Spring is on its way and I cannot find any books/websiites on herbs to use for magic as well as common colds / pain relief and other uses. Sure there are a few but they are limited due to every location has different species of plants then other locations. I would love to find any information about plants around Ontario Canada that can be used for magic,colds,headaches an everything else inbetween. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
If you have a Native American Elder in your community, you can ask them about the local fauna that may be able to help you out. They can be a wealth of information if you're up front and honest with what you want to do with their knowledge :)
I'm in the same boat as you, but I'm in Manitoba. I would LOVE to know what that tree fungus is that cures/helps with upset stomach!
ConureHerber, I am not sure about the fungus. though I do no that White Willow Bark , cures headaches and mild pain. Try not to go for the root or trunk for this bark. But the ends or wines a little after they bloom or just before fall.
I do have that book online, H20. Ill re look over it an see what types of information it offers.
Thing is I would go to a elder but Im way to shy and like to stay my distance from others. Perhaps Ill muster over the hill of anexity and suck it up.
Thank you all, if anyone else has ANY information that may help, please share.
Always be sure that you check with a doctor or medical professional before using any herbs/herbal supplement. I know that seems self-explanatory, but you'd be surprised how many do not.
That said, if you're looking for medicinal and magical, and help with identification of certain plants here's a list of books that you might find useful.
Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants: A Historical Survey with Special Reference to the Eastern Indian Tribes - By Charlotte Erichsen-Brown
Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition -by Steven Foster, James A. Duke
Practical Plant Identification: Including a Key to Native and Cultivated Flowering Plants in North Temperate Regions -by James Cullen
New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses - Deni Brown
Identifying & Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants - By Steve Brill and Evelyn Dean
The Herbal Alchemist's Handbook: A Grimoire of Philtres. Elixirs, Oils, Incense, and Formulas for Ritual Use - by Karen Harrison
The Green Wiccan Herbal: 52 Magical Herbs, Plus Spells and Witchy Rituals - by Silja Ryland Peters & Small
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - by Andrew Chevallier
Herb Magic for Beginners - by Ellen Dugan
Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise - by Scott Cunningham
All of these posts are wonderful and I hope they give you the answer you seek.
I'll add that what it sounds like you are interested in is something called "Wildcrafting" which is where you go out to your local forests or woody areas and harvest plants for medicinal or functional uses. These are often group activities and it might be great to search online and/or ask around to see if there are any groups that do this. I would also go into a local book store or chain and seek out books about local plants to you
Beyond that, when it comes to the magickal aspect of a plant, if you are not sure then sit and meditate with the plant for a while. Feel it's energy and see how it is affecting you in it's subtle ways. Look up relatives of the plant (such as a common version of the plant vs your local version), and see what you can find on that genus. Then see if you can search further and find your specific genus online or in a book somewhere. This should yield the medicinal use as well.
Also, as a side note, the internet is a wonderful resource. However, I have found a lot more information on specific herbs and plants in the various books I have collected over the years. The amount of information is almost incomparable. So try and get a good book if you can.
The Herb Book by John Lust is very useful. It does not have any thing to do with magic but it has very good drawings, medical terms and uses, ways to use to the plant and instructions on how to and so much more. It is my favorite herb book I've read. It is very good for practical use. For magic I would go with the post above that recommends Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs which also has good pictures, a folk names cross reference list and so much more. Most things by Cunningham are good reads.
