From the earliest times, the medicinal properties of certain herbs were connected with deities and spirits. Only now with modern scientific research can we begin to understand some of the physical basis that these divine connections had and, being preserved in myths and religious stories, they continued to have a significant impact through the present day. Riddle argues that the pomegranate, mandrake, artemisia, and chaste tree plants substantially altered the development of medicine and fertility treatments. The herbs, once sacred to Inanna, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis, and Hermes, eventually came to be associated with darker forces, representing the instruments of demons and witches.
Contents:
- Inanna’s Huluppu Tree, Pomegranates, and Sexual Power
- Pomegranate as Eve’s Apple
- Mandrake, the Love Apple, and the World’s Religions
- Artemisia, the “Mother Herb”
- The Chaste Tree
- Hermes, Herbs, Elixirs, and Witches
222 pages.
John M Riddle
Why we love it
We first picked this book up as it has a fantastic chapter on Mugwort, and the many uses it had not only in magic and devotion, but also in medicine. However, this book surprised us as it had so many other fascinating facets to it- looking into the myths surrounding certain plants how they were passed from culture to culture, and the science in why certain plants were used in folklore in specific ways. The stories are vivid, and the book- although heavily academic- is concise and easy to read.
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