The secret, life-enhancing powers of nature's own herbs are the subject of this fascinating illustrated collection of folklore and fact. Magic recipes that have come down through the ages are presented to charm, soothe, protect, and heal. Among the wild and cultivated herbs discussed are bay, which was used by Greek oracles to foretell the future, later used in good-luck charms . . . garlic, used since ancient times for its many medicinal properties and as protection against witchcraft . . . bergamot, native to North America, and used to make "Liberty Tea" after the Boston Tea Party . . . lavender, used in love potions from ancient to modern times . . . basil, a fertility herb in Roman times, and later used as a common household cure for numerous complaints. . . and many more. Individual sections describe a total of 25 herbs, and include more than 50 herbal recipes, culinary, medical, and cosmetic, that have been drawn from ancient and modern sources. You also get fascinating information on the history and use of magical herbs in many different parts of the world. Some 150 beautiful, full-color illustrations add to readers' delight and fascination with one of the world's most ancient and enduring practices.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Pretty enough for the coffee table, Margaret Picton's little hardback explores herbal myths and folklore in poems, traditional sayings, quotes, recipes, and ancient herbal manuscripts. Chock-full of brightly colored photos, drawings, and fancy typography, The Book of Magical Herbs delights the senses. The author has written nine other books on cookery and homemaking and here expounds the virtues of 25 different herbs in as many chapters. Did you know that you could "keep a small sachet of dried lavender against your skin to attract a lover" or that fennel seeds in keyholes will keep malignant forces away? A charming gift for gardeners, cooks, or fans of ancient lore and magic. --P. Randall Cohan
Review
"All the light, color, and beauty of a well-kept garden are captured in The Book of Magical Herbs." -- New Age Retailer, September 2000
This delightful little book is a celebration of the timeless fascination humanity has for the herbs of the earth. -- New Age Retailer , September 2000
This delightful little book is a celebration of the timeless fascination humanity has for the herbs of the earth. -- New Age Retailer , September 2000
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical in All Respects,
By Barbara Fay (Fairbanks, Alaska) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore (Hardcover)
This IS a magical, beautiful book in every way! It is a delight to the eyes with its lush, haunting photographs of herbs and clever drawings that enhance the text. And what a wealth of intriguing information is found between its violet covers! Its pages are filled with the interesting histories of herbs, the mythology, folklore, old wives tales and symbolism associated with them. There are recipes for magic and protective charms, as well as for more usual culinary and medicinal uses. Even the dust cover is magical. Enhanced by a beautiful photograph of borage on the front and chive blossoms on the back, its paper has a buttery soft, wonderfully tactile feeling. The only way this volume could be improved is if by some magic the aroma of the herbs could waft from its pages as they are turned
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Magical Book!,
By Barbara Fay (Fairbanks, Alaska) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore (Hardcover)
This IS a magical, beautiful book in every way! It is a delight to the eyes with its lush, haunting photographs of herbs and clever drawings that enhance the text. And what a wealth of intriguing information is found between its violet covers! Its pages are filled with the interesting histories, the mythology, folklore, old wives tales and symbolism associated with them. There are recipes for magic and protective charms, as well as for more usual culinary and medicinal uses. Even the dust cover is magical. Enhanced by a beautiful photograph of borage on the front and chive blossoms on the back, its paper has a buttery soft, wonderfully tactile feeling. The only way this volume could be improved is if by some magic the aroma of the herbs could waft from its pages as they are turned.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have for any Herb Book Collection,
By
This review is from: The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore (Hardcover)
This was my very first herb book ,I got it as a birthday present when I was fourteen, and I still use it even after all these years. The book contains information about various (mostly European) beliefs and lore about common herbs found most herb gardens.
There are also various uses and recipes on each herb. For example with Yarrow: one would hang a bunch over a newborn baby to keep witches and bad fairies away. There is also a recipe for a yarrow "cold cure" brew. The book in my opinion does however have a somewhat of a Christian tilt to it ~ which I actually prefer to say a wiccan tilted one, as I find those overly European with nothing for me to relate to. This book, with it's Christian and pre-Chirstian histories and uses, I feel closer match my own syncretized traditions, but that's just my opinion. All-in-All this is an excellent light resource on herbal lore,and a great coffee table book. 5 stars
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
