Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants [Paperback]

Claudia Müller-Ebeling (Author), Christian Rätsch (Author), Wolf-Dieter Storl (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 2003

An in-depth investigation of traditional European folk medicine and the healing arts of witches

• Explores the outlawed “alternative” medicine of witches suppressed by the state and the Church and how these plants can be used today

• Reveals that female shamanic medicine can be found in cultures all over the world

• Illustrated with color and black-and-white art reproductions dating back to the 16th century

Witch medicine is wild medicine. It does more than make one healthy, it creates lust and knowledge, ecstasy and mythological insight. In Witchcraft Medicine the authors take the reader on a journey that examines the women who mix the potions and become the healers; the legacy of Hecate; the demonization of nature’s healing powers and sensuousness; the sorceress as shaman; and the plants associated with witches and devils. They explore important seasonal festivals and the plants associated with them, such as wolf’s claw and calendula as herbs of the solstice and alder as an herb of the time of the dead--Samhain or Halloween. They also look at the history of forbidden medicine from the Inquisition to current drug laws, with an eye toward how the sacred plants of our forebears can be used once again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Witchcraft medicine is more than factual knowledge of medicinal herbs, poisonous plants, psychedelic compounds.... It is the ability to converse with the animal and plant spirits and to forge friendships." So begins this manual on traditional European folk medicine, first published in German in 1998. The work of four writers including fluid translator Lee, this volume is not the pagan whirlwind concoction of recipes and how-to instructions that it might seem at first. It is instead a highly desirable reference work for people of many stripes: cultural anthropologists, gardeners, historians, ethno-botanists, mythologists and those broadly interested in Wicca. Tracing human relations with plants (and animals to a lesser degree) back to the Stone Age, the book is deeply thorough and rests on interesting scholarship. It leaves no myth unexamined. The first six chapters delve into the evolution of the witch, usually a woman, who became familiar with the wild world that lay on the far side of the hedgerow. Chapter Seven examines images of witches, especially in art history, often counterbalanced against images of Mary. The final chapter on "Forbidden Medicine" (coca, poppy, mescaline, etc.) disappoints because its overt, unbalanced polemical tone agitating for legalization veers too much from scholarship toward politics. Copious illustrations, quotations, plant lists and profiles make this work even more interesting. The critical index (not seen by PW) should cap this 90% excellent effort.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“This is a fascinating work of great importance that is incredibly well researched and documented. And brave. From the first impassioned paragraph to the last words, I was spellbound. Anyone interested in medicine, herbalism, the healing arts, and spiritual phenomena will find this book thought provoking and empowering.” (Rosemary Gladstar, president of United Plant Savers and author of Herbal Healing for Women)

"A well-researched and interesting read." (Vision Magazine, February 2004)

"Tracing human relations with plants back to the Stone Age, the book is deeply thorough and rests on interesting scholarship." (Publishers Weekly, October 2003)

"It is essential reading for anyone interested in the folklore and magical beliefs asociated with flowers, herbs and trees." (The Cauldron, February 2004)

"Witchcraft Medicine blends history with practical applications of plant healing and shamanic practices." (The Midwest Book Review, June 2004)

“Witchcraft Medicine is a work of brilliant and passionate scholarship, fabulously illustrated, that recovers the lost knowledge of the European shamanic tradition. It is both a guide and an enthusiastic ode to the visionary edge of the botanical realm.” (Daniel Pinchbeck, author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism)

"Witchcraft Medicine is a solid book and an essential research tool for anyone interested in European folk traditions, magic, alchemy, or herbalism." (Mark Stavish, Institute for Hermetic Studies, April 2006)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions; Original edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892819715
• ISBN-13: 978-0892819713
• Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 7.9 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Shamanism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From an herbalist's point of view, an excellent read! February 4, 2006

By Christina Paul VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I picked up this book, I thought it looked very good. I don't think however, I was quite prepared to be as impressed as I was with the work. It is not just a work about herbs and Witchcraft and their history, but a treasure trove of world cultural traditions and the folk healing modalities.

As a professional herbalist, I was really very happy to see the amount of research and documentation that went into this book. It really delves into the European shamanic traditions and healing arts and folk religions attached to them. This is something, which is sadly quite lacking in alot of literature that is about "shamanism". So much of of it is a hodge podged mess of European and Native American practices and lots of urban legend. Not so with this book. You get a clear idea where the lines of the histories of Witchcraft and folk medicine practices got blurred and blown far out of proportion by way of legend and outright lies. And you also get an in depth look at how many of these plants were used. The authors pull no punches, poisons, halucinagens and abortifacients can be found listed in this book. I think this is the first time in many years that I have seen an herbal book which dared to list them, let alone discuss them. I also learned about some plants that I had no knowledge of before and I am always up for that! This, I believe is how Witches in the past truly practiced, and how many still practice to this day throughout the world. The focus however is on European Witches and Western herbalism.

Witchcraft Medicine is clearly a scholarly work, but it it is not so much that the subject is at all dry and uninteresting to read. It was for me quite the contrary. I couldn't put it down! There is no relgious-centric slant to it at all.... There are no sensationalist claims about 8 million Witches being murdered during the so-called Burning Times, for example. It's just lots of very straight facts, which is important. There may be a few nit-picky inaccuracies as far as mythologies, but when is there not? To be completely honest, there is a lot that is junk out there, and this book I would count among my top ten historical herbals on my personal bookshelf. This book is a very impressive body of work. Note that there are not really recipies or proportions as to using these now.

EDIT: The Print Version is Better Than the Kindle Version:

I stand by my original review of this book. It is an excellent guide into the herbs that are legendary within traditional witchcraft and shamanism. Cerrtainly, there are other books out there that will give you more how-to's than this one will as this one is a general, historical overview. As both an occultist and an herbalist, I think you can do far worse than a book like this one and Christian Rasch is probably one of the foremost authorities in the world on the topic of herbalism as it pertains to shamanic and witchcraft practices.

I have the print version of this book and naturally because I travel a great deal and I want to have it available to me in electronic form, I purchased the Kindle version. One of the nice things about the print version are the wonderful watermarks of each page based on old witchcraft woodcuts, etc. Amazon, has not yet worked out all of the kinks in the electronic version for Kindle, so it is easy to feel as if you are being deprived of the many many images that are in the print version. I also own Chrstian Rasch's book, "Psychoactive Plants" in print version, however with the Kindle version of the same book being $60, I am going to wait until the technology catches up to where what is on my screen loooks closer to what I have in print form. Read more ›

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! March 9, 2004

By Katrina Stone

Format:Paperback

This is a one of its kind book. While "Mastering Herbalism" put forth a lot of remedies and traditional folk uses of healing herbs, this is more about the history and folk uses of halucinogenic herbs, but also covers some traditional healing herbs as well. I found this book incredibly facinating, dry in spots, but otherwise difficult to put down. I highly recommend it, as well as "Plants of the Gods" and a good Peterson's Field Guide if you are going to attempt to find any of the plants listed in this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent research! November 25, 2005

By J Irvin

Format:Paperback

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl

Christian Ratsch, PhD, the well-known ethnopharmacologist from Germany and his partner Claudia Muller-Ebeling, PhD, have come through again.
This is a fantastic book on the history, botany and prohibition of witchcraft and shamanism throughout Europe.

The book provides and excellent breakdown of both herbal and entheogenic plants used throughout Europe in medieval and ancient times. From Hawthorn to Holly, Elder to Elm, Belladonna to Mandrake, Amanita to Psilocybe, this book provides a well rounded foundation for understanding the healing plants as well as the psychotropic plants and their usage, symbology and worship and prohibition.

The first part of the book written by Wolf-Dieter Storl is good reading, however it lacks the references and solid foundation that Ratsch and Muller-Ebeling provide in their sections, providing the reader with maybe a 1/3 of the amount of reference material as the other two authors. This left me wanting more proof for some of his proposals.

Another problem with the book is that the authors should have collaborated together on the book as a whole instead of writing their own separate sections. Their own sections cause a little unnecessary repetition throughout the book and because of this, in some places, as one reviewer mentioned, information seems contradictory.... However, the other reviewer took the meaning of removing the entheogenic substances from modern witches salves (which, without proper knowledge of their usage can be dangerous and poisonous) instead of in the context it was meant, when used with proper knowledge and care, is highly effective medicine, rendering modern, politically correct versions of these salves as ineffective.

Over all, the book is a 5 star read. I was especially impressed with the history of the Inquisition and its impact on witchcraft and shamanism in Europe. The book provides new angles on understanding the Pharmacratic Inquisition that I had not really considered before.

An excellent addition to any library. Read more ›

49 of 60 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't get past errors and arrogance May 25, 2005

By Kelly (Fantasy Literature) VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The authors of this book purport to tell the history of herb and plant use for religious purposes throughout history. They especially focus on plants that have hallucinogenic, healing, or toxic qualities.

Only trouble is, I find it hard to trust the authors' word on how to use dangerous plants when they make errors so often in other areas. For example, they claim that Henry VIII had syphilis, passed it on to his children, and therefore none of them lived past infancy. Ummm...except for the *three* who grew up to rule England? And in a table of plants sacred to various Greek goddesses, they mention that the pomegranate is sacred to Hera, but do not connect it to Persephone at all, which seems a pretty big oversight in light of her myth.

Then, they go on to talk about witches' flying ointments and how deadly they were--but ridicule modern witches who concoct less fatal blends to help them go into trance.

There may very well be treasures in this book. I'd just be too afraid to trust the authors' accuracy.