What is Plant Magic
Updated: Jan 19, 2020
What do I mean when I say plant magic?
I believe every human is different. I believe what I may need to make myself feel better may be different that what your body needs. It's up to each of us to listen to our bodies, explore, experiment, and ultimately attempt to heal ourselves. I challenge you to do just that! Explore, experiment, and strive to thrive! That is my new goal and I invite you to join me on this journey!
Don't you every wonder why one person loves the smell of lavender and for another person it can trigger a migraine? Every wonder why one artist is drawn to paint fields of sunflowers while another prefers roses? Ever wonder where your love of a certain herb, plant, flower began? Maybe it was one that was always in your grandmother's garden so it resonates with you. Maybe the way a certain flower smells reminds you of sunshine. Maybe it's a spice you constantly cook with because it's in your bloodline and it calls to you. Maybe it's the echinacea plant in your own yard that has been passed down from four generations that you are drawn to...no matter what draws you to a certain plant I believe that is what creates the magic. Like it's little leaves are calling to your spirit!
I was raised a little differently than my peers. I was raised planting gardens and preserving our harvests because it was a way for us to survive in the winter. If I complained of a tummy ache I was told to chew on a peppermint leaf. Both of my grandmothers taught me how to be resourceful and use every bit of the everything; and in regards to plants I learned that flowers, leaves, and roots all had different healing properties. My grandfathers taught me to always prepare for the next season and how to watch for signs within nature that tell us what is coming next. My father also happens to be quite a talented botanist and was forever teaching us how plants speak to us in different ways.
I'll be very honest and say as a child I didn't really appreciate the hot days in the sun picking berries on a thorny bush. I definitely did not enjoy hours in a hot kitchen canning never ending batches of tomatoes, corn, jams, jellies, and salsa. I grew resentful of the hundreds of beautiful plants we would dig up and move from new home to new home because we lived like Nomads with no true place to call home. And lets not even talk about the hours of my life that was wasted on weeding a garden I didn't even like! But you know what?!?!?! Looking back now some of my favorite memories are the ones I just described along with sitting in the cab of the tractor during harvest season or being in the barn with my Grandma's sheepdog, Casey as she tended to her flock.
Today I'm blessed I wasn't raised like my peers. I'm grateful for the knowledge, experience and my ability to continue to grow and learn. I feel blessed by my ability to connect others to plants and the medicine they have to offer. I believe the Earth itself provides us with all we need to heal ourselves it's just up to us to pay attention. I believe the Earth speaks to all of us, if we could just silence the noise and listen. So if you are new to plant magic I ask to start with your favorite flower, herb, and/or houseplant and consider it your friend, your ally. Start researching that plant and find out what it represents/offers. You may be surprised by what it means. Usually you are drawn to things you need/desire. Has your ally been trying to tell you something you didn't know? I invite you find different ways to use this plant friend...can you drink it? smoke it? make it into a balm? Play, experiment, and grow! Believe in the magic and the magic will find you.