All things are intertwined in the dance we call “life”. As we start to observe plants we see that they relate to other plants in a diverse array of ways. Though some seem to be competing for space, all plants require each other to survive. The more we dig into the science of plant communication and the roles that each species plays in an ecosystem, the more we learn the crucial importance of the diversity of species. In a sense there is a constant communication happening between species in all sorts of sophisticated feed back loops that help to maintain a level of balance that ensures all who are giving to the system in some way are taken care of. The more complex the system becomes, the more stable it also is. So communication and diversity are often more desirable then competition for each species in an eco-system.

The way each herb relates and interacts is reflective of their personality and energetics.

As was so eloquently put by Pablo Amaringo: “Every tree, every plant, has a spirit. People may say that a plant has no mind. I tell them that a plant is alive and conscious. A plant may not talk, but there is a spirit in it that is conscious, that sees everything, which is the soul of the plant, its essence, what makes it alive.”

If we subscribe to the idea that we are part of the cycle of life, not on the outside looking in, then we see that we too have the ability to communicate in the same way that nature does, as we are part of it. By quieting our self-aware mind and listening with our preceptive senses (including our smell, taste, feel and heart), we can shift to this type of communication. This in turn gives us more affirmation that we are intimately related to everything else, and a part of the whole.

Many indigenous cultures around the world feel the plants themselves tell them how they could best be used. Through careful observation and sensory perception these interpretations can be defined as the personality, energetics, or the spirit of the plant. Over time cultures developed a language to communicate what they had learned from plants and the natural world.  This language formed a map of the energetics, allowing for a more universal understanding and interpretation among their respective society. This brought those that did not have the same insight and direct communication with the plants to still use them, based on the pre-defined language of energetics.

When the Scientific model came along, people put their faith into science, removing them one step backwards from plant spirit energetics. We were now able to see the chemical constituents in a plant, this became our focal point for how they must work- similar to that of a piece of machinery. As this model progressed into standardized extracts and pharmaceuticals we took another step backwards. From this vantage point the energetics and plant spirit seem more like a myth or fiction created by those who did not understand the science behind it.

The key that is missing in this logic is that there is no separation between us and nature. We are part of the whole cycle of life. Our elements were here long before our lives and will be here for long after we move on. Those elements don’t define our actions, our personality that flows through them does.  The more we learn to understand the language of energetics, cycles, and rhythms that nature speaks in, the better we will ultimately understand ourselves, the plants and the universe as a whole

So to answer the question- Why are the energetics of plants important?

Energetics are our road map to a deeper understanding of the way the natural world functions (including ourselves). When we incorporate energetics and the communication systems nature uses, we are able to be present to the divine balance of life, uncovering our destiny as protectors and co-creators of a vibrant and healthy planet earth.

Amor a la Pachamama,

Yarrow