Title Copyright Contents Introduction A Note on the Text Foreword by Michael Holland Foreword by Lisa Schneidau A Story Explaining Why the Names of Plants in this Book are Capitalised Acanthus mollis (Acanthus): Flower of Rebirth, Greece Achillea millefolium (Yarrow): Macha, Ireland Agrimonia eupatoria (Agrimony): Dian Cécht - The Well of Healing, Ireland Alnus glutinosa (Alder): Mis, Ireland Anemone coronaria (Anemone): Aphrodite and Adonis, Greece Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort): The Dreaming Plant, Norse Ho Hsien Ku Becomes an Immortal, China Bellis perennis (Daisy): Pearl, Middle English Betula pendula (Silver Birch): Birch Mother, Britain/Northern Europe Camellia sinensis (Black Tea): Tea, Japan Cannabis sativa (Hemp): The Origin of KÄ«f, Middle East Castanea sativa (Sweet Chestnut): The Man Who Planted Chestnut Trees, Cantabria, Spain Colchicum autumnale (Crocus): Medea, Greece Commiphora myrrha (Myrrh): The Soul''s Scent, Greece Crataegus spp. (Hawthorn): Mother of the Maypole, UK Cytisus scoparius (Scotch Broom): The Broom Hill, England/Scotland Dictamnus albus (White Dittany): A Samodiva Doesn''t Keep House, Bulgaria Euphrasia officianalis (Eyebright): The Healing Eye of Horus, Egypt Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet): Blodeuwedd, Queen of the Meadows, Wales Fraxinus excelsior (Ash): A Walk with the Ash Tree, UK Helianthus annuus (Sunflower): The Sunflower Towelling Wrap, UK/France Clytie and the Sun, Greece Hylotelephium telephium (Stonecrop): Trust-Me and Trust-Me-Not, Italy Laurus nobilis (Laurel): The Wadjet Eye of Healing, Egypt Lilium regale (Lily): Mother of Angels Madhuca longifolia (Mahua): Mahua and the Wandering Penis, Santhal, India Malus domestica (Apple): Avalon, the Isle of Apples, UK Medusa and the Golden Apples, Greece Mandragora autumnalis (Mandrake): Snakes and Mandrakes, Egypt Morus alba (White Mulberry): Mulberry and the Sacred Tanbur, Kurdistan Myosotis spp. (Forget-Me-Not): Stream and the Blue Flower, Sufi Nelumbo nucifera (Sacred Lotus): Tara and the Lotus, Tibet Neurolaena lobata (Jackass Bitters): The Pumpkin Seed, Guyana Nymphaea caerulea (Blue Water Lily): The Blue Lily Makes a New World, Egypt Hathor''s Golden Lotus, Egypt Olea europaea (Olive Tree): The Olive Tree, a Blessed Tree, Morocco/France The Eyes of Serapis, Greece/Egypt Opuntia ficus-indica (Sabra Cactus): Fart Roman Thab and the Golden Pomegranate Seeds, Palestine Papaver rhoeas (Red Poppy): Hekate Poppy, Greece Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm): My Grandfather was a Palm Tree, Iran Pinus pinea (Stone Pine): The Magna Mater and the Pine Tree, Italy Primula vulgaris (Primrose): Carys of Nant Carfan, Wales Prunella vulgaris (Self-Heal): It''s all in the Name, China Prunus armeniaca (Apricot): A Bee is Always Behind the Flower, Kurdistan Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn): The Man and the Blackthorn Stick, Ireland Quercus robur (Common Oak): The Magical Flower, Cantabria Diana and the Golden Seed, Greece Rosa spp. (Rose): The Rose, America/Romania Rose Kitchen Magic: A Ritual for Self-Love, Italy Rubus chamaemorus (Cloudberry): Cloudberry, Finland Ruta graveolens (Rue): The Herb for the Opening and Closing of Doors, Brazil Salix spp. (Willow): The Willow Flute, Romania Sambucus nigra (Elder): The Tree of Freja, Norse Silene dioica (Red Campion): The Red Flower of Silenus, Greece Silene latifolia (White Campion): Snake Flowers, Wales Tabernanthe iboga (Iboga): Tiger''s Whisker, Africa Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion): Brigit''s Favourite Flower, Ireland Thymus vulgaris (Common Thyme): The Massage Oil, India Tilia spp. (Linden): Sister Trees, Denmark Tracheophyta spp. (Fern): The Golden Seed of the Fern, Europe Ulex europaeus (Common Gorse): When the Gorse is Out of Bloom, Kissing''s out of Fashion, Ireland Urtica dioica (Nettle): The Nettle Pharisee: A Philosophy of Nettle, Europe Vitis vinifera (Vine): Dionysus and the Wild Vine, Greece Zea Mays (Maize): Corn Mother, First Nations, America Glossary of Healing Plants References Bibliography Thanks.