The Great October Book Giveaway - Plant Lore

Congratulations to Fringe Nymph, Andrea Kiss, Sidur, and Tooshytospeak! Check out your inbox for the prize you won! 

If your name didn't get drawn, not to worry! There's plenty of fun left! The next giveaway will be arriving as the skies darken on this 6th October eve... 

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​The sky turned indigo only a short while ago, and the warmth of the day has seeped away as the cool flesh of evening continues to press against it. I can see my breath in the air tonight, curling and dancing away from me as I watch the stars appearing. It is the first day of October, and everything feels more sharp and in focus. Gone are the hazy, late summer days with their perfect Instagram-filter afternoon light. The dawn seems to leap up, directly from the dusky dregs of night, and there is very little twilight now - just a short moment of deepening blue, and then all is dark. But that's the sort of thing we like about this month. We are weary of the brightness and the oppressive heat (in the northern hemisphere, at least). Some part of us calls out to feel the sharp kiss of a cool breeze on our cheeks, and we luxuriate in the longer hours of darkness.

The Wild, in flesh and in the not-so-physical realms, feels close enough to touch. We hear the owl and coyote hunting again, now that the constant buzz of the warmer months has faded. It is the season of last preparations, bringing in the final harvests, and shoring up the edges of our living spaces for the cold days ahead. We set our wards, gather our wood (or candlelight), and hang our charms at doors and windows. Gourds tumble out of farm stands and show up on porches. Strange creatures arrive at our doorsteps looking for candy offerings to dissuade them from wreaking havoc. We gladly partake of all of it, knowing that these customs and practices keep us and our spirit(s) fed, and maintain a spark in the darkest season.

Each October I kindle my own cozy fire in this place. I surround myself with books and blankets, oracular helpers, and talismans. And I set about making a welcome space for all kinds of spirits so I can share my harvest. It's been a very long year already, in some ways. But I've always been refreshed by autumn, this month in particular, and I think I may be finding my second wind. 

For those that are new here, it should be fairly easy to follow along. To those that come by each year to join in on the festivities, welcome back old friends. 

I have a quartet of delights to share tonight that I know will tickle your fancy. There is folklore and history, magic and mystery, and all of it revolves around the wondrous plant people that populate our world. 

For our first October giveaways:

An anthropologist and world traveler digs up the history and deeply meaningful stories of wild food in Feasting Wild, by Gina Rae La Cerva. A gorgeously written book about where connection and culture come together with food, medicine, and magic. 

The Materia Medica Oracle, from Josie at Tenderheart Studio, is in its third printing and routinely sells out whenever this visionary artist and witch creates a new run. Simple, yet powerfully beautiful illustrations reveal an assortment of plants with a message from each. The enclosed guide books (this deck contains all three volumes and their corresponding guides) detail the medicinal, emotional-spiritual, and magical personalities and qualities of each featured plant. It's a truly lovely deck to work with.

Fez Inkwright is the illustrator, botanist, and folklorist behind two bewitching tomes published by Liminal 11 - Botanical Curses and Poisons, The Shadow-Lives of Plants, and Folk Magic and Healing, An Unusual History of Everyday Plants. Each book looks at the stories, history, and uses of certain plants, and is peppered with poetry, folkore, and fascinating tales. They are both bound in exceptionally pretty covers with copper foiling. The endpapers are gasp-worthy and the illustrations throughout are entirely wonderful. Either book would be an excellent additon to your herbal or witchcraft bookshelf.

Please do pop through to the links if you'd like to get a better look at the books, cards, or their authors/creators!

You have five nights, until the evening of Tuesday, October 5th, to get your name in the witch's hat (the comment box below) and then I will draw four names at dawn on Wednesday, October 6th and dole out the prizes, and then post the next handful of goodies up for grabs.

You are welcome to let me know which item you would prefer to have if your name is drawn. I can't promise that you will get it but if I can match winners with prizes I try to do that.

Thank you for joining me again in this most magical month!

For those of you that are new here, this is how these giveaways work:

We are running a simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around (either a specific giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you spread the cheer, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.

On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment (in a safe format such as "JenLovesBooks at gmail") if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.

There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.

As always, if your privacy is of concern or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" form in the sidebar.

All mail will go out within five business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in Canada) to five weeks (if you are in the EU).

Because it was a question last year, please note that all items are new, unread, and un-used. They are shipped out in padded envelopes or boxes, wrapped well, so that they may arrive to you in the same shape as I received them. Sometimes there are minor bumps or imperfections on books when they arrive to me and I'm afraid I cannot do anything about that, but all items go out in good shape.

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America,  who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law.  Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

*  Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada).  The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

*  This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

*  This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself.  I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone.  This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop.