Monkshood (Aconitum nappellus) is a species of highly poisonous of the Aconitum genus, hardy perennial plants of the Buttercup family, chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It takes the accolade of being one of the most poisonous plants in the world and tops the list of neurotoxic and cardiotoxic plants in Europe. It’s Greek name is Akoniton lycoctonum (De Materia Medica, Dioscorides), meaning Wolf’s bane and due to it’s usage for hunting wild animals across...

Nestled within the cracks, crevices, splits and shards of the Yew’s bark are spiders, fitting companions for the tree of eternity. For arachnids have existed on earth an astonishing 400 million years in their various evolutionary forms (1) and have colonised every continent apart from Antarctica. Their capacity of adaptability and resilience are closely matched by the yew, whose family Taxus has survived for over 200 million years according to fossil records. Both the Yew and arachnids are...

Hidden knowledge of the inner realms of the plant kingdom can be traced back throughout history. The therapeutic and medicinal papiri of the Egyptians and the magical volumes of the Greeks offer a rich heritage of applications and usage of the conscious intelligence of plants. The magical grimoires of medieval Europe and the oral wisdom of the Celts also divulge nature spirit secrets and the lore of both common and poisonous plants. The herbal magic of days gone by teaches the combinations...