There is much more to Plant Medicine than reaching for a Herbal tincture, salve, infusion or capsules from the Health Food store. By using the approach of Plant Spirit Medicine and tuning into the spirit of the plant you can receive a deeper, truly holistic and more expansive transformation.
Sounds a little crazy eh?
Well I’m all for crazy actually, especially when I see it working.
Plant Spirit Medicine
The approach of Plant Spirit Medicine works by getting into relationship with the plant spirit, this begins by respectfully observing and listening with an open heart to any wisdom that comes. Often it is the plant that chooses us. Ever found yourself walking along and your eye is caught by a beautiful tree that you haven’t really noticed before or a wonderful flower in bloom that is mesmerizing you. Or perhaps a heady scent of roses, mint or lavender simply takes your breath away. Plants might even crop up in conversation or on the radio unexpectedly, as house names that you notice or even on social media. These are beautiful moments when plants are reaching out to us. Just the other day I was in my garden considering moving a large fern that is in my garden, later that morning I was reading a magazine that randomly had an article about ferns and later that evening I was with a Polish friend who had an enormous fern in her living room and proceeded to tell me a Polish Fairy tale about the magic of the fern. Three times in one day – now that fern was trying to tell me something!
Plant Spirit Medicine found me when I was running our flower and herb farm in Canada. I had long fallen out with my studies of traditional clinical herbal medicine. Hanging out with plants all day, seeding, transplanting, harvesting, making medicines was more my sort of thing. I found that the more I observed, listened and breathed with the plants, the more I started to learn. Five years of working like this taught me more about herbal medicine than all of my books. Though I do still love and value my books, teachings that come directly from the plants themselves have a more personal and therefore deeper quality that transforms us in a profound way. For all those moments and teachings I am truly grateful.
The best way to start rekindling your innate ability to work with Plant Medicine is to simply consider plants as friends that you have not yet had the privilege of meeting. Start by changing your perception of plants around you. Each time you head out for a walk or venture into your garden (if you are lucky enough to have one) be aware of who (which plant) is trying to catch your attention. Hang out with the plant, get closer and notice how you feel. Think of this process as the beginning of a great friendship and proceed respectfully. Introduce yourself, give the plant an offering like seeds, petals, tobacco, water or something that has meaning for you, and wait for a response. The keys to working with plant spirit medicine are humility, respect, exchange, open heartedness and awareness. The rewards are enriching, healing and often life changing. Give it a try!
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