The Body System: Nervous System
Saying that we're working with the nervous system as part of our path feels akin to announcing that we'll be studying the galaxy. The nervous system is complex and I often find myself mixing metaphors trying to describe it - jumping from a river system and accompanying deltas to a sky full of connected constellations to a world tree with deep roots and high branches. There are so many ways we can envision this bodily network constantly processing sensory experiences, directing (re)actions, and relaying information throughout the body. As we move along the path of relics, exploring the land of the nervous system, notice what the landscape of your nervous system looks and feels like. I find that relics are important places of noticing the nervous system, to pay attention to what is and is not growing around them.
The primary function of the nervous system is as a messenger and processor of information. The nervous system relays information from our brain and heart to the rest of our body as we react to our external and internal environments as forms of regulation, repair, and protection. In general, the sympathetic nervous system brings on states of fright, flight, fawn or freeze and the parasympathetic nervous system draws us towards relax, rest, and digest. For our journey along the path of relics I encourage you to notice one type of way your sympathetic nervous system gets activated and one way that your parasympathetic nervous system gets activated. We're not going searching for relics but looking around on our path to see what is already there. Nor are we trying to keep track of all the times we feel stressed and all the times we're feeling relaxed - we're just trying to notice one of each of those types of times. Whenever we're engaged with our nervous system, it's important to create a shelter of boundaries to be able to rely on in our explorations. Otherwise it can feel like we're treading water in a vast ocean of feelings when instead we can go out in a boat with an eye on the shore (add "the nervous system as ocean" metaphor to the list).
Already, we have been engaging with the nervous system in all of our previous paths - the heart shapes and directs the rhythm of our nervous system and our breath and song are two powerful ways of connecting with and regulating our nervous system. When we come across a relic - a repeating action or reaction in our daily life that feels unconscious and automatic - it is through our wonder (heart) that we can begin to get curious about this reaction of ours, through our breath that we can learn to pause, and through our song that we can learn to express what we're feeling about what we've found.
While there are plants that are finely attuned to the needs of our nervous system (aka nervines), all of our plant allies, whether directly or indirectly, affect our stress levels and our sensory experiences. In fact, one of the initial ways to know if a plant remedy is working is observing the initial effect it has on the nervous system. Have you ever worked with a new plant ally and after that first sip of tea or dose of tincture feel your shoulders relax, take a deep sigh or even start crying? These can be signs that the vagus nerve has been stimulated initiating a process of relaxation and an overall beneficial sign that this plant ally is a good choice. As we journey along the path of relics, I invite you to pay attention to not only your response to the relics you come across, but your encounters with plant allies as well - perhaps even exploring the places in your internal landscape that your plant allies draw you towards.
Plant allies of the nervous system include nervines (both relaxing and stimulating), adaptogens that help our nervous system build up resilience to a variety of environments and encounters, gentle sedatives that calm both mind and body as well as take the edge off anxiety, restoratives that have an overall rejuvenative affect on the body after a period of stress, and pain-alleviating analgesics.
Paths of Study:
Read about common plant allies of the nervous system, including common complaints that can be aided by herbal medicine.
Learn about ways to engage with your vagus nerve to return to a state of calm and rest after a period of stress.
Start a list of your most used or easily available nervous system herbs, writing brief, indications-led descriptions of them like I've created below, to use in your practice.
Create a work of art featuring your chosen nervous system plant allies.
Explore the astroherbalism traditions of the nervous system, including learning about the sign (Aquarius) and planets (Saturn and Uranus).
In addition to nervines, herbs that support circulation (including cardiovascular tonics), and topical remedies that help to reset the vagus nerve through gentle physical treatments like massage with an herbal oil.
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Remediation: If you're feeling overwhelmed on where to begin, choose one herb to study, reading its plant profile, and if possible, making or purchasing the herb to try as a tea, bath, tincture or other plant-specific remedy. For those of you wanting to explore more of the magickal traditions of lung herbs, be sure to read the magickal use sections of their profiles, and begin to consider how the medicinal uses of the plant can fine-tune your spellwork (i.e. Lemon Balm's ability to support us through the currents of social anxiety versus the long-term reshaping of our nervous system's ability to adapt to stress with Milky Oat's support).