Planet Medicine is a major work by an anthropologist who looks at medicine in a broad context. In this edition, additions to this classic text include a section on Reiki, a comparison of types of palpation used in healing, updates on craniosacral therapy, and a means of understanding how different alternative medicines actually work. Illustrated throughout, this is the standard on the history, philosophy, and anthropology of this subject.

The historical use of plants by indigenous peoples is explored, and how this connects to universal experiences of the sacred in everyday life.

The first book to demonstrate how plants originally considered harmful to the environment actually restore Earth’s ecosystems and possess powerful healing properties • Explains how invasive plants enhance biodiversity, purify ecosystems, and revitalize the land • Provides a detailed look at the healing properties of 25 of the most common invasive plants Most of the invasive plant species under attack for disruption of local ecosystems in the United States are from Asia, where they play an important role in traditional healing. In opposition to the loud chorus of those clamoring for the eradication of all these plants that, to the casual observer, appear to be a threat to native flora, Timothy Scott shows how these opportunistic plants are restoring health to Earth’s ecosystems. Far less a threat to the environment than the cocktails of toxic pesticides used to control them, these invasive plants perform an essential ecological function that serves to heal both the land on which they grow and the human beings who live upon it. These plants remove toxic residues in the soil, providing detoxification properties that can help heal individuals. Invasive Plant Medicine demonstrates how these “invasives” restore natural balance and biodiversity to the environment and examines the powerful healing properties offered by 25 of the most common invasive plants growing in North America and Europe. Each plant examined includes a detailed description of its physiological actions and uses in traditional healing practices; tips on harvesting, preparation, and dosage; contraindications; and any possible side effects. This is the first book to explore invasive plants not only for their profound medical benefits but also with a deep ecological perspective that reveals how plant intelligence allows them to flourish wherever they grow.

Planet Medicine is a major work by an anthropologist who looks at medicine in a broad context. In this edition, additions to this classic text include a section on Reiki, a comparison of types of palpation used in healing, updates on craniosacral therapy, and a means of understanding how different alternative medicines actually work. Illustrated throughout, this is the standard on the history, philosophy, and anthropology of this subject.

Planet Medicine is a major work by an anthropologist who looks at medicine in a broad context. In this edition, additions to this classic text include a section on Reiki, a comparison of types of palpation used in healing, updates on craniosacral therapy, and a means of understanding how different alternative medicines actually work. Illustrated throughout, this is the standard on the history, philosophy, and anthropology of this subject.

Whether you live in a mountain cabin or a city loft, plant spirits present themselves to us everywhere. Since its first printing in 1995, Plant Spirit Medicine has passed hand-to-hand among countless readers drawn to indigenous spirituality and all things alive and green. In this updated edition, Eliot Cowan invites us to discover the healing power of plants—not merely their physical medicinal properties, but the deeper wisdom and gifts that they offer. Enriched by many new insights, this guide unfolds as a series of chapters on how plant spirit medicine helped Cowan resolve specific challenges in his own healing journey and in his work with others. In the telling, we learn how plant spirits can directly communicate with and aid all of us, including: Plant spirit medicine's five-element view of healingWays to assess our own states of health and balanceReceiving guidance from plants, including those found within herbal preparationsNew passages on community and sacred plants such as peyote, marijuana, and tobaccoAdditional interviews with plant shamans across diverse traditions, and more