How is Plant Spirit Medicine Different from Herbalism?īJB: What is herbalism? How does it differ from plant medicine?ĮC: Herbalism is a very broad term which (to me) denotes the use of plants as healing agents. It’s about a spiritual relationship to the plants as living, highly-aware, intelligent beings. When you use the term plant spirit medicine, the primary relationship is not about chemistry. Today, that is by far the most common approach to plant medicine in our society. When people refer to plant medicine these days, generally they’re referring to the discovery that plants have certain chemicals that create changes in the biochemistry of the human body. I practice and teach one particular approach to that.īJB: Is there difference between plant medicine and plant spirit medicine?ĮC: In practice, they’re often different. When people approach plants primarily on the basis of their relationship with plants, I call that Plant Spirit Medicine. It was that living awareness and good disposition to help people that people turned to plants as the primary source for the element of healing potentials. In previous times when people turned to plants as agents of healing they were not primarily concerned with chemical constituents, but rather they saw plants as living beings, as highly aware, having feelings and as well disposed to helping people. That is a relatively recent development in the history of humanity. What is Plant Spirit Medicine?īJB: What is the basis for plant spirit medicine as a healing modality?ĮC: In recent times, our culture has basically looked to plants as healing agents in terms of their chemical properties. I had the pleasure to speak with Cowan to gain further insight into the healing world of plants. However, as with many aspects of our natural world, there is so much more to plants than meets the eye.įor those who strive to regain the ancient relationship with indigenous spirituality through plants as our allies, Plant Spirit Medicine can help you discover the healing power of plants.Įliot Cowan, an American-born healer, fully initiated Tsauirrikame (shaman) in the Huichol tradition, teacher, author, and founder of the alternative healing technique known as Plant Spirit Medicine, remains as a leading authority on the healing wisdom of plants. Plants are rarely viewed as anything more than objects that can be reduced to a chemical component, or an object that looks nice perched in a corner. Unfortunately, in current day society, we have moved far away from this perspective.

In earlier times of human history, people lived in harmony with the natural world, and regarded plants as sentient, aware, intelligent, alive, and healers in their own right.::Ross Heaven

One spirit medicine