Remedies - AILMENTS - Healing Wise with Susun Weed

Your books have been great reference material for me over the years. My
latest purchase, your book on "breasts" I am finding very helpful...tho I am
barely into it at this time.

I am writing you because I am an energy worker/practitioner and I have great
concern, as many of my clients have been suffering with their long term
fight with Lyme Disease.

I suppose I thought of you, because I am reading your new book and going over your other publications.....I know tho, that things happen for a reason. I can only assume that your name came up for me with this particular concern because you have wisdom you can share in this regard. I am all ears, Susun.

What little sisters can you suggest for the
treatment and symptoms of Lyme Disease. I know the remedy is out there...it
has to be quite simple too...because nature provides us in this most
beautiful way. Can you shed some light?

I would suppose that any remedy would have to build up the immune and
lymphatic systems. Any suggestions that support these systems as well?

Just back from teaching in FL and about to leave for AZ and CA. Here are a few thoughts for you.

Lyme's is a complicated organism. The most effective remedy I know of is hypericum (St. J's) tincture, from fresh flowers (not dried) used lavishly, in dropperful doses as often as 6-8 times a day. Reduced the load in one person's blood better than days and days of IV antibiotics.

No promises, of course, but this is the best I can offer you right now. I have a past apprentice who keeps saying she is going to write a book about the herbal remedies she has used during her 12 year dance with Lyme's, but she hasn't done it yet, so we are all waiting. (Of course, if it has been a 12 year dance, then nothing she did has completely removed it and I know she has tried a LOT of things.)

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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I wanted to thank you for your concern and the help you have given me. I am the one who originally asked for help with abdominal pain that turned out to be shingles and fooled everyone including my family doctor.

I finally figured it out, when I noticed the rash starting on my belly, but I had never had anything like it before. I am still in a lot of pain. I ended up taking antiviral medicine and also St joans Wart. The oil arrived after the fact but I have been using it. My liver and digestion was very irritated.

I couldn't stand to eat anything cooked, except yogurt, of which I ate a lot . I have eaten mostly alive foods for the past three years, including milk and some meats. But I also eat cooked carbohydrates and from time to time cooked every kind of food. I love eating alive foods but feel that something is missing , I think I need the grains and warm food, so I am experimenting.

I will tell you a little about myself so you can understand about the healing that I'm doing. I am 59 years old, youthful looking and do not have any degenerative diseases. I am on disability however for depression and panic disorder. That came out of having chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia and a back injury while working in stressful jobs in the wine industry in California.

I also have a huge background in allopathic medicine, but integrative approaches(or I guess radical) have always been a magnet for me. So, this brings me to where I am today. After leading an adrenally exhausting lifestyle of traveling and teaching,I started to break down with menopause in the middle 80's and have been struggling with fatigue, focus, headaches and being at least 40 lbs. overweight in spite of diet and exercise. I teach a class in the NIA Technique aerobic dance.

Since the first of the year, I have been doing extremely well, except for shingles. Since October, I have been gradually transitioning my diet and taking herbs. In November, I went to Seattle and did a Continuum Workshop. This got the ball rolling emotionally and I felt ready to start with herbs and some supplements like Vitamin E .

I started taking Menopause tonic and nettle infusions as recommended by the people at Red Moon Herbs in November. I eased off the estrogen and progesterone cream and just did herbs.

Then I started to get hot flashes, dry vagina, kundalini creepers. I had started to drink the Bonney Brew when I got shingles. Now the heat is there instead of hot flashes. But I have had almost every menopausal symptom that is in the book. Now I realize that my challenges are just menopause! So I'm an still taking a limited amount of Menopause tonic and St Joanswort and dandelion tincture. I also have nettle, oatstraw infusions. I feel the herbs have helped me.

I wrote before wondering if the herbs had anything to do with a reaction in my nerves, after a friend told that someone she knew had a similar reaction. Overtime I have tried about everything including being a vegan, and the McDougall no fat diet, but I didn't like them.

Now I eat plenty of fruits ,salads and raw cheese, milk and butter, which I make since I can get raw milk from a diary where I live. I can get organic foods and some fish and meats. I don't get cooked greens very often. I wanted to continue with the Bonney Brew because I am losing my teeth in spite of taking good care of them. Emotionally, I continue to being doing great and accept it as a result of all the energy I have put into healing my wondrous being and body.

I am truly grateful for your time and caring-so good to know about wonderful people like yourselves. Your book has inspired me with a new attitude and knowing that I'm not alone with these challenges. Thank you so much.
Jody

P.S. I have friends who live in Bovina Center and are into herbs. I hope to get over to study with you and see them.

Dear Jody

What a great letter. You have led a fascinating life and done a lot of good for many women. Thank you for all your good works.

In order to counter shingles, St J's needs to be taken internally in dropperful doses 4-8 times a day. The oil helps topically, and can be combined with the tincture (in other words, both used together, one for inside and one for outside), but does not do the job by itself. Once you have had shingles they are likely to recur and the pain can continue for decades. If you are still in pain, consider using the tincture now. If not, get some so you can begin to take it at the first sign of another attack.

As you know menopause throws a monkey wrench into our lives and shows us where we could improve. Hot flashes are a symptom of vitality! Don't try to get rid of them, please. Keep nourishing yourself the way your body is telling you to, with hot soup and cooked greens, beans and grains. How about some applesauce or apple butter? Cooked fruit is ever so much more nourishing and healthful (really!)

I think it is most likely that the problems you are having comes from malnourishment. It is very very difficult for anyone over the age of 20 to extract nutrients from uncooked foods. Your body is telling you this in many ways. I have used nettle infusion for more than 25 years and have turned hundreds of thousands of women onto it. I guarantee you that your distress, and your shingles, are not a result of drinking nettle.

I am so happy to hear that you consume raw milk. I trust that means that you eat little or no soy products, but I suspect that you do, as the majority of your problems are those that I have seen countless times in women who eat tofu and other unfermented soy (tooth and gum problems, nerve damage, memory loss, etc.)

I am against all supplements. If you want more vitamin E, the real kind, eat more peanut butter, more oil, more nuts and avocado. There are eight forms of vitamin E needed in the body, pills contain only one, and that one has been shown to be a pro-oxidant! No study has ever found evidence that taking vitamin E reduces any diseases, and several have found problems among those who take it. For instance, women who take vitamin E and who get breast cancer are four times more likely to die of the cancer than women who take no supplemental E. I know you want to do the best for yourself, so avoid those supplements. My book New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way has an appendix listing all the food and herbal sources of nutrients. Check it out.

Lupus

I have lupus and is there any thing I can take to help it ?

Susun's Response:

Wish I had a simple answer for your simple question. But I am sure you know I do not. I would be happy to talk with you about your lupus and yourself. I have free consultations on Tues. nights &:30 to 9:30 pm east coast time. These consultations are by phone only (845-246-8081) and are available on a first-come, first served basis from Spring Equinox to Halloween.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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I get so much from the newsletters and books. Susun, do you have a recommendation for proteinuria? I have developed this as a result of lupus. I currently take 5 mg of prednisone a day and 5 mg of prinivil. I am working to get off the prednisone and I really do not like taking the prinivil. Any suggestions you might have would be very appreciated.

Thanks, Michelle

If you kidneys are not functioning well, stinging nettle infusion can help a lot. Instructions for making it in all of my books.

If your kidneys are fine, give me a clue as to what causes the protein to be in you urine.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

Dear Susun,

Thank you for responding to my e-mail about proteinuria. Other than losing protein, my kidneys are functioning well. I have been told I have diffuse, proliferative, glomerular nephritis due to lupus. I did nettle infusions for a few months, I think two, and then I stopped. Would you suggest that I start again? I stopped because I had an allergic reaction to something, so I stopped every thing and then I never went back. I don't think I am allergic to nettle.

I would be happy if you decided to give nettle a try. And if you let me know if it helped you. It is my opinion that it will rebuild your kidneys. I have seen it happen and believe it could help you. Do let me know. Thanks.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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Good morning. It's been almost a year since I started having ringing in my ears. I went to an ENT to try and understand why and where it came from. I don't usually run to a Dr, but this was so unusual and I knew nothing about tinnitis and there is not much positive information out there.

After all the tests, I was told that I had the hearing of a teenager (I'm 46). He told me there was no cure for tinnitis, but there were a few things I could try-all of which were not to my liking.

I began my research into the subject. I found a website on menopause and tinnitis. I'm going through menopause now and thought that this is the reason that I have this ringing. But, I can't put my finger on the reason why . I'm very healthy and it is very disturbing to have something that can't be "cured". I've tried Gingko extract and misc vitamins, but none have stopped the ringing. Have you heard or know of any information on tinnitis and menopause?

Have a peaceful holiday season, Katie

The few cases I have been involved with turned out to be an allergy to certain chemicals in foods. How did we discover this? We eliminated foods one at a time for a period of 3-5 days.

Another possibility, this is considered to be a blessing sign, one that precedes full enlightenment. Have you tried being thankful for it and asking it if it has a message for you?

Wish I could give you something that would take the problem away, but this one is a journey for you, is it not?

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

black & white illustrations are by Durga Bernhard from Susun Weed's Healing Wise the second Wise Woman Herbal

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I had an interesting experience in meditation today. I am trying to heal my adrenal glands of mercury poisoning and pine tar came up as a remedy. I have never heard of this used for medicinal purposes, or for the adrenal glands. Do you know anything about this? Where can a find a pure source of pine tar?
thanks in advance,
Bonnie

Don't know where to get pine tar except from pine trees, where it is called sap. Pine sap/tar is rich in resins and could possibly cause severe damage to the kidneys. Use with extreme caution. A safer choice is to try tincture of propolis, which is sap collected by bees. Same kidney caution though.

The herb I use for healing adrenals is nettle, brewed as an infusion, using an ounce by weight of herb in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water, capped tightly and allowed to steep for 4-8 hours. It is amazing.

To remove mercury, I rely on burdock root tea or infusion, or the cooked root; and brown seaweeds such as kelp, wakame, kombu, especially cooked and eaten like a vegetable. Both of these herbs (burdock and kelp) have been shown to remove all heavy metals from the body in a safe fashion. Good luck.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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I need your expert advise again please. My 16 year old son has been diagnosed with Mononucleosis. From what I understand many youths have this....it's almost as if this has
replaced the flu! But never the less they symptoms are like that of the real Mono......he's exhausted! He still attends school and continues with his routine...but he crashes after school. It breaks my heart to see him so exhausted at his age!

Now.....I realize this is a viral condition and the body is the only one who can do anything about this...but I'm sure we can give him herbs via teas to support his system. I have a feeling it's a waste of wonderful medicine to use...goldenseal, echinachea....I'd rather save them for something that would require their assistance. What do you think would be the best...dandelion? liver cleansing? greens?

I'd like to help him and need some help with this! What systems do we need to support to help the body fight its war?

Thanks....I love knowing you're here!
Anna

Susun's Response: antiviral herbs

In general, I do not do second-hand consultations, but I will make this one exception for you this once. If he wants further help, please have him contact me himself.

Antiviral herbs include hyssop, poke root, lemon balm, and St. J's (Hypericum). Best used as tinctures. Check doses carefully. I would not use all, but only one of them.

The liver is a flow-through organ. It stores nothing. It is always clean. Trying to clean it only damages it. Please please please let go of this idea. It could ruin your health. I personally know of several hundred people hospitalized because they did a liver cleanse. If you want to nourish your liver, that is another story. Dandelion will do that really well.

Menthol is poisonous. (Sounds like your herbal teachers are from the heroic tradition.) Mullein leaf infusion will help strengthen the lungs.

My free consultation by phone starts after Spring Equinox at 845-246-8081. Calls are accepted between 7:30pm amd 9:30 pm east coast time, on Tuesday evenings.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

Thank you Susun...........

Actually, I seriously doubt the report that my son had any kind of mononucleosis..............after one week....he was fine......I did nothing but added more fruits and veggies. He did the rest by sleeping more! I think they took a blood sample, lost it then reported mono because they didn't find strep! I trust no doctors.

But I do want to get back to what your comment was on the liver................it being a flow through organ........is always clean.

OK.........it's always clean...........but when one gets hepatitis (which I had many, many years ago before they put letters on it)........and the whole body turned jaundice..........I would assume it was because the liver wasn't functioning correctly...therefore it wasn't "cleaning"?

Now.............how come........after hepatitis has left and gone away.......they say........it's permanently damaged. I do think because of the hepatitis it is indeed permanently damaged.........one reason being......(and I've discovered this is consistent with many people who have had hepatitis)......we can't eat any type of fried foods......our symptoms of deep fatigue come back immediately......telling me that it is very, very hard for it to process that kind of food.

Also........I thought the liver was deeply affected when one drinks alcohol also...ie. sclerosis of the liver.

Maybe, if I may suggest........you could do an article about our livers and it's healthy maintenance next time. It's such an important organ and with hepatitis coming back.........and also alcoholism and people in recovery.....it might be helpful. I wonder if we can regain what was lost.....or at least support it now, if not completely fix it! My heart goes out to those in recovery who may have caused serious damage to their liver. (My girlfriends ex just died of just this very "disease")

Hi, my name is, Loree . Fourteen years ago, I had my nose constantly glued in your childbearing years book, and it gave me such a wonderful cloak of care and feeling while pregnant with my daughter, McKenna*. My doctor knew who you were, and thought it was great I was your fan! Your iron tonic was especially helpful for me then. I didn't know that I was ill with Celiac Disease at the time. I know that your tonic pulled me through some death defying times.

I need your help again. It appears my levels of iron are extremely low now. Do you think
the old "standby" is enough, or should I use it in addition to other sources (the IRON PILL). Unfortunately, I don't have my old doctor any longer. She went away with the good old Sonoma County days.....the current one isn't into alternative or anything resembling. She likes antidepressants instead.

Anyway, I sure appreciated your wonderful back back then, and still love
it to this day; even if I am only 49 now! Thanks for "always being there"!

Yes, your old stand by will help you now. Add a spoonful of molasses to kick ass.

Do you have my New Menopausal Years? It is even better than Childbearing Year.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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mountain greetings,

I've just been diagnosed with a small hernia - wonderfully ironic that I develop just that which, they say, can only get worse and can only be remedied by surgery! With a herbalist, I'm going to try a three - four month treatment before going to the surgeon.

*witch hazel compresses day and night
*comfrey root poultice for half an hour morning and evening
* St johnswort oil with lavender gently massaged in - once a day
*my mama, ex-nurse antibiotic freak turned recently herbal suggested a Dr. Christopher mix ; comfrey, marshmallow, slippery elm, calendula, white oak , mullein leaves, skullcap
* integrate visualisation sessions into my altarwork
* pretty much rally what healing help I can from those women practicing in the valley
* deep meditations with my old friend comfrey

do you have any experiences with hernia's - what did you find helpful? What sort of time frame? ...I wish my old mentor/teacher was still alive....

thanks for your time, Joy

I have lived with a hernia in my groin for nearly twelve years despite my MD friend who told me it had to operated on . NO pain NO problem NO stress

Where is yours?

No herb that I used did anything!! Teasel root tincture is the specific for tears inside the belly (including hernia).

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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I am a herbalist medical student and completing an assignment on an
orthodox drug and an appropriate herb on Crohn's Disease .
Could you advise on any sources or journals that I could look in, as the
information I have looked at, all give different herbs.

The Wise Woman Tradition focuses on the unique individual. There are no
herbs that treat diseases, there are only herbs that help individuals. No
one herb could be used to help everyone dealing with Crohn's disease.

I have helped several women with this problem. They found useful slippery elm bark
powder, comfrey leaf infusion, marshmallow root tea, and other soothing
herbs. They used peppermint infusion. They used herbs specific for them.
Hope this helps, in many ways.

I am writing on behalf of my friend, joy, with an URGENT request
I'm researching herbal alternatives to help her heal her eyes.

She currently has only peripheral vision and is therefore unable to read, write, or continue with her beautiful jewelry designs. She is becoming increasingly depressed, due to her current loss of vision and compounded by all her other health and personal issues. She is a kidney transplant survivor who takes a myriad of medicines and has been treated for skin cancer. She awaits results of an mri to determine if she has the same rare heart disease that took the life of her sister who died in her sleep on august 11th of this year, not long after her own kidney transplant. Add to this the fact that she lives in lower Manhattan, in the zone that was restricted during the wtc bombing.)

She had a severe migraine a week or so ago, and it escalated to the point where she needed to be taken to the emergency room. Apparently her blood pressure escalated to such a high level that she experienced severe hemorrhaging behind both retinas. There is such an enormous amount of blood that must be reabsorbed into her system that she is without full vision. Doctors tell her just to wait and that hopefully everything will return to normal. I can't help but think that there is a holistic approach to dealing with this problem, an herb that might soothe the eye muscles and help the body reabsorb the blood.

How wonderful of you to do this for your friend, Joy. I do not know of any particular herb that could help her absorb the blood, and in general, I am unsure that herbs are safe for someone taking immune suppressing drugs.

If her doctor OKs it, maybe blueberries would be safe. They have components that are remarkable for helping the eyes. She could just eat them, fresh or in compotes/jams. Or she might be able to find a concentrated blueberry paste that herbalists sometime use.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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Hello, I am 40 years old. I just found out I have M.S. and now, possibly cancer. I remember in college my english teacher told me about herbs that heal.

Are there herbs I can take for MS and Cancer? I would really be interested. I worry about my children later in life maybe getting MS and Cancer. Are there people that can donate money to help me?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Linda

As you know, MS has such variable symptoms that it is hard to say what influences it. Women I know who deal with it say that there are two things that they believe are helpful. One is easy: drink nourishing herbal infusions. (more info on these in any of my books) The other is against the law, smoke one puff of cannabis sativa (marijuana) once or twice a day. There is lots of scientific medical evidence to back up this last one, as well as many anecdotes.

Cancer is a scary problem. I give you a lot of information on dealing with it in my book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way, available from www.wisewomanbookshop.com

My friend is on 10 mg Norvacs, for high blood pressure and would like to go off that med. She is an herbalist and wanted to know what herbs you would recommend to pack in her capsules with. Doses and frequency?

She has Hawthorne, mother wort and garlic. Should she do all three? If not, what proportions would you suggest. She would prefer not to do tinctures.

I understand that the information received is for educational purposes only and not meant to treat any disease!

Dear Synthia

I do not ever use herbs in capsules. She could do a strong infusion of hawthorne, but motherwort works best as a tincture. Juliette Levy says an alternative is rosemary infusion, not tea, sipped throughout the day. I am assuming she knows avoid all processed foods and to follow a DASH diet, which includes all whole grains and lots of cooked vegetables, no white flour, no white sugar.

Garlic in a capsule is an especially bad idea. Just eat it. Good luck.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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I've read your column in SAGEWOMAN. I need help please. Almost three years ago I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic prescribed for a sinus infection. To counter the serium reaction to the antibiotic the hospital gave me a "loading" dose of prednisone, a steroid; then a further six day course of prednisone. Over the following six weeks I gained twenty pounds in my face, belly and arms. My feet swell something fierce and I can't lose the pounds.

I have since become a massage therapist. I did one detox using chapperal. It had what I felt was a positive effect but it didn't do the job. All this weight gets in my way, literally. It has so changed my appearance that sometimes I just cry. Is there anything I can do to get back my health? I've found that crying doesn't help at all.

Much Love & Blessings To You, Diana

Dear Diana

You may be on dangerous ground with your detox. In fact, I suspect it may have aggravated your problem.

Instead, let's nourish you. Then your body can let go of the weight it gained to protect you. As Wise Women we strive to love ourselves just as we are (yes, even swollen, overweight, and awful) ,using that as the basis for change, rather than trying to cleanse ourselves of our supposed sins.

What regular exercise do you do? I would suggest you find and join a weekly GENTLE yoga class or take tai chi.

What do you eat? A diet that includes nourishing herbal infusions, whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables well-cooked, and some yogurt or fish daily can help.

Stinging nettle helps women lose weight from water retention as well as adipose tissue, and it improves metabolism so the weight stays off. You can learn more about nettle and about making infusions in my book Healing Wise. You can get a signed copy from www.wisewomanbookshop.com/ at a 20% discount.

Also, I would be glad to discuss this with you personally by phone. I have a
free service on Tuesday nights. Call me at 845-246-8081 between 7:30 and
9:30 pm east coast time and I will be glad to talk with you. The line is of
course busy most of the time, but keep trying. An auto-redial phone helps!

I have a friend who is first generation Italian and was a pharmacist retired several years
ago. He's never been married and is a lifelong friend of my mom and my
step-dad who passed away years ago. He eats meat, steak, chicken, lots of
pasta, has a sweet tooth and drinks regular coffee, an Italian neighborhood diet.

He's never really been ill. He has been suffering the past few years from osteoporosis. His mom and dad also had it, as I remember. He's lived in the same house for over 60 years. He's lucid and very intelligent and more than willing to try things.

He's never been a lover of medicine, aspirin etc. I know a dietician visited him and said he needs to avoid roughage should eat gluten free and refined rice ? He knows she knows
nothing ! She never even told him to avoid caffeine, two cups everyday with four helpings of sugar.

Even when he's sitting still his body is working. I told him that and he's turning that around. Don't know if he would be open to taking herbs, I hope so. He's truly all skin and bones right now and obviously knows he's in trouble. His spirits are fine. He is taking a product called Ensure that the Dr. told him to take.

Susun is not able to come to answer questions these last few weeks and now she has to go away. I spoke w her and she says you should be making him nourishing herbal infusions: use one at a time, nettle, oatstraw, red clover, comfrey leaf. Drink as much infusion as possible, at least two cups daily. This will give him much needed vitamins and minerals plus lots of protein. To really increase nutrients add a spoonful of molasses to one cup of infusion, but only do this one cup a day (no more). The molasses will counter the anemia. So will the nettle infusion.

Also, yogurt (plain) with a little maple syrup and fresh fruit if he likes.

Best of luck,

Love,
Justine (Susun's daughter)

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Can you direct me to sources where I might learn about herbs which will
support the body in healing an L5 fracture? I am a massage therapist and
have a wonderful new client with a longtime L5 fracture, probably from a
lifetime of skiing. He is seldom in pain and open to alternatives.

I know there are Sacred Herbs out there in the world which will help!! Thank you
so very much. I am also researching yoga via friends who teach....

much love to you and wow, your site just gets better and better. KUDOS to
Justine!

Dear Naima

How about knitbone, also known as comfrey? It is the best healer of fractures that I have ever used. Don't believe the mistaken notion that comfrey is dangerous. I would not take comfrey root capsules; they are dangerous. But the leaf infusion (not tea) is rich in allantoin, minerals, and protein -- all needed to heal bones. I would combine this with Reiki. When my 21 year old cat was run over by one of my students, and her pelvis broken, we healed it with comfrey leaf infusion, raw goats' milk, Reiki and lots of love. She was jumping on chairs within three months of the accident :)

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes so we can help others.

Green Blessings, Susun Weed

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This site is sponsored by Susun Weed and Ash Tree Publishing.

Healing Wise, the second Wise Woman Herbal
by Susun S. Weed, author of the Wise Woman Herbal Series
Introduction by Jean Houston. Illustrations by Durga Bernhard
Paperback - 312 pages (1989) Published by Ash Tree Publishing
~ Yours for $17.95 + Shipping

Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity.

"One of the most powerful spokespersons of the herbal movement, Susun Weed introduces a marvelous sense of vitality and originality to herbalism. A poet, artist, and visionary, Weed draws us into ancient wisdom in a way that is clear and refreshing. I recommend Healing Wise highly - there is good medicine in these teachings." Rosemary Gladstar, founder California School of Herbal Studies

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