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Tag Archives: plant magick

The Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magic, by Christina Oakley Harrington

The Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magic, by Christina Oakley Harrington
Weiser Books, 1578638011, 176 pages, April 2023

There are a lot of books on the market that will tell you about plants in various terms: how to identify, where they originate from, and what their uses are. The Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magic by Christina Oakley Harrington goes one step further. This book is pure magic and should be on everyone’s shelf regardless of their personal or spiritual beliefs. Harrington, the founder and guiding light of the renowned occult bookshop Treadwell’s Books located in London, UK has brought the same level of care to this book that she has to the shop. I am in awe of this book.

Harrington has made it incredibly easy to find specific plants by sorting the book into three glorious sections. Titled “Problems and Solutions”, the first section is what would be expected from such a thorough compilation: an alphabetical listing of various maladies ranging from anxiety, money, protection, and so on with the corresponding herb(s) that will assist. This is meant to be a quick reference guide for those who are familiar with herbs and just need a refresher. The book assumes a working knowledge of plants and how to deal with them, as little to no instruction is provided on the basics such as growing, harvesting, and the like. It feels like this is a deliberate choice to ensure that those who use the book already have a healthy respect for the plants that they choose to work with and aren’t just looking for a speedy way out of a mess.

The middle section has no title and jumps right to providing in-depth information about herbs and plants. The book is worth the price just for the section on uses of Bay alone. Almost three whole pages are devoted to the herb and for good reason. Bay is the lavender of the herb family in that there are many ways to use it in both cooking and spiritual work. Included in each distinct method of usage is a ton of information on the herb itself that just isn’t present in other books. Like I said, worth the price right there. I have plenty of books on plants and their uses and this one book replaces all of them.

The last section is why we are all here: “Spells and Potions Using Multiple Herbs”. Where do I even start? This section is an absolute tribute to anyone working with plants and herbs in their practice in that the assumption of having basic knowledge is apparent. There is no how-to on how to make Marygolde water; it’s assumed the reader knows. Personally, I love this way of presenting information as I find some books on this specific subject spend far too many pages giving information that can be easily looked up on the internet. Many books claim to be resource books but end up masquerading as something far more basic than what the tag line says. This book is the opposite.

The spells contained in this section are not carved in stone; there is an understanding that the reader will take what they need and leave the rest. Using herbs and plants in personal spell work is not like using herbs and plants in cooking: there is no recipe to follow here, only guidelines. The book incorporates the generally accepted uses of all the plants and herbs mentioned, making it universal so there’s no need to undertake additional research on what rue can be used for. 

To be clear, there are no “recipes” for potions, only a general suggestion as to how one might go about crafting it for their own use. While there are instances of direction being provided in some cases, for the most part it’s assumed that the reader is familiar with basic applications such as making herbal blends and diffusing them. 

Should you pick up The Treadwell’s Book of Plant Magic if you’ve never held an herb in your life? YES. We all need to start somewhere and this book, while not providing introductory information on how to work in this realm of magic, will give you an abundance of information about the tools used to craft within this sphere. 

The Poison Path Herbal, by Cody Michael

The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, & Ritual Enthogens, by Coby Michael
Park Street Press, 978-1644113349, 256 pages, 2021

Any book that has a large warning at the start of it gets my attention. The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, & Ritual Enthogens by Coby Michael is not here to play. It’s here to teach you reverence and respect for this particular path, and above all, it’s here to transmute your life.

A practitioner of the Poison Path of occult herbalism and cultivator of entheogenic herbs, Michael is perfectly positioned to take the reader on this journey through the misunderstood baneful herbs. As well as practicing, he also contributes to the Pagan Archives at Valdost University, writes regularly for The House of Twigs, and maintains his own blog on Patheos Pagan called Poisoner’s Apothecary. Somehow in the midst of all that, he teaches classes and online workshops on plant magic, baneful herbs, and traditional witchcraft. 

Michael dives right into the subject, explaining that this book is “focused on the magical and spiritual uses of baneful herbs, entheogens, and plant spirit allies as well as their history and mythology.”1 He goes on to explain a few terms that are used generously throughout the book such as baneful which “refers to the ability of a thing to cause harm, and because of this threat, the baneful thing becomes taboo and gains a sinister reputation.”2

Baneful things, especial when talking about plants, can cause bodily harm and in some cases death if the practitioner isn’t clear on what they are doing. The book is separated into three parts, with part 1 covering off the basics of the poison path, Part 2 discussing the three ways of the poison path, and the last section which deals with bringing that knowledge together in practice. It’s very well laid out and a thoughtful path to follow if you are just starting your journey on this particular path.

Be warned though: this isn’t a gardening book, nor is it a how-to for using plants to hex your ex or find a job. Some of the information presented might be bit overwhelming if you don’t have a regular spiritual practice; as with any undertaking similar to this, you can expect to be changed by the process. Michael cautions against simply jumping in and instead recommends learning about the herbs’ chemistry and how the various plants affect human physiology. 

I had the notion of reading this book and then being able to find alternative solutions for my anxiety. Anxiety is not fun and presents different symptoms in many forms in those who experience it, and for me personally, it can be debilitating at times. I don’t like taking prescription medication because it makes me feel dull, so looking for another way to help myself is what prompted me to read this book. After going through it however, I realize that there’s much more to this than simply making a cup of herbal tea and wrapping myself up in a cozy blanket while I wait for the mind-goblins to quieten down. This is an actual path to follow and it is directly linked with Shadow Work. There is no spiritual bypassing here.

Fortunately, Michael seems to have understood this, as he writes clearly about the various families of plants and lists what they are used for. He also addresses the notion of using poisonous plants as spirit allies in magical practice despite the danger they present. He stresses the importance of personal exploration, as there is no substitute for your own counsel in such personal things. Such learnings do have a price though, as Michael clarifies, “…we learn to work with our own shadow as well as the darker forces of the natural world.”3

Having laid out the various plant families and their uses, Michael moves on to discuss the crossroads on the path of poison. This is where it gets a bit advanced; if you aren’t familiar with planetary influences you might find yourself scratching your head and wondering what the hell you’re reading. On the assumption that the reader has a working knowledge of planets and their influences, Michael writes brilliantly about Mercury, Venus and Saturn: the three paths of poison. He arranges them visually in a triangle, a shape that represents the traditional threefold worldview that many pagan cultures subscribe to. 

This collection of planetary influences is the basis for the Poison Path, and a profound one. Michael says, “The archetypal forces of Saturn, Venus, and Mercury are aligned with the currents of magic, witchcraft, and plant lore, providing powerful allies to one’s craft… their association with boundaries and liminal spaces in addition to their correlation with the other world and witchcraft mythos are the powerful themes expressed in this book.”4

Those themes run through the book, making the reader either cringe at the thought of having to learn more information on planets and such, or is an absolute delight to those who have working knowledge and wish to add to it. Planetary magic is not easy, and when baneful herbs are included as an accompaniment it becomes challenging for those not accustomed to specific terms and phrases. 

There is a lot of information in The Poison Path Herbal that might not be appropriate for those who live in the ‘good vibes only’ section of the chorus, as much of this book is dedicated to personal gnosis and the responsibility inherent in achieving that gnosis. I will be adding this book to my collection simply because it doesn’t coddle or coerce: this book demands your undivided attention and promises great rewards for doing so. Alternatively, if you aren’t prepared to go all in, you might want to pick up a different book. Out of respect for the writer, if you aren’t prepared to shovel your personal shit, don’t try to use this book as a way to cover it up.

Green Witch Oracle, by Cheralyn Darcey

Green Witch Oracle: Discover real secrets of botanical magick, by Cheralyn Darcey
Rockpool Publishing, 1925924718, 44 cards, 144 pages, February 2021

Green Witch Oracle: Discover real secrets of botanical magick by Cheralyn Darcey is absolutely bursting with garden wisdom and colorful fun. This deck really pops, and it reminds me of a plentiful garden on a warm summer’s day. Darcey has beautifully blended elemental affinity with the secret sagacity of plants to create a multi-purpose deck. It is a splendid resource to create a magickal bond with plants through spellwork, learn about the different plant correspondences as you garden, or engage in divination with plant energy.

Opening the box and seeing the brilliant green back of the cards filled me with a sense of heart-opening abundance. The alchemical symbols for the four elements (fire, water, air, earth) are drawn in white on the back of the cards. The cards were nice and smooth as I shuffled them, offering little resistance due to their glistening shine.

Looking through the deck, I was struck by the bright color of all the varieties of plants featured in the deck. The creamy background is the perfect contrast to make the images burst forth and capture the reader’s attention. Black ink blots add to the dynamic energy of each card, further illuminating the plant image. There’s a wide range of plants featured in the deck, which include fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.

On every card is the number at the top for guidebook reference, the elemental symbol, a key word, and the name of the plant (both common name and genus/species name). If the plant has an astrological correspondence, there is also a glyph of the zodiac sign. There are also little sketches of metaphysical objects that are related to the card’s meaning, such as a dreamcatcher for Marigold’s key word ‘Positivity’ and a sword for Fennel’s key word ‘Strength.’

I’ve been pulling a card a day and have very much enjoyed reading the guidebook to better understand the energy of each one. Reading through it I noticed that the deck is organized so that certain types of plants correspond with an elemental energy: vegetables are earth, herbs are fire, fruits are water, and flowers are air. Also being a tarot reader, the elemental correspondence of the cards made intuitive sense to me. Now when I pull a card, I am also able to sense the elemental energy within it too, which I feel has enhanced my readings.

In the guidebook, Darcey first provides a short and sweet introduction and a bit of information on how to use the deck. Then there are three garden-themed card spreads suggested. My favorite to use so far has been “The garden shed” that is meant to help the reader with a challenge they are facing. The card placements relate to gardening, such as Card 1 being called “the shovel,” and this card is meant to highlight the energy of “the deepest part that needs to come to light.”1 All the spreads are creative and well-suited for this deck. It was unique to see something different than the standard card placements (ex. past, present, future) often suggested.

The rest of the guidebook focuses on the 44 cards in the deck. For each card there is a quote, oracle meaning, description of the plant’s cultivation, and list of magical correspondences (uses, deities, celestial, and astrological sign). The best part is that there is also a spell to generate the energy of the plant in your life. All the spells listed use the plant of their card in the spellwork, which gives the reader another way to connect to the magickal energy of each plant.

So far I’ve only tried one spell: a desire spell from the Lettuce card. Who would have thought you could make an incredible facial mask with lettuce and use it to super-charge your desire? I did have to switch out dried milk for a bit of whole milk, but it still turned out just fine. Looking through the spells, I would say the majority of them can be done easily with simple ingredients most people already have in their kitchen. Next time I want to do some protection work, I plan on using the spell given in the guidebook for Onion!

The very end of the guidebook includes a small glossary of terms used and also *drum roll* a bibliography! I really like to see a nice bibliography, as so many books and decks seem to freely dispense information with no sources listed for where it was found. While things like the oracle meaning of the card are bound to be more subjective, I value Darcey’s sharing the sources of her knowledge. This is sure to be a starting point for readers that use the deck and wish to continue learning more about the gardening techniques and properties of different types of plants.

For anyone interested in enhancing their magick with a bit of green witchery this is absolutely a deck you’ll want to have in your collection. I highly recommend Green Witch Oracle to anyone who is interested in learning more about the energy of plants. Whether you’re interested in cultivating a magickal relationship or simply discovering new ways to connect with your garden through learning about plant properties and timing techniques, this deck is a wonderful resource. It’s a deck filled with an enthusiastic levity that makes these explorations fun and exciting.