Book Review

Flower Magic of the Druids:
How to Craft Potions, Spells,
& Enchantments

Written by Jon G. Hughes

Publisher: Destiny Books

200 Pages

Release Date: May 2, 2023

 

 

 

Reading Flower Magic of the Druids; How to Craft Potions, Spells, & Enchantments by Jon G. Hughes reminded me of both the traditions of our Druidic Ancestors and the more modern flower traditions of my western life growing up here in the United States. Although Jon Hughes is mostly speaking to the flower landscapes of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, I was able to relate and extract much wisdom from his thorough teachings and guidelines as well as the flower directories because of their widespread popularity and appearances in many parts of the world. The author’s ability to stay deeply true to the Druidic path of flower magic was inspiring and made for a richer experience reading. There are many books on plants, flowers, and herbs but what made this one so special was Jon G. Hughes integrity and loyalty to a highly specialized and Ancient craft of Druidism. He did so while making these mostly oral traditions accessible to people from all walks of life and all across the world. We the readers owe a great respect to Jon’s dedication, research, and loyalty.

Most of us, regardless of our beliefs, have been influenced by the virtues of the flowers throughout our lives. Each flower is made up of “virtues and attributes.” This is also known as “the language of flowers” or even “the secret language of flowers.” Weddings are a great example where the children spread flower petals on the ground as a blessing and guests throw flowers after the ceremony, blessing the newly wed couple. Nursery rhymes and sing alongs such as Ring around the rosie, pocketful of posies were sung as a protection against the plague. Aromatherapy has been used for cleansing and purification even for uplifting and merriment within our homes with things like potpourri, incense, even candles. Herbs and flowers are used for cooking and brewing tea. We send flowers as sympathy at funerals, congratulations at births, and for many other special occasions. We hang wreaths on our doors as a sign of welcome and mistletoe for love. We even wear perfume as a way to bring attraction. We use Homeopathy to heal and the list goes on and on. Jon Hughes states, “Because of the unique nature of each species and the emotions and memories that their appearance and fragrance invoke in most people, it became a common practice to attribute many of the most prolific and popular species with particular symbolism and even a specific form of social meaning”.

Flower Magic of the Druids highlights the key principles of flower magic. Jon says, “We do not work with the forces of nature; we work within them.” We are nature. “We are ourselves one of the component parts of nature and can influence and change all aspects of nature by our intentions and actions.” He goes on to share, “Intention is the Druidic word for spell.” So often we are looking outside of ourselves to the healing properties elsewhere, instead of realizing we can merge and step inside the world of nature thereby influencing the magic and medicine directly. I find this to be empowering and enlightening as we take the initiative to be the vibrational manifestation of that which we seek to create. I couldn’t help but feel Jon Hughes invocations as a gateway for us and the flower realm to declare our reciprocal virtues and attributes into that which we are crafting. A way of creating from internal states of being into external manifestations, not the other way around. The author reiterates, “Within each flower, we see that the universal or communal energy connects it to what may be called the world of spirits, an individual living entity.” He continues, stating, “The Druidic tradition uses only the magical and spiritual energies of the flowers, leaves, and sometimes berries and does not use this form of flower magic as a healing practice.”

Throughout reading the book I sat with these words and intentions allowing them to show me the Druid way instead of using my current beliefs to agree or disagree with what I thought these words meant. I surrendered to the Druidic path and opened myself to learn anew and by doing so I found a deeply embodied and empowered way of engaging with such crafting. Like the Magician who places the spell or intention onto the source, using both the attributes and virtues of the flower species as well as his/her own intentions, crafting this way is living with embodied, clear, conscious, and deliberate intent. Can you imagine if we humans engaged with life in this way more often? For me it fuels the spiritual flame that our livelihood is imbued with creative power and influence, rather than being victims of circumstance.

There was much to take away from this power packed book with a large section dedicated to the crafting itself. It goes into great detail the components of crafting with water, oil, and powder, making infusions, decoctions using heat, distillation into flower essential oil, fermentation, making potions, living wands, flower pouches, what to have in our medicine cupboards, bee keeping, designing our flower gardens, foraging, etc. This book is jam packed with everything to get you started following and embodying a Druidic lifestyle with the attributes and virtues of flower magic. As Jon so clearly states, “Accessing the spiritual and magical essences contained within the flowers.” He emphasizes crafting using the three components of the flower: the petals, flower head, and leaves. This deliberate way of raising the vibration of each component before reintegrating them into a potion for instance, brought another layer of deliberate intention and conscious preparation into the flower crafting art form. I found reading this book to be an honor, like sitting in a sacred grove with the High Druid as He/She shares their customs and ways. I have great respect for Jon G. Hughes’ thorough and careful choices in writing this book. I felt his pure intention within the pages and it was an honor and privilege to sit in what felt like a sacred ceremony with both him and the flowers.

Nicole Lynn
FLOE; Facilitating Love On Earth

 

About the Author

Jon G. Hughes is part of a lineage of Druids that has been practicing for five generations in a remote area of Wales. He teaches the tradition in Ireland and gives workshops and seminars throughout Europe. He is the director of the Irish Centre for Druidic Practices and the author of several books, including A Druid’s Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants and The Druidic Art of Divination. He lives in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.

 

 

Flower Magic of the Druids

 

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About the Author:

Nicole Lynn lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her husband and fur babies. She is a Nature lover where everything she does centers around her connection to Nature and Spirit. She is an Intuitive counselor/life coach with many certifications in holistic healing modalities. Nicole broke away from traditional psychotherapy back in 2015 and started leading nature-based sessions, Shamanic journeys, meditations, and what She calls, Soul Sessions. She specializes in Mind, Body, Spirit integration and living from an embodied place of Wholeness. Nicole Lynn is a Soul Writer in the field of Higher Consciousness embodiment and the creator of the new Mushroom Medicine Oracle deck as well as four books for our “Inner and Outer” Children; I am a Child of the Forest, Spring is Here, Faeries; Light Reflecting Particles in Motion, and Where Angels come to Sing inside You & Me.

Nicole’s Mission is to help humanity remember the Purity and Power of their Divine Essence integrated into physical form.

Nicole Lynn at FLOE; Facilitating Love On Earth
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