Wasserman Nancy - The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick

First published in 2007 by

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

With offices at:

500 Third Street, Suite 230

San Francisco, CA 94107

www.redwheelweiser.com

Copyright 2007 by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.

Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN-10: 1-57863-411-3

ISBN-13: 978-1-57863-411-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hawkins-Tillirson, Judith.

The Weiser concise guide to herbal magick / by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson ; introduced by Nancy Wasserman ; edited by Nancy and James Wasserman.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 1-57863-411-3 (alk. paper)

1. Witchcraft. 2. Magic. 3. Herbs--Miscellanea.

I. Wasserman, Nancy. II. Wasserman, James, 1948- III. Title.

BF1572.P43H39 2007

133.43--dc22

2007020347

Cover design by Maija Tollefson

Text design by Studio 31

Typeset in Adobe Sabon

Cover photograph Visual Language

Printed in Canada

TCP

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

I wish to thank Lord Hermes, sine qua non.

I wish to honor the memories of my mother, Martha Long Hawkins; my sister, Martha Hawkins Bigham; and my ex-husband and always friend, Patrick Michael Gaffney, who ever encouraged my writing. Let us meetknowrememberand love again.

I wish to express boundless gratitude to two extraordinary teachersof O'Keefe High School: Jane Hatcher, who proved that History was not only alive, but exciting; and Pat Thornton, teacher of English, Italian, and French, who, with her husband LeonThornton, has remained ever my friend and Muse, inspirational source dulce et utile.

I wish to thank my dear friends Richard Patz, Matthew Quellas Lon Milo DuQuette, and Dr. Robert Wang for their continued friendship, esteem, encouragement, and generosity.

I wish to thank my employer, New Leaf Distributing, inthe persons of my friends and bosses, Alim Thompson and Karen Price, for their support in my life in general and particularly while I was writing this work.

I wish upon my editors, Nancy and James Wassermanmy own personal Maat and Thothall the pleasures of boundless good karma for their unqualified patience, and for making me write this book.

I want to acknowledge Franca Gallo (of Merkur Publishing), Lisa- Marie Jackson (White Witch of Angelfire), and Jennifer Rose Emick (editor of About.com's Alternative Religions pages)for their generosity in allowing me to use materials under their care.

I wish to thank my beloved husband, Joseph Tillirson, who, before this project, had only dreamed he'd put up with a lot from awife. You're rightyou do love me the most!

And, finally, I'd like to give credit to my black-and-white tuxedo boy, polydactylic Feline-American, Harvey (brother of Ellwood P. Dowd), but one manifestation of Mercury, Trickster, Wily One, and Defeater of Locks, who has overseen in the most directphysical means possible the research, writing, and production of this work.

Any faults, errors, or misconceptions in this work aremine alone!

To Nairn Galvin, Teacher of Herbs and all else.

I am the soundless, boundless, bitter sea;

All things in the end shall come to me.

Mine is the kingdom of Persephone.

The inner earth, where lead the pathways three.

Who drinks the waters of that hidden well

Shall see the things whereof he dare not tell

Shall tread the shadowy path that leads to me

Diana of the Ways and Hecate,

Selena of the Moon, Persephone.

Dion Fortune, The Sea Priestess

I first met Judith Hawkins-Tillirson in 1988 when I attended my initial publishing-industry trade show. I was standing in the center of the American Booksellers Association Convention(now called Book Expo of America) in a tranceI had just been diagnosed with Lyme disease and was experiencing a raging fever. The bustle and bump of the convention floor whirled about meit was nauseatingly surreal and I felt as if I were floating about six inches off the floor. Suddenly, a gentle voice pulled me back into normalconsciousness: Hi, my name is Judith. I'm so pleased to meet you. I focusedin on a pair of warm brown eyes and knew immediately that this was kin.

Throughout the course of the convention, we had the opportunity to spend some quality moments together. She recommended arnica to ease the pain in my joints and Rescue Remedy to easethe mental tension of being ill in a public venue. I followed her adviceand managed to accomplish a great deal in a very stressful situation. During our time together, I found her to be a delightful ally and profoundly knowledgeable in both magick and herbalism. We have been fortunate enough to remain friends. I am often startled by her exceptional perceptions of events and situations. She has a well-rounded experience of, and appreciation for, not only the magick of herbsand potions, but high ceremonial magick and ritual. Her sense of humoris often a lifesaver in the sea of outrageous pomposity that surrounds and occasionally floods the occult environment. These delightful traitsand skills run through every page of this book.

Judith's wisdom spans the broad spectrum of scholarship required of any serious occultist. Indeed, it is of utmost importance for any person on the Western path to have a well-rounded approach to all of the steps on the journey. One's knowledge base should include the study of herbalism. Despite the fact that it is a formidable weapon in the magical armory, herbalism is often neglected by ceremonial magicians. I think this is because some magicians feel the practiceis too closely tied to what they consider earth-based religionswitchcraft, Druidism, or any of the varieties of modern Paganismwith nopart to play in high magick. This is a pity, because there is muchto be gained from working with herbs. They are potent receptacles oftheir corresponding planets' energies. Occultists would do well toremember the lessons gleaned from the mage Cornelius Agrippa: Reach out andtouch just one link of the Great Chain of Being and the wholedoth presently shake. Magicians who persist in the study ofherbalism will cultivate a tool that can assist them to achieve the loftiest goals.

On the other hand, many witches and pagans tend toignore the Qabala, thinking it is unbearably turgid, based inwhat they perceive as Old Testament principles. Judith takes a verypractical approach to its use, pointing out and demonstrating its virtuesas a boundless filing system. She lays out The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick using column XXXIX of 777 as a springboard fordiscussing the energies of plants and their corresponding planetary and astrological influences. This provides a great introduction to both herbalismand Qabala. Occultists who build proficiency in thisrelatively simple skill will expand their perception of the magical universe exponentially and increase the efficiency of their Great Work. Judith offers a practical approach to magical herbalism, regardless of your persuasion.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick explores the history and uses of herbs as well as their corresponding planetary and zodiacal energies. It provides clear instructions on their practical application, and even includes a chapter devoted to Franz Bardon'sfluid condensers.