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The Sacred Herbs of Samhain: Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead
A practical guide to using the sacred herbs of Samhain for healing, divination, purification, protection, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits
• Explores the identification, harvest, and safe practical and ritual use of more than 70 plants and trees sacred to the Celtic festival of Samhain, the origin of Halloween
• Details the most effective plants for protection from the mischief of Fairies, herbs for releasing the Dead, and visionary plants for divination and shamanic work
• Provides instructions and suggestions for a traditional Dumb Supper, offerings to the Land Spirits, Samhain rites, and recipes for the sacred foods of Samhain
The ancient Celts separated the year into two halves, the light half and the dark half, summer and winter. The festival of Samhain, from which the modern holiday of Halloween originates, marks the transition from summer to winter, the end of the Celtic year, a time when the barriers between the physical and spiritual world are at their most transparent. The herbs most characteristic of this time have specific magical and healing properties that echo the darker aspect of the year and offer potent opportunities for divination, contact with ancestors and Land Spirits, and journeys in the Otherworld.
Presenting a practical guide to the sacred herbs and trees of Samhain, Ellen Evert Hopman details the identification, harvest, and use of more than 70 plants and trees in healing, divination, purification, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits wandering the landscape at this liminal time of year. She explores the most effective plants for protection from the mischief of the “Good Neighbors,” the Sidhe or Fairies, as well as herbs for releasing the Dead when they are trapped on this plane. Identifying visionary plants used to induce ecstatic trance, Hopman explores how herbs have been used for millennia to aid in psychic travel and shamanic work and shows how one might safely use plants to take a voyage to the Otherworld. Drawing on her knowledge as a master herbalist, she also includes cautions to prevent harm and misidentification, along with advice on basic etiquette and common sense approaches to herb magic.
Detailing the history, rites, and traditions of Samhain, Hopman explains how to make an offering to the Land Spirits and provides instructions for the traditional Samhain ritual of the Dumb Supper, complete with recipes for the sacred foods of Samhain, such as Soul Cakes, Colcannon, Boxty bread, and dandelion wine. Woven throughout with mystical tales of folk, Fairy, and sacred herbs, this guide offers each of us practical and magical ways to connect with Nature, the plant kingdom, the Spirits that surround us, and the turning of the year.
• Explores the identification, harvest, and safe practical and ritual use of more than 70 plants and trees sacred to the Celtic festival of Samhain, the origin of Halloween
• Details the most effective plants for protection from the mischief of Fairies, herbs for releasing the Dead, and visionary plants for divination and shamanic work
• Provides instructions and suggestions for a traditional Dumb Supper, offerings to the Land Spirits, Samhain rites, and recipes for the sacred foods of Samhain
The ancient Celts separated the year into two halves, the light half and the dark half, summer and winter. The festival of Samhain, from which the modern holiday of Halloween originates, marks the transition from summer to winter, the end of the Celtic year, a time when the barriers between the physical and spiritual world are at their most transparent. The herbs most characteristic of this time have specific magical and healing properties that echo the darker aspect of the year and offer potent opportunities for divination, contact with ancestors and Land Spirits, and journeys in the Otherworld.
Presenting a practical guide to the sacred herbs and trees of Samhain, Ellen Evert Hopman details the identification, harvest, and use of more than 70 plants and trees in healing, divination, purification, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits wandering the landscape at this liminal time of year. She explores the most effective plants for protection from the mischief of the “Good Neighbors,” the Sidhe or Fairies, as well as herbs for releasing the Dead when they are trapped on this plane. Identifying visionary plants used to induce ecstatic trance, Hopman explores how herbs have been used for millennia to aid in psychic travel and shamanic work and shows how one might safely use plants to take a voyage to the Otherworld. Drawing on her knowledge as a master herbalist, she also includes cautions to prevent harm and misidentification, along with advice on basic etiquette and common sense approaches to herb magic.
Detailing the history, rites, and traditions of Samhain, Hopman explains how to make an offering to the Land Spirits and provides instructions for the traditional Samhain ritual of the Dumb Supper, complete with recipes for the sacred foods of Samhain, such as Soul Cakes, Colcannon, Boxty bread, and dandelion wine. Woven throughout with mystical tales of folk, Fairy, and sacred herbs, this guide offers each of us practical and magical ways to connect with Nature, the plant kingdom, the Spirits that surround us, and the turning of the year.
216 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2019
15 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Evert Hopman
28 books162 followersEllen Evert Hopman is a Master Herbalist and lay Homeopath who holds an
M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling. She is a certified writing instructor
through Amherst Writers and Artists. She is Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak www.tribeoftheoak.com, a Druidic teaching Order, and was a former Co-chief
of the Whiteoak Druid Order (Ord na Darach Gile) and Vice President of
The Henge Of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years. She
is the founder of the Whiteoak internet mailing list, an on-line Druid ethics study
group, and a co-founder of The Order of the Whiteoak (Ord Na Darach Gile)
www.whiteoakdruids.org. She is also a co-founder of the North East Druid
Coalition
She is the author of a trilogy of Iron Age Druid novels; Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey, The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Fire Temple - a Druid's Tale.
Her books on trees include a revised and expanded new edition of Tree Medicine Tree Magic (Pendraig Publishing) and
A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine (Destiny books/Inner Traditions Bear
and Company)
Her other books include;
Secret Medicines from your Garden (Healing Arts Press), Secret Medicines of your Kitchen (mPower Publishing), The Sacred Herbs of Samhain (Destiny Books) The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine (Destiny Books), Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing), A Legacy of Druids (Moon Books),
A Druid's Herbal For the Sacred Earth Year ( Inner Traditions/Destiny Books ),
Being a Pagan (with Lawrence Bond)(Inner Traditions/Destiny Books), Walking
The World In Wonder - A Children's Herbal (Healing Arts Press), she is a
co-author of Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard (Newpage Books).
She has released the
video/DVDs Gifts From the Healing Earth and Pagans -the Wheel of the Year ( From
Sawmill River Productions, http://www.sawmillriver.com/ )
She has released three audio tapes The Druid Path: Herbs And Festivals,
Celtic Gods and Goddesses, and The Herbal And Magical Powers Of Trees (from
Creative Seminars, POB 203, West Hurley, New York 12491).
She has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990 . Find her books, workshops and blog at www.elleneverthopman.com
M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling. She is a certified writing instructor
through Amherst Writers and Artists. She is Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak www.tribeoftheoak.com, a Druidic teaching Order, and was a former Co-chief
of the Whiteoak Druid Order (Ord na Darach Gile) and Vice President of
The Henge Of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years. She
is the founder of the Whiteoak internet mailing list, an on-line Druid ethics study
group, and a co-founder of The Order of the Whiteoak (Ord Na Darach Gile)
www.whiteoakdruids.org. She is also a co-founder of the North East Druid
Coalition
She is the author of a trilogy of Iron Age Druid novels; Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey, The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Fire Temple - a Druid's Tale.
Her books on trees include a revised and expanded new edition of Tree Medicine Tree Magic (Pendraig Publishing) and
A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine (Destiny books/Inner Traditions Bear
and Company)
Her other books include;
Secret Medicines from your Garden (Healing Arts Press), Secret Medicines of your Kitchen (mPower Publishing), The Sacred Herbs of Samhain (Destiny Books) The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine (Destiny Books), Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing), A Legacy of Druids (Moon Books),
A Druid's Herbal For the Sacred Earth Year ( Inner Traditions/Destiny Books ),
Being a Pagan (with Lawrence Bond)(Inner Traditions/Destiny Books), Walking
The World In Wonder - A Children's Herbal (Healing Arts Press), she is a
co-author of Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard (Newpage Books).
She has released the
video/DVDs Gifts From the Healing Earth and Pagans -the Wheel of the Year ( From
Sawmill River Productions, http://www.sawmillriver.com/ )
She has released three audio tapes The Druid Path: Herbs And Festivals,
Celtic Gods and Goddesses, and The Herbal And Magical Powers Of Trees (from
Creative Seminars, POB 203, West Hurley, New York 12491).
She has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990 . Find her books, workshops and blog at www.elleneverthopman.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 26, 2023
Another great, super resourceful book. It’s packed full of info and easy to incorporate into your practice.
November 28, 2019
Book Review – The Sacred Herbs of Samhain: Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead by Ellen Evert Hopman, Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 2019.
With my love of the Wheel of Light with its eight spokes and communing with plant spirits through ecstatic trance, I found this title irresistible and had to purchase it. The Sacred Herbs of Samhain takes the reader on a journey along one spoke of the Wheel of Light, the spoke that falls between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice, i. e. Samhain, the time when the veil between the worlds opens, the time when the spirits of our ancestors come alive. Samhain is at end of October, the time of Halloween. The early elements of wearing costumes and trick-or-treating are found in this ancient tradition.
Hopman describes in a fun and enjoyable manner approximately 30 herbs and their preparations for healing, and especially for communing with the benevolent Spirits and Fairies and protection from the malevolent ones. These herbs are also for purification, for their ability to facilitate journeys of divination, and for releasing and honoring the spirits of the dead on their journey into the other world.
Besides ingesting the herbs as teas and tinctures, some are used externally as a salve or a poultice. Some are used homeopathically or as an essence where the preparation is repeatedly diluted such that little if any of the herb remains. But what makes Hopman’s stories most enjoyable are her descriptions of how the herbs are used for making wreaths and equal armed crosses to be placed on doorways, gates, and in other places of the spirits, as bouquets for special altars to the spirits or worn on the person to facilitate communication with and protection from the spirits. Some herbs are burnt as a cleansing smudge for the grieving or for cleansing the corpse, and some are placed in the casket of the dead or planted on the grave to facilitate their journey into the other world. These herbs are central in the celebratory rituals around the Samhain bonfire or in special recipes for Samhain feasts. Many of these uses are based in the ancient Celtic myths or more contemporary stories. Hopman’s telling of these myths and stories bring this book alive especially with my familiarity and love for these stories, stories that I cherish hearing again and again.
I will select three of the herbs to review to provide a flavor of Hopman’s descriptions: Rowan, Artemesia, and the preparation of acorn flour for a special feasting cake.
I selected the Rowan tree with its orange to red berries because of my intent to plant one this next spring in my Celtic Wheel of Light Garden. Also, when I played the Highland Bagpipes one of my favorite pieces to play was The Rowan Tree. The Rowan Tree twigs are used for protection and for communing with the spirits when displayed as equal-armed crosses tied with red twine. These crosses are placed throughout the barn to protect the animals, and bits of Rowan can be tied to a cow or horse’s tail or made into a wreath placed about the animal’s neck. Rowan berries are strung as a necklace again for protection and for summoning the spirits. A branch of Rowan as a staff or wand is also used for protection.
The Rowan berries harvested after the first frost can be cooked in cakes and breads or added to mead. The berry juice and syrup is used for sore throats and colds, and berry tea is helpful for a wide variety of maladies. A recipe for Rowan Berry Jam is offered, but Hopman reports that the berries should never be eaten raw and their overuse can cause vomiting, diarrhea and kidney disease.
Artemisia vulgaris or Mugwort is used as a visionary herb and for divination. Mugwort is often give out at the conferences of the International Association for the Study of Dreams to be put under the pillow at night to facilitates dreaming. I have frequently journeyed with Mugwort through ecstatic trance and have a close relationship with it as one of my spirit guides. It is considered the first herb in the Saxon “Nine Herbs of Woden,” and it has a prominent place in my Nine Herbs of Woden Garden. Mugwort may be worn in celebrations as a crown or a belt for summoning the spirits. Drinking Mugwort tea and smudging with Mugwort at a funeral facilitate communication with the deceased and for their protection on their journey through the veil. Medicinally it is used to treat diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, premenopausal syndrome, and to aid with epilepsy, chronic fatigue and depression.
Hopman offers a number of special herbal recipes for Samhain feasts including the “Dumb Supper” when no one speaks in preparing, serving and eating the meal. One herb is the meat of the Oak acorn. The best time to collect the acorns is when they are still somewhat green and have not be infect with a worm that causes them to rot. I aim to collect acorns next fall for the purpose of making acorn flour. Once the acorn meat is removed from the shell and blended to make it into a coarse gruel, it needs to be washed in water and strained daily for about two weeks in order to remove the bitterness of tannin. Once this leaching is complete the gruel is dried and ground into a fine flour for making acorn cakes and breads that are served with maple walnut ice cream, or freshly whipped cream as a special treat for the Samhain feast.
Hopman’s trance ritual for calling the spirits includes smudging and calling the spirits from each direction, both part of my practice of ecstatic trance, though I also use specific ecstatic postures to give direction to the trance experience. She also suggests that besides calling the spirits from each direction, they may be called from the Celtic Three Worlds: the sacred land, sea and sky. I am looking forward to experimenting with calling the spirits from these three worlds in my practice of ecstatic trance. These stories and many more make this book a very enjoyable read, offering me many ideas of how to celebrate Samhain.
I am excitedly looking forward to reading Hopman’s next book, The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine: Magical, Healing and Edible Plants to Celebrate Spring that will be coming out this next April. I hope to read this new book before next May’s Beltaine. I also hope that Hopman has in mind writing similar books for the other six spokes of the Wheel of Light. Again this book is a very enjoyable and useful read for those who value and celebrate the eight spokes of the Wheel of Light.
With my love of the Wheel of Light with its eight spokes and communing with plant spirits through ecstatic trance, I found this title irresistible and had to purchase it. The Sacred Herbs of Samhain takes the reader on a journey along one spoke of the Wheel of Light, the spoke that falls between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice, i. e. Samhain, the time when the veil between the worlds opens, the time when the spirits of our ancestors come alive. Samhain is at end of October, the time of Halloween. The early elements of wearing costumes and trick-or-treating are found in this ancient tradition.
Hopman describes in a fun and enjoyable manner approximately 30 herbs and their preparations for healing, and especially for communing with the benevolent Spirits and Fairies and protection from the malevolent ones. These herbs are also for purification, for their ability to facilitate journeys of divination, and for releasing and honoring the spirits of the dead on their journey into the other world.
Besides ingesting the herbs as teas and tinctures, some are used externally as a salve or a poultice. Some are used homeopathically or as an essence where the preparation is repeatedly diluted such that little if any of the herb remains. But what makes Hopman’s stories most enjoyable are her descriptions of how the herbs are used for making wreaths and equal armed crosses to be placed on doorways, gates, and in other places of the spirits, as bouquets for special altars to the spirits or worn on the person to facilitate communication with and protection from the spirits. Some herbs are burnt as a cleansing smudge for the grieving or for cleansing the corpse, and some are placed in the casket of the dead or planted on the grave to facilitate their journey into the other world. These herbs are central in the celebratory rituals around the Samhain bonfire or in special recipes for Samhain feasts. Many of these uses are based in the ancient Celtic myths or more contemporary stories. Hopman’s telling of these myths and stories bring this book alive especially with my familiarity and love for these stories, stories that I cherish hearing again and again.
I will select three of the herbs to review to provide a flavor of Hopman’s descriptions: Rowan, Artemesia, and the preparation of acorn flour for a special feasting cake.
I selected the Rowan tree with its orange to red berries because of my intent to plant one this next spring in my Celtic Wheel of Light Garden. Also, when I played the Highland Bagpipes one of my favorite pieces to play was The Rowan Tree. The Rowan Tree twigs are used for protection and for communing with the spirits when displayed as equal-armed crosses tied with red twine. These crosses are placed throughout the barn to protect the animals, and bits of Rowan can be tied to a cow or horse’s tail or made into a wreath placed about the animal’s neck. Rowan berries are strung as a necklace again for protection and for summoning the spirits. A branch of Rowan as a staff or wand is also used for protection.
The Rowan berries harvested after the first frost can be cooked in cakes and breads or added to mead. The berry juice and syrup is used for sore throats and colds, and berry tea is helpful for a wide variety of maladies. A recipe for Rowan Berry Jam is offered, but Hopman reports that the berries should never be eaten raw and their overuse can cause vomiting, diarrhea and kidney disease.
Artemisia vulgaris or Mugwort is used as a visionary herb and for divination. Mugwort is often give out at the conferences of the International Association for the Study of Dreams to be put under the pillow at night to facilitates dreaming. I have frequently journeyed with Mugwort through ecstatic trance and have a close relationship with it as one of my spirit guides. It is considered the first herb in the Saxon “Nine Herbs of Woden,” and it has a prominent place in my Nine Herbs of Woden Garden. Mugwort may be worn in celebrations as a crown or a belt for summoning the spirits. Drinking Mugwort tea and smudging with Mugwort at a funeral facilitate communication with the deceased and for their protection on their journey through the veil. Medicinally it is used to treat diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, premenopausal syndrome, and to aid with epilepsy, chronic fatigue and depression.
Hopman offers a number of special herbal recipes for Samhain feasts including the “Dumb Supper” when no one speaks in preparing, serving and eating the meal. One herb is the meat of the Oak acorn. The best time to collect the acorns is when they are still somewhat green and have not be infect with a worm that causes them to rot. I aim to collect acorns next fall for the purpose of making acorn flour. Once the acorn meat is removed from the shell and blended to make it into a coarse gruel, it needs to be washed in water and strained daily for about two weeks in order to remove the bitterness of tannin. Once this leaching is complete the gruel is dried and ground into a fine flour for making acorn cakes and breads that are served with maple walnut ice cream, or freshly whipped cream as a special treat for the Samhain feast.
Hopman’s trance ritual for calling the spirits includes smudging and calling the spirits from each direction, both part of my practice of ecstatic trance, though I also use specific ecstatic postures to give direction to the trance experience. She also suggests that besides calling the spirits from each direction, they may be called from the Celtic Three Worlds: the sacred land, sea and sky. I am looking forward to experimenting with calling the spirits from these three worlds in my practice of ecstatic trance. These stories and many more make this book a very enjoyable read, offering me many ideas of how to celebrate Samhain.
I am excitedly looking forward to reading Hopman’s next book, The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine: Magical, Healing and Edible Plants to Celebrate Spring that will be coming out this next April. I hope to read this new book before next May’s Beltaine. I also hope that Hopman has in mind writing similar books for the other six spokes of the Wheel of Light. Again this book is a very enjoyable and useful read for those who value and celebrate the eight spokes of the Wheel of Light.
October 31, 2022
The best book on the topic of Samhain that I have ever read. It’s comprehensive. My congratulations to Ellen. I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in paganism, magic and helpful herbs.
Five stars because it’s worth it.
Five stars because it’s worth it.
Read
August 7, 2019The Sacred Herbs of Samhain is rich with details. I just finished reading, but I could re-read, and pick up even more on using herbs and on the festivals and rituals of a yearly event I knew nothing about--until this book became my focus late last week.
Author Hopman's knowledge and delivery is enviable. She manages to combine an ancient belief and useful facts about herbs in an engaging way.
Hopman prepares you for this festival that’s celebrated after your local fall harvest. You’ll discover features of the festival of Samhain, and which plants are best for inviting the spirits of the dead. You’ll identify which ones purify, protect, and help communicate with the Otherworldly spirits. You’ll see that some foods are considered ritual offerings and note how rites are conducted.
And then Hopman brings in a goddess for extra protection or communication! All throughout you'll find names and anecdote, and yet this focus really gets to the core message of the celebration.
The Goddess at Samhain gives you a sense of female power and capacity to clear and cleanse. Your intent is to communicate and ask for (or pray for) something you would like to have changed in your life. Read more on my web review of the book!
Author Hopman's knowledge and delivery is enviable. She manages to combine an ancient belief and useful facts about herbs in an engaging way.
Hopman prepares you for this festival that’s celebrated after your local fall harvest. You’ll discover features of the festival of Samhain, and which plants are best for inviting the spirits of the dead. You’ll identify which ones purify, protect, and help communicate with the Otherworldly spirits. You’ll see that some foods are considered ritual offerings and note how rites are conducted.
And then Hopman brings in a goddess for extra protection or communication! All throughout you'll find names and anecdote, and yet this focus really gets to the core message of the celebration.
The Goddess at Samhain gives you a sense of female power and capacity to clear and cleanse. Your intent is to communicate and ask for (or pray for) something you would like to have changed in your life. Read more on my web review of the book!
September 30, 2019
Ellen Evert Hopman, a master herbalist and lay homeopath, has written another excellent book that combines her knowledge of herbs with her spiritual practices.
In addition to a trove of info on herbs and Samhain lorem THE SACRED HERBS OF SAMHAIN contains recipes for unusual soups, desserts, breads (including Pan de Muerto) and other foods. A chapter called "A Primer on Herbal Preparation" provides an overview on preparing teas, salves, poultices, and fomentations.
The rest of the book is divided into two parts: Herbs of the Spirits and the Dead and How to Use Them (including a discussion of Cannabis) and Herbs, Foods, and Traditions of Samhain (including the Dumb Supper).
Easy to read, with color plates of some of the herbs, THE SACRED HERBS OF SAMHAIN is a joy to read.
In addition to a trove of info on herbs and Samhain lorem THE SACRED HERBS OF SAMHAIN contains recipes for unusual soups, desserts, breads (including Pan de Muerto) and other foods. A chapter called "A Primer on Herbal Preparation" provides an overview on preparing teas, salves, poultices, and fomentations.
The rest of the book is divided into two parts: Herbs of the Spirits and the Dead and How to Use Them (including a discussion of Cannabis) and Herbs, Foods, and Traditions of Samhain (including the Dumb Supper).
Easy to read, with color plates of some of the herbs, THE SACRED HERBS OF SAMHAIN is a joy to read.
October 31, 2024
Great book oh herbs associated with Samhain! It goes over folklore, medicinal properties and magical use. It also features recipes and the basics to herbal work, like how to do tinctures and so on.
Will definitely go back to it many times!
Will definitely go back to it many times!
October 11, 2022
Good book giving 4 stars not 5 because BigFoot is not a fairy I'm sorry .
January 5, 2025
Such a fun and informative read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 24, 2025
Chocked full of information and a good enough place to start researching plant craft if you’re not afraid to do a lot of digging on your own afterward. I will be cross referencing the medicinal applications, because some (particularly the use of a plant to treat “mad dog” bites… as in bites from dogs carrying rabies?) seemed suspect. Most of the references are random blog posts or webpages.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews