The Healing Power of Plants

A few weeks ago I had hip replacement surgery. The surgery itself went well. Afterwards, there were the usual ups and downs of healing.

One problem that I developed was an allergic reaction to the adhesive tape used in bandaging the surgical site. I developed a large blister maybe 2 inches in diameter. My first response was to work out of the world of western medicine, my first training. I tried to keep it clean and covered, a neat trick when I didn't want to use adhesive tape again. The blister was near the surgical opening in my skin; I knew if the blister got infected, I would be a risk of infecting the surgical site as well, and this could be a big risk. So I was quite concerned.

After a few days it was clear that the blister was infected: it was red, swollen, stingingly painful and had a yellow discharge. I went to bed that night pretty stressed. And that night, in my dreams, the plants came to me and spoke: they reminded me that I am an herbalist, that I am a Plant Spirit Medicine practitioner, and that our gardens were full of plants that would love to help me. All I needed to do was ask.

So when I woke the next morning, I sent my gardener spouse out to the garden with instructions on the plants to collect ( I was not yet fully mobile). Glen brought me Calendula flowers, and some Mullein leaves, some Oregano leaves, some Roman Chamomile, and some Plantain. These plants are vulneraries (meaning they heal skin) but they are also very effective at killing bacteria.

I put them in a little pot on the stove with water and simmered them for ten minutes, letting the plant medicine seep out into the hot water. I let this tea cool so I could tolerate it on my skin, then dipped a clean cloth in the tea, and dribbled it on the blister. I held the tea-infused cloth against the blister as well, continuing this process for half an hour.

As I sat there working with the herbal infusion, I spoke to the plants. I spoke of my love and care of them. I spoke of their beauty in our gardens. I spoke about how the bees love these plants, and how the bees, too, find deep healing in them. I spoke of the profound healing relationship we had and how we had worked together before and would do so again.

As we worked together, the angry red color around the blister cleared. The stinging pain eased, and the discharge washed away, along with other debris. I felt a subtle humming sensation throughout me, as if the plants were singing a deep healing to me. I had a powerful sense of connection with my European ancestors, mostly from the Isles of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales; they too knew these plants, grew them in their herbal gardens and used them for healing.

By that night the blister had sealed itself in a clean crust. The redness, discharge and discomfort were gone. By the next morning, the blister looked like a routine scab; it continued to heal very well and now, several days later, is only a faint red mark on my skin.

This experience made me remember a Mayan healer/shaman I had read about, who lived in Belize. His name was Don Elijio; each morning he went out into the jungle behind his house, collecting plants to use in his healing practice. Before he collected the plants he would pray to them, asking permission to work with them and giving gratitude and thanks. As he collected the plants, he would say a prayer about how he collected them for the people, and he had great faith that they would provide everything that was needed.

This story of Don Elijio has stayed with me. I am an herbalist/healer and I too have great faith.


Janet

Resources:
• Sastun by Rosita Arvigo: the story of Don Elijio
• Spiritual Bathing by Rosita Arvigo
• Healing Herbs in Ireland by Paula O'Regan