Home Herbs 4 Powerful Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie: Exploring Ancient Monastic Medicine

4 Powerful Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie: Exploring Ancient Monastic Medicine

by Andreea Laza

Looking for ancient monastic remedies passed on from generation to generation? Continue reading and find out more about monastic medicine.

Saint Elefterie is one of the most revered Romanian spiritual figures of the 20th century. Before the rise of communism in Romania, he served as the abbot of the famous Dervent Monastery in Dobrogea, home to the miraculous crosses that exude holy oil. His profound connection to monastic remedies and healing began there, as the monastery became a sanctuary for those seeking both spiritual guidance and physical restoration.

Later,he continued his service at the Agapia and Secu Monasteries. It was during this time that he gained legendary status, known not only for his wisdom but also for his extraordinary healing grace.

Saint Elefterie healed the soul through the power of prayer and fasting while treating the body using methods he had learned at a medical school in Adrianople, which he attended in his youth. He practiced a form of osteopathic massage, aptly called “stepping” (because it was performed with the foot), and prescribed medicinal plant preparations that he personally crafted.

Before presenting the monastic remedies of Saint Elefterie, let’s take a moment to understand monastic medicine and how medicinal plants intertwine with the power of prayer to heal both the body and the spirit.

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What Is Monastic Medicine?

Monastic medicine is a unique blend of spiritual healing and natural remedies, practiced by monks and nuns in medieval European monasteries. This is because, until the early 20th century, the care of the sick and the art of healing were still under the protection of the Church, with the priesthood being unimaginable without the knowledge of curing diseases.

Those entrusted with healing the soul were also responsible for healing the body. Christian churches inherited this tradition, so the medicine practiced today has its roots in monastic medicine.

Priests, monks, and nuns considered it their duty to alleviate suffering. They studied the functions of the body and the causes of diseases, developing diverse healing methods, which they passed down through the centuries to their brothers and sisters in the monasteries.

How Does Monastic Medicine Work?

Diseases were primarily treated with the help of highly effective medicinal plants, which were used both internally and externally. Each monastery had a garden filled with numerous medicinal plants. The monks tended to them with devotion, harvesting, drying, and storing them carefully in large apothecaries. They would then prepare teas, tinctures, or ointments from these plants.

In addition to this, there were many special methods such as cupping, leech, bloodletting, water therapy, baths, and poultices. Furthermore, a diet tailored to each individual’s condition and, last but not least, a healthy lifestyle were important aspects of treatment. Ideally, it was recommended that individuals prepare their own remedies to infuse them with personal energy, while in more severe cases, they would seek the help of an experienced therapist.

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The Power of Prayer In Monastic Medicine

In monastic medicine, there was a belief that only pure plants, blessed by the Almighty, possessed healing powers. Before consulting and treating the patient, monks and nuns would pray for their own purification and ask God to assist the suffering individual. Patients could feel that meditative harmony, sensing instinctively that, alongside the herbal therapy, there was also an energetic element that helped, cleansed, and healed them. You can use gratitude instead of prayer in the classical sense, as the good energy you put in your healing comes back to you.

The Importance of Energetic Healing in Monastic Medicine

Among the components of a medicine, the material ones, scientifically proven, act upon the body, while the energetic ones affect the soul. Every illness has an immaterial cause, being also an expression of spiritual and emotional imbalance. Medicinal plants do not only heal physical suffering; they also help the patient to change their inner attitude, which is often the root cause of the disease.

This spiritual aspect of healing holds immense importance in all cultures around the world. No therapist or shaman would treat a wound without first connecting with the divine. Recently, even allopathic doctors—many of them—have started collaborating with psychologists, yogis, or healers, because they have come to understand how vital it is not only to treat a symptom but to heal the person as a whole.

Is Diet Important in Monastic Medicine?

Of course. In the past, the diet in monasteries was purely vegan, to which they added milk and cheese, and fish on feast days (in some Orders, even poultry). In fact, the preparation of cheese was one of the responsibilities of the monks, who also became skilled at cooking fish.

  • Monastic diet consists of three meals a day, eaten in silence after a communal prayer.
  • During fasting periods, food was only consumed at lunch, consisting of something light to curb hunger, and a small meal before bed.
  • The diet resembled what modern dietitians recommend today: primarily fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, fish, and poultry.
  • The menu was carefully structured to fill one-third of the stomach with solid food, one-third with liquids, and leave one-third empty.
  • Additionally, the food intake was periodically reduced to allow the body to “breathe.”
  • Regular meals, along with peace and quiet before and during the meal, were fundamental for both physical and spiritual health.

Do You Have to Believe in God to Benefit from Monastic Medicine?

The ancient Christian concept is centered around the image of Christ, who healed all those who suffered without asking for anything in return. Therefore, anyone who comes to a Christian monastery—regardless of who they are or what they believe—is welcomed and cared for with great love. However, it is true that monastic medicine proves its power most effectively when the energetic aspect is involved.

But this doesn’t mean that you have to believe in God per se. However, beliving in Creation, in the unity of all, in infinite love and in your importance as eternal spiritual being is what can help you benefit the most from monastic remedies. Having faith in Creation is having faith in yourself, in your own healing. That’s what faith actually is.

4 Ancient Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie

Saint Elefterie’s practice of monastic medicine and his ability to provide relief to the suffering became widely recognized, and he was deeply admired for his divine gift of healing. Here are some of his healing monastic remedies, passed down to us by one of his disciples, Mr. Viorel Butnaru.

1. St Elefterie’s Monastic Remedy for Stroke

Here’s Saint Elefterie’s monastic remedy using purple hellebore (Helleborus purpurascens) for treating the aftermath of a stroke, as traditionally used in monastic medicine. Purple hellebore extraction is extremely beneficial analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic and also has vasoregulatory effects, and stimulates capillary circulation.

Here is how it’s made.

Take a root of purple hellebore (about the size of the palm), wash it, and chop it finely. Then, place it in a glass container and add 2 liters of lukewarm water (never hot). Let it macerate at room temperature until a foam forms on top, then strain it. With the resulting liquid, make a compress:

  • Fold a piece of gauze or clean cotton fabric into four layers, soak it in the liquid, and apply it, without wringing, to the head.
  • Cover the head with a cap to prevent the preparation from evaporating too quickly.
  • Keep the compress on for one or two hours, then let the hair dry.

This treatment should be done once a day for several consecutive days. Very important! The purple hellebore macerate should never be used internally and must not be made in concentrations higher than the one mentioned above, as it can be highly toxic.

Purple Hellebore - Powerful Medieval Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie: Exploring Ancient Monastic Medicine and Natural Healing - MyNaturalTreatment.com
Purple hellebore (Helleborus purpurascens) growing in the wild

2. St Elefterie’s Monastic Remedy for Headache

With this monastic remedy using frankincense and honey, Father Elefterie healed headaches as well as the aftermath of head injuries, including broken blood vessels and blood clots, that were drawn out and removed.

  • Spread liquid honey (acacia and linden honey stay liquid – wildflower honey tends to crystalize) and finely ground frankincense aboundantly on freshly skinned lamb or sheep skin. You can use a cloth compress intead, but this is the original recipe.
  • Place the compress, on the head and make sure the honey with frankincense should touch the scalp. If your hair is very thick or long, part the hair, apply the honey with frankincense, part it in another place, and repeat the process, ensuring the mixture penetrates evenly throughout.
  • Remove the compress after the honey has dried.
Agapia Monastery - Powerful Medieval Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie: Exploring Ancient Monastic Medicine and Natural Healing - MyNaturalTreatment.com
Agapia Monastery (Romania) in the summer

3. St Elefterie’s Monastic Remedy for Skin Problems

St. Elefterie’s monastic remedy, St. John’s Wort oil, is another ancient treatment that we share with you today. To prepare this healing oil, you need either fresh or dried St. Johns’ Wort plant, so you can either make this monastic remedy in the summer when this plant is in full bloom, or any other time of the year. Here is the recipe.

  • Chop the fresh or dried plant finely and fill a bottle with it, then add sunflower oil.
  • Seal and place the bottle near the stove or another heat source and let it macerate.

If you use fresh plant, you can tell when the preparation is ready by the foam that forms. If you use dried plant, taste the oil from time to time: when it’s ready, it will have an astringent tannin flavor and a reddish color. This healing oil is used for skin allergies, burns (including sunburn), eczema, irritations, and more.

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4. St Elefterie’s Monastic Remedies for Gastric Problems

For gastric problems Saint Elefterie has left us two herbal remedies that we can use in need: danewort root and black locust flowers. Here is how to prepare each of these simple monastic remedies.

  1. Danewort (Sambucus ebulus) is a plant related to elderberry, but it is much smaller in size. However, its leaves, flowers, and fruits are shaped similarly to those of elderberry. Saint Elefterie recommended chewing on a small piece of danewort root (the size of a little finger’s nail) for 15 minutes before a meal for its excellent gastric stimulant properties. This remedy is highly effective in cases of indigestion and low stomach acid. However, the dose should not be exceeded, as diarrhea may occur.
  2. Black locust flowers (Robinia pseudoacacia L) are an excellent gastric calming remedy. Father Elefterie would send a brother from the monastery to gather them from the forest and carefully dry them in the sun. He used to make a cold maceration with 3 tablespoons of flowers per 1 liter/4 cups of water (half a day) that he give to patients with hyperacid gastritis and gastroduodenal ulcers (one cup before each meal). Black locust flowers are soothing for both the stomach and the nerves, offering great relief for those with impulsive or nervous temperaments.

Read Also: 9 Miraculous Monastic Remedies from Nămăiești Monastery

Monastic medicine was not designed solely for treating acute illnesses – it is a philosophy of life. Those who live in harmony with Creation are healthy and happy. According to this philosophy, everything must be done in its proper time, or else we lose our balance. For example, after six days of work every person needs a free day to enjoy and not fill it with unresolved tasks or stressful distractions. Those who manage to organize their daily schedule, physically and mentally, will be more content and overall healthier, according to monastic medicine.

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4 Powerful Medieval Monastic Remedies from Saint Elefterie: Exploring Ancient Monastic Medicine and Natural Healing - MyNaturalTreatment.com

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