Cult of the Divine

10 minutes read time

What do poisonous plants, psychedelics, and witchcraft all have in common? Witches have been using plant magic and medicine for millennia, traversing the shadows of consciousness to shed light on the Mystery.

The poisonous plant path in witchcraft often includes working with toxic herbs, psychedelic plants, and powerful plant spirits that require respect and discernment.

This guide explores some of the best plant magic books for witches interested in the poisonous plant path, psychedelic plants, and plant spirit medicine.

But first, let me give you some background context on my journey with poisonous plant medicine.

Plant Spirit Medicine & Witchcraft on the Poisonous Plant Path

When the world was shutting down in 2020, my personal world was also collapsing. I was going through a divorce, worked an intense job in hospice care, and was in deep study with a Feri witchcraft mentor who I ended up having a huge falling out with and never initiating into this craft tradition.

A lot was coming up for me. My power was growing and I was about to trip down the rabbit hole with an overdose poisoning experience.

My fate with the poisonous witching herbs was sealed. The plants called me into their realm and I’ve been partnering with them ever since.

The day I moved out of the apartment I shared with my ex-husband, I signed up for a Poisonous Plant Medicine course with Kathryn Solie of Persephone’s Path.

This is where the real healing work began. The plant spirits, especially witching herbs like mandrake, datura, belladonna, amanita muscaria, henbane, poppy, tobacco, and yew tree would invite me into the liminal, protective, and powerful world of toxic plant spirit medicine.

Shadow Work, Toxic Plants & the Edge of Herbal Magic

In the courses we were guided on how to journey, drum, and tone with the spirits of poisonous plants to merge consciousnesses and receive healing, messages, love, and protection from them.

I studied through all four of Kathryn’s deep and profound courses and eventually branched off getting into the spirit medicines of DMT and Amanita Muscaria. And the medicine calling to me now is Acacia tree (which I associate with the Goddess Asherah).

So on my adventures with toxic, poisonous, and psychedelic plants, I’ve had the chance to explore books that are on offer in this area. Some focus more on the witching nightshade plants while others focus more on psychedelics or ancient mystery schools that made use of plant medicines.

Where ever you find yourself on your green witch plant path, there is something here for you on this list. Happy Exploring Plant Witches!

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Best Plant Magic Books for Witches on the Poisonous Plant Path

These are some of the best witchcraft books on poisonous plants, psychedelic plant medicine, and plant spirit magic. Okay, let’s get into it loves!

1. The Long Trip: A Prehistory of Psychedelia

I’ve read this book over and over again. I am somewhat obsessed with prehistory and love the thought of our stone age ancestors connecting with plant medicines.

For ages our ancestors developed relationships with plants, they evolved together and we are inseparable from the plant kingdom.

Paul Devereux takes us through the archeological labyrinth of plant medicine traditions over the eons. Such a fascinating book!

This is a great book for seekers wanting to understand our relationship to plant medicine and the deep, long history of plant magic, shamanic practices, and finding our roots at the ‘beginning’.

The Long Trip: A Prehistory of Psychedelia by Paul Devereux (Author)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/40YTYEO

2. Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path

Poisonous plants and the nightshades can be incredible teachers for earthy witches. If you are seeking to merge consciousness with the plant medicine world, this book pulls back the curtain on the slippery nature of plant spirit relationships.

Through poetry, art, illustration, alchemy, occult sciences, and more, we are taken through the mutable world of plant consciousness. An adventure of multiplicity, this book is what magic and witchcraft are all about.

If you feel called to the plant path, this is a good, energetically rich book to get started with.

Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path by Dale Pendell

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4t9g6bF

3. Plant Magick. The Library of Esoterica

Such a beauty to have in your plant magical book collection! If you are a plant medicine witch, a green witch, or interested in plant medicine and psychedelics and you appreciate art, this is for you!

The energy of the Library of Esoterica books are just spectacular. I’m in love with the astrology and the witchcraft books in this series too!

Absolutely stunning artwork and imagery to inspire and deepen your relationship to the visual psychedelic world of plant medicine.

Plant Magick. The Library of Esoterica by Jessica Hundley (Author), Pam Montgomery (Foreword)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/3PzMWnu

4. The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden 

This book has been in my collection for a while now. I don’t always reach for it, but when I do, it’s been super useful.

If you are wanting to get started with your witchy garden, this author gives some great tips. Covering things like how to get seeds started for the different nightshades.

Harold Roth also talks about the symbolism of these 13 witching herbs and their relationship to lore, magic, healing, and plant medicine traditions. I super appreciated this book when I was getting started on the Poison Path

The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden by Harold Roth

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4dbelWB

5. Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants

This book has some great info! I love the sections on Saturn and his relationship with witches and the nightshade plant family.

There are some things in the book I’m not in love with, some opinions and perspectives, but I think there are enough positives to keep this one on a recommended reading list.

The book is broken down into sections by different authors, so you can pick and choose which direction to take your witchcraft, plant magic, and plant spirit medicine studies.

Overall, great imagery and packed with information, history, folklore, and plant wisdom!

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Müller-Ebeling (Author), Christian Rätsch (Author), Wolf-Dieter Storl Ph.D. (Author)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4c5zOiC

6. 13 Pathways of Occult Herbalism

Okay. So when I got this book it was like $15. I noticed it was astronomically priced on Amazon now. It’s a great book though! I return to it again and again for occult plant knowledge.

The book is reveals the different paths a plant path can take. In reality and I believe what the book is getting at is that the plant path person will end up on each of the paths at some point in the journey in some form.

The Left Hand Path of Traditional Witchcraft is an all encompassing journey through liminal realms of seeking, self-discovery, and constantly uncovering deeper and deeper knowledge of the Mystery, non-duality, shapeshifting and more.

The nightshades and other consciousness altering plants are a vibrant part of this European/American witchcraft tradition and this book is excellent for Traditional witches on a plant poisonous path.

Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism by Daniel A. Schulke

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4dJ7Fz6

7. Fly Agaric: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, & Exploration

I love love love this book! I am an Amanita muscaria mushroom enthusiast. This mushroom has been a large part of my faery magic and initiation into plant medicine mysteries.

This book covers everything from folklore of the magic mushroom to traditional shamanic uses of this mushroom around the world.

For the Amanita curious and the Amanita lovers, this is one of the best books to have on the fly agaric topic.

Fly Agaric: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, & Exploration by Kevin M Feeney (Editor)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4cb3DNV

8. The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries

This is one of my favorite topics to explore in plant medicine studies, the Eleusinian mysteries. The ancient Greeks had a annual festival honoring the Goddess Demeter and Persephone. Plant medicines were taken along the way.

This books explores what those sacraments might have been. What plants were involved? We might never know, but seeking the mystery of the Greek mysteries is part of the fun.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who believes plant wisdom isn’t a part of their ancestral lineages and wants to expand their knowledge of plant medicine traditions and where they might be hiding.

The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by by R. Gordon Wasson (Author), Albert Hofmann (Author), Carl A. P. Ruck (Author), Huston Smith (Preface), Peter Webster (Afterword)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/47q8Akh

9. Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana

While not exactly witchcraft related, this book can be insightful for spiritual practitioners looking to deepen our understanding of plant medicine traditions and spiritual experiences.

I found it very interesting, especially through the lens of psychedelic sacraments for ecstatic spiritual practices.

Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayanaby Michael Crowley (Author), Ann Shulgin (Foreword)

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/40Y6VyH

10. Pharmako/Poeia, Revised and Updated: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft

Another book by Dale Pendell in the 3-part series on plant wisdom. Using alchemical occult wisdom as the backdrop, we are guided through the power of plants, toxic plant potions, and herbalism.

Poetry, correspondences, history, and lore are all exquisitely woven together in Pendell’s books. They certainly take you on a powerful journey through the realms of plant consciousness and psychedelia.

Pharmako/Poeia, Revised and Updated: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft Paperback by Dale Pendell

You can find this one here: https://amzn.to/4bIk43L

In Closing

The poisonous plant path is a doorway into the Mystery. These books are here to guide witches ready to meet plant spirits, toxic herbs, and psychedelic medicine with an open heart and grounded presence.

These books have helped shape my understanding of witchcraft and witchcraft consciousness. Working with these spirit medicines have helped me touch the Void and deepen my relationship to the mind of plants and the soul of the Universe, creation, and experience true healing. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the protective, powerful underworld medicines of the poisonous plant spirits.

With gratitude and sincerity. Thank you for being here. If you feel called to the plant path, I invite you to book a session with me so we can explore who is on your spirit team and what plants might want to ally with you on your plant path.

Related Topics

• poisonous plant path in witchcraft
• plant spirit medicine books
• psychedelic plant magic
• toxic herbs in witchcraft