Blog: Flying the Hedge
Posted on: December 5, 2019
Link: https://www.flyingthehedge.com/2019/12/book-review-modern-witchcraft-magickal-herbs.html
Review: "Time for another book review witches and I am so excited to share this one with you! I just finished The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs by Judy Ann Nock and I am in love! This is one of the best witchcraft herbal books I have ever read in all of my life. Yes, it's better than Cunningham. Blasphemy, I know.

Nock begins the book by breaking down common uses of herbs, from medicine to gardening to cooking, with magical correspondences sprinkled throughout. I absolutely loved all the little historical asides, myths, and folklore on the different herbs or uses she was discussing. These asides offer a glimpse into the past and offer a deeper understanding of how magical traditions regarding plants developed over time and why we have many of the magical correspondences we do today. To add to my love, Nock also takes a scientific approach to herbs, advising readers to be aware of reactions and always consult a physician or herbalist when using herbs.

In the section on gardening, which is one of my favorites, Nock introduces "sacred sustainability," or the idea that we should live and harvest sustainably and that this act is sacred in and of itself. This resonated with me as an environmental science teacher and as a witch. She discusses creating your own magical garden as well as how to create your own compost with a magical spin. Her discussion of compost and how creating it is a magical act tied to the Wheel of the Year, the Elements, and the Triple Goddess was deeply profound. I honestly had never thought about compost as being magical, but after reading her explanation, I'm converted. If anything, she taught me at that moment to recognize the magic in even the most mundane of acts. She evens offers an amazing composting ritual to do when you begin your gardening journey. I've never been so excited to create compost in my entire life. Haha!

She follows up with a great section on kitchen witchery, which, while short, introduces the idea that cooking is a magical act. This section could have been longer, but there are lots of great books on the topic out there and I believe Nock was just trying to briefly introduce the subject to peak interest. The following chapter covers herbs in wellness. Here, she breaks down the different schools of thought on treating disease. I was thankful she pointed out some of the flaws of homeopathy but would have liked to have seen more in this section explaining the controversy behind it. Homeopathy is based on the idea that like cures like and through dilution we make a cure more powerful. There is ZERO, and I mean ZERO, scientific evidence to support homeopathy, which is very different from naturopathy and other holistic forms of medicine. But I digress. This is definitely an argument for another time.

Following this introduction to the uses of herbs comes a beautifully illustrated section covering 100 herbs and their history, associations, and magical uses. I would have liked to have seen this section fleshed out a little more, especially regarding the history, but fully understand that to cover each herb in such detail would take many a book. Despite this, the section is great and offers some new information, even for me! I look forward to seeing the illustrations in the physical copy. They are beautiful in the electronic copy I read, so I can only imagine they are even better in person.

Part 2 is all about using herbs in magical workings. Her uses and suggestions are new and inventive and have given me so many ideas for future spells. This is the first time in at least 2 years that I have read through spells and been like, "Oh! How thoughtful and inspiring! I am going to use this!" Her spells cover everything from self-care, luck, love, divination, shadow work, and healing. Nock also offers suggestions on how herbs can be used as magical tools and on your altar. There is mention in this book of the Rule of Three, but it was so brief that it didn't turn me off from the rest of the book. There is so much more to this book than Wicca.

I can't even begin to stress how much I loved this book. In fact, I went ahead and preordered a copy because I just had to have the physical copy to make notes in. If you only purchase one book this year, make sure its this one. It is an absolute must-read for all witches, new or not. The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs by Judy Ann Nock will be available on December 10, 2019, so preorder your copy today!"

The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs is a great addition to one’s reference library. A large part of the book includes information on 100 herbs including a short history, their growing preferences, what remedies they are good for, and their magickal properties. It is a great introduction to the herbs allowing you to see which ones you would like to explore more via other books or courses.

There are also a lot of spells and charms included. Some of the chapters include; Botanicals and Beauty, Aphrodisiacs and Attraction, Fate and Fortune, Omens and Oracles, Belladonna and Bane, Dragon’s Blood and Dreams, and Rites and Rituals.
Nock also includes information on altars, magickal tools, smudging, and more.

It would be a perfect book for someone just beginning to get into witchcraft and herbs. And for those who have been practicing with magickal herbs for awhile, they might find some new information to add to their Book of Shadows or grimoire.

I was thrilled to include "The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs", by Judy Ann Nock into my ever growing collection of this series.
In the 240 wonderfully crafted pages you will find not only about the herbs themselves and their many uses, but also the history behind them.
The author includes everything you'll need to know about setting up a magickal herb garden, from the soil to seeding to planting.
The common magickal herb section was very useful in sorting out what herbs should be used for what intention for spellcasting.
In the back of the book you will find illustrations of herbs and their magickal properties as well different ways to incorporate herbs into the Sabbats, herbs for ailments and my favorite, tea use in the art of Tasseomancy.

The information you will find in "The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs", by Judy Ann Nock is just amazing. I was given a digital copy for my honest review, but I will be buying a copy to add to the rest of the wonderful books in this series. #NetGalley

Blessings,
Katrina

Even for those who don't practice or believe in witchcraft, one can't argue that medicinal herbs are highly impactful and helpful. Judy Ann Nock's book gives readers a chance to go through the different herbs, their influence, and to what they may be best applied. I found the guide fascinating and delightful.

Great for those who want to go into herbs and want a nice starting point. Get a brief introduction to some basic herbs. A decent selection and a starting point of spells one could do.

This is a well written and informative book that I found engrossing and entertaining.
I learned a lot and was more than happy to learn something new about herbs and witchcraft.
I liked the clear explanations and how the book is organised.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I've been a witch for a little over a year, and I've been working with herbs for almost that entire time, although I still feel like a beginner because there's so much to learn. My two bookshelf staples are Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and Paul Beyerl's Master Book of Herbalism. I've not seen any need to expand my selections before now, but this cover is so LOVELY and also I JUST LOVE HERBS. (I hope they remember this when my not-so-green thumb tries some gardening next year.)

I love that the first third of the book starts off with the basics, assuming you know nothing, and then moves into the history of herbalism. For someone who has mostly piecemealed her knowledge together, it filled in some gaps that I didn't know I wanted to know. There are recipes ranging from simple stuff I could whip together in a few minutes, to a method of creating a garden labyrinth that seemed awesome but way beyond my skill set! And I definitely love the information on how to build an herb garden.

The section on the herbs themselves takes up the second third of the book. The properties of a few herbs I compared correlate with my aforementioned standbys. If I were going to use this book as a reference, it would be for magickal properties, which seems quite thorough. The medicinal properties are not quite as thorough as Paul Beyerl's Master Book (which can sometimes seem overwhelming), although this book gives a good starting point.

The final third OVERFLOWS with spells and recipes and rituals -- a chapter for nearly anything you can think of, including self-love, and even seasonal recipes. Although I would have loved a section on selecting alternative herbs if you don't have ready access to the recommended ones, there is so much here to experiment and play with.

One small nitpick was the author's use, again and again, of the Threefold Law. I thought that idea had been debunked as part of a work of fiction ad nauseum, so it frustrates me when people assert that it's nonfiction. Perhaps if this had been The Modern WICCAN'S Guide to Magickal Herbs, it wouldn't have bugged me as much. Witches aren't all Wiccans, and most non-Wiccan witches I know don't hold to the threefold law.

If you're a beginner (or even intermediate) herbalist and wanted one thorough book, I would tell you to get this one. It definitely lives up to the beautiful cover and title -- it updates some old standbys with a modern focus and is chock full of magick.

Please note that I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay but just didnt have anything new for me. I think it just picked up on the other books similar to itself and is trying to .ake a market but didnt succeed in capturing what it was meant to

I enjoyed this title very much. Not only the information and history, but the recipes included. It was a learning experience for me and I have several friends to whom I will recommend this title.

Found this one pretty interesting. It is fairly well organized and a fu read. I chose it as research n my love for all things supernatural and the background and details are fu and interesting. Very much enjoyed this one. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

This is a delightful book on herbs’ use in modern witchcraft! Easy to read, thorough, and clear, this book left me with a deeper understanding of the history of herbs in witchcraft as well as how they’re continued to be used today by modern witches. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful, and that certainly helps to heighten the overall visual appeal of the book for those who are drawn to covers! I would recommend this to anyone who’s interested in the history of witchcraft or the modern practices of witchcraft.

Very informative! This is just the resource for herbs I’ve been looking for. I’ve enjoyed other books in the Modern Witchcraft series and this definitely didn’t disappoint.

This book was jam packed with tons of useful info on all sorts of herbs. At times the reading felt a bit like a slog, but I also don't think this is a book most people would just sit down and read. It is perfect for looking up specific plants or uses and finding the info you need.

I believe that there is magic in affirmations. Just as there is magic in the names of herbs.

That's right this is another witchy book about herbs so get ready to dive in.

I've been lightly dabbling in witchcraft for a few years and I'm settling on being a green witch/herb witch. I love growing things and I like herbs. Healing people and taking care of them is such a joy for me. The healthcare field gives me such a rush and I genuinely enjoy interacting with people and caring for them on a day to day basis.

Guys, I was so excited when I was finally approved for this book.

We learn about the many ways that herbs can be used through tinctures, oils, teas, concoctions.

I think one of the best things I learned was how there are strong connections between herbs and the planets and the starts which contributes to the magickal associations of the herbs..

For example Venus:

Mint
Violet
Catnip
Rose

Love ittt. I also love how it goes in depth with each and every herb. This is a great guide and I'm so thankful for it.

I really and honestly truly love this book and I just added it to my wishlist for Christmas because I need a physical copy because I grow my own herbs and I need this for my indoor herb garden.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC.. All opinions are my own.