Customer Reviews

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has turned out to be one of my favorite "go-to" books when I'm planning sacred-space gardening or working with plants in ritual. Written by the late Scott Cunningham it offers a wealth of information on the magical aspects of herbs and plants. As must have book for any green, kitchen or hedge witch.

If there is one book to have on herbalism, this is the book to have. Not only is the book one that is destined to stay off your shelf and on your altar, but it is the absolute best herbal reference out there. Scott Cunningham does a beautiful job with popular and folk lore on hundreds of herbs, going past "traditional" one or two word associations and really getting into herbal lore within his descriptions. The herbal cross reference toward the end is extremely useful for anyone who is using spells and recipies from outer sources... you never realise how many folk names exist for a single herb! The book is well organized, in depth, and easy to follow. A MUST HAVE for any aspiring herbalist.

Scott Cunningham, in his time, turned out quite a few books and references for the modern, 'practical' witch. Though many of the herbs listed seem arcane- when I bought this book it was the first time I had heard of herbs like eryngo and life-everlasting- this reference is well done.
The herbs are organized alphabetically, and black and white drawings of the plant or flower are to the side of each entry, which typically includes the scientific (Latin) name, health codes (such as G for safe, and a guide is included in the book for all of the codes), any folk names, its attributed gender, planet, element, and deities, followed by brief (or sometimes long) descriptions of ritual and magical uses.
After the listings of herbs, there are lists of categories, under which are listed what herbs fit that area- such as masculine plants, herbs that correspond to certain ritual intentions, and elementary rulers. Also included are an index, a glossary, and a mail order list for those who do not have an herb store nearby (and it's hard to find something like mandrake in your local grocery store!).
Granted, this book is not the be-all and end-all of herbal studies. I recommend finding yourself at least three good sources and using them together when using herbs.

As any other Llewellyn's publications, this book cannot be regarded as a scholarly work on magical herbalism but it can be considered without any doubt as a VERY good and well organised basic book on the subject. For each of the 400 herbs listed are included the following :
Folk names of the herb
Gender
Associated planet
Ass. Element
Ass. Powers
Magical uses (traditional or not)

Tables and appendices are also nicely organised and well done. Finally, the bibliography is interesting and very useful too. While it is true that this book cannot rivalled books such as those written by (for example) authors like Mrs. M. Grieve's "A modern herbal" or C.F. Leyel's "The magic of herbs", in the world of what some called "magick", it is probably the best introduction available on the subject. Also one of the three best Llewellyn's books presently on the market (the others being "modern magick" by D.M. Kraig and "Tarot, plain and simple" by Anthony Louis). If asked to describe it very shortly, I would
say : "Simply very good"!

I purchased 'Encyclopedia of Magical herbs' by Scott Cunningham over a year ago - we recently unpacked and welcomed this addition into our new 'home'. With all the wonderful reviews this book has been given by many readers, I would also like to add the fact that it contains things we commonly use in household cooking & cleaning. Foods like Potato, Lemon, Tomato, Carrot, Celery, Grains.... and cleaning herbs like Bay, Rosemary, Thyme which can be used in tinctures for cleansing and protection. Scott Cunningham gives all the necessary information in a very easy to read paperback I can take with me anywhere. So the next time before I whip up something for dinner, I'm going to have this book handy. And it's perfect, because I have been wanting to learn and know more about better home cookin for me and my family. I hope my input helps those who are looking to include herbs into their kitchen home cookin. Bon appetite everyone!

What a cool book!! The title says it all because it really is an encyclopedia. Very informative. The only thing I would have added would be: what type of climate they survive in. (dry, moist, full sun, shade, etc) But then again this is not a "how to plant book". Aside from that I love this book!!! A must have (whether you are magickal or not!!)

I find myself looking at this book constantly when working with herbs. It gives a huge list of practically every herb imaginable. Most herbs are pictured, and contain its herb lore and other corresponding elements. A great book if your into herbalism, and or magick herbalism. Another great book by scott cunningham!!

This is one of my favorite authors. Great for beginners. His stuff is good and so easy to use. He doesn't overpower you with mountains of information. "Just the facts, Sir" Great reference book.

I bought my copy of Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs about six months ago and the book is constantly in my hands. I never would have thought that such a small book could hold so much information. I am the only one in my family intrested in the occult but all my family members love to hear the entries and the properties of common herbs and plants!
Cunningham really took his time and put some effort into researching the information of this book. I recomend this book to anyone interested in the occult, anyone who loves plants, or even just a nature lover. You won't be disapointed.
This book has pictures of most of the plants, latin and folkloric names of the plants, all sorts or charts and diagrams. It even has an amazing folklore index incase you don't know the actual name of the plant. This book has priceless information on all of the plants in it. It covers most plants some common and some rare. It is really worth it's price!

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs is a must-have for any Wiccan. The book is very organized and easy to easy and understand. Every herb that's used, from Acacia to Yucca is in this book. There's a picture accompaning each herb and plant. There's tables explaining which herbs are used for love or money spells, the elementals (earth, air, water, fire), gender (feminine/masculine), oils, and folk names. There's even a short list of places to order everything related to herbs.