Customer Reviews

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

In doing research for my medicinal garden, I found this book in my local library. I wasn't sure what to expect with a picture of the painting "The Sorceress" by John William Waterhouse on the cover and a provocative title. I was pleasantly surprised. Witchcraft Medicine provides a well researched breakdown of both herbal and entheogenic plants used throughout Western Europe in medieval and ancient times. Originally published in German as Hexenmedizin: Die Widederentdeckung einer verbotenen Heilkunst--schamanische Traditionen in Europa, the text covers the history and folk uses of both hallucinogenic herbs and healing herbs. The book has three distinct sections, each authored by different individuals. Wolf-Dieter Strorl is a cultural anthropologist and ethnobotanist. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Muller-Ebeling are German ethnopharmacologists.
The first part of the book written by Wolf-Dieter Storl is interesting reading; however it lacks the references and solid research that Rätsch and Müller-Ebeling provide in their sections. This left me wanting more supporting arguments for some of his statements. His research tended to consist primarily of anecdotal stories of his field research. Rätsch and Ebeling provide extensive source references in their chapters.
The span of historical information ranges from the history of the Inquisition and its impact on witchcraft and shamanism in Europe to 20th century use of Absinthe and Coca leaves. There are numerous tables with correspondences of herbs and plants to specific god forms in Greek and Norse pantheons as well as plant lists associated with the gardens of Hecate, Medea, Artemis and Circe. The text includes recipes but I would strongly warn the reader that using entheogenic substances without proper knowledge of their handling can be dangerous and even deadly. Extreme care should be taken when introducing these plants to gardens since children and animals may accidently ingest the plant matter.
The entire book is nicely illustrated with historical botanical drawings, medieval woodcuts and full color photographs of plant materials. The bibliography is extensive, citing both classical works and contemporary sources in both German and English.

I have completed the enlightening task of reading Witchcraft Medicine and this tome of knowledge will be invaluable to my research and spiritual evolution!

Bewildering numbers of herbs and deities are discussed, as is the history of the strategic demonization and persecution of herbal healers. Cannabis and other sacred sacraments are related to the gods and to historic texts throughout the book, including many wood-cuttings and even color photography. The author's have a tendency to describe in great detail some artwork that didn't make it into the book. I assume the problem was copyright law.

Thank the gods this book was translated into English! The Great Mother Goddess is likely pleased.

I Loved this book! It is actually my favorite book at the moment. I knew next to nothing about Germanic witches; Hexe, before I read this & I feel I'm better for the knowledge. The cross pollination of various magickal systems of belief throughout Ancient Europe & Asia is handled from a mostly Germanic perspective but reveals striking similarities to the stories of other "Heathens". This book clearly explains how early settlements carved out a place to live from the thriving "hedge" that densely covered Europe and how certain members of these communities (the old women) spent their time at the hedge picking the healing & love-inducing herbs whilst conversing with the intelligences inherent in them. As the ultra-destructive, monotheistic, anti-nature, "Desert" religions came bludgeoning through, (in the name of Peace of course) people were forced to see the natural world as evil & these women & their knowledge were vilified.

My only problems with this book were; I wanted it to go on for at least double the length & the 1st half of the book treats Christianity as though it were an ancient religion in it's own right rather than built directly on Paganism- which it SO obviously was. Writing about the ever-baleful, "pure", Mary as a Goddess is EXTREMELY generous in a book that has it's largest chapter entitled " The Legacy of Hekate"- a Goddess of truly immeasurable antiquity & power who even enjoys a growing number of followers to this day despite the best efforts of the opposition. Circe, Medea, & Diana/Artemis are paid due respect as well and we get to visit the fiasco of mercury being used as a treatment by the French for their syphillis epidemic- which killed the patients after a tortuous bout of mercury poisoning but the good news is that they may have killed the syphillis in the patient/victim. Meanwhile, (according to the author's research) the Native Americans were successfully treating syhpillis with herbs (sasparilla I think) and ritual but the Europeans who had the herb sent back over to them could NOT duplicate the success- since their doctors didn't believe in the power of ritual.
This book is merely 1 small part of the excellent argument for Western society acknowledging the importance of things that cannot be measured with rulers & microscopes or successfully controlled by dogma or fear of the Deep & Inescapable, Mighty & Awesome, Power of Mother Nature.

Total waste of money. Rambles along telling a story and making reference to all kinds of things. But nothing in such a way that you can use the information provided, and no real information about it that you could use anyway.

Basically a sensationalist story with brief teases but nothing of substance.

I want to preface this by saying I haven't read all of the book, but I was so disappointed by the first part that I will have a very difficult time reading the rest.
Here's why, and I notice that no one else mentions this, so I must assume that I am the only one who has a background in archaeology.
It was a load of bullhockey, and I will give examples. "Neolithic matrilineal societies" Woboy, reign in those horses. First of all, there is no evidence of ANY matrilineal farming societies outside of maybe Native American, and that's CURRENT, not neolithic, so how can they say that? Regarding the linear pottery culture that the author put as 'the fifth century" which he should have put fifth MILLENIA BCE. and again, their matrilineal culture??? WHAT??? How does he know this? from pottery shards?
Storl, you are fibbing! How about this... once again he states, on page 29 "All evidence indicates that the fields belonged to matrilineal clans"
What evidence is this? Or "every settlement, every clan, had a white haired old woman to whom the ancestors and forest spirits or the Goddess(which one? do we know the names of their neolithic goddesses?) whispered many a secret" Okay... so that means 30 year old women who were white haired, held all the power, because in the Neolithic times, lives for women were short and brutal and 40 was a pretty spectacular age to reach.
I hate this blatant stroking of new age women's egos in order to sell books. What is wrong with the truth? the herbal information looks okay, I've only skimmed, but with all the bulloney, the throwing around of authors like Duerr, who they must have barely read as they barely get near actually QUOTING the man, I am severely disappointed after reading the rave reviews. I will have a hard time reading the rest.

I wanted to make my review short and sweet. Book talks about so many herbs and recently I have found interest in this area but how will you segregate your interest from Ebay peddlers. I am hunting for a killer idea but not sure how to quickly evaluate a chaotic science vs linear research or deductive reasoning. Read on you will see other aspects or alternatives or reasons of failures of current health care system. I have heard thousands of times when very top level physician have explained that we don't know the root cause of ischemic heart disease and if we do then also there is no cure, hence some herbal way to help which should have no side effect. Same goes for cancer treatment and then at last come diseases due to perversion. In a nation in next 35 years almost 67% of population will be suffering from some kind of health problem from obesity to diabetes I see great future in herbs.