Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. For today’s post, I want to share five of my current favorite herbalism books, in no particular ranking! I thought that this would be an ideal companion post to yesterday’s post about my herbalism studies. Without further ado, here are my five current favorite herbalism books!
Northeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 111 Wild Herbs For Health and Wellness by Liz Neves
~This one is ideal for all of the foragers out there! This is part of a series of books that cover all the different sections of the United States, so if you are in the US you can choose the one that suits your area. I love that this book not only includes great information on foraging and wildcrafting safely, even having charts of when to harvest different plant materials, but it is also interspersed with recipes!
The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Magickal Herbs and How to Use Them by Karen Harrison
~The first magickal book on this list, as the one above is purely an herbalist text, is a great way to incorporate herbalism with alchemy and astrology! I really adore the way the book breaks down the herbs by astrological significance and explains how you can incorporate herbal magick into alchemical work.
An Herbalist’s Guide to Formulary: The Art & Science of Creating Effective Herbal Remedies by Holly Bellebuono
~This is a fantastic book for those looking to deepen their herbal knowledge. It is filled with safe and smart practices for making potent herbal medicines. In many ways, it reads as an intermediate to advanced level herbalism textbook that can be looked back upon over time to continue your exploration of herbal medicine making! As a bonus, the book is not only as informative as a textbook, it is not written in a dry tone, making it a delight to read.
Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl
~Another book that is written very much like a textbook, but this time it is focused not only on herbalism but also on the magickal nature of plants, hence the title! I love all of the folklore and mythic tie-ins for each of the plants discussed. It is also a very beautiful book, with so many images to illustrate the path of plant medicine and magick over the course of centuries!
Herbal Tea Magic for the Modern Witch: A Practical Guide to Healing Herbs, Tea Leaf Reading, and Botanical Spells by Elsie Wild
~Finally, I could not complete this list without mentioning this adorable little tea magick book! It is a hardcover book that is so lovely to flip through and for a small book has a lot of information on what sort of tea blends to use for different circumstances. There is also a great section on common symbols found during tea leaf readings, making it an excellent source if you need more information on what you have found at the bottom of your cup!
~I hope you have enjoyed this brief look at five of my current go-to herbalism books. What are your favorite herbal books right now? Let me know your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below!
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/