The Witch's Herbal Apothecary: Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making

The Witch's Herbal Apothecary is a handbook, herbal, and tutorial guide by Marysia Miernowska. Due out 14th Jan 2020 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This is a nicely formatted and logically laid out book. The subject matter is more philosophical and contemplative than scientific. If the title sounds like this book is full of new age 'woo' (and ancient wisdom), well, it is, honestly. That being said, I (firmly 'school of western medicine' and about as non-'woo' as it's possible to be) found quite a lot of interesting food for thought here. This is a well structured and well written book. The author has a sure voice and a deft touch with the written word. She's never strident or preachy and I found a lot to like.

There is a fair bit of meditative poetry and awareness activities included. The first main section of the book: Weaving yourself  back into the great web,  contains a number of explanatory information about our universe, energy, cycles, and becoming more aware. There is also a chapter containing very general information about healing, basic ritual, what witches do/believe, and there are a number of practical exercises.

The second part of the content (about 75% overall) includes seasonal based ritual and exercises for spring, summer, fall, and winter. There are meditations and practical recipes for the reader to try out.

The last section of the book includes some affirmations, links, resources for further reading, and an index.

All in all, this is a very well made, beautifully illustrated, and gentle book full of alternative wisdom. There is nothing harmful and no evil intent contained here. The 'vibe' of the book is positive and comforting. I could definitely see a lot of practical information here being incorporated by people who follow other belief systems.  Is it trendy? No, honestly, it's full of very traditional ideas and ancient philosophy.

I'm a bioengineer, a fully formed product of the western medical school tradition, and I found a lot to like here. Slowing down and being aware of our interconnectedness and our responsibility to one another is absolutely vital to our continued survival on our planet. The sooner the better. If this type of philosophy gets some people to slow down and become more aware of what we're doing to ourselves, then I'm 100% for it.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.