Now, with this beautifully illustrated book, Cadfael fans can spend a typical year with their favorite monk, following him on his rounds as Shrewsbury's apothecary and healer, visiting his garden', and learning more about hundreds of herbs -- many of which are still cultivated today. Here is a succinct history of herbal remedies and monastic herb gardens like Cadfael's, as well as a complete A-to-Z guide to the medical uses for every herb and plant mentioned in the Ellis Peters books. For anyone intrigued by Brother Cadfael's medieval universe -- or interested in the recent boom in herbal remedies -- Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden is a marvelous guide to greater knowledge.

    This new title from Last Gasp is the essential herbal reference book, a complete compendium of practical and exotic herbal lore that is guaranteed to turn you on to the fact that plants and animals have been used for thousands of years in various ways to make people healthier, and to help them to live longer and more effective lives.

     More than 50 years ago, English physician Dr. Edward Bach grew disenchanted with orthodox medicine as he came to understand that many physical complaints have a strong psychosomatic element. Over many years of study, he discovered 38 flower remedies that act on the disharmony within the patient and pave the way toward recovery. Bach Flower Therapy describes the remedies in such a way that patients taking them will gain deeper insight into the remedies underlying psychological concepts, thereby enhancing the potential for self-healing. Intended for practitioners and lay readers alike, the book includes lists of symptoms to facilitate diagnosis.

    From cardamom to lavender to yuzu, each oil’s aroma, uses, and safety tips are clearly defined, while the core physical and emotional supportive properties are captured in expressive personality profiles.Over 100 recipes are included to support skin care, rest and relaxation, respiratory health, digestion, pain relief, meditation and contemplation, and even natural cleaning. Kid-friendly adjustments accompany each recipe to ensure safe usage and a healthy home environment for all ages.Take an up-close and personal peek at essential oil distillers around the world as they describe the passion, work, and meticulous care they put into creating their homegrown products. Andrea walks you through what you need to know to select quality essential oils from trustworthy sources.By the end of this book, you will know which oils you want to turn to for different needs, whether physical or emotional, and you will be able to personalize aromatherapy blends to perfectly complement your mood and spirit. With only the most essential of resources, you can invigorate your mind, body, heart, and home.

    This practice is still alive today in Mexico, among the traditional Indian shaman healers -- principally the elder Huichol Indian shaman and plant spirit healer, Don Guadalupe Gonzales Rios. Elliot Cowan reveals these ancient practices and guides the reader in the effective use of the wild herb plants in the area in which he or she lives. The result is a wonderful psychic and spiritual approach to holistic healing.

    With easy recipes ethnobotanist James Wong shows how to make simple creams, salves, teas and much, much more from the stuff growing in your window box, the local garden centre or in the hedgerows. Using the flowers, fruit, roots, trees, vegetables and herbs that are all around us James provides preparations to help relieve a whole range of common conditions, including acne, anxiety, cold sores and general aches and pains - plus great ideas for beauty treats such as bath bombs and shampoos. Inspired by his grandmother in Malaysia who taught him about the health-giving properties of plants, James uses his top class academic knowledge to show how easy - and cheap - it is to make creams, lotions, lozenges and more which can help relieve the symptoms of a variety of common complaints. He reveals how many plants contain the same active ingredients as over-the-counter drugs and chooses his Top 100 plants to grow or buy, complete with ideas for a whole range of uses.So unleash the power of plants and soothe the symptoms of everyday ailments the natural way.

    Whether you're hiking in remote areas or gardening in your backyard, this easy-to-use handbook will help you recognize and use fifty-five common wild plants that have extraordinary healing properties. With the Boreal Herbal, you will learn how to soothe pain with willow, staunch bleeding with yarrow, treat a urinary-tract infection with bearberry, and create a delicate and uplifting skin cream from sweetgrass. There are also dozens of healthy and delicious recipes, including Wild-Weed Spanakopita, Dandelion Wine, and Cranberry-Mint Muffins. Profiles of dozens of herbs, berries, and trees found in the northern boreal forest, including information on their habitat, harvest times, medicinal applications, as well as food uses, cosmetic uses, and spiritual uses. Full-colour photographs and botanical illustrations of each plant profiled in the book for easy identification Instructions on how to gather and preserve wild plants More than 200 recipes: teas, tinctures, powders, flower essences, topical treatments, beverages, jams and jellies, baked goods, soups, entr�es, and much more Safety tips for harvesting and using edible and medicinal wild plants, including information on calculating dosage and plant-specific cautions A resource section for people interested in starting up a non-timber forest-products business Botanical and medicinal glossaries, and index, and handy reference charts

    Pharmacognosy is the study of the composition, production, use, and history of drugs of natural origin. Pendell covers these topics and more in this volume, charting a voyage around the world of plant teachers. Through poetry, chemistry, and a generous sprinkling of arcane lore, Pendell weaves and twists the many threads of tradition into a singularly bewitching brew. Pendell's voyage is a true circumnavigation. It divulges what Gary Synder called "dangerous knowledge" that is a formidable weapon against "even more dangerous ignorance."Dale Pendell is a poet, software engineer, and longtime student of ethnobotany. His poetry has appeared in many journals, and he was the founding editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing. He has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Botanical Preservation Corps.

    Unlike conventional makeup-coverups, Dina's unique approach nurtures natural beauty and health. Chapters devoted exclusively to women, and also to the bodycare needs of men, teens, babies, and elders. Natural first aid, too. Includes 450 innovative formulas for essential products for face, skin, hair, hands, feet, mouth, and teeth -- more than a hundred of which can be made from basic household staples. Many recipes using healing herbs and aromatherapy. 256 pages, recycled paper/vegetable ink, illustrated, paperback.

    Everything from how to make homemade hairspray and gels to how to ditch the shampoo and grow magnificently manageable hair that you'll finally love!

    Herbalist Colleen K. Dodt profiles the healing and cleaning powers of dozens of oils extracted from herbs, flowers, roots, barks, and resins. This comprehensive guide includes recipes for natural cleaning products, lotions, and ointments that will keep you feeling happy and smelling great. Fill your days with stimulating scents as you learn to use essential oils to wash your dishes, soothe sunburns, combat stress, and improve the quality of your life.

    A Druid’s Herbal shows the reader how to use herbs when creating rituals to celebrate festivals and significant life passages such as births, house blessings, weddings, funerals, and naming ceremonies. Drawing on extensive research and a deep personal experience with Pagan traditions, Ellen Evert Hopman explores the history and folklore surrounding the eight major Celtic festivals: Samhain, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltaine, Summer Solstice, Lugnasad, and Fall Equinox. Included in each discussion are complete instructions on the medicinal and magical uses of the herbs associated with each celebration. Using these Celtic traditions as examples, the author suggests ways to incorporate the symbolic and magical power of herbs into personal rituals that honor all phases of life from childbirth to last rites. Also included are chapters on how to prepare herbal tinctures, salves, and poultices; herbs used by the Druids; herbal alchemy and the planets; and the relationships between herbs and sacred places. Filled with practical information and imaginative suggestions for using herbs for healing, ceremony, and magic, this book is an indispensable and comprehensive guide to age-old herbal practices. A master herbalist, psychotherapist, and lay homeopath, Ellen Hopman is the author of Tree Medicine, Tree Magic and the video Gifts of the Healing Earth, and co-author of People of the Earth: The New Pagans.

    With easy-to-follow instructions on canning, drying, and pickling, you’ll enjoy your backyard bounty all winter long. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How.

    Recognized as today's leading trend in self-care, herbs can help you heal faster, live longer, and look better. In this completely updated edition, one of the world's foremost authorities on nutrition and natural remedies demystifies the language and lore of herbs, and shows you how to choose and use herbs and herbal treatments -- from the traditional favorites to those on the cutting edge. Here is new and valuable information on how herbs can treat depression and anxiety, boost energy, improve your sex life, combat aging, prevent illness, and speed healing. Highlights include: Thirty new "Hot Hundred" herbs A new section devoted specifically to anti-aging herbs New and completely updated information on the fastest selling herbs: St. John's wort, kava kava, grapeseed extract, and green tea Special updated chapters on "A Man's Body" and "A Woman's Body" And much more Commercially prepared yet free of synthetics, herbal remedies are now widely available in many forms, from teas to tinctures. Authoritative and easy to use, this comprehensive resource is an essential addition to every medicine chest.

    "From primitive times the term "Herbal Simple" has been applied to any homely curative remedy consisting of one ingredient only, and that of a vegetable nature."