Earth Magic: A Wisewoman's Guide to Herbal, Astrological, and Other Folk Wisdom

Description

Earth Magic recreates a time when herbal healers practiced their craft in consort with the stars and planets and all the animate and inanimate things of the Earth. Sharing her rich heritage of healing and drawing on a wealth of ancient Celtic wisdom, the author reveals the mysteries hidden in the folk names of flowers, in the strange and compelling myths about trees, in the fabulous tales of totem beasts and magical birds, and in the spirit powers of running water, fairy hills, and wells. Through the wisewoman's mystical vision of the universe, we view the magic of the Earth and learn to return in some measure the blessing and healing that we receive from her. A treasury of pagan beliefs and herbal lore, providing detailed information on how to cultivate, gather, and store herbs, prepare remedies and charms, and interpret weather signs. Explains the best seasons, months, and times for carrying out specific projects. Describes the qualities, colors, metals, stones, animals, and plants associated with the different seasons.

Claire Nahmad is a British author who inherits a healing tradition passed down for centuries through her matrilineal family.

The author draws upon the rich symbolism of Celtic mythology to provide an introduction to a holistic feminine philosophy steeped in the Druidic past. Nahmad draws on herbal and astrological lore from the Celtic pagan tradition of the British Isles; she asserts that the wisewoman's traditions she describes have been passed down from woman to woman for many generations. She herself was made aware of this knowledge by her maternal grandmother. Chapters are organized around signs of the zodiac and convey a mixture of esoteric information and practical wisdom. Specific invocations are given as part of each chapter, but it is cautioned that these should not be rigidly applied. Although this astrological guide provides an interesting look at an alternative spiritual path, it may have limited appeal. Libraries with large collections on pagan religion and women's studies will want to add this book, but it is not an essential purchase for others.-- "Library Journal, (Saturday, January 01, 1994) Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, Oh"