As we are rapidly moving towards both winter solstice, a full moon, and a lunar eclipse, I am inspired to write about another concept or idea of medicine that can inform our understanding of healing, nature, and our souls and spirits.
In both ancient Eastern and Western occult traditions, there is a stream of teachings around the process of alchemy. In some cases, in both traditions, there was a literal search for external elixirs that would produce immortality or for philosopher's stones that would turn lead to gold. However, both of these traditions also had the understanding that another level of the process was Internal Alchemy. In some ways, this was an even more important tradition or superior path. Looked at from this point of view, Alchemy is really about transmuting our bodies, our vital energy, and our spirit into something more powerful and divine. In the West, this process is referred to as The Great Work, and in the East it is the creation of an Immortal. Not only does this produce great harmony inside of us, it also produces great harmony in the world all around us.
How does one go about transforming into an Immortal? How do we go about the Great Work? In some senses, our life's path is all about this process. Our fate, our wyrd, our dan, our ming, our destiny is about engaging in the process of transforming our bodies and minds ever towards a more refined spiritual state. In the course of our life, we will be forced to confront and integrate our shadow and deal with the illusion of duality between our spirit and body. However, there are ways to become consciously engaged with the way as well. This is where we come to Internal Alchemy.
Internal Alchemy is a way of cultivating, "Medicine". In this sense, we are talking about an internal fusion of vital energy, deep layers of our essence, and our spirit. In Eastern traditions, this is illustrated in the Daoist-influenced traditions of qigong, taijiquan, baguazhang, and internal meditations. In these practices, a person learns to harmonize their internal rhythms with larger macrocosmic cycles of the sun, moon, and starts. They learn to absorb energy from nature and the elements that supplements their own vitality. They learn to store and save their own energy and not waste it through excessive talking, thinking, and stimulation. What happens if this path of cultivation is undertaken? The three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit begin to fuse. Stillness, peace, and brightness radiate from a person. The are simultaneously very relaxed but full of vitality. They become an embodiment of Medicine.
What are the implication of this for the practice of Wild Medicine? Well, some of the most powerful practitioners of the healing arts have also been practitioners of internal and external alchemy. The literally blend their medicine with their medicine, if you know what I mean. In order to be truly powerful healers and revive the power of Wild Medicine, we must cultivate our own Medicine and begin the process of the Great Work. How is this done?
The basis of this process is stillness and observation. So, as we approach Winter Solstice engage in these practices. What does the full moon feel like? Stand beneath it and feel it's silvery light caress your skin. How does this nourish you? What does the solstice feel like? What is the reflection of winter solstice inside your body? What can you do at this time of year to cultivate your Medicine?
Happy Solstice
Showing posts with label Medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medicine. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Herb of the Week: Yarrow
As part of this blog and part of the larger message of rewilding, freedom, wild medicine, and deepening our relationship with nature and our body, each week I will post an herbal profile. This profile will focus on a different plant each time and will provide clear instructions on how to use the plant as a medicine, food, ally, friend, and partner. Along the way, different examples will provide the opportunity to delve into the myriad ways of using and relating to plants. To start off, we will begin with a plant that may be the single most useful wild green ally you can find and a plant that might save your life some day.
Yarrow, friend of Achilles
Yarrow, also known as Achillea millefolium, is one of the most widespread useful wild plants in the world. It is common in most of the Northern Hemisphere, and has been used by a wide variety of cultures since ancient times. It's name is linked to legends of Achilles, from Greek times, and it was reputed to be part of this warrior's legendary near invulnerability. While we shall soon discuss how useful yarrow is for wounds and how it could save your life, it is actually Yarrow's diversity of uses that makes it so special.
Description and Appearance:
Yarrow is a low growing herbaceous plant that has extremely lacey leaves, hence the second part of it's latin name millefolium, which means millions of leaves. It produces a single flower stalk that has many, many small white or pink, flat flowers that grow clustered together. It is very important to be able to distinguish Yarrow from members of the carrot family. Several members of this family are poisonous including the various poison hemlocks.
Uses:
1) Stops Bleeding- Far and away the most useful aspect of this plant is that it can be used topically to stop bleeding. It may be the single most powerful natural substance at stopping bleeding, and if it's not, it is definitely the most powerful common plant that can be used to stop bleeding. To use the plant this way simply apply crushed leaves to a bleeding wound to quickly stop the bleeding.
It is important to thoroughly clean a wound before using Yarrow, since it stops bleeding so powerfully that it can cause dirt or germs to be trapped inside a cut.
The leaves can also be dried and saved for future use. The dried leaves work almost as well as fresh leaves, though they may need to be chewed or macerated before being applied. Dried leaves can also be ground into a very fine wound powder.
2) Causes sweating, treats fevers and colds- Dried or fresh Yarrow can be made into a quick tea by steeping the leaves in water that has been boiled. Drinking the tea after fifteen or more minutes will cause the body to sweat. This is useful in treating fevers and early stages of cold, especially those characterized by aversion to cold, body aches, nasal symptoms, and a scratchy, itchy throat. Some Native tribes of North America used Yarrow as a drink before entering the sweat lodge as an aid to the detoxifying process of the sweat.
3) A Key to Divination- A completely different use of Yarrow involves the collection of it's dried stalks. Dried Yarrow stalks were cast in a bundle and then picked up in a variety of ways as one of the older forms of I Ching divination. While other methods such as burning of bones or turtle shells were also ancient techniques, the tossing of Yarrow stalks is a tradition that is alive and well in some parts of Asia today.
When developing relationships with plants and beginning to find allies in the green world it helps to have friends that can help you with a variety of issues. Yarrow with it's ability to powerfully stop bleeding, help treat fevers and colds, and be helpful as a tool of divination is a rare treat. Get to know it!
Yarrow, friend of Achilles
Yarrow, also known as Achillea millefolium, is one of the most widespread useful wild plants in the world. It is common in most of the Northern Hemisphere, and has been used by a wide variety of cultures since ancient times. It's name is linked to legends of Achilles, from Greek times, and it was reputed to be part of this warrior's legendary near invulnerability. While we shall soon discuss how useful yarrow is for wounds and how it could save your life, it is actually Yarrow's diversity of uses that makes it so special.
Description and Appearance:
Yarrow is a low growing herbaceous plant that has extremely lacey leaves, hence the second part of it's latin name millefolium, which means millions of leaves. It produces a single flower stalk that has many, many small white or pink, flat flowers that grow clustered together. It is very important to be able to distinguish Yarrow from members of the carrot family. Several members of this family are poisonous including the various poison hemlocks.
Uses:
1) Stops Bleeding- Far and away the most useful aspect of this plant is that it can be used topically to stop bleeding. It may be the single most powerful natural substance at stopping bleeding, and if it's not, it is definitely the most powerful common plant that can be used to stop bleeding. To use the plant this way simply apply crushed leaves to a bleeding wound to quickly stop the bleeding.
It is important to thoroughly clean a wound before using Yarrow, since it stops bleeding so powerfully that it can cause dirt or germs to be trapped inside a cut.
The leaves can also be dried and saved for future use. The dried leaves work almost as well as fresh leaves, though they may need to be chewed or macerated before being applied. Dried leaves can also be ground into a very fine wound powder.
2) Causes sweating, treats fevers and colds- Dried or fresh Yarrow can be made into a quick tea by steeping the leaves in water that has been boiled. Drinking the tea after fifteen or more minutes will cause the body to sweat. This is useful in treating fevers and early stages of cold, especially those characterized by aversion to cold, body aches, nasal symptoms, and a scratchy, itchy throat. Some Native tribes of North America used Yarrow as a drink before entering the sweat lodge as an aid to the detoxifying process of the sweat.
3) A Key to Divination- A completely different use of Yarrow involves the collection of it's dried stalks. Dried Yarrow stalks were cast in a bundle and then picked up in a variety of ways as one of the older forms of I Ching divination. While other methods such as burning of bones or turtle shells were also ancient techniques, the tossing of Yarrow stalks is a tradition that is alive and well in some parts of Asia today.
When developing relationships with plants and beginning to find allies in the green world it helps to have friends that can help you with a variety of issues. Yarrow with it's ability to powerfully stop bleeding, help treat fevers and colds, and be helpful as a tool of divination is a rare treat. Get to know it!
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