The Apothecary of Belonging: Seasonal Rituals & Practical Herbalism by Alexis J. Cunningfolk
Friends!
I wrote a book!
While you can find the official description below, if you want a peak behind the scenes of book writing and why I chose to write a book in the first place, come this way.
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The Apothecary of Belonging: Seasonal Rituals & Practical Herbalism is an invitation to reconnect to the land, our bodies, and our communities through the seasons, helping us find our way back home to our own embodied rhythms.
Working from the foundation that by being of the land, we have always belonged, Alexis J. Cunningfolk invites us to engage with the changing seasons within and around us as a profound reconciliation of all parts of ourselves.
Part seasonal guidebook with a focus on earth-centered magick and part practical herbal rooted in the diverse foundations of traditional western herbalism, The Apothecary of Belonging blends easy-to-access herbalism with observational inner work, helping us to map pathways of liberatory wisdom, whole body well-being, and transformative kinship. Throughout, you'll find methods for combining seasonal herbalism for physical vitality alongside magickal practices to support personal healing and community empowerment.
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βThe Apothecary of Belonging is no ordinary herbal manual. It is a beautifully written journey of exploration through the seasons and has a profound understanding of the intimate relationship between body and land and how that relationshipβwhen nurtured and listened toβcan offer us healing and a deeper sense of connection and embodiment. Alexis has a wealth of herbal knowledge but also an acute sensitivity and wisdom that offers new insights, not only into the plant world and the gifts of these extraordinary allies but also into those deeper layers of healing that come when we recognize that we are not only of the land in a bodily sense but also that the landscape is within us at every level of being.β
~ Philip Carr-Gomm
former Chosen Chief of OBOD & author of Druid Mysteries
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Whatβs Inside
Along with chapters exploring traditional western herbalism energetics, working with plant allies, and creating your own oracle of belonging, each seasonal chapter includes:
πΏ Plant ally profiles written from the perspective of an intersectional herbalist who practices the full spectrum of traditional western herbalism from modern evidence-based care to folkloric studies and magickal practice
πΏ An indications-based guide to plant allies for common seasonal ailments with over 70 herbs to build your seasonal apothecary
πΏ Herbal remedy suggestions for community clinics and household apothecaries
πΏ Simple tea recipes to support your energy season to season
πΏ Rituals for solo or community practice that focus on interconnection and hope
πΏ Opportunities for sacred inquiry through divination and journaling
πΏ Lunar blessings to support your remedy-making throughout the year
Speaking to the common yearning for kinship and connection, The Apothecary of Belonging is a practical seasonal herbal, a book of magick, and a love letter to those who feel lost in these unsteady times, reminding us that we can always find our way back home to each other.
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βI didnβt expect The Apothecary of Belonging to bring me to tears, but it did just a few sentences in. Alexis J. Cunningfolk writes βby being of the land, we have always belonged.β The wisdom and rightness of those words made my shoulders drop, my breath deepen, and my eyes well up. In this moment when so many of us are feeling disconnected, isolated, and afraid, Alexis offers a profound gift, helping us remember our belongingβto the earth, to each other, to our ancestors that came before us, and to the generations to come. This book is both balm and grimoire, guiding readers to practice embodied relationship with the seasons, our plant allies and kin, and by extension, all to whom we belong. Iβm deeply appreciative of how Alexis weaves herbal remedies, rituals, and spells, for both individual and collective healing. Written with exquisite clarity and warm humor, this book offers myriad insights for both new and experienced herbalists. It will be a treasured resource on my bookshelf.β
~ Tamiko Beyer
coeditor of Poetry as Spellcasting: Poems, Essays, and Prompts for Manifesting Liberation and Reclaiming Power and author of Last Days
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The Apothecary of Belonging is available everywhere books are sold or can be borrowed. Support your local bookstore, request it at your library, and find it at major booksellers like:
Want a Sneak Peak?
Preview the first 40 pages of The Apothecary of Belonging including the introduction, a chapter on working with plant allies, and exploring the energetics of an earth-centered practice.
Reviews
βThe Apothecary of Belonging is no ordinary herbal manual. It is a beautifully written journey of exploration through the seasons and has a profound understanding of the intimate relationship between body and land and how that relationshipβwhen nurtured and listened toβcan offer us healing and a deeper sense of connection and embodiment. Alexis has a wealth of herbal knowledge but also an acute sensitivity and wisdom that offers new insights, not only into the plant world and the gifts of these extraordinary allies but also into those deeper layers of healing that come when we recognize that we are not only of the land in a bodily sense but also that the landscape is within us at every level of being.β
~ Philip Carr-Gomm
former Chosen Chief of OBOD & author of Druid Mysteries
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βWith The Apothecary of Belonging, Alexis invites us to a relationship with ourselves, each other, and the land that holds us unerringly. Within this invitation, you will find yourself more than well-resourced with recipes, rituals, and remembrance. We are reminded that we are not separate from the land, that in fact we are land-bodies that yearn for reconnection with the natural βoutsideβ world we falsely separate ourselves from. Reach out confidently to plant allies with Alexisβs expert guidance that reminds us that the outside world belongs within us as well, that the separation was always a construct meant to fall away, that we belong to each other in reciprocity, and that this work of love may actually save us all.β
~ Asali Earthwork
creator of Asali Earthwork and the Tarot of the QTPOC
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βAlexis teaches us that everything is woven together, from the herb and plant allies, to the psyches of those calling on them, to the community at large moving around and through them, to the land that nourishes and grows them. This book is a wonderful treatise.β
~ Arin Murphy-Hiscock
author of The Green Witch
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βThere are countless herbals to be found, many drawn through historic reference and tradition. This one has a broader sense of rootedness that gives it value. Described from the integrated perspective where human and nonhuman are simply part of the fabric of nature, it allows for a vision and experience of healing that is deeper and fuller than human intelligence allows. Offering that reforming embrace within nature, Alexisβs book is worthy of immersion.β
~ Emma Restall Orr
The Wakeful World: Animism, Mind and the Self in Nature
βThis is a great book for both the lay person and practitioners wanting to deepen their connection to their land and the cycles of nature. The four seasons are broken down into practical information, meditations, stages of life, and much more. Creating an apothecary of belonging is a must in every household. Highly recommended.β
~ Elisabeth Brooke
author of Traditional Western Herbal Medicine
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βI didnβt expect The Apothecary of Belonging to bring me to tears, but it did just a few sentences in. Alexis J. Cunningfolk writes βby being of the land, we have always belonged.β The wisdom and rightness of those words made my shoulders drop, my breath deepen, and my eyes well up. In this moment when so many of us are feeling disconnected, isolated, and afraid, Alexis offers a profound gift, helping us remember our belongingβto the earth, to each other, to our ancestors that came before us, and to the generations to come. This book is both balm and grimoire, guiding readers to practice embodied relationship with the seasons, our plant allies and kin, and by extension, all to whom we belong. Iβm deeply appreciative of how Alexis weaves herbal remedies, rituals, and spells, for both individual and collective healing. Written with exquisite clarity and warm humor, this book offers myriad insights for both new and experienced herbalists. It will be a treasured resource on my bookshelf.β
~ Tamiko Beyer
coeditor of Poetry as Spellcasting: Poems, Essays, and Prompts for Manifesting Liberation and Reclaiming Power and author of Last Days
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