Month: February 2009

What’s Science Got to Do With It?

Herbs

Once
upon a time, healing was considered an art. Healing was understood by
all to be a complex interaction between the patient, the healer, the
community of living people, the communities of the plants and animals
(and insects and rocks and fish), the communities of the non-living
people (such as ancestors, spirit guides, and archetypes) and that
mysterious movement known by so many names: Creator, God/dess, All High.

 The healing arts included a keen knowledge of human
behavior, a thorough knowledge of plants, a flair for the dramatic
arts, especially singing/chanting and costuming/body painting, and a
comprehensive knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. (If
you think these areas are not arts, look at the system used by
Traditional Chinese Practitioners which includes such “organs” as the
triple heater and a dozen different pulses.)

 

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Weeds in Your Garden? — Bite Back!

Nutrition and Healing Foods


I
always say the gardener’s best revenge is to eat the weeds. I’ve been
doing it for thirty years and can testify that my health and the health
of my garden has never been better. Here are a few hints for gardeners
who’d rather eat their weeds than hate them (and for non-gardeners who
are adventurous enough to try out nature’s bounty).

 

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Spirit and Practice of the Wise Woman Tradition

Herbs


As
we enter the twenty-second century, herbal medicine is being integrated
into mainstream medicine in the United States. Or is it the other way
around? Are we in danger of adopting the limited, linear scientific
view of a practice that is also considered an art? Are we abandoning
the sense of delight that drew us to herbal medicine? Are we vulnerable
to needing to be validated from outside because we don’t value
ourselves highly enough?

 

In order to answer these questions, we will use the model of the
Three Traditions of Healing–Scientific, Heroic, and Wise Woman.
Knowing the differences between these three views allows us to become
informed consumers of health care, to repossess the power of our
health/wholeness/holiness in a new and uniquely functional manner, and
to maintain our dignity as herbalists in a world dominated by
scientists.

 

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What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a way to improve the quality of life on a physical,
emotional and spiritual level. Aromatherapy is already a part of our
lives, although we may not have associated the name with the
experience. Everyone has emotional responses, both pleasant and
unpleasant, to certain scents. The idea behind aromatherapy is, first,
to find the scents, unique for each individual, that evoke positive
sensory feelings and emotions; and then to introduce those scents into
our everyday life to enhance well-being. Natural scents keep us
connected to the earth, sparking memories and emotions.

Aromatherapy History

Aromatic medicine, the
ancient beginnings of the art of aromatherapy, was recorded in both
Egypt and India more than 4,000 years ago.

 

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Ask Phoenix: Love Spells

Wicca and Neopaganism

Q: How do I perform a love spell?
I know the dangers and i still want to try. I honestly feel this person
I want to put it on and I really are meant to be and I believe this
person really does care for me but is afraid to show it.

–Patti

A: This is probably one of the
toughest and most common questions a witch will encounter. Witches have
the power to change so many
things in their lives — why shouldn’t a witch draw someone special to
her?

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Ask Phoenix: Defining Terms – What is the difference between Old Religion, Eclectic, and Kitchen Wicca?

Wicca and Neopaganism

Q: Could you elaborate on the
difference in Old Religion, Eclectic
and Kitchen Wiccan and the mixes of these? I’m searching through the
web, but I’d like a comparitive opinion or observation, not my
uneducated deductions…Thank you.

— Kimberly

A: As you probably already know,
Wicca is a twentieth century religion. It was created out of human
minds, a mix of ancient practices, turn of the century spiritualism,
and ceremonialism and has evolved to incorporate environmental and
feminist beliefs. The more witches you meet, the more different
traditions you may hear about and they can sound a bit confusing,
especially when the names don’t appear to reveal much about their
particular practice.

Continue reading “Ask Phoenix: Defining Terms – What is the difference between Old Religion, Eclectic, and Kitchen Wicca?” →