Not only is this book well-organized and packed with useful recipes and information, but it also contains a lot of fun ideas for expanding your herbal practice. I’m currently working on a gluten-free one, and when I figure it out (or someone sends me one) I’ll post it too. If you see auras, feel energies, love shiny things, and enjoy making grids, then you could be a crystal witch. The HEARTH WITCH’S COMPENDIUM won’t change that image of her, but it’s worth a look as a solid introduction to natural living with a magical twist. Essentially I used my domestic roles within my religious practice, I used my house as a sacred area and my domestic tools were my religious tools.

Herbal correspondences are delivered very simply and to the point and associated with everything from the planets to important life events. A Season-by-Season Guide to an Enchanted Natural Life The world is filled with magic, reflected back to us through the cycles of nature, if we can just slow down and learn how to channel it. When you enter their home you will always be drawn straight to the kitchen by the delicious smell of something fresh from the oven. Anna Franklin is the High Priestess of the Hearth of Arianrhod, which runs teaching circles and postal courses, as well as a working coven, a company of archers and the annual Mercian Gathering, a Pagan camp which raises money for charity. I've had this book for a while and hadn't gotten round to doing more than simply flicking through the pages.Each room will have a unique elemental requirement based on its purpose, but that is a whole other topic, so just try to have a general elemental balance. For me, the very foundation of hearthcraft is the magic that causes a house to transcend and become a home. For me the hearth witch brings to mind the Scandinavian word, “hygge” which connotes a sense of comfort and coziness. When you give an inch to people who hold that kind of hate in their life… you are inherently making your space unsafe for those they hate. It will serve as a reminder of the sacredness of the work you are doing, and infuse it with positive energy.

I mean sure, don’t use it, but for me I find it important to know why and how something impacts the body if I am going to use it in any application (including in the ways that are deemed safe without explanation). It offers a lot of sage (heh) advice about allergies and the dangers of using herbs in medical quantities, which is very reassuring to see, as it’s necessary to point out that ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean ‘safe’. Witchcraft has always been innately linked to the marginalized, misunderstood, isolated, or strange.All in all, this is an excellent source book for all 21st Century pagans, which I for one will be referring to time and again.