically kind of evolve? Add a little Hive account@nateonsteemit leaf compost here, a helping of Hive account@trucklife-family there, a pinch of Hive account@eaglespirit energy medicine, and see what happens?

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RF: Well, I really want to keep building the archives - if readers aren't familiar with the Discord channel, we have about 15 channels dedicated to particular topics, from fermented foods to sound healing and more. Sometimes (often!) people write these amazing posts FULL of incredible wisdoms and they just disappear! And inevitably, someone will ask in the group: 'Does anyone know anything about beetroot kvass' and someone will be like 'Oh yeah, I wrote a post on that, it's in the archives' or will drop their link in the channel for them and then - whoooaaa - off goes another chat about that particular remedy. Hive account@crescendoofpeace dropped her post on chaya in the 'Food as Medicine' channel which was amazing - and you can find Hive account@artemislives talking about pepper making medicines like turmeric more bio-available. So the 'library' is pretty important to me. I'd like to keep going with the 'flow' of where it takes us, being open to new ideas and keep building and supporting community. Of course, I'm on the eye out for delegators too as having a bigger upvote really helps support people and inspire people to share their wisdoms too.*

And the the radio shows - I'm excited about those next year too. I'm about to go off and do a meditation retreat for ten days so will be taking quite a big break, but come mid Jan I'll be baaaaack. You guys better keep my seat warm!

TOL: I'll have to put my big girl pants on and figure out how to publish an interview by myself, but don't you worry, we will keep it alive. Hahaha. Speaking of, moving forward, What are some ways you think our members can help the Hive account@naturalmedicine group grow in the coming year?

RF: You can do it!! If there's one thing I've learnt here, it's that we're all capable of doing things we didn't think we could do! Look at Hive account@digitaldan's videos, for example! Ah, members. You're always helping this group grow. Hmm... good question. I definitely thing people should do what feels good and right for them - I don't like to 'force' people to do anything. Everyone is already contributing so much. But I guess what's appreciated by everyone is a post on natural healing once a week or two and keep using the tag #naturalmedicine (so much quality under that tag) and using the banner to link back to the Hive account@naturalmedicine account and the Discord channel to bring in new members. Delegate small amounts when you can afford it. Feel free to jump in with ideas - you ARE the group! I'm - we - are SO open to advice and suggestions. Write for the challenges. Put your hand up for Interview Sessions. And keep engaging - we have a rule in the #postpromotion channel in Discord that you can only dump your post if you comment on at least one other in the channel above you. I feel like an OCD school teacher jumping in and reprimanding (gently, lol) people for not doing that but I fully believe that engaging with each other is absolutely the way forward - without that, we're nothing!*

TOL: I really could not agree more. As for the schoolteacher OCD, at least you aren't spanking with nettle leaves yet. Haha

RF: Oh gosh I say some stupid things, haha.

TOL: ... Yet

RF: Yes, watch out or you will get the googley eyes AND the nettle spanking!

TOL: Well, I think I can speak for the group for just a moment and say I believe we are all super stoked to see what 2019 brings for the Hive account@naturalmedicine group. Even if we never gain another member, I'm STILL excited to see what will happen, our crew is so amazing and inspiring. And coming up with new ideas and things to get excited about all the time.

RF: Oh, sooo inspiring. I was just thinking about the first question and how this started - you know, when I first opened the account I knew what natural medicine meant to me personally, right? But it quickly became apparent some thought it was just 'herbs and stuff'. The more people contributed, the more I realised that natural healing is as diverse as the people that utilise it. It's somatic arts like yoga and even just walking in nature. It's listening to beautiful music and it's sharing tea with friends. It's shadow work and hard introspection - journalling, meditation, self enquiry and svadyaya. It's breathwork, and food as medicine, and conversations with the divine. It's building a life for oneself away from the influence of big pharma and capitalist marketplaces - growing your own food and so on. And it's all so empowering and rich - there's a real connectedness to something beautiful there, you know? And that's 2019 - more of that. Bring it on!*

LOTUSPAGEDIVIDER

And with that, Hive account@thetreeoflife drinks the last of her Earl Grey tea (which she tells Hive account@riverflows has bergamot citrus oil is great for cholesterol and blood pressure and cardiovascular health) and goes to swing from her yoga trapeze in her yard, and Hive account@riverflows rushes out the door to go to her yin class which she's left til the last minute coz she's been a-steemin'.

We hope you enjoyed this last 'Interview Session' for the year. As we are wrapping it up for 2019, we thought you might appreciate the links to the other sessions - they're a great read! If you fancy a chat with Hive account@thetreeoflife (they generally take 45 minutes and require nothing but a chat in Discord - they feel natural and are a lot of fun) please get in touch! We pay in steem or you can donate the proceeds to Hive account@naturalmedicine - entirely your choice.

LOTUSPAGEDIVIDER

Emotional Freedom Tapping with @eftnow
Off Grid Yoga Chat with @kristaluton and @riverflows
Experiential Botany on The Road with @ofsedgeandsalt
On Making Water Kefir with @crescendoofpeace
Talking Vipassana with Porters
Microdosing with @alchemage
A Conversation about Taiquian and Yoga with @treeoflife
Meditative Mindsets with @phillyc
5 Elements Theory with @metametheus
Journalling for Inner Health with @crescendoofpeace
Consciousness and Co-ops with @sagescrub
Freedom and Natural Medicine with @richardcrill from FreedomTribe