The world is physically capable of feeding, sheltering and enriching many more people in the short term. Between 1820, at the dawn of the industrial age, and 2008, when the world economy entered recession, economic output per person increased elevenfold…

Where is this taking us? The coming half century will see huge shifts in the geopolitical balance of numbers, further declines in the number of children per woman, smaller but more numerous households, an increasingly elderly population, and growing and more numerous cities.

The United Nations Population Division anticipates 8 billion people by 2025, 9 billion by 2043 and 10 billion by 2083. India will have more people than China shortly after 2020, and sub-Saharan Africa will have more people than India before 2040.

To read the entire article please click the link below

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/opinion/seven-billion.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

I invite you to explore and experience inner body massage of organs, tissues and cells, by treating yourself and/or your clients with Vibroacoustic therapy to reduce pain and stress and enhance life quality.

Vibroacoustic therapy – VAT is a therapy in which, low sound frequencies in the range of 30 Hz- 120 Hz, are transmitted into the whole body systems (nervous, skeleton muscular, blood) through transducers that are embedded in a furniture unit (bed, mattress, lounge, chair). The transducers convert the frequencies into vibrations and in fact, create inner body massage of organs, tissues, muscles and cells.

Olav Skille – (A therapist, education and musician from Norway), is one of the pioneers and innovator of applying the frequencies as a therapy for whole inner body massage – VAT. Over 30 years of applied research, collaboration with academic research and feedback from patients and therapists – have led him to find the correlation between certain frequencies and positive effect of reducing pain, stress and various illnesses symptoms.
The invitation:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByfSfYOMMG5XNzRiYzcyMmYtN2E2Ny00OWQ1LWFiMTgtYzYwODMzODgyOTdi&hl=en_US

Kids can plant bulbs ( my daughter loves to do this) and elders can sit comfortably and trim

roots, divide plants (that someone younger dug up), and prune shrubs and smaller trees…

Dahlia roots should be cared for in autumn.

Zone 1

Finish planting container-grown trees and shrubs

Plant needle-bearing evergreens early in the month

If the month is dry, repeat the September soaking

Check ties on trees, and loosen any that look tight

Finish bulb planting early in the month

Cover compost to keep it warm and working

Observe trees for fall color; jot names of the best in your notebook

Dig dahlia roots after tops are frosted

Zone 2

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Protect roses for winter

Zone 3

Start fall compost pile

Cover perennial, vegetable, bulb, and strawberry beds for winter

Plant winter- and spring-flowering bulbs

Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Protect roses for winter

Get those spring bulbs in the ground now!

Zone 4

Start fall compost pile

Cover perennial, vegetable, bulb, and strawberry beds for winter

Plant winter- and spring-flowering bulbs

Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow

Buy spring-blooming bulbs

Plant container and balled-and-burlapped fruit trees

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Plant, feed, and aerate cool-season lawns and loosen thatch

Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials

Divide and replant summer- and fall-blooming perennials after bloom

Protect roses for winter

Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines

Plant balled-and-burlapped trees

Plant trees in containers

Plant frost-tolerant trees

Zone 5

Start fall compost pile

Plant winter- and spring-flowering bulbs

Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow

Buy winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Plant container and balled-and-burlapped trees fruit trees

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Plant cool- and warm-season lawns

Aerate cool-season lawns and loosen thatch

Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials

Divide and replant summer- and fall-blooming perennials after bloom

Plant container roses

Protect roses for winter

Plant container and balled-and-burlapped trees, shrubs, and vines

Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines

Plant frost-tolerant trees

Zone 6

Start fall compost pile

Plant winter- and spring-flowering bulbs

Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow

Buy winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Plant container and balled-and-burlapped fruit trees

Plant permanent ground covers

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Plant and aerate lawns and loosen thatch

Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials

Divide and replant summer- and fall-blooming perennials after bloom

Plant container roses

Protect roses for winter

Plant container and balled-and-burlapped trees, shrubs, and vines

Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines

Plant frost-tolerant trees

Plant needle-leafed evergreens

Ornamental grasses put out good roots now.

Zone 7

Plant or repair lawns

Plant ornamental grasses

Cover perennial, vegetable, bulb, and strawberry beds for winter

Plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Pre-chill tulips and hyacinths for indoor forcing

Plant balled-and-burlapped or container fruit trees

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Rake lawn to remove debris

Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials

Plant container roses

Plant balled-and-burlapped or container trees, shrubs, and vines

Prune fall-flowering shrubs just after bloom

Protect tender plants from frost

Zone 8

Plant for fall and winter color

Plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Plant balled-and-burlapped and container fruit trees

Prune frost-sensitive fruit trees

Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)

Plant or repair lawns

Plant ornamental grasses

Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials

Plant fall- and winter-blooming perennials

Prune fall-blooming shrubs and vines just after bloom

Plant seedlings of cool-season or winter vegetables

Sow seeds for cool-season or winter vegetables

Zone 9

Plant for fall color with annuals

Plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Feed and water cacti or succulents that are growing or blooming

Feed houseplants that are growing or blooming

Repair or plant lawns

Rake lawns to remove debris

Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Plant fall- and winter-blooming perennials

Prune fall-flowering shrubs and vines just after bloom

Plant or transplant seedlings of cool-season or winter vegetables

Sow seeds for cool-season or winter vegetables

Keep contrasting colors around for interest in cooler weather.

Zone 10

Plant annuals for fall color

Set out fall and winter-blooming plants

Plant winter- and spring-blooming bulbs

Feed and water cacti and succulents that are growing or blooming

Feed houseplants that are growing or blooming

Plant winter-blooming perennials

Prune fall-flowering shrubs and vines after bloom

Sow cool-season vegetable seeds

Start seeds for cool-season or winter vegetables

Zone 11

Finish planting spring-blooming bulbs

Plant container-grown trees and shrubs

Feed and water lawn to encourage overseeded grass

Prune back summer- and fall-blooming shrubs

Allow rose hips to form; it will encourage early dormancy in bushes

Don’t forget that many elders need an extra hand tending their property year

around.  Do the right thing and pitch in! Respectfully, Certified Care .org
]]> http://radientlife.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/october-garden-chores/feed/ 0 PlumpnJuicy http://radientlife.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/fall-planting-for-a-great-garden-next-spring/ http://radientlife.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/fall-planting-for-a-great-garden-next-spring/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:40:53 +0000 radientlife http://radientlife.wordpress.com/?p=1224 ]]> You really do gain a full season’s growth by planting in the fall, rather than waiting until spring. Plants get the benefit of cooler temperatures, warm soil, more rain, and less stress while they are starting to develop their root systems. When they come out of dormancy next year, they are much more vigorous and ready to take on the summer heat.

Many of us feel uncomfortable planting, knowing that winter is just ahead. But, once you’ve gardened in the fall, and seen the results the following spring and summer, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t done this before!

General Fall Maintenance:
Remove grass and weeds from beds
Re-mulch all beds in September – October depending on your winter hardiness zone

Planting beds: try to achieve a minimum 1″ depth and preferably 1 1/2″

When to divide perennials
· Does the plant look crowded?
· Does the center of the perennial seem woody or dry?
· Were flowers smaller or less prolific this past season?

If the answers to these questions are yes, it’s probably a good idea to divide. Divide or thin spring and summer blooming perennials, after they’ve finished blooming (those that are established three years or more) in October – November (Coreopsis, Salvia, Leucanthemum, etc.) Ornamental grasses are generally divided in the spring.

Monitor watering, and water manually as necessary.

Examples of German Iris

Flower bulbs are “…easy to plant and live for years,” says Dr. J. Robert Nuss, professor of ornamental horticulture in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Best of all, they start brightening the landscape while it’s still late winter.”

For a steady procession of blooms from late January to late July, Nuss offers several planting suggestions:

Late winter blooms:

Galanthus, or snow drops, bloom the earliest.  If you’ve wondered what those little white, bell-shaped flowers are blooming in people’s yards starting in late January, they’re probably snowdrops.

Species crocuses start blooming in late January or early February, followed by large-flowered Dutch crocuses in February and March.

Also blooming at this time are winter aconite, which resemble low-growing buttercups; chionodoxa, which have pink, white or blue star-shaped flowers; and squill, which have deep-blue flowers.

Early spring blooms:

Anemone blanda bloom in March and April and have purple, pink or white flowers that look like asters. Also blooming at this time are grape hyacinths,with grape-like clusters of purple or white flowers, and iris reticulata, which looks like other irises but grows only five inches tall.

Some more familiar flowers also bloom during these months, such ashyacinths; double-early, Kaufmanniana and Fosteriana tulips; and miniature and trumpet daffodil.

Spring blooms:

Darwin hybrid tulips bloom in April and May, along with Triumph, Gregii, single-late, double-late, lily-flowered, Rembrandt and parrot tulips. They come in an array of heights, colors and markings.  Some interesting smaller bulbs, such as checkered lilies and Spanish bluebells, also bloom in late spring.

Early summer blooms:

For flowers in June, plant Dutch irises, which look like slender bearded irises, and allium, a colorful and sweeter-scented relative of the onion. Alliums vary greatly in size and color — from four-inch stems with clusters of yellow flowers, to giant allium, which can reach three feet tall and is topped with a sphere of purple flowers five inches in diameter.

You also can plant German irises in the fall.  These are the familiar irises with the fruity scent and large, bearded flowers. They grow from rhizomes planted about three inches deep, and they extend the blooming season to the end of July.

Bulb planting requirements:

Flowering bulbs can be planted in formal or informal beds, rock gardens and in established ground covers. Most prefer partial shade, so avoid planting them where they will receive direct midday sun. Heated basement walls can damage bulbs, so plant them at least five feet away from foundations.

Keep in mind that you can fit a lot of bulbs in one space by planting large bulbs, covering them with two inches of soil and planting small bulbs on top of them.  You also can plant shallow-rooted annuals on top of bulbs.

Bulbs need good drainage and a high amount of organic matter, so if your soil is mostly sand or clay, mix in peat moss or compost until organic matter is about 25 percent of volume.

When planting tulips, daffodils and other large bulbs, dig out the entire bed to a depth of about 8 inches. Arrange the bulbs six inches apart with the pointed ends up. Smaller bulbs such as crocuses and grape hyacinths can be planted three inches apart and five inches deep.

Before covering the bulbs, add one rounded tablespoon per square foot of either a sulfur-coated, slow-release fertilizer, or one handful per square foot of  bone meal plus one tablespoon per square foot of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 fertilizer.

You then can replace half the soil and water the area thoroughly, add the remaining soil, and water again. “A three-inch layer of wood chips, peat moss or bark will retain moisture and keep mud from splashing on the flowers next spring,” says Nuss.

Fertilizing and dealing with pests:

Squirrels and chipmunks dig up bulbs, especially crocuses. “If you anticipate a problem, spread fine-mesh chicken wire over the soil and then apply mulch,” says Nuss.

When shoots start breaking through the soil in the spring, sprinkle a second application of fertilizer around them.  As flowers fade, cut them off so they don’t go to seed and rob nourishment from the bulbs.

“The foliage gathers nutrients for the next season’s growth, so allow it to completely die before removing it,” says Nuss. “Other than these few steps, spring-flowering bulbs don’t need much attention. They’ll come back year after year, just when winter seems as though it never will end.”

August Gardening Chores

Zone 1

Sow seeds of wildflowers and fall veggies

Aerate, dethatch and fertilize the lawn

As first frosts threaten, pick mature green tomatoes to ripen in a dark, cool place indoors

Purchase containerized trees and shrubs to plant now

Pick herbs to dry for winter soups, stews and baking

Begin to dig up summer bulbs to store indoors

Order spring bulbs to force indoors

Build up weather resistance of trees and shrubs with deep watering throughout the fall

Start moving tender plants indoors to acclimatize them or take cuttings

Spread newly made compost around trees, shrubs and perennials; winter weather will work it into the soil

Zone 2

Plant hardy Oriental and Asiatic lilies

Sow seeds of wildflowers, spring-blooming annuals and fall veggies

Aerate, dethatch and fertilize the lawn

Start moving tender plants indoors to acclimatize them or take cuttings

Pick herbs to dry for winter soups, stews and baking

As first frosts threaten, pick mature green tomatoes to ripen in a dark, cool place indoors

Purchase containerized trees and shrubs to plant now

Plan ahead for an extended harvest by building or buying a cold frame

Begin to dig up summer bulbs to store indoors

Order spring bulbs to force indoors

Zone 3

Sow seeds of wildflowers, spring-blooming annuals and fall veggies

Lift, divide and transplant perennials

Plant hardy Oriental and Asiatic lilies

Aerate, dethatch and fertilize the lawn

Start moving houseplants and other tender plants indoors to acclimatize

Pick herbs to dry for winter soups, stews and baking

Order trees and shrubs now for fall planting

Plan ahead for an extended harvest by building or buying a cold frame

Blanch tomatoes for freezing and canning by boiling them for just a few minutes and slipping off the skins

Order spring bulbs to force indoors

Zone 4

Lift, divide and transplant perennials

Order peonies for fall planting

Divide and transplant bearded iris

Order bulbs for fall planting

Start moving houseplants and other tender plants indoors to acclimatize

Enjoy a case of the late summer “blues” with a palette of aconitum, caryopteris, fall asters and reblooming iris in your planting schemes

Blanch tomatoes for freezing and canning by boiling them for just a few minutes and slipping off the skins

Order perennials and ornamental grasses for fall planting

Plant fall-blooming crocus and colchicum for late-season flowering

Prepare beds for planting bulbs and divide any existing bulbs that might be overcrowded

Build up weather resistance of trees and shrubs with deep watering now throughout the fall

Look forward to something different next spring: try alliums in your bulb garden

Zone 5

Sow seeds of fall vegetables

Order peonies for fall planting

Order bulbs for fall planting

Divide and transplant bearded iris

Order perennials and ornamental grasses for fall planting

Plan perennial beds for fall and winter color with ornamental grasses, fall-blooming bulbs and hardy heaths and heathers

Harvest vegetables continuously to stretch their season

Sprinkle compost starter to speed up composting for fall soil building

Prune summer-blooming shrubs (hydrangea, clethra, caryopteris) after flowers finish

Plant garlic now for spring harvests

Look forward to something different next spring: try alliums in your bulb garden

Enjoy a case of the late summer “blues” with a palette of hardy ageratum, caryopteris, fall asters and reblooming iris in your planting schemes
Zone 6

Sow seeds of fall veggies and annuals

Plan perennial beds for fall and winter color with ornamental grasses, fall-blooming bulbs and hardy heaths and heathers

Divide and transplant bearded iris

Harvest vegetables continuously to stretch their season

Sprinkle compost starter to speed up composting for fall soil building

Order bulbs for fall planting

Order perennials and ornamental grasses for fall planting

Prune summer-blooming shrubs (hydrangea, clethra, caryopteris) after flowers finish

Plant garlic now for spring harvests

Look forward to something different next spring: try alliums in your bulb garden

Sow seeds of cool-weather herbs (chives, parsley)

Enjoy a case of the late summer “blues” with a palette of hardy ageratum, caryopteris, fall asters and reblooming iris in your planting schemes

Zone 7

Harvest vegetables continuously to stretch their season

Sprinkle compost starter to speed up composting for fall soil building

Prune summer-blooming shrubs (hydrangea, clethra, caryopteris) after flowers finish

Plant garlic now for spring harvests

Dig gently to harvest potatoes a few plants at a time

Look forward to something different next spring: try alliums in your bulb garden

Sow seeds of cool-weather herbs (chives, parsley, garlic chives, cilantro and dill)

Order bulbs for fall planting

Order perennials and ornamental grasses for fall planting

Plan perennial beds for fall and winter color with ornamental grasses, fall-blooming bulbs and hardy heaths and heathers

Enjoy fall fragrance by planting autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata), flowering tobacco and annual stock

Keep cool during summer’s dog days with a shade garden embroidered with hostas and hardy ferns

Color up your bulb garden with fall bloomers (lycoris, fall crocus, colchicum)

Zone 8

Color up your bulb garden with fall bloomers (lycoris, fall crocus, colchicum)

Prepare rose beds for fall planting

Pick vegetables early in the day while they’re crisp

Plant out vegetable seedlings and sow seed for fall harvests

Leach out alkaline buildup in the soil with deep watering and applications of acid plant food

Dig gently to harvest potatoes, a few plants at a time

Sow seeds of cool-weather herbs (chives, parsley, garlic chives, cilantro and dill)

Order bulbs for fall planting

Enjoy fall fragrance by planting autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata), flowering tobacco and annual stock

Order perennials and ornamental grasses for fall planting

Order and refrigerate bulbs that require a winter chill (tulips, crocus, hyacinths)

Keep cool during summer’s dog days with a shade garden embroidered with hostas and hardy ferns
Zone 9

Sow seeds of cool-weather herbs (chives, parsley, garlic chives, cilantro and dill)

Prepare rose beds for fall planting of containerized roses

Order sweet pea seedlings now for winter bouquets

Order bulbs for fall planting

Pick vegetables early in the day while they’re crisp

Plant out vegetable seedlings and sow seed for fall harvests

Leach out alkaline buildup in the soil with deep watering and applications of acid plant food

Enjoy fall fragrance by planting autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata), flowering tobacco and annual stock

Order and refrigerate bulbs that require a winter chill (tulips, crocus, hyacinths)

Spray plants with the hose to knock off late-summer pests such as spider mite and whitefly

Stock up on seed for winter annuals and new perennials

Zone 10

Prepare rose beds for fall planting of containerized roses

Order sweet pea seedlings now for winter bouquets

Plant out vegetable seedlings and sow seed for fall harvests

Leach out alkaline buildup in the soil with deep watering and applications of acid plant food

Spray plants with the hose to knock off late-summer pests such as spider mite and whitefly

Stock up on seed for winter annuals and new perennials

Trim and fertilize hanging basket plants to give them a second lease on life

Order and refrigerate bulbs that require a winter chill (tulips, crocus, hyacinths)

Zone 11

Prepare rose beds for fall planting of containerized roses

Order sweet pea seedlings for winter bouquets

Plant out vegetable seedlings and sow seed for fall harvests

Purchase and refrigerate bulbs that require a winter chill (tulips, crocus, hyacinths)

Leach out alkaline buildup in the soil with deep watering and applications of acid plant food

Spray plants with the hose to knock off late-summer pests such as spider mite and whitefly

Sow seeds of cool-weather herbs (chives, parsley, garlic chives, cilantro and dill)

Prevent chlorosis in citrus trees with three feedings a year

Trim and fertilize hanging basket plants to give them a second lease on life

A classic team...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their
infamous sketch, “Who’s on First?” might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help
you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I’m setting up an office in my
den and I’m
thinking
about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name’s Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don’t own a computer. I want to buy
one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name’s Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don’t know. What will I see when I
look at the
windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a
computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something
I can use to
write
proposals and track expenses and run my business. What
do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend
anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my
office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows!
OK, let’s just
say
I’m sitting at my computer and I want to type a
proposal. What do I
need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue
“W”.
COSTELLO: I’m going to click your blue “w” if
you don’t start
with
some straight answers. What about financial
bookkeeping? You have
anything I
can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That’s right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What’s bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my
computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn’t it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy
Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy
money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help
you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on “START”

We cannot pay our way out of dying.  We cannot charm our way out of dying.  We cannot beg our way out of dying.   Despite the fact that human life expectancy is ever increasing, even in less developed countries, we all eventually die. We have all been told  that the only things certain about life is death and taxes.  But the truth is we can avoid taxes; but we cannot avoid death when our time has come.

But, I wonder how often do you think about the inevitable?

How often to youthink about death?

A survey of close friends suggests that they think about dying more frequently as they grow older.  That is no surprise.  That makes sense.

One or two confessed that they have considered suicide as a way of ending the stress of financial hardships that seem increasingly inescapable. Others claimed that they hoped to die prior to becoming elderly and dependent.  Several declared their preferred ‘death by’ action versus their least desirable method of ‘death by’.

The question that I noticed they each struggled with answering most forthrightly, though, was how often do they think about their own death?

In order to live a well balanced life – the holistic ideal- it is important to think about death so that we may live more fully.  It is important to think about how our actions or inaction affects others who our lives touch.  That will be our legacy after we are dead.  That will be the story that cannot honestly be changed once we have departed this world.

When you are faced with a decision, no matter how small it might seem, no matter how unimportant to you directly it might seem, consider how you would want that decision to to be recorded in your personal ‘book of days’- that record that is left in the collective memories of those left living after you are departed.

Perhaps we would each be a better friend, sibling, coworker, neighbor, if we thought about our deaths – and our personal legacy- more often. This practice could lead to a better, more holistic life style.

Perhaps thinking about death more often is a key to living a more holistic life.

Read more articles about living a more holistic life at Dr. Cathleen v. Carr’s column at nationally syndicated Examiner .com

Healing with herbs,  Part 9

Hallucinogens are drug plants that affect the mind more than the rest of the body, distorting the senses and producing the sensation of entering another world.  Examples of them are found all over the world and include marijuana, native to the Middle East, Africa,and  Asia to Deadly Nightshade, found in Europe, to the various hallucinogenic mushrooms found in the Americas.

You are not imagining the size if this mushroom!

In less developed countries hallucinogens are the favored medicines.  This is because sickness and death are viewed as being a consequence of  interference from the spirit world, rather than being induced physically or organically.

Moreover, herbal hallucinogens as vehicles to the spirit world play significant roles in religious life, in rites of passage, and in general societal relationships.  For example, the Algonquin Indians gave wysoccan, a medicine that induced derangement and memory loss, to young men  so they would enter manhood with no recollection of childhood.  Tribes of the Southwest and Mexico use various Datura species in divination, prophecy, and healing rituals.  The Mixtecs of Mexico ingest puffballs so that their questions can be answered by the voices of heaven.

To read the complete Healing with Herbs  series at nationally syndicated examiner.com click here

REFERENCE

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/pictures/musid1.htm

http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/12_6%20Herbs%20and%20Herbal%20Femedies.htm

http://www.desertusa.com/aug97/du_datura.html