folkandleggendtwo

Today, she is tall, grand and graceful, and she is also very famous. This fame would have triggered her arrogance when she was younger, but not now. For now she is a beautiful, wise, serene and youthful, ancient yew tree. Her family has become one of the greatest friends of the human race, for the yew tree, in recent decades, made, what could have been, a dangerous revelation to us.

The deadly poison Taxine, contained in all parts of the yew tree, was revealed to be the most powerful anti-cancer agent ever. Its use as the drug Taxol was first approved in 1992, and, Pacific Yew trees, the only known source at that time, were being cut down to make it, making it a deadly revelation for the yew tree.

As ever, the yew tree family had a trick up its sleeve, and further discoveries led to the revelation that the European yew tree’s poison, (Taxotere), is ten times more concentrated and an even better anti-cancer agent. Only recently, producers have found a synthetic production method that starts with the needles of European and Asian yews. No trees die, the needles are plentiful and grow back.

We have always both revered and feared the yew tree, and today, our fear grows to love, just like the yewess in the story, for how could we not love something that gives the gift of life to us?

Now, more than ever, the yew tree has shown us that she is truly the symbol of renewal and transformation, just as our ancestors always felt.

Read “The Story of Yew”, acquaint yourself with this special tree, and you won’t be disappointed. This book is well written and the author, Guido Mina di Sospiro, has certainly done his botanical, mythological, historical, and scientific homework in collaboration with some of the world’s greatest botanists and naturalists, such as the late Alan Mitchell, Sir Ghillean Prance, Stephen Blackmore, David Bellamy, to name but a few. If you love myths you will love this book, if you love botany you will love this book, but possibly, you will love this book because you love life, as I feel this author does.

Thank you for reading this article, the first of our Spotlight on Special Books series. To obtain your copy of “The Story of Yew”, you will find it in our books page, and if you would like to know more about this talented author, please visit his web site, you will find links to it on our links page.
Please read this book, it is wonderful, full of facts and fables, myths, mysteries and questions. Questions? You ask. Yes, and you will!