The Spirit of the Natives

In this post I am not talking about the native indigenous peoples (though I am certain we have much to learn from them), what I wish to speak about is the spirit of our native outdoors and the plants that thrive there. There are so many plants that I have found helpful from around the world and indeed some that are particular in their healing where others have failed. Though I have little experience with Traditional Chinese Medicine, I have used and appreciate many Ayurvedic herbs and consider many of them favorites. Also, many of the herbs used today in Western Herbalism are indigenous to Europe. Though I will continue to learn about and use these herbs, I wish to express to you my desire to understand and use of the native plants around me and how important I feel it is for everyone to get to know the wild spirits that dwell close by.

Yerba de la Negrita 

I live in the southwest and I am surrounded by native american and hispanic traditions and lore as well as it's folk medicine. The mountains turn pink in the majestic sunsets, the land is home to so much wildlife that I have come to love; coyotes, owls, roadrunners, mountain lions, bears, wolves, elk, deer, rabbits and so many others. I have the joy of residing in a desert that is full of life and color, cactus flowers and granite rocks and the privilege of also residing in the forested mountain lands of New Mexico where the ponderosa pines grow tall and the undergrowth is rich with life.

Here I am surrounded by plants of many families with a great history in folk indigenous medicine of the native and hispanic americans. These plants have been here long before us and carry within them the wisdom of our ancestors and an understanding of the human body in some ways greater than ours. I love the feel and smell the plants create together in the landscapes here and being in my native nature feels like home. I'm sure it is like this for everyone in their native wilds and indeed I love to experience the natural environments of all climates and places, but being raised here, I have a kinship with the land and also with the plants.

During the beginnings of my herbal education, I spent time learning about plants that were popular in medicinal use and mentioned widely in herbal texts. Certainly not a bad idea as some of the most popular plants can be some of the most power medicines. This is not always the case however and oftentimes there is a treasure trove of strong medicine under our noses that has not even been documented by contemporary herbal texts. Much of it's understanding lies in the indigenous cultures of the area and even more so, within the plant itself.

I have recently turned my focus to my homeland, striving the learn the names and spirits of the plants and animals wild around me. Because of this, after the calendula post, I will be writing herb profiles about native plants for a while. This doesn't mean that I wont return to the more well known herbs or that you will be completely unfamiliar with some of the ones I post. I simply feel I owe tribute to the medicine that surrounds me and I am called to it. I believe that it is one of the greatest steps we can take as healers and caretakers of this land, to get to know and understand the wildlife in our homelands. Not only do I believe this will benefit our further connection to Spirit and the the rest of the healers of the world but I think that these plants have a way of healing that is particular to the area in which they grow. There is much more exploring to do on this subject and I will continue to write about it as I delve deeper into it but my intention in writing this now is to encourage herbalists, plant lovers, earth lovers, healers and lightworkers that have an interest in the power of plants to set aside your books and mentors for a little while and step out into your forests, deserts, groves and meadows, to feel the powers that surround you. If you wish to learn about plants it is a wonderful thing to read, teach and take classes but the ones who can tell you the most are the plants themselves. Gratitude for the Earth and our Plant Elders.