Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies and Rituals for the Body and Spirit » (Original)

Stephanie Rose Bird is the author of Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo, and Conjuring with Herbs and Four Seasons of Mojo: An Herbal Guide for the Natural Home. In addition to her work as a writer, an artist, and an independent scholar, she is a practicing herbalist and aromatherapist.

Reclaiming traditions based on plants and herbs has never been more important than it is today. Widespread use of chemicals, hormones, and additives introduce unknown substances into our bodies. On a larger scale, our future on the planet depends on our ability and willingness to incorporate earth-friendly practices into daily life. Where better to look for natural remedies and soothing rituals than Africa? It is, after all, the Mother Continent, allegedly the birthplace of the entire human race, and the keeper of ancient earth knowledge.

No newcomer to these traditions, Stephanie Rose Bird explores the practical uses, spiritual traditions, and historical aspects of trees in the heritage of African Americans and offers ways to rediscover and implement natural practices in twenty-first-century daily life. The topics she covers are as diverse as a wood should be, including everything from hunting, gathering, and processing to natural divination, omens, signs, and forest medicine for wellness and beauty. A Healing Grove will lead not only to personal healing but also to a lifestyle that will heal our earth.

Acknowledgments vii

Foreword ix

Preface: Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Story Within A Healing Grove xi

Introduction: Holly, Oak, and Pine: Enter My Personal Forest xv

I Our Heritage and Traditions

1 Igboro-Egun: Grove of the Ancestors 3

2 Calabash: Vessel of African Culture, Spirituality, and Survival 17

3 Black Folk Be Workin' Dem Roots Long, Long Time: An African Herbalist's Overview 27

4 Ceremonies, Rites, and Oracles of the Wood: Transatlantic African Tree Veneration 39

II Remedies and Rituals for Daily Life

5 Out Bush: Filters, Shields, and Field Guides 59

6 Ways and Means: Tools and Techniques for Africa-Inspired Herbalists 79

7 Seeds, Nuts, Pods, and Oils 93

8 Fruit of Mother Nature's Labor: Soul-Nourishing Berry and Fruit Trees 113

9 Bark, Gum, Sap, Resins, and Moss Medicine 145

10 Very Important Palms: VIPs of Transatlantic Tree World 163

Epilogue: Seeds of Hope: Participation in Villages Far and Wide 187

Resources and Organizations 205

Appendix A Resources 209

Appendix B Study and Apprenticeships 213

Notes 215

Glossary 225

Bibliography 231

Index 239