Articles
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.
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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 CultivarPreparation
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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