Hildegard of Bingen, Herbs, and the Greening Power
Women's Bodies and Balance with the Natural World
Saturday, May 30th | 1 – 3 pm
Presented by Dr. Minji Lee from Montclair State University and facilitated by Leslie Alexander
Included with Museum admission.
We also ask that participants mark their attendance with donations in the memory of, and honor of, Ashton Clatterbuck. Ash was a young trans person from PA who took his own life in 2024. The Ashton Myles Clatterbuck Memorial Fund is an ongoing tribute to his commitment to social justice.
This lecture draws on Dr. Minji Lee’s recent publication, The Medieval Womb: Hildegard of Bingen's Views on the Female Reproductive Body.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), a German Benedictine nun, believed that human beings possess the power to heal themselves in body, mind, and soul as being created by God and inheriting the divine power. She used the concept of viriditas, the greening power, to explain human health and reproduction as analogous to the vitality by which trees and plants draw water and nutrients from the earth to produce leaves and flowers.
Hildegard particularly emphasized herbs as essential sources of healing and treatment for women's ailments, viewing the female body's regenerative capacity as an expression of this greening power. Dr Lee will offer a historical approach to understanding the medieval construction of women's bodies as positive and powerful through the framework of herbal medicine and viriditas.
About Leslie Alexander
Leslie Alexander is a professional herbalist based in Erie, Pennsylvania, who blends her lifelong connection to the natural world with extensive scientific training, including a B.Sc. in environmental sciences and a Ph.D. from Heriot-Watt University. Her path from laboratory research and environmental epidemiology to herbalism was shaped by passions for health, wellness, gardening, and culinary herbs, and by mentorship from influential herbalists. A Registered Herbalist and long-time member of the American Herbalists Guild, she works as a practitioner, educator, author, and mentor, committed to holistic well-being, preserving herbal traditions, and advocating for social justice, all while enjoying outdoor life, cooking, and creative pursuits.
About Dr. Minji Lee
Dr. Minji Lee is an Assistant Professor in Religion and the Medical Humanities Program at Montclair State University. She specializes in the study of medicine in relation to cultural practices and belief systems - including women's health, reproductive issues, and comparative analysis of alternative medicine in Korea and the West.