Wild Witchcraft, by Rebecca Beyer, is a guide to “Folk Herbalism, Garden Magic, and Foraging for Spells, Rituals, and Remedies“, in which the author draws on her own vast experience as an Appalachian Witch and forager.
I’d never read a book even remotely similar to this one, but was very drawn by the beautiful cover and the fascinating description. In the end, I’m very glad I read it, because I really enjoyed it!
I loved all the history, the practical advice and guides, the recipes, and even the spells and rituals.
This is a very unique and super special book that I know I’ll revisit over and over again, and that I would truly recommend to anyone with a healthy curiosity in the world around them.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've always wondered a lot about witchcraft. I mean, they are a small part of a book I'm writing. This included a brief introduction to the history of witchcraft as well as descriptions for witchy items. The only reason I'm giving this book 4/5 instead of 5/5 is because I cannot verify a the information.

I really enjoyed this book. You don’t have to be a witch to read this, I’m not but herbalism fascinates me and I live very close to where she’s at. The author seems very educated although I would never make recipes for medicine without educating myself more. She gives a good overview of the history of European witchcraft and how it was viewed by the people and the church from around the thirteen hundreds on. God forbid you were a single woman js. She explains how American folk medicine is a mixture of European, indigenous and West African influences. There are rituals and witchcraft descriptions as well as for medicines. She tackles sustainability and ethical foraging and what her views are on that as well as what to eat and what not to eat. There is a lot in this book that you might be interested in if witchcraft or herbalism interests you.

Thank you for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Loved this, so informative and very interesting.

I would recommend this book alone for the respect and acknowledgement it gives to the Indigenous, enslaved, black, and brown's role in shaping herbal and foraging magic we know today. The killing and appropriation is also mentioned. These hard truths are usually left unsaid, or minimized, even as authors profit from the teaching. I am glad to say this history is not something mentioned once in the opening, then the author patted herself on the back and moved on. These facts are remembered and acknowledge a few times throughout the book.
The content itself?
This book has a very friendly, concise, and short introduction to the basics of composting, growing, foraging, and then use of herbs and plants in ways that respects nature. I highlighted various sections to refer back to when planting time returns.
Aesthetic? Charming artwork to divide the section is pleasing to the eye, but there is not much in artwork for the herbs and flower mentioned in my ARC. I'm not sure the restraints on the publisher, but I think this was a missed opportunity. I hope those small details will be added in before publishing to take this book further up the scale of wonderful.
Thank you net galley for the introduction.

I was first drawn to this due to the cover - I thought it really, really gorgeous.

Inside the book - there’s a lot here. I mean, a whole lot. The more I perused Wild Witchcraft, the more impressed I found myself; this is an excellent reference guide for those interested in the history of herbalism by region, as well as witches, Wiccans, pagans, and people who love nature.

This is a definite recommendation from me. I’m planning on grabbing a copy for my own collection once it’s in bookstores.

I've been doing a lot more reading lately, especially compared to last year, but I have been focusing on books I want to read instead of just books I've been asked to review. Still, I always find time to read new and upcoming occult books so I can let you know if they are worth the purchase or not. Today I come to share the upcoming book Wild Witchcraft: Folk Herbalism, Garden Magic, and Foraging for Spells, Rituals, and Remedies by Rebecca Beyer.

First and foremost it should be noted that Beyer is an expert in her field. Not only is she a skilled witch, herbalist, and forager who routinely teaches classes on such topics, but she also holds a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science as well as a Masters in Appalachian Studies and Sustainability. This is a woman after my own heart and means that she is one of the most qualified witches out there to teach sustainable folk herbalism, garden magic, and foraging. Furthermore, she teaches with respect to indigenous cultures, taking a decolonized approach to sustainability and land management. This is so uncommon in both the occult and environmentalism worlds that seeing it show up in a book about both was a breath of fresh air in a room full of stagnation.

Wild Witchcraft is divided up into four sections. The first section covers a brief history of witchcraft and foraging, particularly in the United States, followed by sections on sustainable gardening and foraging, plant folklore, and herbal remedies and spells using the Wheel of the Year. Beyer, who lives and works just outside of Asheville, North Carolina in the Appalachian Mountains, takes a very local approach to her craft, as she should since she is teaching witches to practice sustainably. Practicing local witchcraft is also much more powerful than trying to import ingredients from thousands of miles away and much more environmentally friendly. This means that many of the plants and fungi mentioned in the book are found in the South East. Of course, as someone residing in Georgia in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, this spoke to my soul. These are plants that grow in my backyard, which is not something I often find extensively talked about in many herbal books. Many of the plants discussed in other books are based on more traditional European and Northern climates, meaning that not all of them are accessible to me. While this may put some readers off, the information offered by Beyer is still valuable. Many of the plants mentioned in the book extend far north or have similar counterparts in other regions. Furthermore, Beyer includes so much folklore and medicinal history, folklore not even I have heard, all of which is well-sourced and documented at the end of the book. The bibliography for this book is extensive and one I will be referring back to while doing research of my own. For obvious reasons, the plant folklore was my favorite part of the book.

As mentioned earlier, Beyer takes a very decolonized approach to land management, foraging, and sustainable gardening. Many of her techniques are modeled after indigenous practices, thus showing respect to the land and the people who came before us. She is sure to call out cultural appropriation when necessary and offers alternative practices, plants, and spells to use instead. I am excited to implement some of the strategies for foraging and gardening outlined in her book in my own garden. Honestly, it convinced me to go ahead and order seeds and start looking at some new raised bed and composting options. My goal is to continue to grow my little farm to eventually sustain me and my family, thereby shrinking my ecological footprint.

The book ends with a dive into the Wheel of the Year, with spells and herbal remedies for each. Some of the spells are relatively common with a distinct Appalachian flare. It was the remedies and teas I liked best and look forward to trying in my own home. This section is a beautiful guide to living more in sync with the Earth's natural cycles. This book combines incredibly well with Seasons of a Magical Life by H. Byron Ballad, who is also from Asheville, NC. The South behaves so differently from more northern climates, that it's nice to have two books discussing these differences.

I highly recommend Wild Witchcraft: Folk Herbalism, Garden Magic, and Foraging for Spells, Rituals, and Remedies by Rebecca Beyer and know it's a book many of you will want to add to your shelf, even if you are not from the South East. Wild Witchcraft is available for pre-order now and will be released May 10, 2022. If you are interested in learning more about Beyer, signing up for one of her classes, or interested in her other works, visit her at Blood and Spicebush.

What a great new source for me! Well researched and well written. The author brings new life to info that could get stale.

This is a well-explained and carefully-researched book about Traditional Witchcraft, the practice of using natural elements for medicine and magic. I appreciated Beyer's introduction and autobiography in her interest in becoming and witch and how she went about it, fully aware of and also willing to engage with science and modern methodologies of lore and ethnography. The lists of plans for spellwork and medicine are thoughtful and superbly described and will be of use to many people. Having grown up in Appalachia, I was familiar with a few of the ideas and materials Beyer lists here, and it was wonderful to learn more and to encounter new plants and concepts for their use.

I need this book in my library!! I have been pagan for almost 30 years an this is an amazing book to add to my collection. This was an amazing collection of spells, rituals, and remedies just like the title says. It would be a gem for any witch being she/he be new or advanced.

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer takes you on a journey in becoming more connected with the natural world through folk herbalism. She does this by sharing how she has connected to the land through her ancestral roots in Appalachia.

To form these deeper connections with nature that are so important to wild witch crafting, she details the following:

- the history of witchcraft & western herbalism
- how to begin your journey with folk herbalism
- how to start and maintain your own herbal garden
- how to & best practices for beginning foraging
- recipes for tincture, teas, salves, and other potions
- spells, remedies, & rituals created to weave all these together through the Wheel of the Year

PROS

There was a lot to like about this book.

The author isn’t a run of the mill, self proclaimed expert on the subject of herbalism and foraging. She has credentials to back the knowledge she shares in these pages. She has a BS in Plant & Soil Science from the University of Vermont and a Masters in Appalachian Studies and Sustainability, concentrating in Appalachian Ethnobotany at Appalachian State University. She also is a member of the Association of Foragers. With this, you get information that is knowledgeable and sourced.

Not to mention, the author has a knack for weaving interesting stories together with her plant knowledge and history. I found this a quick and insightful read.

The author also understands the importance of accountability by acknowledging the issue of cultural appropriation and making a huge point of addressing this along with encouraging good stewardship of the environment.

There was much to learn as the author detailed indigenous as well as European and African history which helped to form the herbal recipes, remedies, spells, rituals, and holidays discussed in the book. For example, Jack-o-Lantern carving for Samhain originally did not include pumpkins but used turnips (an Irish tradition), as pumpkins were originally just a staple food for indigenous people in North America.

CONS

The only drawback was the lack of imagery to help with identifying plants mentioned in the foraging section. Some basics at least would have been helpful.

Would I recommend?

4/5 stars. I would recommended this book to anyone interested in folk witchcraft especially from an Appalachian lens. It’s very responsible in its voice giving a modern perspective by addressing cultural appropriation, environmental concerns, and colonialism. It is a wealth of information but could use some pictures/illustrations to help better explain certain details with plant identification.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**

3.5-4 stars. Fascinating, floral, and informative.

This book explores the different names, uses, and varieties of plants, flora, and herbs. It also includes tips for foraging, such as tools, identification, and associated histories of various plants. Additionally, there are recipes for homemade remedies, such as dandelion tonic and lemon balm tinctures.
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As other reviewers have stated, this book reads like an Herbalism 101 book. Easy to digest for new readers.

FORMAT ISSUES: For those like me who downloaded the protected PDF onto their laptops, I have to say that I do not enjoy the screen-width format as it is very jarring and hard to read.

This book was more than I expected! Sometimes when you see a beautiful cover and a title like that you think that what you're getting is a bunch of potions, like the movies. I was so wrong!!!! This book goes deep in information about plant, your garden, the folklore and history, and then some powerful recipes. This book is a gem!
Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY

Great reference book, for basic knowledge and beginners. Organized well, well written for all levels of reading. Recommend this book to all who want to explore the topics covered in this book. I can tell the author researched and kept an unbiased opinion with facts and was knowledgeable about content.

A great book with a wealth of knowledge. I really liked that acknowledged the many cultural influences in the herbs and plants used and encouraged culturally sensitive use as well as sustainable foraging.

This book is beautiful! I love the history as well as the modern day information that they added. I do wish they had some black and white graphics to help identify some of the plants and herbs but other than that the information was very much useful.

Wild Witchcraft is a book that I have been waiting for. Growing my own herbs and simple recipes is important to me. The problem has always been its easier to buy herbs tha to grow them. I dont have a green thumb and needed advice on how to actually do the growing and have some success. Ms Beyer has brought forth a book that is the first Ive read that actually discusses the importance of compost and how to enrich your soil. No wonder the only plants I can grow are considered weeds! Growing supposed weeds is also important and they ahve a place in the natural world that is very important. I didnt understand the nature of plants and their needs and energies but I do now. Full of important information and ideas for making healthful choices to use common plants daily is given. Also the warnings that everyone needs to hear when starting out on growing your own herbs and learning about plants are also given. This book is meant to be used IMO and I now have ideas for Spring and starting my own garden. This book explains anyone can grow plants. You dont need a lot of room but you need a plan and good soil .This book was fun to read and very engaging also. It takes you through the steps and the possible outcomes. Great book for becoming self sufficient in the herbal cupboard.

A beautiful and comprehensive introduction to the powers found in the natural world. With guides on growing, identifying, and using herbs and plants, as well as their history, Wild Witchcraft is and excellent resource.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

An extremely comprehensive tome for green witchcraft that covers history, technique, ethics, the whole nine yards. The gardening advice would even appeal to non-witches. No fluff, very practical guide.

This book would make a great gift for anyone in your live how is looking to explore a little bit of a deeper meaning of life. While I don't consider myself a practitioner of witchcraft, I have found so much knowledge in these types of books. I believe the herbs and their uses section of this book is one I will revisit often!