I bought some books about Herbs and Oils, but nowhere to be found when, with what and how to start. So I'm gonna ask here ha-ha-ha. So, what plants are the best for beginners? ( I love ones that have big needs ) When are they good to start with? And should I try to find herbs in the nature, or buy them in the shop?
Lavender is a great starter plant.
It's edible
you can burn it for psychic creativity
You can boil it and use it in a protection spell
It's good for calming yourself and going against negative energy.
It's good against nightmares.
Mint is another good one.
It's good for breaking off curses and jinxes.
Great for your health too, calms your anxiety and helps with stomach cramps.
Basil is good for money and luck spells.
Basil under the tongue is something I've heard a few times from people as a quip.
Catnip is good for love or seduction spells.
Though as a tea it's not my favorite.
Dandelion is good for digestion
Dandelion root is good for enhancing psychic dreams.
Poppy Flowers also help enhance psychic dreams.
What to start with depends a bit upon what you want from herbs.
Gathering herbs from nature (wildcrafting) and buying herbs are both perfectly acceptable. I might recommend starting with buying herbs, because learning how to safely and ethically wildcraft takes some time.
If you want to start with buying herbs, I'd look first in the kitchen. What herbs do you use anyway? If you can save money by using herbs you also use for cooking, do so. You can also look at the herb racks in your local supermarkets and find the most inexpensive ones that have the correspondents you want. Don't waste money on saffron, for example, if there are herbs with the same correspondents for way less.
If you have the space, you can also buy some seeds for herbs you like and keep some fresh, potted ones in the windowsills. This can save you money if you use a certain herb a lot, and has the added benefit of tasting better if you cook.
If you want to wildcraft, focus on learning about your area. Looking at the local flora in a different country can be interesting, but it's irrelevant to learning how to wildcraft. If at all possible, find an expert on the local plantlife in your area to help you learn how to identify plants. Books and diagrams are great, but they can't replace the experience of learning how to identify plants by the feel of their stems or the smell of their flowers. Also, look into the protected plants in your area. There are some plants that people aren't legally allowed to harvest. Wildcrafting requires a lot of research and time, but it's very rewarding if you want to learn about it.
If you're interested in using poisonous plants, you'll pretty much have to wildcraft (or order from a metaphysical shop, in some cases). I wouldn't recommend starting with poisonous plants, though. There are some plants that can poison you just by touching them, so it's important to really understand what is safe to do with a plant before handling it. Again, this requires research and time.
My rule for wildcrafting is that unless I am 100% sure that I know exactly what an herb is and how to properly handle the plant, I don't touch it.
Basically, starting with kitchen herbs and moving on to wildcrafting if needed and with reputable help is what I would personally recommend.
(As a side note, if you have pets be cautious even with edible herbs. There are some plants that humans can eat that are toxic for many house pets. Burning herbs can easily irritate little pet lungs, so open a window in cases like that and always look up the plant to make sure it won't hurt any animals if you have any.)
Hope that helps. It's an incredibly broad subject area that varies a lot depending on what you want from herbalism, where you live, what your budget is, whether you can garden, and other factors, but hopefully this gives you a starting point. Good luck, and be safe!
