• Monthly Columns

    Of Medicine ‘n’ Magick

    Winter Here I am in the season we call winter. Yule has passed, and length of daylight is waxing in my world, though imperceptibly. I know it is, though, because the hens are laying again. I know because the stored onions and garlic are waking. I know because I’m taking inventory of seeds, placing orders, and dreaming of the spring-to-autumn gardens that sustain us. I know because I’m already dreaming of Imbolc, that glorious midpoint between winter and spring, when the waxing daylight turns undeniable, and garden dreams move into garden actions, albeit indoors, on shelves aglow with privileged light. But now… in the gloom of true winter, it’s a…

  • Reviews

    Documentary Review – The Medicine

    Documentary Review The Medicine Produced by Alma and Aperture Media Productions Time 1:25:16     The Medicine is by far the most eloquently executed documentary of Psychedelics of all time. They take you deep into the culture of Ayahuasca shamanism. Not just a collection of talking heads, this presentation is a work of love, connecting the science, the history, and spirituality of this medicine. Featuring Graham Hancock, Rachel Harris, and many other of our leading cognitive scientists, as well as an inside perspective from the Shaman himself, they take you up close and personal with the medicine known as Ayahuasca.  What sets this documentary apart from the rest though, is…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for a Modern World by Itzhak Beery

    Book Review Shamanic Healing Traditional Medicine for a Modern World by Itzhak Beery Destiny Books 226 Pages Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for a Modern World is a great introduction to the power and scope of traditional medicine techniques from cultures that stand outside of Western medicine. Itzhak Beery opens the book, his third, with a compelling chapter on the need to integrate the wisdom and personal approach of shamanic healing wisdom with the benefits of Western medicine. He then takes the reader on his personal journey to shamanism, starting with his first workshops with Michael Harner and John Perkins, both of whom were instrumental in popularizing cross-cultural shamanic practices and…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: Willow   Willows are a type of tree in the family Salicaceae. They’re deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves towards winter, and they love both moisture and sunlight. Striking weeping willows are often seen trailing their leaves across the surface of streams, while fluffy goat willow or pussy willow brightens up the spring with its soft catkins. While only the largest of gardens will enjoy a willow tree of their own, many people will have a green area or park they can visit to find one of the many species of willow which grow all across the northern hemisphere. Find your own favourite willow creek or…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary Special: Five Antiviral Plants to Eat at Home     *Disclaimer: Eating any amount of plants and herbs cannot protect you entirely from catching any sort of illness. Healthy eating is great and boosts your immune system but should complement, not replace, good hygiene, prescribed medication, and safe social distancing measures where appropriate. Take a holistic approach to your well-being and always follow guidelines from medical practitioners and qualified experts. Stay safe!   Even prior to the current pandemic, there has been a lot of scientific research into what sort of plants might have significant antiviral properties. Antiviral plants are plants which help boost your body’s…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Asclepius     Asclepius is the ancient Greek god of medicine, healing, wisdom, rejuvenation and physicians. His name means “to cut open” because his mother, Coronis, died during labor and his father, Apollo, performed the first cesarean section by cutting the child out of her womb. Asclepius married Epione, the goddess of soothing. Their daughters were Panacea (goddess of medicines), Aegle (goddess of good health), Aceso (goddess of the healing process), Iaso (the goddess of recuperation) and Hygieia (the goddess of health, Hygiene). They also had three sons. According to GreekMythology.com, “At some point, Asclepius healed a snake, which in return taught him secret knowledge – snakes…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary: Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making by Marysia Miernowska

    Book Review The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making by Marysia Miernowska 224 Pages     If you want to learn to love the land and feel Earth love you back, “The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary: Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making” is a must read. It doesn’t take long to realize Marysia Miernowska regards Earth as Lover and nature as the Beloved, and that everything is sacred. In a gentle, wise manner, she offers practices, rituals and recipes to ride the regenerative currents of nature following the Wheel of the Year, starting with…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary: Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making by Marysia Miernowska

    Book Review The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making by Marysia Miernowska 224 Pages     If you want to learn to love the land and feel Earth love you back, “The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary: Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making” is a must read. It doesn’t take long to realize Marysia Miernowska regards Earth as Lover and nature as the Beloved, and that everything is sacred. In a gentle, wise manner, she offers practices, rituals and recipes to ride the regenerative currents of nature following the Wheel of the Year, starting with…

  • Reviews

    Worth the Witch

      Una Spirit Medicine Bundle     “Dream Guidance” was the theme of the Una Spirit Medicine Bundle sent to customers in September. Its contents were selected to increase awareness of the gifts dream journeys offer. “This is a topic very dear to my heart,” said Alicia Franzen of Heart Path Creations. “I have always felt that no matter how much one doesn’t remember dreaming, we are all dreaming every night. … We don’t exercise this awareness enough. We are deeply connecting to the Spirit world through dreams. Dreams are a sacred time of coming back to our truth.”     Dreams don’t happen to us, we actively engage with…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Shamanic Plant Medicine-San Pedro: The Gateway to Wisdom by Ross Heaven

    Book ReviewShamanic Plant Medicine-San PedroThe Gateway to Wisdom by Ross Heaven 144 Pages   San Pedro: The Gateway to Wisdom is one in The Shamanic Plant Medicine series authored by Ross Heaven. Each book introduces a plant medicine teacher and medicine ally. This well-written, accessible book introduces us to the Cactus of Mystery, San Pedro, native to the Andes and used by Andean shamans in healing ceremonies. Mr. Heaven, who died in 2018, has left us with a practical and nuanced introduction to San Pedro. The book gives us an overview of the plant’s history and the lore relating to its sense of mystery, which certainly drew me in to…