The dictionary of sacred and magical plants

by Christian Rätsch

The study of sacred and magical plants goes beyond biology - it is also the study of culture and belief. From aloe vera to witch hazel, plants have been used throughout history in rituals and sacred ceremonies by people around the world. Collected here is information about over 200 sacred and magical plants, each entry exploring the plants' cultural and historical significance. The author, Christian Ratsch, states, "Magic is a gateway to other realities." Plants used in specific ways - whether by ingesting them, making them into ointments, or using them as part of a ritual - become the means to approaching these other realities. Shamans, for example, ingest certain plants so that they may experience out-of-body travels. Mushrooms are used to unfold healing powers. Clairvoyants use thornapple to see into the future. Some herbs are said to cause levitation. Priests burn incense to make contact with the gods.^ And witches are said to have made ointments from plants to go on astral journey