13 November 2017

Being with the Plants, part two

       That's what I've been tapping around-
       The plants call out to me, just when I'm not expecting it. In harvesting season, if I have decided to work with the plants that year, I am always at the ready with the vinegar, or oil or tincturing supplies in the car. Many folks have driven past me, pulled off in some spot off the road, standing at my trunk or at the hood, basket on car, herbs spread out, a bottle of vodka at the ready. "What the hell is she doing?" some of their faces say. I actually like it when they stop to ask. I get to do an impromptu herb lesson!
       For a while, it felt like I had lost my love for these things. I hadn't consciously worked with the Plants, made medicine or anything, in several years. Making a plan or a harvesting schedule or goal had already become too stressful. The paper size of "to-do list" on my clip board had been steadily shrinking over the years as well as the number if items on each page/day. What I've realized that, like with all other processes in an Earth that is steadily progressing into the energetics of Higher Creation, that any relationship that I had with the plants and with myself as an herbalist would need some room to evolve, even in my own perception. A lot of what has needed to be addressed for me, in this subject area, was my attachment to the results. Before, as an herbalist, and running with nature's schedule, if I had set my mind to harvest certain plants for their medicine, I would rigidly and doggedly go about meeting these goals. In short, I would create stress around meeting my "needs" before nature dissolved the opportunity. Life sprouts, grows, flowers, fruits, withers and dies in a cycle that goes faster than maybe some of you have realized. But many of you do :)
cleavers

       Since last year, however, when I had decided that I needed to tincture some Cleavers, and the St. Johnswort, I found a renewed aspect of my work with Intention. I Intend what Plants that I need to find, explaining and clarifying for what purpose- and I let it go. I keep my eyes peeled when I'm out driving. I keep the plant medicine really loose in the back of my mind, even keep medicine making supplies in the car for just in case, but no where near the conscious mind- except for then I was so hung up on the Motherwort. You see how that was turning out. I'm going to round that story up, soon. {One of the things that I love about my relationship with various plants for the past 22+years is that I can see them on the sides of the roads while I'm driving, even at 50Mph. When I see them, I make a note in my car journal, what road, near what landmark. I might get back to it, in the right season.}
       One day early last summer {2016}, I was driving on an infrequently travelled back road, and I passed a sprawling patch of Cleavers. I passed it, then I pulled over. There was Yarrow growing in this little meadow, too. I was looking for that too this particular year. All of the swooshes of the Universe's multidimensional wand brought me into this moment. It is wonderful when this happens. This also occurred when I let go of my desperation this past summer for more Motherwort. Thank goodness that in letting go of this attachment to finding more of this plant, I also released all of the anguish and pain of that unfulfilled need/desire. That, of course, was helpful.
       {I probably shouldn't leave his part out, because it had a funny result at first: I asked the Motherwort Deva to help me to find her. I had to amend that request, because I was, in the days soon after making that request led to a very large lush stand of Motherwort- that was heavily diseased! So, then I asked to be led to a healthy, harvestable stand of Motherwort, to make medicine for use in the coming year.}
       part three... on 11/15

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