Book Description

A guide to plant spirit ritual and witchcraft, with practical instruction on the use of botanicals especially associated with the beloved goddess Hekate and her daughters Circe and Medea. Bringing pharmakeia (the practice of plant spirit witchcraft) into contemporary times, Entering Hekate’s Garden merges historical knowledge with modern techniques. In it, author Cyndi Brannen offers her extensive insight into Hekatean ritual and witchcraft and especially its application to the Green World. The book features detailed monographs dedicated to 39 plants ranging from the esoteric such as aconite, American mandrake, and damiana to the accessible including bay laurel, dandelion, fennel, garlic, juniper, and lavender. This book blends traditional methods with the author's personal approach, emphasizing her understanding of plant spirits as allies in the witch’s journey. It includes a new taxonomy for interpreting plant energies, methods for creating new correspondences, the importance of layering, using botanicals in spells, rituals, altars, and more, as well as ways to develop meaningful relationships with the pharmakoi (master plant spirits). Poetry, petitions, and musings about pharmakeia are woven throughout. Entering Hekate’s Garden takes readers deep into the mystical world of botanical witchery in a way no other book has before.