I've just emerged from co-creating a new course, The Alchemy of Song and Herbs, alongside Susie Ro and Fanny Soirat. I'd love to share some of the beautiful magic that has emerged from this space.
For over ten years, I've been running the School of Intuitive Herbalism, where we train herbalists through an entirely experiential approach. Every aspect of our training arises from our individual and collective experiences with plants. Music and sound have always been integral to this process, inspiring us to develop a course specifically focused on this aspect.
When we engage with any plant, it can touch us in multiple ways. For instance, Rose might evoke the sense of a kind mother or a sensual lover. Conversely, it might bring to mind an engulfing mother or unwanted seduction. Some may experience deep stillness and a remembrance of divine, unconditional love, while others might feel a somatic response, such as softened muscles and deepened breath. Some might dissolve in Rose’s presence, while others may tighten or feel triggered. There is no 'right' experience—only the truth of what is happening in the moment of relationship.
Despite the varied responses, certain patterns often emerge, perhaps reflecting our collective human consciousness as it interacts with the plant. The songs that arise from Rose are similarly diverse, potent, authentic, and true to the moment, yet they are instantly recognizable as expressions of Rose. These songs reflect our entire being, the rhythm and dance within us, and the subtle ways each plant influences our breathing.
Allowing plants to move through us means letting them touch every aspect of our being—our muscles, blood, breath, hearts, thoughts. This holistic engagement is beautifully encapsulated in song, where the timbre, rhythm, melodies, and shapes of the sounds can not help but reflect the plant's influence on us.
We slowly built up to an exercise of offering our plant guided song to another. It was enchanting to see participants working in pairs, one bringing the essence of the plant through and the other feeling this presence so directly through the song. This form of transmission is immediate and undeniable, and it was remarkable to witness everyone take to it so naturally, as if it were the most innate ability in the world.
Often, I believe the core of my work as a herbalist is to help co-create an environment of permission—permission to embrace our sensitivities and trust ourselves as they gradually express. Our bodies hold deep ancestral wisdom and a knowledge of plants that transcends our minds and concepts. Our bodies and voices can express these knowings with profound beauty and potency.
I am deeply touched to witness people opening to plants in this way, and I hope that by sharing this, I might inspire you to let the plants sing through you.
We’ve just this week released the pre-sales for our Plant Wisdom Cards (and book), which we’ve been working on for four years now. Our hope is that these cards and the lyrical writing that accompanies them will inspire many people to discover their own relationships with the plants, and perhaps even their own songs. We’d love your support and for you to be part of this living project … for more see: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nathanielhughes/wild-enchantments
