In my years of teaching and coaching people in healing and spiritual development, I have found a number of ways in which we allow ourselves up to be disempowered. Whilst there are many benefits to a global society, shared global wisdom can ultimately be disempowering as we give greater credence to the hallowed ways rather than learning to trust our own inner voice. As we import many sacred medicine practices from around the world, we lose just a little bit of our own power? For example, Ayahuasca (along with other ethnogens) has long been a sacred teacher plant used by Shamans, particularly in South America. Shamans have learnt to access what is at hand, local plant medicine, the energies of local trees, lakes and mountains. In the rush to experience Ayahuasca, as we yearn to experience a greater sense of sense of self-knowledge we forget the great power of our own local medicine traditions? We have much to learn from and under the guidance of our own local plants – tree, herb and flower? Nature has much to share with us and I think by ignoring the power and beauty of what is available locally is a huge mistake. Personally, I have found real wisdom and healing from indigenous herbs and plants and find it somewhat amusing that so many people think that the profound insights are only available from the perceived big hitters such as San Pedro or Ayahuasca.
We also give away our power in different ways. I work with and run workshops on Animal Spirit Guides. Often, when I lead people on a journey to meet with their own Animal Guardians and Guides, people are overjoyed to meet with them. It is so exciting and indeed, magical. However, I always have an inward sigh of frustration when the first thing people want to do is read what a book says about their ‘power’ animals instead of learning to trust their own intuition, rather than wanting to journey and learn what the counsel of their own animal spirit guide. Sure a wolf is a teacher spirit, but if a wolf is your animal spirit guide, what advice has he/she about the choices and behaviours that you make? And I agree, there is much wisdom to be found in books from spiritual luminaries such as Ted Andrews. But if the first thing that we do, is go look it up and a book, we are forgetting that the whole point of making contact is to learn to listen to our own higher self, strengthening our intutive prowess in the process.
The same can be said of crystals or Tarot cards. A certain crystal might seem to be calling you, it looks interesting and feels just right for you. It doesn’t really matter if a book says that a specific crystal is good for clearing, healing or protection. What matters is how an individual crystal makes you individually feel and how it helps you.
So please, before you rush off on the well worn path, consider what is available for you. Think about what feels right for you and what your own inner wisdom is telling you. Look to the local first before ordering overseas sacred plants put on the CITES lists by unthinking usage. By trusting your own judgement, feelings and intuition, you will gain the greatest spiritual wisdom and wellbeing. Of course, always make sure that what you are doing is safe and sustainable too. You don’t need to ingest plants in anyway in order to access their wisdom. It is enough to try to meditate to seek a connection.