Master Book of Herbalism (2024)

I got this in the hopes that it would be a more accessible text for looking up herbal folklore than Grieve's A Modern Herbal, and that's exactly what it is. Unfortunately it's not anywhere near as expansive as Grieve's work, but it covers most of the well-known simples and is aesthetically pleasing.

What it definitely is not is a reference manual for medical herbalism. While it does include some herb facts and pointers for burgeoning herbalists, I would stress to anyone looking for a medical text to look to something scientific. This is good for whimsical curiosity or spiritual practice, but not for medicine.

The general and historical information is good, however some of the botanical names are incorrect and in some cases are for a completely different species of plant. Therefore the general and historical information, which is good, is for a different plant!
Some of the species mentioned are American sub-species that can be confusing for readers outside of the US adding to the dilemma.

I'd rate this a 5 stars for enjoyment and history but maybe 2 stars for botanical accuracy and usefulness? This manual of herbalism covers a huge range of topics, but it really needs a second edition with a better editor because there are quite a few glaring errors. I recommend this book as a historical piece and for the inspiration it contains, but I strongly encourage the reader to cross-reference any statement made here, ESPECIALLY where it concerns the medicinal use of herbs. Still, I can't deny: I had a great time reading this book and am thankful for the time I got to spend with Paul.

Paul Beyerl is a respected teacher in the herbalist community, as well in the Pagan community. He was part of the first vanguard of LGBT herbalists, and one of the few gay herbalist elders we are blessed to still live with. Since the '70s, he has been paving the path that many of us are walking on today and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a person and as a healer. He has a very jovial, heartfelt approach to plants that can be felt in the book, and I really enjoyed my reading experience.

This book teaches a very traditional kind of herbalism, the path of herbalists like Nicholas Culpeper, which blends traditional knowledge, modern medicine, astrology, and a health dose of magic to create holistic remedies for diseases of the body, mind, and soul. This approach to herbalism is having a bit of a renaissance these days with authors like Judith Hill or Matthew Wood, but when Beyerl published The Master Book of Herbalism in 1984, he must have really been pushing the envelope!

Unfortunately, the fact that this book was published in the mid-80s really shows. There are a number of errors having to do with botanical and/or common names being mixed up to the point where I wouldn't consider any of the medicinal section to be trustworthy. One example: he confuses the aloes tree, which is used to make perfume and incense, with the familiar small green aloe succulent. This is definitely not the book to use as your reference guide when making herbal medicine!

Beyond the herbal errors (which have been noted by other reviewers) there are also many other stark mistakes. For example: he says the word philtre is a more elevated way of saying filter (like, "use cheesecloth to philtre your tincture") when it is actually an archaic word for potion, especially a love potion. I loved the inclusion of astrology in an herbalism book as well as discussion of building amulets, but these sections showed their age in particular and I would definitely suggest looking elsewhere for an intro to astrology if you're unfamiliar with the practice. At the same time, it's hard to fault him: the study of traditional herbalism, astrology, and magic of the Western world has come a LOOONG way since the '80s. The only reason I was able to identify so many of these errors is because of the accessibility of information about traditional medicine and astrology on the internet, a resource he obviously didn't have access to.

In the end, I can see why other reviewers gave rated this book low—taking this book off the shelf at a bookstore and expecting it to be a textbook on herbalism will leave you disappointed. But if you approach this book in its historical context, from the lens of studying Paul Beyerl's approach to herbal and spiritual medicine, I think it is still absolutely worth a read nearly 40 years later.

I loved this book. I'm going this weekend to buy some more plants because it's made me so happy. I learned a lot more about Herbalism and how to help further myself as a pagan. I'm a beginner and this was perfect. I needed something that could teach me some definitions and easy remedies. Not that they were all easy but it was a straight forward enough that I wasn't left in the dust trying to read in between the lines. I know this is a book sin; but my copy now has pen and highlighter all in it. It's the kind of book where you wanna go back and remember things. I'm very excited to read my next book on Herbalism.

I read this text for research purposes, but found it very interesting. I won't say I'm a believer, but the guide to the uses of herbs was very detailed and informative. If you, like me, can get over the archaic way "magic" is spelt all the way through, you will enjoy this book.

Absolutely loved this book. It was in depth and very helpful.

I didn't realize I hadn't written a review for this book despite how often I reference it in other reviews, so here's my short take ~

This is by far the most comprehensive book on Herbalism I've found. It contains hundreds of plants -- not just herbs, but also some flowers, fruits, and vegetables -- and the most I've seen in a book on Herbalism even after getting it over a decade ago.

It also has the most correspondences I've ever seen in an Herbalism book, including Western Astrology, Tarot, crystals, and more.

It contains an extensive index AND bibliography. I always advocate researching and cross-referencing for accuracy. Even though this book was published back in the 80's and could use some updating and corrections, it's still the most well-researched book on Herbalism that I've seen, and you could get away with this being your only Herbalism book for quite a while.

My only complaint is that instead of all info about a plant being in one section, each plant is divided into the other sections of the book, which takes time to flip through to get all the info on a plant. For example, to learn all about garlic, you'd have to check the sections on medicinal uses, traditional/cultural uses, Magycal uses, the correspondence lists, etc. But unlike so many other books, this one contains an index to make it a bit easier to find all sections mentioning a plant.

Lot of useful information in the first half. The second half is interesting, but the information in it is for a different dataset than that which is useful for my herbalist "hat."

I bought this book in the mid-80s, and it was the first book that introduced me to herbalism. It was long ago lost in many of the moves and relocations, but I've not forgotten it.

I am by no means a herbalist, having only used it as a reference for magical applications. I must say that of all the books I've come across since, this has been my favorite, as it is a very complete and extensive reference. While many books of its type usually have a limited listing of herbs, this one if I remember was quite full. I wouldn't consider it as extensive as a multi-volume reference set, but for its size it covered all the basis, while leaving enough room for further investigation into what you were seeking should you desire it. The tone and the down to Earth quality of the author's writing made it that much more appealing.

In an era today where the commercialization of all things, including spirituality, has reduced much to piffle, or worse. . . a hook and line meant to lure you in as a repeat customer, this book seemed to stand apart from this. Sadly, the reality is that magic, witchcraft, etc., is a big moneymaker and as such so much of what has been written these past decades is just a rehash of the same things previously presented, or some off the cuff version of someone else's ideas of what it should entail. The vast majority of the subject, having been reduced to puffs of smoke up the arse. Everything is written to maintain return customers; from New Age stores, psychic readings, books, and that old stand-by. . . workshops. Of course this is nothing new, but some might say this is a good thing as it has opened up the subject to a wide audience. However, some things shouldn't be so accessible.

It was always difficult to discern the good from bad information, but now it is far worse. We love to rail on about capitalism and all the wondrous gifts it has bestowed, but we detest acknowledging the ugly reality of its equally (if not worse) nasty dark side as well –which is unavoidable. But as long as we have access to a job, the necessities, entertainment, and any and all necessary satisfiers, we're just fine with it. Are we not?

Good reference book with information I haven't been able to find elsewhere. This books covers all different types of herbalism and mysticism, some of which was a bit too much for me, but it may work for your practice. (AKA: warning that he mentions unicorns and dragons)

Comprehensive and insightful, this is the best book on herbalism I've come across yet.

A good book with the information that I was looking for, but I really like his other one. One of my favorite herb books.

Inspiring and accessible, a practical volume in every sense.

My favorite herbal.

Paul Beyerl is an original and he is one of the Elders of the craft. Learn from him.

This was the most thorough magickal herbal I've found so far. It explains everything broken down and piece by piece, so you can really understand how to assemble everything. Super handy. I learned a lot from this book.

I refer to this book often. I love vast array of ideas in this book. He looks at herbs from every angle which makes it more than an herbal. It brings fantasy and culture and magic to herbalism.

Such an amazing book!

This is an older book and I was pleased to be able to find a used copy on amazon. It is a very comprehensive book about the many uses of a wide variety of herbs.

Definitely the best reference book on herbal medicine and magick that I have ever run across. This is a must for anyone who uses herbs!

Just awsome!! Really good stuff! :)