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Scott Cunningham’s “The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews�� is a really excellent go-to general reference on the use of herbs and herbal creations. What I really appreciate about Cunningham is the fact that he was practical and no nonsense, not to mention his healthy dose of common sense that floods his writing.

This book is in three parts with a glossary, appendixes, and a bibliography and is a prime example of truly practical magic. Throughout the text, he encourages readers to utilize substitutions. For example, I used his recipe for the Psychic Bath (page 214), but being out of lemongrass, I substituted the lemongrass for some grated lemon rind that I had frozen last year.

When I was in graduate school, my mother gave me a CD of Gail Twersky’s guided meditation for stress relief. After I made the Psychic Bath sachet, I lit a yellow candle, put on Twersky’s meditation, and soaked in the tub. To be perfectly honest, the bath relaxed me more than I have ever been, and I’ve previously used the candle and the guided meditation—both separately and in conjunction with one another.

The book is an easy read and highly informative. I absolutely recommend this book, and particularly so given the author was continually adamant about the dangers of certain herbs. Cunningham is an author whose works continue to be trustworthy sources.