Plant Magic: The Magic Connections of Plants with the Universe by Anastasia Mostacci

Vibrantly animistic and remarkably hypnotic, the Nine Plants Spell (Nigon Wyrta Galdor, popularly known as the Nine Herbs Charm) is an Old English healing galdor, a spell, that invokes nine personified plants and the pagan god Wōden to defeat a serpent before exploding in a psychedelic climax. One of the most mysterious items in the Old English corpus, and originally sung, chanted, or otherwise performed to treat an unknown malady, the Nine Plants Spell provides a rare window into a living landscape from a lost time, dripping with mysticism and mystery, humming with life. This third edition features new essays, art, and supplementary items to further assist in navigating the spell’s many mysteries.

Hopkins’s translation in the film Hamnet (2025)

Hopkins’s translation notably appears in the 2025 film Hamnet directed by Chloé Zhao. Zhao’s film is an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell’s novel of the same name (2020, Tinder Press). Mention of the spell is not found in O’Farrell’s novel and is specific to the film. “It is a great joy to play a role in presenting the Nine Plants Spell to such a large audience in the contemporary period, surely providing the most exposure the spell has received since Anglo-Saxon England”, says Hopkins.

Things have changed in the last few years and countless people are crippled by stress and anxiety. The effects of stress on our health can lead to devastating long-term illnesses such as adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. More recently, there has also been the complex condition known as long Covid, which we are steadily learning more about.

Many people feel completely burnt out but do not understand how this affects their body or what they can do about it. Unfortunately, mainstream medicine has almost nothing to offer the person who wakes up feeling exhausted and unable to cope with the smallest stress. Having helped people for more than 20 years to recover from these illnesses, Jo Dunbar passes on her knowledge and experience in this accessible book.

Her healing approach involves nutrition, herbs, exercises, meditation and lifestyle changes. It's a holistic rounded approach but we are empowered to adapt it to our own needs. Jo also doesn't reject mainstream medicine out of hand and she is well-versed in all the current developments and research.

Poison Prescriptions is a stunningly illustrated grimoire of some of the most notorious plants: henbane, datura, belladonna, among others. It is also a practical guide to plant magic, medicine and ritual, offering advice to professional and home herbalists, to those interested in forgotten lore and the old ways, and to all those who wish to reclaim control of their own wellbeing.

This book urges the resurrection of the ancient tradition of using these witching herbs in ritual and medicine. Now is the time to relink magic and medicine in the context of modern herbalism and contemporary witchcraft.