An Introduction to Magical Herbalism

By Ellen Dugan
Published on February 4, 2011
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Photo courtesy Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. (c) 2009
"No matter how long you have practiced your craft, be it months, years, or decades, there is a real need to deepen the connection to the earth—to dig further, to expand your magickal skills, and to learn more."

Excerpted from Garden Witch’s Herbal: Green Magick, Herbalism & Spirituality (c) 2009 by Ellen Dugan. Used by permission. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. www.llewellyn.com. The following excerpt can be found on Pages XXV to XXVI.

Magickal Herbs:

Hemlock
Mandrake
Rue
Wormwood

What is it about plants, trees, flowers, and the idea of green magick that continues to fascinate and bewitch us? Perhaps it is their timeless appeal or their captivating qualities. Magickal herbalism is a perennially popular magickal topic. Folks just can’t seem to get enough of that old green magick. Every spring when gardening season begins, Witches, Pagans, and common folk alike flock to the local greenhouses and garden centers, looking for the perfect additions to their magickal gardens. Perhaps they are searching for something new to try, or they are on the lookout for a prized variety of botanical that has eluded them for years. It is the thrill of the hunt and the spirit of the quest that inspires us all. I honestly believe that a deeper, more advanced study of green magick and magickal herbalism is a brilliant way to discover what new lessons the oldest magick can teach us. I define green magick as a practical, nature-based system of the Craft that focuses on a reverence for the natural world, the individual’s environment, and the plants and herbs that are indigenous to the practitioner’s own area. Herbal and natural magick are essential to green magick.

No matter how long you have practiced your craft, be it months, years, or decades, there is a real need to deepen the connection to the earth–to dig further, to expand your magickal skills, and to learn more. With this in mind, Garden Witch’s Herbal came to be. In this, my tenth book, I thought it was time to return to where my journey as an author began, for here is where my heart truly lies. Let’s take a return trip to the Witch’s garden to revisit herbal enchantments and green magick and search further into the mysterious, magickal world of plants.

By further exploring this green path of magick and by listening to our own hearts, we gain a deep and meaningful sense of connection to nature and have the opportunity to advance and expand our level of spirituality. This sense of reverence is but a tool and another enchanting lesson to be learned.

Buy Garden Witch’s Herbal: Green Magick, Herbalism & Spirituality.

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