My Top 3 Herb Books for Absolute Beginners

Edit: You can find an ever-growing list of resources on my list of Herbal Books for Beginners & Students.

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If I had to choose only three books to recommend to someone just beginning their Traditional Western Herbalism (TWH) studies I would first cry about having to choose only three books, then, after a period of tears and snorfeling, I would get on with it.

(Looking for my recommendations on astrology books for beginners - come this way!)

So why do I recommend the following three books to an absolute herbal beginner? First, they are easy to read and are broad in their scope. They are written with the beginner in mind with plenty of tools to help someone understand basic TWH terminology as well as simple instructions for making herbal remedies. Second, each book addresses common health complaints that can be addressed with simple herbal remedies like a cup of tea or basic herbal oil. And, finally, they are inspiring as any great herbal book should be. All of these books are easily a series of classes within themselves and are ones that I still reference. Of course there is a special magick and the benefits of oral tradition when you sit in-person with a teacher during a live class, but the first few years of my herbal studies were solely within the realm of books (youtube hadn't even been created yet, kiddos, and you would travel around the interwebs via things called webrings to find related sites). Books are brilliant gateways to start (and continue and develop) your herbal studies through. I hope you're feeling inspired!

My Top 3 Herb Books for Absolute Beginners

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, and Other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family by Rosemary Gladstar

Rosemary Gladstar is a legend within the TWH community and rightfully so. She revived modern TWH in the United States, creating California School of Herbal Studies, the International Herb Symposium, the New England Women's Herbal Conference, the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center, and United Plant Savers. She did all that while writing (and continuing to write) some of the best herb books you could have the honor of gracing your bookshelves. Oh, and Traditional Medicinals tea that you see stocked in most holistic food stores - she co-founded that company, too. 

I could've recommended a number of Rosemary's books for this post (including a newer one geared specifically towards beginners called Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use which is really great), but her Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health is such an excellent compendium of knowledge. She covers everything from everyday complaints to creating your own beauty products to making remedies for all stages of life and the end of the book is a very user-friendly materia medica. The recipes are excellent and one of the appendixes is dedicated to remedy-making techniques including dosage information. My copy of her book (which was previously titled Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health, and Vitality) is well-loved and I have been recommending it to my students for years.

The Complete Herbal Tutor: The ideal companion for study and practice by Anne McIntyre

I am such a fan of Anne McIntyre. She has written more than one of my favorite books on herbalism. McIntyre also possesses deep knowledge within both TWH and Ayurveda helping both traditions to converse with one another (her book Dispensing with Tradition: A Practitioner’s Guide to using Indian and Western Herbs the Ayurvedic Way is a treasure!). What is great about McIntyre is that she possesses a very organized mind which lends itself well to print. Her Complete Herbal Tutor is concise, clear, abundantly useful, and is one of the books that I ask my apprentices to buy.

The book covers a brief world history of herbalism, herbal preparation techniques, and a healthy materia medica. What I really love about The Complete Herbal Tutor for beginners is that she organizes her study of herbs by body system so that you are given a coherent introduction to body systems along with looking at herbal remedies for common complaints all from a holistic, the-body-is-an-interconnected-intelligent-being (instead of a machine) point-of-view. The chapter on the respiratory system, for example, looks at general health of the respiratory system and then discusses herbal remedies for such complaints as the common cold, asthma, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and more. The book is also beautifully illustrated with easy to understand graphics as well as photos of the herbs featured in the book. 

Anne McIntyre is a practitioner who is both deeply comfortable with medical studies, terminology, and perspectives as well as being enamored with the more mystical sides of herbalism. If you're into herbal remedies with a floral focus, she has also written another one of my favorite herbals, Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul Through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences. 

Herbal Rituals by Judith Berger

I wanted to include at least one book that focused more on herbal stories than recipes. A book on herbal being rather than doing. I had heard about Judith Berger's book and how wonderful it was supposed to be long before I ever held a copy in my hands. It had been out of print for a long time and used copies were ridiculously expensive. I got lucky one day, though, and thrifted a cheap copy. It is truly as delightful as I had been told and I am so happy that it has been re-released as an ebook. Berger writes a chapter for each month of the year, weaving in reflections of her Brooklyn childhood, with stories of plants friends she has made of the years along with sweet and simple recipes. It is important to be told and read stories about herbs for that is the way that we have collected and passed on herbal knowledge for longer than our modern materia medicas. To re-member how to be plant stories and be materia medicas and be the possibilities of healing. 

It was hard choosing which herbal book that focused on story to put on this list, but in an agreement to myself (#selflove) I have promised to write about some of my favorite herbal stories and autobiographies in a later post. Berger's book is one of the friendliest which is why it made the list - it feels like a warm cup of tea and a chat with a good friend.

So those are my top three recommendations, my brave-hearted beginners!

If you can, support your local bookshop by purchasing these titles from there or from other indie online booksellers (Better World Books and Powell's* are lots of fun!). 

* LET'S ALL GO TO POWELL'S AND BE AMONGST THE BOOKS AND BUY TOO MANY AND THEN GO AND GET TEA TOGETHER. OK? OK!

The year ahead for the fully enchanted world of the Apothecary...

I'm back from my winter travels - including moving house from Long Beach to Sacramento, CA! Heck yeah!

I never thought I would live in northern CA, but I feel pretty lucky these days to be in such a lovely city surrounded by trees, mountains, and valleys. Basil, the Apothecary hound, is somewhat unsure about the rain (I think he thinks we're trying to trick him into an outside shower) but he has a new big yard full of trees to run around in so he just got his own personal dog park. I've already been mapping out my explorations of the city by visiting all the tea, coffee, and book shops. Any suggestions? Be sure to comment below!

So what does 2016 hold for the Apothecary?

• In-person classes!

  • One of the great things about Sacramento is that there are a lot more accessible teaching spaces (including the possibilities of an urban farm - but more on that later!) which means I'll be teaching in-person classes again, including some exciting new Califia Collective projects. Check out a sampling of my previous offerings on my Classes page. My Magick Mail subscribers get early sign-up access for all of my classes as well as recipes, tutorials, and freebies in their brand-new secret subscriber's-only page (keep scrolling to learn more).

• More Plant Ally Projects!

  • The Plant Ally Project: Thirty Day Challenge is one of my most popular blog posts of all time! The feedback has been great and folks have been sharing their journeys with the hashtag #PlantAllyProject. I'll be posting new Plant Ally Projects throughout the year including figuring out what your indispensable herbs are and creating home apothecaries.

• More stars!

  • My Astroherbology series has been super popular hit with readers which I'm thrilled about because I love writing about stars and plants! I'll be finishing up my zodiac profiles this spring. Start your journey through the amazing world of medical astrology with an herbal focus with my introduction to astroherbology.

• Growing the new Magick Mail Members-Only Page!

  • I just started the new not-so-super-secret Magick Mail Members Area that you get exclusive access to just for joining my mailing list. It'll feature exclusive mini ecourses, recipes, worksheets, and more! I've already uploaded labels for you to use for your herbal creations and will be posting one of my favorite vinegar-based herbal recipes (hint: it'll help you be tough as nails) later this month.

• More recipes + tutorials!

  • I'm growing my popular recipes + tutorials section of the blog, starting this month with some of my favorite vinegar-based recipes. You can find some of my favorite recipes, including my most beloved herbs for starting the day, in my fine collection of ebooks.

• Continued expansion of the Lunar Apothecary!

  • My in-depth and in-expensive ecourse and exclusive learning community is one of my favorite spaces to dwell on the web. Clever ones, if you're looking to connect with herbal medicine and magick in a way that invites you to step into your power and celebrate your unique qualities as an herbalist, the Lunar Apothecary is for you. I, along with a circle of wise-ones, am available to answer questions, offer insights, and help guide you on your journey. There are medicine-making tutorials, plant profiles, guided meditations, bi-monthly newsletters, explorations of astroherbology, community forums, and tons of recipes and rituals with new content adding regularly throughout the year. And at a little more than $10 a month with the option of payment plans for folks who are in financial need, it's a space that I've purposefully priced low to keep it accessible. Sign-up today!

• I'll be opening up my small private-practice again to new herbal clients.

  • During the latter half of the year I'll be taking on new private herbal clients which I haven't done for quite some time, but I'm excited to open my practice again to new folks!

• The premier of the Tarot Apothecary!

  • I am working on a new ecourse that'll be available later this year! The Tarot Apothecary is all about the art of Tarot combined with herbal medicine and magick. Curious? Check out my Tarot Herbology series that I wrote for Little Red Tarot to get a taste of what we might learn when we combine the sacred art of card-casting and plant medicine. Be the first to learn about the Tarot Apothecary (plus some special discounts for the course when it premiers) by signing up for my Magick Mail.

How exciting is all that!?

I'll be back to my regular posting blog posting schedule by the end of the month, including my newest Astroherbology profile on Capricorn! What are you excited about in 2016? Comment below! 

Whatever adventures you get up to this year I wish you well on your journey, I hope you get all the tea you need to keep you warm and nourished as you travel, and may you always remember your wisdom wherever you find yourself.

Starry-Hearted + Wild-Rooted : An Intro to Astroherbology

What is Astroherbology?

Astroherbology is the art of using astrological wisdom to inform and influence medicinal and magickal herb and wellness choices. The practice of medical astrology has been around as long as we have been practicing medicine but the form of medical astrology practiced in the west was largely, but not exclusively, formalized in ancient Greece but reflects the greater cultural contributions of Mediterranean, North African, Central and West Asian peoples. It was largely through the work of Arab scholars and healers that Greek healing tradition was preserved, expanded upon, and introduced to Europeans, paving the way for famous medical astrologers and herbalists like Nicholas Culpeper. (1) There are medical astrology traditions throughout the world, including those within Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, but my training is with the traditional western herbalism system so that is the foundation from which I teach and which my writings on astroherbology are based.

How does it work?

The primary tool of the astroherbologist is the natal or birth chart of the person that they are serving. The natal chart represents the tools, dispositions, weaknesses, and strengths that person is born with. A natal chart is static and unchanging, but an astroherbologist would pay attention to the current movements of the stars and planets and their affects on the natal chart as these pass over and aspect the natal chart. Yup, you’re the center of the universe in a medical astrology reading (but you already knew that…).

Just like a regular herbologist, an astroherbologist or medical astrology practitioner, will examine your intake form, physical observations (such as tongue, pulse, and skin conditions), and ask lots of questions about your current health concerns. All of this information will be compared to the natal chart and the astroherbologist will begin to track inherent weaknesses and strengths as well as the current affects of planets passing over your chart right now and in the near future. Your general feeling of sluggishness might have appeared suddenly because of a transit of Neptune over your chart. Or a natal chart may have lots and lots of fire, but little water, so a client may want to do more water-based activities (cool baths and swimming, tea-based medicines, and visiting the jimjilbang regularly) to balance out an overheated state that has led to chronic inflammation in the body. Astroherbology is especially effective in tracking down illnesses that seem to have no easily identifiable root cause as well as helping clients become aware of upcoming transits that might hinder or benefit health (such as prepping and living in your Saturn Returns with lots of adaptogens as your herbal allies, clever one).

Why does it work?

The sacred mystery of medical astrology is summed up succinctly by the simple words from the Emerald Tablet:

 As Above, So Below

"As Above" is the celestial while "So Below" is the terrestrial - the celestial reflects the terrestrial and vice versa. Just why the stars show us patterns of our earthly experience and why our earthly experience can be seen in the stars is where everything gets more complicated. Part of it is observational and seasonal - the starry display of the sky changes as our planet gently rotates, marking the change of seasons which affect not only the great macrocosm of the universe, but the microcosm of our own personal universe composed of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual experiences. Some say that the stars and planets themselves affect us by “throwing of rays” of energy and color that harmonize, neutralize, and disrupt our energy and the energy of our home planet. Others suspect that there is something occurring on the quantum level that we don’t understand yet. To be honest, I don't know why exactly astroherbology works. What I do know is that it is very useful. Astroherbology has provided me with traditional and brand new language to describe imbalances, healing journeys, and tools that we’ll need along the way. It is a fantastic storytelling device as well as actually working. In an eerily accurate sort of way or wonderfully right-on depending on what sort of mood you’re in.

If you've ever read your horoscope, you've experienced the story-telling powers of astrology. Through the story-telling of astrology we can learn about the gifts of the Moon in the sign of Mighty Goatfish (also known as Capricorn) and tap into the revolutionary powers of a Waxing Quarter Moon in Aries. We can learn more about ourselves and experience our experiences in ways that affirm our gifts, our intuitions, and our inherent value as humyn creatures.

How do I learn more?

I've written a series profiling each sign of the zodiac from an astroherbology perspective - check it out! 

You can also learn more about the relationship between the stars and our physical forms with my exploration of the Astrological Body.

There are a number of books on the market covering medical astrology and particularly astroherbology. I recommend getting a copy of Nicolas Culpeper’s Complete Herbal since modern western astroherbology and magickal herbology pulls much of its astrological correspondences and inspiration for further categorization from his work. And Culpeper can be a lot of fun (think melancholic, rebellious, and snarky Englishman who wasn’t very popular with the authorities) and is just an all-around useful foundational text for Traditional Western Herbalism. Judith Hill is a medical astrologer and herbalist who has written many book on the subject and teaches an online course of the art. She has also teamed up with Matthew Wood and created a The Renaissance Medicine Conference that is full of interesting classes. The Portland Astrology School is also beginning to offer more and more classes on herbs, essences, and astrology including their first Medical Astrology Conference. They are also a queer affirming space that addresses so many of the issues that kept me away from studying astrology for so long – the patriarchal heteronormativity of it all turned me off for a long time until I began to find more astrologers practicing in a binary-free, queer, and multi-cultural way (speaking of which - holy heck, check out Chani Nicholas right now for an example of such profoundly resonant and healing astrological work). Speaking of queering things up, have you heard about the Queer Astrology Conference yet? Now you have and I hope very much you're able to make it there one of these years! If you’re wanting to get your toes wet and learn about astroherbology from a lunar perspective (the Moon is our truest self and story in astrology), come check out my course on Moon-centered herbalism to help you discover who you are as a healer.

What's next?

So begins my new series on astroherbology! I'll be covering each of the signs of the zodiac throughout the year starting with Aries. Below I've also listed a short list of useful books and websites for the study of medical astrology and astroherbology. Study along with me, set some learning goals in a supportive community, and let's go to the stars, clever ones!

Footnotes

(1) A History of Herbal Medicine for Herbalists by Candis Cantin

References + Resources

The following are a selection of resources geared towards the beginner that I have found useful. The list below is in no ways exhaustive. I have yet to find a medical astrology resource that is does not rely on gender-binary and heteronormative language, so apply your filters as needed. If you have found such a resource or have further medical astrology and astroherbology recommendations for beginners or advanced students alike, please comment below!

• Skyscript's Guide to Free Astrology Books including a number of medical astrology texts.

• Medical Astrology + Astrological Medicine by Peter Morrell

• Aux Mailles Godefroy is an incredible resource not only for medical astrology, but for anyone interested in the arts and sciences of European Renaissance period. 

• Encyclopaedia of Medical Astrology by H.L. Cornell, M.D. 

• Medical Astrology by Judith Hill

• Earth Mother Astrology by Marcia Starck

• Astrology: Key to Holistic Health by Marcia Starck

• A Handbook of Medical Astrology by Jane Ridder-Patrick

Everything We Need is Here

"The plants don't speak as one voice, but essentially they "say" that they are here to help and guide us in healing ourselves. They teach that everything we need is already here. They guide us to be who we came here to be, both individually and as a species, and to share our gifts of beauty freely, for the benefit of all, as they do.

There is a heartbreaking amount of deathing going on in our time, and it will continue. However, just beneath the surface there is a great rebirthing happening from within people, and it will become more and more visible over time. We are each more than we seem to be. The time we live in is full of promise, and many people are feeling the call to fall back in love with life on Earth.  Choose to renew and pursue your sense of connection with the immanent Spirit that is within everything on Earth, for Earth holds the key to opening your heart to joy, and joy awakens your spiritual wisdom."

an excerpt from Robin Rose Bennett