What is a Plant Ally?

If you've spent any time learning about herbalism, especially traditional western herbalism, you've probably heard the term "plant ally" on more than one occasion.

But what does plant ally mean?

Having written about plant allies for many years, it seemed that it might be a good time to offer my own perspective on the definition of plant ally, shaped by my herbal education and direct experience with plants and the people who seek them out. So let’s take a moment to explore what a plant ally is, why it is a useful concept in herbalism, and how it applies to our healing work.

For me, I define my herbal practice as being intersectional, earth-centered, and plant-led which informs the way that I connect with plants as allies. There are many forms and traditions of herbalism with in the world with different ways of defining our relationship to plants and value systems of a healer. How you choose to practice and be in relationship to the plants, people, and creatures you serve hopefully reflects the sacred values you hold as a healer.

What follows is my current understanding of practicing in a plant-led way and with plant allies. I hope that it inspires your own thinking and inquiries on the subject - hopefully with tea in hand and amongst your plant kin. 

image via @lanegore

What is a Plant Ally?

A plant ally is a plant, tree, herb, fungus, algae or other member of the green world that we are in a sacred reciprocal relationship with and that helps us to cultivate an experience of wellbeing in our life. In the sequence of evolution, plants are our elders, having already been present and witnessing our development when we first emerged on this planet as a species. Many have co-evolved alongside us, providing food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. As a species, we have spread their seeds through our millennia of nomadic and semi-nomadic life as well as our more recently settled and agricultural ways of being. 

Plant allies can appear to us during times of both acute and chronic healing need, and while some may be familiar from our childhood or earlier life, others completely new to us. Often there is an ancestral or cultural connection to the plant, but not always, since plants, in their vastness of generosity, will often show up with their teachings to folks no matter their heritage or background. 

Sometimes plant allies appear to us in dreams, other times in the food we are cooking, or a childhood memory. Sometimes they appear as gifts whether by human friends or dropped onto our path by an animal. Plant allies are often eager to show up for us - it is we who must practice showing up to them. 

image via @outimaarjana

The purpose of a plant ally is specific to the needs of your relationship with them. Many times plant allies provide relief to something we are suffering about, such as chronic pain, heartbreak or the long recovery from a difficult illness. Usually plant allies come because we have called them, whether consciously or not, and we've been fortunate enough to open up to their help. Some relationships with plant allies last for many years if not one's entire life, but sometimes an ally is here for a season or specific situation and then moves on. Being in relationship with a plant ally often results in growing deeper into your own understanding of your self and your interconnectedness with the cycles of life, death, and renewal. 

When I enter into a relationship with a plant ally (or sometimes wake up to realize that I've been in one for a bit without even realizing it - this happens more often than you think), I try to spend time with the plant in-person, from the uncultivated to cultivated spaces it grows. In general, I try to get to know my plant friend in as many ways and forms as possible (The Thirty Day Plant Ally Project is full of suggestions for connecting with a plant ally if you're looking for inspiration).

Mostly, I try to listen with my whole self to the messages of my plant ally, opening up to them as we navigate ways of feeling well together. If I can, I like to carry some of the plant ally with me, tucked into a small bundle that I can wear on my body which serves to connect me with the very old human practice of wearing plants on the body.

image via @yuliia_pat

If you are working with a client and they have a particular plant ally they have a relationship with, it can be healing to work with that plant ally as part of your herbal recommendations for them, from incorporating it into remedies to directly asking the plant for aid. It can also be incredibly healing to help connect folks with their plant allies in a conscious and meaningful way as there is so much opportunity for ancestral healing and cultural reconnection through plant allyship.

Finding a plant ally to work with can be as simple as choosing an herb that calls to you and starting there. Sometimes it can be helpful to think about the plants that led you to your interest in herbalism in the first place. Other times a plant from your childhood might be the one to speak to you. Let your curiosity guide you and trust the process of knowing yourself better through relationships with your plant allies.

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If you’re looking for more plant ally inspiration, have I got the archive for you. You can also find my complete collection of plant profiles in The Plant Ally Library if you like dozens of plant profiles with more added each year.

I hope you feel inspired to participate in the tradition of plant allyship that herbalists have been engaged in for generations. May your curious heart lead you home to kinship with our green world.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

Plant Ally Project : Creating An Indispensable Herbs List

When I started my herbal studies I was so friggin’ excited!

I could make tea that could take care of my cold! Look an herbal oil for hair care! Ahhhh, that weed growing up through the concrete does a really useful thing!!!

And then I realized that there are a bajillion herbs in the world (that is a completely accurate measurement of the number of plant kindred on our planet). Holy heck, how was I supposed to learn them all, their names and uses and contraindications? How about their folklore? Their favorite color? The dreaded student overwhelm settled in. 

Fortunately, some of my earliest teachers (both of person and book form) emphasized the following:

It is not about knowing all the herbs, but knowing a few very well.

I have continued to follow this simple guideline and it has served me well in my practice. While I’m always interested in learning about new herbs, especially ones that show up in my travels or are introduced to me by others (aka nerding out with other herbalists about their favorite plants), I tend to return to the same herbs again and again in my practice. These plant kindred are what I call my indispensable herbs - without them I would practice very differently and they are some of my greatest herbal teachers. I first came across the idea of a indispensable herb list from Matthew Wood who has posted his own list on his website, though, the idea of practicing with a small list of herbs for many ailments was initially introduced to me through Susun Weed’s Healing Wise.

Image by Harriet Isabel Adams | source

If you’re new to herbalism, studying plants from a foundation of developing an indispensable herb list can help you to focus your studies and begin to better understand how to use one herb for a wide range of complaints. If you’ve been at the herbal game for a while, creating an indispensable herb list can freshen up and focus your practice. An indispensable herb list is a great teaching tool for your own clients and students, as you can focus on speaking confidently on and sharing information about these select herbs in a way that is concise and accessible.

My indispensable herb list structure is an adaptation of Matthew Wood’s since we both work with Traditional Western Herbalism (TWH) energetics which work with the six tissue states. I also include a magickal herb and tonic herbs that are indispensable for me but didn’t fit into the initial list. If you work with other herbal traditions I encourage you to adapt the list appropriately. An Ayurvedic list, for example, might have herbs that cultivate or curb the energy of each one of the three doshas and dosha combinations. Another option would be to come up with an indispensable herb list for each organ and/or body systems. If you are an herbal practitioner that works with clients your indispensable herb list for your professional practice might be different than your list for your personal practice. Or, you could take an astroherbology approach and have indispensable herbs for the signs and planets. As you can see, creating an indispensable herb list is endlessly customizable.

But what makes an herb indispensable? Well, that is up to you. For me an indispensable herb is one that has the following qualities:

• The herb is one that I am very familiar with and know how to use for a variety of conditions.

• The herb is easily accessible meaning that I can either grow it myself, wildcraft it, or source it from a reputable supplier.

• The herb is generally considered safe with little to no side effects and many can be taken for an extended period of time. 

Botanical illustration of Zingiber officinale by Francisco Manuel Blanco | source

In all, there are thirteen herbs on my indispensable herbs lists (because witchcraft). Here is how my indispensable herbs list is structured:

The Nine Foundational Herbs are as they are described - foundational to my practice and often the foundational herb in remedies that I make. But they are also the pillars of my practice and my beloved teachers and guides. They correspond to the six tissue states as well as three additional herbs that cover the blood, muscle and bones, and heart of the body more explicitly. These nine herbs are the sacred structure of the temple of my practice.

My Nine Foundational Herbs

• Warming Remedy: Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

• Cooling Remedy: Rose (Rosa spp.)

• Drying Remedy: Sage (Salvia spp.)

• Oil/Moistening Remedy: Burdock (Arctium lappa)

• Stimulating Nervine Remedy: Basil (Ocimum spp.)

• Relaxing Nervine Remedy: Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

• Blood Remedy: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

• Musculoskeletal Remedy: St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

• Heart Remedy: Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

source unknown - if you know, comment below!

The Three Tonic Herbs are ones that didn’t fit in neatly to the above list because their healing reach is so expansive in my practice, but mostly because I use them as tonics very often. Tonic herbs are plants that can be taken long-term and have a nourishing and restorative effect on the body. I always recommend a tonic herb or herb blend in my consultations along with whatever remedies I’ve created to address more acute conditions. These tonic herbs are the attending Priest/esses and Weavers of the sacred temple of my practice. 

My Three Tonic Herbs

• Elder (Sambucus nigra)

• Nettles (Urtica dioica)

• Milky Oats (Avena sativa)

The Artemisia californica plant that is now growing in my garden.

The Magickal Herb is one that some folks may have on their list but many others won’t. I practice both medicinal and magickal herbalism, so all of the herbs on my list are ones that I also incorporate into my magickal practice. My Magickal Herb is one that I would be pretty sad to live without and one that I use in many a ritual and charm, but more importantly, my magickal herb is my teacher and guide to my clients on the magickal arts. This herb is the crystal-heart of the temple of my practice. 

My Magickal Herb

• California Mugwort (Artemisia californica)

So you’ve created your list - what next? 

If you’re a member of my free Magick Mail (if you’re not already, it’s quite easy to join) you can download my indispensable herb chart worksheet which uses the format I've described above. I regularly pull out and review my indispensable herb list because as my practice grows and changes so does my list. Angelica (Angelica archangelica) used to be my primary oily remedy, but I find myself using the more accessible (meaning it has wider range of use amongst a variety of folks) Burdock (Arctium lappa) these days. Angelica has grown more and more into an indispensable magickal herb for me, in fact. These regular reviews of your indispensable herb list are like sit down chats with your plant allies where everyone convenes and compares notes on where we’ve been and where we might be going. 

Consider working with each herb on your list through the Plant Ally Project. Or begin creating your custom seasonal apothecaries based on your list. Name your children after each of your indispensable herbs! Or pets! Or your favorite rocks!

Oh and will someone please create a beautiful oracle deck of their indispensable herbs and then show me some pictures so I can jump up and down excitedly in glee? #IndispensableHerbOracle

In the meantime, cast some cards with the Indispensable Interview spread.

Check out the rest of the Plant Ally Project series and be sure to comment below with questions or musings. Better yet, share your list!

To Ignite the Imagination : Angelica Plant Profile

It has been a while since I posted a full plant profile, but as part of the Plant Ally Project: Thirty Day Challenge, I wanted to share with folks what a full plant profile in my personal materia medica looks like. The following format is not only what I use for my personal materia medica, but is also the style of plant profile that I hand out to my students both online and offline. For ease of online reading I have changed the order of how I list information on my printed materia medica for those of you who are really curious. I also add additional space for notes at the end of my materia medicas for quickly jotting down thoughts and observations.

I love getting to look at other herbalist's plant profiles and how they organize information. I usually am inspired to add to or adjust my own plant profiles after viewing them. While the following plant profile of Angelica is my long form version, I do create two other styles of plant profiles. The first is my one page, at-a-glance form that I create when first meeting a plant and for easy reference later on. The second type is half-way between the short and long form and is my homage to herbals of antiquity where everything is drawn and written directly into one hard-backed book (unlike my long and short form plant profiles which I keep in three-ring binders) and is as much a Book of Shadows as it is an herbal guide or plantbook. I'll be posting a free ecourse on creating your plantbook in the future!

If you're just starting out on creating your own plant profiles, a few tips:

• It takes time and experimentation to figure out what works for you. You might love the style I've created below or find it doesn't have the flow you're looking for. It took me a few years to find a style that I really liked and wanted to use consistently.

• Write in your own words. I reference multiple materia medicas when creating my own plant profiles, in addition to recording my own personal experience with the plant. Instead of copying and pasting, I try and use my own voice and language. When I do copy passages, I cite the source so I can reference back to it easily (for those grammar nerds who are afraid I might not know that I'm not doing it correctly, you'll notice below that my citations below are my own hybrid style). You can check out my favorite herb books, including the materia medicas that I most often reference, on my LibraryThing.

• Have fun! Putting together plant profiles should be fun, not a chore. If it feels burdensome change the way you're doing it until it becomes a pleasure. Be creative as you like - these plant profiles are for you and your practice so don't worry about how well someone else might like them.

Other items that you might find in my personal materia medica would be poems and images (often cut out of magazines or postcards that I've found) that I tuck in with my plant profiles. I love being able to add as many avenues of storytelling when it comes to connecting with plant allies and helping others do the same. Be sure to check out the Plant Ally Project: Thirty Day Challenge for examples of plant-inspired poetry and how to put together your very own materia medica!

Common + Folk Names : Angelic herb, archangel, masterwort, holy ghost root, wild celery, choraka, ground ash.

Planet : Sun (particularly when placed in Leo), Jupiter, Moon

Element : Fire

Sign : Leo, Pisces

Moon Phase : Full Moon, New Moon (traditional)                       

Parts used : Root, leaf, stem, seed

Habitat : Native to Europe, North America. Enjoys swampy and marshy areas, including meadows.

Growing conditions : Enjoys deep, moist loam and partial shade. Grow near water if possible and keep soil damp.

Collection : Harvest from mature plants (2 or more years old). Maude Grieve, however, recommends harvesting the roots in the first year. Harvest stems in April and May and leaves before flowering. Harvest roots in the fall.

Flavor : Pungent

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Oily, through some sources say Dry.

Tissue State : Dry/Atrophy, Cold/Depression

Constituents : Flavonoids, furanocoumarins, essential oils, coumarins, acids, caffein acid, citric acid, fatty acids, phthalates, sugars, resins, sterols, tannins, vitamin C.

Actions : Alterative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, antiemetic, antispasmodic, aromatic, antioxidant, astringent, bitter, circulatory stimulant, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, hypotensive, hepatoprotective, nervine, rejuvenative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, uterine stimulant.

Contraindications : Not for use in pregnancy and those with bleeding disorders, GERD, reflux, peptic ulcers, hypertension. Use with caution with diabetics as the plant can increase blood sugar levels. Large doses affect blood pressure, respiration, and can overstimulate the nervous system. Avoid in cases of heavy menstruation. Avoid a week prior to surgery. The fresh root of Angelica atropurpurea is said to be toxic and should only be used dried.

Drug interactions : Avoid with Warfarin, salicylates, and anticoagulants (McIntyre).

Dosage : 1 - 10 drops (1:2 fresh root or 1:5 dry root 75% alcohol extract), 1 - 3 times daily. As a tea, 1 teaspoon of root, soaked overnight, per cup of water.

Angelica archangelica by Kat

Main Uses

Angelica is a classic herb in the Traditional Western Herbalism materia medica with long uses for digestive complaints, fever (including typhus), and menstruation. As a digestive tonic, Angelica stimulates sluggish and cold digestion. Look for additional signs of gas, distention, and colic. Lack of appetite may stem not only from digestive complaints, but from sluggishness of the spirit and low vitality. Angelica is specific to hypochlorhydria, which is a condition of the stomach in which the production of hydrochloric acid in gastric secretions is low. The bitter content and sugars present in the herb help to stimulate the appetite and produce bile necessary for digestion. Angelica also helps clear toxins from the gut and assists with the metabolism of fats. Angelica should be used with caution for those with diabetes as it can raise blood sugar levels in the blood and urine through its stimulation of the adrenal cortex which releases cortisol in the system. The scent of the crushed leaves can alleviate nausea.

As a warming and oily herb, Angelica helps to move oils and fats through the body more effectively, including their metabolism and break-up of excess fluids. As an expectorant, Angelica is useful in cases of excess phlegm in the lungs. It is especially good when a respiratory complaint is worsened by cold or an illness has turned into a low-level chronic cough leading to exhaustion. The herb also works on the lymphatic system, clearing out congestion through its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory actions. Use in cases of sore throats, where the throat is raw, and for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma - especially if these conditions are made worse by cold. Angelica’s anti-inflammatory qualities can also be used in cases of arthritis and gout. The herb is also a diaphoretic, opening the skin and improving peripheral circulation. 

Angelica calms both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, finding balance between the two. The herb calms anxiety and helps to rebuild the protective sheaths of the nervous system as part of its ability to move oils effectively through the body. As a brain tonic, Angelica improves mental clarity, uplifts the mood, and stimulates the imagination. It can be a helpful part of someone’s herbal and healing regimen for depression.

Angelica is a useful herb for congested, cramping, and cold menstruation. The herb offers pain relief and regulates the cycle. It can help bring on delayed menses and is useful in the treatment of amenorrhea. After birth, Angelica has been used traditionally to expel the placenta and bring on milk. The essence of Angelica is excellent to have on hand for any type of life passage including death, birth, and initiations. It can also be used as a tonic to help the spirit return to the body after a traumatic or shocking experience.

In general, Angelica offers a reparative action throughout the body as a circulatory tonic. While I haven’t used Angelica for this yet, it is said to reduce the desire for alcohol which would make it useful for folks dealing with alcoholism. I think the herb would be good to use with those family members and partners who are affected by their loved ones alcohol abuse as well, as it is supportive of the nervous system and helps all parties imagine a new path forward and bring on optimism for recovery.

Externally, the oil of Angelica can be used in massage blends to relieve joint stiffness and pain. It can also be used in baths with the same effect. Brigitte Mars recommends using Angelica for victims of electric shock by giving them a Angelica sponge bath using gentle upward strokes (Mars, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine, 33). Additionally, Angelica oil can be used in magickal salves for trance work. 

Magickal Uses

Angelica connects us to our spiritual nature, whether that is through our guardian angels, our guides or our ancestors. Furthering the plants connection to the imagination, in the language of flowers Angelica represents inspiration. Traditionally, Angelica was used in protection spells against poisoning, contagion, and malefic witchcraft. Culpeper recommends harvesting the herb when the Sun is in Leo.

The plant has a connected to the archangel Michael, where its latin binomial stems from, after being revealed to a monk in a dream during a time of plague. Additionally, the herb may be associated with Archangel Michael as the flower blooms around the day (May 8) of Michael the Archangel. The herb is sacred in Saami culture and is used as part of their religious ceremonies. I use the extract as a base for blends meant to enliven psychic centers of the body.

Angelica archangelica from Franz Eugen Köhler's Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Angelica Personality

The Angelica spirit has forgotten that they have a spirit. The world feels like a cold, sunless, and unkind place. They lack trust that they will ever feel better and part of that lack of trusts stems from an inability to connect with their vision for a brighter future. Generally speaking, a trauma has occurred and they have not yet dealt with its reverberations in their life. The spirit, in a sense, has been squeezed into a tight space. Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol may have become an unhealthy coping mechanism. Angelica helps reconnect them to their spiritual world, unfurls the spirit, and acts as a nourishing tonic for the imagination. It is an herb of transitions, too, so it not only helps them to imagine a new possibility for themselves, but then to transition towards their vision with ease. 

Remedies + Charms

Typhus Fever Syrup
Traditional from Maude Grieve

Pour a quart of boiling water upon 6 oz. of Angelica root cut up in thin slices, 4 oz. of honey, the juice of 2 lemons and 1/2 gill of brandy. Infuse for half an hour.

Tarot Elixir
Alexis J. Cunningfolk

I created the Tarot Elixir for students of my tarot class to enjoy before conducting readings. The Tarot Elixir awakens our psychic centers and helps us think creatively when engaging with divinatory tools. The essence is best made when the Moon is in Pisces.

To 1 ounce of Angelica Root extract add the following essences: 

• 3 drops Nuummite Gem Essence

• 3 drops Pink Yarrow Flower Essence

• 3 drops Angelica Flower Essence

Plant Ally Project Thirty Day Challenge

Welcome to the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge!

Just what is the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge? I’m glad you asked!

This project is for those who:

Are ready to learn how to build meaningful and powerful relationships with a plant ally. Plants are powerful whether or not we’re involved in their lives. Yet, when we do choose to journey more mindfully through the world of the green kingdom as herbalists and plantfolk, learning how to connect with a plant beyond the ground up material in a tea bag can have a profound affect on who we are and how we connect with the world around us. The Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge is about growing, celebrating, and honoring our plant allies and plant selves beyond knowing what something is used for and into the realm of how do we live meaningful and useful lives.

Want to transition from a casual interest in herbal medicine to a more invested one. I After a few weeks or months, maybe even a year, of dabbling with plant medicines, you’re feeling a calling to connect with the plant world and your herbal practice in a more committed way. The Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge will help you stretch your herbal muscles, teaching you the many ways of connecting with a plant and its medicinal and magickal qualities. In the process you’ll learn more about who you are as an aspiring herbalist and what gets you really excited about your growing practice.

Are seeking to reinvigorate and find new inspiration in their herbal practice. An herbal practice is just that - practice - and sometimes practice gets monotonous and uninspiring. Hopefully, the Plant Ally Project : Thirty Day Challenge will re-inspire the ways you connect with your plant allies and your herbal practice.

During the challenge, some days will be busier than others, so I encourage you to read through the whole list before starting your journey so you can plan ahead for busier days (such as buying the supplies you’ll need for making tinctures or tea). You won’t need much to participate in the challenge: a notebook, some simple drawing supplies will get you started, and later on you’ll be asked to seek out your plant in the (urban)wild and procure a dried or fresh plant material by either ethical wildcrafting or from a reputable source.

I encourage you to have fun with your Plant Ally Project, comment below with questions and discoveries, and enjoy the process of humbling yourself to the wild and growing your fierce green heart.

Keep scrolling to find all of the details for the project as well as a quick guide computer wallpaper for you to use. Be sure to share the Plant Ally Project with your friends and post about your adventures with #PlantAllyProject. I can't wait to see what plants you meet!

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Use the following quick guide wallpaper to help you keep track of all 30 days of the Plant Ally Project.

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Day 1: Set your intention for the month.

I have found that getting clear on what it is you hope to accomplish at the beginning of a project helps see it through. What are you hoping to learn in these thirty days? How will you be challenging yourself?

Will you learn everything about your plant ally in 30 days? Nope. And that’s wonderful. What you can accomplish in 30 days, however, is significant and meaningful. You can connect with a green ally in ways that will continue to shape and form your practice for years to come. The adventure, clever one, is just beginning.

I encourage you to write your intention down in a place that you will see it often. You might put it in the front of your journal for your Plant Ally Project or tape it to your mirror. Make sure you are affirming it often for it to serve as a tool of change and success.

One final note. It might seem like a lot of work some days or a big commitment to work with one plant for 30 days. There is an art of sacrifice involved in the pursuit of knowledge, which may include sacrificing free time spent on the computer or watching tv to pursuing your herbal studies. Or rearranging your schedule to allow more time for your herbal medicine-making. I would encourage you to be mindful of the work ahead and how committed you are to it, even if it involves a bit of sacred sacrifice. What are you willing to give in order to receive?

Day 2: Choose the plant you’ll be working with or let it choose you.

You might already know what plant you want to work with for your 30 day Plant Ally Project. It may be the mint growing in a pot on your windowsill or the Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica) spreading out in the marshy land in the park by your house. Or you might have no idea what plant you want to work with! If you’re in the latter situation, you have a few options for choosing the plant to work with. The first is simply looking around your garden or neighborhood for local flora. Or you can flip open one of your herb books and see what plant profile you land on. It might be fun to look at the ingredients of some of your favorite tea blends and choose an herb from there. You might choose an herb that is culturally significant to you and, even if it has not been used in your family in modern recollection, was probably used by your ancestors.

My one tip is that once you choose an herb for your Plant Ally Project is to stick with it. It can feel overwhelming and exciting to know that there are hundreds of thousands of herbs for us to learn about. Right now, you are making a commitment to connect with one herb over the next 30 days, and while this does not exclude working with other herbs, it does place emphasis on one plant relationship in particular. For those of you who may feel like they’ve chosen the “wrong” herb after a few days, I strongly encourage you to follow through with your original commitment. Herbs that are difficult to decipher or might take a bit of extra study on our part can appropriately challenge our analytical and emotional skills to connect with the plant world.

Day 3. Learn the latin binomial + folk names of your plant ally.

One plant can have a multitude of names and it is important to be familiar with the Latin binomial as well as common or folk names for a plant. Latin binomials allow herbalists to identify the same plants regardless of language differences. Latin binomials can also help us learn about some of the folkloric stories associated with a plant as well as its medicinal qualities. Motherwort, which Latin binomial is Leonurus cardiaca, tells us about the plant’s association with the heart in two ways. First, Leonurus, connects to the plant’s astrological correspondence of Leo the Lion which traditional guards the heart. Cardiaca again refers to Motherwort’s affinity for heart health.

Day 4. Learn about the habitat of your plant ally.

Where is your plant native to? Where has it naturalized? Does it grow locally? What type of environment does it thrive in?

Day 5. Learn about how to harvest your plant ally.

What are the ideal harvesting conditions for your plant? What time of year? What parts of the plant are used medicinally? Should you harvest from a mature plant?

Day 6. Smell and taste your plant ally.

One of the easiest and most essential ways of connecting with a plant ally is to breath deep its scent and to taste its flavor. If you have access to a fresh plant (and it is safe to nibble on the fresh plant) use that, but you can also used a dried plant. Be aware, though, that a dried plant will often smell and taste different than when it is fresh.

What does the plant smell like? Sweet? Pungent? Strong or soft? What does the plant taste like? Does it dry the mouth or encourage the production of saliva? Taste is a way of understanding a plant’s medicinal qualities. Astringent plants, for example, dry the mouth while bitter plants often produce saliva.

Bonus! Learn about the tastes within Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine traditions.

Day 7. Read three different materia medica profiles on your plant ally.

You have already been reading about your plant in order to complete the last week’s tasks, but now it is time to read multiple materia medica profiles about your plant ally to understand the multiple ways of engaging its healing qualities. Check out my LibaryThing materia medica catalog for book recommendations as well as free resources such as botanical.com which is the complete materia medica of American herbalist Maud Grieve. Searching for {your plant’s name} plant profile online should also turn up resources. Remember, though when searching the mighty internets to find reputable sources. It is amazing the wide range of (mis)information there is about herbs online, so I encourage you to purchase or check-out from your library a few quality materia medicas to start your herbal studies as opposed to relying solely on search engines.

Day 8: Meet your plant ally in person.

You may have already done this, but whether or not you have, spend some time connecting with a live version of your plant ally. It can be a plant growing in a garden, in the wild or in an urban park. Spend time being still with the plant, observing its environment, and talking aloud or silently to it. You might be surprised by what the plant shares with you!

If such is not possible at the moment due to the season or accessibility, reserve this exercise for another day and spend time connecting with an image or remedy of your plant ally.

Day 9: Draw a picture of your plant ally.

One can learn a lot about a plant from drawing it because the act of drawing engages our observational skills in new ways. It doesn’t matter if you can “draw well” or not. If you can hold pen to paper you will be able to roughly sketch a plant. I encourage you to get creative and use color, adding energetic observations, and any other doodles that you find inspiring. Have fun with it!

Day 10: Study the best ways to prepare your plant ally medicinally.

How to extract plant medicines depends on the constituents of a plant and whether or not they are extracted in water, alcohol, oil, vinegar, or additional menstruums (which is a word for a solvent that is used in extracting medicinal constituents from plants). Learn what the best method of preparation is (such as an infusion versus a decoction) and whether your plant ally can be used externally, internally or both.

Day 11: Make a tea or decoction of your plant ally.

Your first medicine-making day! Depending on what you learned yesterday, create a tea infusion or decoction of your plant ally. I recommend that you do not add other herbs to the tea - simply create a one herb infusion or decoction so you can fully appreciate the taste, smell, and effect of your plant ally in your body. Pay attention to the initial taste, the aftertaste, and how the herb feels in your body. Do images, memories, or words come to mind? Spend a half hour or more in contemplation with your tea.

Day 12: Learn about your plant ally’s magickal qualities.

Some materia medicas will include a plant magickal qualities or folkloric stories, but there are also materia medicas dedicated to the magickal qualities of plants including Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, A Compendium of Herbal Magic by Paul Beyerl, and The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Revised by Susan Gregg.

Whether or not you are a practitioner of magick, learning a plant’s magickal qualities and accompanying folklore can enrich not only our understanding of how our ancestors connected with the plant and the plant connected with them, but there is often insight into a plant’s medicinal qualities. Plants used in love spells, for example, are often aphrodisiacs and affect the sexual organs, libido, and/or nervous system (such as Damiana Turnera diffusa).

Day 13: Learn about the astrological correspondences of your plant ally.

You may have already discovered the astrological correspondences of your plant ally yesterday, but if not spend today learning more about them. Traditional Western Herbalism and astrology were intertwined for centuries and it has only been in recent generations that the two arts have been split apart.

A physician without a knowledge of Astrology has no right to call himself a physician.  - Hippocrates

Learning the astrological correspondences of herbs further deepens our language to be able to talk about herbs and understand their healing qualities. It also helps us to understand better traditional western herbal energetics and why certain herbs have been classified in certain ways historically (and whether or not that still makes sense today). Books discussing the magickal quality of plants often has astrological correspondences list as well, but you should also check out the historical works of Nicholas Culpeper including his still in-print Herbal. You can also check out my Introduction to Astroherbology which includes additional online and offline resources.

If no astrological information exists for your plant ally, that’s ok! You can either have fun doing a little research and assign your own astrological correspondence (check out my ongoing Astroherbology series and especially my blog on the Astrological Body for insight) or maybe get in touch with your favorite medical astrologer for some guidance.

Day 14: Learn about your plant ally’s emotional qualities.

Plant medicine affects the whole spectrum of our lived experience whether physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, because it is a holistic medicine which recognizes that all of our parts are interconnected. Just as plants have medicinally healing qualities, they have emotionally healing qualities. Books on flower essences are great places to look when researching the emotional qualities of plants as well as materia medicas which take into account the emotional symptoms of dis-ease.

My recommendation for learning a plant’s emotional qualities is to ask the plant directly. I usually enter into a light meditative state and gently ask the plant to share with me its emotional story, sometimes while ingesting plant medicine (such as a tea), but not always. Sometimes I get words, other times images, and most often I feel the response in my body. Make sure to record your experience and don’t rush to “validate” or compare it to the writings and experiences of others. I will say, though, that very often there is overlap between one person’s emotional experience of a plants and another’s.

Bonus! Create a flower essence from your plant ally. Flower essences are easy and accessible forms of herbal medicine. You can find out how to make an essence of your own here.

Day 15: Take a break!

You’re halfway through your Plant Ally Project and it’s time to take a break! You deserve it. Sit back and relax, clever one.

Day 16: Make a tincture or glycerite of your plant ally.

Tinctures and glycerites are great for creating high-potency herbal medicines that have a relatively long shelf life (alcohol extract tinctures can last for many years, while glycerites can last up to 2 years). There are two primary ways to create an extract; the first is the folk method and the second way is by weight-to-volume measurement. Below I have listed out a simple folk method to create an extract. Some plants require a higher percentage of alcohol to extract properly and not all plant constituents extract well in alcohol (such as vitamins and minerals). You can learn more about plant constituents and extractability here. Michael Moore has a some amazing free resources on his website including clinical manuals with extraction recommendations. Lisa Ganora is one of the leading herbal experts on plant constituents and you can check out her short guide to solubility and choosing appropriate menstruums (PDF). For further herbal medicine-making study James Green has written a great book called The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual which I highly recommend.

Simple Folk Extraction

For both extractions (either glycerite or alcohol) you should have a clean jar with a well-sealing lid. Add in your fresh or dried plant material into the jar. You can add the plant material in whole or chop it up to help the extract penetrate the cell walls of the plant and pull out the plant medicine. You’ll want to mix some water with either your alcohol or glycerite - a few dashes is usually sufficient. If you’re using fresh plant material with a plant that has a high-water content be sure not to add too much extra water and compromise the levels of alcohol or glycerite needed to act as a preservative. For glycerites, be sure to mix the water and glycerite together before adding it to your herbs.

Pour your alcohol or glycerite over the herbs so that there is about ¾ of an inch of the menstruum floating above or below the herb. Let your extract brew for at least three weeks - I brew most of my extracts for a minimum of one complete moon cycle, but usually three moon cycles in total. Shake your extract daily and speak to it, charge it up with song, or keep it in a sacred spot in your home. Be especially mindful of glycerites and air bubbles which can lead to spoilage. When it is ready to be decanted, use a nut mylk bag (my favorite method), a fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth to separate the extract from the plant material. I think it is important to respect the plant body remains and to compost it or add it back into the earth in some way. Now you have an extract! Extracts of both varieties are best stored in dark bottles away from direct sunlight and in a cool location. It is especially important to keep glycerites cool - I keep mine in the refrigerator. If you are not worried about keeping a glycerite alcohol-free you can always add in some alcohol during or after the brewing process. Honey and maple-syrup can be added, too, to alcohol extracts during or after the brewing process to sweeten the tincture. As for dosage, you should research what is the recommended dosage for your plant ally in your materia medicas. In my own practice, I use drop dosages, which is traditional within western herbalism, and in general recommend a dosage of 1 - 10 drops up to three times daily for many of my extracts.

Day 17: Meditate with your plant ally.

For those of you who practice mindfulness, meditation or other contemplative practices, or those of you who have been wanting to start a meditation practice, meditating with your plant ally will hopefully sound like an exciting endeavor. For those of you who read that line and thought, “I can’t meditate!” I would like to first reassure you that this is a common response to many folks who go on to find out that they can indeed meditate. Furthermore, we fall into meditative patterns every day without even knowing it. Have you ever daydreamed? You’ve meditated. Have you ever zoned out while walking, exercising or washing the dishes? You’ve meditated. Have you have taken a break from an overwhelming situation to close your eyes and take a deep breath? You’ve meditated. The folks who may not be able to meditate or should not meditate are those experiencing certain states of psychosis and should seek out the assistance of their health care team to figure out what is best for them and their health.

Meditating with plants is a gorgeous experience and I really encourage everyone to try it out. It can be as simple as sitting with your plant ally, either next to it in a physical context whether as a living plant or plant material such as the dried herb, an extract, oil, or tea, or visualizing the plant in your mind’s eye. You can close your eyes or softly gaze at the plant. Energetically greet the plant before beginning - ask to be invited into their space. Meditating with plants (heck, meditating with anyone!) is an opportunity to open up to the plant beyond the written or spoken world and into intuitive connectivity. You can spend just a few minutes meditating with a plant or a whole afternoon. Do what is comfortable and in a way that encourages openness and vulnerability between you and the plant. Afterwards, be sure to offer the plant something in thanksgiving, whether some water, a song, some sacred incense or another heart-centered gift.

Day 18: Find a poem, quote, song, painting, that embodies the quality of your plant ally.

After your meditation experience with your plant ally, you have hopefully received additional insight about the plant and your growing relationship. Spend some time today finding a poem, song, painting, or additional media that embodies the qualities of your plant ally. For example, I think the following poem by Mary Oliver speaks to the amazing gifts of Milky Oats (Avena sativa).

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Mary Oliver

You might choose to keep the a copy of whatever you find on your altar or in a place in your house where you will see it often. Herbalism is not just a science - it is an art. It is through art that we can find profound healing and when we are artfully able to speak of our plant allies we move beyond the habit of “{x} plant does {this}” to “let me tell you a story of Chamomile, the littlest brightest sun.”

Day 19: Plant personalities. Who in your life is most like your plant?

In my personal materia medicas I include a section on the plant personality which describes both the personality of the plant, but also the personality of a person best served by the plant’s medicine. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), for example, is a plant for a colic-y child (or adult) who complains of an upset stomach when their emotional world feels unbalanced. Elder (Sambucus nigra) is known as the Elder Mother in many European countries and she has a fiercely protective, no-nonsense personality so she is often good medicine for folks who have difficulty setting up boundaries and are invested in self-deluding practices that don’t serve their health and wellbeing.

Discovering plant personalities doesn’t always feel intuitive at first, but that is why it is good to reference back to the work you did on Day 14 when you learned about the emotional qualities of your plant ally. You might discover that you are the plant personality that your plant ally best serves or a close friend or family member. Plants come into our lives most often for a reason, even if we don’t understand for many years to come, and exploring plant personalities can be one way of discovering why we are drawn to our plant ally.

Day 20: Create your own folk name for your plant ally.

As discovered on Day 3, most plants have a few, if not a multitude, of common names. Create your own folk name for your plant ally based on your experience so far with them. They may have already shared a name that they like to be called with you. Have fun with it and reference back to Day 18 if you need further inspiration.

Bonus! Create a folk name for you.

Day 21: Read a new materia medica profile on your plant ally.

Today it is time to find a new materia medica profile to read about your plant ally because tomorrow you’ll start creating your own personal materia medica.

Day 22: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 1

Whether or not you continue to write your own materia medicas throughout your practice, it is important to learn how to gather information on your plant ally, synthesize that information, and add your own experience and study to it. Reference your favorite materia medicas found in books and online for creating your own, including the type of information included, as well as formatting.  I've created a materia medica for Angelica (Angelica archangelica) as an example of how I typically create my plant profiles. For part one of your materia medica complete the following information about your plant ally:

• Name (folk + latin binomial)

• Habitat, Growing Conditions, and Harvesting

• Parts used of the plant for medicine-making

• Flavor

• Plant Constituents

Optional:

• Astrological information

• Energetics

Day 23: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 2

Today you’ll continue to work on your materia medic, focusing on the heart of the materia medica.

• Herbal Actions

• Main Uses

Day 24: Write a materia medica of your plant ally - Part 3

Our final day of materia medica crafting!

• Magickal Uses

• Contraindications

• Drug interactions

• Dosage

Optional:

• Plant Personality

• Recipes + Charms that feature your plant ally

Day 25: Create a plant ally charm.

You’ve completed your materia medica, meditated with your plant ally, and learned about its many uses, now its time to stretch your magickal muscles and create a plant ally charm. You might choose to create a small herb bundle to wear around your neck or keep on your altar. You might make a charmed herb candle or an herbal dream pillow including your plant ally. Engage with your plant ally magickally and follow the path of enchantment that unfolds!

Day 26: Write a plant ally song or poem.

Take time today to write down a song or poem, whether short or long, for your plant ally. It may be a song of thanks or medicine-making. You might write a poem describing the plants healing qualities. Or a short rhyming verse calling on spirit of the plant. What do you want to say to your plant ally?

Day 27: Create a Plant Ally immersive experience.

You’ve created a charm and written your poem, now it is time to immerse yourself in the world of your plant ally. If appropriate, create a bath using your plant ally or bathe with them in your shower. You could also burn the plant as an incense and sit in meditation with them or create a room and body spray with the plant’s essential oil. If you are so inspired, create a ritual of connecting with your plant ally where in addition to the immersive experience, you speak aloud your poem, create medicine, and charge up your charm. The path you choose is up to you...

Day 28: Write about your unique ways of connecting with herbal medicine.

We are very near the end of our 30 day challenge. What have you learned about yourself and the ways that you connect with plant medicine? What has your plant ally taught you? Are you super exciting about creating plant medicines? Do you want to grow a garden of herbal wonder? One day do you think you want to serve others as an herbalist in a private or community practice? Describe what it is about your experience of herbal medicine that gets you excited.

Day 29: Write your values as an herbalist or user of plant remedies.

I think it is important to know and state your values as a humyn creature living on our ocean planet, especially when entering into a mindful relationship with the powers of the plant world. Spend today creating a set of values that describes who you are as an herbalist or user of plant remedies and how these inform the ways that you move through the world. You can read my values here.

Day 30: Review your month!

Wow! Congrats! You did it! Take time to review your month and take a look at all that you have accomplished. Make sure to leave a comment below about what plant ally you worked with and your experiences, including favorite recipes, herbal wisdom insights, and recommended reading.