I’m one of those people who when I finish a fascinating book, I want to tell the world. Unfortunately, most of the people I am around don’t exactly want to hear my babble about herbalism, natural foods, permaculture, and baking bread. Thankfully, if you’ve found your way to this blog, there’s actually a good chance that you yourself are interested in the same quirky things that get me going. So, here’s a very small selection of the wide variety of books I wish to crow to the world about. This list will be ever-growing, I’m sure. The titles link to my more in-depth description of each book, here on this site.
The Magic Teaspoon: Transform Your Meals with the Power of Healing Herbs and Spices by Victoria Zak. This book takes the concept of “food is medicine” even further, with ideas for incorporating your herbal remedies through your cooking and not relying only on preparations such as tinctures, supplements, or the like. There is plenty of folklore, nutritional information, and suggested recipes. This is not a dry read, Zak does a wonderful job of making the “setting” behind each herb vivid and mysterious.
20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak.Zak once again entrances me, this time talking about herbal teas. Her language is just as colorful, her visions of the ancient spice trade just as captivating. With this as a companion to The Magic Teaspoon, herbal healing and a holistic lifestyle are more easily incorporated into every meal.
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham. The must have herbal for the modern pagan or witch. One of the most widely used and frequently owned references about herbs in the occult world. Every research project you ever have will likely include this book.
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham. Another beloved book by the influential Cunningham. This herbal is organized more closely to a cookbook, and recommends various diets when working on certain magical goals. If the thought of blessing your food or attuning to your diet in a spiritual way has ever appealed to you, then I highly recommend that you get this book if you don’t already own it. I often spend a few days to a few weeks working on just one meditative or spiritual goal, adding this book to my cookbooks during these times allows me to focus on my goals with every meal.
The Wild & Weedy Apothecary by Doreen Shababy. A lovely collection of articles on herbalism, ranging from hair care and old family recipes to medicinal uses and gathering wild foods. This book is a pleasure to read, and quite entertaining. A good book when you want to unwind and relax with your interests rather than fiction.
Dryad In The Elm 