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liberalcom-blog · 5 years

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Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden

https://liber-al.com/?p=40405&wpwautoposter=1564266169 Harold Roth is a leading authority on plant/herbal magic. His new book, The Witching Herbs, is an in-depth exploration of 13 essential plants and herbs most closely associated with witchcraft–13 because it’s the witching number and reflects the 13 months of the lunar calendar. The plants are poppy, clary sage, yarrow, rue, hyssop, vervain, mugwort, wormwood, datura, wild tobacco, henbane, belladonna, and mandrake. Roth writes simply and clearly on a vast amount of esoteric information that is not easily found elsewhere and will be greeted enthusiastically by those who already have extensive experience and libraries. It is unique in that it combines mysticism with practical instructions for growing each plant, based on Roth’s 30 years of gardening expertise. Each chapter focuses on one plant and includes information on its unique plant spirit familiar, clear how-to instructions for magical projects, and pragmatic information on growing and cultivating. Roth writes, “This book is a great choice for intermediate-to-advanced witches who would like to work more closely with the traditional witching herbs, especially the baneful plants with their rather difficult spirits. Working directly with spirits is one of the fundamentals of the Craft.” The Witching Herbs is the essential plant-worker’s guide. Roth is not only a successful gardener, but also a magician and scholar of the occult. No other book blends clear, practical gardening techniques with equally lucid and sophisticated plant magic so successfully. Editorial Reviews 01/09/2017 Connecting with plant spirits by growing magical plants yourself is the ultimate in herbal magic, according to this debut. Roth leans heavily on a modernized version of the ancient Doctrine of Signatures that teaches practitioners to look to a plant’s morphology to understand its use, adding clues from growth patterns, traditional medicine, and chemistry as well as from traditional lore and personal gnosis. Though there are extended planting and care notes for every plant, Roth makes his picks according to their reputation in traditional European witchcraft rather than ease of cultivation. He includes several of the baneful herbs he calls the “Weird Sisters”–datura, mandrake, belladonna, and henbane–but, although some traditional recipes are included in the practice section, Roth never recommends consumption, stating that practitioners should pursue them “through direct spiritual contact” rather than by stepping onto the rickety bridge of alkaloid consumption. Sections on “practice” included in each entry add up to a primer in herbal magic methods, so readers learn how to make tinctures with clary sage, dry and powder herbs with yarrow, and unguents with vervain. Roth views the herb magician as spiritual seeker rather than rules-bound potion maker, an attitude that can be unfortunately rare in more encyclopedic botanical magic guidebooks. (Mar.) – Publishers Weekly “Harold Roth’s website alchemy-works.com has been a constant companion and guide for me over the years. What made me come back were not only the well-researched tables of planetary correspondences, but also the many interesting and neatly structured info articles spiced up with Harold’s personal insights on the spiritual nature of magical herbs and incense ingredients and what could be done with them. When I research the magical properties of a plant or resin, Harold Roth is an author I rely on, as he provides substantiated and well informed advice, founded on decades of practical experience in Kabbalah, Hermeticism, alchemy, European witchcraft, Native American medicine, Afro-American folk-magical traditions, and, of course, gardening. What is truly unique about Harold is that his approach is literally rooted in the same ground that the plants grow on, as well as his ability to bring us closer to them, not only in word but also through beautifully done illustrations. And as if this would not be enough, we are given plenty of recipes to try by ourselves. To say that Harold’s first book, The Witching Herbs, is highly anticipated is an understatement. Whether you are interested in the magical uses of herbs such as mandrake, poppy or clary sage, their medicinal properties, or simply the joy of gardening and growing your own green familiars, this book is a must-have.” -Wiebke Rost, herbalist and proprietor of Teufelskunst “Harold Roth is an extraordinary man-wise, generous, and deeply entwined in the mysteries of the green world from first-hand experience growing, using, and loving plants. His work adds to our deeper understanding of our plant allies, fleshing out folklore and putting our traditions into deeper context. I’ve learned so much from him and know that with The Witching Herbs, you will too.” -Christopher Penczak, award-winning author and co-founder of the Temple of Witchcraft “Harold Roth is a master of the witchcraft plants. His knowledge encompasses their magical, spiritual, and therapeutic aspects, their blessings and their banes. In The Witching Herbs, his long-awaited first book, Roth has crafted a brilliant guide to the witches’ garden, teaching us how to grow and nurture its most prized plants, how best to access their gifts, navigate their dangers, and communicate with their plant spirit familiars. The Witching Herbs is a must for every witch’s library.” -Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Big Book of Practical Spells, and other books devoted to the magical arts “A book that will take you far beyond the basics of magickal herbalism. Much more than a “this for that” compendium, it will teach you to open your eyes, ears, feelings, touch and sense of taste to any herb you may encounter, so that you may divine its magical use.” –Ellen Evert Hopman, author of Secret Medicines from Your Garden: Plants for Healing, Spirituality, and Magic, A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine, and other books devoted to herbalism and Celtic plant lore “I grew up with books detailing hundreds of herbs and their magical uses. I would then go to the botanica or the occult store and buy bags of the herbs for my spells. Harold Roth’s book, The Witching Herbs, is for anyone ready to put down the plastic bags of dried herbs and go deep into the mystery and power of the whole plant. Rather than going wide with hundreds of herbs, he delves deep into 13 witching herbs and in so doing gives us not only a master’s comprehension of these, but the tools to understand any other plant magic. This book is the best thing to happen to wortcunning this century.” -Jason Miller, author of Financial Sorcery and The Sorcerers Secrets, and creator of The Strategic Sorcery Course “Connecting with plant spirits by growing magical plants yourself is the ultimate in herbal magic, according to this debut. Roth leans heavily on a modernized version of the ancient Doctrine of Signatures that teaches practitioners to look to a plant’s morphology to understand its use, adding clues from growth patterns, traditional medicine, and chemistry as well as from traditional lore and personal gnosis. Though there are extended planting and care notes for every plant, Roth makes his picks according to their reputation in traditional European witchcraft rather than ease of cultivation. He includes several of the baneful herbs he calls the “Weird Sisters”-datura, mandrake, belladonna, and henbane-but, although some traditional recipes are included in the practice section, Roth never recommends consumption, stating that practitioners should pursue them “through direct spiritual contact” rather than by stepping onto the rickety bridge of alkaloid consumption. Sections on “practice” included in each entry add up to a primer in herbal magic methods, so readers learn how to make tinctures with clary sage, dry and powder herbs with yarrow, and unguents with vervain. Roth views the herb magician as spiritual seeker rather than rules-bound potion maker, an attitude that can be unfortunately rare in more encyclopedic botanical magic guidebooks.” –Publishers Weekly (Mar. 2017) “Harold Roth’s The Witching Herbs offers an original perspective on the magical dimension of plants, rooted not in the repetition of occult texts but in the soil itself, as accessed by hands, head, and heart.” -Daniel A. Schulke, author of The Green Mysteries and Veneficium: Magic, Witchcraft and the Poison Path “At last! A guide to a subject very dear to my heart, and Harold Roth is just the man for the job. Added bonus: several of the most important plants from the correspondences of the Fifteen Behenian Stars. A must-have for goetic gardeners everywhere!” -Jake Stratton-Kent, editor of Conjure Codex, author of The True Grimoire (Encyclopaedia Goetica Book 1), and other books of power “In The Witching Herbs, Harold Roth has approached the plant as book and narrative; seeing the plant itself as the author of its own mystery; a mystery only grasped in fullness by the direct interaction with the plant, where it is nurtured from seed to adulthood and in the process turns into a teaching spirit. Roth roots his work in the doctrine of signatures, mediated by the patient dedication to the plant itself, and, in this, he has manifested a work softly born by the whispers of the 13 plants themselves, flanked with folklore, myths, and the frustrating and rewarding poetry of practice. It is a book easy to recommend, a delight to read, a book that deserves a place not only on the bookshelf, but as a companion in the garden of witching herbs.” -Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, author of Craft of the Untamed, Palo Mayombe: The Garden of Blood and Bones, and Exu and the Quimbanda of Night and Fire – From the Publisher “In The Witching Herbs, Harold Roth has approached the plant as book and narrative; seeing the plant itself as the author of its own mystery; a mystery only grasped in fullness by the direct interaction with the plant, where it is nurtured from seed to adulthood and in the process turns into a teaching spirit. Roth roots his work in the doctrine of signatures, mediated by the patient dedication to the plant itself, and, in this, he has manifested a work softly born by the whispers of the 13 plants themselves, flanked with folklore, myths, and the frustrating and rewarding poetry of practice. It is a book easy to recommend, a delight to read, a book that deserves a place not only on the bookshelf, but as a companion in the garden of witching herbs.” –Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, author of Craft of the Untamed, Palo Mayombe: The Garden of Blood and Bones, and Exu and the Quimbanda of Night and Fire – Reviews

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healthandmightimesprekese1 · 7 years

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Herbal Energetics or Not?

5/4/2016

5 Comments

by Melissa Laurita Kohl

I learned herbalism through the American folk tradition, sitting at the feet of those herbalists, like Rosemary Gladstar, who raised herbalism back from the dead. They had few books, no internet, and a strong calling and passion for something that most Americans thought was crazy. Intuition, or the art of herbalism, was strong. This American tradition is beautiful. Pulled from tidbits of the European tradition that survived in the United States, broken and battered by the Inquisition, the scientific revolution, and the American Medical Association. Pulled from Native American culture, broken and battered by Europeans. Pulled from the magic and mysticism that comes from working closely with plants.

Shen Nong, the 'Divine Farmer' who taught herbalism & agriculture to the people of ancient ChinaTraditionally and historically, herbalism is used in the context of a whole system. A poetry, or way, of understanding nature, its patterns, and our place within it. Observation is focused on ways you can observe the body and the whole person with all of your senses (as opposed to peering within via scalpels or microscopes). The concept of herbal energetics comes from these traditional systems and is often based on polarities (hot/cold, damp/dry) and allopathy (treating with opposites). For me, herbal energetics and the idea of a condition being hot or cold was somehow frightening and hard to grasp. Herbally, I grew up learning that valerian was a nervine and a sedative. And it worked and worked astonishingly well using herbs according to their actions with no consideration for energetics.

Today it is very popular to believe that this folksy way of using herbalism, without that energetic context, is a lesser way. Herbalists who practice this way are lesser. I have seen many herbalists say that it is dangerous to use herbs according to their actions, in a “this for that” manner.

But I think that this is a dangerous notion. Plants work. They do. They work if you simmer leaves or if you infuse them for 8 hours with a lid on. They work if you use organic herbs or if you have to resort to Celestial Seasonings Chamomile tea. They work if you write their name down on a piece of paper and keep it in your pocket, if you carry them on you, if you rub them on your body, if you ingest them, if you call on the plant spirit and think of them, if you tincture them. Plants work because we evolved with them. Every aspect of our being is interwoven with them. Their phytochemicals need to wash our cells regularly for our bodies to function properly. We have to see them for our immune systems to function properly. We have to smell them for our cardiovascular systems to function optimally. We must be in close connection with them for our spirits to feel comfortable on this earth.

And because ingesting and using and living among plants is so intrinsic to our nature and our existence on this planet, they are generally very safe. Statistically safer than eating, driving, or taking pharmaceuticals. This does not mean that you can use them without understanding the basics of herb safety, but it does mean that if you are a folk herbalist and you know what you are doing, you will not be hurting anyone in any significant way, if at all. Maybe someone will feel like the herb you recommended is making them too dry or maybe the first herb you give them won't be their ally, but the next one will. If you are an intuitive folk herbalist, you may in fact be recommending the same herbs one would choose if examining herbal energetics in addition to herbal actions.

Rosemary Gladstar primarily teaches this folk tradition of American herbalism. There is a reason she is wildly popular and is the fairy godmother of American herbalism (or as my dear friend and fellow herb teacher Cat Pante said, “Rosemary Gladstar is the mama mack daddy of herbs.”). If she were peddling a system that did not work, I can assure you that we would not be here today having this conversation, as herbalism would likely still be stuffed in the broom closet. I think this is important to remember as politics push us closer to standardization, to alienating our brothers and sisters who don't use herbs quite the same way we do.

All that being said, I do incorporate herbal energetics into my beginner herb classes because I think it is an important and useful tool and it is easier to integrate into your practice if you learn it right from the beginning. It is also a more legal way of practicing herbalism. Technically, it is illegal for me to treat your indigestion or high blood pressure. But if I am not treating those western diseases, but instead am treating the underlying imbalance in the body, based on herbal energetics, then I am speaking and using a very non-medical model and am no longer practicing medicine without a license (hopefully). Folk herbalism works incredibly well much of the time. Unfortunately, it is in a grey area here in the United States. Using a traditional form of herbalism (like Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Unani-Tibb, Galenic, Tibetan, or a traditional Native American or African system) can add beauty, nuance, and efficacy to your practice. But it should never bring judgment or condescension for your herbal brothers and sisters who do not.

Melissa Laurita Kohl is the lead instructor and founder of the Fungi & Flora Folkschool in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. She credits her love of herbs with growing up in NYC (where every plant was a precious gift); her mama's unbelievable Italian cooking (which infused her home with the intoxicating aroma of herbs); and her colic (which brought her chamomile). Melissa has studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and western herbalism with a variety of teachers. Herb walks and herbal apprenticeships take place on her farm, where sheep, alpaca, ducks, guineas, chickens, angora rabbits, and a stray cat from Brooklyn welcome visitors.

COMMENTS:

jim mcdonald

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5/10/2016 12:51:56 pm

to address this quote: "I have seen many herbalists say that it is dangerous to use herbs according to their actions, in a “this for that” manner." I think that if you're using herbs according to their "actions", you ~are~ using energetics, whether you're aware of it or not. A great example here is that I feel one of the people Iearned the most about energetics from is David Hoffmann. But David Hoffmann once told me he didn't get energetics at all. If we understand when it's appropriate to use an astringent, an aromatic, a demulcent, then (to me) that's energetic, whether the person thinks in terms of hot/cold/dry/damp or not at all. Some years ago I did a talk for the Michigan Midwives Association, and we got to talking about how they used herbs, learned from a very long folk tradition,\: "when you see this, these are the herbs you should consider". Their usage of herbs ended up being very energetic. Most of the people I know (including myself) who criticize a "this for that" use of herbs aren't thinking about when people say "take this herb for a congested head cold" or "use yarrow to help stop bleeding", but much more nebulous suggestions like "st john's wort is good for depression" or "chaga is good for cancer". I do think that working to understand energetics on a more conscious level can help avoid some pitfalls. For example, herbs commonly suggested for head colds are usually best for stuffy or leaky head colds, and many of them will aggravate someone whose head is all dry and inflamed with tight tissues. Knowing to consider this can help you avoid suggesting, perhaps, eating raw garlic, which will certainly help the infection but might aggravate the ecosystem of the upper respiratory tissues. Probably the biggest issue is that "energetics" isn't commonly taught as beginner (or, as I prefer to say, foundational) herbalism.

Melissa Laurita Kohl

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5/16/2016 07:58:09 pm

Hi Jim, Thank you for your comment! I have to say that I only know your teaching through your online presence, but I think you are both brilliant and hysterical and secretly you are the teacher I am most interested in studying with next (well you and Michael Tierra). I absolutely agree with what you are saying and never thought of actions in that light because I have learned them so separately from herbal energetics (through TCM and now Ayurveda). It is true that a lot of the concern comes from these more nebulous suggestions or actions like antidepressant and anxiolytic and to some extent I think it's a valid concern, but I also don't. When I studied with Rosemary Gladstar, I did learn that St. Johnswort was for depression and anxiety. I think that is entirely appropriate, especially when coming from an herbalist versus a newspaper article or as part of a list of antidepressants or nervines in a book. Folkloric herbalists know that not all herbs work for all people or all types of depression, but it could work for you. So when I learned about St. Johnswort, I learned that some people recommend it for anxiety and some people think it is contraindicated with anxiety. I learned that it probably works best blended with other nervines, exercise, good sleep, and good diet (which could all fit right into energetics). And as long as you know what you are doing (and do not recommend herbs that are contraindicated for a particular person), then worse case scenario, you might have to introduce a few different herbs or formulas before you hit the right one. But if you really know your herbs and really know the person, there is a good chance you will unconsciously sense whether or not an herb would be a good match - much like when you meet someone and think a friend would love (or hate) them. In some ways, folkloric herbalism is about creating connections between people and their plant friends - the ones who complete and heal them. Practicing within an energetic framework does not necessarily prevent this kind of error (if you want to call it that). When I studied TCM, I learned that if someone does not respond well to a formula, it gives you another clue as to what is really going on and helps you fine tune your recommendation. I do think that a system of energetics is more nuanced and more structured and is more likely to give you good results more regularly - it is inherently more teachable. I think it's like feng shui. There are two forms, one highly organized and regimented and one totally intuitive. Ayurveda, TCM, etc. are on the highly organized systemic side of things. Folkloric herbalism is on the intuitive artsy side of things. This is obviously a gross generalization, but my point is that both forms are valid and at times get to the exact same outcome. I think the reason some herbs work in some situations is partially based on energetics, but sometimes I think it is biochemistry and it might not be observable unless someone tries an herb. I have a dear friend who is very similar to me constitutionally. Valerian is my bestie, but she gets agitated and overstimulated. I don't think I could have figured that out through energetics (well, I know I couldn't but maybe someone could). I also think that certain types of individuals are more sensitive and are therefor more sensitive to herbs that are not energetically appropriate. I always eat raw garlic, even when I have a dry head cold, and I love it even though I know energetically that is not a good match. I almost always have very dry respiratory issues or sore throats if I am going to get sick. My personal choices are always pungent and dry to varying degrees - elderberry, ginger, cinnamon decoction or sage, calendula, chamomile tea or really hot spicy cayenne soup or a hot dry sauna. I am usually always ingesting water as I primarily use herbs in teas and food, but I am still not thinking about it in an energetic way. These herbs are so effective so quickly with no perceptible adverse reactions that it is hard to get myself to change my ways though rationally I believe 100% that an energetic approach is a better approach. That being said, I know a few people who are Vata (dry, cold, sensitive) who are in the Vata phase of their life (elders) and if you don't take energetics into account they will have an adverse effect. Of course, they have adverse effects from lots of herbs, foods, etc. That all being said, I do agree that learning energetics should be foundational. It makes sense and it is not complicated if you are used to it. For me, I am still wrapping my brain around some of it because I did not learn it from the get go. I took a whole year to just read and think about the doshas. This essay appeared on my computer screen because a. Herbstalk was interested in topical issues like this and b. I have run into a lot of hostility in cyber land toward this folkloric approach (of course, the internet kind of breeds hostility but that's another topic). It

Melissa Laurita Kohl

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5/16/2016 08:02:09 pm

[oops my comment was too long so here it is continued...] This essay appeared on my computer screen because a. Herbstalk was interested in topical issues like this and b. I have run into a lot of hostility in cyber land toward this folkloric approach (of course, the internet kind of breeds hostility but that's another topic). It had nothing to do with teachers like you, Rosalee, and Michael Tierra who teach energetic approaches to herbalism. I have nothing but respect for this way of teaching. I have also met dear respected herbalists who believe Rosemary Gladstar's program is not a good program because it does not go into herbal energetics. It feels like as we move toward either a more scientific model of herbalism or a more energetic version of herbalism we are turning our back on the herbwives and mothers and grandmothers who very much practiced in a this for that manner to keep their families safe and healthy. I primarily studied through Sage Mountain and I would not trade that for all the world. It connected me to the heart, spirituality and legacy of folkloric herbalism and gave me so many useful tools I literally became obsessed with herbalism (just yesterday I successfully treated a severe and unfortunate genital burn with absolute confidence because of that connection and faith in the power of herbs). Finally, I think pharmaceuticals are dangerous in most situations, maybe especially for those nebulous situations like depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Maybe an energetic approach would be better for these situations, but damn if St. Johnswort does not magically cure my anxiety. Ashwagandha renders my frenetic disorganized ADHD mind into something focused and powerful. No energetics needed. No harm done. All us herbies are in it together. We each use the tools and modalities that make sense to us and we need to keep sharing that wisdom. Obviously, this is another essay, but I have just spent a week outside with 50 ducklings (in fact my fingers are stiff from sitting outside on this cold spring day while I supervise a little duckling outdoor time) and it's nice to think about these big picture issues with herbalism. Again, I am very grateful for your thoughtful and insightful comment and hope to meet you in person one day! I also look forward to listening to your foundational herbcraft program on herbmentor.com once life settles down a bit. Cheers, Melissa

ReplyKathryn8/12/2016 06:36:46 am

Folk herbalism was my first approach and I do believe it is a valid one for self treatment, family treatment, and to some extent helping those we encounter along our path. However, this past year I decided it was time for myself to dive in and expand my folk knowledge. Intuition is great if you've taken the time to really learn to use it, but if, as I hope to do some day, I work as an herbalist in what is considered a more clinical manner, having the information that backs up our intuition is helpful especially since we may need to expand beyond our favorite go to herbs because they are for some reason not right for someone else. I haven't tried every herb personally and I likely will never be able to claim the I have. As a folk herbalist, I stick with what I know. As an herbalist armed with more info such as energetics, I feel more confident taking the words of other professionals mixed with the herbs information when using it for the first time. Sometimes the reasoning that something has been done a long time isn't the best reason to continue doing it and with all the info (some good some not so good) available these days, it is nice to back up our intuition with some solid information. I have loads of respect for folk herbalists as they were my first teachers, but as an herbalist, I want to arm myself with as much knowledge as I'm able and I never want to cease learning.

ReplyMarie Miguel4/6/2017 03:17:31 am

Hello, I was looking at the below page on your website that mentioned a mental health topic, and I'm curious if you'd be open to me writing some unique content for your audience on the subject. It was this page of your site that I was looking at: (Url from spreadsheet here) When you have time, please let me know what you think. I've been writing about various topics for some time now, and would love the opportunity to contribute unique content to your site. I can write an article or two. Let me know what you think. Thank you! Marie

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liberalcom-blog · 6 years

Text

Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden

https://liber-al.com/?p=40405 Harold Roth is a leading authority on plant/herbal magic. His new book, The Witching Herbs, is an in-depth exploration of 13 essential plants and herbs most closely associated with witchcraft--13 because it's the witching number and reflects the 13 months of the lunar calendar. The plants are poppy, clary sage, yarrow, rue, hyssop, vervain, mugwort, wormwood, datura, wild tobacco, henbane, belladonna, and mandrake. Roth writes simply and clearly on a vast amount of esoteric information that is not easily found elsewhere and will be greeted enthusiastically by those who already have extensive experience and libraries. It is unique in that it combines mysticism with practical instructions for growing each plant, based on Roth's 30 years of gardening expertise. Each chapter focuses on one plant and includes information on its unique plant spirit familiar, clear how-to instructions for magical projects, and pragmatic information on growing and cultivating. Roth writes, "This book is a great choice for intermediate-to-advanced witches who would like to work more closely with the traditional witching herbs, especially the baneful plants with their rather difficult spirits. Working directly with spirits is one of the fundamentals of the Craft." The Witching Herbs is the essential plant-worker's guide. Roth is not only a successful gardener, but also a magician and scholar of the occult. No other book blends clear, practical gardening techniques with equally lucid and sophisticated plant magic so successfully. Editorial Reviews 01/09/2017 Connecting with plant spirits by growing magical plants yourself is the ultimate in herbal magic, according to this debut. Roth leans heavily on a modernized version of the ancient Doctrine of Signatures that teaches practitioners to look to a plant's morphology to understand its use, adding clues from growth patterns, traditional medicine, and chemistry as well as from traditional lore and personal gnosis. Though there are extended planting and care notes for every plant, Roth makes his picks according to their reputation in traditional European witchcraft rather than ease of cultivation. He includes several of the baneful herbs he calls the "Weird Sisters"--datura, mandrake, belladonna, and henbane--but, although some traditional recipes are included in the practice section, Roth never recommends consumption, stating that practitioners should pursue them "through direct spiritual contact" rather than by stepping onto the rickety bridge of alkaloid consumption. Sections on "practice" included in each entry add up to a primer in herbal magic methods, so readers learn how to make tinctures with clary sage, dry and powder herbs with yarrow, and unguents with vervain. Roth views the herb magician as spiritual seeker rather than rules-bound potion maker, an attitude that can be unfortunately rare in more encyclopedic botanical magic guidebooks. (Mar.) - Publishers Weekly "Harold Roth's website alchemy-works.com has been a constant companion and guide for me over the years. What made me come back were not only the well-researched tables of planetary correspondences, but also the many interesting and neatly structured info articles spiced up with Harold's personal insights on the spiritual nature of magical herbs and incense ingredients and what could be done with them. When I research the magical properties of a plant or resin, Harold Roth is an author I rely on, as he provides substantiated and well informed advice, founded on decades of practical experience in Kabbalah, Hermeticism, alchemy, European witchcraft, Native American medicine, Afro-American folk-magical traditions, and, of course, gardening. What is truly unique about Harold is that his approach is literally rooted in the same ground that the plants grow on, as well as his ability to bring us closer to them, not only in word but also through beautifully done illustrations. And as if this would not be enough, we are given plenty of recipes to try by ourselves. To say that Harold's first book, The Witching Herbs, is highly anticipated is an understatement. Whether you are interested in the magical uses of herbs such as mandrake, poppy or clary sage, their medicinal properties, or simply the joy of gardening and growing your own green familiars, this book is a must-have." -Wiebke Rost, herbalist and proprietor of Teufelskunst "Harold Roth is an extraordinary man-wise, generous, and deeply entwined in the mysteries of the green world from first-hand experience growing, using, and loving plants. His work adds to our deeper understanding of our plant allies, fleshing out folklore and putting our traditions into deeper context. I've learned so much from him and know that with The Witching Herbs, you will too." -Christopher Penczak, award-winning author and co-founder of the Temple of Witchcraft "Harold Roth is a master of the witchcraft plants. His knowledge encompasses their magical, spiritual, and therapeutic aspects, their blessings and their banes. In The Witching Herbs, his long-awaited first book, Roth has crafted a brilliant guide to the witches' garden, teaching us how to grow and nurture its most prized plants, how best to access their gifts, navigate their dangers, and communicate with their plant spirit familiars. The Witching Herbs is a must for every witch's library." -Judika Illes, author of Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Big Book of Practical Spells, and other books devoted to the magical arts "A book that will take you far beyond the basics of magickal herbalism. Much more than a "this for that" compendium, it will teach you to open your eyes, ears, feelings, touch and sense of taste to any herb you may encounter, so that you may divine its magical use." --Ellen Evert Hopman, author of Secret Medicines from Your Garden: Plants for Healing, Spirituality, and Magic, A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine, and other books devoted to herbalism and Celtic plant lore "I grew up with books detailing hundreds of herbs and their magical uses. I would then go to the botanica or the occult store and buy bags of the herbs for my spells. Harold Roth's book, The Witching Herbs, is for anyone ready to put down the plastic bags of dried herbs and go deep into the mystery and power of the whole plant. Rather than going wide with hundreds of herbs, he delves deep into 13 witching herbs and in so doing gives us not only a master's comprehension of these, but the tools to understand any other plant magic. This book is the best thing to happen to wortcunning this century." -Jason Miller, author of Financial Sorcery and The Sorcerers Secrets, and creator of The Strategic Sorcery Course "Connecting with plant spirits by growing magical plants yourself is the ultimate in herbal magic, according to this debut. Roth leans heavily on a modernized version of the ancient Doctrine of Signatures that teaches practitioners to look to a plant's morphology to understand its use, adding clues from growth patterns, traditional medicine, and chemistry as well as from traditional lore and personal gnosis. Though there are extended planting and care notes for every plant, Roth makes his picks according to their reputation in traditional European witchcraft rather than ease of cultivation. He includes several of the baneful herbs he calls the "Weird Sisters"-datura, mandrake, belladonna, and henbane-but, although some traditional recipes are included in the practice section, Roth never recommends consumption, stating that practitioners should pursue them "through direct spiritual contact" rather than by stepping onto the rickety bridge of alkaloid consumption. Sections on "practice" included in each entry add up to a primer in herbal magic methods, so readers learn how to make tinctures with clary sage, dry and powder herbs with yarrow, and unguents with vervain. Roth views the herb magician as spiritual seeker rather than rules-bound potion maker, an attitude that can be unfortunately rare in more encyclopedic botanical magic guidebooks." --Publishers Weekly (Mar. 2017) "Harold Roth's The Witching Herbs offers an original perspective on the magical dimension of plants, rooted not in the repetition of occult texts but in the soil itself, as accessed by hands, head, and heart." -Daniel A. Schulke, author of The Green Mysteries and Veneficium: Magic, Witchcraft and the Poison Path "At last! A guide to a subject very dear to my heart, and Harold Roth is just the man for the job. Added bonus: several of the most important plants from the correspondences of the Fifteen Behenian Stars. A must-have for goetic gardeners everywhere!" -Jake Stratton-Kent, editor of Conjure Codex, author of The True Grimoire (Encyclopaedia Goetica Book 1), and other books of power "In The Witching Herbs, Harold Roth has approached the plant as book and narrative; seeing the plant itself as the author of its own mystery; a mystery only grasped in fullness by the direct interaction with the plant, where it is nurtured from seed to adulthood and in the process turns into a teaching spirit. Roth roots his work in the doctrine of signatures, mediated by the patient dedication to the plant itself, and, in this, he has manifested a work softly born by the whispers of the 13 plants themselves, flanked with folklore, myths, and the frustrating and rewarding poetry of practice. It is a book easy to recommend, a delight to read, a book that deserves a place not only on the bookshelf, but as a companion in the garden of witching herbs." -Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, author of Craft of the Untamed, Palo Mayombe: The Garden of Blood and Bones, and Exu and the Quimbanda of Night and Fire - From the Publisher "In The Witching Herbs, Harold Roth has approached the plant as book and narrative; seeing the plant itself as the author of its own mystery; a mystery only grasped in fullness by the direct interaction with the plant, where it is nurtured from seed to adulthood and in the process turns into a teaching spirit. Roth roots his work in the doctrine of signatures, mediated by the patient dedication to the plant itself, and, in this, he has manifested a work softly born by the whispers of the 13 plants themselves, flanked with folklore, myths, and the frustrating and rewarding poetry of practice. It is a book easy to recommend, a delight to read, a book that deserves a place not only on the bookshelf, but as a companion in the garden of witching herbs." --Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, author of Craft of the Untamed, Palo Mayombe: The Garden of Blood and Bones, and Exu and the Quimbanda of Night and Fire - Reviews #Body,Mind&Spirit #HaroldRoth #MagickStudies #NewAge #Topical #WeiserBooks #Wicca(seealsoBODY,MIND&SPIRIT #Witchcraft;Body,Mind&Spirit #Witchcraft;Religion

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