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Hygieia: A Woman's Herbal |  | Authors: Jeannine Parvati Baker, Jeannine Parvati
Publisher: Freestone Publishing Company
Category: Book
Buy New: $20.00
as of 3/11/2010 09:15 CST details
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 269739
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 249
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 8.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0913512540
Dewey Decimal Number: 618.061
EAN: 9780913512548
ASIN: 0913512540
Publication Date: June 1, 1979
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Not yet published
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Product Description
HYGIEIA: A WOMAN'S HERBAL is the first book of its kind to interweave the ancient practice of herbalism with the current women's consciousness and wholistic health. This herbal is an encyclopedic work covering many aspects of of women's health. Personal stories, dreams and poems enliven the text, which has many drawings and photos of women and their plant allies. HYGIEIA is a useful and evocative reference book for every woman concerned about her soul (psyche) as well as her feminine health.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 35
 Really weird, even for me. May 17, 2008
Jenney Chendea (Virginia, USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I think part of the reason I hated this book was because of the foul language, I guess trying to "reclaim" some words so that they can no longer hurt us. Ugh. But truly, it's the just plain cliche hippie-ness of it. I mean, come ON. There are way more accessible books out there on women's health, and even on learning to be comfortable with being a woman and overcoming patriarchy. Birthing From Within, anything by Christiane Northrup, Our Bodies Ourselves, and on and on. PLUS, there was little real info on herbs, just recommendations to go out and ask the herbs what we should do with them, with the implication that the herb would have the effect that we believe it to have. This was too far out for even me.
I even happily did some of the freaky weird stuff in this book before I'd read it, and I also really enjoyed Baker's prenatal yoga audio tape, but I found myself rolling my eyes so many times as I read through it.
It was very educational in some ways. I had such a realization of why people hated hippies. Now I know what they were like and how unscientific, loopy, and just plain dangerous they sounded.
Dangerous misinformation December 26, 2007
Raven OrthaeVelve (USA)
13 out of 17 found this review helpful
I've had quite a bit of experience in and around both western scientific first aid (and I'm working on having at least some experience in EMS) and herbalism, as well as a bit of energetic healing with Ki in the Aikido tradition thanks to my mother. As such, I've noticed that books on herbalism tend to go one of three ways. The first is to claim that herbs are at best barely useful and often dangerous for medicine, and more appropriate for crafts and dyeing. An example of this would be Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. The second is a bit more moderate, claiming that herbs are sometimes backed by scientific research and sometimes mostly placebo based but should be used with caution and with the knowledge of both a medical doctor who is experienced with herbs and under the direction of a certified herbalist. This is, by the way, the approach I personally run closest to, and an example of this approach is "The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines", by Charles W. Fetrow, Pharm.D. and Juan R. Avila, Pharm.D. .
The final type is the most dangerous type in my mind, and that is the books claiming that the reader should ignore Western Scientific medicine mostly or completely and rely mostly or utterly on herbalism, energy work and meditation style methods. That is the type of book I will be reviewing today.
"Hygieia" is a self published book that was put in print by the author's own company. I will admit to having figured this out even before the endnotes to this effect by the number of grammatical, spacing and spelling errors. However, this in and of itself is no reason for me to totally write off a book, as I thoroughly enjoyed "Liber Hirudo:The Book of the Leech" from Lulu Self Publishing by Oizus despite it's errors. "Hygeia" could easily have been shortened by using normal type font and removing the often hard to read calligraphy, or by leaving out the collection of ovulation and menstrual dreams collected from the writer and her associates. To me these seemed to have little to do with the book's stated purpose, and made for somewhat boring reading.
Flow and style of the book are not my main objections to this work though, the content and tone is. The main themes of this writer seem to be from my reading that Western Medicine, especially birth control (including all methods from condoms to pills to IUDs) are spiritually and physically harmful to all women. That is a very all inclusive and to my mind extremely inaccurate statement. Beyond this, there are some very dangerous suggestions and concepts that should be addressed individually from a medical and ethical standpoint.
First off, the idea of trying to make all forms of birth control (except herbs and the cervical mucous and rhythm methods) out to be harmful is just a bad idea to me from a sociological standpoint. We have enough trouble with unplanned pregnancies and family planning in all social classes without anyone coming along and declaring them to be unethical and spiritually harmful. The author, Parvati also makes strong statements against the wearing of tampons by women, claiming on p.10 that the tampon "is wearing you!" in bold print. On p.89 it is stated that, "Using drugs, even in the form of synthetic hormonal therapies (i.e. estrogen replacers, etc) WILL UPSET THE BALANCE of your body in ways science cannot always tell."
I will mention here that I am on birth control pills because otherwise I constantly bleed in massive amounts until I am anemic. I am a reasonably experienced herbalist and tried herbal methods to control the bleeding, plus visualizations, etc. However, I am not stupid. When I realized the bleeding was not responding to these methods, I went to a doctor and took a birth control prescription, which fixed the problem. Unnatural method or not, it worked and perhaps even saved my life. I wonder if some other woman in the same situation or a similar one would decide that Parvati was totally correct in attitude and hemhorrage to death waiting for herbs to work for her.
The author makes statements as well that I find personally objectionable, such as on p.194, when she states that, "For it is oftentimes the mixed feelings about having babies, or not, that ends up with this "Accidental" pregnancy. There are no invasions of babies- the exception being rape (though some would argue even against this)-like health, we create the whole movie." To me, this sounds like Parvati is basically saying that accidental pregnancy is the result of the mother's subconscious mind wanting a child. That lays all the blame for accidental pregnancy on the woman...not, for example, on a husband in a culture where women have no rights refusing to allow birth control to be used. This is a hurtful and insulting statement to my mind in a book that is supposed to be positive and woman centered. The entire book seems to encourage women to have children often and not use any form of "artificial" birth control, even discussing "Psychic Abortion" on p.202. I'm not denying it's possible, but it simply is not a viable or reliable method from a medical or herbal standpoint.
Then we have wildly opinionated statements in the "Glossary" section starting on page 145. One example is the entry for Cancer, which reads," The epidemic disease of imperialistic countries; uncontrolled growth in humanistic tradition responding well to meditation, visualization, diet, fasting, psychic healing, etc". In some cases this may be true. Cancers do not all respond to these methods, however much the author may wish they did, and therefore in my opinion should not be defined this way. Another example of this is found in the definition of a Nuclear Family as "Mother, Father and children living in isolation; schizogenetic situation labeled "normal" and "The American Way". Breeding ground for ignorance, angst (Existential anxiety) and posessiveness>" Again, this may be true in some cases, but certainly not all and to make such sweeping generalizations does a disservice to those content in these types of families. Some statements in the glossary just seem purely opinion, such as the ending sentence in the definition for Spermatazoa, which says that sperm, "Are Conscious beings!" The definition of Toxin is "Any poison produced by plant, animal or micro-organsim. Especially man in the 20th century". Perhaps this is the author's opinion, but it should be stated as such, not as a definition in a glossary. However, the above could be stated on at least 80 percent of the entries in the glossary.
Then we have flatly dangerous statements from a medical standpoint. For example, on page 117, the author advises the reader that, "Whenever you want to treat a baby medicinally, have the nursing mother drink the remedy - she'll pass along the benefits in her milk." However, a few sentences later, she contradicts herself by saying that, "Nursing mothers cannot take drugs - they pass through the milk." I hate to break it to Ms. Parvati, but herbal remedies are powerful drugs, sometimes very dangerous ones. A typical calming remedy for sleeplessness is Chamomile tea. However pregnant women and nursing mothers cannot drink it as it can cause damage to the infant, according to Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs. It is by Parvati's definition an herbal remedy (which is specifically recommended for pregnant women on page 183 by her), but by the definitions of doctors and herbalists it is both an herbal remedy and a drug, and a dangerous one. Common warnings are also not mentioned about plants in the lists of herbs. An example is the recommendation of Choke Cherry for birth pains without the mention that its sour taste comes from a large percentage of cyanide that could easily damage a fetus. Parvati also recommends Comfrey for ingestion, when as far as I know, the FDA has it listed as being a POISON if used internally, and for external use only. However, there is some evidence that the studies generating this finding were exaggerated or flawed.
In the listing on p.107 on Strawberries, we find the following quote, "The rash people sometimes develop when eating strawberries is a signal that excess acid in the system is being driven out through the skin faster than other channels of elimination. Information such as this has helped me see the "allergy myth" in a healthy perspective. Being highly "allergic" as a child I soon came to understand, via primal-type therapy, study of nutrition, LSD, yoga Sadhana, and watching my own babies, that the allergy theory is one I need not live out anymore. The choice is always ours. Allergies "Run" in families until we stop running from relationships"
The above is objectionable to me on several levels. Fist off, the chemicals in strawberries can cause a rash. This is not some sort of cleansing, it is an allergic reaction! In most sufferers, allergic reactions get WORSE each time we are exposed to an allergen. Eventually, this can lead to the deadly anaphylactic reactions. Allergies are not a "myth" or a subconscious cue that we have issues with people, they are a very real and occasionally deadly warning from our body that something we have been exposed to does not get along with us. It's insulting and inaccurate to think that we can think ourselves free of anaphylaxis...ask anyone who has ever suffered this kind of reaction if they would rather meditate or shoot themselves with their prescribed epinepherine injector. Bear in mind when and if you choose to ask this question that without an epinepherine injection, anaphylactic shock can kill in less than five minutes in severe cases. This is deadly dangerous misinformation!
Another example of a dangerous and harmful practice is on page 116, when Parvati mentions that cutting the umbillical cord is "Violence committed against our babies," and states that,
"In order to retain the connection of family harmony, we chose not to sever the umbillical cords of the babies and therefore carry around not only the two babies, but their placenta as well! Well, this being August, and very hot in Northern California, we had to put the quickly rotting placenta under a pyramid to delay the spoilage. But the placenta was much too big for the cover to fit tightly - and the inevitable decay set in. Michael and I each threw a line of the I Ching asking if cutting the umbillicus now would be an act of violence against our family."
In an infant, an infection of the navel can be absolutely deadly, and minutes can kill a newborn with one. This is part of the reason for using a sterile implement to cut the cord. By leaving it attached, these parents are basically opening a door for bacterial infection that can kill an infant in hours. Apparently these parents waited fifteen hours to cut the cords, which could have been far more than enough time for an infection to enter through the umbillicus and have a mainline into the infant's nervous system.
Finally, we have Parvati's cheerful suggestions in the section labeled "Herbs for the Mind". Contrary to what I expected, these are not relaxants or mood stabilizers such as valerian, hops, Kava and St. Johnswort. Instead the listings include Marijuana (which is elsewhere suggested as a contraceptive for women if smoked) Ergot (a deadly dangerous fungus which, by the way is classed as an oxytocic, which is a drug that causes you to not only hallucinate, but if you are female, to have such strong contractions that if you are pregnant, your womb will crush the fetus to death. In emergencies, after the baby is born however, Ergot derivatives can stop the bleeding in a hemhorraging mother. NONE of these warnings are included in the text, save for a vague statemnt about advice from doctors on page 81!)Next, on page 81 Parvati discusses the use of LSD by pregnant women wishing to "Trip with their babies" though to her credit, Parvati discourages this, thank goodness. On the next page however, she discusses women "wearing peyote buttons nestled high in their vaginas, like a cervical cap". While I've heard of the Maya using peyote in enemas to overcome the nausea brought on by the chemicals, this is definitely a new one to me, and sounds like a damn good way to overdose, as the mucous membranes absorb directly and quickly into the blood and nervous system. Finally, a mushroom, Teo Nanacatl is discussed as a daily sacrament (!) and with more advice for hallucinogen use.
While I personally have no problem with hallucinogen use in a culturally appropriate setting (Such as the Native American Church, for example, or the use of Yage in the rainforests) there are nowhere near enough guidelines listed for using such powerful and dangerous chemicals in this book, or any other. It's one thing if you seek out members of a tribe or culture and ask them to tutor you through the spiritual and physical ramifications of the use of such a plant. It is quite another to assume that intuition alone will guide you and keep your brain from frying. I'll be the first to admit that some hallucinogens have showed great promise in certain psychiatric circumstances and spiritual applications. However, just as many have led to psychological damage if not taken with great preperation and respect. See "One River" by Wade Davis for a great deal more information in this area.
What bothers me most is to inform you that after all this, Jeannine Parvati runs a women's health center in California with, to my knowledge, no formal medical or herbal training at all to fall back on. Reading this, I can understand why some medical doctors are so leery about herbalism, as people like this writer give the art and science a bad name in my opinion.
Please pass this review around. Those seeking herbalism information need to know that this kind of objectionable, questionable and dangerous material is out there next to the accurate and trustworthy guides like James A. Duke's "Peterson's Field Guide to Medicinal Plants of Eastern North America." We herbal practicioners need to spend more time educating the public and eachother. Those in the medical profession also need to be aware that there are both intelligent and well read herbalists, and flat out quacks out there, and how to tell the difference between them.
 Every Woman's Bible October 25, 2007
Shopping Sandy (New York)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Every woman and teenage girl should own a copy.
R.I.P. Jeanne,Thanks for the wonderful gifts,you've given to the sisterhood.Hygieia: A Woman's Herbal
 Hmm...Peyote Suppositories and LSD for Babies? Like Far Out? Like OH NO! April 24, 2006
David Ciaffardini (Oceano, CA United States)
16 out of 20 found this review helpful
Here, presented in a gentle Earth mother (or stoned-out hippie?) tone, is a lot of interesting information about self-medicating with herbs, especially as related to sexual, pregnancy and birth issues.
However, am I the only one bothered because the author not only promotes combining sexual activity and psychedelic drug use, but specifically suggests that some pregnant mothers-to-be consider ingesting LSD so they can "trip out" with their fetuses?
Here is the author's quote about LSD from page 81, part of the same paragraph where she writes about the difficulties of "planning those orgiastic trips at infertile times of one's cycle":
"If you feel comfortable making the decision to trip with your baby (baby getting a magnified dose due to her tinier body weight or mass), then make an informed decision. Refer to science, your own experience, and information coming from any channel. LSD is magnificent and for a fetus, it must be ultra-magnificent-but is it dangerous?"
The author never answers her question about the dangers ofpsychedelicizing a fetus, the implication being that women should trust their "feelings" on the matter (with no indication if it matters if you are stoned or straight while tuning into those "feelings.")
I'm not square, (to answer Jimi Hendrix's famous question, yes, I am experienced) and you can blame it on me being male, but first off, never mind it being illegal, LSD is not an herb, and second, isn't it a little irresponsible to suggest to young, pregnant mothers that it might be a "magnificent" idea to dose their fetuses with hallucinogenic street drugs?
On the very next page the author writes about peyote suppositories and women inserting slices of the hallucinogenic cactus "high in their vaginas like a cervical cap." If such things are appealing to you, hey, far out. But can we leave the children and fetuses out of it, please. Thank you.
And what exactly is the purpose of including, on page 12, a full-page close-up photograph of the abdomen and bare genitalia of a prepubescent girl?
File this book under "What The Heck Were They Thinking (or Ingesting)?"
Manual for truly living in the Feminine January 30, 2003
Kytka Hilmar-Jezek, PhD
12 out of 16 found this review helpful
I first received this book as a gift in the early 80's from a wonderful free spirit living on the beach. I was so attracted to this wild woman who seemed to be the exact opposite of all that culture expected me to be. I remember sitting in the beach over several days reading it cover to cover... it was as if I was spending my days with an old friend. I could feel something within my deepest being becoming awake, aware... My intuition told me to hold fast to my copy which I read many times over the years. I fell in love with being a woman and having the power to control my own health, energy and vitality. Visually, this is a stunning book with artwork and graphics, borders and creative usage of fonts that make the reader feel as though she has stumbled upon a written treasure, secret knowledge gathered over the course of hundreds of years - passed down for hundreds more. I have used herbs my entire life and I've come to realize that herbs are not to be used for specific "treatments" but rather for whole living.Much more than just a herbal guide, this books shows how to tap into the strength, intuitive wisdom, self-mastery, and sheer life force of every woman and it provides the key to self-knowledge and wholeness. I feel this book is very intimately written and that it truly speaks to a woman's soul, awakening her own inner healing spirit. So many women I have given this book over the years have thanked me time and again for giving them the book that changed the course of their lives. Jeannine Parvati-Baker is truly a Goddess of our time. Her life's work has been a testament to preserving all that IS our birthright as women, the power to heal - our bodies, our families, our planet. She is a feminist in the truest sense of the word and allows us to be strong in our woman power without tearing down the power of our male partners... This is truly a profound, powerful, and moving book which provides hope for celebration as we turn to embrace a lost aspect of ourselves.... A MUST for every woman and the men who long to know her.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 35
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