Listening to the Plants – Nature Speaks to us.
Shamans say that plants connect us with nature because they are nourished directly from the earth, as well as from the sun’s rays, air and water. They allow us to know and recognize ourselves. A shaman must know this and must love his people in order to heal them. Here are just some of the plant healers.
Sacha jergon (Dracontium peruvianum)
My first contact with this plant occurred quite accidentally, when one day I was walking through the jungle studying the properties of plants, the teacher Javier asked me why I always carried a machete. I jokingly replied “it’s against the anacondas!”. He stopped to think for a moment and motioned for me to follow him, a few minutes later we came across this tall stemmed plant. He proceeded to cut it and then spank me around the body paying attention to my legs and the soles of my feet. He then he said “no more problems, you are protected from snakes”. I asked him why this plant was used in this way and he pointed out the pattern on the stem that looks identical to snakes in the forest. Later, when I started to investigate this plant further, I discovered some interesting correspondences; this is a plant widely used as an antidote against snakebite venom in the Amazon.
This is in accordance with the concept of the ‘doctrine of signatures’. This doctrine is at the heart of homeopathy, folk medicine, and plant shamanism. The doctrine was revealed by the great alchemist and physician Paracelus who lived in the 16th century. The underlying principle was that the healing properties of the plant are not only in the external ‘physical’ form, but also in its internal or spiritual nature. The Signature Doctrine holds that this internal nature can be revealed by your external physical form or signatures. This plant is a clear demonstration of the outer form that indicates the inner qualities. Its use is directly related to its physical appearance, the patterns on the tall stem closely resembling the patterns on the skin of the highly venomous viper known as ‘Bushmaster’ or Jararaca, which is indigenous to the Amazon.
The large tuber of the plant is a well-known and very effective antidote against the bite of poisonous snakes. The tuber is chopped, immersed in cold water and then drunk. Also, the chopped tuber is placed on a banana leaf and used as a poultice that is wrapped around the stung area. These procedures are repeated every few hours. Of course, the deal here is that it works, and since it’s not possible to store poison vaccines in the rainforest without refrigeration, this plant is of exceptional importance in saving lives.
Mocura / Mucura Petivera Alliacea. This plant can be taken orally or used in floral baths to raise energy, or get you out of a salty (a streak of bad luck, inertia, feeling of not living fully). It gives mental strength and you can feel its effects as well with Ajo Sacha, both are ‘fake’ garlic varieties and have a pungent aroma.
One of its qualities is that on a personal psychological level it can increase one’s strength. For example, it is considered good for counteracting shyness and can strengthen one’s sense of authority and personal value. One of its properties is to help people overcome ‘irrational’ fears and terrifying memories.
Medicinal properties include asthma, bronchitis, fat and cholesterol reduction. This plant grows widely in the lower Amazon and is widely used in purification (flower baths).
Jatropha gossypifoilio
It has a short-lived effect after drinking, but helps lucid dreams later when you go to bed. It can be used as a master plant and is a plant that masters can take while being there during their initiation. It can also be taken with tobacco.
The physical properties of the plant are related to problems such as burns, swelling, intestinal parasites, insect bites and stings, vaginal infections and bronchitis. It is possible to take the resin which is much stronger but toxic if ingested in excess. The resin can be applied directly to the skin.
Piri-piri, (Cyperaceae). Natives throughout the Amazon cultivate numerous varieties of medicinal sedges to treat a wide range of health problems. Native peoples, for example, use sedge roots to treat headaches, fever, cramps, dysentery, and wounds, as well as to childbirth. Shipibo women cultivate special varieties of sedge to improve their weaving skills and to protect their babies from disease.
Teresa, a Shipiba artisan who accompanies us on our Amazon Retreats, told me that it is customary when girls are very young for their mothers to squeeze a few drops of the ‘piri piri’ seed sap into their eyes to give their daughters the ability to to have visions of the designs that he will make throughout his life.
The men grow special sedges to improve their hunting. Since the plant is used for a wide range of conditions, it was once dismissed as mere superstition. Pharmacological research has revealed the presence of ergot alkaloids, which are known to have various effects on the body, from stimulating the nervous system to constricting blood vessels. These alkaloids are responsible for the wide range of medicinal uses. Apparently, ergot alkaloids do not come from the plant itself, but from a fungus that infects the plant.
Chanca piedra “Rompepiedras” (Phyllanthus Niruri)
This is a hybrid name “chanca” which means “to break” in Quechua and “piedra” which means “stone” in Spanish. This Amazonian herb has been used by the indigenous people of the rainforest for generations as an effective remedy for removing gallstones and kidney stones. The plant has its effectiveness against many diseases, including kidney problems, urinary problems, colic, dysentery, jaundice and many other proven conditions. This herb has become widely used in South America as an herbal remedy for gallstones and kidney stones, and can usually be purchased in capsule or leaf form in many stores. This plant is used solely for its pharmaceutical properties and is not a master plant. As a side note, this plant is also starting to become known in western medical circles, as when I took some for my mother to help her with her kidney stones, her doctor was apparently familiar with this herb, but still did not want its use due to to possible contraindications with the prescribed medication.
Thoughts.
On reflection, herbal medicine is totally different from pharmaceutical medication that only affects one while taking it; these types of medicinal plants seem to have a permanent effect in some metaphorical way or by altering consciousness or “DNA”. Paracelus, continues to be a source of inspiration for all those who work with the healing properties of herbs and plants.
One of the great revelations that we can experience when working with the plant spirit or consciousness is that we are not separate from the natural world. In our culture we perceive ourselves as separate beings with our minds firmly embedded within our physical being (typically our head). Plants can show you that this way of being is an illusion and that we are all connected, all of us and everything else is a discrete element in the great universal field of consciousness or spirit.