Enchanted Herbal: Connect to Nature & Celebrate the Seasons
By Gail Bussi
()
About this ebook
An Herbal Journey of Self-Care and Healing
Grow into a healthier and more authentic version of yourself with the gifts, lessons, and opportunities of nature and the seasons. This practical book invites you on a nourishing journey for both your body and spirit, providing dozens of recipes, meditations, rituals, and journaling prompts. You'll make and enjoy a wide variety of foods, drinks, and household products, including:
- Soups & Salads
- Cakes & Casseroles
- Body Scrubs & Balms
- Oils & Lotions
- Teas & Tonics
- Jellies & Sauces
- Mists & Sprays
- Elixirs & Natural Cleansers
Enchanted Herbal helps you use herbs and flowers to their fullest potential. You'll learn how to grow your own herbs, incorporate essential oils into your practice, and celebrate nature's seasonal changes throughout the year. From creation and renewal remedies in spring to peace and reflection exercises in winter, this wonderful book guides you in becoming a more magical and joyful person year-round.
Gail Bussi
Gail Bussi is a writer, artist, kitchen witch, and professional cook. After running a catering company and writing a cookbook, she returned to her long-held interest in herbs and green magic. Gail has studied holistic herbalism, natural healing, and mindfulness.
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Enchanted Herbal - Gail Bussi
Gail Bussi
first discovered green magic as a little girl in her mother’s flower garden. After some years spent writing, designing, and working as a professional cook, she decided to return to her first love and obtained qualifications in holistic herbalism, flower therapies, and mindfulness coaching. Today she lives in a small log cabin on the beautiful Eastern Cape coast of South Africa, where she continues to write, teach, and create natural enchantment every day.
Llewellyn Publications
Woodbury, Minnesota
Copyright Information
Enchanted Herbal: Connect to Nature and Celebrate the Seasons © 2020 by Gail Bussi.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.
Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.
First e-book edition © 2020
E-book ISBN: 9780738766591
Book design by Rebecca Zins
Cover design by Shira Atakpu
Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data
Names: Bussi, Gail, author.
Title: Enchanted herbal : connect to nature and celebrate the seasons /
Gail Bussi.
Description: First edition. | Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn Publications,
[2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: "Written around
the natural rhythm of the year, Enchanted Herbal helps you use each
season’s herbs and flowers to their fullest potential, guiding you to
become a more magical and joyful person"—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020036038 (print) | LCCN 2020036039 (ebook) | ISBN
9780738766119 (paperback) | ISBN 9780738766591 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Herbs—Miscellanea. | Seasons—Miscellanea.
Classification: LCC BF1623.P5 B87 2020 (print) | LCC BF1623.P5 (ebook) |
DDC 133/.258—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036038
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036039
Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.
Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to current author websites.
Llewellyn Publications
Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
Manufactured in the United States of America
This book is lovingly dedicated
to all who share this beautiful earth of ours and
walk upon it with love, grace, and wisdom.
Contents
List of Recipes
Introduction
Spring:
Creation & Renewal
Summer:
Abundance & Passion
Fall:
Harvest & Celebration
Winter:
Peace & Reflection
Conclusion
Appendix A: Guide to Basic Ingredients
Appendix B: Tools and Other Supplies
Appendix C: Making Basic Herbal Preparations
Recommended Reading
Recipes
Things to Eat
Apple Cinnamon Dessert Cake
Caponato al Rosmarino
Carrot, Lemon, and Mint Salad
Chocolate Mint Pots
Creamy Roots Bake
Cucumber and Cilantro Gazpacho
Fireside Mushroom Soup
Garden Bounty Piccalilli
Greek Oregano and Lemon Chicken
Harvest Lamb Casserole
Lemon and Herb Oil
Lemon-Thyme Snow Cream
Little Chive Pancakes
Magic Green Salt
Olive and Thyme Tapenade
Oregano and Olive Flatbread
Oregano and Parsley Pesto
Pasta with Lemon, Anchovies, and Dill
Peach and Coriander Cobbler
Pepper and Potato Frittata with Basil and Feta
Pumpkin Fritters with Sage
Red Onion and Thyme Marmalade
Roast Duck with Ginger, Orange, and Thyme
Rose and Lavender Madeleines
Sage and Rosemary Jelly
Salsa Verde(with a Difference!)
Scarborough Fair Chicken Broth
Spicy Coconut Chicken
Spicy Pumpkin Chutney
Stir-Fry Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Garlic
Tri-Colore Tomato Salad
Xipister Sauce
Things to Drink
Chai Spice Blend
Chamomile and Peppermint Tisane
Coconut Turmeric Latte
Dandelion Wine for Springtime Celebrations
Enchanted Feasts Wine Cup
Inspired Connections Tonic
Jasmine Moon Essence
Lavender and Rosemary Vinegar
Orange Spice Liqueur
Sage and Sniffles Tea
Spring Morning Tea
Summer Sunrise Tea
A Thyme, Honey, and Lemon Tonic
Tulsi Tea
Things to Do
Blessings from the Garden
A Book of Being (Not Doing)
A Cook’s Window Box
Create a Nature Mandala
An Enchanted Garden
Feasting with the Spirits
Feed the Birds
The Four Directions
The Gifts of Willow
A Gratitude Altar
The Green Art of Foraging
Herbal Astrology
The Journey of Grief
Keeping a Moon Magic Journal
Keeping Your Own Green Alchemy Journal
Making Flower Essences
Meet a Flower
Open the Heart Rose Ritual
Planting an Astrological Garden
Planting by the Moon
Smudging
Some Herbs to Know (Fall)
Some Herbs to Know (Spring)
Some Herbs to Know (Summer)
Some Herbs to Know (Winter)
Spring Cleaning (Inside and Out)
Three Candles Ritual
Thyme for the Bees
The Wabi-Sabi Bird
Walk Barefoot on the Grass
Walking in the Rain
A Winter Feast
Wisdom of the Falling Leaves
Body Care
Achy Head Balm
After-Sun Soothing Tub
Apple and Sage Clarifying Toner
Bugs-Away Spray
Calm and Cleanse Body Scrub
Chakra Herbal Bath Crystals
Cleopatra’s Secret Bath Milk
Creamy Bath Melts
Cucumber and Aloe Vera Gel
The Essence of Enchantment
Essential Oils for Healing the Heart
Eucalyptus and Jasmine Foot Soak
Facial Anti-Virus Steam
Florida Water
Fragrance Balm for Creating Calm and Focus
The Fragrant Chakras
Garden Gifts Hand and Foot Scrub
Ginger and Rosemary Massage Oil
Healing Hands Herbal Elixir
Healing Spring Tub
Heart’s Garden Body Cream
Invigorating Bath Tea
Lemon Verbena Massage Oil
Marigold Healing Lotion
The Misery of Sinus Congestion
New Horizons Fragrant Oil
Peaceful Alchemy Fragrant Balm
Refreshing Citrus Face Splash
Restore and Revive Facial Oil
Reviving Bath Elixir
Shiny Happy Hair Spray
Simply Positive Whipped Body Butter
Skin Renewal Facial Steam
Spicy Chai Skin Scrub
Spring Morning Toner
Summer Breeze Dusting Powder
Sweet Dreams Bath Oil
Sweet Lips Salve
Vanilla-Coconut After-Sun Soothing Balm
Winter Hair Rescue Oil
Happy Home
Casting Bottles
Juniper Cleansing Mist
Magic Home Cleaner
Nurturing and Calming Aura/Room Mist
Peaceful Nights Pillow Mist
Pine for Transformation
Simmering Spirit Potpourri
Summer Fresh Aroma Disks
Uplifting Room Spray
A Welcoming Home Infusion
introduction
In ancient beliefs, alchemy was defined as the art of taking base metals and turning them into pure gold. But I believe we have a simpler and accessible kind of alchemy available to us, whoever and wherever we are. Green alchemy taps into the natural world and its power to transform our base metals
of fear, illness, anger, loss, and stress into the gold
that is our true selves. Living an enchanted herbal life gives us a gentle door into that golden and serene place; it also reminds us that not only do we have a duty to support and nurture the world around us in all its forms, but it’s vitally important that we nurture ourselves at the same time. Self-care is vital for all of us. Without a true sense of love for ourselves, we cannot be fully present to others and life itself, whether it be human, plant, or animal. Authenticity is the way we become healthy and whole, and in turn we can then offer ourselves and our lives as a true gift to all around us, without fear or self-doubt.
The concept of herbalism means many different things to different people, depending on one’s background, spiritual outlook and beliefs, and much more. Medically based herbalism is, obviously, a way of healing ailments of body and spirit using natural remedies and plant energies; when I talk about magic or enchanted herbalism, though, it can lead to confusion, and often people have queried me as to what exactly that means.
Quite simply, I believe magic herbalism uses the unique energies of the plants, herbs, flowers, and trees all around us to help us on every possible level, not just the physical, important though that is. And the opportunities for enchanted herbalism are limitless: we can find them in every moment of the day—in the kitchen, bathroom, garden, or just out on a quiet walk in the woods. There is literally no end to what we can create, grow, harvest, or nurture in a simple and heartfelt way if we are open to the magic that surrounds us and willing to work with it. I would love for you to join me on this beautiful seasonal journey, whoever and wherever you are. Come just as you are. The earth is waiting for you with her gifts, her warmth, and her unconditional love and acceptance.
I grew up in the 1960s and was definitely a flower child from the start; I could spend hours in my mother’s beautiful rose garden or under the indigo African sky, drinking in the intoxicating scent of the pale night-blooming jasmine. (Perhaps even then I already sensed the path I would someday follow.) Today I am sometimes asked if I am a green witch, and although I dislike labels, considering them limiting and oftentimes judgmental, that’s one I am happy to wear with both joy and pride. I prefer the term hearth witch,
which I first came across several years ago when I lived in England. It relates to anyone who lives a life close to the earth and her natural gifts and who also uses these gifts in the home to create delicious foods, healing products, and other traditional green magic. I think being a green witch is probably one of the best and most sacred callings anyone can have, as well as being one of total enchantment on every level.
Like many of us, though, my adult life was largely determined by work realities and family routines, and I spent several years living in different countries; then, a few years ago, life decided to give me a fairly big wake-up call. I lost several people very close to me, as well as experiencing a few other traumatic events. But the road always takes us to a place we need to be, and looking back I realize I was being replanted, given a chance to grow again in a new, richer, and more abundant soil for heart, soul, and body.
For me, this new journey took the form of studying holistic herbalism and flower therapies—both subjects that had long fascinated me. I moved to a small town on the ocean and live in a log cabin in the middle of a forest, surrounded by small lakes, trees, and endless birdsong. Today I write, paint, and create around my central focus of simple natural living and herbal/flower magic. And I am reminded every day, once again, of what I first knew as a little girl looking for ladybugs in my mother’s rose garden: life on this earth is both beautiful and fragile, and it is also our greatest and most precious gift, so we need to embrace it fully as we are, where we are, every single day.
I believe that our Mother Earth gives us the gift of life in so many amazing and wonderful forms, but only when we truly seek and embrace these gifts do we find true enchantment. Grace. Growth. Letting go. Health. Possibility. Creation. Hidden deep within our hearts and souls, we have an ancient knowledge and wisdom of this magic, although sometimes life, with its many twists and turns, may take us a step away from the green mysteries. But they never forget us and wait patiently for our return to the garden, the garden of the heart, so that we may rediscover the joy, innocence, and light we have always carried within and never actually lost.
How to Use This Book
Enchanted Herbal was written around the natural rhythm of the year with its changing seasons, which are so very closely linked to our own journeys, both physical and spiritual. Each season brings its own gifts, lessons, opportunities, and sometimes challenges—but I believe nature also offers us the remedy for these challenges if we are open to connecting with her each and every day of the year.
Each section thus focuses on particular lessons, ideas, and emotions linked to that particular season. Of course, this is not prescriptive: you might have different feelings that come up with the seasons, possibly as a result of past experiences or your own personality. That’s why I would encourage you to use this book as a stepping-stone for your own natural magic adventures—and why I also recommend (several times!) keeping different journals or records of your path through the year since you will undoubtedly come up with your own rituals, recipes, and celebrations to remember and cherish!
Spring:
creation and renewal
Summer:
abundance and passion
Autumn:
celebration and harvest
Winter:
peace and reflection
Each seasonal chapter encompasses the following sections:
Heart Notes:
thoughts and simple rituals and magic for each season’s rhythm
Create:
simple body/beauty products to make, as well as ideas for a natural home
Nurture:
ideas for natural health and well-being on every level, both physical and spiritual
Grow:
practical inspiration for planting, growing, and harvesting one’s own herbs and other aromatic plants, and other ideas for garden magic and enchantment
Taste:
seasonal recipes using herbs, spices, and flowers in delicious ways
A Few Points to Note
Any remedies suggested are for minor health issues and problems only; more serious complaints or emergencies obviously should be referred to the relevant healthcare professions. These remedies and recipes are made and used at your own risk.
Particular caution should be exercised when making and using herb and flower products for use by pregnant/breastfeeding women, as well as babies and very young children. Again, check with your doctor or midwife before using such products, particularly those containing essential oils, some of which should not be used during pregnancy. These include but are not limited to peppermint, cinnamon, juniper,