Communication
Vegetation is the mantle that covers our planet – without it, we would have no food. How is it then, that we live within it, in a state of near isolation, and fail to see how completely it can sustain us? If we could return to a simpler state, we would find that nature provides all that mankind needs, since we were born into it.
It is when we look at our needs beyond food that the way becomes unclear. We may know many medicinal herbs, but the way we apply them is a shadow of what it could be. It is not until we understand the consciousness within a plant that we can truly apply it to disease. It is to this end, beyond anything else that we must strive, if we are to attain mastery over what has become a lost art.
To know the mind of the plant we are attempting to use, is to work in a state of certainty rather than hope. Can we really speak of the mind of a plant? It would be truer to say that each plant species has a purpose. That purpose in Nature, can also be shared by us, since our bodies and emotions are also of nature. It is the understanding of the purpose of a plant that is our true goal.
This is no easy thing, but can be greatly helped by a series of exercises designed to open our logical minds to the wavelength of plant communication:
Sit, hands linked, feet on floor.
This posture short-circuits the analytical mind, and makes contact with the earth.
Focus your awareness on your Solar Plexus and completely relax.
Stay there while you Open your ears and listen.
After a few seconds, focus on your forehead, relax a few breaths and listen.
Finally, focus in your heart, listen, and relax.
What is the meaning of this? By listening we put our logical mind on hold – we put ourselves in a receptive state, waiting to receive. By focusing on these three centres in our body, we open them to the world of Nature in which we live. By practising this regularly we develop the ability to hear at this level.
Sit as before and focus on your Solar Plexus. Imagine you are falling through it into the earth – where all plants have their roots.
Sit quietly a while before returning.
Repeat at intervals as you progress.
By centring on the Solar Plexus we can listen to a different level of intelligence than we normally operate on. It is at this level that Nature functions smoothly, without the need to reason or problem solve. It is here that we resonate to the earth around us, and thereby gain impressions from plants or animals.
Plant Spirits
The spirit of a plant is that active intelligence that enlivens a whole species. We call it a spirit because it is part of the overall intelligence of Nature, and carries a life force of its own. This spirit serves a function in Nature, manifesting in the physical form as a given plant. We can therefore imagine the plant kingdom as a vast layer of intelligence, made up of myriad strands, each one a principle in its own right. These principles are found in all life and therefore in us too.
Connecting with Plant Spirits
To work with a plant spirit, we need to open a connection between ourselves and the Spirit world. What does this mean? It means that we must become aware of a consciousness which exists in Nature, but one that we have ceased to function in. We can find this connection alive and well in many parts of the world, where people have yet to lose their original consciousness. By quietening our logical mind, we can access a layer of thought which is shared by all living things. We do this via our solar plexus.
We can quickly open ourselves to this realm with the sequence of diagrams in the ‘Origins‘ section of this site.. These should ideally follow the Heart sequence, but it isn’t essential. We are now in a position to establish a rapport with the appropriate plants, so how do we best go about it?
Firstly, we must get the attention of a plant – or its spirit. Simply speak to it, silently or out loud.
Next, however we register the response, we must be sure it is real and not our imagination. Cup the plant, or a branch in your hands and ask for confirmation. It will come.
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Searching and Finding
During our hunt for medicines we may well be tempted into fanciful ideas. Did that plant really call or was it wishful thinking? We may even get the impression that we are being led somewhere – can that really happen?
Yes, it can. We live in a web of energy surrounding the globe. The more we merge with it, the more we are part of its stream. We resonate with what we need, and what needs us. We begin to understand how simpler cultures tracked their food and survived.
We are guided to the plants we need by having open hearts and minds. This means centring our thoughts before we go out and being in a receptive state:
Sit, hands linked, and centre awareness in your heart for a moment.
Place hands on knees, feet on floor and centre in your solar plexus.
Ask that you find what you need.
This simple procedure soon becomes unnecessary as it becomes a habitual state when searching. Centring in the heart connects us to the fundamental force in Nature to heal itself. Centring in the solar plexus connects us more consciously to the planetary energy field to find our way, as if by an invisible thread, to the plant which answers our need. This need, being part of the greater Need towards healing or wholeness.