S E N E S S E N C E S
We explore connection and co-create with nature to offer plant-spirit remedies that help harmonise at the root of imbalances.
“In plant spirit medicine plants are approached as wise, living, fully aware beings that have a great deal of depth and a sacred quality to them that can be called upon to provide a deeper kind of healing. It is a practical and effective method of healing.”
— Eliot Cowan
Apothecary
S E N E S S E N C E S // Plant spirit connection.
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Plants are sentient beings of great intelligence. Through connecting to them from a standpoint of deep reverence, we are able to form beautiful relationships and co-create for the benefit of all. This way of being is not new to us. Many cultures still deeply connected to their land strive to live in a harmony with their environment and speak of receiving information directly from nature/plants themselves. We can learn what the natural world may need, as well as receive its curing & nourishing gifts.
This is what is meant by working with the spirit of the plants.
Essences are vibrational/plant spirit remedies which work on our emotional / mental / energetic bodies, where a great deal of imbalance and disease originates. Helping to bring these parts of us – and ultimately our spirit – back to balance and vitality, they work at the source of a problem. This return to well-being is then reflected in the physical body. It is a wonderfully subtle yet very effective way of working with plants.
Each plant is a living library with its own characteristics, qualities & properties and your relationship it will be unique.
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Notice which plant you feel is calling your attention / you feel pulled to.
Bring it an offering.
Take a moment to be in silence with the plant and allow space to listen/receive — notice what thoughts come to you / sensations / emotions / images / symbols. Note it down, even if it seems unrelated. The spirit world often speaks to us through myth/symbols and it may take time for us to see .. after all it’s likely brining up our blindspots.
Get curious & ask questions, e.g. what are your qualities? what can I do for you?
This can be done over distance, though initially you may find it easier to be in its presence (or work with an essence).
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Choose a plant/essence which pulls you most, more than 1 if it feels right. Go with your gut.
No matter the description, be open to however your personal relationship may blossom.
Though each essence has its characteristics, when working on an emotional/mental/energetic/spiritual level, they are masters at bringing up what needs to be addressed at a given time.How to work with essences
Essences can be taken orally, directly under the tongue or in a glass of water. 2-4 drops 2-4 times a day. If you want to use more of it, take it more frequently without increasing the dosage. Can be used in diffusers, mixed with essential oil or natural sprays. Some may feel the effects simply by keeping the bottle close to their body. Children & animals respond really well - choose a topical method or dilute it greatly. Use the essence for as long as you feel you need. This can be for a few weeks, sometimes just a few days.Connecting with your essence
Take a moment to be with the essence undisturbed. Clear your mind and place the plant in your mind’s eye. Holding it in your hand, notice how you are feeling. Set an intention to connect to the plant you are working with. Notice anything that may come up for you through your thoughts / sensations. Note it down, even if it seems unrelated. The spirit world often speaks to us through myth/symbols and it may take time for us to see .. after all it’s likely brining up our blindspots. You can also ask questions, for e.g. what are your qualities? what can I do for you?Make sure to take the time to receive whatever comes.
the elements.
As these are mentioned in most of the essence descriptions above, I will add a note about the elements.
The 5 elements make up the world around us. Present in everything, yet in different proportions, they are at the heart of some of the most ancient healing modalities. Bringing them into our awareness — from the food we eat, how we carry ourselves, to the way our mind functions — can empower us to make choices which lead towards balance in our daily lives, as well as facilitate a more intimate connection with our environment.
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Earth is grounding. Stable. Solid. Dense. Something you can count on. A feeling of safety and security. A space that holds. It’s the foundation on which we build. It doesn’t move. So, too much can mean a sense of stagnation or laziness, but too little can mean a struggle to manifest or keep focused.
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Water is constant movement and there is a density to it. So it too is holding and nourishing, but too much of it can wash away what’s needed. Water can help us to loosen up, to get into flow, to connect with natural rhythms. It is clearing, cleansing, soothing. So it helps us to let go and make space for the new. In this way it can be uplifting and energizing.
No matter the plant description, it may work differently for different people depending on what they need. So don’t fix yourself to the write ups about each plant, rather go with your gut and observe what it brings you.
(Similarly to how each person has a character, so does each plant species and each one of us will have a different experience with it.)
It can be that you will resonate strongest with the plants which grow in your area. It may make it easier to also connect in a physical form at times. -
Fire is raw power and so it connects us to our inner strength and power. It’s vitality, it’s life-force, it’s transformative and it is a teacher. It helps us to process and digest life and our emotions. To stand up for what we believe in and take what we need. In Ayurveda it is said that health begins in the gut and those with a strong digestive fire are vital and strong. Too much fire can burn, causing inflammation, pains, dryness, redness.
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Air brings space, possibility for movement and changes. It can balance these if there is too much stagnation or density. It’s light, delicate, fresh, active, cleansing and uplifting. But it can also dry out causing roughness or scatter, causing confusion.
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Ether is the void, the space from which all else emerges. It is seductive (like youth) because it’s full of potential and possibility, but that’s all it is… too much means ideas unrealized. It is the stillness that connects us to everything. The wisdom and the chaos. Here anything is possible. All this is within us.
“The strong force in nature is spiritual and not material. ”
— The Tibetan Book of the Dead