With reference to herbals, alchemy, alternative medicine, mysticism.

[Nardol]

I'd like to find some good resources on these and related subjects. I am most interested in getting myself a chemist's retort, some young goldenseal and belladonna plants (the seeds are very difficult to germinate) and books on body lines and meridians. I list two of the better that I know of, there are many links on either page to a variety of topics. I've also an amatuer knowledge of herbs and thier preparations, if you care to ask me things.

Turn of the 20th century herbal medicine
A Modern Herbal

Alchemic Symbols, Articles and Texts
Coloured Alchemical Emblems

[rockandrose]

I have a keen eye in alternative medicine such as Naturopathy and Chinese Medicine. As try to avoid

Though, I'm not a fan of the strong aroma that some herbs have or can produce.

[Auriane]

I believe herbs (and gems, flowers, symbols...) only have certain powers because you (and many people before you) believe they do.
My interest is energy (so I clicked "Mysticism, Tarot, Magick and so forth"). But I also believe that everyone is really working with energy in some form or another when doing things that could be described as "supernatural", "parapsychological" or "alt. medicine", so It's all good.

[Nardol]

Because I'm not sure entirely what you envision as the use of herbs, I'll say that my own interest in herbs is first botanical (I love to garden) second medicinal and lastly culinary. I've realized that many MANY of the old uses of them are either placebo or else outside the realm of medicine. I personally see alternative medicine as simply an alternative to standard practices accepted by the western medicinal world. This does not mean that I even remotely believe that they have any supernatural powers, merely that modern medicine hasn't defined thier chemical usage.

On the other hand there are numerous plants from which accepted modern medicines are derived. Witchhazel is a common astringent easily found on pharmacy shelves and the colonic properties of castor oil are well known. Atropine is derived from Atropa belladonna and the drug is named after the genus.

What I was really hoping for in this thread were some links from you fine contributors.

[rockandrose]

Homeopathy

http://www.boiron.com/index_en.asp

[Metatron]

I've studied all of that at one point or another.

[·Kaôh·]

I'm interested in what the poll said "Magick, Tarot..." but I think the truly reason that those things work out it's that people, through millenia of tradition, think it works. I believe in energy and one's capacity to do virtually anything if one makes one's mind to do so. So, I personally believe in everything that is there, as long as I believe it, it will become true (not everything, but almost)