Traditional herbalists or wise women were not only good botanists or pharmacologists; they were also shamanic practitioners and keepers of occult knowledge about the powerful properties of plants. Traveling back to the healing arts of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, "The Herbal Lore of Wise Women" "and Wortcunners "takes readers deep into this world, through the leechcraft of heathen society and witches' herb bundles to the cloister gardens of the Middle Ages. It also examines herbal medicine today in the traditional Chinese apothecary, the Indian ayurvedic system, homeopathy, and Native American medicine.
Balancing the mystical with the practical, author Wolf Storl explains how to become an herbalist, from collecting material to distilling and administering medicines. He includes authoritative advice on herb gardening, as well as a holistic inventory of plants used for purposes both benign and malign, from herbs for cooking, healing, beauty, and body care to psychedelic plants, witches' salves for opening alternative realities, and poisonous herbs that can induce madness or cause death. Storl also describes traditional "women's plants" and their uses: dyeing cloth, spinning and weaving, or whipping up love potions. "The Herbal Lore of Wise Women and Wortcunners "is written for professional and amateur herbalists as well as gardeners, urban homesteaders, and plantspeople interested in these rich ancient traditions.

The concept of 'food as medicine' is rooted in our most ancient of traditions, including Greek, Indian and Chinese medicine. If we consider the anthropological evidence it is very likely that our hunter-gatherer ancestors learned about medicinal herbs by observing wild animals deliberately eating certain plants in their diet as a way to treat different health issues. For all of nature and throughout the history of traditional medicine there has never been any real separation between food and medicine, and the present work aims to restore this connection. Informed by the theory and practices of Ayurveda and scientific research, Food As Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food provides a practical and lucid model of what food is, how it impacts your health, and how to make the best choices in your diet - depending on your individual needs. Includes meal plans and recipes. Todd Caldecott is a trained medical herbalist and practitioner of Ayurveda, in practice since 1997. He is a registered professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, author of the textbook Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life, and editor of a new text on Nepalese ethnobotany called Ayurveda in Nepal. Todd lives in Vancouver B.C. with his family where he practices and teaches herbal medicine and Ayurveda. Check out his website at www.toddcaldecott.com to get free information on natural health and healing.

***This paperback edition has a new introduction by the author and updated content.
This is the second volume of North Atlantic Books' updated paperback edition of Dale Pendell's "Pharmako" trilogy, an encyclopedic study of the history and uses of psychoactive plants and related synthetics first published between 1995 and 2005. The books form an interrelated suite of works that provide the reader with a unique, reliable, and often personal immersion in this medically, culturally, and spiritually fascinating subject. All three books are beautifully designed and illustrated, and are written with unparalleled authority, erudition, playfulness, and range.
"Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft" includes a new introduction by the author and as in previous editions focuses on stimulants (including coffee, tea, chocolate, and coca and its derivatives) and empathogens (notably Ecstasy). Each substance is explored in detail, not only with information on its history, pharmacology, preparation, and cultural and esoteric correspondences, but also the subtleties of each plant's effect on consciousness in a way that only poets can do. The whole concoction is sprinkled with abundant quotations from famous writers, creating a literary brew as intoxicating as its subject.
The "Pharmako" series also includes "Pharmako/Poeia" (which covers tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, opiates, salvia divinorum, and other substances) and "Pharmako/Gnosis" (which addresses psychedelics and shamanic plants).

Wild and cultivated plants have provided humans with cures for thousands of years. Aspirin, for example, the most widely used drug in the Western pharmacopoeia, was first isolated from willows to treat fever, pain, and inflammation. Writing for the lay reader, the author surveys the history of the use of plants in medicine, the range of chemicals produced by plants, and the prospects for future discoveries.

A riveting work of investigative journalism that charts the rise of the dietary supplement craze and reveals the dangerous--and sometimes deadly--side of these highly popular and completely unregulated products.
Over 60 percent of Americans buy and take herbal and dietary supplements for all sorts of reasons--to prevent illness (vitamin C), to ease depression (St. John's wort), to aid weight loss (ephedra), to boost the memory (ginkgo biloba), and even to cure cancer (shark cartilage, bloodroot)--despite the fact that few of these "natural" supplements have been proven to be safe or effective. The vitamin and herbal supplement industry generates over $20 billion a year by selling products that promise to cure or fix, but are produced and marketed essentially without oversight. And while the media has been quick to sensationalize the benefits of supplements, few have taken a hard look at the dangers posed by many of the remedies flooding the market today. Award-winning journalist Dan Hurley breaks the silence for the first time in "Natural Causes. "
From the snake-oil salesmen of the early twentieth century, to rise of the health food movement in the sixties and seventies, Hurley charts the remarkable growth of an industry built largely on fraud, and reveals the backroom politics that led to the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which effectively freed the industry from FDA oversight. In unprecedented detail, he shows how supplement manufacturers have concealed the truth about dozens of untested treatments and the shocking rise in deaths, disfigurements, and life-threatening injuries caused by products deceptively promoted as "safe and natural." Most importantly, he provides a telling look at why, in an age of unprecedented scientific advancement, we continue to buy and believe in remedies for which little evidence exists--and why the supplements we take to promote our health may be doing far more harm than good.
As Hurley shows, the dietary supplement craze may be one of the greatest swindles ever perpetrated on the American public--one that feeds billions of dollars each year into the pockets of lobbyists, politicians, and any charlatan who wants to slap a label on a bottle and tout it as the next big "natural cure." Blending hard facts with spellbinding personal stories, "Natural Causes" is a must-read for anyone who has ever popped a multivitamin or an herb, and provides a hard-hitting, frightening look at a cultural trend that is out of control.

Die daggaplant (Cannabis sativa) word al vir duisende jare gebruik. Dit is, inderdaad, ’n baie nuttige plant om materiaal en toue mee te vervaardig. Dit is egter die bekendste vir die psigotropiese effekte van dagga se aktiewe bestanddeel, tetrahidrokannabinol (THC).

Die kwessie oor of dagga verslawend is, is nog nie heeltemal duidelik nie. Baie navorsing word gedoen om korrekte en interessante inligting vir gebruikers, hul naasbestaandes, handelaars en almal wat oor dagga wonder, beskikbaar te stel.

Hierdie handleiding bring die leser op datum met alles wat ons weet aangaande dagga. Slegs wanneer al die feite op die tafel is, is dit sinvol om ’n opinie oor hierdie wonderlike plant te waag.

The First Complete Book on Aloe Vera in this Young Century.

Aloe Vera
The New Millennium

Every once in a while, a book comes along that redefines the genre. This special 2003 edition of "Aloe Vera/The New Millennium" is such a work. In it you will find a wellness wellsource of new breakthroughs in Aloe Vera research and technology from the last thirty years.

• Aloe Vera’ s pivotal role in the new global wellness movement.
• “ Aloe All Stars.” Aloe Vera in the new world of Athletics.
• Aloe Vera’ s role in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
• AIDS, Cancer and the Aloe Answer. How Aloe Vera has broken through to these persistent dragons of world health.
• New Paradigms in Personal Care. What bold new inroads Aloe Vera has made in cosmetology, skin care, aesthetics and plastic surgery.
• Millennium Veterinary Breakthroughs. How many modern vets are using Aloe Vera to help our creature companions, both large and small.
• Personal perspectives by the man who is acknowledged worldwide as the “ father of modern Aloe Vera.”

If you could only have five complete wellness guidebooks for the next dozen years, this should be one of them.

Medicinal Mushrooms is a modern handbook for exploring and understanding the rich traditions of healing fungi in Eastern and Western cultures. Author Christopher Hobbs thoroughly documents and details the nutritional and health benefits of over 100 species of edible fungi. Here is the most complete work on the cultural, health-promoting, and medicinal uses of mushrooms ever published!

Echinacea is regarded as one of the most popular medicinal herbs in the western world. This group of plants is reported to contain substances that boost the immune system, but which species is most potent, and how should it be taken? These and other relevant questions are discussed in this user-friendly guide. Written by a practising medical herbalist specialising in immune-stimulating plants, this informative book looks at the history and science of echinacea, with the aim of equipping the consumer to make the best choice for the most benefit. The plant can: - Break the cycle of chronic bacterial infection - Prevent the onset of bacterial infection - Speed the healing of wounds, burns and insect bites - Help in chronic conditions like arthritis and skin diseases. Although echinacea has a role in alleviating many conditions, it may have an even greater use as a preventative and in helping people to stay well. The book advises on dosages for specific complaints, explains what preparations to look for, and provides references and resources. For those seeking sound, practical information on the uses and benefits of echinacea, this is the ideal companion.

XXX

Being the Naturopathic Teachings of Doctors Jennings, Graham, Trall and Tilden.

An updated and expanded edition of the definitive guide to adaptogenic herbs * Includes a Materia Medica with monographs covering 25 adaptogens, including eleuthero, ginseng, rhodiola, schisandra, ashwagandha, licorice, shatavari, reishi, and holy basil, as well as complementary nervines, restorative tonics, and nootropics * Explains how adaptogens increase the body's resistance to adverse influences, increase energy and stamina, and counter the effects of age and stress on the body * Details the actions, properties, preparation, and dosage for each herb and their uses in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine and as remedies for animals Every day our bodies strive to adapt and stay balanced, energized, and healthy, yet chronic stress and the resulting elevation of stress hormones such as cortisol have been shown to be major factors behind not only fatigue and weight gain but also many chronic and degenerative diseases. In this updated edition of the definitive guide to adaptogenic herbs, clinical herbalist David Winston and researcher Steven Maimes provide a comprehensive look at adaptogens: non-toxic herbs such as ginseng, eleuthero, and ashwagandha that help the body "adapt" to the many influences it encounters and manage the stresses it experiences. They also increase stamina and energy, boost cognitive function, restore the immune system, and counter the effects of aging, especially when used in appropriate combinations. Beginning with a history of the use of adaptogens, including in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Russian medicine, the book examines how these herbal remedies work and why they are so effective at combating stress-induced illness and ailments. The extensive Materia Medica includes monographs on 25 adaptogens, including eleuthero, ginseng, rhodiola, schisandra, ashwagandha, shatavari, reishi, and holy basil, as well as complementary nervines, restorative tonics, and nootropic herbs, such as milky oats, astragalus, St. John's wort, and ginkgo. Each monograph presents the latest scientific research and details the origin, traditional and clinical uses, actions, properties, preparation, and dosage for each herb. The book also includes guidance on adaptogenic remedies for our animal companions. Aimed not only at herbalists but also those interested in natural health, this guide to adaptogens will allow you to safely and effectively use these herbal remedies to enhance your health and improve your chances of living a longer, healthier, and well-balanced life.

Reconnect. Restore. Reciprocate. Repairing landscapes and reconnecting us to the wild plant communities around us. Integrating restoration practices, foraging, herbalism, rewilding, and permaculture, Wild Plant Culture is a comprehensive guide to the ecological restoration of native edible and medicinal plant communities in Eastern North America. Blending science, practice, and traditional knowledge, it makes bold connections that are actionable, innovative, and ecologically imperative for repairing both degraded landscapes and our broken cultural relationship with nature. Coverage includes: Understanding and engaging in mutually beneficial human-plant connections Techniques for observing the land's existing and potential plant communities Baseline monitoring, site preparation, seeding, planting, and maintaining restored areas Botanical fieldwork restoration stories and examples Detailed profiles of 209 native plants and their uses. Both a practical guide and an evocative read that will transport you deep into the natural landscape, Wild Plant Culture is an essential toolkit for gardeners, farmers, and ecological restoration practitioners, highlighting the important role humans play in tending and mending native plant communities.

Millions of people are interested in natural and holistic health, yet many are missing out on the key ingredient: Nature itself! Rekindle your connection with the earth as you craft your own herbal medicine with 75 delicious recipes and powerful healing remedies. Herbalists Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han expertly guide you through the benefits of two dozen of the most important and commonly found wild plants-many of which you can easily grow in your own garden, if foraging isn't right for you. Detailed illustrations and beautiful photography ensure that you won't make a plant-identification misstep as you learn how to tend and properly harvest the plant medicine growing right in your own neighborhood. After reading Wild Remedies, you'll never look at your backyard, a public park, or any green space in the same way again. Instead of "weeds," you'll see delicious foods like Dandelion Maple Syrup Cake, Nettle Frittata, and Chickweed Pesto. You will revel in nature's pharmacy as you make herbal oils, salves, teas, and many more powerful remedies in your own kitchen.

By using local wild plants and herbs, this book aims to improve health the natural way. The authors provide clear instructions about which plants to harvest, when, and over 120 recipes showing how to make them into teas, vinegars, oils, creams, pillows, poultices or alcohol-based tinctures.

Herbalists, naturopaths, plantspeople, witches, and natural healers will love the empowering information, engaging stories, and heartfelt meditations and rituals of natural herbal medicines. Written by well-respected urban herbalist Robin Rose Bennett with over 180 easy-to-follow recipes, this book offers readers who want to take charge of their health an immersion into a myriad ways to use plant-based remedies to care for themselves and others on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

"Lively, fun to read and filled with gems of wisdom-- a treasure of information from a man who knows as much as anyone in the world about medicinal plants."
--Jean Carper, best-selling author of "Food-- Your Miracle Medicine and "Miracle Cures
"The Green Pharmacy
Thousands of safe, natural remedies lie untapped in jungles, forests and herbal gardens throughout the world. Now America's foremost authority on medicinal plants and herbs shares his knowledge of these hidden reserves of healing power.
* For Arthritis: A new, all-natural remedy that can cut pain in half.
* For Back Pain: A fruit that has anti-inflammatory properties to produce long-term relief.
* For Your Heart: An herb that opens up clogged arteries and lowers blood pressure, with none of the side effects of prescription drugs.
* For High Cholesterol: A tasty grain that has three times more cholesterol-lowering power than oat bran.
* For Migraines: An herb that has the power to eliminate the blurred vision and debilitating pain of these monster headaches.
* For Mood Swings: A common food that shares the power of Prozac to boost the brain's level of "feel-good" serotonin.
* For Osteoporosis: A prime plant source of calcium that vastly enhances protection against bone depletion.
* For Wrinkles: An herbal lotion that has the skin-clearing, wrinkle-reversing power of alpha hydroxy acid but costs only pennies.
And much more-- over 120 conditions in all!
""The Green Pharmacy is a tour de force by the world's leading authority on the herbal healing traditions...a treasure house of practical advice for the newcomer and pearls of wisdom for the herbal practitioner."
--Joseph E. Pizzorno,N.D., president of Bastyr University, Seattle, author of "Total Wellness and co-author of "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

Written for those who are experiencing mental illness, or whose loved ones are going through such episodes, or who are mental wellbeing practitioners, this is a guide to the potentially transformational experience of that which we label mental illness. It explores the ancient concept of the "shamanic sickness", whereby the prospective shaman underwent many years of mental distress as part of their initiation, and looks at what this can teach us about mental health. It argues that, in some cases, what we seek to medicate could actually be a calling to a path of service and healing. The book also explores our cultural biases around mental illness. What we define as pathological, many cultures see as a sign of being inspired and in touch with greater powers. It looks at our uneasy relationship with altered states of consciousness and how these might hold the key to healing many symptoms of mental illness. Finally it looks at how we, as species, have come out of balance in our relationship to nature and the devastating affect this is having on our mental health. By learning from ancient indigenous cultures who have remained in balance with the natural world, this book looks at solutions to heal this modern imbalance and find a way forward for the Earth and ourselves.

For professionals, home practitioners, students and teachers of homoeopathy, here is the eagerly awaited new volume in Colin Griffith’s authoritative and unrivalled The New Materia Medica series. Drawing on ten years of testing by Colin’s group, here are 36 brand-new homoeopathic remedies offering fundamental solutions for the needs of our challenging times. The remedies include Australian Sandstone for patients who need to rediscover their personal mission in life, Beta Vulgaris for purification of body and spirit, Bursera Graveolens to counter psychic vulnerability, Iron Pryrite for creative spark, Picea Pungens to support patients in understanding the truth and as a remedy from toxic pollution. A common thread is that these remedies will suit those who feel existentially threatened by the speed, mindlessness and sense of fear that seem to characterize life today. The book also reveals how astrology can be used to assess the hidden depths of difficult cases, crucial information for the homoeopath that is not available anywhere else.