I was shown the plant path at a young age but I had to see and go through the shadow side of the plant spirits first before I saw the medicine that could be provided. I became consumed by Tobacco at age fourteen, using it as a way to ground my spirit and learning how to inhale and exhale. When I stopped smoking I learned how to pray with it in the Native American traditions, inhaling the smoke into the body was very disrespectful, you take the prayers away from those who need them, this is why we exhale the smoke to offer the smoke (prayers) to the ancestors and the unseen beings.
I became addicted to Cannabis at the same age, using it as a means to disassociate and numb all the inner pain I was feeling. But what it did was amplify it all, I experienced severe paranoia, no drive or vision for life, depressed and my panic attacks increased. This plant took me the longest to heal the relationship. I closed off to it and became very mistrusting of it in my body. In my early thirties I started growing the plant and sitting at trim tables, I was usually the only person not ingesting the plant and while spending many years and hours at a trim table, I had to sit at the mesa with the spirit of the plant and face it all. I had to feel every part of my darkness, every part of all my repressed emotions, how my mind was over stimulated and all the fears spilling out of me. I sat with it all and the plant became a powerful ally for me. I had to say how sorry I was and then I was able to see when in used in ceremony the context and energy of the plant is so nourishing and forgiving in so many ways. I associated this plant with my father wounding and how I created judgment around people who smoked and how they would treat me. Then I dated someone who was deeply infatuated with the spirit and I was able to see newer layers of how the plant can become jealous and possessive when abused. A dark ghostly energy of lethargy can start too take over your physical and emotional body. I learned all this by sitting with the plant and no longer ingesting it into my body. In High School I became addicted to Cocaine which in its pure state comes from the beautiful Coca plant. I loved the illusion of clarity I would get, this inner fire with a drive and strength. I could feel a lightening in my blood, the addiction to adrenaline and survival mode. I could truly accomplish anything. I walked away from cocaine and in my late twenties traveled to Peru and met the plant in its purest state, before its cut with chemicals. I was still abusing it in ways when I was in Peru by mixing baking soda with the powdered coca leaves and the effect was very similar to cocaine. The speedy adrenaline high. I had to go through the shadow realms once again with the spirit of the plant and I slowly stopped using it in the concentrated powder form and adding baking soda. I started watching how the local farmers and elders worked with it, they didn't use the powder nor add baking soda. They used the fresh leaves and they would make kintus (3-4 leaves) and pray with the leaves or offer them to each other as a form of appreciation. I watched the P'aqos as they blew prayers into the leaves and put them in the offering ceremonies to Mother Earth. The elders taught me how to give offerings like my ancestors did. How to sit in circle and share with the nature spirits (Hallpay) to create harmony and trust between individuals. The Coca plant is a profound healing tool for altitude sickness, strength, community discussions and opening the throat chakra so the ancestors can hear your voice and truth. When abused she has a way of closing the voice of expressing. I had to go through many teachings with these three plants and rebuild my integrity and karmic/physical connection with them, especially since I was walking a plant path and I can truly say I was not able to get fully on my path until I resolved how I treated the plants in the past. Every action in the past has to be paid off in a good way. I am grateful for these power plants and the journey they continue to take me on. From abuse to allies!!! From personal experience I was shown alot from the three power plants above: Grandfather Tobacco, Santa Maria (Mama Cannabis) and Mama Coca. I humbly bow to the journey they took me on and to be in integrity with all nature spirits. Blessings, May the plants be with you
0 Comments
|