Have you been wondering whether or not to read The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Here is my 3 Part Book Review! You’re reading part 1 of 3. I LOVE this book! It’s not too woo wooey, and has a basis in the real world. It also explains what the Green Witch Path is in such a beautiful modern way.
This is a little bit of a witchy book review. I have finally finished The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
I really really liked this book. I wasn’t sure if I was gonna like it at first. I wasn’t sure if it was gonna be “woo wooie” you know what I mean? Sometimes things are just too out there for me. I used to really love that stuff and in the current season of my life, I find myself more grounded in reality, the natural world around me and how things actually physically affect me. In a scientific way and also in an emotional way.
I thought that this book was amazing. There were only a few parts that I just glossed over because it got a little too woo woo for me. So, if you’re looking for a witchy book that is not too woo woo, then check this out.
Some links in this article are affiliate links, this means I earn a small commission if you use them! Affiliate Links are one way I am able to provide videos, articles, and resources for free. Other links go straight to the Owls & Indigo Shop where you can support me directly.
Whether you’re witchy or not, this is an amazing book to have in your collection for DIY herb knowledge.
The book is a really great addition to your shelf for DIY Self Care, Homemade Body Products, and of course for transforming your space with scent, which I have talked about before.
One of the reasons why I really love this book is because when I was reading it, I found myself underlining everything. I was making so many notes in this book! If you are a hedge witch, green witch, kitchen witch, or just someone who is looking for DIY natural recipes, this is a book to get. (Along with other regular herbal encyclopedias and herbal medicinal books too)
Another thing that I really liked about this book is, it explained the path of the green witch in a natural reality based way, how you can connect to the land, and connect to the foods that you’re putting in your body. And the foods that you’re growing and consuming. I grew up on a farm, so having a connection to nature, the land, and to food is really important to me.
I haven’t delved into the magical associations in the book because it just feels a little too woo woo to me, but I do love the folklore and folk traditions of herbs and what they represent. Which reminds me of the Practical Magic quote:
“…Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.”
― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
I really love that because it really is about the practicality of magic and the practicality of spirituality. I definitely resonate with that more. My spiritual practices are more grounded in the natural world, how things are physically affecting me and how they scientifically affect me. The associations part is just fun. It’s fun to have those little tidbits of information too.
This book is all about being in tune with the earth, nature and everything around you. That really really resonates with me.
There’s a lot of really great recipes in here. There’s a self-care recipes like body scrubs, oils and things like that, which is something that I’ve always been interested in. There’s also tea recipes, food (meal) recipes and an a bunch of things that I am looking forward to trying.
I’ve had my own apothecary for a while now. I have a collection of herbs that I use to make teas for myself during the winter time especially. These teas that I make have ingredients that you can find in the prepackaged teas from brands like Traditional Medicinals or Yogi Teas. I actually like going to those two brands when I don’t have time to make a collection of herbs for myself or if I’m traveling and I’m not at home with my apothecary. I know what type of herbs will actually soothe my throat, help with a headache, indigestion, or menstrual issues. I’ll go look for those ingredients in prepackaged teas and pick up a box of the tea while I’m traveling.
The Green Witch has tea recipes as well. There’s also recipes for things like milkbaths, bath bombs, etc. Which I’m not necessarily into. I’m more of a shower person. What I like to do as a replacement for bath bombs is make little shower melts that have eucalyptus in them. I really like them for winter time or when I have a cold because the eucalyptus will help clear out your sinuses. Pop them in your shower and as they melt they’ll bring up the eucalyptus smell and fill the shower with the steam. It really helps clear out your sinuses. It’s also just a really nice self-care practice and is a nice scent to use as well. I like to use scent a lot in my practices, read here for a more in-depth explanation about how I use scent in my practices; in the magical and the mundane.
This book also has flower syrups, drinking vinegars (I can’t wait to try those), and flower sugars. I have tapered myself off of refined sugars so I might use the flower sugar recipes as a sugar scrub base.
I highly recommend this book, it’s not very woo wooie, it is definitely a more nature-based, grounded book. It talks about how you can connect to nature through the land, in your kitchen and with the ingredients that you put on your body and into your body.
I highly recommend this book, you should definitely get it if you are anything like me.
What are you doing today to connect to your spirituality?
L I N K S M E N T I O N E D
