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The Land in Our Bones: Plantcestral Herbalism and Healing Cultures from Syria to the Sinai--Earth-Basedpathways to Ancestral Stewardship and Belonging in — Occult Philosophy

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The Land in Our Bones: Plantcestral Herbalism and Healing Cultures from Syria to the Sinai--Earth-Basedpathways to Ancestral Stewardship and Belonging in

Name: The Land in Our Bones: Plantcestral Herbalism and Healing Cultures from Syria to the Sinai--Earth-Basedpathways to Ancestral Stewardship and Belonging in
Price: 24.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781623179144

✍️ Feghali, Layla K

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$24.95 ~~$33.00~~ Save $8.05 (24%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Layla K. Feghali, a Lebanese ethnobotanist, presents a profound journey into the earth-based healing traditions of Cana'an and the broader Middle East. This work delves into how indigenous plant knowledge offers a potent pathway for cultural survival and personal restoration amidst the ongoing impacts of colonization and displacement. Feghali's concept of "Plantcestral Re-Membrance" provides an embodied lifeline, guiding readers to reconnect with their roots and cultivate a sense of belonging, regardless of geographical distance, fostering regenerative healing for both individuals and communities.

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Occult Philosophy

Praise for this book

“This book breaks the artificial barriers of history and politics that have been shaped by successive waves of colonization in West Asia and North Africa, that have artificially created divides between people deemed to be African or Arab, and demonstrates our deep connections through our shared cultivation of our plantcestors and ecologies.”

— KALI AKUNO, author and cofounder of Cooperation Jackson

“As a clinical herbalist and member of the American Herbalist Guild, I have been waiting my entire life for an herbal book like this; a book in which the information shared about medicinal plants is firmly rooted in their historical, cultural, ecological, and mythological context.... Feghali offers us all an embodied praxis to work with our plantcestors as a path of ancestral remembrance, reconnection, and healing....”

— ATAVA GARCIA SWIECICKI, MA, RH (AHG)

“[This book] momentously affirms forgotten legacies of herbal and ancestral healing while potentiating urgent life-affirming visions for the future. By replacing dominant European approaches to Middle East/North African histories with restorative generational wisdoms, this book will transform our knowledge systems and the ways we reckon with land, life, and each other.”

— DR. NADINE NABER, author and professor of gender and women's studies and global Asian studies at the University of Illinois

🏛 North Atlantic Books 📅 2024 📖 368 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781623179144

Fun Fact

Feghali’s 'The Land in Our Bones' is a profound and necessary work, offering far more than a simple herbal guide. It excels in weaving together ethnobotany, decolonial theory, and personal narrative, creating a powerful framework for ancestral healing. While it might disappoint those seeking a purely practical herbal handbook, it will deeply resonate with readers yearning for a spiritual and cultural reconnection to land and lineage. This book marks a significant contribution to the fields of holistic health and cultural studies, grounding abstract concepts in tangible, earthy wisdom.

📝 Description: The Land in Our Bones: Plantcestral Herbalism and Healing Cultures from Syria to the Sinai--Earth-Basedpathways to Ancestral Stewardship and Belonging in

*Instant USA Today Best Seller* A profound and searching exploration of the herbs and land-based medicines of Lebanon and Cana'an--a vital invitation to re-member our roots and deepen relationship with the lands where we live in diaspora Tying cultural survival to earth-based knowledge, Lebanese ethnobotanist, sovereignty steward, and cultural worker Layla K. Feghali offers a layered history of the healing plants of Cana'an (the Levant) and the Crossroads ("Middle East") and asks into the ways we become free from the wounds of colonization and displacement. Feghali remaps Cana'an and its crossroads, exploring the complexities, systemic impacts, and yearnings of diaspora. She shows how ancestral healing practices connect land and kin--calling back and forth across geographies and generations and providing an embodied lifeline for regenerative healing and repair. Anchored in a praxis she calls Plantcestral Re-Membrance, Feghali asks how we find our way home amid displacement: How do we embody what binds us together while holding the ways we've been wrested apart? What does it mean to be of a place when extraction and empire destroy its geographies? What can we restore when we reach beyond what'sbeen lost and tend to what remains? How do we cultivate kinship with the lands where we live, especially when migration has led us to other colonized territories? Recounting vivid stories of people and places across Cana'an, Feghali shares lineages of folk healing and eco-cultural stewardship: those passed down by matriarchs; plants and practices of prenatal and postpartum care; mystical traditions for spiritual healing; earth-based practices for emotional wellness; plant tending for bioregional regeneration; medicinal plants and herbal protocols; cultural remedies and recipes; and more. The Land in Our Bones asks us to reclaim the integrity of our worlds, interrogating colonization and defying its "cultures of severance" through the guidance of land, lineage, and love. It is an urgent companion for our times, a beckoning call towards belonging, healing, and freedom through tending the land in your own bones.

💎 Expert review

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Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Feghali’s synthesis of ethnobotany and spiritual practice is compelling for those interested in earth-based healing. However, readers seeking purely scientific botanical data or detached academic analysis may find the text too personal or anecdotal. It is not suited for those who prefer rigid, secular approaches to herbalism without cultural or ancestral context. The book demands an openness to emotional and spiritual engagement with plant knowledge. If you are looking for a straightforward field guide devoid of political or historical narrative, this work will likely feel overly abstract. It requires a willingness to engage with the heavy themes of colonization and cultural survival alongside botanical wisdom.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers deeply affected by displacement, diaspora experiences, or the lingering wounds of colonization will find profound solace in this text. Layla K. Feghali offers a vital roadmap for those seeking to reclaim their identity through the land. By introducing 'Plantcestral Re-Membrance,' she provides an embodied practice that transcends geographical boundaries, allowing individuals to cultivate belonging and regenerative healing. It is essential for anyone feeling disconnected from their heritage or struggling with cultural erasure, offering a tangible way to anchor oneself in ancestral stewardship and personal restoration through the spirit of the earth.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you seek to understand the profound link between land, lineage, and healing, especially in the context of displacement or cultural identity, this book is for you. It's an essential read for herbalists, ethnobotanists, and anyone engaged in decolonial thought or ancestral work.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Feghali’s synthesis of ethnobotany and spiritual practice is compelling for those interested in earth-based healing. However, readers seeking purely scientific botanical data or detached academic analysis may find the text too personal or anecdotal. It is not suited for those who prefer rigid, secular approaches to herbalism without cultural or ancestral context. The book demands an openness to emotional and spiritual engagement with plant knowledge. If you are looking for a straightforward field guide devoid of political or historical narrative, this work will likely feel overly abstract. It requires a willingness to engage with the heavy themes of colonization and cultural survival alongside botanical wisdom.

❓ Frequently asked questions

'Plantcestral Re-Membrance' is Feghali's praxis for reconnecting with ancestral plant wisdom and land-based healing traditions. It's a holistic approach to healing from displacement and colonization by embodying the knowledge and spirit of one's lineage and the earth.

While rooted in the specific traditions of Cana'an and the Middle East, the book's themes of ancestral connection, healing from displacement, and land-based belonging are universal. It offers profound insights relevant to anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with their own heritage and the natural world.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Ancestral Plant Wisdom

This book explores the deep-rooted herbal practices and land-based medicines of the Levant, revealing how these ancient traditions are not merely remedies but profound pathways to understanding our heritage. Feghali shows how integrating this knowledge can facilitate personal and collective healing, connecting us to the wisdom passed down through generations.

Decolonizing Belonging

Feghali meticulously examines the profound wounds inflicted by colonization and forced displacement, offering earth-based knowledge as a radical tool for recovery. She challenges conventional narratives, presenting a framework where reconnection with ancestral lands and practices becomes an act of resistance and a foundational step towards genuine self-determination and belonging.

Diaspora & Connection

For those living away from their ancestral homelands, this work provides a vital exploration of how to forge meaningful connections. It addresses the complexities of diaspora, demonstrating how the practice of "Plantcestral Re-Membrance" can bridge geographical and generational divides, creating an embodied sense of home and continuity wherever one resides.

📜 Historical context

Feghali's work stands firmly within a growing tradition of ethnobotanical and decolonial scholarship, drawing from indigenous knowledge systems often marginalized by Western perspectives. It echoes the urgent call for cultural reclamation and ecological stewardship, placing itself alongside works that explore the profound resilience of traditional practices in the face of empire and globalized modernity.

📚 Glossary

Cana'an (Levant)
Plantcestral Re-Membrance
Diaspora

📔 Questions to reflect on

How do your personal ancestral stories intersect with the land you currently inhabit, and what healing might emerge from exploring that relationship?
In what ways has displacement or disconnection from your cultural roots impacted your sense of belonging, and how might plants offer a pathway to mend these ties?
Consider the concept of 'Plantcestral Re-Membrance' in your own life. What plant allies or natural elements from your heritage could you consciously invite into your healing journey?