Christian sect that believed the self-mortification of the body through physical abuse such as whipping and the wearing of hair shirts would help the member learn that the physical body and world are terrible and that the spirit can, in this way, be exalted.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...