Szwed Susan - The Womans Handbook of Herbal Healing: a Guide to Natural Remedies

The WOMANS

HANDBOOK

of HEALING

HERBS

The WOMANS

HANDBOOK

of HEALING

HERBS

A Guide to Natural Remedies

Deb Soule
Illustrated by Susan Szwed

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 1995, 2011 by Deb Soule
Illustrations copyright 1995, 2011 by Susan Szwed
Reprinted by arrangement with Citadel Press / Kensington Publishing Corp.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-61608-276-5

Printed in China

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the following Elder women who significantly touched my life: Adele Dawson, Marija Gimbutas, Helen Nearing, and Katherine Soule Foster. I stand taller and stronger today because of their influence and firm support.

Contents

Lesbian Health Books and Resources

Herbal Newsletters

Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful to the many people who have helped me birth this book. First, I acknowledge the women herbalists who courageously walked this path before me. Their rich stories and wisdom, most of which was passed on orally or left in gardens, is being woven back together by contemporary women.

I bow to my grandmother, Katherine Soule Foster, who taught me how to carefully see and hear with more than my eyes and ears, and reopened the magic of the natural world to me when I was five years old. Katherines respect and love for plants, birds, and animals is the foundation in which my understanding of healing is firmly rooted.

I am grateful to the dozens of women who, over several years, have shared their health problems and herbal success stories with me. These experiences validate the effectiveness of herbs and allow the wisdom to be passed on. Special thanks to the medicine plants themselves, who continue to bless us with their gifts that heal body and spirit.

To the following teachers I have been graced with in my life I give thanks: Adele Dawson, Helen Nearing, Mary Bove, Doug Elliot, Sara Smith, Ed Smith, Amanda McQuade Crawford, Rosemary Gladstar, Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Cascade Anderson Geller, AmyLee, and Norma Myers. Special thanks to Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist Zen teacher, for the practice of the precepts and mindfulness teachings that guide my work; to my friends in Nepal for introducing me to Green Tara; to Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok for the Green Tara initiation; and to Marija Gimbutas for helping reawaken my knowing of the Goddess.

Many thanks to Selkie OMira, Helen Caddie-Larcenia, Rose Crandall, and Sheila Garrett, who cared for the lab at Avena Botanicals during the initial stages of this book, and for the Avena fairies, Kimber Lee Clark, Gwen, Delia Mae Farris, Cathy Webb, Susy Ellis, and Carol Begin, whose support and love helped me through the final stages of writing. Special thanks to Betsy Hart, M.D., who offered me tremendous emotional support and assistance in the lab at Avena and also carefully read the manuscript for medical correctness.

Many thanks to Anne Dellenbaugh; Suzanne Richman; Patricia Reis; Hart Brent; Matty Becker; Susan Thomas; Sue Farrell; Kate Norris; Mary Lynn Garner, N.D.; Devra Krassner, N.D.; Susan Lie-Nielson; Maggie Davis; Peaches Bass; Ruth Lockart; Priscilla Skerry, N.D.; Tori Hudson, N.D.; Christine Northrup, M.D.; Arifa Boehler; Shep Erhart from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables; Dee Webster; Kathaeryn Walker; C. R. Lawn; David Winston; David Hart; Chris Bey; Beth Edmonds; Cynthia Phinney; Susan Plourde, Pat and Lester Soule, Patrick Giantonio, Nancy Hanrahan; Earth John; and Judy Linsey Powers for help and support with various aspects of the manuscript.

I am grateful to Elizabeth Garber-Baldwin, my acupuncturist, for her wise and tender touch; to the women in my full-moon group, who witnessed this books unfolding over many moons; to Rebecca Willow, Sharon Hayes-Whitney, Jean Wakem, and Carmen Brochu for helping me care for Avenas gardens; and to the Earth Sisters who dare to keep this herbal tradition alive.

Special thanks to my agent, Cheryl Seal, who believed in me and this book; to Sue Szwed for her beautiful illustrations; and to my editor, Denise OSullivan. And thanks to my friends Deborah Wiggs, Selkie OMira, Eremi and Karinate Amabebe, Helen Caddie-Larcenia, and Mochi, my dog, for letting themselves become illustrations for this book.

Mochi was my closest companion and hour-by-hour support team throughout the writing process. She lay near me as I typed and every few hours encouraged me to roll around on the floor or go outside with her, always a benefit to my brain and spirit. My cat, Osha, often sat in my lap and kept me company as I typed. Her wild spirit and soft paws kept me from disappearing into the computer. Though she disappeared before this book came to completion, her feline wisdom is woven between the lines and lives on in my heart.

I thank Alexandra Merrill for her support and understanding of womens group process, which inspired, challenged, and fed me throughout the writing of this book. I often found myself erasing a word or phrase, looking for new ways to express my woman heart. I apologize for any words or statements that may seem inappropriate or outdated. Unlearning old ways of communicating is an ongoing process. The written word is never final. The information and ideas in this book will continue to change, just as plants and women do.

Last, I give my love and appreciation to my partner, Abby Morrison, whose constant love, support, and belief in me are a blessing in my life. She continues to be the tree in our household, firmly rooted and willing to bend with the breezes.

To the Reader: The author is donating a percentage of her royalties to help set up a teaching clinic in Maine that will offer free herbal and homeopathic care to low-income women and families. Another percentage is being donated to help set up a wildlife rehabilitation center in Maine that will use herbs and homeopathy.

Herbs have a long history of being used for medicinal purposes around the world. The information about the herbs listed in this book comes from many herbalists observations and years of practice. The suggestions and procedures in this book are meant to supplement your overall health. It is important to seek out appropriate medical care when needed.

The author and publishers are not responsible for the use or misuse of the information presented in this book.

Introduction

A garden, small or large, like a nuclear or extended family, gives us a protected, friendly place to grownot only to grow herbs in a way compatible with nature, but to grow in our own psychic awareness, to cultivate our potential for being sensitive and responsible citizens of the planet and grateful caretakers of our inherited treasures.