2009 Featured Articles by Susun Weed   WILD FOODS FOR WISE WOMEN

Fatigue and Mood Changes

© Susun S Weed

 

Hormonal changes, emotional changes, physical changes, and all the attendant stresses of pregnancy may cause extreme fatigue and emotional swings, especially during the last trimester. One midwife advises:

"This is the perfect opportunity to touch your own deep emotional truths … to acknowledge and resolve your inner disharmonies, and to recreate your life as you create another life. The emotional changes experienced during pregnancy are not to be avoided, but valued; they are cathartic and valid."

Use exercise, relaxation, meditation, diet, and herbs to improve your energy and moods, but don't neglect emotional and spiritual work.

Feeling Energetic and Peaceful

Diet and Herbs for Even Emotions

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material in this article is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

 

Menopausal Years - This is Menopause ... Journey into Change
© 2004 Susun S. Weed

“Pay attention now,” Grandmother Growth says, taking your hand and holding your gaze. “The Change known as menopause deserves your full attention.”

“Pay attention now, and relax. Focus, allow, observe, surrender. Your egg basket empties; your memory basket grows heavier.”

“Memories are sweeping through you, great granddaughter, like lightning flashes, leaving you shaken and trembling, sweating and panting. Memories too gossamer to catch with words are weaving themselves into your nights and shattering the patterns of your days. Fragments of melodies, half-seen gestures, sketches, muted drifts of color emerge from your memory. All the wild passions of the Maiden are restored to you. All those Maiden things you left behind or pushed aside when you became Mother-woman, return to you now, enriched.”

“Do those memories crowd painfully into your head? Do they send your heart racing? So they make you weep? Sweep you off your feet? Leave you wondering what it would feel like to jump off a high bridge? Take my hand, dear one. Let us walk and talk.”

There is no doubt in your mind. Your menstrual cycles are coming to an end. You are in the midst of your menopausal climax years.

During the year or so before the very last period (and the year or so afterward) many women experience some type of menopausal Change, such as hot flashes, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances, emotional uproar, anxiety, and/or headaches.

Menopause, like puberty, requires that we give in to Change and accept that it is beyond our control. If we arrive at mid-life feeling more in control of our lives than ever before, giving in to menopausal Change can be incredibly difficult. The desire to use anything, drugs or herbs or whatever, to avoid disruption of our normal life pattern is strong; it comes from within and is reinforced by society. Why resist?

The Wise Woman Way offers us a new/old story: where hot flashes and wild heartbeats are honored, where menopause is considered woman’s greatest transformation - her crowning as Crone - and where old women are vital, flexible, hale-hearted, strong-boned and clear-minded.

The Wise Woman Way offers us women’s mystery stories and a host of helpful herbal allies that aid the process of menopause instead of attempting to stop it or fix it.

Wise Woman stories say that menopause is an initiation and that initiation begins with a period of isolation. The grandmothers tell me that, as a menopausal woman, I need to draw inward, move away from outside responsibilities, and into myself. From this view, hot flashes, fatigue, headaches, irritability, sleeplessness, and emotional outbursts are understood as allies of wholeness, not problems; they urge me to be alone, to focus on myself and my Change.

Without knowledge of the women’s mystery stories, without the help of herbal allies and the reassurance of other women, a woman may feel alone and unsupported in her disturbing and “pointless” changes. She may think the Change is only for the worse, or that something is wrong with her. And when she seeks information, she is told (erroneously) that her Change will cause heart attacks and crumbling bones, wrinkles and grey hair, and loss of sex appeal and libido.

Where is Grandmother Growth to guide her through this immense, frightening metamorphosis, to show her the green gifts of nature that strengthen her heart and bones, soften her skin and sex? Science defines menopause as lack of estrogen and prescribes the remedy (take estrogen) and tells us that we don’t have to mature, or become wise women. We can remain bound to our (and society’s) ideas of who we ought to be, instead of exploring who we really are.

If I take hormones will I be able to make room for transformation? Take time for solitude? Give myself uninterrupted stretches of focused self-loving? Encounter, nourish, and sanctify myself as a wise and silly grandmother, a wrinkled wild woman, a lawless fierce crone? My menopausal metamorphosis deserves as much attention as I can give it. And I am not that rare woman who gives herself these gifts without the daily urgings of her body and feelings.

I don’t use hormone pills, or patches, or creams. I let the “problems” of my menopause give me the opportunity to claim all parts of myself, even those that are awkward, ugly, old, out of control, and afraid of death. By passing consciously through menopause, by embracing this Change in my life, by nourishing myself with green allies, I renew myself. The grandmothers say I make myself complete - reclaiming myself as maiden, redefining myself as mother, and knowing myself as crone. It is so.

“Take my hand, dear one. I will soothe your head, calm your heart, stabilize your grounding, and then teach you to fly. Take my hand, now. You are in the midst of Change.”

 

CERVICAL CANCER
© Susun S. Weed

“How many ways of being are there, sweet friend?” asks Grandmother Growth in her warm way. You sense this is a serious question, and you fear you don’t know the right answer.

“Between the yin and the yang, between the dark and the light, between normal and abnormal, there are infinite shades and numberless ways of being. Without lines, they arise and change, drift away or settle in, some promoting your well-being, some eroding it. An erosive change is almost upon us daughter. How will we meet it?

“Cells are changing in your cervix. They are going fast, faster, growing fast, faster, too fast to be tidy, too fast to be symmetrical, too fast to be orderly. How do we dance to this rhythm? Does it tear you loose from your moorings? Does it set you adrift? Is it freedom?

“Cells are changing too fast for the guardians to cope; they are overwhelmed. Where shall you find more help dearest granddaughter? Who will you invoke to aid you? Can the guardians prevail and change the rhythm if they are given reinforcements? Or must you kill the guardians along with the cancer to stop the beat and still the music?

“Your story is unique my precious child. Your choices will arise from the well of your own deep inner wisdom. Trust yourself. Trust me. I’ll hold you hand as we dance, I’ll follow or lead, fast or slow, as you will. Let’s go!”

Do you actually have cervical cancer, or one of its precursors? This is an important distinction. Current practice tends to over-treat women with abnormal cells, dysplasia, hyperplasia, and in situ carcinomas. In nine out of ten cases, if carcinoma in situ of the cervix is left untreated, it will never progress to cervical cancer.

“Physicians could confidently monitor patients for [amount and types of HPV] virus with currently available tests for several months before deciding to treat … more aggressively.”

Cervical cancer in situ is generally very slow-growing; untreated, half will regress and half will, over a period of 10-30 years progress to invasive cancer. About 10% of women have a fast-growing type - whose incidence may be increasing - which becomes invasive within a year. Cervical cancer is most common in women 40-60 years of age, but it occurs frequently in women under 35 years old.

In the USA, about five million Pap smears yearly reveal dysplasia; of those, 45,000 will be new cases of cervical carcinoma in situ and 10,000 will be invasive cervical cancer. Cervical cancer kills more than 4,000 American women each year.

Black women in America are twice as likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost three times as likely to die of it as white women. They are older at the time of diagnosis and their disease is further advanced, but they are less likely to receive aggressive treatments.

Cervical cancer, it is now known, is caused by infection with certain strains of HPV. A healthy immune system can prevent this; a weak one can’t. That’s why cervical cancer is strongly related to lack of good sanitary facilities, lack of vitamin C in the diet (less than 30mg a day increases risk seven-fold), lack of carotenes in the diet (under 5000 IU daily triples risk), smoking tobacco (triples risk), first intercourse before the age of 18 (triples risk; the cervix is immature and more easily damaged and infected), long-term use of oral contraceptives (over 8 years quadruples risk), multiple sexual partners (more than 5 quadruples risk), and a monogamous relationship with a man who is uncircumsized and who has had more than 25 partners. , ,

Is cervical cancer connected to inflammation? Women whose cervical tissues are infected with HPV and also inflamed - by herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, [spermicides, and violent penetration] - are twice as likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer as women who have HPV but no inflammatory events.

Some procedures sound like diagnostic tests. A cone biopsy, despite its name, is real surgery. See Step 6 of the Six Steps of Healing.

“Feelings of being used or raped are associated with chronic vaginitis, chronic vulvar pain, recurrent wart, herpes, cervical cancer, and associated abnormal Pap smears (cervical dysplasia).”

Take back your power! Claim your cervix and your genitals as your own. Possess your cervix. Accept it; love it; cherish it. When we reject a part of ourselves, we can find ourselves “losing” that part to surgery.

Compared to women with other types of cancer, women with cervical cancer are more likely to be sexually unhappy. They may dislike intercourse, but feel that they must do it, and are often non-orgasmic in the presence of a man. They are more likely to be divorced, separated, deserted, or “stuck” in a relationship with a man who is unfaithful, undependable, or alcoholic. ,

Women with cervical cancer have been found to be low or deficient in a number of nutrients, including vitamins A, B6 (pyridoxine), C, folate (folic acid), and selenium. Increasing your consumption of orange and green vegetables, whole grains, sauerkraut, selenium-rich foods - like garlic, seaweeds, and mushrooms - and pyridoxine-rich foods - like lentils, broccoli, and potatoes won’t “cure” cancer. High-quality nutrition does, however, provide the basis for normal healthy cells to replace the cancerous ones, and primes the immune system to eliminate aberrant cells.

Extract of common privet berry (ligustrum vulgare, L. lucidum) has been shown to inhibit cervical cancers in mice. Even if it doesn't directly eliminate cervical cancer, privet is happy to help reduce inflammation, enhance white blood cells, and nourish the immune system.

Milk thistle seed tincture is a fantastic complementary medicine for anyone choosing chemotherapy. And this large, striking plant may be anticancer, too. Two alkaloids, silymarin and silibinin, reduce the growth of cervical, breast, and prostate cancer cells.

Castor oil is Edgar Cayce’s classic cancer treatment. In the case of cervical cancer, Cayce recommended daily castor oil packs over the uterine area, as well as five drops of castor oil orally at bedtime. In severe cases, he added Atomidine and Glyco-Thymol to the regime.

Low levels of folic acid are associated with the development of cervical cancer, perhaps because folate is needed for DNA repair. But no study has shown that supplements, even in very high doses, can reverse it.

Likewise, low levels of carotenoids in the diet and blood increase the risk of invasive cervical cancer, but supplements are not a cure, and may even prolong the presence of precancerous cells, helping them mature into cancers. Studies have repeatedly found that beta-carotene supplements “decrease spontaneous healing.” Women with CIN II who took beta-carotene were more than twice as likely to progress as the controls were. ,

High doses of vitamin C won’t help either; and may harm.

Smoking tobacco causes a tumor suppresser gene to lose its ability to kill cancer cells according to UCLA cervical-cancer researcher Dr. Christine Holschneider. Perhaps that’s why women who smoke are more likely to get cervical cancer and more likely to die of it, too. Isn’t it time to switch to an herbal smoke? Make your own with coltsfoot, mullein, mint, and a touch of tobacco.

From the 1938 until 1971, more than six million unborn children in the USA were exposed to the potent estrogen-like hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES or desPLEX) when it was prescribed to their mothers in the mistaken belief that it could prevent miscarriage and create bigger, stronger babies. Although studies from 1954 on found the opposite to be true - women who took DES were more likely to miscarry - this dangerous drug continued to be given to pregnant women for 15 more years.

DES daughters and sons have malformed reproductive systems, malfunctioning immune systems, and a heightened sensitivity to carcinogens. DES-daughters and granddaughters are especially likely to be diagnosed with fast-growing clear cell adenocarcinoma or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervix or vagina. Though many DES-daughters are diagnosed when young, the is no age at which the danger disappears.

The DES daughters and granddaughters that I know have remained cancer-free by attention to healthy living and regular use of red clover blossom infusion (1-3 quarts a week) and burdock root tincture (a dropperful a day, more when stressed).

“…certain cancers, such as early-stage breast, cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer and low grade lymphomas, respond very well to herbal treatments, yet seem to be aggravated and sometimes worsened by surgical procedures or other conventional treatments.”

The rates of cervical cancer are four times less among women whose partners have had a vasectomy. Of course, once you already have cervical cancer, this intervention is too late.

Women who douche four or more times a month are nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Isn’t douching a way to cleanse the vagina? Absolutely not. The vagina harbors beneficial organisms (mostly bacteria) that prevent infection and may forestall cancer; douching washes them away, leaving the cervix and vagina vulnerable.

A cone biopsy is real surgery, not just a biopsy. It was originally conceived of as a uterus-sparing procedure for women with cervical cancer who, usually from a desire to have children, were reluctant to undergo hysterectomy. A cone biopsy requires anesthesia and is designed not just to sample cells to test for cancer, as a biopsy would, but to remove all possible cancerous tissues from the cervix along with a clean margin of unaffected tissue.

Over-treatment of cervical carcinoma in situ is common. Except in the rare case of fast-growing microinvasive cancer, it is considered safe to explore alternative treatments for 3-12 months before consenting to surgery. A high percentage of in situ cervical cancers can be reversed.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

 

 

CESSATION OF MENSES
© Susun S Weed

"I was bleeding when the news came that he had been killed. I stopped within the hour and I haven't had a period since. I was 38 then; I'm 62 now."

STEP 1: COLLECT INFORMATION

Menopause is the cessation of menses. In some books, it is nothing more than that, and what I call the "menopausal years" gets demoted to "peri-menopause" (a word I intensely dislike, having seen it arrive just as women were claiming the power of their menopausal years). The Crone does not menstruate. If your periods stop during your menopausal years, no remedy is needed. Even if they start again, and stop again. . . .

I have met quite a few women in their late 40s who are eager to have a child, and want to prevent the cessation of their menses until they had achieved their goal. A woman at one of my workshops said she had a child at 53, three years after her last period. To our wail of outrage and surprise, she laughed and advised: "Stay away from new lovers during menopause!"

When not associated with menopause, lack of menstrual flow (indicating, usually, lack of ovulation as well) is called amenorrhea, and constitutes a severe health risk. Bone loss during one pre-menopausal month without menses is the equivalent of one year's bone loss post-menopausally. The most common reasons for the menses to disappear before menopause (excluding pregnancy) are lack of body fat (from eating disorders or heavy athletic training) and stress. These remedies may be used by women of all ages.

STEP 2: ENGAGE THE ENERGY

If menses cease due to loss and grief, try homeopathic Ignatia. If after a severe emotional shock, try Natrum mur.

STEP 3: NOURISH AND TONIFY

STEP 4: SEDATE/STIMULATE

STEP 5A: USE SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements of vitamin E, 200-600 IU daily, have helped women restore ovulation and menstruation. Consistent use brings best results.

STEP 6: BREAK AND ENTER

Ten or more sessions of Rolfing (body work focused on breaking patterns held in the fascia between the muscles) can restore menstrual cycles for women not yet in the menopausal years.

 

 

BIRTH CONTROL FOR MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

© Susun S Weed

STEP 1. COLLECT INFORMATION

Birth control, never simple or easy, is complicated incredibly by the erratic ovulations and unpatterned menses of the premenopausal and menopausal years. Remember your high school chums who unexpectedly had a little baby brother or sister? The biological imperative to reproduce doesn't die without a struggle. This article is for those who don't want to have a(nother) child.

STEP 2. ENGAGE THE ENERGY

§ Barrier methods (diaphragms, cervical caps, and condoms) are good choices for menopausal women. But the spermicides used with them may provoke vaginal yeast infections, bladder infections, and dryness.

§ Try an erotic massage instead of intercourse. Use a special lubricant, like coconut oil. Light candles; buy a bouquet of flowers. Take your time.

STEP 3. NOURISH AND TONIFY

§ Ejaculation control and withdrawal won't prevent conception for a woman in the fullness of her fertility, but it will for most menopausal women. And, it's a wonderful way to nourish intimacy in a relationship.

§ Self-pleasuring is safe sex for menopausal women. Guaranteed to not result in pregnancy and promotes health, too! Let Betty Dodson help you with her self-loving books and tapes. Your mid-life mate may appreciate learning that sexual pleasure is more than penetration. Lesbianism and celibacy also work very well.

STEP 4. STIMULATE/SEDATE

§ Get him (and his testicles) in hot water. Sperm are easily killed at temperatures over 110F. If he sits in hot water for 15-25 minutes a day for six weeks, he will shoot blanks for at least three months. A vasectomy is even safer, and lasts longer.

§ Women find a teaspoon of wild carrot seeds (Daucus carota or Queen Anne's Lace) eaten in food daily is an incredibly effective way to prevent pregnancy.

STEP 5B. USE DRUGS

Doctors who used to tell menopausal women to stop taking birth control pills now urge them to start, then switch to "replacement" therapy.

STEP 6. BREAK AND ENTER

§ Remove your IUD if it causes heavy menstrual periods or flooding, common menopausal problems which can be serious threats to your health.

§ Sterilization and hysterectomy are extreme forms of birth control for menopausal women who will soon need no birth control of any kind.

 

MORE HERBAL OILS FOR BREAST SELF-MASSAGE

© Susun S Weed

An excerpt from www.breasthealthbook.com.

Susun S. Weed, Author of Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way

Using infused herbal oils is an easy and pleasurable way to keep your breasts healthy, prevent and reverse cysts, dissolve troublesome lumps, and repair abnormal cells. Breast skin is thin and absorbent, and breast tissue contains a great deal of fat, which readily absorbs infused herbal oils. The healing and cancer-preventing actions of herbs easily migrate into olive oil creating a simple, effective product for maintaining breast health.

Add beeswax to any herbal oil and you have an ointment. The antiseptic, softening, moisturizing, and healing properties of beeswax intensify the healing actions of the herbs and carry them deeper into the breast tissues. Whether you want to maintain breast health - or have had a diagnosis of cancer - infused herbal oils and ointments are soothing, safe, and effective allies.

EVERGREEN OILS

Wonderfully fragrant infused oils can be made from all kinds of evergreen needles. Evergreen oils are superb for regular breast self-massage, especially for those troubled with painful or lumpy breasts. Evergreens, including the renowned yew, contain compounds clinically proven to kill cancer cells.

The most powerful in this respect are arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis) and cedar (Juniperus virginia). But all evergreens contain antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-tumor oils. I make my infused evergreen oil from white pine (Pinus strobus), the most common evergreen in my area; friends use spruce, cedar, and hemlock.

Infused evergreen oils are generally non-irritating (a few women report sensitivity to spruce needle oil), but essential oils of evergreens can cause a rash. Essential oil of the evergreen tea tree (Melaleuca species) has been poured into cancers that have ulcerated, causing some to go into remission. This is dangerous and may be painful; I strongly advise you to seek counsel before you use tea tree, or any essential oil, in this way.

OLIVE OIL (Olea europea)

The oil pressed from the fruits (olives) and seeds (pits) of these magnificent, long-lived trees is neither an infused oil nor an essential oil. It is my favorite oil for eating, cooking, and using as a base for infusing herbs. Virgin or extra virgin oils are great for eating, but have a rich smell which is overpowering in an infused oil or ointment.

As a base for infused oils, I use the less expensive (and less aromatic) pomace oil - made by pressing the ground pits after the olives have been squeezed dry. No matter what type you use, fancy or plain, olive oil will no doubt uphold its ancient and venerable reputation for healing and nourishing skin and scalp.

PLANTAIN LEAF OIL (Plantago lancelota, P. majus)

With its brilliant color and its solid reputation as a breast cancer preventive, plantain oil/ointment is another favorite for breast self massage. Frequent applications of the jewel-green oil - as many as ten times a day - have been used successfully by women to reverse in situ cancer cells in the breasts. Plantain oil is very easy to make at home. (The aroma of the finished oil reminds me of salami.) Plantain ointment is the first First Aid I reach for when I itch, when I get a sting, when I need to heal torn muscles, when I want to draw out thorns, splinters, or infection, and when I need to relieve pain and swelling.

POKE ROOT OIL (Phytolacca americana)

That strange-looking weed with the drooping black berries that towers over gardens and roadsides throughout much of eastern North America is pokeweed - an old favorite of wise women dealing with breast lumps and breast cancer. If I felt a suspicious lump, I’d reach for poke root oil. It reduces congestion, relieves swelling, and literally dissolves growths in the breasts.

Jethro Kloss, author of the classic herbal Back to Eden, used freshly grated raw poke root poultices to burn away breast cancer. Caution: Fresh poke placed directly on the skin is strong enough to damage healthy tissues as well as cancerous ones.

The infused oil is also effective and far safer. A generous amount is gently applied to the lump, covered with a flannel cloth and then with a hot water bottle (no heating pads), and left on for as long as you’re comfortable. This is repeated at least twice a day. Poke root oil is too powerful for regular preventive care. Caution: Poke oil can cause a rash on sensitive skin. Ingestion of poke oil can cause severe intestinal distress.

Poke root tincture can be used instead of poke root oil. The properties are quite similar, though the oil is absorbed better and may be considerably more effective.

RED CLOVER BLOSSOM OIL (Trifolium pratense)

The infused oil of red clover blossoms is a remarkable skin softener. It melts away lumps, counters cancer, and helps the lymph system reabsorb unneeded cells. Combine it with internal use of red clover blossom infusion for an even better chance of eliminating abnormal cells and preventing breast cancer recurrence. It’s gentle enough for regular use in breast self-massage.

ST. JOAN’S WORT BLOSSOM OIL (Hypericum perforatum)

The vermillion red oil of the flowers or flowering tops of St. Joan’s (St. John’s) wort is mild enough to be used regularly to promote breast health, yet powerful enough to seem positively miraculous as it repairs damage to the skin and nerves of the breasts. I consider it an indispensable ally for all women. In addition to using it for breast massage, I favor it for assistance in healing the armpit and breast area after surgery, reducing skin damage from radiation, and relieving nerve and muscle pain. Its antiviral powers pass through the skin and into nerve endings, preventing and checking a wide variety of skin problems, including virulent hospital-bred infections such as shingles.

I find St. Joan’s wort oil an exceptionally useful ally for women dealing with nerve damage caused by removal of axillary lymph nodes. Frequent applications restore sensation, promote good lymphatic circulation, help prevent lymphedema, and offer prompt and long-lasting relief from pain.

Women who apply St. Joan’s wort oil before and after radiation treatments report that their skin stays healthy and flexible even after dozens of treatments. In addition to preventing radiation burns, this oil prevents sunburn, too. It’s the only sunscreen I use to protect my skin, which gets plenty of sun. And it’s a superior healer of sunburn, as well.

St. Joan’s wort oil is an invaluable ally for those with sciatica pain, leg and foot cramps, back pain, neck aches, arthritis pain, bursitis, or any other ache. I use it externally (along with 25 drops of the tincture internally) as often as every 10 to15 minutes when dealing with the acute phase of a cramped, spasmed muscle. For long-term pain, I use oil and tincture as frequently as needed, sometimes as often as ten times a day.

St. Joan’s wort oil is also the best remedy I’ve found to relieve the pain and promote rapid healing of nerves and skin troubled by shingles, cold sores, mouth and anal fissures, genital herpes, and chicken pox. Hourly applications of oil, plus 25 drops of tincture taken internally at the same time, are not excessive in the initial, acute stages of these problems. As symptoms abate, I use fewer applications. In chronic conditions, I use the oil and tincture four times a day. Used as a scalp oil during chemotherapy, St. Joan’s wort encourages rapid regrowth of healthy hair.

YARROW FLOWER OIL (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow flowers and leaves infused in oil make a sparkling green oil that promotes fluid flow in the breasts and inhibits bacterial growth. Women have noted that consistent use of yarrow oil seems to prevent the growth of new blood vessels that cancerous tumors need for growth. Yarrow is also a wonderful ally for relieving swollen, tender breasts and nipples. As it may irritate the skin slightly, I use yarrow only as needed.

Yarrow is a plant imbued with a reputation for psychic powers and energy healing. The aroma of the oil is said to give power to the heart and strength to the vulnerable. Sleep with yarrow, and you’ll have a dream of the future.

YELLOW DOCK ROOT OIL (Rumex crispus, R. obtusifolia)

This dark yellow, orange, or burnt-sienna-colored oil is a classic remedy against all hard swellings, tumors, growths, and scabby eruptions. It softens tissues and helps the body reabsorb lumps. The ointment excels as an ally for those dealing with skin ulcers (bed sores), burns from radiation, or mouth sores from chemotherapy. Yellow dock has been known to resolve worrisome nipple discharges. Yellow dock oil does not recommend itself for regular use; I reserve it for occasional intense use.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material on this website/email is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

 

HERBAL OILS FOR BREAST SELF-MASSAGE

© Susun S Weed

An excerpt from www.breasthealthbook.com.

Susun S. Weed, Author of Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way

Using infused herbal oils is an easy and pleasurable way to keep your breasts healthy, prevent and reverse cysts, dissolve troublesome lumps, and repair abnormal cells. Breast skin is thin and absorbent, and breast tissue contains a great deal of fat, which readily absorbs infused herbal oils. The healing and cancer-preventing actions of herbs easily migrate into olive oil creating a simple, effective product for maintaining breast health.

Add beeswax to any herbal oil and you have an ointment. The antiseptic, softening, moisturizing, and healing properties of beeswax intensify the healing actions of the herbs and carry them deeper into the breast tissues. Whether you want to maintain breast health - or have had a diagnosis of cancer - infused herbal oils and ointments are soothing, safe, and effective allies.

BURDOCK SEED OIL (Arctium lappa)

One of the world’s most valued allies for nourishing the scalp, thickening the hair, and restoring hair growth is burdock seed oil. It won’t make more hair grow on your breasts, but it will do a wonderful job of keeping your breast tissues healthy. Burdock seed oil strengthens cells and quickly relieves bruises caused by fine needle aspirations, biopsies, breast surgery, injections of chemotherapeutic drugs, and other medical procedures. If your breast skin breaks out in a rash (from surgical tapes or drains or nervousness), burdock seed oil offers quick relief.

CALENDULA BLOSSOM OIL (Calendula officinalis)

Calendula blossom oil is a renowned old wives’ remedy against breast cancer, yet it’s gentle enough for regular use. Older books call it pot marigold, causing some people to confuse it with the unrelated modern garden marigold. In addition to keeping breast tissues healthy, calendula excels at preventing - and, with patience, removing - adhesions and scar tissue, even keloid scars.

Keloid scars are elevated, hard scars, usually with irregular edges. They can be painful, especially when they occur as a result of breast surgery. Keloid scars are caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue at the site of an injury or incision and are more frequent in dark-skinned women than light-skinned women. Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that bind together internal body surfaces that ought to be free to slide by each other. Adhesions are common after abdominal surgery but can form after breast surgery.

For maximum effectiveness, infuse slightly dried calendula blossoms in lard (organic if possible). The animal fat is taken deeper into the tissues than vegetable oils and rapidly dissolves lumps.

Golden calendula oil brings new life to dull skin and is highly recommended for breast self-massage.

CANCERWEED ROOT OIL (Salvia lyrata)

This uncommon plant contains ursolic acid, and is a folk remedy for cancer. The roots of the more common ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) are similar in action. Oil/ointment of either plant, used several times a day is said to eliminate cysts and abnormal breast cells including indeterminate lesions and hyperplasia.

CASTOR OIL (Ricinus communis)

The commercially extracted (not infused) oil of the seeds of this poisonous plant was the remedy most frequently recommended by the psychic healer Edgar Cayce for resolving lumps and growths. (The poison isn’t in the oil, but if taken internally castor oil is a strong laxative.) The classic application is a hot castor oil compress made by baking a flannel cloth saturated in castor oil in the oven until it is thoroughly heated. This hot compress is applied, covered with plastic and/or layers of towels to hold in the heat, and kept on as long as possible. In extreme cases, compresses are applied continuously, day and night. For small lumps, room temperature castor oil is applied morning and night (before bed), and covered completely with a regular adhesive strip (or two).

COMFREY ROOT OIL (Symphytum officinale)

Comfrey root oil/ointment is a specific remedy for those with sore breasts. It is especially wonderful for breast self-massage.

Infused oil of comfrey root (best) or leaves is one of the most amazing healing agents I’ve ever used. Comfrey oil/ointment both strengthens tissues and helps them become more resilient and flexible. As a pre- and post-surgical ally, it has no peer. Time after time I’ve seen deep wounds, old wounds, stubborn wounds, and persistent ulcers heal fast, with little or no scarring, when dressed with comfrey.

If you’ve heard scare stories about comfrey - or read elsewhere to use only comfrey leaves - this remedy may alarm you. Substantial, lengthy internal use of comfrey root can cause liver damage (not cancer) in rare instances. But external use of comfrey root, even for extended periods, has never been connected to liver damage, or any other harm.

DANDELION OILS (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelion has a special affinity for breasts. Regular use of dandelion flower oil promotes deep relaxation of the breast tissues, facilitating the release of held emotions. Applied regularly to the entire breast area, glowing golden dandelion flower oil can strengthen your sense of self-worth as well as your immune system. Easily made, this oil is a superb ally for regular breast self-massage, and highly praised by those doing therapeutic breast massage.

Dandelion root oil, used alone or in conjunction with the flower oil, can help clear minor infections, relieve impacted milk glands, and reduce cysts in the breasts.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils are concentrated oils obtained from aromatic plants by steam distillation or with chemical solvents. They are capable of killing normal as well as abnormal cells, and severely disrupting liver and kidney functioning. Essential oils are quite different from infused oils (which are made by steeping fresh plants in edible oil):

Caution: Test your sensitivity before using essential oils. Put a drop of the oil on the sensitive skin inside your elbow. If your skin gets red or mottled, itches or burns in the next 12 hours, be very cautious with essential oils and certainly don’t use them on your breasts. My cat’s neck fur fell out after I anointed her chin with three drops of essential oil to (successfully) rid her of fleas!

Essential oils of citrus, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, juniper, or clary sage - ten drops diluted in one ounce/30 ml of olive oil - have been used to increase circulation to the breasts, warm them, activate the immune system, and offer the healing benefits of their aromas as well.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material on this website/email is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

 

ANCIENT BREASTS
© Susun S Weed

Deep within you, whether you are aware of it or not, is your primal need for breast. It is part of you; it was born with you. It has been with you for millions of years.

When you emerged into the world of air, hunger came with you. And linked to hunger was the remedy for hunger, already known to you. You had, at birth, the skill to guide yourself to it by touch, by smell, by warmth, by sweetness. You had, and still have, internal, ancient coding to find the breast and suck.

‘Find the breast and suck.’ This message sings in you, in every one of us, from birth to death. It says: ‘Find the breast, source of nourishment, source of contentment.’ It urges: ‘Find the breast, where hunger ceases, where you are one with the mother, one with the pulsing heart of the Mother, at one with Breast/Heart/Mother/All.’

The breast is bliss. The breast is enlightenment. The breast is the emblem of our most sacred aspirations. The Madonna holds the infant to her breast. Ka’aba (Hajar-e-aswad), the holy rock of Mecca, is known as the Mother’s Bountiful Breast.

Breast is nourishment is life is sun is round and warm and full. A simple drawing of a breast is the symbol for Sun, nourisher of all life. And life is sacred, so breasts are sacred, so women are sacred, holy, whole. Always and everywhere women’s breasts have been honored.

Has anyone ever told you that your breasts are holy and sacred and moving with the energy of life? Has anyone ever told you that your breasts are a source of power? Has anyone ever given you permission to love your breasts, touch your breasts, adore your breasts? Has anyone encouraged you to honor your breasts and all women’s breasts as life, as the support of life?

Were you allowed to suckle at your mother’s breast? Have you ever received, ever given, nourishment from your breasts? Have you drunk from the breast of Mother Earth? Have you drunk from the wild springs of the Earth? Taken bites of plants still rooted? Spilled warm, raw milk into your mouth? Have you put your mouth upon the source and received fulfillment, ecstasy?

Do your breasts have a story? If you ask, they will tell you. Do you remember when your breasts emerged? What were you feeling about them then? Excited? Eager? Awkward? Embarrassed? Angry? Tender?

Do you remember the first time you felt your breasts move as you ran? The first time you felt your breasts float as you swam? The first time you stood in the shower and watched the water arch out over your breasts and waterfall off your nipples?

We are the Ancient GrandMothers and our breasts are ancient. Perhaps you find them ugly. See how they drift yearningly toward the Earth, lower with every passing year. We smile knowingly; we know our breasts contain a power that is resilient, flexible, supple, easy, and impossible to restrain. Whether the whim of fashion says our breasts are to be large or small, pointed or flattened, with cleavage or without, padded or bound, accented or obscured, it matters not to us. Our breasts fall free, untouched by current notions. The power of our breasts is the power of life.

The power of our breasts is the power of every woman’s breasts. As our breasts are life, so every woman’s breasts are life. And this is true of you, too, GrandDaughter: The power of your breasts is the power of life. Your breasts are sacred.

 

 

THE MISSING PART OF YOUR DIET MAY BE IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD

© 2002, Susun S Weed

 

Boost Your Immunity and Prevent Cancer With Dandelion, Honeysuckle, Clover
and Other Ordinary Weeds

Did you know that many of those unglamorous "weeds" that you've been poisoning or pulling out of your garden and lawn are some of the world's most well-respected and powerful healing plants? If not, you aren't alone: many people don't realize that common ordinary weeds can build and maintain good health. Common weeds that grow by you can boost your immunity, strengthen your liver, help you build strong blood, counter colds and the flu, increase your vitality, and even prevent cancer.

Health-promoting weeds are easy to find (even in the city), easy to identify, easy to prepare, incredibly abundant, and as delicious as high-priced gourmet goodies. Go outside right now and see if you can find one or more of my seven favorites: Burdock, Dandelion, Honeysuckle, Plantain, Red Clover, Violet, or Yellow Dock. (To the botanist: Arctium lappa, Taraxacum officinale, Plantago majus, Trifolium pratense, Viola odorata, and Rumex crispus.) You probably take them for granted. But if they could talk, they would say "Here we are! We love you! We're waiting to change your life!"

How can they change your life? When properly prepared and used, these weeds can boost your immunity, strengthen your liver, renew your energy, and help prevent cancer. And the best part is, they're free!

IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTERS

Dandelion and Honeysuckle are particularly good builders of the immune system. (The immune system is a network of cells and cell products that defends the body against disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and cancer cells.) Dandelion root tincture (20 drops, 2 3 times a day) actually increases the production of interferon, a protein that inhibits viral multiplication and activates T-cells.

Can a powerful immune system prevent cancer? Put cancer into remission? Prevent the recurrence of cancer that has been treated? Stop a cancer from metastasizing? In my book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way, I answer these questions affirmatively (and share recipes for immune-building soups, too). Building powerful immunity can help us remain cancer-free and it provides long-lasting benefits - and long life - for relatively little effort.

LIVER STRENGTHENERS

The liver is the body's recycling center. This large organ is critical to healthy digestive functioning, utilization of hormones, and removal of chemicals from the body. Dandelion is an outstanding liver strengthener. It is known to protect, heal and tone up the liver, helping to relieve food allergies and aid digestion, as well as repairing damage done by drugs, chemicals, alcohol, and infections such as hepatitis. Burdock, Red Clover, Plantain, and Yellow Dock are also powerful liver strengtheners.

Most experienced healers that I've met are unanimous in their agreement that a healthy liver is the basis for a healthy and long life. Perhaps the single most important benefit to be gained from befriending the weeds is the strengthening of your liver function.

Dandelion, Yellow Dock, or Burdock roots are used in tinctures (20 drops, 2 3 times a day) or vinegars (1-2 large spoonsful on salad daily); Red Clover is best taken as an infusion; Plantain leaves are eaten in salad or infused in apple cider vinegar.

BLOOD BUILDERS

Yellow Dock builds strong blood. Strong blood is rich in iron and other minerals needed for health. Strong blood is nutrient-rich - so vital organs get the nourishment they need for optimum functioning. Strong blood helps muscles work well without cramping and aching. Strong blood is low in cholesterol and moves easily through the circulatory system. Strong blood is packed with plenty of energy: for life, for work, and for sex.

Other green allies that build strong blood are Dandelion leaves, Red Clover blossoms, and Plantain leaves. (And for strong veins, Burdock root vinegar is a trusted ally.) Daily doses of Yellow Dock root - vinegar (see below) or tincture (5-20 drops once or twice a day) - often increase iron levels in the blood twice as fast as iron supplements. If you wish to avoid alcohol, soak chopped fresh Yellow Dock roots (or any of the other plants mentioned here) in vinegar to cover for 6 weeks. I use 1-2 tablespoons a day of the resulting medicinal vinegar to build strong blood.

COUNTER COLDS AND THE FLU

Throughout the orient, Honeysuckle flowers are steeped in water and the resulting strong tea - scientifically established as antiseptic, anti-microbial, and anti-infective - drunk to ward off colds and the flu. (An injectable form of Honeysuckle is used in Chinese hospitals to counter severe infections.) Red Clover blossoms mixed with ordinary mint and steeped in hot water for several hours is an effective "cold remedy" passed down from Colonial housewives.

INCREASE VITALITY, EVEN PREVENT CANCER

The leaves of Violets and the blossoms of both Honeysuckle and Red Clover are renowned as safe, life-enhancing tonics. In addition to enhancing vitality and rejuvenating fertility, they have proven effectiveness against pre-cancerous conditions. Red Clover especially is noted for its ability to reverse in situ breast cancers, cervical dysplasia, and pre-cancerous polyps of the colon. Violet, whether drunk in infusion or applied as a poultice, has a reputation as a dissolver of breast lumps and a protector of the lungs, even checking the growth of tumors.

ANTI-CANCER AGENTS

The most amazing thing about these seven humble plants is that each of them has been associated with cancer prevention. Plantain is an important Latin-American folk remedy against cancer. Burdock as a specific cure for breast cancer dates back to at least 1887 in the Ukraine. Around the world, Red Clover is a widely used folk remedy against cancer and is known as "The herb of immortality." Dandelion is known to stop the promotion of oncogenes. (When damaged or turned on, an oncogene initiates cancer.) Violet slows tumor growth. Honeysuckle is a popular anti-cancer agent in China. Yellow dock is one of the original plants in the Native American anti-cancer brew now known as Essiac.

As you can see, these seven plants are not useless weeds by any means. Even if you don't reach out and pick them from your yard (or that nearby vacant lot), I know you'll be more aware of the abundance of green blessings surrounding you.

For more information on how to prepare and use herbs consult any of my books including Healing Wise and Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way. (Available in book stores and health food stores, or by calling 1-800-356-9315)

HOW TO USE THESE AMAZING PLANTS

Burdock:

Dandelion:

Honeysuckle:

Plantain:

Red Clover:

Violet:

Yellow Dock:

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@hvc.rr.com

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at www.susunweed.com

Susun Weed’s books include: