https://goddard-edu.zoom.us/j/94272664457 “Mushrooms are not alone in the forest, neither are trees—and if you walk the woodland path for long enough, you may notice that neither are you.” -Viktória Duda from "Greening the Paranormal" (2019) My time working with plants and my study at Goddard has led me to the observation that, among American herbalists, “everyday” plants (such as dandelion, violet, and lemon balm) appear in many of the same contexts of use as well-known sacred plants or plant medicines (such as ayahuasca, peyote, or psilocybin). This is intriguing to consider both in terms of the unique space that is American herbalism, and relative to the larger conversation around exactly what constitutes a sacred plant. My work ponders how and why might we expand our thoughts about sacred plants (and plants in general!) as well as exploring the distinctive ways in which American herbalists are engaging with plants in communication, meditation, dreamwork, ritual, healing, and other contexts that will be familiar to many. I seek to Illuminate our understanding of sacred plants and sacred plant relationships in American culture and broaden our perceptions of what a sacred plant is and how it might be defined. In many ways, my work is also a testimony to the ways in which American herbalists are holding space for the profound transformative power of some very average plants, and I hope to underline the potential to be found here.
