Pagan Portals: Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets

A great little reference book, Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets by Steve Andrews is a take on herbology which is different from many we see, even today.  Part of the Pagan Portals series by Moon Books, this book is organized into seven chapters, one each for the Sun, Moon and the five "inner" planets, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  I feel I must say that it's really too bad that Uranus, Neptune and Pluto aren't included.  Spacecraft, witchcraft using the planetary bodies, is becoming increasingly popular, yet despite that the books which are being written in this subject still often do not include information on those three planets.  I find this to be an unfortunate, oft repeated, oversight.

Andrews has included a lovely little introduction which explains how planets can have herbs and does make sure to mention that not everyone will always agree on things like this, which I found nice.  The book then opens with the Sun, goes into the Moon and then the planets.  Each chapter simply includes a paragraph about the celestial body, such as information about the body itself, such as mentioning the monthly orbit of the moon, or information about how Venus is also seen as a Goddess of love and then the chapter goes into the herbs.  Each herb has about one page's worth of information about it.  For example in the page for Oak there is much talk about how it's sacred to Druids, and for Jasmine how it is frequently said to originate from the Byzantine Empire.

Each chapter includes information on seven herbs associated with that celestial body, and despite magical correspondences often having doubles for things, Andrews ensured to only include each herb once, so each chapter has unique information.  The book ends with a bibliography and index, so that is an awesome inclusion if one wants to seek out something in particular or look for more information.

Many of the pages include medical type information, such as how Valerian is frequently known to be a treatment for insomnia and headaches.  In regards to this I find I really need to say please consult with your physician before taking any medical advice, especially when in regards to ingesting herbs. 

Despite the above, this is a lovely little book filled with a lot of information anyone, but especially those interested in spacecraft can really use.  I only wish it were longer and included the other three planets.  I do recommend this to anyone interested!

~review by Jessica Elizabeth

Author: Steve Andrews
74ppg; $9.95
Moon Books; 2016