For the ancient Druids, the healing and magical properties of herbs were inseparable from the cycles of the seasons, the movements of the planets and the progression of a human life.
A Druid?s Herbal shows how to use herbs when creating rituals to celebrate festivals and significant life passages such as births, house blessings, weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies.
Drawing on extensive research and a deep personal experience with Pagan traditions, Ellen Evert Hopman explores the history and folklore surrounding the eight major Celtic festivals: Samhain, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltaine, Summer Solstice, Lugnasad and Fall Equinox. Included are complete instructions on the medicinal and magical uses of the herbs associated with each celebration.
The author suggests ways to incorporate the symbolic and magical power of herbs into personal rituals that honor all phases of life from childbirth to last rites. Also included are chapters on preparing herbal tinctures, salves and poultices; herbs used by the Druids; herbal alchemy and the planets; and the relationships between herbs and sacred places.
Filled with practical information and imaginative suggestions for using herbs for healing, ceremony and magic, this book is an indispensable guide to age-old herbal practices.
