News reports appear every day now on the ecological state of our planetary home and the news is not good. Ecological systems are in terrible peril, species are dying by the millions, and global warming is getting worse. Increasing numbers of people feel the impact of this, feel some form of what is being called climate grief, ecological loss, or sometimes even solastalgia. Our species is entering a time of difficult and deep mourning. As environmentalist Leslie Head has said, "Grief will be our companion on this journey-it is not something we can deal with and move on." It will be with us for a long time to come. Stephen Harrod Buhner takes the reader on a journey into and through that grief to what is waiting on the other side, a place that Viktor Frankl, Jacques Cousteau, Vaclav Havel, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and so many others have found. It's where one becomes an engaged witness, alive to the losses that are occurring and the grief that is felt but is not overcome by them. Then he travels into and through the common feelings of guilt and shame (feelings that are put on so many but in actuality belong to very few) that come from ecological devastation. From there Stephen moves deep into what occurs when those we love die, when the planetary landscapes, forests, fields and rivers that are engraved into our deepest selves are lost, when we are forced to travel into the territory of death and loss and deep grief ourselves. Throughout it, Stephen draws on his studies with Elizabeth Kubler Ross and others who worked with the dying, his years as a psychotherapist, extensive work with the chronically ill, and deep immersion in and relationship with plants, wild ecosystems, and this living planet that is our home. At journey's end what arises is not the optimism of false hope (as Greta Thunberg calls it) but a deeper and more realistic hope, one that is intimately entangled with gravitas and the journey through loss. It's born from the heart's integration of grief and a deep faith in the green world, in this planet from which we have emerged, and in the new life that comes with every spring. Stephen's book is written with the exquisite prose style, intimacy, depth of insight, and engaged storytelling for which he is known. No one who reads it will remain unmoved or ever again feel as if they are alone in the grief they feel for what is happening to our home.

Herbal Medicines Offer Hope for Combating Hepatitis C

More than 500 million people worldwide carry the deadly hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis C poses a public health crisis far greater than the AIDS epidemic. This deadly disease, which can go undetected for years, eventually attacks the liver, causing cirrhosis, cancer, and even liver failure. Conventional medical treatments for hepatitis C have limited effectiveness. In Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver, Stephen Buhner examines the most recent research on how hepatitis C affects the body. He offers important information, practical guidance, and hope. This book includes:

* Clear descriptions of the common medical tests and treatments for hepatitis C -- what they mean and how effective they are.

* A guide to knowing and using the top herbal medicines that work to protect the liver and stregthen the immune system.

* A protocol for cleansing and strengthening the body with a combination of diet, herbs, and lifestyle changes.

Lyme disease infects a minimum of 300,000 people per year in the United States and millions more throughout the rest of the world. Symptoms run from mild lethargy to severe arthritis to heart disease to incapacitating mental dysfunction. Although tests have improved over the past decade, they are still not completely reliable, and antibiotics are only partially effective. Up to thirty-five percent of those infected will not respond to antibiotic treatment or will relapse. The spirochetes that cause Lyme are stealth pathogens-they can hide within cells or alter their form so that our immune systems cannot find them, as well as inhibit the effectiveness of antibiotics. Lyme disease is, in fact, a potent emerging epidemic disease for which technological medicine is only partially effective. The coinfections that accompany Lyme are often as, or more, incapacitating than Lyme itself. Worldwide, hundreds of millions experience infection with babesia, bartonella, ehrlichia, anaplasma, mycoplasma, chlamydia, and the spotted fever rickettsiosis. Healing Lyme examines the leading, scientific research on Lyme infection and its tests and treatments, and outlines the most potent natural medicines that offer help, either alone or in combination with antibiotics, for preventing and healing the disease. The book has been a bestseller for over a decade, and during that time the author has had contact with over 25,000 people who have used some form of these protocols during their healing journey. This edition has been significantly updated, fully revised, and expanded to reflect the increased understandings from that extensive contact, including depth-treatment experiences with hundreds during the past decade. Healing Lyme is the primary text in print on what Lyme bacteria do in the body and how natural approaches can heal the disease. It is the first book in print covering depth understanding and treatment of chlamydial and rickettsial coinfections. This new updated version of Healing Lyme joins the author's other two books on the treatment of Lyme coinfections (babesia, bartonella, mycoplasma, anaplasma, and ehrlichia) and completes his exhaustive work on these stealth pathogens.

Viruses are smart, mutating, and becoming resistant to antiviral pharmaceuticals. Global crises such as COVID-19, SARS, and dengue fever spread more quickly than we can develop medicines to fight them. Herbalist and best-selling author Stephen Harrod Buhner has studied the antiviral properties of plants for many years. In this comprehensive guide, he profiles the plants that have proven most effective in fighting viral infections and provides in-depth instructions for preparing and using formulations to address the most common infections and strengthen immunity, safely and naturally. The updated 2nd edition includes an expanded guide to COVID-19, including a review of the most up-to-date medical research and the plant medicines that have been found to be most potent in preventing infection, lessening the impact of the virus on the body, and addressing longer-term effects and co-infections.

Often radical and controversial, Buhner has clearly and beautifully explored the mysterious universal beliefs between ancient arid indigenous cultures as to the spirituality and healing power of plants and fermentation. In the spirit of Carlos Castenada, he forges a quest in pursuit of the experiential. Highlights of comprehensive information never presented in one volume include: mead, honey and hive products; heather ale; psychotropic beers; and beers and ales from sacred and medicinal trees and plants.

Harvard researchers estimate there are nearly 250,000 new Lyme disease infections each year--only 10 percent of which will be accurately diagnosed. One of the largest factors in misdiagnosis of Lyme is the presence of other tick-borne infections, which mask or aggravate the symptoms of Lyme disease as well as complicate treatment. Three newly emergent Lyme coinfections are Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma. Tens of thousands of people are known to be asymptomatically infected and at least ten percent will become symptomatic this year--with symptoms ranging from chronic headache and arthritis to seizures. Distilling the latest scientific research on Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Lyme disease, Stephen Buhner examines the complex synergy between these infections and reveals how they can go undiagnosed or resurface after antibiotic treatment. He explains how these organisms create cytokine cascades in the body--essentially sending the immune system into an overblown, uncontrolled inflammatory response in much the same way rheumatoid arthritis or cancer can. Providing an in-depth guide for those suffering from Babesia, Ehrlichia, or Anaplasma infection as well as for clinicians who work with those infected by these organisms, Buhner details effective natural holistic methods centered on herbs and supplements, such as Ashwaganda and Chinese Skullcap, and reveals how to treat specific symptoms, interrupt the cytokine cascades, reduce inflammation, and bring the immune system back into balance. He explains how these natural methods not only complement conventional Lyme disease treatments involving antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals but also provide relief when other forms of treatment have failed.

Each year Harvard researchers estimate there are nearly 250,000 new Lyme disease infections--only 10 percent of which will be accurately diagnosed. One of the largest factors in misdiagnosis of Lyme is the presence of other tick-borne infections, which mask or aggravate the symptoms of Lyme disease as well as complicate treatment. Two of the most common and damaging Lyme coinfections are Bartonella and Mycoplasma. Nearly 35 million people in the United States are asymptomatically infected with each of these pathogens, and at least 10 percent will become symptomatic every year--with symptoms ranging from arthritis to severe brain dysfunction. Distilling hundreds of peer-reviewed journal articles on the latest scientific research on Bartonella, Mycoplasma, and Lyme disease, Stephen Buhner examines the complex synergy between these infections and reveals how all three can go undiagnosed or resurface after antibiotic treatment. He explains how these coinfections create cytokine cascades in the body--essentially sending the immune system into an overblown, uncontrolled response in much the same way that rheumatoid arthritis or cancer can. Detailing effective natural holistic methods centered on herbs and supplements, such as the systemic antibacterial herb Sida acuta, which acts to protect blood cells from invading organisms, he reveals how to treat specific symptoms, interrupt the cytokine cascades, and bring the immune system back into balance as well as complement ongoing Lyme disease treatments.

A bold exploration of the reintegration of rationality and intuition, science and soul, to foster individual and planetary healing During the scientific revolution, science and soul were drastically separated, propelling humanity into four centuries of scientific exploration based solely on empiricism and rationality. But, as scientist and ecologist Stephan Harding, Ph.D., demonstrates in detail, by reintegrating science with profound personal experiences of psyche and soul, we can reclaim our lost sacred wholeness and help heal ourselves and our planet. The book begins with compelling introductions to depth psychology, alchemy, and Gaia theory--the science of seeing the Earth as an intelligent, self-regulating system, a theory pioneered by the author's mentor James Lovelock. Harding then explores how alchemy, as understood through the depth psychology of C. G. Jung, offers us powerful methods of reuniting rationality and intuition, science and soul. He examines the integration of important alchemical engravings, including those from L'Azoth des Philosophes and the Rosarium Philosophorum, with Gaian science. He shows how the seven key alchemical operations in the Azoth image can help us develop deeply transformative experiences and insights into our interconnectedness with Gaia. He then looks at how the four components of the living Earth--biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere--mesh not only with the four elements of alchemical theory but also with the four functions of consciousness from depth psychology. Woven throughout with the author's own experiences of Gaia alchemy, the book also offers guided meditations and contemplative exercises to open your receptivity to messages from the biosphere and help you develop your own Gaian alchemical way of life, full of wonder and healing.

An investigation into the root cause of the modern acne epidemic--fluoride--and how to remove it from your diet and lifestyle for clear, healthy skin Using her FBI intelligence analyst skills, Melissa Gallico identifies fluoride as the root cause of the modern acne epidemic. Chronicling the existing acne research, she reveals where each study went wrong and what they missed. She shares her personal 20-year struggle with severe cystic acne not only on her face, but on her neck, chest, back, and even inside her ears. She explains how her travels around the world and her intelligence work helped her pinpoint exactly what was causing her treatment-resistant flare-ups--fluoridated water, foods, dental products, and the systemic build-up of childhood fluoride treatments. She details how to avoid fluoridated foods and beverages and explains how sources of fluoride work their way deeply into our daily lives through water as well as fluoride-based pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and common household products. The author exposes the corrupt science used to convince people of fluoride's health benefits and examines the systemic toxicity of fluoride, including its anti-thyroid and neurotoxin effects, how it remains in the body for years, and how it can cause the symptoms of illnesses, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and depression. She explains how to displace fluoride stored in your bones and tissues through nutrition and the careful use of iodine. Offering a guide to freeing yourself from persistent adult acne, Gallico shows that it is possible to heal your skin even when dermatologists and their prescriptions have failed.

NATURE / HERBAL HEALING"This is a profound work. Written with a clarity and depth of understanding that only someone deeply attuned to their subject could master. Pam Montgomery weaves indigenous wisdom, modern research, science, and quantum physics into a vibrant testament of the sacred and powerful nature inherent in plant medicine. The message transmitted through every page in this amazing book is bound to change our perception of herbal healing--and of medicine in general." --Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist and founder of United Plant Savers and author of Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal"A blessing of a book. Pam Montgomery's writing shines with what Hildegard of Bingen called viriditas--the healing power of the Green. It is filled with the wisdom of a real herbalist."--David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG, author of Medical Herbalism and Herbal Prescriptions after 50Indigenous healers and shamans have known since antiquity that plants possess a spirit essence that can communicate through light, sound, and vibration. Now scientific studies are verifying this understanding. Plant Spirit Healing reveals the power of plant spirits to join with human intelligence to bring about profound healing. These spirits take us beyond mere symptomatic treatment to aligning us with the vast web of nature. Plants are more than their chemical constituents. They are intelligent beings that have the capacity to raise consciousness to a level where true healing can take place. In this book, herbalist Pam Montgomery offers an understanding of the origins of disease and the therapeutic use of plant spirits to bring balance and healing. She offers a process engaging heart, soul, and spirit that she calls the triplespiral path. In our modern life, we are increasingly challenged with broken hearts, souls in exile, and malnourished spirits. By working through the heart, we connect with the soul and gain access to spirit. She explains that the evolution of plants has always preceded their animal counterparts and that plant spirits offer a guide to our spiritual evolution--a stage of growth imperative not only for the healing of humans but also for the healing of the earth.PAM MONTGOMERY has been investigating plants and their intelligent spiritual nature since 1986. She is a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association and is on the advisory board of United Plant Savers. The author of Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology and contributing author in Planting the Future, she is a practicing herbalist and plant spirit healer who offers trainings and treatments from her home in Danby, Vermont.

There has never been a greater need for comprehensive, well-researched information about herbs' potential to fight infection. In 1998, Stephen Harrod Buhner - a leading herbal practitioner and author - published the first edition of "Herbal Antibiotics" to great acclaim. Since then, health care providers have discovered many new resistant strains of bacteria, researchers have added to the growing body of knowledge about herbs, and the need for antivirals to treat emerging infections like SARS and West Nile Encephalitis has become urgent. Within ten years, according to sources cited in the book, pharmaceutical antibiotics will begin to fail at epidemic rates. There are, in fact, no new antibiotics currently in planning or development at any of the major pharmaceutical companies. Most notably, there is none for Gram-negative bacteria, which are emerging as the most dangerous pathogens.

For millennia humans have fasted for spiritual, emotional, and physical reasons--as a way to heal their bodies, reconnect to the sacred, regain a sense of life's purpose, and allow their souls to detoxify. We are evolutionarily designed to fast, and the body knows how to do it very well. Fasting allows the body and all its systems to rest, purify, and heal. During a fast, the body enters the same cleansing and healing cycle it normally enters during sleep. As a fast progresses, the body consumes everything that is not essential to bodily functioning--including bacteria, viruses, fibroid tumors, waste products in the blood, buildup around the joints, and stored fat--and the mind and heart release their toxic buildup as well. As Stephen Harrod Buhner reveals, in order to be truly transformed, you must first empty yourself. Offering step-by-step guidelines to fully prepare yourself for a deep fast, Buhner explores what to expect during and after spiritual, emotional, and physical fasting and detoxification. He details the necessary dietary and mental preparations leading up to your fast, what you can and can't do during a fast, and how to end your fast. He also explains how to plan the length of your fast and how to choose between a water fast, a juice fast, or a mono-diet fast. Revealing how fasting can help or heal many chronic conditions, such as type II diabetes, childhood seizures, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, psoriasis, insomnia, and fibromyalgia, Buhner shows fasting as a way to truly inhabit the body, to experience its sacredness, and to activate its deep capabilities for self-healing.

A manual for opening the doors of perception and directly engaging the intelligence of the Natural World
- Provides exercises to directly perceive and interact with the complex, living, self-organizing being that is Gaia
- Reveals that every life form on Earth is highly intelligent and communicative
- Examines the ecological function of invasive plants, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, psychotropic plants and fungi, and the human species
In "Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm," Stephen Harrod Buhner reveals that all life forms on Earth possess intelligence, language, a sense of I and not I, and the capacity to dream. He shows that by consciously opening the doors of perception, we can reconnect with the living intelligences in Nature as kindred beings, become again wild scientists, nondomesticated explorers of a Gaian world just as Goethe, Barbara McClintock, James Lovelock, and others have done. For as Einstein commented, "We cannot solve the problems facing us by using the same kind of thinking that created them."
Buhner explains how to use analogical thinking and imaginal perception to directly experience the inherent meanings that flow through the world, that are expressed from each living form that surrounds us, and to directly initiate communication in return. He delves deeply into the ecological function of invasive plants, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, psychotropic plants and fungi, and, most importantly, the human species itself. He shows that human beings are not a plague on the planet, they have a specific ecological function as important to Gaia as that of plants and bacteria.
Buhner shows that the capacity for depth connection and meaning-filled communication with the living world is inherent in every human being. It is as natural as breathing, as the beating of our own hearts, as our own desire for intimacy and love. We can change how we think and in so doing begin to address the difficulties of our times.

NEW SCIENCE / ECOLOGY "Of the truly great books appearing today The Secret Teachings of Plants is easily the most rewarding I have had the privilege of reading." Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of The Biology of Transcendence "A 'must read' for herbalists, healers, gardeners, nature lovers, and anyone who has ever been moved to tears by the everyday miracles of life." Susun S. Weed, author of Healing Wise Mankind cannot survive without the nutritional and medicinal properties of plants. The number of plant species on Earth has been estimated at around 400,000, with many of these species remaining unknown to humans. While only a fraction have been identified and categorized by Western botanists, it is safe to say that many of the plants unknown in the West are known to indigenous people living within the plants' natural ranges. All ancient and indigenous peoples insist their knowledge of plant medicines comes from the plants themselves and not through trial-and-error experimentation. Less well known is that these plant teachings are at the basis of many of the modern discoveries in both medicine and in plant foods. Throughout the world there is a tradition of direct perception of nature through the "intelligence of the heart." Recent discoveries in neuroscience have proven that over 50 percent of the heart is comprised of neural cells. The heart is, in fact, a brain in its own right. Heart-centered perception can be exceptionally accurate and detailed in its information gathering capacities, as indigenous and ancient peoples assert. Stephen Harrod Buhner explores this heart-centered mode of perception in great detail. He includes leading-edge information on the physical mechanisms ofheart-based cognition and explores the work of numerous remarkable people who perceived the world with their hearts, including Henry David Thoreau; Luther Burbank, who cultivated the majority of food plants we now take for granted; George Washington Carver; Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution; and the great German poet and scientist Goethe, who studied the metamorphosis of plants. Buhner shows us how these great thinkers achieved a direct perception of nature using the cognitive abilities of the heart. He provides the knowledge and techniques necessary to develop heart-based perception, which is our birthright. He teaches us how to learn the medicinal uses of plants directly from the plants themselves and to understand the soul-making process that such deep connection with the world engenders. STEPHEN HARROD BUHNER is an Earth Poet and senior researcher for the Foundation for Gaian Studies. He lectures throughout the United States on herbal medicine, the sacredness of plants, and the intelligence of Nature. He is the author of nine works of nonfiction and one book of poetry, including the award-winning The Lost Language of Plants and Sacred Plant Medicine. He lives in Braintree, Vermont.

The recognition of andropause, the middle-age stage in male development comparable to women's menopause, is hampered by the lack of a clear outward manifestation of the chemistry and physiology specific to aging men. Men are still capable of reproduction well into and beyond middle age. Yet a man's sexual desire and potency varies, often according to his testosterone level. Recent studies show that the lowered testosterone levels endemic in aging men are being exacerbated by environmental agents. Testosterone-blocking estrogen agents are present in insecticides, industrial materials, pharmaceuticals, and foods. Men are daily inundated with a "cocktail" of estrogen agents that alter the fine balance of testosterone that makes them male.