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Herbalism: Plants and Potions that Heal
Discover the art of herbal healing with this charming gold-embossed guide, decorated with gilded page-edges.Did you know that stinging nettles are a natural anti-inflammatory? Or that pine sap can clean wounds or be used as a mouth wash? Or that hops can help your digestion?From Aloe Vera to Valerian, expert herbalist Adrian White introduces the uses of plants and herbs in medicinal healing, spirituality and magick. She covers the fascinating history of herbalism in different cultures across the world how plant medicines have since been integrated into modern medicine. A mini Materia Medica is also included, enabling readers to identify the most common plants in this practice and how to use them at home in teas, infused oils, salves and balms.Learn Identify herbs Harvest and prepare them Use them in recipes and cookingWith beautiful illustrations, Wibilin binding and a stunning gold-embossed cover design, this hardback reference guide makes a perfect gift for yourself or others to explore the fascinating art of herbalism.ABOUT THE Sirius Hidden Knowledge Series explores some of the most fascinating subjects in modern alternative thought and practice. Written by experts and renowned practitioners in their respective fields, this series brings the latest in developments in everything from spiritual development to alternative health. These delightful hardback editions are presented with gold embossed cover designs and gilded page edges.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2022
6 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 25, 2022
Herbalism by Adrian White is a fantastic resource for those just getting into herbalism. White touches many of the cornerstones of herbalism (energetics, formulas, preparations, and including plants into your life holistically) while still putting her own spin on the book with personal anecdotes and herbs that are meaningful to them.
Most of the plants included are found in North America so if you are looking to learn more about herbs from other continents this would not necessarily be what you are looking for.
The one thing that I wish would have been handled differently was the essential oils. White admits that she is not an expert on them, so I wish when she did include them she would have done more research or contacted an expert.
In one formula it calls for ⅓ of a cup of dried lavender or essential oil. If I was new to herbalism and knew nothing about essential oils I would think that ⅓ of a cup of lavender essential oil could be used in place of the dried flower. This is not recommended at all… that much essential oil would be unsafe. First the assault on your sense of smell would be horrible and then ingesting that much would not be good for you.
And there’s another recipe that just says essential oil, no recommendation of how many drops.
I am a certified aromatherapist via the Aromahead Institute, and through my studies there and elsewhere over the past 20 years, I would not recommend any internal use of essential oils. They are wonderful for skin care or to inhale the scents to help medically or just for enjoyment, but if you want to consume it, eat the actual plant instead (dried or fresh) or use a food grade oil approved by the FDA to add more flavor to your baked goods.
Most of the plants included are found in North America so if you are looking to learn more about herbs from other continents this would not necessarily be what you are looking for.
The one thing that I wish would have been handled differently was the essential oils. White admits that she is not an expert on them, so I wish when she did include them she would have done more research or contacted an expert.
In one formula it calls for ⅓ of a cup of dried lavender or essential oil. If I was new to herbalism and knew nothing about essential oils I would think that ⅓ of a cup of lavender essential oil could be used in place of the dried flower. This is not recommended at all… that much essential oil would be unsafe. First the assault on your sense of smell would be horrible and then ingesting that much would not be good for you.
And there’s another recipe that just says essential oil, no recommendation of how many drops.
I am a certified aromatherapist via the Aromahead Institute, and through my studies there and elsewhere over the past 20 years, I would not recommend any internal use of essential oils. They are wonderful for skin care or to inhale the scents to help medically or just for enjoyment, but if you want to consume it, eat the actual plant instead (dried or fresh) or use a food grade oil approved by the FDA to add more flavor to your baked goods.
March 8, 2025
Maybe I’m looking to run before I crawl but I was hoping for more in depth recipes. For example, a few of the lister recipes like oils and vinegars are merely how to infuse those things. I was looking to make them! There is likely a YouTube video out there for that but I was hoping this book would serve me in the event I don’t have internet.
August 10, 2023
Not my usually cup of tea (heh). This book is useful if you believe in the power of herbal medicine, and if you don’t it is useful to make some nice homemade teas and oils. It was helpful to read about alternative medicine though.
October 29, 2024
A good book for beginning herbalists. It describes methods of collecting and processing various different herbals, methods of use, and profiles of a few common herbals. It is also respectful of closed spiritual practices!
June 10, 2023
Herbalism as a field is still relatively rare for me, but one I am intrigued by. I guess this goes back to my lifelong obsession with lavender. Almost from birth I have been swathed in lavender, from my grandmother's handsown sachets, to cremes gifted to me by my mother, to scents I buy myself. Its soothing qualities were the first I knew and have intrigued me to look a little further. Adrian White's 'Herbalism' is a great resource for a beginner as it seems to cover all of the basics and the background, from formulas to preparation methods and more.
A think I very much enjoyed was how White used their own personal experiences as well and noted where they were potentially out of their depth. The majority of the plants discussed are found in North America, so I'll have to do some research on the plantlife around me and see what from White's book I can employ. A think I was slightly hesitant about is the way essential oils were included in some recipes. I'm no expert, but as far as I'm aware they're not really recommended for internal use, so that put me off a little.
Overall a very interesting book and probably most useful to beginners like myself.
A think I very much enjoyed was how White used their own personal experiences as well and noted where they were potentially out of their depth. The majority of the plants discussed are found in North America, so I'll have to do some research on the plantlife around me and see what from White's book I can employ. A think I was slightly hesitant about is the way essential oils were included in some recipes. I'm no expert, but as far as I'm aware they're not really recommended for internal use, so that put me off a little.
Overall a very interesting book and probably most useful to beginners like myself.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews