Five Sacred Wortcunning Herbs
When folks first start deepening their relationship with plants, they soon find that specific plants will stand up and really try to get their attention! Our connection with these louder plant allies can be short-term as we work through specific patterns that the plant has knowledge of, or they may end up being long-term or even life-long allies who walk with us as we do life. If you’re like me, you want to know all the plants and have at least some cursory connection to each of them- a noble but futile journey!
One way I like to think about which plants I’m centering in my work at any given time and which I am working with in a constellation of allies is through loose categories of virtues. This is by no means an invitation to think about herbs in terms of what they’re good for, but rather a way to organize how they’re showing up for you, how you’re working with them, and how you’re creating harmony with one another. You can use this model of five sacred herbs of wortcunning to come up with your own framework to organize various herbs and your own working relationship to each of them.
In the example above I have come up with 5 loose and broad herbal categories that I can use to help ensure that I’m always working with herbs in a way that speaks to life, journey, and harmony. Again, you could make this a list of 9 or 3 or 50 and you could certainly have more than one herb in each position or a single herb occupying several positions. This isn’t a hard-and-fast template, but rather a creative way to think about why we work with the herbs we do and how they show up for the various aspects of self and life.
So, here’s one way to think about it:
PROTECTION
I always like to have one herbal ally I’m working on to preserve the good, deflect negativity, and help me process and break-down life events that might be challenging. Since I have a clinical practice and see folks who aren’t always feeling their best, I also consider an ally that could help me shake off the energy of a session so I’m ready to be 100% present for the next person.
These herbs of protection nourish the hama, the membrane of light-energy that surrounds each of us.
For me, Juniper has been my primary ally of protection for ages; one who I work with each day. Before I leave my house every day I hold a Juniper sachet against my heart and recite a charm of protection that I wrote for this plant specifically. I then bring Juniper into my day through cleansing sprays and talismans as needed.
NOURISHMENT
The physical body must always be honored and cared for. As we nourish the lic, the physical body, we take care of ourselves and how we show up in the world. Lic care is about strength, energy, rest, managing stress, and being in our power.
I usually have many herbs that speak to this area; often creating a nourishing, earthy tea blend to support my body on all levels. Consider mineral-rich, nutrient-dense, and earthy herbs for this category such as Burdock Root, Nettles, Alfalfa, Milky Oats, Clover Blossoms, Goji Berries, and Astragalus Root.
MIND AND MOOD
The hyge is the part of us that thinks, plans, and navigates the world in an analytical way. I also think that the hyge can be a serious seat of stress, worry, and anxiety- so this area deserves our compassionate attention every day. Herbs that can help support a calm mind, clear thinking, empowered decision making, and ease are all supportive of good mood and good mind.
I generally have Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) in this position.
THE HEART
I often say that I am a heart-centered herbalist (and a tea herbalist, and a spiritual herbalist). This is because I revere the heart as both an organ and a space so much in my work. For me, the heart is a liminal space within where the many parts of us overlap and come into contact with one another while also bringing our whole selves into contact with the whole of the cosmos- hopefully in a harmonious way!
Herbs that nourish and empower the heart could be those with medicinal virtues for cardiovascular function, or those that we experience as allies of the whole self- the best part of us in full power.
I usually work with Hawthorne for daily heart care; a syrupy tincture blend of the leaves, flowers, and berries of this sacred tree.
ALLY OF SPIRIT
Of course we need to reserve a special place in our daily work with the plant spirits for the one or several plants that stand up as our personal allies. These are the plants that, over months and years and decades of connection have become teachers, guardians, initiators, and mentors on the plant spirit path. They are the plants that, should we have to make a short list of just a few plants to work with moving forward, that list would be quite incomplete without them!
The allies of spirit are perhaps the most important plants to each individual person. They are the spiritual kin who have the ability to help us with anything and everything we might come up with- and they help us to help others as well. Ultimately, these plants can occupy any position in our example list above.
How might your list differ from the example above? Do you have plants that occupy more than one position in your everyday tapestry?
