What is Plant Spirit Medicine?

Well, it’s probably not what you’re thinking. No Amazonian vines or psychoactive mushrooms were harmed in the making of this modality.

It’s something of a popular misconception though, and I get it. The term Plant Medicine has taken on something of a euphemistic tone of late, and is only really used to describe something that’s on-the-edge of legal. Never mind the myriad plant based healing traditions that predate modern medicine, and our almost pathological search for peak experience to break us out of the mundane grind of day-to-day existence.

Plant Spirit Medicine is none of these things.

What it is, is a deeply holistic and nuanced blend of ancient Chinese theory and assessment practice, and South American Shamanic tradition.

Eliot Cowan, a man of whom I am deeply honoured to count in my direct lineage in this art, wrote comprehensively about this practice in his book of the same name; Plant Spirit Medicine (linked below), and founded the teaching of this approach. I never met Eliot myself, but his influence on my life and my own healing journey is beyond significant. I had the immense fortune to be trained in the art by two of his students, Pip Waller and Lucy Wells (https://touchedbynaturepsm.uk), who are, to my knowledge, the only people actively training practioners in the world, at this time.

Eliot’s book, and the title by Pip and Lucy (also linked below) provide a comprehensive description of every part of the method, but I will attempt to provide a concise description here, dear reader, for your perusal and to hopefully satisfy enough of your questions to embolden you to seek a practitioner yourself. A map of those currently practicing is presented on my own website (psm.clive-w.co.uk) should you wish to access this yourself.

So, without further a-do; What is Plant Spirit Medicine?

The practice involves two fundamental elements;

Firstly, using the 5 element system of understanding the human system, and to diagnose to a point to enable the establishing of a baseline state. This is the same framework employed within 5 Element acupuncture, though the practical application of it differs slightly. We use this system to understand where the client is, and to assess the elemental presentation of the client in the present moment.

We then use a practice that is rooted in Shamanic trance-work, whereby relationships with the very essances of our Plant Allies, the Plant Spirits themselves, to effect change. The practitioner acts as a condiut, a facilitator, that brings in the wisdom and power of the Plant Beings themselves, to effect change.

This change is then measured, again using the 5 Element framework, and a new baseline taken. We know it to be working, because we can measure the changes.

The healing takes place both within sessions, and over time as we work through the presenting imbalances and blocks with the plants.

It is medicine for the human spirit, brought about by the plant spirits. It is, in its very essence, Plant Spirit Medicine.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plant-Spirit-Medicine-Journey-Healing

https://health.aeonbooks.co.uk//product/touched-by-nature/93437

Taken from my Substack post of the same name at https://rootsnreckoning.substack.com