MYTHS SHATTERED AND RESTORED

When the stories of our ancestors are edited or lost, we lose some vital way of seeing and understanding the world in which we live. I remember as a young child, when I was unwell, my Greek grandmother dimming the lights and lighting candles on her altar, which was filled with images of Greek Orthodox saints, serene faces watching me as their golden halos glimmered in the candlelight. I recall her reciting strange prayers, rubbing me down with herbs and alcohol, splashing me with holy water, salt and oil and my drifting off to sleep enveloped by the smell of rose and frankincense burning in the corner of the room. Whether the ceremonies she performed or the care and attention I received made me better is unknown. But what the experience provided was a narrative within which the power to heal was situated within the homestead, given freely and with love, weaving some invisible thread of interconnectivity between the seen world and the unseen world. The rest of the family saw this as superstitious nonsense and, unfortunately, my grandmother’s craft died with her, which is a story repeated over and over again as traditional medicinal practices are lost and forgotten in the wake of modern medical advances, which often place the locus of healing externally, in the hands of depersonalized experts and large pharmaceutical companies. Modern medicine has saved countless lives, and this paper is not about turning our back on these advances but rather about inviting into awareness an alternative, grassroots-based narrative. Within the modern medical framework, there lies the danger of rejecting traditional healing practices altogether and, in so doing, losing deep, rich philosophies that can offer affordable, accessible healthcare. In addition to the practical application of old ceremonies come the associated narratives, which have formed part of our collective psyche for millennia and offer portals through which expanded ways of seeing ourselves and our communities can be viewed—a key into an archetypal world beyond the personal and a connection to our own mythic stories. By preserving this wisdom and the voices of marginalized peoples, we can incorporate an integral aspect of our collective psyches, which has the potential to sustain a more balanced way of living. It is hoped that further research into the effects of traditional healing techniques may contribute to a better and more culturally fulfilling understanding and encourage a greater respect and appreciation of curanderismo (traditional Mexican healing) as a valid, affordable system of health care throughout the Americas. Available to buy on Amazon