Medicinal plants The Argentinean northwest popular medicine is defined by a magical concept of life and death

Medicinal plants

The Argentinean northwest popular medicine is defined by a magical concept of life and death, where ancient practices inherited from the Inca Empire still take place. http://plantas-y-flores.blogspot.com/
In spite of the scientific advances and the opposition of some people, popular medicine is still alive and its influence reaches major urban cities through the migration of people from the northwestern region as well as from neighboring countries.
In the Andean universe, figures are not important at all. It does not matter the number of illnesses, but the magic causes for the illnesses. It does not matter the number of the diseases, but the transcendental significance of death in its worldview does.
Also, it is the "Pachamama" (Mother Earth) who decides about life and death, health and illness. It is believed that when people gets sick it is because their soul has been taken by the "Pachamama" as a punishment for not being a good daughter or son of hers, whether by abusing natural resources or by forgetting to give back to the Earth what was taken from her. The sense of natural justice is noticeable, where the illness is a consequence of the damage to the Nature's balance.
Over thousands of years of study, the medicinal properties of the autochthonous flora, native cultures have been developing several therapeutic solutions for illnesses. Nowadays, "alternative medicine" turns to the use of leaves, roots and herbs with medicinal properties and takes advantage of the millenarian knowledge of native communities.
Rural doctors and native medicine men live together in the Argentinean northwest. In these large regions, often connected only by winding trails accessible only by horse or mule, people survive thanks to the popular medicine. Most of rural doctors agree with the therapies based on herbs and homemade recipes as a way of respect and value the native culture and use these for illness prevention.
It's worth mentioning that these popular medicine concepts and practices have remained the same in spite of the passing of time and the criticisms of the scientific community. The native communities' medicine is not only a group of beliefs and superstitions, but also a consistent, integral and vital source of knowledge.
To enter the magical universe of Argentinean Northwest medicinal herbs is to discover a new world, full of colours, aromas and rituals, which connect us with our essence and help us to renew the links with the surrounding natural environment. Nature, our "Earth Mother" has the power to health our body and soul.
To learn more about the Argentinean Northwest medicinal plants, please see our programme here
http://www.metropolitan-touring.com/content.asp?id_page=2454
List of medicinal herbs of the Northwest:
http://mailing.metropolitantouring.com.ar/10/MedicinalHerbs.pdf