Review
This is the first in a projected series of 8 books on the various pagan paths. The "hearth witch" is the traditional country wise woman or cunning man, often called a "hedge witch".
A surprising amount is packed into this volume - including the history, mythology, and folklore of the hearth witch. But mostly the book concerns the practical magic of the hearth. There are few "spells" here. Instead, there are recipes for seasonal dishes (all vegetarian), for incenses and dyes, for traditional natural toiletries and cleaning products. And there is advice on raising plants, storing and preserving produce, the uses of different woods, and candle making.
Only a few generations ago, such knowledge was the inheritance of every woman. The traditional wise woman was also a master of the healing arts, and over a quarter of this book is devoted to "wort cunning" (or "knowledge of herbs" to use the more familiar Latinate words). The numerous ways of preparing herbs are explained, and a lengthy directory describes the uses of many common herbs. Necessarily this is only an introduction to the vast subject of herb lore, and the bibliography contains pointers to more in-depth studies (including Anna Franklin's own tome Herb Craft).
All in all, this is an excellent source book for all 21st Century pagans, which I for one will be referring to time and again.
[TG]
