Ruth Williams - The Mind Remedy

Scientific discoveries frequently provide an evidence base for the ancient rituals that began long before. The herbs and foraged produce used by the tribal medicine man can often be found in pharmaceuticals today. These ingredients and the ancient ceremonies surrounding their use would probably have been conceived by wise elders who observed their people with a curious and attentive mind. They show how much there is to be learned by what we refer to today as mindful observation. They didnt apply contemporary scientific processes and yet on many occasions came to the same conclusions as todays scientists.

In the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century, society began to value rational thinking, industrial production and profit over community and a connection with the natural world. Many ritual festivals, marking events such as the changing of the seasons, held too high a cost for those early manufacturers. The festivals took the workforce away from their daily grind and reduced productivity. We can document the early factory owners in Britain intentionally cancelling one after the other, even trying at one point to do the same to Christmas! The negative PR message of the time rubbished anything other than empirically driven beliefs of the idealized rational man. We still live with some of this PR legacy today. It is likely to be that the only way to save our planet will be by rethinking the damage done by industrialism and finding a new way to live simply and in harmony with the natural world.

Social consciousness is moving towards a search for alternatives to consumerism. There is a growing contemporary rejection of materialistic individualism due to its potential destruction of the planet. The renewed enthusiasm for the natural world leads us towards the idea of learning from the peoples of the past, who lived in harmony with their environment. With this in mind, there is an ever-growing opinion that the objects we own need to have meaning if they are to be part of our lives. They need to have function as well as to spark joy, and even better if they also enable habits and rituals that are healthy for our minds and bodies.

How to use this book

Within these pages you will discover 20 different projects. Each one includes the objects story from birth and its psychology as well as how to make it. You can dip into the projects in any order that you find useful. They are organized into four sections to help you to prescribe what your mind and body need.

You will discover a range of ideas about how the object can become a positive part of daily life. For example, making the journey stick can be a fun way to grow connection with the natural world while using the breathing bracelet can help you to relax when you feel a wobble of anxiety.

The final part of each project is an illustrated guide to how you can make the object for yourself. You dont need any crafting skills or experience since each one follows a simple process that is explained in easy-to-follow steps. The materials for each object can be found in the natural environment, around the home or at the craft store. The making part is an enjoyable first aspect towards creating your own habits and rituals. Aim to take time, free of distractions, with your making, and hold in your mind your aspirations for your creation as you go.

Towards the end of the book you will find a whole host of resources to guide you on taking your personal object pharmacy further.

FINDING CONNECTION

H uman beings are social animals and the connections we form shape who we feel we are. Connections between people are fluid, with all the unpredictability, excitement and fear that fluidity brings. When we feel happy and safe, we can go with the flow and ride the unknown wave. So often though, we stumble and find a way into that human rhythm elusive. Other people can seem so different and difficult to connect with. These objects help us to find that common language of connection. They can open up and give permission for an often-hidden conversation about how we want to connect, so we can take the risk to reach out with confidence.

Talking stick