Earth Medicines

An accessible guide to time-honored Indigenous wisdom, healing recipes, and wellness rituals for modern life from an experienced curandera.

In Earth Medicines, Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, a curandera (or traditional healer) who is a Xicana with Tewa ancestry, combines Indigenous wisdom from many traditions with the power of the four elements. This modern guide is designed to support readers on their path to wellness with lifestyle practices and recipes perfected by Ruiz in her twenty-five years of training and working as a curandera. Ruiz teaches readers to be their own healers by discovering their own ancestral practices and cultivating a personal connection to the elements.

These healing recipes and rituals draw on the power of Water, Air, Earth, and Fire-a reminder that the natural elements are the origins of everything and can heal not only our bodies, but the mind and spirit as well. In chapters organized by each element, readers will first find recipes for inner harmony like Agua Frescas, Mayan Tea, and Rosemary Tonic. Next, they'll learn to promote beauty inside and out with recipes for a Tepezcohuite Honey Mask, Salt of the Earth Deodorant, and Sweetwater Herbal Mouth Rinse. Finally, readers learn to take care of the spirit by creating an ancestral altar, making sacred incense, and performing a Mayan Bajo Steaming Ritual.