Facing a tree I am consumed by its beingness in the world. The fact of the tree, regally steadfast in its stance, makes me but a pawn to its presence. My unarmed hands human me. I may touch the tree and experience its trunk on my palm but I cannot reposition its location by physical [...]

High-bush Cranberry Viburnum Edule PT Circle 3.13.12 Viburnum Viburnum Viburnum, I say the name over and over to myself these days.  When a plant is ripe for the picking of me I tend hear the name repeatedly, like a mantra peeking its way through the background clutter of the days dreams.  Sometimes the name will [...]

Cascara Sagrada: Sacred Bark of Letting Go May 2010 A dream… I am sitting in a room with a male forest being. He is brown with strips of bark hanging from his clothes. He looks at me with a glimmer in his eye, “You know Cascara is good for stubborn blockages.” “Yes, I know” “No, [...]

Cascara Sagrada Song [ 0:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Earth represents matter, grounding, boundaries, structure, density, protection, trust, ancestors, tradition, knowledge, memory, nourishment, attraction/magnetism, and gravity. On the physical level it manifests in the bones, muscles, uterus, and digestive system; on the mental/emotional through focus, determination, stubbornness, respect for tradition, grounding, calmness, and trust. Plant Teachers: Cottonwood, Devil’s Club, Yarrow, and Cascara Sagrada. Also…Ether [...]

The Four Elements and Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine 4 (Earth) [ 32:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Water represents flow, the Moon, receptivity, universal medium, path of least resistance, dissolution, reflection, depths and clarity/murkiness. On the physical level it manifests in the blood, lymph, kidneys/bladder, and sweating; on the mental/emotional through emotions, the unconscious, receptivity. Plant Teachers: Peony, Aralia, Hawthorn, and Alder. PDX Plant Medicine Gathering, Nov. ’10.

The Four Elements and Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine 3 (Water) [ 19:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Silktassel Garrya fremontii PT Circle 2.23.10 A familiar cough that comes when my heart unable to receive arising as I put first drops in my mouth; the taste, a wave of bitterness with white-capped apple skin sweetness. The medicine washes down through my chest smoothly pushing cough aside, dissipating and erasing its energy. Memories of [...]

Fire represents energy, vitality, light, the Sun, will, joy, love, and movement upward leaving impurities to fall downward. On the physical level it manifests in the immune system, metabolic activity, sexual activity, and enzymes/digestive breakdown; on the mental/emotional through desire, will, devotion, passion, joyful expression, and illumination/understanding. Plant Teachers: Ephedra, Juniper, and Yerba Santa. PDX [...]

The Four Elements and Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine 2 (Fire) [ 26:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Air represents spirit, wind, formlessness, force of change, chaos, song, sound, and movement in all directions. On the physical level it manifests in the nervous system, respiration, peristalsis, and vision; on the mental/emotional through thought, inspiration, and spiritual connection. Plant Teachers: Quaking Aspen, Pulsatilla, Silktassel, and Elder. PDX Plant Medicine Gathering, Nov. ’10.

The Four Elements and Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine 1 (Air) [ 33:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Air, Fire, Water, and Earth interact, combine, dissolve, suppress, complement, and support each other, giving rise to the physical world and hinting at the spiritual realms as we know them. A study of the elements and how they relate to the physical and emotional processes in the human body and psyche can help us gain [...]

Four Elements and Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine (Intro) [ 19:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The forging of deeper relationships with plants is a two-way path. In getting to know a plant better, one gains a more thorough understanding of the Self and its connection to the spiritual forces of Nature. As physical manifestations of the spirit forces of the land, plants have the potential of being our most profound [...]

Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine (NCNM) [ 54:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download