Shaman Explorations – Baby Pineapple

There are many people who believe that Plant Medicine only happens when you drink mysterious brews in the Rainforest of South America.

What I have learned is that there are three Great Medicines.  Plant Medicine, Animal Medicine, and Stone Medicine.  These Medicines are an integral part of our daily life.  Animal Medicine is frequently how we harmonise and gain support in the Lower World.  It, and Stone Medicine are topics for another time.

But Plant Medicine?

Let’s look at it on the Medicine Wheel.

Air –  We love the beauty of flowers and their fragrant perfumes.  We use trees to put our ideas into writing, with pencils and books.  We inhale steam and smoke.  I participate in Air Plant Medicine every time I hold a Pipe Ceremony (smoke).  We smudge with sage and sweetgrass, and purify ourselves.  We wear perfumes, and fill our homes with aromatherapy.  All of this is Plant Medicine.

Fire – We keep ourselves warm by burning plants, and the warmth of lights at night is from plants.  Coal is made up of plants, and wood has been used for cooking and heating fuel for millennia.  Fire is also involved in smoking and smudging.  This, too is all Plant Medicine.

Water – One of my favourite Plant Medicines!  Making tea!  We drink the plants in coffee and tea.  We savour succulent fruits such as mangoes and citrus, and make orange juice and lemon juice.  We cook with the plants.  Spices in our foods (different spices might be in different places on the Medicine Wheel – chilli’s might be fiery, peppermint more watery, while paprika might be considered more earthy) provide flavour to our cooking.

Earth – Possibly the most widely used form of Plant Medicine.  All of our vegetables, leafy greens, roots, fruits, stalks, grains, lentils – we get so much nourishment for our body from the Plants and their Medicine.  Each plant has different qualities – the pineapple produces bromelain, an aid to digestion and a healer of burns.  Each plant has a different profile of vitamins and minerals (Yes, that’s Stone Medicine, too), aminos and enzymes to help humans be healthier.  Each plant has its own Medicine which is particular to it – whether it is the leaves of the kale, or the roots of the beet.

There is a reason why all religions have a pause of Gratitude before eating a meal.  Not only does it aid digestion, but gives us an opportunity to be mindful of the beautiful Plant Medicine that we are about to merge with.  You are what you eat!

We all use Plant Medicine every day.

Take some time to appreciate the Plant Medicine in your life.

Shaman Explorations – Pineapple Aug 2018