[Review] Plant Magic by Sandra Kynes

Title: Plant Magic
Author: Sandra Kynes
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Pages: 264
Release Date: March 8th, 2017

Connect to the natural world in ways you never expected with the many magical uses of ordinary and classically witchy plants. Plant Magic presents a unique approach to working with plants in concert with the cycles of nature. Learn which ones best align with the sabbats on the Wheel of the Year and which are most useful for the time between them.

Sandra Kynes guides you through a year of plant magic, providing significant dates and detailed information on garden, wild, and household plants associated with each month. Discover activities to grow your connection with nature, such as plant-based rituals to celebrate the seasons and incense burning to attract love and prosperity. Explore ways to develop your self-expression in the craft, from placing flowers on your altar to using herbs in your divinatory practices. Featuring lore, recipes, spells, and more, Plant Magic helps you better understand and be inspired by the green world.

A big thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I'm always so thankful to have these opportunities! 

This book is filled with lovely information! It's meant to be a companion throughout the year and the book's introduction offers this: 

"This book is a tool for learning about both ordinary and classically witchy plants. Going month by month, it highlights a range of plants from small herbs to mighty trees. Included are facts about the plant’s physical characteristics, its history and folklore, and how it can be used magically. While this book focuses on North American plants, we will see how plant mythology and folklore was often carried here by European settlers and applied to similar plants. In many cases, settlers brought plants with them to the New World."

I was so excited to learn more about plants and this book didn't disappoint in the least!  

Within the first chapter I was so thrilled to see a whole section on the scientific names of plants - this information is so important and I have seen a few authors skim and skimp on this information. Knowing the exact plant you're working with can literally mean life or death, so many thanks to Kynes for including this right off the bat. 

We have quite a few tables and charts up front as well, which was very helpful. It might seem overwhelming at first, but this information coming at us all at once makes reading the rest of the book much easier down the line! 

This book is chonky, and the reason being that notable dates for each month are outlined with a way to celebrate and observe them with plants - including incantation and some ritualized work you can do with the "On the Calendar" sections. 

The "In the Garden," "In the Wild," and "In the House" sections also go into plants within the month that have correspondence or ideas that coincide. 

Further, there are little spells, rituals, and other plant adjacent materials - like essential oil suggestions - that differ month to month. A wellness tea in January, and a bath suggestion in February, for example. 

Overall this book is a great companion to help you tap into the energies of the plant kingdom while honoring and syncing up with the Wheel of the Year, if that is a part of your practice. 

I'm very glad to have been able to use this reference! 

5/5 Triquetras for a well-written, well researched book that any green witch, plant or herbal aficionado would do well to have and reference all throughout the year!  

About the Author

I am an explorer of history, myth, and magic. The ancient Goddess-worshipping cultures of Europe fascinate me, and I have spent over twenty years researching them because they speak to the root of my beliefs as a Pagan. Although I am a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, I travel a solitary Goddess-centered path through the Druidic woods.

https://kynes.net/