Book Review: Witches’ Forbidden Herbs: A Practical Guide to Infamous Plants for Magic and Medicine
- Authors: The Seed Sisters; Illustrator: SilvA (Silva De Majo)
- Publisher: Watkins Publishing (now an Imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser)
- Publication date: 9 Jun 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 304 pages
- ISBN-10: 1836810539
- ISBN-13: 978-1836810537
- Item weight: 544 g
- Dimensions: 14.66 x 2.29 x 19.96 cm
- Reviewed by: Emma Mitchell
Gorgeously illustrated grimoire of the witching herbs (including henbane, datura, and belladonna) that calls for these to be re-incorporated into modern herbal medicine and contemporary magic.
This is a stunningly illustrated grimoire of some of the most notorious plants: henbane, datura, belladonna, among others. It is also a practical guide to plant magic, medicine and ritual, offering advice to professional and home herbalists, to those interested in forgotten lore and the old ways, and to all those who wish to reclaim control of their own wellbeing.
This book urges the resurrection of the ancient tradition of using these witching herbs in ritual and medicine. Now is the time to relink magic and medicine in the context of modern herbalism and contemporary witchcraft.
Discover:
- Safe ways of interacting with the witching herbs to usher in wellbeing and healing.
- Practical activities ranging from meditations and folklore writing to wreath making and beer brewing.
- Step-by-step instructions to creating the powerful witches’ Flying Ointment and using it in ritual, sex magic and lucid dreaming.
This is a reissue of Poison Prescriptions.
There’s something wonderfully intriguing about the plants that have earned themselves a place in the darker corners of witchcraft. The ones surrounded by whispered stories of witches’ brews, flying ointments, and magical workings. When a book promises to delve into the world of forbidden herbs, you can imagine why it caught my attention.
Witches’ Forbidden Herbs by The Seed Sistas, with illustrations by SilvA, takes us into the world of plants with a rather different reputation from the lavender and rosemary we might ordinarily associate with herbal magic.
And honestly, there’s a whole history here that deserves a closer look.
Belladonna, henbane, and datura have all become entangled with the folklore surrounding witchcraft. Their names conjure up images of old magical practices and stories of mysterious ointments, and they’ve fascinated people for centuries. But behind the legends are real plants with extraordinary properties, and a history that sits somewhere between traditional plant knowledge and the more shadowy aspects of magical practice.
This is where books like this appeal to me. Witchcraft has such a rich history, and there’s so much to uncover when you start looking beyond the familiar – no pun intended. I love discovering the origins of the things we read about in modern magical books, particularly when those traditions have been shaped by centuries of folklore and changing attitudes towards magic.
The relationship between plants and the occult is a fascinating subject but add astrological associations and wider esoteric traditions into the mix, and there’s plenty to keep a curious mind occupied.
One of the things I absolutely love about this book is the writing style. It’s easy to understand without feeling as though anything has been watered down to make it accessible. You don’t need to be an expert in herbalism to follow along, and the information is presented in a way that makes you want to keep reading.
In fact, I devoured this book like I devoured A Discovery of Witches. Yes, really. It’s non-fiction, but I found myself completely absorbed in it, turning page after page because I wanted to know what came next. I was learning as I went along, but it never felt like I was sitting down to study. I was simply enjoying the book, and that’s a pretty wonderful thing to achieve when you’re writing about a subject with so much information behind it, so massive props to the authors.
The practical guides deserve a mention of their own, too. They’re unlike those in many other books of this kind, and I mean that in the best possible way. Rather than feeling like an afterthought tagged onto the end of the theory, they bring something genuinely worthwhile to the experience of reading the book. There’s a real difference between being given information and being guided through how to engage with it, and I appreciate that distinction.
The book itself is fantastic quality, and the illustrations by SilvA are a lovely fit. There’s something about botanical imagery paired with the darker side of plant lore that lends itself to the grimoire aesthetic. It feels right for a book dealing with plants that have such a complicated place in our magical history.
Of course, we shouldn’t let the romance of forbidden knowledge overshadow the reality. Some of these plants are highly poisonous, and their historical use doesn’t make them safe to handle or experiment with. Learning about them is one thing; working with them physically is quite another.
For those of us interested in the historical side of witchcraft, this is a subject with plenty of depth. It’s a reminder that the Craft has never been quite as simple as lighting a candle, choosing a crystal, and setting an intention. There are centuries of traditions behind it all, and sometimes the most compelling stories come from the subjects that have made people a little uncomfortable.
If you’re drawn to the darker side of herbal magic, this is certainly a title to put on your reading list. I went into it expecting to learn about forbidden herbs, but I came away having thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading it, too. When a non-fiction book can keep you turning pages long after you intended to stop, you know it’s doing something right.
Just be careful, though. These might be fascinating plants with wicked reputations but you don’t want them growing in your kitchen garden ;-)🖤
Highly recommended – I’ve added the authors’ other works to my Wish List ✨ You should too!
About the Authors:
The Seed Sistas are Fiona Heckels and Kazz Goodweather. They are herbalists, eco-activists, speakers, and modern plant folklorists. They have also written The Sensory Herbal Handbook and The Sensory Herbal Oracle. You can find out more about them at: seedsistas.co.uk
About the Illustrator:
Silva De Majo is a ceramic artist and an illustrator who has embarked on a plant-led artistic journey to capture the essence of the witching herbs.
