(Most book titles link to a book search on Biblio.com, a great place to buy used, rare, and out of print books! They work with independent booksellers all over the world, and have carbon-free shipping, as well as building free libraries in Bolivia!)
The Herb Book, by John Lust
This paperback was the first herbal that I ever had. My copy was printed in 1983, and while it is not perfect, it certainly has it's perks. It is mostly based on North American plants, and each alphabetical plant entry has a line drawing to accompany it...but it's real wealth is in it's simplicity and honesty. Plants that are illegal for use in the US are still included in this book, and I value that.
Herbal Healing for Women, by Rosemary Gladstar
The tone in which Rosemary conveys her well-researched and solid information is a casual one, and easy to read. I quite enjoy her recipes and techniques for working with womens' health issues from pre-menstruation up through menopause. Soon I will be embarking on a journey with Vitex based on what I have read in this text, and will update you folks on that as I go.
Plant Healer Magazine, by many amazing herbalists!
Plant Healer Magainze is a great resource...it is only $57 per year, which gets you four pdf magazines, and access to audio and video recordings of Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference concerts, classes, and plant walks as well as many beautiful full color handouts, posters and ebooks by Plant Healer authors and artists!
Jude's Herbal Home Remedies, by Jude
This book is full of the old sort of remedies that you hear folks laugh about; kerosene packs for arthritic knees, onion skin bandages for wounds, and rubbing herbal pastes on your head to regrow hair! But what works, works. This is a great book for cross-referencing when you've run out of ideas, or need a new perspective on an herbal project. Plus, the home-care section and pet-care sections are invaluable!
I do love the strong intuitive nature that is encouraged by Susun Weed, and her herbal information is quite nice; however, I am not 100% a follower of the Wise Woman tenets set forth in her first book, Healing Wise. Each plant is given a voice in which to communicate their energies, which makes it a fun read, and provides a great way to experience the plants in your yard and community. Susun Weed encourages people to open up and listen to the voices of the plants, and to listen to your inner self and allow yourself to heal from the inside out...holistic healing.
One thing that I do adore about the Susun Weed Wise Woman path is the community of amazing herbalists that I meet along that path. Another great way to interact and learn about herbs is to visit the Susun Weed forums. Simply search for the symptoms or herbs and you will find a wealth of information at your fingertips! I am "anchasta" on those forums, by the by.
If you are more interested in the spiritual or energetic associations of our plant friends, I encourage you to place a copy of this book on your shelf. Scott Cunningham is a fond favorite among pagan authors, and in his lifetime, wrote many great reference books and "pagan 101" books. This text in particular is a look at common plants and their astrological, mythical, folklore and other associations. One of my FAVORITE things about this book is the "common name" cross-referencing. Look up "Bramble" and find that it is likely referencing blackberries. Quite handy!
I'd love to hear your book suggestions! Please leave me a comment below. What books do you reference to make medicines and research new plants and why?
1 comments:
Great post, retweeted right away! I may make something similar when our Month Of The Dead series is over - giving you credit of course!
Post a Comment