Just to clarify – really recommend you read the Part 1 of this plant diet with Yarrow series so that you understand what it’s all about. This post covers what I got up to for 2 whole days with Yarrow after I had prepared the Yarrow Elixir!
What went on in the Yarrow Ceremony?
So the next 2 days were a process of getting to know Yarrow in a much deeper way than I had previously experienced. I had a vague plan of what I was going to fill my time with during the Yarrow ceremony (no media allowed for 48 hours!) but kept an open mind as to what was actually going to happen. My activities included:
- Drinking the elixir in meditation and feeling the yarrow enter my body.
- Spending time with Yarrow plants outside: observing, drawing, drumming, rattling, singing, dancing etc. to/with the plants.
- Journeying with a drum to meet the spirit of the plant either lying down or with movement and singing.
- Asking Yarrow to flow through me and create a mandala.
- Dreaming with Yarrow.
- Creating a garland of yarrow and burning it in ritual
- Reading certain parts of books that I was guided to, being shown aspects of Yarrow that were important for me to know.
- Writing poetry with the spirit of Yarrow guiding me.
- Bathing with Yarrow in a herbal bath and experiencing a limpia
- Journalling and noting down my experiences.
What did I diet on?
So did I really survive on Yarrow Elixir for 2 days? Yes and no! Over the 2 days I had about 8 cups of the Yarrow Elixir. As for any proper food I limited myself to salad leaves and seeds. Prior to undertaking the plant diet, during my initial journey, I had asked Yarrow what if anything would be OK to eat during the ceremony, I felt it was OK to eat salad leaves and seeds but that was it. It’s one of those weird experiences where you are so engrossed in the ceremony and the plant that I did not get hungry or miss eating at all. This was a relief for me because I love food and had been concerned about my need for food distracting me from the ceremony. I totally get why people fast now, didn’t really grasp the concept before, but fasting certainly gives you another perspective on food.
