Book review

Holistic Book club review - White Eagle Medicine wheel cards.

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White Eagle Medicine Wheel: Native American wisdom as a way of life by Eliana Harvey (Author), Wa-Na-Nee-Che published by Eddison Books ltd

So July happened, which delayed this post because of my busy schedule which was for me very positive however it delayed the next instalment of our Holistic Book club review.

Anyway, this review is so worth it.

So I was sent this amazing pack of the White Eagle Medicine wheel Native American wisdom as a way of life by Eliana Harvey and Wa-Na-Nee-Che.

"The White Eagle Medicine Wheel Deck" gives a unique introduction to the sacred teachings of Native Americans. This powerful deck of cards is a resource for problem-solving on all fronts, whether at home, at work or in relationships. And with the accompanying booklet, you will be taught how to communicate with the animals and other sacred archetypes who will show you their medicine ways. Discover your inner self and learn how to live in harmony, not only with yourself but with all living things around you. You will never look back.

About the author

Eliana Harvey is a therapist and writer with a deep interest in Native American culture and tradition. She is the founder of Shamanka, a unique school of women's shamanism, and has been involved in the spiritual path since 1960. Visit her website at shamanka.com Wa-Na-Nee-Che descends from a long line of medicine men and shamans. He is one of the few remaining Native Americans willing to share the original wisdom of the old way of life and offers sacred teachings appropriate to the western world in seminars and workshops.

The Cards and booklet

image Eddison Books ltd

image Eddison Books ltd

As a lover of First nation spiritual systems, I had an instant connection with the cards, so the cards would a great choice for my moon circle and the Creative Healing facilitator course.

The cards share the wisdom and practices of the Lakota Sioux Native American tradition the deck has three parts for study.

The apprentice

The Student

The Elder

The first level is the apprentice and this has 28 animal cards.

Eagle, Bear, Badger, Beaver, Spider, Butterfly, Horse, Buffalo, Ant, Otter, Rabbit, Snake, Porcupine, Cougar, Dragonfly, Dog, Dolphin, Turtle, Elk, Whale, Moose, Fox, Coyote, Lynx, Raven, Hummingbird, Owl, Hawk

The next level is the student and has fourteen grandfather and grandmother cards. Pipe Carrier, Dreamweaver, Sundancer, Medicine Man, Spirit Warrior, Provider, Record KeeperWeaver, Birther, Medicine Woman, Stargazer, Wisdom Keeper, Rainbow Dancer, Story Teller

The final level is the Elder level that has the following cards:

Sweat Lodge, Drum, Medicine Wheel, Totem Pole

The cards have a background story plus meanings with reversal images the relation to spirit, the functional spiritual items and the animals make these cards well rounded and creates a dialogue between circle members as well as an education into one of the oldest spiritual systems in the world.

Using the apprentice cards for Level 1 of the Creative healing course was a great addition to opening up the circle. At first, the cards appeared to challenge the participants because the type of animals listed were not commonly seen as spiritual guides or totem animals, so learning the understanding and challenges around the types of animals such as ant, snake etc in a spiritual context was eye-opening.

For the second Level, the Student the cards were held more understanding in terms of intergenerational healing, the circle members were able to use the meaning of the cards in a more personal way.

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Next week we will work with the Elder level cards to help us through Level 2 so I will let you know who we found them.

If you want a universal system to work with or are running a circle I would recommend purchasing this pack as you will not be disappointed.

Highly recommended. Click here to Buy.

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Holistic Book Club - Essential oils, pain relief and a great waistline.

7 minute read. .

I was recently sent three books by Eddison Books on Health and Wellbeing. Now I am a bit of s sceptic because as a Holistic therapist and Former College tutor the books we read were quite detailed clinical type books. Suffice to say it was nearly 20 years ago so I suspect the sophistication of the reader has risen to meet our upgraded HD retinas.

Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without: The Best Aromatherapy Oils for Health, Home and Beauty and How to Use Them by Daniele Festy

The Ketogenic & Hypotoxic Diet: Lose Weight and Improve Health with This Low-Carb, High-Fat, Anti-Inflammatory Plan by Olivia Charlet

Natural Painkillers: Relieve Pain with Natural Remedies and Exercises by Dr Yann Rougier & Marie Borrel

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Natural Painkillers: Relieve Pain with Natural Remedies and Exercises by Dr Yann Rougier & Marie Borrelcan came at the right time because I recently experienced a bad back after another Bereavement (if you have listened to my podcast or read my blog on Grief  then you will know how common it is to experience physical ailments after the death of a loved one). The book is jam-packed with various complementary techniques to use such as Acupressure points to help with pain relief,  Healthy foods to help reduce inflammation and also a good range of Homeopathic and Aromatherapy remedies and recipes to assist you with any complementary programme.

Safety note: For any physical ailment one should always consult their GP or Complementary Health Practitioner ( I consulted my Osteopath for my back).
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Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without: The Best Aromatherapy Oils for Health, Home and Beauty and How to Use Them by Daniele Festy

When I was asked to review this book I thought it would be just another aromatherapy book with great pics, but I was wrong, it is a great book and great as a reference guide.   This easy to use book is full of information that will help you create some great skincare and wellness blends. 6 Essential Oils You Can't Do Without has great references on all the important data that will allow you to start your essential oil journey. Even for existing Aromatherapists and students alike, this book visually clean and informative, for the novice, it will also be a great companion to creating a Healing home because it has over 300 recipes for the home, skin and body. So for my clients and students alike, I will definitely recommend this lovely book.

The Ketogenic & Hypotoxic Diet: Lose Weight and Improve Health with This Low-Carb, High-Fat, Anti-Inflammatory Plan by Olivia Charlet

I found this book really interesting and again timely because I have spent the winter hibernating and now I am back at the Gym and on the mat.   The Ketogenic & Hypo toxic Diet again was a very informative read. The book breaks down the “Keto” diet which is a diet

Low in carbohydrates and rich in good fats, the ketogenic diet offers the perfect solution to healthy eating for optimum well-being. But in order to be truly beneficial to our health, it should also be hypotoxic (gluten- and dairy-free, with only moderate amounts of organic animal protein). 

The Keto diet says No, to sugar, most fruits or white carbs and Pulses so some Vegans may find this a problem if they eat a lot of cooked Chickpeas or Lentils,(there are options for the sprouted pulses)

As a gluten intolerant Pescatarian  I find pulses hard to digest, even with Seaweed added and soaking,  and the Gluten-free food often leaves me bloated so trying this out has helped reduce the bloating.

The book is clearly written and easy to follow, but for me, my favourite part of the book is the recipes.   Although different I found some of the foods choices similar to the Paleo diet, however, the Keto is about changing macronutrients to start a natural fat burning process. (correct me if I am wrong) and the Paleo is about eliminating dairy, grains and processed foods. Both diets are good for Auto Immune, Weight loss and Gluten intolerance. As for the weight loss, I am only on day 1 so I will let you know if I follow this for 5 days.  I will definitely add this book to the reading list of my self paced course the 30/30 Wellness programme.and now that is a bonus. All books are available for all outlets such as Amazon and Foyles.