Leaps of Consciousness

Juliette de Bairacli Levy (1912 – 2009), was a herbalist who pioneered holistic animal health and wrote 14 books. She considered herself a Gypsy, by which she meant a ‘person of the earth.’

She left a veterinary medicine course, as her values of natural health and kindness to all beings was opposed to the universities’ methods and cruel animal research. She left to travel extensively on her own through Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. She continued her education by living with farmer, nomads and gypsies and learning their ways with herbs. She realised their skills through their own health and stamina and of their animals’ sleek coats. She was often accompanied by her award-winning Afghan hounds and two children.

Juliette of the Herbs is a documentary about her life. In the film Joan Greenwald, shares the tale of Heidi, her five-year-old Landseer Newfoundland, who the vet gave only six months to live after diagnosing severe liver and kidney disease.

Her husband suggested steak, but Joan came across Juliette’s book “The Complete Herbal Book for the Dog” and decided to follow it.

The first step was a two-week water fast followed by Juliette’s diet. “I put Heidi on a fast with water and herbal teas, which flushed out her system. Every day she didn’t eat her regular kibble diet, she got better. Following Levy’s diet, I slowly introduced oats, buckwheat, honey, fresh meat, vegetables and herbs. Heidi never looked back and went on to live to the ripe old age of 12½. My Newfs lived up to 14 years, while the national average was 7 years.”