A popular herbalist's remedies and prescriptive program for emotional balance and overall health, using natural solutions such as essential oils, aromatherapy, and more Sara Chana Silverstein a lactation consultant and mom to seven kids. She is also a go-to herbalist who specializes in walking women through a focused herbal regimen to nourish their livers, refresh and revitalize their systems, and stabilize their moods. The goal? A balanced lifestyle. With tools, tips, and strategies, this is a practical, easy-to-use guide to herbs and homeopathy. Silverstein shares the best natural remedies to help combat stress, anxiety, and promote peace of mind and general health. She shows how herbs, aromatherapy, and other natural remedies are a gentle, natural way to enhance your emotional state without having to resort to antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, or other medications that may have unwanted side effects. Silverstein's dedicated program teaches women to harness the power of aromatherapy (different aromas help with different ailments), color therapy, diet, and other mood-enhancing tools to lead to optimal emotional and mental wellness.

Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets provides an ethnographic study of varmakkalai, or "the art of the vital spots," a South Indian esoteric tradition that combines medical practice and martial arts. Although siddha medicine is officially part of the Indian Government's medically pluralistic health-care system, very little of a reliable nature has been written about it. Drawing on a diverse array of materials, including Tamil manuscripts, interviews with practitioners, and his own personal experience as an apprentice, Sieler traces the practices of varmakkalai both in different religious traditions-such as Yoga and Ayurveda-and within various combat practices. His argument is based on in-depth ethnographic research in the southernmost region of India, where hereditary medico-martial practitioners learn their occupation from relatives or skilled gurus through an esoteric, spiritual education system. Rituals of secrecy and apprenticeship in varmakkalai are among the important focal points of Sieler's study. Practitioners protect their esoteric knowledge, but they also engage in a kind of "lure and withdrawal"--a performance of secrecy--because secrecy functions as what might be called "symbolic capital." Sieler argues that varmakkalai is, above all, a matter of texts in practice; knowledge transmission between teacher and student conveys tacit, non-verbal knowledge, and constitutes a "moral economy." It is not merely plain facts that are communicated, but also moral obligations, ethical conduct and tacit, bodily knowledge. Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets will be of interest to students of religion, medical anthropologists, historians of medicine, indologists, and martial arts and performance studies.

Despite its small size, Belize is one of the most ecologically and culturally diverse nations in Central America. Over 3,400 species of plants can be found here, within a diversity of ecological habitats. Because of this, Belize is paradise for ecotourists, hosting over 900,000 visitors annually, who enjoy the natural habitat and friendly people of this nation. Many of the plants of Belize have a long history of being "useful," with properties that have served traditional herbal healers of the region as well as those who use plants as food, forage, fiber, ornament, in construction and ritual, along with many other purposes. With Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize, Drs. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo give us the definitive resource on the many species of plants in Belize and their folklore, as well as the natural history of the region and a detailed discussion of "bush" uses of plants, including for traditional healing and life in the forest, past and present. Both Balick and Arvigo bring important perspectives to the project, Balick as ethnobotanical scientist from The New York Botanical Garden, and Arvigo as a former apprentice to a Belizean healer and an experienced physician. The book has been decades in the making, a culmination of a biodiversity research project that The New York Botanical Garden and international and local collaborators have had in motion since 1987. Drs. Balick, Arvigo and their colleagues have collected and identified thousands of plants from the region, and have worked extensively with hundreds of Belizean people, many of them herbal healers and bushmasters, to record uses for many of the species. This collaboration with local plant experts has produced a fascinating discussion of the intersection of herbal medicine and spiritual belief in the area, and these interviews are used to compliment and contextualize the numerous species accounts presented. The book is both a cultural study and a specialized field guide; information is provided on many different native and introduced plants in Belize and their traditional and contemporary uses including as food, medicine, fiber, in spiritual practices and many other purposes. Richly illustrated with over 600 images and photographs, Messages from the Gods: A Guide to The Useful Plants of Belize will serve as the primary reference and guide to the ethnobotany of Belize for many years to come.

Drawing on the writings of Nicholas Culpeper, the 17th-century herbalist, apothecary and astrologer, this updated, accessible introduction celebrates the holistic medical traditions of the West, and places Culpeper in his appropriate context as one of the forebears of modern holistic medicine and a prophet of the NHS. An extensive new introduction to the work comments on the latest research and developments in the area. The book traces the development of the Western holistic medical tradition from its origins in the natural philosophy of Ancient Greece to the work of Culpeper himself. It describes and explains the relationship between the four elements, the four humours and the four constitutional types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic, as well as explaining the functional relationships of organs and body systems. The book explores the interconnectedness of psyche (mind) and soma (body) and includes a section on herbal medicine and therapeutics with a study of 20 common herbs, dietary suggestions and uses for culinary herbs. It also provides accessible information on astrology and the importance of the horoscope for holistic patient assessment. The book looks at the holistic approach to the preservation of health and prevention of disease, with explanations of the various disease states, their humoral medical diagnosis and treatment. An authoritative insight into the expanding world of holistic medicine, this book is an indispensable resource for medical herbalists, students of herbal medicine and all those interested in Western holistic medicine and its origins.

The American Indian medicine wheel was an ancient way of creating sacred space and calling forth the healing energies of nature. Now, drawing on a lifetime of study with native healers, herbalist and ethnobotanist E. Barrie Kavasch offers a step-by-step guide to bringing this beautiful tradition into your own life--from vibrantly colorful outdoor circle designs to miniature dish, windowsill, or home altar adaptations. Inside you’ll find:

• Planting guides for medicine wheel gardens in every zone, from desert Southwest to northern woodlands

• A beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of 50 key healing herbs, including propagation needs, traditional and modern uses, and cautions

• Easy-to-follow herbal recipes, from teas and tonics to skin creams and soaps--plus delicious healing foods

• Ideas for herbal crafts and ceremonial objects, including smudge sticks, wind horses, prayer ties, and spirit shields

• Seasonal rituals, offerings, and meditations to bless and empower your garden and your friends, and much more

Practical, beautiful, and inspiring, The Medicine Wheel Garden leads us on a powerful journey to rediscovering the sacred in everyday life as we cultivate our gardens . . . and our souls.

From the co-founder of one of the world's most respected herbal education websites: recipes, rituals, practices, and personal stories to help you live a more sexually fulfilled and vital life. Plants are the great healers of the earth, and their capacity to support healthy sexuality is just as powerful. This beautifully written and illustrated book brings you into a relationship with herbs for sexual fulfillment and empowerment. Drawing on her own knowledge of herbalism and sacred sensuality, along with intimate stories from students who implemented her teachings, Kimberly Gallagher guides you on a personal journey of growth aided by the aphrodisiac properties and sensual uses of healing herbs and flowers such as damiana, cacao, and rose. Kimberly is an author and co-founder of LearningHerbs, a widely respected herbal education website. In Aphrodisiac, you'll find thoughtful, soulful rituals and dozens of recipes for putting the herbs to use, such as Autumn Blush Cordial, Rose Massage Oil, and Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Torte. You'll read user-friendly and well-researched monographs that teach you everything you need to know about every featured herb. And you'll find a wide range of practices for inviting erotic energy flow into your life - including creating an inviting environment, nourishing your body, and simply slowing down so there's time to savor pleasure. When people are sensually alive and sexually fulfilled, they are more confident, creative, and joyful. They are also more likely to share their unique personal gifts with the world. Aphrodisiac is an essential resource for anyone wishing to live a more vibrant life.

The Hearth Witch s Kitchen Herbal is an herbal with a difference it shows how to use the herbs and spices most of us already have in our kitchens for home remedies, personal care, spiritual practice, and magic. The follow-up to the bestselling Hearth Witch s Compendium (9780738750460), this practical guide includes more than 150 recipes and highlights 23 plants, spices, and herbs. For each plant, you will discover magical correspondences, history and lore, culinary uses, cosmetic uses, medicinal uses, notes of caution, and recipes. From basil to black pepper and from compresses to cough drops, this comprehensive guide shares everything you need to know for living the hearth witch way.

"Plant Spirit Wisdom" expands on the herbal and shamanic healing practices introduced in "Plant Spirit Shamanism", the author's most recent (2006) and currently best-selling book on traditional plant medicines and techniques for healing the soul. Whereas his previous book takes a cross-cultural perspective, however, "Plant Spirit Wisdom" focuses on the Celtic and native (European and American) use of herbs and plants in spiritual healing. At its core is the wisdom and plant folklore stemming from Welsh and Irish practices, paganism, shamanism, and herbalism, and especially sin eating (a little-known Celtic spiritual practice which works with energy medicine and the spirit - rather than the pharmacology - of herbs and plants).To the sin eater, the soul is a web of energy which connects us to everyone and everything, and this energy can be depleted or lost when we act out of accordance with our spiritual purpose. Plants and spiritual practices are used to rebalance this energy, release old attachments, and repattern ourselves for a more positive and healthier life. The approach is exactly the same as that used by shamans in, for example, the Amazon, the Andes, Haiti, and among Native American healers, and yet little has been written of it from our own native perspective.

A handy pocket-size guide to natural remedies from your garden and store-cupboard for complaints ranging from coughs and colds to aches and pains that allows you to save money and avoid taking mass-produced chemicals on a regular basis. Fiann gives simple step-by-step instructions to make straightforward salves and ointments, teas, rinses and syrups that will fill the first-aid cupboard, as well as identifying plants that can be used straight away with no preparation required. Fiann's singular knowledge of the properties and uses of herbs, fruit and flowers from the garden makes fascinating reading, as well as having extensive practical applications.

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.

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.

San Pedro, a visionary and hallucinogenic brew derived from the mescaline-based Trichocereus pachanoi or 'cactus of vision', is one of Peru's most important and powerful teacher plants. For thousands of years this brew has been drunk by spiritual seekers and those who need healing, and it has cured a wide variety of physical problems, including cancer, diabetes, paralysis, and pneumonia, as well as emotional and psychological issues such as alcoholism, heartbreak, and grief. Those who work with it say San Pedro brings us closer to God. Remarkably, however, while other South American teacher plants such as ayahuasca have been well reported in the literature, there has been no book specifically written about the shamanic use of San Pedro - until now. "The Hummingbird's Journey to God" provides wisdom for the whole of mankind.