Sacred Plant Medicine: The Wisdom in Native American Herbalism

By Stephen Harrod Buhner

Book Overview

The first in-depth examination of the sacred underpinnings of the world of Native American medicinal herbalism - Reveals how shamans and healers "talk" with plants to discover their medicinal properties - Includes the prayers and medicine songs associated with each of the plants examined - By the author of The Secret Teachings of Plants As humans evolved on Earth they used plants for everything imaginable--food, weapons, baskets, clothes, shelter, and medicine. Indigenous peoples the world over have been able to gather knowledge of plant uses by communicating directly with plants and honoring the sacred relationship between themselves and the plant world. In Sacred Plant Medicine Stephen Harrod Buhner looks at the long-standing relationship between indigenous peoples and plants and examines the techniques and states of mind these cultures use to communicate with the plant world. He explores the sacred dimension of plant and human interactions and the territory where plants are an expression of Spirit. For each healing plant described in the book, Buhner presents medicinal uses, preparatory guidelines, and ceremonial elements such as prayers and medicine songs associated with its use.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591430585
• ISBN13: 9781591430582
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Bear & Company
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Amazing!

A very good book that brings you to experience how our ancestors learned from nature... a book that will bring you back to the roots of life! This book makes you feel "one with the Earth" (sorry for the cliché), makes you aware that you have to be careful with our planet, with our environment and with ourselves... A very clear, good and educational book. By far one of the best in the field!

Excellent

According to some beliefs, each and every entity of the physical world is permeated by the essence of the Creator and as such it is sacred. Within this framework, herbalists acknowledge the intrinsic sacredness of the plant medicine and act accordingly. This book is an excellent overview of this perspective. It is well written, it's factual and yet it's not dry. I believe the reader will enjoy this book regardless as to whether or not s/he shares the author's opinions.

A CLASSIC!

Stephen Buhner's book is a welcome contribution. Like Joan Halifax's book Shamanic Voices, Sacred Plant Medicine is a classic text in the field of shamanic literature. It is the first text to track the commonalities between indigenous peoples in their learning of plant medicines, showing that among all Earth peoples the plants themselves taught their uses as medicine. The book explores the main themes in such sacred plant medicine and from the writer's words the luminous world that Hildegard of Bingen called veriditas strongly emerges. While the author's poetry and delicacy of language is evident throughout the book he also allows the indigenous elders to speak in their own words about the world they inhabit, about their close connections with the plants, and about the soul teaching that such connection and deep love has engendered. There is no finer synthesis of the ancient world of plant intelligence than sacred plant medicine, no better exploration of the training that our ancestors received in their learning of plant medicines, no better work that explores the path of the sacred herbalist. Sacred Plant Medicine lays out the initial exploration of the luminous world that we once all inhabited. Buhner continues this work most strongly in Lost Language of Plants and, from what I have heard, it culminates powerfully in his upcoming work - The Secret Teachings of Plants. If you wish to learn the steps our ancestors used to learn directly from the heart of the world there is no better place to begin than this book. It, as Brooke Medicine Eagle comments, makes clear that one does not have to be of a certain color or race or ethnic background to seek and find ways of being in harmony with the Earth. And as William Lyons noted: The Earth will love you for reading it.

Informative instruction on finding medicinal plants

Stephen Buhner's Sacred Plant Medicine: Explorations In The Practice Of Indigenous Herbalism is a welcome and informative introduction to Native American herbal medicine. A general survey of the cultural and medicinal role of herbs in Native American cultures is provided, along with informative instruction on finding medicinal plants; making the plants into medicine, the role of ceremony with regard to herbal medicines; a compendium of plants and their sacred uses; and more. The authoritative, "reader friendly" text is augmented and enhanced with suggested readings and herbal sources, "wildcrafting" ethics and guide lines, an extensive bibliography, and an index. Sacred Plant Medicine is very highly recommended for alternative medicine and Native American studies reading lists and reference collections.

A review worth reading.

This book is the best book I have ever seen on sacred herbalism. Unlike Eliot Cowan's book, this book goes into much needed detail and tells how to physically heal a person with a plant as well as emotionally. Stephen Buhner has very good control over his writing and he makes the reading fun as well as educational. I suggest this book to those who want to have an in detail knowledge about herbs and the spiritual healing that plants can have on all of us.