Pagan Portals – Nine’s a Charm
Herbs of the AngloSaxon Healing Poem
by Martha Gray
Nine’s a Charm explores the world of the extraordinary properties of plants that are believed to be ingredients for the Galdr Healing Charm. Even today, their influence extends beyond culinary use and into the world of magic and medicine, a world the ancient peoples of the past knew much better than ourselves. While modern medicine is only beginning to unlock their medicinal value, some still perform practices intuitively connected to their mystical, magical properties. While this book concentrates on the value of the herbs themselves, Shani Oats’s scholarly introduction to the historical origins and practices of the charm itself will give a more rounded view of a work that still fascinates scholars today mostly due to the inability to accurately translate the whole text, where words and phrases are lost to the past or disguised for those who are uninitiated in the magical healing arts.
REVIEW
5 out of 5
This was an absolutely fascinating book, and I cannot recommend it enough if you have an interest in herbalism, or Anglo-Saxon history. First, even if you’re someone who generally skips over the introduction, I this is one you really should read. It does a great job of explaining what you’re about to dive into, and the history surrounding it, including the kind of world that it was created in. (Although I’ve dabbled in herbalism, and have a very surface knowledge of some historical beliefs, this provided a much deeper understanding than I had before, even though it still only scratches the surface while supplying sources for further research if you’re so inclined). Each herb has a chapter devoted to it, and I enjoyed being able to learn more about each, along with their magical and medicinal uses. Some of the chapters have a few additional sections as well, and this is one book I’ll be keeping close at hand for future reference. The crab apple chapter was of particular interest to me, as we have a crab apple tree close to our house. Final note/disclaimer: obviously, do not ingest or apply anything to your skin without consulting a doctor first, in case it interacts with a medication you are on, or you have an allergy.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Martha Gray grew up in Derbyshire and has spent the last decade in California and Arizona with her husband and two cats.
She has studied under the tutelage of Melusine Draco, becoming a priestess and elder of The Temple of Khem in The Egyptian Magical Tradition and has since become the virtue holder of the order after Melusine Draco’s sudden passing in January 2024.
In addition to the Egyptian Magical Tradition, she has been a long-time practitioner of Traditional British Witchcraft and herbal law.
Her first published work was Grimalkyn; The Witch’s Cat, and she has since contributed to three anthologies, including ‘ Witchcraft, 60 Years On’, and contributed articles to various magazines.
She is a keen gardener who is happy being up to her elbows in soil, and a keen animal lover, especially cats.
While in California, she became part of the Feral Cat Project, caring for a large pod of cats as well as other animals who came to sniff out the food and water area. Her interest in animal behavior and symbolism began when she was very young and has woven this knowledge into her own magical practice.
