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

Claire Nahmad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

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. 

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

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.
- Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"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, Ohio

)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892814241
• ISBN-13: 978-0892814244
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,132,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden Treasure, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Earth Magic: A Wisewoman's Guide to Herbal, Astrological, and Other Folk Wisdom (Paperback)

Both charming and colloquial, Earth Magic reads like a recipe book of a 17th or 18th century witch or wisewoman. This is both a virtue and a stumbling-block. While the volume is crammed full of spells, instructions, charts, and folklore, it is difficult to read in large doses. The material conforms to no particular tradition or belief system, except perhaps that of Elizabethan hearthwitches, stillroom keepers, and herb grannies. Angelic and astrological correspondences rub shoulders with goddess lore, and references to both the Goddess and Jesus Christ are common.

The book is divided into twelve chapters, each covering one month and/or one sign of the zodiac. The Angels, Spirits, and Stars section for each month includes meditations on the spirit of the months, zodiac profile (on the sign itself, not necessarily a person "of" that sign), starwatching information, and invocations to related spirits. The Wisewoman's Journal section includes folklore, spells, and charms. Also for each month there is the Wisewoman's Weatherbook, with related weather lore. June, July and August feature "Witch's Garden" sections with information on a few garden features. Spells for love, for divination, for healing and protection are mixed with practical medical herbalism and weatherlore. Especially useful for those who use angelic and astrological magic, or who are looking for "traditional" women's magic.

It is clear that the information was gathered and written up by someone who was an avid student of the outdoors, including gardening, weatherworking, and astronomy. The text, though dense with symbolism and thick with information, is in a lyrical, flowing, and tender tone that is worth the time required to comprehend it. While few of us may be able to study under a genuine traditional witch in the old sense of the word -- herbwife, charmcaster, wisewoman -- or, in fact, to study their recipe books, this may be the closest to the old knowledge we will get.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, very different than the norm!, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Earth Magic: A Wisewoman's Guide to Herbal, Astrological, and Other Folk Wisdom (Paperback)

Even though I have not finished this book yet, I have found it to be very good upon my glances and just by leafing through it. It is different than the norm books of natual magick, folklore, Witchcraft and Wicca, etc., that is so prevalent today. This book is a far cry in that it speaks more to and of the wisewoman's old ways of living with harmony of the earth and her cycles, and gives much folklore and 'days of old' knowledge that is not as well known in our fast-food culture, yet still relevant and useful today and everyday as ever. It is broken up into seasons and sections with relevant information astrologically, folklore, holidays, herbal and more. I found it refreshing and different, but also not as easy to read or 'light' in tone or subject as some other books that fall in this category. That in itself is a blessing in my opinion since I find it difficult to find books after awhile that are not just cookie-cutter initations of the same stuff in different packaging and various styles. This book is definately not and is a highly overlooked gem!

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Christian Wisewoman's Path. What a Rare Find!, June 16, 2000

By 

Mary Ann Perry - See all my reviews

This review is from: Earth Magic: A Wisewoman's Guide to Herbal, Astrological, and Other Folk Wisdom (Paperback)

A peaceful and loving monthly wisewoman's path. Although most works of this nature are pagan; Claire Nahmad brings a Christian twist filled with angels and Christian Holy Days to celebrate. Traditions reach centuries back in time when the influence of stars and planets on all things of the earth were acknowledged and accepted, and when practitioners of healing and herbalism, whose vision was holistic, took these influences into account and were expert in their understanding of them. This lore of the wisewoman teaches us how to love and revere the earth, how to respond to her magic and return in some measure the blessing and healing that we receive from her. What a great find.