What Is The Plant Spirit Path?
Dear reader, let me put your mind at ease. We are going to be doing a very comprehensive exploration of what The Plant Spirit Path is as I practice and teach it- but I also want you to know that I’ll be giving you a few things you can do right after reading this brief article to get started as soon as you like. These theory classes are so much fun for me; but I love when folks are willing and excited to take action and put it all to work afterward. But first, the foundations. A nourishing and fertile soil upon which we can grow our understanding of this sacred journey.
The Plant Spirit Path is an animist, nature-centered spiritual journey that works with the plants as teachers, guides, and initiators into the deep green mysteries of life.
What Is The Plant Spirit Path?
There are countless expressions of plant spirit work across the world, weaving through cultures and traditions, and even down the timeline of human history. Each of these expressions carries its own beauty and power; informed by the unique plants and human kin who inhabit a specific place at a specific time. With all that said, I think there are some essential things that show up in pretty much every version of this work. I’ll be sharing those things with you here alongside insights into my own walk which has been informed by the rich and powerful plant ways of my own ancestors and teachers.
First and foremost, The Plant Spirit Path is animist in nature. This means that those who explore and walk this path experience living in a world that is filled with all kinds of persons, only some of whom are human. Animism is the world’s oldest spiritual perspective and it’s one that constantly reminds us that we are part of. Through animism, we come to understand the plants as more than things, but as whole and holy beings. Like us, in their own way, they are conscious, intelligent, creative, communicative, and hard at work doing the things they do as citizens of the world. Without an animist perspective, the plants would be mere resources, tools, or commodities for human to cultivate, harvest, and ultimately exploit. This does happen a great deal in modern herbalism and even in herb magic traditions, but when that way of doing things shows up we know we are not walking The Plant Spirit Path.
As the name implies, this path centers the plants. We work with them in the same way that folks in other animist, pagan, heathen, and spiritual traditions might work with other kinds of beings. I often say that the plants are the saints of our tradition. We look to them as:
teachers
wisdom-keepers
guides
guardians
initiators
mystery revealers
healers
transformers
inspiration
and so, so much more
In our tradition, we work intensely with the plants through many techniques of meditation, journeywork, ritual, and organoleptic communion- each with the goal of bringing us into deep, personal connection to the plants, our teachers.
Ultimately, The Plant Spirit Path is one of healing, magic, and wisdom. By working with the plants in the ways that we do, we are given opportunity to do profound personal healing with their support and guidance, make changes and trasformations in our lives where needed, more further into states of part-of-ness with nature, and learn the mysteries of nature and the cosmos through these wise and ancient guides.
We experience time and time again that humans are capable of nourishing intentional relationships with plants and that the plants are fully capable of participating fully in those relationships. We affirm that we communicate openly with plants, learn directly from them, and work with them to create a world filled with more harmony and beauty. As I mentioned before, plants are like saints; divine beings who are have a perspective of reality and a closeness to spiritual virtues that we want to cultivate in ourselves.
For folks who are called to work with the plants in this way, it all makes sense and often feels like coming home. We have always known there is something more hiding behind the plants- and these methods help us access them and work with them in a way that feels truly empowered.
Three simple practices can bring you into direct contact with the wisdom of our plant kin.
Embarking On The Path
In my work, I talk a lot. But there’s nothing more meaningful than simply facilitating someone having a direct, personal relationship with the plants and stepping into the flow of plant spirit communication. So, let us begin there. I want to share with you three very simple things you can do right away that will open the ways of consciousness between you and the plants while making space for them to respond to your sincere invocations. As with all spiritual things, the more we invest, the more we get back. Trying these methods out for funsies will reap small gains. Stepping in with your full self will reap great gains.
Experience Personhood
Animism is an essential part of walking The Plant Spirt Path. After all, if plants don’t have spirit, then what’s the point?
So, go for a walk or gaze out a nice window and gently ease yourself into letting the presence of otherness flood in. As you look up each tree, plant, bird, insect, mountain, and pond, let the divides of who can be a person and who cannot dissolve and simply bathe in the presence of person. Experience the trees in their full, authentic, and sovereign presence while also allowing for them to see you in return. Let there be space in your mind and your heart for the spaces that plants hold in the world to be as meaningful as the ones other humans hold.
This perspective is natural for us, so often with just a little practice we step back into the lived reality we all had as children where the inherent magic and mystery of the world knocks on the doors of our perception.
Feeling brave? Approach a tree and greet them as you would a human or a dog. Say hello, compliment them, introduce yourself, and enjoy their presence.
The Most Powerful Plant Spirit Ritual
It is in the nature of the modern human to overlook those things that are simple and give more value to those things that are complex, expensive, and hard to learn. But, this is not the case with The Plant Spirit Path. We have been in deep relationship with the plants since we all emerged from the womb-like ocean of the Earth; knowing them should be like knowing our ancestors.
The most powerful of the many powerful rituals we have rides on the sacred space of the breath. Consider this: when you inhale, you are receiving the exhalation of plants. When you exhale, you gift the plants what they inhale. We are already in sacred reciprocity with our verdant kin. The breath is a ritual that follows us from birth into death, and to make the most of this rite all we need to do is become more mindful of it. This is not breathwork- there is no forcing, counting or changing here. Rather, we just drop into the presence of what our inhalations and exhalations really mean.
If you can be near a tree or plant, all the better. Exhale your love and gratitude to them, then inhale their return blessings. This give-and-receive ritual quickly drops us into a gently altered state of consciousness where we can be more aware of what is happening between us and the plants. Just a few minutes of this mindful breath ritual will lead you to feeling more centered in your own being, more deeply connected to the plants, and more aware of just how connected we all really are. Enjoy.
Explore Fully
Our final plant spirit ritual for this class is one that opens the heart, activates the intuition, and brings you into the direct experience of plant presence.
Here, I invite you to go sit with a tree or other plant who is safe to touch. Slow down (a lot!), get comfortable, and let the whole world around you fade softly into the background as you focus all of your senses on the plant. Gazing upon them explore every color, texture, shadow, and contrast with your eyes. Bring focus to your nose and feel what it’s like to breathe in the air from around this plant ally. Sip the air and see if you can taste anything specific. Rub your fingers and hands gently along bark and stem, crown and leaf, fruit and flower. Put as much of your attention and focus as you can on these simple acts. Be completely where you are. As your mind wanders, call it back to the connection happening now. Immerse your senses into the presence of otherness via the plant and let your senses bring you wisdom that only your heart can catch.
This, again, seems like a very simple practice- but I cannot stress enough how powerful a place it can lead.
Here’s a class you can watch right now exploring other ways to get started on The Plant Spirit Path right now. I post these classes every Friday on The Green Arte Channel…
With green blessings,
Josh
