Ellen Evert Hopman's book, A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, and her recently published companion text, A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine, provide fascinating in-depth analysis of the medicinal and homeopathic uses of many common herbs, as well as exploring their magical and seasonal associations particularly within the Druidic tradition. In her original Druid's Herbal, organized primarily according to the cycle of the seasons, Hopman devotes a chapter to each of the eight seasonal festivals of modern Druidry, exploring ten to twelve traditional plants for every holiday. These chapters are divided into short entries similar in style to Cunningham's encyclopedia, though more extensive in their descriptions of medical symptoms and various kinds of appropriate remedy. After an introductory chapter to the Druid tradition, a second chapter, more to the point and referenced frequently in the following pages, reviews the basics of herbal preparations such as dosage, salves and tinctures. Later sections touch, however briefly on scientific evidence for the Druid herbs, herbal associations with planets, the consecration of ritual space, and the personal life cycle which includes four chapters on various rites of passage for personal and family life. Hopman's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine has a slightly more fluid, intuitive organization. Its first section, divided into twenty chapters, is devoted to exploring the trees of the ogham alphabet, while its second section (titled "The Druid Arts") offers simple meditative, magical and divinatory practices to help the reader develop a relationship with trees that extends beyond mere medical use. Both books are structured more like reference texts than works meant to be read straight through from cover to cover (this is particularly true of A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year). While Hopman provides a glossary and pronunciation guide in both, however, neither text includes helpful tables and cross-reference indices, such as those found in Cunningham's Encyclopedia, which could have been particularly useful in researching specific symptoms and various herbal options for treatment.
If any set of books could make an amateur herbalist or fanciful hypochondriac feel out of her depth, Hopman's works certainly could. Filled to bursting with elaborate lists of symptoms and side-effects, these Druid Herbals seem to be primarily written for the experienced practitioner in herbalism. However the books' organization by season and symbolism, rather than by more practical methods (such as plant-type, condition or form of treatment), as well as their encouraging opening chapters (and "Part Two: The Druidic Arts" of Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine), imply at least to this reader that Hopman intended these works not merely as reference texts, but as guides to the spiritual relationship between herbalist and herbs. Within their pages, however, very little of this more esoteric relationship is discussed as an aspect of the healing work itself. Furthermore, frequent discussions of herbal treatments for debilitating fever, crippling pain and other severe conditions make it clear that these texts are meant for a practitioner of alternative medicine working with patients, rather than for the newcomer interested in including as part of his spiritual practice simple natural remedies for daily aches and the occasional head cold (certainly such an amateur could not be expected to summon the wherewithal to make such elaborate herbal concoctions when suffering from some of the conditions covered, let alone develop the prescience to prepare a wide variety of tinctures months in advance on the off-chance he might need them for personal use). Hopman treats herbalism with all the seriousness of someone entering the medical profession, with an intensity that can be just as intimidating (and for some, perhaps just as discouraging). It is certainly easy to imagine a serious practitioner filling these books lovingly with margin notes and bookmarks, perhaps even copying information into personal files for easier future reference. It seems to me, however, that the texts themselves might have benefited from a more rigorous attention to organization and cross-reference. Hopman's work does provide insight for the uninitiated reader into just how extensive and complex the world of herbalism can be, primarily in its medicinal applications. This perspective is an essential aspect of her books; however, it may leave some readers out in the cold, while others may find more straight-forward and comprehensive non-Druidic reference texts just as helpful.

Part of a larger review, to read more check out Bond of Druids: Issue 2 (www.mygrove.us/bond_of_druids/index.htm)