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Notes from the Apothecary: Moss
It’s been a while since I posted in this column, but I’m hoping to get back to it once a month. I wanted to start back with a plant that I’ve been fascinated with since I was a child. Well, it’s not one plant really, but a whole group of plants: Moss. Moss is like a miniature forest; a whole ecosystem on a doll’s house scale (or smaller) that holds so much wonder. From common haircaps emulating pine trees to sphagnum moss that forms unique peatlands, moss is a very special part of our ecosystem and is packed with magical potential. The Kitchen Garden Moss is a collection of non-vascular…
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Book Review — Micro Meditation: Moments of calm for a happier, healthier life, by Nicci Roscoe
Book Review — Micro Meditation: Moments of calm for a happier, healthier life, by Nicci Roscoe Publisher: Cico Books 144 Pages Release Date: March 11, 2025 Micro Meditation is a collection of small, simple ways to change your outlook on life in a few moments. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, stressed, or uncertain, there are ways to stop, take action, and feel differently about the situation. The author notes the benefits of traditional meditation but also laments the lack of time to indulge in this during busy days when challenges can arise from any direction. Having these micro meditations — from ice…
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Learning Lunar: Micromoon, May 2025
Image by Ganapathy Kumar, copyright-free via Unsplash Did you know that we’ve just witnessed a micromoon? While the phrase “supermoon” is undoubtedly more well-known, micromoons are also a semi-regular occurrence. This year’s May full moon lasts for 4 days, if you count any visibility over 97% as full, which many people do. So it’s a great opportunity to witness the micromoon and get your moon magic flowing! What Does Micromoon Mean? The moon isn’t always the same distance away from the Earth. Because the moon’s orbit around our planet isn’t a perfect circle (it’s elliptical, which means slightly egg-shaped), sometimes it’s a little closer and sometimes just a bit further…
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Book Review – Queering the Runes by Siri Vincent Plouff
Book Review Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology by Siri Vincent Plouff Publisher: Weiser Books 240 Pages Release Date: September 4, 2024 On the author’s website, Queering the Runes is described as a “…love letter to the runes, the gods, and the people who follow the Nordic path.” The book is promoted as an alternative approach to learning the runes, combining personal gnosis and academic research. Importantly, this approach is inclusive to anyone regardless of their gender identity, perhaps making it one of the first widely available resources to queer and trans individuals and communities — while still wholly relevant to literally anyone else, too.…
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Book Review – The Magic of Seeds by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers
Book Review The Magic of Seeds: The Nature-Lover’s Guide to Growing Garden Flowers and Herbs From Seed by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers Publisher: David & Charles 144 Pages Release Date: March 28, 2023 Regular Pagan Pages visitors will know that my love of plants is no secret. So, getting the chance to review any flora-related book is a win, in my opinion. This volume from Clare Gogerty with superb illustrations by Prudence Rogers is a gem, both a riveting read and a useful reference book. The Magic of Seeds is about growing your own plants for magical and practical purposes — after all, most magic is a pretty…
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Notes From the Apothecary: Caraway
Spring is in full swing for many in the northern hemisphere, yet we’re still weeks or even months away from having fruits and seeds to store. That’s why this is the season when many magical and medical herbalists reach for their store cupboards and the trusty dried herbs, fruits, seeds, and spices at their disposal. With that exact goal in mind, I’ve picked out one of my favourite cupboard spices for this issue of Notes from the Apothecary: Caraway, or Carum carvi. The Kitchen Garden Caraway, a member of the carrot family Apiaceae, is a biennial herb. This means it has a two-year growing cycle, and will often only seed…
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Learning Lunar: Moon Magic and Mystery
The Last Quarter Moon The last quarter or third quarter of the moon is the beginning of the end; the final phase before waning all the way to the new moon. In different traditions, it can mean letting go, allowing things to diminish, or even feeling energy diminish within yourself. It can also be the gentle illumination needed for certain types of inner workings, or the reminder that shadow work is an essential aspect of growth, for many. What Does Last Quarter Mean? The moon’s quarter refers to how far along in the cycle of the moon we are. It’s not a reference to shape, as both the first quarter…
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Mindful Souls Subscription Box Review
Mindful Souls I absolutely adore getting subscription boxes, and this one was an impulse buy after seeing the company advertised on Facebook. *Note: This box was not provided free in exchange for review. This review is entirely impartial and the opinion of the author only. Mindful Souls at mindfulsouls.com is a pretty, minimalist website offering crystals, jewellery, and other spiritual wellness products. The one that caught my eye was the Mindful Box, promising “Self-love and self-care” via a monthly subscription of crystals, aromatherapy products, and mindful jewellery. The price was more than I would usually have liked to have paid, but there was a special offer on: Usually £39.99…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Snowberry Snowberry, or Symphoricarpos, is the name for 15 or so shrubs that boast gorgeous white berries. The plant is part of the honeysuckle family, and is also known as waxberry or the beautifully evocative name, ghostberry. The inspiration to write about this plant came from my 13-year-old, who sent me this cute WhatsApp message on his way home (pictured). It’s lovely to be the “go-to” person for plant info, and nice to be able to give some fast advice on a potentially toxic plant! The interesting thing about snowberries is that, while they can be toxic, they’re also used medicinally in some…
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Book Review – The Full Moon Yearbook by Julie Peters
Book Review The Full Moon Yearbook: A Year of Ritual and Healing Under the Light of the Full Moon Written by Julie Peters Illustrated by Lauren Spooner Publisher: David & Charles Pages: 144 Rerelease Date: November 28, 2023 The subtitle for this book is A year of ritual and healing under the light of the full moon, which is bound to be attractive to anyone who follows a spiritual path linked to the moon in any way. I love the moon, and writing about the moon, reading about the moon, and even singing about the moon! So, yeah, I’m pretty excited to read any book that comes out…
