I’ve spent many seasons tending gardens and reading old texts, and I find that most herbs do hold real medicinal gifts—caffeine in coffee, willow bark in aspirin, echinacea for a sore throat, to name a few. Those works of wonder, though, often mix genuine remedies with lore and exaggeration. Fevers can be soothed with teas, but curses? That’s more a symbol of stress or unseen troubles than a tangible illness. So, take the useful parts, use them wisely, and always keep an eye on the science and your own intuition. The earth gives us tools, but we must use them with care and respect.