Magickal Reviews: Living Earth Devotional by Clea Danaan

Title: Living Earth Devotional
Author: Clea Danaan
Publication Date: September 8th, 2013
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Genre: Spirituality
Pages: 444
ISBN: 0738736589
Source: From Publisher
Rating:

Synopsis (from Publisher): Tune in to nature, care for the sacred earth, and grow spiritually with 365 eco-friendly activities for deepening your connection with nature.

Living Earth Devotional offers practical, soul-centered tasks, including meditations, craft projects, gardening and outdoor activities, journaling prompts, and more. Following the Wheel of the Year, this day-by-day guide will help you tune in to the energies of the changing seasons and build a greater appreciation for the earth’s beauty, power, and wisdom. Reduce your carbon footprint, recharge your creativity and intuition, and cultivate a connection with the world that inspires spiritual growth and personal transformation.

Living Earth Devotional is filled with daily practices to become more connected with the Earth. I have been going through this book every morning during time at my altar, and I love the simplicity of each page. Even if I feel I am in a hurry, I’m still able to make time to read that day’s devotional.

 Unlike other dailies I’ve read, I feel this particular compilation has been very well thought out and put together. There have been some where it seems the author rushed to fill in places that seem less important than, say, the Sabbats. Half expecting this, I was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn’t the case.

The book follows the Wheel of the Year, with meditations, crafts, journal prompts, gardening activities, and more to aid you in connecting with the earth and its energies. Each of the devotional are simple and easy, and require little to no preparation for those on the go or with limited resources.

This is one of the better books I have found to use during daily meditations.

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Magickal Reviews: The Illustrated Herbiary by Maia Toll

Title: Illustrated Herbiary
Author: Maia Toll
Publication Date: August 7th, 2018
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Genre: Spirituality
Pages: 176
ISBN: 1612129684
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 

Synopsis (from Publisher): Rosemary is for remembrance; sage is for wisdom. The symbolism of plants — whether in the ancient Greek doctrine of signatures or the Victorian secret language of flowers — has fascinated us for centuries. Contemporary herbalist Maia Toll adds her distinctive spin to this tradition with profiles of the mysterious personalities of 36 herbs, fruits, and flowers. Combining a passion for plants with imagery reminiscent of tarot, enticing text offers reflections and rituals to tap into each plant’s power for healing, self-reflection, and everyday guidance. Smaller versions of the illustrations are featured on 36 cards to help guide your thoughts and meditations.

I have Celiac Disease. When I was attending the PLA (Public Library Association) Conference in Philly back in March, I got sick off of cross contaminated food. For the first two days I was there I was miserable with a migraine, sleeplessness, stomach problems, inflamed lymph nodes, and fatigue. One day, when I was meeting up with some conference friends at Reading Market for lunch, I stumbled upon the Herbiary.
I’m generally drawn to any place that looks like it was plucked fresh from a wildwood, so I went to see what I may find. I told the girls at the counter I was needing something for lymphatic health, and they lead me to a burdock and red root compound. I also decided to purchase some Moon Drops to help me sleep, and off I went.
Within 10 hours of taking the compound I finally felt better and slept through the entire night. I was able to enjoy the rest of the conference without issue! I decided to look this “Herbiary” up and was ecstatic to find this book was releasing...but not until August!
Back up a little. Herbalism is something I’ve taken an interest in over the last year or so. My family doctor is a Naturopathic Doctor, and I’ve always favored natural pathways to health. I knew how to use plants once they got to me, but cultivating the plants themselves is something I’ve never done before. So, I moved into a house and started a garden and learned to wildcraft. Because of this, Maia Toll’s approach to building a relationship with the plants came through to me in a language I wanted to understand better. That’s why I preordered the book back in April and anxiously awaited its launch (and attended the online watch party!).
The Illustrated Herbiary is one of the most gorgeous books I have ever owned. Kate O’Hara’s artwork is lavish and inspiring. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it online, but when I had it in my hands the metallics brought it all to life.
Each section has a beautifully illustrated interpretation of a plant, followed by Maia Toll’s commentary on the importance of that plant. After we are introduced, Toll provides a ritual and reflection to know our plant better. A ritual may be a meditation or a recipe, and the reflection will give us a focus.
In the back cover of the book, all those illustrations are provided as oracle cards for easier meditation. I love this aspect of the book. In the last several pages, you will find images or them laid out, and advice on how to use them.

If you are looking for a textbook on herbs, this probably isn’t what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a practice to connect more with your herbs, then I highly recommend it.

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