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Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera
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, first readers will 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.
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, first readers will 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.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2021
37 people are currently reading
2193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 25, 2025
This book was recommended by local library staff in a recent newsletter. Along with “Vitamin N” by Richard Louv.
With this book, I have been enjoying spending this month perusing its chapters, ‘Water, Air, Earth and Fire’ and appreciating the beautiful photographs that augment its story. And, finding some wonderful healing on this reading journey.
Readers will learn from the author’s introduction, that the intention of this book is to harness the powers of the natural earth elements.
Throughout, readers will be introduced to recipes and wellness rituals that will provide useful and resourceful information and support for anyone’s healing or healthy life focus and journey. And, how the elements will help in guiding readers, especially as we look for harmony, beauty and spiritual connection within each natural area.
Many of the recipes don’t take many ingredients to create something that can help us. As an example, a honey mask for the protection of our skin may only need one tablespoon of a special powder and the same for honey. And, sometimes different ingredients can be utilized for multiple recipes. Like a sun tea that also includes honey.
This book would be a great resource for anyone looking to find organic and natural elements in creating ‘products’ or ‘moments’ that can ease any of us into a calm zone of be-ing. Highly recommended.
With this book, I have been enjoying spending this month perusing its chapters, ‘Water, Air, Earth and Fire’ and appreciating the beautiful photographs that augment its story. And, finding some wonderful healing on this reading journey.
Readers will learn from the author’s introduction, that the intention of this book is to harness the powers of the natural earth elements.
Throughout, readers will be introduced to recipes and wellness rituals that will provide useful and resourceful information and support for anyone’s healing or healthy life focus and journey. And, how the elements will help in guiding readers, especially as we look for harmony, beauty and spiritual connection within each natural area.
Many of the recipes don’t take many ingredients to create something that can help us. As an example, a honey mask for the protection of our skin may only need one tablespoon of a special powder and the same for honey. And, sometimes different ingredients can be utilized for multiple recipes. Like a sun tea that also includes honey.
This book would be a great resource for anyone looking to find organic and natural elements in creating ‘products’ or ‘moments’ that can ease any of us into a calm zone of be-ing. Highly recommended.
May 23, 2022
[Netgalley Disclaimer, but review based on published edition]
While not necessarily something I would read myself, I can understand how this title might have some value to Western/Southwestern cultural traditions. The author is forthright about who the book is intended for and explicitly says it is not a replacement for extended training with an experienced elder/practitioner. I think that's an important start for something like this that can so quickly be misappropriated.
That said, I didn't really care for this title myself. There are parts I didn't connect with (largely from alternative traditions, so that can't be helped), but also from choices made within the text. I don't like the lumping together of all "alternative medicines." Often with titles like this, people lean into home remedy discussions or hold up the Willow to Aspiring as some proof positive of things. I'm not here to discredit that. That said, mixing together East Asian traditions and practices with Southwest American ones is not something that I think works. It lends itself to appropriation and cries out to the New Age crowd to add this book next to their energy crystals. There are also some Goop adjacent things that are beyond the pail and shouldn't really be promoted (sure, say what you will about Goop stealing from BIPOC to make millions --they aren't good for anyone and that GP is making bank off of it is bad, but so is encouraging unsafe practices from a local shop).
I love the idea of food as medicine and curing through self-care and re-connecting with the Earth --what seems to be a major theme through this book. It just missed the mark a little with finding itself. There is a missing deeper element of ceremony that hurts the soul and authenticity of this book's message.
While not necessarily something I would read myself, I can understand how this title might have some value to Western/Southwestern cultural traditions. The author is forthright about who the book is intended for and explicitly says it is not a replacement for extended training with an experienced elder/practitioner. I think that's an important start for something like this that can so quickly be misappropriated.
That said, I didn't really care for this title myself. There are parts I didn't connect with (largely from alternative traditions, so that can't be helped), but also from choices made within the text. I don't like the lumping together of all "alternative medicines." Often with titles like this, people lean into home remedy discussions or hold up the Willow to Aspiring as some proof positive of things. I'm not here to discredit that. That said, mixing together East Asian traditions and practices with Southwest American ones is not something that I think works. It lends itself to appropriation and cries out to the New Age crowd to add this book next to their energy crystals. There are also some Goop adjacent things that are beyond the pail and shouldn't really be promoted (sure, say what you will about Goop stealing from BIPOC to make millions --they aren't good for anyone and that GP is making bank off of it is bad, but so is encouraging unsafe practices from a local shop).
I love the idea of food as medicine and curing through self-care and re-connecting with the Earth --what seems to be a major theme through this book. It just missed the mark a little with finding itself. There is a missing deeper element of ceremony that hurts the soul and authenticity of this book's message.
September 7, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Earth Medicines is a beautifully illustrated handbook to natural healing and wellness by Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz. Due out 19th Oct 2021 from Roost Books, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a book dedicated to and written around traditional Indigenous healing practices. The author is a healer (Curandera) and educator on the methods traditionally used by her culture to maintain and bolster health naturally.
The book itself contains four thematic chapters with recipes and tutorials: Water, Air, Earth, and Fire. The recipes are varied and include many skin and beauty treatments, bath and skin care products, as well as some ritualistic and meditative practices to improve health and lifestyle.
Recipes contain background information and purpose in the description, ingredients in a bullet list sidebar, and step by step directions. Ingredient measures are given in American standard units only (not metric). The instructions are clear and easy to follow.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout. Photos are clear and in color.
The emphasis throughout is on alternative methods of thinking, gentle and natural body care, and philosophical mediation and affirmations. The author has included a resource and links list as well as a cross-referenced index.
This would be a good choice for readers interested in natural/native medicine, meditation, and alternative philosophy.
This is a five star read for the target audience.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Earth Medicines is a beautifully illustrated handbook to natural healing and wellness by Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz. Due out 19th Oct 2021 from Roost Books, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a book dedicated to and written around traditional Indigenous healing practices. The author is a healer (Curandera) and educator on the methods traditionally used by her culture to maintain and bolster health naturally.
The book itself contains four thematic chapters with recipes and tutorials: Water, Air, Earth, and Fire. The recipes are varied and include many skin and beauty treatments, bath and skin care products, as well as some ritualistic and meditative practices to improve health and lifestyle.
Recipes contain background information and purpose in the description, ingredients in a bullet list sidebar, and step by step directions. Ingredient measures are given in American standard units only (not metric). The instructions are clear and easy to follow.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout. Photos are clear and in color.
The emphasis throughout is on alternative methods of thinking, gentle and natural body care, and philosophical mediation and affirmations. The author has included a resource and links list as well as a cross-referenced index.
This would be a good choice for readers interested in natural/native medicine, meditation, and alternative philosophy.
This is a five star read for the target audience.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 12, 2023
When I was a child, my grandmother would routinely take me to the curandero for limpias and general spiritual maintenance if you will. As the years passed, I left Mexico and also all those customs behind but I didn't exactly forget them. The spiritual side of me never vanished and when I ran into this book online it reminded me of those rituals that used to be part of my childhood, the baths with herbs, the candles lit in devotion to La Virgen, the teas that were made for my upset stomach. With that in mind, this book did give me some of that that I had been missing. The author divides the book into Water, Air, Earth, and Fire sections, and further divides them into sections that relate to the body, beauty, and spirituality. She also draws from her many years of experience that have not been solely dedicated to Mexican Curanderas, but also other holistic disciplines, so you'll find recipes that are based on rituals from other places around the world.
While some recipes and rituals didn't exactly feel familiar to me, the intention that each had definitely resonated with what I've been looking for, especially the spiritual sections.
I've tabbed quite a few recipes and rituals that I hope to try out at some point and overall, it's been a great jumping point for going back and learning about ways to honor that part of my ancestry.
While some recipes and rituals didn't exactly feel familiar to me, the intention that each had definitely resonated with what I've been looking for, especially the spiritual sections.
I've tabbed quite a few recipes and rituals that I hope to try out at some point and overall, it's been a great jumping point for going back and learning about ways to honor that part of my ancestry.
June 10, 2021
I came away from reading this feeling so inspired!
I think in today's age we're all (consciously or unconsciously) looking for ways to feel more connected - to one another and our place on this earth.
Lucky for us, Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz has curated her own beautiful tapestry of healing modalities from her own indigenous ancestry as well as those from traditional practices from all over the world (like Ayurveda and TCM) to create a unique vision of how to truly take care of ourselves and our communities.
Each "recipe' is organized by the element that governs it - Earth, Air, Fire, Water - and it feels nourishing just reading her writing about each one of them. I love that the recipes range in difficulty (most being very simple) and some being internal spiritual practices that don't require you to buy anything.
In our "wellness" age, a lot of books on these topics can read hollow and prescriptive. This book stands apart from that crowd. The author inspired me to live more authentically and intuitively, as well as try a few new practices to deepen my relationship with the beauty of life itself.
I think in today's age we're all (consciously or unconsciously) looking for ways to feel more connected - to one another and our place on this earth.
Lucky for us, Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz has curated her own beautiful tapestry of healing modalities from her own indigenous ancestry as well as those from traditional practices from all over the world (like Ayurveda and TCM) to create a unique vision of how to truly take care of ourselves and our communities.
Each "recipe' is organized by the element that governs it - Earth, Air, Fire, Water - and it feels nourishing just reading her writing about each one of them. I love that the recipes range in difficulty (most being very simple) and some being internal spiritual practices that don't require you to buy anything.
In our "wellness" age, a lot of books on these topics can read hollow and prescriptive. This book stands apart from that crowd. The author inspired me to live more authentically and intuitively, as well as try a few new practices to deepen my relationship with the beauty of life itself.
July 23, 2023
🖋️ I cannot say enough good points about this fascinating book! It was much anticipated for me, and when I received it, well, I could barely put it down until I finished my first look at it. This is filled with an interesting autobiographical background on the author, history and purpose of indigenous traditions, prayers, and recipes for food, health, beauty, and spirit. I especially enjoyed the chapter on establishing an ancestral altar. Plus — I am thrilled to have the author’s recipes for Agua de Florida (Florida Water) and her version of Tiger Balm. It is fabulous to have them now.
📖 Book version.
♦️ Received a Kindle eBook copy via the Goodreads Giveaway Program. Thank you to the author. 😀
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
📖 Book version.
♦️ Received a Kindle eBook copy via the Goodreads Giveaway Program. Thank you to the author. 😀
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
August 17, 2022
While I didn't get what I was hoping for from this book, the photographs were absolutely lovely.
November 29, 2024
Non-fiction tool
1. Valuable life-lesson
Yes, this is a reminder to self-care and cherish our connection to the earth
2. Build vocabulary and language
Yes, healing traditions from a curandero plus other cultural healing tips like from Ayurveda. There are interesting healing practices and I was unfamiliar with certain ingredients like piñon pine needles.
3. Real-world connections
Yes, Ruiz shares many lovely stories about these practices which helped me to grasp the significance of the practice.
4. Comprehension of increasingly complex concepts.
Complexity? For me, yes, because I’m not good with recipes. Building complexity about spiritual theology, no.
5. Supported self-study on topic
Yes, loved it. What a unique book!
6. Increased curiosity
Yes, 100% this is a fabulously beautiful book that radiates love. I’ll return to it in the future if only for a mental reprieve.
At the start of the book, I didn’t know the difference between a cuaderno and curandero so I’m very pleased with this book.
November 10, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this prior to printing, and a special thank you to the author for creating such a beautiful piece of work.
This book is pure magic! I loved everything about this book except that I couldn't feel it within my hands. First off, this book is stunning! From the cover to the very last page everything in there is crisp, clean, and visually appealing. The author speaks to you like a family friend letting you in on her family's secret treasure. She is welcoming and creates a beautiful connection to the reader. The recipes are easy, healthy, raw, and most of all the work! I am going to be buying this book ASAP, and it will become a regular read. Thank you for putting something so pure, and beautiful out there into the world for people like me to find.
This book is pure magic! I loved everything about this book except that I couldn't feel it within my hands. First off, this book is stunning! From the cover to the very last page everything in there is crisp, clean, and visually appealing. The author speaks to you like a family friend letting you in on her family's secret treasure. She is welcoming and creates a beautiful connection to the reader. The recipes are easy, healthy, raw, and most of all the work! I am going to be buying this book ASAP, and it will become a regular read. Thank you for putting something so pure, and beautiful out there into the world for people like me to find.
April 9, 2021
I found this book quite intriguing. I loved that the author shared natural remedies indigenous to her culture. While they all aren't necessarily things I would would make or do, it was fun to learn about her culture. She has many recipes, food, home products, essential oil blends, etc., activities, and often elaborates on the history of them as well. There are many beautiful pictures throughout the book as well.
February 9, 2023
In this radiant read, curandera and Indigenous foods activist Felicia Cocotzin Ruize shares her knowledge of the healing properties of plants through beautiful rituals and dishes. More than a recipe collection, this lovely book of treasured wisdom invites readers to become their own healers by unearthing their own ancestral practices and cultivating a meaningful connection to the elements, Water, Air, Earth, and Fire.
January 26, 2022
This book had me at breathtaking photos, healing recipes and personal lore. Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz earns my respect and recommendation for her role as a medicine maker, a voice of diversity and her work as an ethnographer preserving ancestral knowledge. I look forward to reading more of her work.
June 24, 2025
This book is beautiful and was a joy to read! I look forward to more books from this author. Great Herbal medicine book for anyone studying herbalism and healing your family and community! Loved it ♥️🥬🪴🌿
July 31, 2021
Gorgeous photos, very well written, some amazing medicine in this book. I would think it would be a "go to" book on many shelves. Beautiful!
February 1, 2022
Love this book for thinking about how I can be more intentional in each of my daily rituals.
March 14, 2022
what an enjoyable, well written book. I am looking forward to adding her information into my daily life.
July 12, 2022
Beautiful, brilliant wisdom rooted in indigenous practices and the abundance of the earth.
June 28, 2023
So many beautiful recipes and so much wisdom within these pages!! I am so grateful that Felicia wrote this book and shared these with the world.
August 27, 2023
Felicia es una diosa divina!! This book is a delight for the senses and contains gorgeous illustrations. Practical magic recipes for everyday enchantments.
April 19, 2024
It wasn’t what I was expecting, but not bad! So many great recipes and rituals and formulations and history
May 18, 2022
I love this book. The stories and recipes are wonderful. It is nice to read about remedies that not rooted in common 'modern' philosophy. The book is also beautiful with gorgeous photos of the Southwest.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews