Description: "Bringing pharmakeia (the practice of plant spirit witchcraft) into contemporary times, this book merges historical knowledge with modern techniques, featuring 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)"--
Brief description: Cyndi Brannen, PhD, teaches and writes from the crossroads of the deeper world and modern life. She merges her career as an applied social psychologist with meditation, ritual, and natural magic, centered on the goddess Hekate as World Soul. Her work explores the journey through darkness to wholeness using the archetypes of the witch and Hekate. Cyndi's teaching focuses on personal healing through herbalism, rituals, meditations, and exploration of the deeper self. She founded the Covina Institute, a soul school dedicated to the pursuit of wholeness through structured programs of study and transcendent experiences. Find her at keepingherkeys.com.
Review Quotes: "Enchanting! Cyndi Brannen's Entering Hekate's Garden: The Magick, Medicine, and Mystery of Plant Spirit Witchcraft is a treasure trove of herbal lore blended with magical practice for empowerment, protection, and more. An in-depth study of Hekatean theogony demonstrating the passion of a true plant priestess, this book is a must for anyone looking to deepen their magical practice, connection to Hekate, or knowledge of plants."
--Amy Blackthorn, priestess of Hekate, author of Blackthorn's Botanical Magic, Sacred Smoke, and Blackthorn's Botanical Brews
--Jason Miller, author of The Elements of Spellcrafting "Beautifully written in classic grimoire style, Cyndi Brannen uses Hekate and her daughters Medea and Circe to navigate the occult world of botanicals and mythology. Entering Hekate's Garden is necessary for every witch and student of the craft!"
--Lawren Leo, author of Horse Magick: Spells and Rituals for Self-Empowerment, Protection, and Prosperity "I have long wanted a book like Entering Hekate's Garden to exist. As a devotee of Hekate, the botanical connections of Hekate and her priestess-witch daughters in mythology and lore has always fascinated me. For many years, I have wanted to take the time to compile all the lore together myself for my own personal practice. Luckily, Cyndi Brannen has done all the heavy lifting for us. She has taken the seeds of ancient and classical lore and grown something lush, beautiful, new, and extremely beneficial for any modern witch, while also maintaining the historical roots. I greatly enjoy all of Cyndi's works and books, but this is by far my favorite of hers to date. I know it will be a book that I reference often in my personal magickal practice and devotional work."
--Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, and Manifestation "I remember reading Cyndi Brannen's previous book, Keeping Her Keys, and the wave of excitement and emotion that kept coming over me as I read each page. It was so clear to me then, even though Cyndi had stated otherwise, that this was a nascent, yet ancient tradition that she was channeling forth and presenting to all of us. The rituals, the history and the body of work in that book felt so incredibly detailed that indeed at that time it felt like a complete tradition presented to the world. But now, with Entering Hekate's Garden, Cyndi takes us deeper, fleshing out a profound, complex, and beautifully rich body of work. The botanical lore and practices in this book serve to deepen what is a potently transformative and devotional path and practice for those called by Hekate. I truly believe we are witnessing a sacred download of wisdom and guidance through Cyndi's books."
--Elena Rego, creator and owner of The Witches Box