Miscellaneous
What is Plant Spirit Medicine? Join herbalist and nutritionist Diana Sproul as she presents plant spirit medicine as explained in Eliot Cowan's book of the same name. Plants, trees, rain, lightning and the Chinese elements (like water, metal, earth) are each represented by a consciousness. These may appear through meditation or dreaming in human, animal, insect or other form. Healing an imbalance or lack of a certain element in a person’s spiritual make-up and life can help a person become well and whole again without addressing the illness itself. The author says that is ordinary, and that all of us can learn to do what he does. Author Eliot Cowan does training at the Blue Deer Center in New York state. This lecture is Part 2 of 4 parts. Please watch the series on the Transform Health LibSynPodcasts Channel [http://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/transformhealth ] or You Tube channel: http://youtube.com/c/TransformhealthBiz **Transcription/Summary/Description with times is below. **Links to All Four Lecture Parts: Plant Spirit Medicine Lecture Part 1 - https://youtu.be/14YWgBvP8RM Plant Spirit Medicine Lecture Part 2 - https://youtu.be/KygNGi0Giu8 Plant Spirit Medicine Lecture Part 3 - https://youtu.be/5juLkeAQnq0 Plant Spirit Medicine Lecture Part 4 - https://youtu.be/Y84ifOKKKS4 **Transcription/Summary with Times:** 0:12 "Anyone can do this" author quote 0:15 Eliot studied acupuncture and Chinese Five Element Theory 0:36 Local plants are 100 times stronger” quote of Worsley 1:00 Our local weeds like salsify and nettle are nutritious 1:21 He studied shamanism, then chose to communicate directly with the plants 1:40 My experience meditating with plants and pine tree, I was told it is good for coughs. 2:25 Pine pollen may run a lot of things happening in the forest 2:50 Author Eliot vows to bring back local plant to heal the spirit. 3:00 Author studies with Huichol shamans, about them 3:45 Why studying with plants directly makes sense (historical shaman info, “The plant told me how to use it”) 4:25 How the shamans contact the plants (dreaming, vision quest, meditation, calling, other) 5:05 Patient treatment is customized, not standard 5:18 My flawed logic, One herb can have 20+ properties to treat different conditions 5:30 The Chinese Five Elements Theory - earth, air, water, fire, etc. 5:40 Approach plants with gratitude and humility, harvest in kind way, more ways to contact the plant (song) 6:05 Author harvests firewood in a kind way, beneficial to the forest 6:35 Shamans may use the Four Directions method to contact plant and other spirits 7:15 Songs may help contact plant spirit 7:20 Author interviewed several shamans and plant spirit medicine healers living today in America, see the book! 7:35 About herbal Osha, grows at high elevations, bears use it for healing, resembles dangerous plants so identify well. Root is used. Many other great cough herbs could be used in place of endangered osha. 8:55 Shaman uses osha as healing assistant 9:10 Picked plants still contain the plant spirit in them. My meditating test with powdered herbs in capsule 9:45 Herbs eaten or drunk as tea, then shaman waits for dream messages 9:55 Healing at a distance is possible 10:00 Songs 10:30 North Carolina herb school teaches students a plant’s individual “song.” (Around Asheville is called cradle of forestry.) 11:15 Everything in the world is interconnected in the shaman’s world view 11:42 Our world name, and spirit world named “Real World.” 12:05 “There are no herbs for certain illnesses”, how used - living shaman quote 12:50 Working with the intention, not physical plants 13:13 African herbalist/anthropologist studies effectiveness of traditional healers/ shamans vs. Western trained doctors, different plant parts have different qualities 13:50 Voices and drums used to “quicken” the plants 14:24 African anthropologist has to pay people cured by local healers to get physical proof via Western medical tests. Watch Part 3 - Plant Spirit Medicine Lecture - https://youtu.be/5juLkeAQnq0