The Journey is the Medicine

Sacred plant medicines were never meant to be reduced to protocols and prescriptions. They are teachers, not treatments. And if we try to fit them into the same broken system they’re meant to heal, we’ll lose their magic–and miss the point.

For thousands of years, traditional and indigenous cultures have approached psychedelic plant medicines with reverence–tending to the plants, giving offerings in gratitude, honoring them and recognizing them as spiritual teachers. They have listened to the teachings of the plants and fungi and have created ceremony and sacred space to commune with these sacred teachers. The true medicine lies in these ceremonies and sacred spaces where we build a relationship with the spirit of the medicines. In listening, learning, and approaching these sacred teachers with respect and humility, and thanking them for sharing their wisdom with us. The journey is the point. The discomfort, the hallucinations, they are the point. They are also our teachers. They show us where we are imbalanced, out of alignment, where we are holding onto or carrying things that are ready to be released.