Enchanted Herbal: Connect to Nature & Celebrate the Seasons (Enchanted Kitchen, 1)

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I was not sure what I would be getting out of this book when I started it. There are some really nice recipes in it. There are activities to do and how they are broken up by the seasons. I enjoyed reading it and trying out some of the recipes. It was well put together and easy to follow. That is important to me. I wrote done the ones that I will use more often.

What a great little book to help you get through the seasons of life while helping you connect with them. Since I just got this book, I admit, after reading the very beginning, I skipped to the winter section and read that next before the rest of the book. One of the first recipes in this section was one I already use on my hair. So while it wasn't new, it was reassuring! This book has many recipes for both food products and self care products. I really liked the illustrated quote divider pages, they gave it a very comfy feeling. In this time of quarantine and Covid, I think this would make a great gift book for someone who could use a little pick me up.

Thank you, NetGalley, Llewellyn Publication, and Gail Bussi, for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.I absolutely love this book! I love how the content is organized around the seasons and how nature can teach us to recognize the seasons and cycles in our own lives. These seasonal chapters organize the book:Spring: creation and renewalSummer: abundance and passionAutumn: celebration and harvestWinter: peace and reflectionEach chapter/season includes these sections:Heart Notes: thoughts and simple rituals/magic for each season's rhythmCreate: simple body/beauty products to make, as well as ideas for a natural homeNurture: ideas for natural health and wellbeing on every level, both physical and spiritual Grow: practical inspiration for planting, growing and harvesting one's herbs and other aromatic plants, and other ideas for garden magic and enchantmentTaste: seasonal recipes using herbs, spices, and flowers in delicious waysEach season aims to identify ways to grow through self-discovery and using herbs to aid in this process. The tone of the book is very nurturing while also sharing reliable information about herbs and their benefits. I also love the focus on nature. We've become such a frenetic culture of being overly digital with our faces in screens far more than is healthy. Shifting our focus to nature is a much-needed reprieve from our overly social media.This book includes seasonal recipes and guidance on using herbs to eat, things to drink, things to do, happy home, and body care. As an herbalist, I love that she encourages the reader to keep a Green Alchemy Journal, a journal for recording recipes, ideas, experiments, illustrations etc. as you experience herbs throughout the year. There is an abundance of information on herbs available on the internet and countless books dedicated to herbs' specific properties, etc. My experiences have taught me that to know and understand an herb, you need to spend time with it. Instead of learning superficial information about many herbs, select a few for each season, and really get to know them well. This book by Bussi coupled with keeping your own seasonal herb journal is an excellent way to focus your energy on learning herbs and the different ways we can benefit from their many uses. Each season is filled with recipes, meditations, rituals, and journaling prompts to guide you in learning about and experiencing herbs.I also love her recommendation of keeping a moon journal. Like the seasons of the year, the moon moves through predictable cycles each month. I love recognizing nature's cycles and how closely we are connected through them. Finally, the appendix of this book is filled with useful information. Enchanted Herbal is a book I highly recommend to anyone interested in herbs and living an inspired life.