THE
SPIRIT OF SANCTUARY
by Pam Montgomery
Many
years ago the north-facing slope of Marble Mountain was covered with
Ginseng. I discovered this about the mountain I live at the base of
after meeting an old timer who, in the past, hunted the Ginseng. He
told me, with his distinctive Vermont accent, that years ago he would
go “sanging” in the mountains. I thought it was so sweet
that he would go and sing in the mountains and said so to him. He laughed
and said, “No, sanging, you know Ginsenging.” He said the
mountain once was covered with the plants that produced the “old
man root”. Today there is one plant of Ginseng, which I know of,
on the entire mountain. Ginseng, whose essence is of longevity and wild
vitality, no longer roams this mountain in great numbers. The remaining
Ginseng is but a shadow of the grand tribe that once flourished here
and yet, the echo of this survivor rings with the possibility of the
vibrancy that once flourished here. To lose the essence of Ginseng in
these mountains would diminish the vitality of not only the land but
the people who walk this land. Could the loss of Ginseng in so many
of the northeastern woods have contributed to massive chronic fatigue
in the human inhabitants? Could it be that the essence of Ginseng is
necessary for our vital existence, to feed the flame of our spirit that
keeps us alive? When contemplating these questions, providing sanctuary
for these survivors, whoever they may be, becomes not only important
but imperative.
Sanctuary
has a two-fold role to play for our native plant brothers and sisters.
First, it is a refuge, a place that is safe from molestation. Plants
that are in sanctuary know they are being kept safe with life-giving
intent. This knowledge by the plants brings about a heightened level
of positive response to those who care for and enjoy the sanctuary.
Cleve Backster’s ground-breaking work with plants clearly shows
that plants respond to the people that engage with them. By attaching
polygraph electrodes to plant leaves Backster showed that plants respond
to the mere intent of doing harm to them. Likewise, during a business
trip, when Backster had the first thought of returning home, the plants
in his office responded positively to this knowledge.
The
second role of a sanctuary is that of sacred space where the “Holy
of Holies” exists and communion is shared. When a botanical sanctuary
is seen in this light it becomes a living church/temple where communication
with the spirit of plants occurs. The loving intent of creating a sacred
and safe place for native plants causes plants to respond with equal,
if not more, loving vibrations. Within a sanctuary one experiences relaxation,
peace, vitality and a 0ver-all sense of well-being. Here the common
union between plants and people – breath - can be intentionally
shared. The exchange of “greenbreath” with plants in a sanctuary,
where one is placed in the fold of intentional sacred space with plants
responding to safety and care, is a primary experience that brings profound
healing. Our hearts open wide as the prana of “greenbreath”
carries the vital essence held to give life, otherwise known as spirit.
In this open-heart space we move into syncopation with the rhythm of
Earth taking our place in the vast web of life as a co-creative partner.
Botanical sanctuaries not only save our precious native plants from
unconscious predation they provide healing at a source level by feeding
our essential nature so that both plants and people are held in life-giving
balance.
BLOODROOT
- SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS
Excerpted
from Planting the Future
Written in 2000 by Pam Montgomery
My
first encounter with Bloodroot was in the woodlands of New York State.
I was walking through the woods in the early spring and came across
a small patch of exquisitely beautiful white flowers whose leaves were
just beginning to form. I was so taken by these flowers that I stopped
and sat down in order to observe them more closely. I had no idea what
this stunning flower could be. As I sat and looked at the delicate blossoms
I was overcome with a deep peace. I closed my eyes and saw the Buddha
sitting on a lotus blossom. This lovely little white flower reminded
me of the many petaled lotus. It wasn't how it looked but more the energy
that emanated from it. I called it the northeastern lotus until I discovered
that its common name was Bloodroot.
Years
later, while studying Plant Spirit Medicine with Eliot Cowan I journeyed
to the spirit of Bloodroot. I found myself deep in a forest glade where
there were very bright lights, almost blinding to the eyes. This was
where the spirit of Bloodroot lived. She appeared to me as a very kind
older woman dressed in a shimmering silver gown. She looked almost like
Glenda, the Good Witch of the North. She had what seemed like a wand
but it could also have been a walking stick. I asked her about the gifts
that she offered to people. She said that her main gift was that of
purity. She purified the blood, the emotions and the spirit. She cautioned
me to use her sparingly because her gift was so powerful. Her gift was
to be used only in special cases. She then asked me if I wanted her
to enter into me which, of course, I said, "yes". She touched
me with her staff and I fell into an altered state of indescribable
peace and clarity - purity of spirit.
Botanical
Features
Bloodroot is of the Poppy Family which in latin is known as the Papaveraceae.
It is an herbaceous perennial native to North America. The solitary
flowers are one of the first to appear in early spring before the leaves
have fully opened. They are 1-2 inches across with anywhere from 7-16
petals. The leaves are very unique in appearance and are the way one
can easily identify Bloodroot. They begin by protectively wrapping themselves
around the flower bud. Once opened they are palmate in shape with deep
lobes grooved out of the leaf. The edges are scalloped. The leaves can
reach eight inches across at maturity and the entire plant can grow
from 6-14 inches in height. The rhizome is the medicinal part of the
plant and is where it received it's common name. The horizontal rhizome
when cut exudes a reddish orange juice. Bloodroot grows in moist, deciduous
woods and woodland slopes.
Historical
Background
Bloodroot's name comes from the fact that the root exudes a red juice
similar to the color of human blood. Other common names are Indian Paint,
Tetterwort, Red Puccoon, Red Root, Coon Root, Snakebite, Sweet Slumber.
Many native tribes used the juice of the root to decoratively paint
their skin for ceremony. A bachelor of the Ponca tribe would use Bloodroot
as a love charm by rubbing the root on the palm of his hand, shake hands
with the woman he desired to marry, and if the charm was successful,
after five or six days she would then be willing to marry him. The juice
was also used to dye cloth and baskets. Puccoon is the native name for
Bloodroot with Coon Root being the white man's distortion of the native
name. Bloodroot got its name Tetterwort because it was used for skin
infections, as well as, ringworm, fungal growths and warts. Tetter is
an out-dated term for blister-like skin diseases such as herpes, ringworm,
and eczema. It's common name Sweet Slumber most likely comes from the
fact that it is of the Poppy family and contains Protopine, an alkaloid
also found in Opium, thus giving it mild narcotic effects. I can find
no references to Bloodroot's use for snakebites in any of the literature;
however, plants receive names for a reason. If you find yourself in
the woods on a warm sunny spring day and you surprise an Eastern Timber
Rattler sunning itself on a rock and suddenly you are bitten I wouldn't
ignore the Bloodroot that may be growing within reach.
The
Delaware Indians revered Bloodroot to the point that they chewed a bit
of root daily to maintain general good health. Like many native tribes
they used it for conditions of the blood and particularly felt that
it was purifying to the blood. Iroquois women used Bloodroot for many
of their "particular problems", as well as other problems
associated with blood ie. cuts, wounds, hemorrhages and ulcers. Both
the Potowatomi and Ojibwa squeezed the juice onto a lump of maple sugar
then let it melt in the mouth to aid in sore throat much the same way
we use cough drops. N.R. Farnsworth notes that "Cherokee Indians
employed extracts of this plant as a remedy for breast cancer as early
as 1857, and it has been used empirically as a cancer remedy in Russia."
At the same time that native peoples were using Bloodroot for cancer
Dr. Fells was successfully treating cancer patients. "Dr. Fells
mixed Bloodroot, flour, water, and zinc chloride together and applied
this paste to cancers. Twenty-five breast cancers were treated in this
manner at Middlesex Hospital in London, and this therapy was more successful
than surgery." (Judith Bolyard, 1981)
Bloodroot
was listed in the United States Pharmacopea from 1820 to 1910 and in
the National Formulary from 1925 to 1965. It was classified as a stimulating
expectorant, emetic, tonic, and alterative.
Medicinal
and Other Uses
Sanguinaria canadensis received its latin name from the word sanguine
which means consisting of or relating to blood. Sanguinarine, the predominate
alkaloid which is considered poisonous, can cause slight central nervous
system depression and narcosis if taken internally. It also is known
to disturb mitosis. At the same time, it has been found to have antimicrobial,
anesthetic, and anticancer properties. Bloodroot is very pharmacologically
active containing many other alkaloids including: alpha-allocryptopine,
beta-allocryptopine, berberine, chelerythrine, chelilutine, chelirubine,
coptisine, homochelidonine, oxysanguinarine, protopine, pseudochelerythrine,
sanguidimerine, sanguilutine,and sanguirubine. The FDA has classified
Bloodroot as an unsafe herb. In large doses Bloodroot causes burning
in the stomach, paralysis, vomiting, faintness, vertigo, eye irritation
and in James Duke's experience, "tunnel vision after chewing a
small bite of rhizome". Regardless of its potentially toxic properties
Peter Good in his Materia
Medica
Botanica writes, "This plant is one of the most valuable medicinal
articles of our country, and is already very generally introduced into
practice. Few medical plants unite so many useful properties: but it
requires to be administered with great care and skill, without which
it may prove dangerous."
Bloodroot's
medicinal use has been extensive. It's most common use by eclectic herbalists
was for the treatment of bronchitis. It has stimulating properties and
is expectorant and at the same time has a relaxing action on the bronchial
muscles. It's antispasmodic properties have made it useful as a cough
remedy as well as an effective treatment for asthma, croup, and laryngitis.
There are other indications of its use as an emmenogogue, in heart disease
with weakness and palpitation of the heart, as a snuff for nasal polyps,
and externally for various skin conditions including fungal growths,
ulcers, and fleshy growth. It has fallen out of common use, most likely
because of it's potential toxic side effects, except as an escharotic
salve for skin and breast cancers and as a useful plague deterrent in
mouthrinses and toothpastes. Even though Bloodroot is primarily indicated
for external use with cancer I recall a conversation with Dr. Gary Glum
(revitalist of the Essiac formula) where he indicated that the original
Ojibwa formula possibly contained Bloodroot instead of Turkey Rhubarb
Root.
Several
years ago I was in Montana with my friend Brooke Medicine Eagle. I showed
her a patch of skin on my face that was red and had been this way for
quite some time. She encouraged me to put a salve on it called Compound
X which is known to have as a main ingredient Bloodroot. Her brother
had given it to her to use on a carcinoma she had on her nose. He had
much success in using it on cows with ulcerations. Brooke told me she
put this black salve on her nose and covered it with a bandaid. A week
later she removed the bandaid and a black scab had formed over the spot
where she applied the salve. She removed the scab and put more salve
on and waited another week. After this amount of time she removed the
bandaid and found a small hole in her nose. She began to work at it
and kneed it. Eventually, a long black stringy substance came out of
the hole in her nose. The carcinoma had shriveled. Within a couple weeks
the hole closed and only a tiny scar remained. I was game to try it
after hearing her story. I applied the salve just as she had and left
a bandaid on for a week. At the end of a week I took the bandaid off
and a black scab had formed. I didn't touch the scab and let it fall
off by itself while new pink skin was forming. She gave me the rest
of the Compound X to bring home with me. After the skin healed I realized
I had missed a patch. I put another application of the salve on the
small patch that I had missed the first time only this time I used more.
I followed the same process but this time when the skin healed there
was a small white scar. Apparently, I had actually burned my skin. My
skin was clear for some time except for the scar and then gradually
the patch of red skin reappeared. In thinking back on this process,
I wonder about all the variables. Perhaps I should have applied a cell
proliferant like Comfrey to help regenerate healthy cells or maybe I
should have kept it from being exposed to the sun until it healed better.
One thing I do know is that more is not always better.
Andrew
Weil in his book, Spontaneous Healing, reports a more successful outcome
in the use of Bloodroot salve, "On the second day of applying the
paste, (to a pigmented mole that had been enlarging) the skin around
the base of the mole became inflammed, an obvious immune reaction, and
John said it was quite sore. On the third day, the mole turned pale
and began to swell. On the fourth day, it fell off, leaving a perfectly
circular wound that healed quickly."
More
recently, I have used Bloodroot as one of the ingredients in mouthrinse
that I make for myself. I have had a long history of bone loss and gum
disease. I use the mouthrinse daily in a maintenance program to keep
plaque reduced and to strengthen gum tissue. Bloodroot is effective
in vitro against oral bacteria that is known to cause plaque formation.
It is a major ingredient in Viadent toothpaste and mouthrinse.
In
veterinary medicine the leaf of Bloodroot is used to destroy bot fly
larvae on horses.
Flowers
of the Bloodroot are made into a flower essence by Kate Gilday of Woodland
Essence. The flowers' gifts are for "trusting one will be protected
as one moves forward in her/his evolution - help(ing) one find the courage
and inner resources to heal old wounds and move from a place of despair
and darkness to the light - embracing one's inner light."
Bloodroot's
other uses are primarily as a dye plant and for body painting. Using
Bloodroot as a dye works best on wool and silk. You can obtain a range
of color depending on whether you use a mordant or not. To obtain an
orange color use no mordant at all, a mordant of alum and cream of tartar
leaves a rust color, while tin will create a reddish pink shade. To
obtain the best results use the root of Bloodroot fresh harvested in
the fall. The native use of painting the body with Bloodroot is being
resurrected. Many young people are turning to body painting as an outward
expression that is much less permanent than tatooing. My most recent
experience of this art form was with Nance Dean, an apprentice of mine
in 1999. She had chosen Bloodroot as her plant ally for the duration
of the apprentice program. At our closing ceremony each apprentice presents
their plant ally. Nance's presentation included elaborate decoration
of her skin with the fresh juice of the rhizome of Bloodroot. She proceeded
to paint everyone's skin leaving us looking more like an aboriginal
tribe than middle class white Americans.
| 
Bloodroot
- Double Flowering Cultivar
|
Preparation
and Dosage
Bloodroot can be prepared in many ways. Traditionally, it was decocted
by placing one teaspoon of dried rhizome in one cup of cold water and
brought to a boil. Then it was left to steep for 10 minutes. Drink 1
teaspoon three to six times a day. Bloodroot may be tinctured by using
the spring or fall fresh harvested rhizome. Chop the rhizome and add
to 50% dilute grain alcohol. An average dosage of tincture is 1-2 ml.
(1 ml equals approximately 25 drops) three times a day. There are many
cautions against high doses of Bloodroot. One woman friend of mine reported
nausea and "spaced-out" feelings after ingesting one dropperful
(30 drops) of Bloodroot tincture. My recommendation would be to stay
on the low end of the dosage range (10 drops three times per day) until
you determine your sensitivity to Bloodroot. Bloodroot was also dried
and powdered. Taken as a dried powder an average dosage is 10-30 grains
(a grain is 0.002083 ounces). Bloodroot may be made into an oil by slow
heat extraction in olive oil. Melt beeswax in the oil to bring to salve
consistency. As an escharotic salve, Bloodroot powder was blended with
lard making a thick paste to apply externally. The proportions are approximately
one ounce of powdered root to three ounces of lard. The fresh root poultice
may be directly applied to skin eruptions and cancerous lesions.
Harvest
and Drying Techniques
Harvest of Bloodroot is of the rhizome and root in fall after the leaf
has died back or very early spring at the onset of leaf emergence. Bloodroot
should be laid out to dry on screens in a well ventilated and very dry
room where absolutely no moisture can get back into the plant material
after the drying process has begun. Bloodroot is very susceptible to
rot and will deteriorate quickly if not dried in a timely manner and
then stored in an airtight container. Do not cut the rhizome and root
into pieces for drying but instead leave it whole. The precious juices
exude profusely from the plant when cut.
Propagation
and Cultivation
Bloodroot is hardy to Zone 3 and likes a soil temperature of 60-70 degrees
farenheit for best germination. It prefers part shade but can grow in
full sun. Ideally the soil is moist, well drained, rich sandy loam.
You can easily cultivate Bloodroot from seed but it must be planted
fresh thus needing a vigilant eye to watch for when the seed is mature
and ready to be planted (usually mid-summer to fall).If you do let it
dry out the germination rate decreases significantly. Germination is
usually in the spring after one or two seasons. Richo Cech of Horizon
Herbs reports that, "The seed has an eliasome (fatty protruberence)
which attracts ants to carry it away to their nests. The ants remove
the eliasome and discard the (still viable) seed, which then has a chance
to grow at some distance from its mother." Propagation of Bloodroot
can also be accomplished by rhizome division. Break off the side shoots
and replant immediately to avoid root-rot. Plant the bud upwards 1/2
inch deep. Covering with well decayed leaf mulch enhances growth.
Conclusion
The once lush carpets of Bloodroot that existed in the north east are
vanishing. Occasionally, you still find large stands as is the case
in the Adirondack Park of New York State. I don't really know why they
are disappearing. I doubt that it is from over-harvest since Bloodroot
is an herb to use with caution and only the experienced herbalist feels
comfortable with it's application. Even though it is used in a commercial
dental product it is still not common place because of discrepancies
in clinical trials. Could this be one of our native plants that is being
lost to population explosion or perhaps environmental pollutants? Only
further investigation can answer this question.
I
recall my first encounter with Bloodroot years ago and the breathtaking
beauty of its flower especially at that time of year one is so hungry
for flowers after the long cold winter. Now, each spring I anxiously
await its arrival and the promise of renewal that it brings.
Bibliography
Bolyard,
Judith, Medicinal Plants and Home Remedies of Appalachia. Springfield,
Il.: Charles C. Thomas, 1981
Duke, James, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, Fl.: CRC Press,
1985
Elliott, Doug, Roots: An Underground Botany and Forager's Guide. Old
Greenwich, Ct.: Chatham Press, 1976
Good, Peter, Materia Medica Botanica Vol. 1. Elizabethtown, N.J.: Peter
Good
Grieve, M., A Modern Herbal, Vol. 1. New York: Dover Publishing, 1971
Hoffman, David, Therapeutic Herbalism, Correspondence Course. Sebastopol,
CA.: David Hoffman
Kowalchik, Hylton, et al. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.
Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, 1987
Lawrence Review, Nov. 1986
Leung, Albert Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients. Glen Rock,
N.J.
Lloydia, Vol 3 No.2, Jan. 1970
Moerman, Daniel Geraniums for the Iroquois. Algonac, MI.: Reference
Publications, 1981
Weil, Andrew Spontaneous Healing. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995
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The
Recognition, Courtship and Service of Plant Spirits
for Personal, Professional and Planetary Healing
by Pam Montgomery
Now
that herbs have become mainstream and Bayer Corporation has products
where they suggest "an herb a day", I no longer have to explain
to people what an herbalist is. They know that chamomile will calm them
at night for a restful sleep or that echinacea will help with their
flu. However, when it comes to Plant Spirit Healing, eyes get wide,
eyebrows go up and folks wonder what it could be. Many plant people
know the experience of being struck by awe with the beauty or the power
or the vibe or the mere presence of a plant. Sometimes it goes beyond
that to a place of "I was thinking about this plant today and how
I would really like to use it for my client and then I was walking on
this path I always travel and there it was as if it had come just for
me." Or, "I dreamt of this plant last night and I used it
in my dream to heal this old wound I have. It was orange and I think
it might have been Calendula. Do you think I should try it?" These
are experiences of plants attempting to communicate with us. The profound
ability of plants to clothe this great earth with its sustaining green
fabric that feeds, heals and breathes life into this planet is in itself
a form of intelligence that warrants our attention. We are constantly
in communion with the green world by the simple act of breathing. We
breathe in oxygen and carbon dioxide out, plants breathe out oxygen
and in carbon dioxide, a constant exchange of breath. When we intentionally
abandon our amnesia induced ego-centric orientation and remember that
we are in a vital life-giving relationship with the plants already the
opening to further relations becomes easier. Plants are cognitive beings
with the ability to communicate with us, give us information about their
healing properties on physical, emotional and spiritual levels, as well
as work with us to heal ourselves, others and the planet. My experience
is that plants are more than excited to have us paying attention and
willing to work with them to bring balance to ourselves and the earth.
I have
been asked before why Plant Spirit Healing instead of plant energy healing.
When you refer to this ability as energy, it makes it more sterile and
scientific sounding, which is perhaps more readily accepted by the masses,
but inaccurate in definition. Energy is the active force that comes
after an infusion of spirit, the life-giving principle. It is the plant
spirit that goes directly to the source of disease, which begins on
the spirit level, to return balance and it is the energy of the plant
that takes action but the action can't occur without the direction of
spirit.
In
order to work with plant spirits for healing purposes one must develop
a relationship that evolves to a level of intimacy that is much like
a partner. You begin by getting to know the plant as thoroughly as you
can on the physical and personality level. Plants can tell you much
about themselves just by using your senses to observe them. Next you
move into a co-creative partnership where you are able to communicate
with the plant on a vibratory level. All plants have vibrations which
you can learn to entrain with. Lastly, your partnership deepens to the
point where the plant has given you its healing gifts. Once you receive
the plant's healing gifts that plant has become your ally for life with
its gifts always a part of you. It is then your responsibility to use
the gifts either for yourself, others or the planet. This is the easy
part, what is more difficult is understanding how and when to use the
gifts. It is for this reason that systems are used in Plant Spirit Healing.
By systems I mean, five element, chakras, the medicine wheel and three
doshas. In each of these systems there are ways to look for imbalances
which plant spirits can address. On the other hand, you do not need
to work within a system at all if your ability for intimacy and level
of communication is such that you know what to do with the plant spirit.
Exactly what Plant Spirit Healing does is go directly to the source
of disease on the spirit level and brings your true nature back into
balance putting you on the path you came here to walk. In this process,
for example, physical ailments may slip away because they are no longer
needed and are not in service to your path. All things that don't serve
you on your path fall away.
Plant
Spirit Healing is important during these times because our culture is
experiencing malnourishment of the spirit in epidemic proportions. Our
spirits are withered, our souls are in exile and our hearts are broken.
We have lost touch with the source of our sustenance (earth); our senses
are dulled by concrete, pollution, TV and fast food while we become
economic slaves to jobs that claim our vitality. Unfortunately, the
planet suffers when this heightened level of malnourishment sets in.
If we are to truly grow in healthy aliveness with the earth we must
first heal ourselves by healing our true nature, the aspect of ourselves
that is a part of divinity or spirit. The most efficient way to work
on this level is with plant spirits because they can go directly to
our spirits and bring balance.
We
are all striving to live more inspirited lives full of connection -
connection to each other, connection to the natural world, connection
with ourselves and ultimately connection to God (Creator, Divinity,
Spirit). When our spirits are withered and starving they struggle to
make healthy connections with the dynamic forces of life. Because our
hearts are the physical vehicle through which spirit expresses itself,
this is a good place to begin. Our hearts have been displaced by the
mind removing it from its rightful place. It is the heart that is the
primary organ of perception instructing the brain and yet modernity
places the mind in a superior position. Making decisions strictly with
the mind brings about abstraction, the lack of connection to what's
real, which leads to chaos. It is the heart that balances the mind with
intuition, perception and receptivity and knows our true nature and
what that nature needs to prosper and be healthy. We give positive impulses
to the heart through gratitude, forgiveness and innocent perception
(non-judgment). This helps us honor the heart putting it back in its
rightful place as Priestess of the Temple. There is one plant (tree
actually) that on all levels is healing to the heart. Hawthorn is the
plant spirit that I use to help put the heart back where it belongs.
Allow yourself to deepen in relationship with Hawthorn. As your friendship
buds into partnership you will be amazed at the opening in your heart.
When Hawthorn gives you its healing gifts then you have the potential
to experience the ability to make decisions with heart, open to your
intuition and live an inspirited life.
Plant
Spirit Healing is a heartfelt attempt to embrace the vast multiplicity
and diversity of the green beings and their healing role during these
times. While either learning Plant Spirit Healing or receiving Plant
Spirit Healing treatments you step into a process of healing and becoming
whole returning your heart to its rightful place and embracing your
true nature to walk the path you came here for. It can be a challenge
but a challenge worth taking leading to a life worth living.
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