Medicine as a Ceremony

The Alchemy

Plant medicine is just one facet of alchemy. Alchemy encompasses every aspect of this phenomenal world. Language, utterance, and the composition of speech are among the oldest forms of alchemy, aligning sound and intention with action and logic.

Dance, pitch, and timbre are also forms of alchemy. Transforming intention into manifestation is a powerful act of alchemy. However, what sets plant medicine apart is that it involves the merging of a natural, organic form with that of a sentient human in a deeply physiological experience. It is a sacred union of support and intimacy.Plants are sentient beings with their own DNA and mana (life-force). They carry specific codes and activations for the planet, each one incredibly unique. In the practice of medicinal alchemy, a plant’s highest potential is extracted from its avatar—its body—and transferred as nourishment and support. This is one of the most profound definitions of intimacy.

The Medicine

Once a plant has consented to a collaboration, it seeks to meet its collaborator as an equal, empowering the recipient’s natural potential for self-healing. A plant ally serves primarily as an encourager and guide, helping to orient the recipient. The inherent properties a plant offers are unique tools that help refine and awaken a resurrection of one’s own innate abilities. It is never the plant’s responsibility to do anything for us; rather, the plant is collaborating with us. This ensures the relationship remains one of mutual respect and does not become codependent.

Even today, many people claim that organic, natural medicine is too subtle or not effective at all. This is often because the sentient plant is not being properly acknowledged, and there is no genuine introduction. The recipient of the plant medicine may not formally introduce themselves to the plant, nor are they fully present or available to welcome the plant into true collaboration. Without appreciation or a clear agreement, the relationship lacks intimacy. All too often, people simply possess the medicine and expect it to work for them, inadvertently establishing a hierarchy in which the plant is made subordinate. Without genuine connection and respect, the organic medicine becomes ineffective.

Those who cannot participate with organic, natural medicine will then transfer to synthetic medicine which is perceived as more effective because it works by manipulating the brain — it resolves nothing.

The Ceremony

Perhaps the most common question we get is how to properly dose the medicinals.
You get to become an energetic match to the organic medicine. You AND the medicine must decide on your dosage. This requires a dialogue with each medicinal you participate with.
Cultivating this dialogue is the initiation of the Ceremony. First, before you begin any dialogue, you must be ma’a (aware) that this is a collaboration, you do not expect the medicine to do anything for you rather you become a willing participant in radical self healing and its perserverance. The medicinal is your support, not your fix.
As an example, here is a dialogue we initiate upon greeting a medicinal:

• Introduce yourself! You can be as specific as you like. Remember, you are cultivating intimacy. Imagine yourself in a traditional doctors office sharing your health history, etc. only with the plant, be more revealing — emotional and animate as if you’re speaking to a close friend.
  After your introduction, consent the plant medicine to introduce itself, too!

• Make clear the intention; why am I collaborating with this plant sentient? Clarity is KEY

• If you have background on the medicinal, such as what it has traditionally been resourced for, etc., repeat this to the medicine and ask it to clarify. Is this correct? Is there anything else?

• We will hold either the raw plant, or whatever the plant medicine is housed in and carry in our left hand and apply to the ‘ā’ī oeoe (back of neck, Medulla area). This is a good way to initiate and maintain dialogue. It has been very successful for us so we’d certainly recommend it! The Medulla is known to be a very powerful access point between the physical and etheric.

• If you are taking other medicine simultaneously let the medicine know which ones, their names, and their functions, then ask if this combination is okay. This is when you’ll really need to become ma’a (aware) of your telepathy and how a “no” and a “yes” feels. This will usually take several rounds of trial and error! This is totally okay as you cannot overdose on any of the medicinals we offer! The medicine will always remain fair and curious as long as you approach with a pure heart and pure intention.

• You may also have suggestions on time and day of dosage, as well as frequency and quantity — speak these suggestions and wait for a reply. Once again, this may take several rounds of trial and error. Totally okay!

• When its time to dose, we recommend making a proclamation in three parts:
  

  1 - Establish your presence. As you hold the medicine in your left hand utter the phrase ~ “This is where I am.”
  The medicinal deserves your full attention and presence. Remember, this is true intimacy.

  2~ Set your intention to participate, you don’t “expect” the medicine to do anything for you rather you will collaborate and extract your highest potential of healing. Transfer the medicinal to your right hand and utter the phrase ~ “(name of medicine) I will move you just as much as you move me, thank you and I love you.” The symbolism of this utterance suggest you are in a formal collaboration, not an expectation or a subordination/superiority. The plant ally will be encouraged to respect you. When something respects you, there is a natural immunity from harm. If you truly respect someone or something, you cannot harm them—and the same is true in return. If you continuously harm yourself or others, it suggests that you do not respect them or yourself. Simply put, if you harm yourself, you do not respect yourself.

  3~ Transfer back to your left hand and then dose. Allow yourself a moment to feel the medicine express itself in your body. Pause. Feel it. Then utter the final proclamation ~ “I am integrating. Thank you, and I love you.”

This is proper medicine taking, as a ceremony in presence. If you do not have the “time” or capacity to participate with organic medicine in ceremony we strongly urge you to NOT TAKE IT. It is highly irresponsible to dose plant medicine without ceremony and without establishing a dialogue, connection, relationship and affirming presence.

One of the remarkable benefits of initiating a ceremony with organic, natural medicine is the cultivation of true telepathy.

We are all in the process of remembering our purpose here, and it is essential that we maintain our wellness and vitality in order to fully express and radiate that purpose. Friends, it is important to be very clear about this.

IMUA!