A Welsh Herbal

Stella Byrne, using the name Stella Anderson, has been a practicing medical herbalist for more than 30 years, since qualifying with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Additionally, Stella holds an honours degree in biology from Sussex University and studied history and philosophy of science as part of her finals. Stella is a skilled practitioner of iridology, having studied with the British School of Iridology, in Cambridge. She has been a well known television presenter in Wales, having made several TV appearances. In particular, she made many contributions to the "Welsh Herbal" medicine series. She has travelled extensively in North America where she studied with Native American Indians and in Australia where she studied and was filmed with Aboriginal people practising herbal medicine. She has had twenty eight years experience in general herbal practise treating the mining and agricultural communities of South Wales, as well as living and working amongst the agricultural communities, where she was also a well known conservationist. She has also studied psychosynthesis and has used these techniques in her herbal practise. She has developed a compassionate and caring approach to her herbal treatment and is noticed for her insight and sensitivity in caring for the people who come to her. Stella's Celtic ancestry has played a big part in her interest in herbs, her father's family came from Ireland and her mother's family were mostly Welsh and always used herbal medicine and naturopathy when she was growing up. She has continued to increase her herbal knowledge both from indigenous peoples and from some of the latest scientific research on glycobiology, nutritional therapies and investigating the vital force with bio-magnetic resonance. She continues to film, teach and practise herbal medicine both in Australia and in South Wales. Dylan Warren-Davis is a second generation herbalist who has been a practising medical herbalist for over 30 years. He was first exposed to the healing properties of herbs by his mother Ann Warren-Davis FNIMH at 10 years old, as she trained to become a herbalist. In 1982 he qualified as a prize winning student with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and has subsequently practiced in London, Oxford, Chichester, New South Wales and Llandeilo. Dylan has family roots in Pembrokeshire, with the Warren part originally from Nevern and the Davis part from Haverfordwest. His great uncle was Thomas Arthur Warren-Davis, FLS, the famous botanist and early ecological pioneer. Whilst training as a herbalist, Dylan had the unique privilege of being taught the botany of Wales in six intensive days of field studies with "Uncle Tommy." Dylan was taught photography by his father John Warren-Davis, who was a prominent Welsh sculptor and lecturer in the 1960's. From his early teens he had many philosophical and metaphysical discussions with his father, from which he derived a profound appreciation of art. For over 25 years he has been collecting images of medicinal plants from the British, Mediterranean and Australasian floras. He has taught yoga, meditation and healing, and so understands the importance of emotional and mental well being for physical health. Dylan has also been involved in his own research into the philosophical and metaphysical foundations of the European herbal tradition. He is particularly interested in how the ancient ideas of the vital force are now being verified by new discoveries in the field of quantum biology. He has presented his work to colleagues at seminars and conferences in the U.K., Spain and Australasia. In 2003 Stella and Dylan, husband and wife team, founded The Health Bank in Llandeilo as a centre for herbal medicine and regenerative nutrition. They have travelled extensively together looking at different cultures and herbal traditions. "A Welsh Herbal" is their first written collaboration. Stella wrote the herbal, historical and philosophical texts. She also compiled the legends and enhanced the folk stories by weaving herbal lore into them. Dylan contributed the photographs, wrote additional text on humoral physiology, digitally enhanced the woodcuts, designed the artwork and constructed the interactive CD-Rom format. ROBIN WILLIAMSON is the composer of the "Music For the Mabinogi" from which the four tracks are taken, who was a founder in the 60's of the influential Incredible String Band and the Merry Band of the 70's. He has been a key figure at the forefront of the storytelling revival in Europe and America since the 80's. He has authored a number of books including "The Craneskin Bag" (re-telling and re-versifications of Celtic lore) and "Celtic Bards, Celtic Druids" (co-authored with R.J. Stewart). Robin is Honorary Chief Bard of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.