Last year, I planted “self-heal” herb seeds in my garden.
When they came up, I realized with a shock that this plant has been growing in abundance all over my yard.
The same yard I have been spending a LOT of my time in over the last six years. The same yard where my favorite tree watched me go through my health crisis. The same yard where I have laid in the grass in exhaustion and total surrender.
Self-heal is also called “all-heal.”
I look forward to getting to know this plant better. pictured below is my basket of self-heal harvest, which is drying now.
There’s this thing in the plant world where folks say that “the plant(s) you need are growing right outside your door.”
Maybe it’s the one tree you have a special connection with outside your apartment building, the highly medicinal dandelion “weeds” all over your front yard or favorite park, the plantain, the mullien, etc etc…
Plants have spiritual properties, too. Many of us forget that growing up in a culture where we are taught from birth to overlook spiritual realms, keeping it all separate or nonexistent.
You don’t always have to ingest the plants for them to help you. they will whisper to you in the wind in ways you least expect it. they often are those arms to hold space for you when you feel alone. etc etc etc.
~today’s love letter to the plants
