Who was Juliette de Baïracli Levy?
Juliette de Baïracli Levy (1912-2009) was an English herbalist, traveler, and writer. Below is a collection of resources to help you learn about this celebrated figure and her impact on herbal medicine today.
Want to visit her historic cottage in Greece?
Join us for our annual Herbal Medicine Tour on Kythera island Honoring Juliette de Bairacli Levy.
Juliette of the Herbs (1998)
Released in 1998, Juliette of the Herbs earned multiple awards and has been screened countless times since then. The film continues to evoke a sense of timelessness. Enjoy this short preview or purchase it from Documentary Educational Resources.
Herbalgram: Juliette de Bairacli Levy 1912–2009 (2009)
An announcement of Juliette’s passing was made in HerbalGram issue #83 with thoughtful quotes from Susun Weed, Rosemary Gladstar, and Caroline MacDougall, founder and CEO of Teeccino Herbal Coffee.
Read the article on the American Botanical Council website.
The herbal academy - juliette of the herbs (2013)
Marlene Adelman, founder of the Herbal Academy, reflects on the legacy of Juliette’s work in a thoughtful blog post on the Herbal Academy website, including a poem written by Juliette about death:
You shall die, and I shall die!
Take our places in the sky.
You and she, and he and I,
when the time comes, all must die.
That’s a game we would play
man and woman, girl and lad,
in gypsy camps far away,
laughing times, yet passing sad.
Poppy crowns for everyone,
red rose for the fairest one,
we would shout, King Death to come,
laughing loudly, turn and run.
Then more the cry, who will die?
Nor he, nor she, and not I,
want that fearful power to fly.
We would pass the hours that way,
bed with gypsies by cool streams,
golden days of dance and play,
harp and flute and tambourines.
But poppy crowns droop and fade,
feet grow weary, hearts afraid.
Time kills all in Gypsie Glade,
flower and tree, man and maid.
Gone the Gypsies, every one
all who played the Gypsie game,
left the earth, its mirth and fun,
starry nights and hyacinth lane.
None can play that game alone,
thus I want to hear the cry,
come now! Leave thy earthy home,
Join the Gypsies in the sky.
Revisiting Juliette's Stone Home (2014)
Award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and author James Prineas shares photographs of Juliette’s empty cottage during his visit in 2014. He also shares recollections and photos of Juliette during her life on Kythera that offer an intimate view of the peaceful life she led among the plants that inspired her herbal-led lifestyle.
“In herbal and naturopathy circles the name Juliette de Baïracli Levy is well known. She lived on Kythera for many years in the 1980s and 90s. A wonderful woman, full of folklore and knowledge, she wrote books on herbalism and her travels, many of which are still on sale. On Kythera she stayed in a tiny stone house a few hundred metres from the stunning second Palaiopoli beach which is still referred to by those who knew her as "Juliette's Beach". My cousin Justine, who was also friends with Juliette and had many an eventful outing with her on the island, returned to visit this year and together with me we went to look for Juliette's house. I had tried to visit it a few years ago but could find no trace and assumed the owner had demolished it…”
View the photographs and read more about James’s visit to the cottage on his website.
The Kytherians (2015)
James Prineas includes first-hand stories about Juliette in his book, The Kytherians. This is a heartwarming and genuine collection of stories from across the island and over several generations.
“Just when you thought you understood the world, The Kytherians comes along and turns it on its head again. Full of humour and pathos, the twenty stories in this collection will give you a view of a Kythera you never thought existed. Includes in-depth interviews with colourful locals who tell the stories of their lives and the island.”
His delightful book is available for purchase on the Pure Kythera website.
voiceamerica Podcast with tish streeten (2020)
HerbRally podcast (2021)
Conversation between Tish Streeten and Rosemary Gladstar on the making of Juliette of the Herbs (2021)
journal of medicinal Plant conservation (2022)
Ten Days on Kythera: Remembering Juliette de Bairacli Levy, written by Maria Christodoulou (The Greek Herbalist), describes her experience visiting the island of Kythera, where Juliette lived for 10 years during the latter part of her life.
ash tree publishing
Juliette was a prolific and influential writer on herbal medicine for both humans and animals. Ash Tree Publishing continues to print and distribute many of her books, including:
To purchase a book, visit the website and be delighted with the knowledge of Juliette.
Honoring Juliette in greece
The Herbal Medicine Tour on Kythera Honoring Juliette de Bairacli Levy will take place on June 25-30, 2023 in Greece. This 5-day herbal medicine tour will honor Juliette’s memory and bring together people who wish to learn more about her herbal journey and inspirational life. The itinerary includes a special pilgrimage to the cottage where she lived and a closing circle to honor Juliette’s influence on herbalists around the world.
While Juliette’s cottage remains empty, many years after her departure both from the island and this earthly world, there remains a magical feeling of presence. Her once vibrant garden is overgrown and dried out. The green paint on her front door is chipped and worn off. The silence of an empty home is filled only by the sound of buzzing bees searching for nectar. And yet…
Sometimes we don’t know we are searching for something until it appears before us. This beginning of something - a new friend, a new job, a meaningful experience - can help us create a new chapter in our lives. Perhaps, and hopefully, a chapter filled with more ease, belonging, and purpose.
