The Healing Tree: Botanicals, Remedies, and Rituals from African Folk Traditions

by Stephanie Rose Bird, Luisah Teish (Foreword by)

Overview

“A beautiful blend of folklore, botanical science, acquired wisdom, and spiritual guidance.”
—from the foreword by Luisah Teish
 
“If you want to learn about the reciprocal spiritual connection between humans and trees, you’re going to love this beautiful book.”
—Tess Whitehurst, author of The Magic of Trees
 
Reclaiming traditional botanical and herbal practices has never been more important than it is today. So much of our future depends on our ability to use ancient earth knowledge. In this crucially important book, author Stephanie Rose Bird recounts the story of the sacred wood: how to live in it, learn from it, and derive spiritual enrichment from it, as well as how to preserve and protect it. The Healing Tree offers functional, accessible recipes, remedies, and rituals derived from a variety of African and African American traditions to serve mind, body, soul, and spirit.

The Healing Tree celebrates the forest: its powers, spirits, magic, medicine, and mysteries. Bird shares how trees have provided her with personal healing, then allows us to share in that process for our own benefit. Bird’s book follows her own personal journey, but Africa is always her touchstone—the persistent and tenacious ancestral mother wisdom and spiritual foundation that refuses to fade away. The Healing Tree preserves this knowledge, presenting it as relevant and viable and demonstrating in intimate detail how vestiges of that knowledge took root in the Western Hemisphere, in African American culture, and more broadly in American culture in general.
 
Previously published as A Healing Grove, this updated edition includes a new preface by the author and a source guide for the botanicals discussed within.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578637829
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	03/04/2024
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	619,497
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Stephanie Rose Bird is a painter and the author of several bestselling books on earth spirituality, hoodoo, and anthropology, including Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones; 365 Days of Hoodoo; Light, Bright and Damned Near White; and African American Magick. Bird, who holds a BFA cum laude and MFA, is a devotee of the Divinely Feminine. She is an Elder, Priestess, magick maker, and keeper of the spiritual wisdom of her indigenous African ancestors. Her work centers on the nexus of earth wisdom and the legacy of Black cultural heritage. Find her at stephanierosebird.com and follow her on Instagram @s.r.bird.

Editorial Reviews

The topic of African-inspired and African-informed herbalism is remarkably broad, and Priestess Stephanie Rose Bird manages to cover a great deal of material, geography, history, and matters of the spirit in her book The Healing Tree: Botanicals, Remedies, and Rituals from African Folk Traditions. More importantly, she does so with a voice that shares like a friend, educates like a teacher, and proclaims ancestral lore like an oracle. There is a hidden structure to the book that is also enchanting, and it is much like following the growth of a tree. It begins with the sprouting seed of the personal memories of her childhood connection to trees and all plants. It then takes off with a trunk and spreading branches exploring practices in numerous cultures and systems. She also delves roots down into the soil of history and mysteries of creation. The Healing Tree places its practical knowledge into a context that honors both the ancestors and the current generations.”
—Ivo Dominguez Jr, author of Keys to Perception

“A wonderful and informative book, The Healing Tree by Stephanie Rose Bird celebrates the life and magical energy of trees. After reading this book, you will definitely gain a new appreciation for nature and never take a tree for granted again!”
—Yvette Wyatt, owner of The MotownWitch

“Every time I think Priestess Stephanie Rose Bird has completed her best book, she shows up like never before with another one. The Healing Tree is written from a facet of knowledge that resonates with me, as a master herbalist and priestess of Osanyin. This book is a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, techniques, and testimony to the beauty of nature. Who are we without the green of the earth, the wisdom of the trees, and the power of rituals? You don’t have to be a herbalist to enjoy this book. Your humanity will keep you connected to the abundant wealth and sacredness layered onto each page of The Healing Tree.”
—Iya Sobande Greer, event founder and director of Sacred Waters Retreat LLC

“If you want to learn about the reciprocal spiritual connection between humans and trees, you’re going to love this beautiful book. The Healing Tree will provide you with arboreal insights into healing and magic that will inspire you, empower you, and serve you well for the rest of your life.”
—Tess Whitehurst, author of The Magic of Flowers and The Magic of Trees

“From the rooter to the tooter! An old idiomatic Southern term that means “to waste little” and “to use all available resources.” It is in this sense that I use the term to imply that in the writing of The Healing Tree, Stephanie Rose Bird has created a much-needed literary work that assists the reader with the understanding of the history, culture, and practical uses and applications of the natural healing properties contained within trees, barks, roots, leaves, herbs, flowers, berries, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc., as a source for healing our minds, bodies, and souls from Africa to America and abroad. One of the most significant take away statements from the book for me is, ‘Wherever you live, you can still be an African-inspired herbalist!’ Thank you, Priestess Stephanie. Ashé!”
—Awonifa A. Ifayomi Stanton, Yoruba priestess, wholistic health practitioner, and healer

From the Publisher