Let the Plants be your Teachers - a Guide to working with Plant Spirit Medicine
We often begin our day with a cup of tea or coffee, the simple infusion of plants into water awakens our spirit, clears our mind and helps us feel ready to take on a day of work, or play. This in itself is plant spirit medicine. There is no difference, its more about the intention we set as we sip our cups.
We may not be conscious of our intentions as we take our first sips of tea or coffee - somewhere in our half asleep - half awake mind, we hold a desire to speed up, out of sleep and into action. Perhaps we need to be on the same level as others, communicate effectively. I find it interesting how we collectively choose the same plants to align our minds and work harmoniously together.
Nowadays, we are often also adding mushrooms to our coffee: lion’s mane to help connect the neural pathways, to be super awake! Or we might enjoy a herbal tea for its activating properties. Mint and ginger are very popular morning brews, both help the blood flow to our minds.
You are already a plant spirit medicine person. Because we are all made of plants. We breathe the oxygen they generate, we eat and drink them daily. And as we all collectively evolve, we are becoming more aware, or perhaps we are simply remembering that the plants have consciousness too.
Plants want to help us, to heal us, to guide us, to teach us if we will let them how to live harmoniously. The shamanic people of the world share ancient prophecies and tell of a time when humanity will remember that we are all one. We are all brothers and sisters, we are family, not just the humans, our relations are all life on earth, the plant people, the animals, the waters, the landscapes, the trees, the earth beneath our feet and even the rocks and the stones. We are one organism, one ecosystem, one family. Plants love us, like we are their great, great, great grandchildren. As they came before us, over 500 million years ago, and humanity in its current form of homosapien has only been here on Earth for around 300 thousand years.
Its kinda mind blowing when you tune into the story of how little time we have been here on Earth and how destructive we have been as a species to the rest of nature. And this is the harmony the plant people want us to restore, harmony with all our relations.
It can feel overwhelming to open our eyes to see the devastation humanity has caused in our natural world and sense how much we have to fix, to come back to a healthy and natural balance. But, we have to begin somewhere, we have to begin with how we show up in the world and the plants can help guide us on this personal path of healing.
The beauty is as we heal, we are not just healing ourselves, as we are one with nature. As we heal ourselves, we show up in the world in a better way, we will heal everything around us too. Healing has a ripple effect and its wonderful to observe, as we heal, we see others heal too. Nature knows this, it can teach us, we just need to listen to learn how we can make a difference.
Let us come back to plant spirit medicine practical methods…because we live in a physical world after all! To learn from plant spirits, there are many ways to listen and learn.
Here are 5 of my favourite ways to learn from plants.
Meditation
Number one has to be meditation, simply sitting with a plant. If you can sit with a plant in real life, all the better. Choose a plant to work with, maybe a beautiful tree to rest with, or a field of daisies, or a herb you have been wanting to explore a relationship with more intimately. Then just sit and gently breathe in the air, the oxygen they are generating for you.
Imagine the oxygen is moving through you in waves of beautiful colours, penetrating every cell of your body, every corner of your mind. You may wish to ask for healing or guidance on a specific question. Or just be open to listening. Plants may talk telepathically to you, inside your mind, or you may sense them in your body.
The more you sit with a plat, the more willing it will be to share its wisdom, the more it will trust you - kinda like a new friend, it takes time for us to find a commonality, an understanding.
Ingestation
Ingest the plant. Now, a word of caution - only ingest the plant if you know exactly what it is and that it is 100% safe! Do your research and ask for help from an expert.
My favourite way to work with plant medicine is in tea form. By making a cup of tea, it means I get to sit and sip slowly, a meditation with tea. It gives me time to sense the energy of the plant moving through me, notice how it is changing me in subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle ways. For example, chamomile is gentle and softening, whereas coffee fuels me like a rocket ready to launch!
Journeying
Shamanic Journey to meet the spirit of the plant. This is something I have been doing for 30 years now. This is the way I connect deeply with each plant I work with, to invite them to be an ally in my herbal apothecary.
As a Medical herbalist and a shaman, I have noticed how much more powerful the plants are once I politely asked if they would help me and my clients to heal. If we take without gratitude, we are not honouring the medicine, and it won’t be as effective in a spiritual sense.
I do understand this won’t make sense from a scientific perspective (except perhaps to the quantum physicists).
Dieta
Dieta with the plant over a moon cycle. Set up an altar with the plant as the centrepiece. If your altar is inside, you might use a potted plant or an image to represent them.
Choose a way to ingest the plant daily, a tea, a tincture, an oil, an essence or all of these! I like to start a dieta on a new moon, perfectly in alignment with the spirit of new beginnings.
Choose a time to sit with the plant each day for at least 15 minutes in meditation. Journal daily to tune into the messages that may be coming through.
My preference is to drink a tea or an essence just before bed and invite the plant spirit to come into my dreamtime. Then I journal the next morning to explore what symbolic messages may have come through.
Research
Explore through a literary search the history, traditions, science and folklore around the plant you are called to work with. There are always synchronicities with the plant we are attracted to and the lessons and healing we need at that time in our lives.
As you learn about the plant you may also come across recipes or other uses and enjoy crafting with the plant.
Most of all, have fun! Our plant spirit teachers want us to be happy, healthy and live in harmony with all our relations. Whether you continue to simply enjoy a cup of coffee every morning, or go deeper by creating your own plant spirit medicine rituals, we can all benefit by offering gratitude to all the plant people share with us.
Do you feel a gentle tug towards a deeper connection with nature's wisdom and your own inner knowing? Do you wish to open your mind more fully, to listen to the whispers of the plant spirits and awaken your inner healer?
As Plant Spirit Medicine Woman, I offer pathways to profound connection and well-being:
💫Immerse yourself in deep transformation: Our Shaman's Way Immersion, starting this June, offers a powerful dive into guided dietas, allowing the plant spirits to become your direct teachers. Our 13 Moon journey is a longer version, where I guide you over a year; this pathway begins in October.
💖Open your heart in community: Join our regular Full and New Moon cacao ceremonies for a beautiful heart-centred experience.
🌿Journey into other realms: Explore plant spirit medicine ceremonies through shamanic journeys, available both online and in person. This May I am hosting a Mugwort ceremony.
🥁Feel the rhythm of nature: Connect with the elements, and share a blended herbal tea to enhance our connection to the 5 elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether, in our vibrant summer shamanic drum circle.
For those seeking a more personal approach, I also offer:
🌸1-2-1 Medical Herbalist consultations: Benefit from my scientific knowledge and extensive apothecary to receive bespoke herbal remedies for holistic well-being.
🧚Personalised Shamanic Ceremonies: Allow me to co-create a unique 1-2-1 ceremony guided by the perfect plant spirit ally for your healing journey.
If you'd like to discuss a 1-2-1 session, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Which invitation resonates with your soul's calling? Check out our events, courses or therapies pages to learn more. Or get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!
