Illustrated Herbiary: Guidance and Rituals from 36 Bewitching Botanicals

Description

In this beautifully illustrated gift book featuring insightful profiles of 36 familiar plants and herbs, herbalist Maia Toll shows how to tap into each plant's character and symbolic meaning for spiritual guidance and self-reflection. In addition to medicinal remedies, plants can provide a kind of spiritual healing. By learning the language and wisdom of plants, we can interact with the natural world in a way that is intuitive and meaningful and offers a chance to re-envision life from a fresh perspective. For the 36 plants in The Illustrated Herbiary, Maia Toll describes their character, shares their wisdom, offers prompts for reflection, and suggests ways to interact with and appreciate the plant. Toll's text is accompanied by the bold, intricate illustrations of Kate O'Hara - making this the perfect gift book for any lover of the natural world. To help guide readers' reflections, a set of 36 cards reproducing the illustrations are included in an envelope in the back of the book. AUTHOR: Maia Toll offers herbalism classes on her website, Sage School, and is the founder and owner of Herbiary, a natural products store with locations in Asheville, North Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Toll has taught Botanical Medicine at West Chester University and at the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research in the Peruvian jungle. She lectures at hospitals, universities, and herbal conferences, and runs her own Witch Camp Retreat. She blogs to an international following at maiatoll.com. SELLING POINTS: . Symbolism of plants is a timeless topic with broad appeal. From the doctrine of signatures to the language of flowers and oracle cards, plant and herb enthusiasts through the ages have been fascinated by the symbolic messages plants encapsulate. Maia Toll offers a contemporary approach with life lessons and insights garnered from 36 favourite, character-rich herbs, fruit, and flowers. . Reflections and meditations for herb and plant lovers, drawing inspiration from tarot. Drawing from journaling and meditation prompts she's developed for her own herbal medicine classes, as well as tarot and New Age spirituality, Toll offers a distinctive, accessible approach to self-reflection and meditation. . Rich, tarot-like illustrations, along with 36 illustrated cards, make a fabulous gift package. Kate O'Hara's intricate illustrations invite meditation and study of the symbolic qualities of each plant to help guide readers' reflections. A set of 36 cards with reproductions of the illustrations are included in a bound-in envelope in the back of the book. Full-colour; illustrations throughout; includes 9 cardstock sheets in a bound-in envelope

Maia Toll is the author of The Wild Wisdom series, including The Illustrated Herbiary, and The Night School. After pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and a master's at New York University, Toll apprenticed with a traditional healer in Ireland, where she spent extensive time studying the growing cycles of plants, the alchemy of medicine making, and the psycho-spiritual aspects of healing--and studied at The University of Michigan and New York University. She is the co-owner of the retail store Herbiary, with locations in Asheville, NC and Philadelphia, PA. You can find her online at maiatoll.com. Kate O'Hara is a freelance illustrator currently based in Reno, Nevada. She received a BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, in 2014. Her work combines intricate nature drawings with decorative hand-lettering and rich color schemes.

"This book doesn't tell a story in the traditional sense, but it tells a story about the world around you, the beauty of nature, and how you can find that same beauty inside yourself." - Mugglenet Review "In this delightful debut, Toll relies on her imagination to spin a fun botanical mythology. O'Hara's bright, bold illustrations--which introduce each entry and are also included as a divination deck--will appeal to readers with strong lines and a sense of glowing from their centers, a boldness that carries through to the more representational sketches of plants that follow. It will appeal to those looking for fun new ways of considering plants." -- Publishers Weekly "This book is enchanting, wise, engaging, and entertaining! Filled with magic, myth, and tantalizing bits of wisdom, The Illustrated Herbiary may just be one of the most delightful and original herbals written, and definitely one of the most beautifully and lavishly illustrated. Don't expect to learn a lot of scientific facts about herbs in this whimsical 'herbiary, ' but be prepared to find your sense of wonder kindled and your imagination sparked as you connect in a most profound and playful relationship with the green world around you." -- Rosemary Gladstar, herbal educator, activist, and best-selling author "Opens us to the plant world and ancient teachings from those who live close to the earth." -- Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author of The Invitation "Part oracle, part kitchen-conversation with a beloved friend, this book is a treasure that will open your awareness to the plant world like never before." -- Asia Suler, founder One Willow Apothecaries "Who knew that plants had such a powerful language and could speak to the core of our soul? The rituals are deliciously simple and the accompanying oracle cards are a delight." -- Brigit Esselmont, author, Everyday Tarot founder of Biddy Tarot "Every page blooms with deep-rooted plant wisdom."-- Rosalee de la Foret, author, Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal "It takes a special ear and heart and mind to translate nature's wisdom, and Maia Toll does it with staggering beauty. The messages of healing and renewal here, for the earth and human, will leave you smiling and spellbound." -- Linda Sivertsen, author, Generation Green, host of the Beautiful Writers Podcast "Rife with wit and wisdom about the more ethereal aspects of 36 botanicals, The Illustrated Herbiary invites readers to enter into an ever-deeper relationship with the plant allies we share this Earth with." -- Ashley English, author of the "Homemade Living" Series "Beautifully written, vibrantly illustrated and a seamless blend of physical observations and spiritual sagacity. This herbal is not primarily about healing your body; it is about how plants can help you heal your life." -- Robin Rose Bennett, herbalist and author of The Gift of Healing Herbs and Healing Magic- A Green Witch Guidebook to Conscious Living "This is an important book full of kindness, old ways made new and practical magic. Maia is a voice for the plants she so lovingly shares with us, and she makes their healing energy and wisdom accessible to all." -- Nicole Cody, award winning blogger and metaphysical mentor "Maia's book is beautiful and informative and sassy. It is a delicious introduction for the new herbalist and a strong addition to any herbal, gardening or esoteric library. You should own this book." -- H. Byron Ballard, folklorist, author Earth Works