Three Traditions of Healing

There is more than choice between modernreliable drugs. But still, the practices do not
Western medicine and alternatives. There areconclusively identify the practitioner as being in a
three traditions of healing.particular tradition.
The Wise Woman tradition, focusing on integrationThe intent, the thought behind the technique
and nourishment, and insisting on attention topoints to the tradition: scientific fixing, heroic
uniqueness and holographic interconnectedness, iselimination, or wise womanly digestion and
another choice: a new way that is also the mostintegration.
ancient healing way known. A way that follows aYou contain some aspects of each tradition. And
spiral path, a give-away dance of nourishment,the three traditions are not limited to the realm of
change and self-love. "Trust yourself."healing. The Scientific, Heroic, and Wise Woman
Alternative health care practitioners usually think inways of thinking are found in politics, legal
the Heroic tradition: the way of the savior, asystems, religions, psychologies, teaching styles,
circular path of rules, punishment, and purification.economics. As the Wise Woman way becomes
"Trust me."more clearly identified, it opens the way to an
AMA-approved, legal, covered-by-insurance healthintegrated, whole, sacred, peaceful global village,
care practitioners are trained to think in theinteractive with Gaia, mother, earth. As each
Scientific tradition: walking the knife edge of keendiscipline spins anew its wise woman thread, we
intellect, the straight line of analytical thought,reweave the web of interconnectedness with all
measuring and repeating. Excellent for fixingbeings.
broken things. "Trust my machine."Susun Weed
The Scientific, Heroic, and Wise Woman traditionsPO Box 64
are ways of thinking, not ways of acting. AnyWoodstock, NY 12498
practice, any technique, any substance can beFax: 1-845-246-8081
used by a practitioner/helper in any of the threeVisit Susun Weed at The Wise Woman Center:
traditions. There are, for instance, herbalists, andand Ash Tree Publishing
midwives, and MDs in each tradition.For permission to reprint this article, contact us at:
The practitioner and the practice are different.Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has
The same techniques, the same herbs are seengarnered an international reputation for her
and used differently by a person thinking ingroundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on
Scientific, Heroic, or Wise Woman ways.health and nutrition. She challenges conventional
Thinking these ways does lead to a preferencemedical approaches with humor, insight, and her
for certain cures. The Wise Woman helpervast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine.
frequently nourishes with herbs and words. TheUnabashedly pro-woman, her animated and
Heroic savior lays down the law to clean up yourenthusiastic lectures are engaging and often
act fast. The Scientific technician is most at easeprofoundly provocative.
with laboratory tests and repeatable, predictable,