Sorry that this post is super early – I wanted to get it done while I was thinking about it so I can also (hopefully!) have time to read the other book (The House Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock) and still have plenty of time to focus on my schoolwork >.< Here’s my review of Cooling Herbs for Hot Summer Days!
Book title and author: Cooling Herbs for Hot Summer Days by Herbal Academy (no specific author listed)
Status: Finished
My overall rating of the book: 7/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice? This book is a good source of inspiration to encourage me to explore herbalism more. I keep getting signs that are pointing me in the direction of learning more about herbs, and I very much identify as a Kitchen Witch so this topic is a great one for me to learn more about. Learning the chemical/medical properties of herbs in addition to the spiritual/metaphysical properties will allow me to incorporate more “stuff” into my cooking, baking, and magickal practice in general. To me, the scientific and metaphysical properties of things are very closely linked, so any information I got from this book will help me in my pursuit of magickal knowledge.
My personal thoughts/opinions: Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting, and – in case I haven’t said it enough already – has provided me with lots of inspiration to study herbalism further. I’m even considering taking an herbalism class or two!
I learned a lot from this book, and I feel like it had lots of information for how short it is. However, as a beginner in the study of herbs, it was almost a little overwhelming. It threw a bunch of herbalism jargon out there, but didn’t provide any information about what the terms meant, and I had to do a lot of Googling. I know that this was a freebie from an herbalism school, so it’s obviously not going to contain all the information because then people wouldn’t pay for the courses they offer, but that’s just something to keep in mind if you’re a beginner like I am.
An interesting quote from the book (or two )
Many cooling herbs have a demulcent or moistening property, which helps to ward off the dehydration that can occur in the heat of summer. Cooling demulcents include marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) root and hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) calyx. Some astringent herbs also cool the body in this way— this may seem counterintuitive, as we often think about astringent herbs as drying, but as astringents work to tighten and tone tissues, they also help to preserve water inside the tissues. Thus, astringent herbs can also help to offset heat by keeping the body hydrated. Cooling astringents include rose (Rosa spp.) petal, raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf, and linden (Tillia spp.) bract and flower. (page 6)
I found the above quote interesting because it helps to explain why green tea is one of the suggested ingredients in the Bath Spell to Beat the Heat in a recent Spells8 email newsletter. Green tea has astringent properties, so because it “tightens and tones,” physically, it helps us seal in water, so we stay cool; by extension into the metaphysical, that property makes it an herb that has the potential to protect us from heating energies. Here is a brief article that talks about the concept of heat/cold as it relates to bodily health in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
One way to spot cooling herbs and foods is by their flavor. While cooling herbs can vary in flavor, many of them have a sour taste. Sour-flavored herbs that are cooling include lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) leaf, rose (Rosa spp.) hip, hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) calyx, and sour fruits like lemon, lime, blueberry, and more. (page 6)
This a neat little tip to help us find more ways to beat the heat and to find more ingredients for our spellwork!
All-in-all, would I recommend this book? Yes!