Welcome to the Path of Forests
When we come to the edge of what we know, the path has led us back to the forest.
Tumbling headlong into the world of plants and their medicine can fill many a young herbalist with wonder and that exhilarating feeling of being invited into a world that can be so alive at every turn.¹ Studying herbalism, especially with the goal of being in practice as an herbalist, can be a joyful and uplifting path, though there is plenty of opportunity to fall into the trap of feeling that you know enough that you think you know better (and every herbalist I know, myself very much included, has at one point or another put their foot in it and had to (re)learn some humility).² And then, after a few years of practice and then a few more, you realize just how little you know, standing at the crossroads of what to do next with the tools you have and the ones that you are still seeking. In my own practice and in the practice I try to model to my beloved community, because it was modeled so beautifully for me by the people, plants, and beyond human-kin I've learned from, is to walk the path of the unknown not only because you find yourself by circumstance but because you are purposefully choosing to engage with mystery.
So we walk the path, some of us spotting relics along the way, and find that all paths eventually lead to the old forest, where our eldest animal ancestors emerged from the primordial sea and took shelter in. Within the ancient wood we evolved as a species, making homes in the branches of great trees, before finding our footing on the forest floor. In these forests our ancestors began to develop the traditions we continue today as herbalists, with techniques such as crushing plants into pastes to apply to the body or eating leaves and berries for their healing gifts. It's not surprising that we are changed by time spent in forests in ways similar to time spent by the sea - these are some of the original homelands of our species and our bodies respond to these homecomings. Not only are forests the homelands of our own species, but species come long before our own and long gone before we arrived on the scene - it is the ancientness of the forest that makes it such an exceptional place for all variety of life to evolve.
Beyond being places of evolution and insight for our species and the many species which exist in the immensely biodiverse habitats of our woodlands, forests are essential to managing the energy of our planet. It is in the wood that processes of decay, decomposition, and renewal create the soil where the majority of life on our planet exists, clean the air we breath, and regulate the energy of our planet. The thousand year old Redwood that stretches beyond what you can easily take in with your vision, with a shadow is so deep that it has created an ecosystem that we're all within, but barely notice. Even if they remain so ubiquitous to life as to sometimes be invisible to many of us living busy lives away from woodlands, we are absolutely reliant on forests and they are so necessary to life on this planet whether or not we interact with them on a daily basis. And within these woods are deep shadows of the unknown, reflecting our own knowledge of the human body with all of its life-supporting functions that we understand enough of, but certainly not all of. Within the forest we are reminded that mystery is a constant companion on our path and how we act from that knowledge shapes how we act on our own journey and with others on their own paths of healing.
In their role as places of digestion, transformation, and energy moderation, forest act as the metabolic system of our planet. As herbalists and plant folk, we are in continuous conversation with the animating forces of the body, whether we call it spirit, pneuma, prana, qi, or by some other name. Within traditional western herbalism (as we'll explore more below), the metabolism or digestive system is seen as essential to the wellbeing of the body and the source of life-giving warmth. On an energetic level, exploring the metabolism helps us understand what we are able to process easily, what we draw nourishment from, and what our inherent vitality needs in order to thrive. It is also one of the places in our energetic and physical body where we process our meetings with sacred ones and ancestors, as well as poisons and dangers we might encounter. As we grow into our practices as herbalists and magickal practitioners and people, we hopefully are also growing the skills and wise discernment needed to understand what it is we have time and space for, how much we need to know in order to be present enough to sit with the unknown, and what we are drawing upon from the soil of our inner landscape in order to feel nourished. So much of herbal practice, from the actual making and taking of remedies to the relationships we build and support, reflect the soil-building work of our forest homelands.
As the Moon waxes from New to Full, pay attention to what is being processed in your woodlands, what you're having trouble digesting, and what might be ready to grow in the rich loamy soil of your life - even if you don't know exactly how to do it and what such soil might ultimately produce. Spend time honoring the insight and evolution that has taken place throughout your life, as well as spending time connecting with the insights and inspirations of your ancestors that has brought richness to your own lifespan. Notice the places where you don't feel like you know enough but are ready to know a little more, honoring the fear and uncertainty that might arise by choosing to enter a part of the woods you're unfamiliar with.
As a witch, the forest is a place of safety and abundance, providing tools for our craft and a place to return to for healing and restoration.
As an herbalist the forest is where we go to find what we need including communion with the mysteries of life.
As a community the forest reminds us that our homelands are only a few steps down the path, abundant in memory, rich in resources, and with the names of all life rooted into the soil.
Exploring the path of forests, we'll connect with the energy of our metabolic system as our own wooded homeland. We'll explore ways of using digestive tonics to support our energy levels and help us process through emotions, calling on plant allies that have a special relationship with the living biome of our guts. We'll work with tarot to help us travel through time into the unknown as well as spend time gathering supplies for our healer's bundle we'll create on the Full Moon.
I hope you feel encouraged to participate in the ways that feel the most interesting and inspiring to your practice, reach out to your fellow journeyers, and bring what you learn and love back to the land you live with and the communities you love.
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Footnotes
1. And by "young" I mean new-to-herbalism, not necessarily young in age.
2. For folks who might not be familiar with this English language saying, to "put your foot in it" implies making a mess of a situation by not being mindful of your actions (i.e. strutting around and then ending up stepping in a pile of excrement in your path). Examples in an herbal context include acting like you know how to cure every case of eczema within five minutes of meeting a person because you just learned about Rumex crispus or insisting that someone who is depressed should just take Hypericum perforatum to "fix" their mood. Thank goodness we all have room to grow and learn along our path.
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