What Is Curanderismo?

What is curanderismo?  What is a curandero/a?  The root of the word is curar, to heal.  Yet dictionaries often define curandero in one word:  quack.  My Larousse dictionary doesn’t even list curanderismo.  Leaving aside such things as the Santería-based version, many sources define curanderismo as “Mexican folk medicine.”  These same sources usually…

Herbal Counterparts to Pharmaceuticals

With the explosion of interest in alternative medicine, an overwhelming amount of information and/or misinformation about herbs as alternatives to conventional, western pharmaceuticals is readily available.  Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine, traditional western European herbal medicine, each has its practitioners, its devotees and its characteristic remedies.  The amount of information is…

The first step we need to take in assisting the survival of the wisdom inherent in traditional medicine practices is to change our mindsets. We are products of a rationalistic and patriarchal culture. Lifetimes of training are embedded in our views of reality. Until we shift portions of our perceptions, we will never be able to adopt the personal practices which are needed to stop the collective practices of environmental degradation. Change is difficult, uncomfortable, sometimes painful,…

All medicine created on this planet is really from this planet. So in a way that would make anything directed towards healing to be earth medicine.

I think it is best to focus mostly on natural medicines, natural remedies, traditional medicines and indigenous medicines.



Traditional Medicine is basically it is natural medicine, natural healing methods derived from what already exists in the natural world, without synthetic or unnatural additives. It is remedies, healing…

People who are different, who believe in the old ways, who do not buy into all of the messages delivered by the dominant culture often times feel isolated. We are in fact not alone. There are many of us all over the world who believe in love, in spirit, in true beauty.  There are many of us who are dedicated to working to bring out the light and bring healing to ourselves, each other, all our relations  on this Earth, as well as to Mother Gaia herself.  This web exists, it has…