Publisher's Synopsis
Traditions In Western Herbalism Essays & Class Notes Articles by 24 of The Most Respected Herbalists Today Compiled by Jesse Wolf & Kiva Rose Hardin Presenting 366 pages of essential Information & Skills for the students and practitioners of herbalism, drawn from the proceedings books of esteemed Plant Healer Events: The Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference, The Herbal Resurgence Rendezvous, and HerbFolk Gatherings. This exciting compilation is organized into 4 sections: Herbal Practice, Clinical Skills and Therapeutics, Herbs and Actions, and Food, Wildcrafting, Self-Care & Sense of Place. The contributors are 24 of the most exciting and esteemed herbalist teachers of our time, including including: Matthew Wood, Christa Sinadinos, Ryan Drum, Kathleen Maier, Paul Bergner, 7Song, Jim McDonald, Bevin Clare, David Hoffmann, Juliet Blankespoor, and Lisa Ganora. From Jesse Wolf Hardin's introduction: "Plant medicine has been a part of human culture and purpose for as long as we have existed. Healing ourselves, our families and communities naturally was and remains a very important skill, requiring much study and practice in order to be truly effective. But as herbalist elders David Hoffman, Paul Bergner and others have noted, there have been a number of periods of contraction and marginalization, including in the first part of the 21st Century. Paul explains how there was becoming less stress on clinical knowledge and critical thinking, and an unhealthy lack of push against the prevailing commercialization and regulation of this age. To help counter these trends, my partner Kiva Rose and I determined to launch an annual event for herbal students, teachers, cultivators, practitioners, activists and free-clinic herbalists that would be unlike any other of the wonderful conference of the past, one that would attract folks who had felt peripheral or sidelined including culture-changing instructors and shy beginners, kitchen witches, concerned parents and kids with attitude, back-to-the-landers, urban street medics, conservationists, folk herbalists from indigenous traditions, and self proclaimed outlaws, misfits and visionaries. We gathered a tribe of some of the very best herbalist teachers, who for five years in a row delivered a balance of clinical skills, the latest plant knowledge, herbal history, folklore, inspiration and camaraderie. This immensely rich and rewarding book is the product of these exemplary teachers sharing what they know. Together, they represent hundreds of years of combined experience working with clients and plants, studying the latest literature and comparing research results. Each offers a unique set of skills and understandings, presented in their own personal and personable ways, and we invite you to turn to the back of this book to check out their courses, publications and medicines. Traditions In Western Herbalism's in-depth essays and detailed class notes from Plant Healer's cherished conferences and gatherings are certain to help equip you, empowering you with some of what you need to know to more effectively care for your own health and that of others. If you enjoy this book, you may also be interested in checking out the related titles on Amazon: The Plant Healer's Path, The Enchanted Healer, The Healing Terrain, and the novel for herbalists The Medicine Bear. www.PlantHealer.org
