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Monks, Mandrake, and Magical Mayhem
I’m a history geek, so every once in a while I peruse the interwebs looking for random historical stuff related to witchcraft, and the English Heritage website did NOT disappoint me today, y’all. Evidently the monks at Mount Grace Priory are growing some serious herbage, and most of the plants are the sort that you can’t just pick up in the bulk grocery aisle at Costco. No, these guys are inspired by their medieval predecessors, and are growing medicinal goodies like mandrake and deadly nightshade. Senior Gardens Advisor for the North and Midlands, Dr Michael Klemperer, presents a fabulous tour through the gardens, which include: Sea holly, an aphrodisiac and…
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Herbal Magic: Bloodroot Flowers
With the world being in a state of social distancing—and me being okay with not peopling for a while—I’ve had a lot of opportunities lately to get into the woods near my home. It’s springtime here in Middle Earth, and with the heavy rains we’ve had, a lot of stuff is beginning to sprout and bloom. I was out foraging the other day near a limestone outcropping, and encountered what I initially thought was mayapple… except mayapple shouldn’t be surfacing for a few more weeks here. A friend pointed out that it was probably bloodroot (thanks, Lisa!), and I realized she was correct. It’s one of those lesser-known flowers that…
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Yo, Don’t Eat That Plant: Dangerous Herbs
I get messages all the time from people who want to know what kind of herbs they should use to heal various sicknesses and ailments, and I always need to point out that I AM NOT an herbal medicine expert, and therefore am unqualified to offer any kind of recommendations for medical herbal usage. Honest. There are people out there with far more botanical knowledge than me. That said, what I do know a lot about is the magical and folkloric use of herbs. If you have questions about the use of an herb in a spell or ritual, I got your back. I’m more than happy to help out…
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Want to Win a Free Book Bundle?
IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME, Y’ALL! To celebrate the upcoming launch of my new book, Herb Magic, I’m giving away an advance copy before it becomes available to the public on April 21. As if that wasn’t enough, I’m gonna bundle in a copy of my 2017 book, Wicca Practical Magic, as well, so you can win TWO books instead of just one! To enter, follow the instructions on my About Paganism Facebook page, right here: It’s Giveaway Time!
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Herb Magic: Did You Miss It?
Are you living under a rock? Are you ignoring me on social media? In case you haven’t been paying attention — and it’s ok, I know The Masked Singer is keeping a lot of y’all occupied — I wrote a new book! Herb Magic: An Introduction to Magical Herbs and Spells, will be coming out on April 21! I had an awesome time writing this one for you, and it includes 75 brand-new, all original spells for you to try out, whether your magic is focused on prosperity, healing, divination, love, or protection! Magical herbs are living, breathing entities, and I can’t wait to share with you some of the…
