Sacred Herbology is kept by two fratres, and every article in the Journal carries both their names. Frater Leo Viridis oversees the project, chooses what we grow and what the Journal covers, and directs the work as a whole. Frater Phyton Ambrosius researches the history behind each plant and writes the pieces with him.
Frater Leo Viridis, PhMN
Co-author and esoteric overseer of Sacred Herbology
Frater Leo Viridis is Grand Magus of Consilium Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis and oversees Sacred Herbology on behalf of the Order. He decides which plants the nursery grows and sells, sets the subjects the Journal takes on, and keeps the whole project tied to its purpose: the sacred, spiritual and religious uses of plants.
More about the Order is at rosae-crucis.com. To reach either frater, use the contact page.
Frater Phyton Ambrosius
Co-author, Sacred Herbology
Frater Phyton Ambrosius writes about the history of the Western esoteric traditions: the Hermetic texts, alchemy, the grimoires, and the long trail of manuscripts and printed editions behind books that get quoted far more often than they get read. His articles usually start with one plant and a short list of questions. Where is this ritual use actually recorded? Which edition says so, and who translated it? When did the claim first appear in print?
His name joins the Greek word for plant, phyton, to Ambrosius, the Latin form of his own given name, which carries ambrosia, the food of the gods. He works from published editions and translations and names them in every article, so readers can go to the source and check. When a supposedly ancient use turns out to date from a Victorian handbook or a 1970s paperback, the article says so and gives the date. Grimoire material is treated as esoteric literature with its own history, and kept apart from folk custom. Living traditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ones among them, are written about with attribution, and with respect for knowledge that belongs to its own community and is not ours to publish.
The Journal covers history and religious practice. Nothing in it is health advice. If you are thinking about using a plant medicinally, consult a degree-qualified herbalist with competencies and adequate training in pharmacognosy.
Recent articles
- Frater Albertus and the plant alchemists of Salt Lake City
- Albert Hofmann: ergot, Eleusis and the alchemist’s vision
- Angel’s trumpet: the Andean flower that left the wild
- Galbanum: the bitter resin in the Temple incense
- Dragon’s blood: one name, three resins
- Esphand: Syrian rue smoke in the Persian household
- Sasha Shulgin, the modern alchemist
- Kyphi: the Egyptian temple incense for nightfall