Conscientious herbalists will only pick an herb if there is plenty of that particular herb around the area where they are picking. Some, will offer a prayer of thanks for the medicine the herb is sharing. Others may leave tobacco where the herb was picked as an offering of thanks. I was always taught, it is important to have an exchange of energy. Herbalists understand that the Spirit of the plant is offering a gift. To simply take from the plant without acknowledging it may diminish the expansive healing powers of the herb.
On many continents today, people thank Mother Earth for her seeds and ask for her blessings as they plant them in her. They will ask the sun and the rain to bless their plants so they grow strong and healthy. For eons, tribal people and even our ancestors from countries all over the world innately understood that nature is alive with consciousness and will freely give of her abundance. Honoring her, caring for her, is to know her value. They understood that they are a part of nature and that all that they are comes from nature.
When this respect is lost, we can take nature and all her bounty for granted. This can create distance and a false sense of separation making it easy to exploit her gifts and ignore the consequences.
Today, many seem to have forgotten Mother Nature is alive. We don’t remember that trees, flowers, plants, animals, birds, all communicate on a multitude of levels. On the other hand, many are fighting on her behalf. They are seeking to protect her water, her soil, her atmosphere. Ultimately, what we do for her, we do for ourselves.
To develop a relationship with any individual takes intention and effort. Intimacy evolves through trust, respect and honoring the relationship. The more time we spend with family or friends, we get to know them better and our communication and understanding of them evolves. Where we put our focus, our intention and our energy, we will see expansion.
It is the same way with nature. The more time we spend with her, respect her, have good intentions for her, protect her, listen and honor her….we may begin to see, hear, sense and experience how alive she is and how she communicates with us. We may even begin to experience her magic.