The Vermont Notebook - Part 1

My initial experience with sacred plant medicine

The end of October 2000 changed my life as I knew it.

I attended a Sacred Plant Medicine workshop in Vermont led by herbalist and author Stephan Buhner. The workshop was held at a beautiful mountain-side retreat center, Sage Mountain, owned by the well known herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar. At the time, I had recently started Mystic Naturals, an herbal and natural products shop. My specialties were handcrafted soaps, herbal tea blends, oils and other bath products. Back then I knew nothing about the energetics of plants and relied on the historically known medicinal properties. Through a series of synchronicities, I signed up for the workshop, excited to deepen my knowledge of the medicinal uses of local wild plants. That’s not what I learned.

This post is Part 1 of 2. I need to preface my writing. My background is computer programming. At the time, I needed solid proof to believe in something. After those 3 days, personal experience took precedence over science. The journal entries you will see below in italics are unedited.

And so it begins… Into the wild

After we all arrived, checked in and set up our tents in a lower field, we gathered in the large central yurt. Of the almost 30 of us, I believe I was one of two that hadn’t attended one of Stephan’s workshops in the past. And, you guessed it, they all knew each other. Stephan had groupies. Just attending the workshop was way outside my comfort level to begin with.

After our orientation gathering in the nice warm conference sized yurt, we were sent out into the freezing rain and sleeting late afternoon. Alone. In the woods. With our mission to find a plant that would share its medicinal properties with us. What?! Find a talking plant?

All sorts of thoughts ran through my head as I wandered around looking for a plant. Mostly that I couldn’t believe I spent all the money for this 3 day workshop. And Stephan wasn’t even guiding us but stayed in where it was warm. Frustrated and freezing cold, I sat on a rock and cried. No one would know as tears were mixing with the sleet as it melted on my face. And I was alone, or so I thought.

Next to the rock was a plant with a few white flowers. From my herbal knowledge, it appeared to be from the mint family (Lamiaceae) which are characterized by square stems, opposite leaves, and tiny flowers usually grouped in clusters.

Clustered Mountain Mint by Doug McGrady CC by 2.0

I started to feel somewhat lightheaded and my vision blurred a bit. And the little plant “talked”! Of course it didn’t but it somehow communicated in a way similar to how our own thoughts sound in our head. So, I started writing…

I radiate like a star, that’s how you chose me.
I have strength and offer protection.
I am one yet radiate outwards.*
Let me help you.
Listen to me ~ focus.
I offer a newness, vitality, freshness.

Wow! Nothing like that had ever happened before. I sat on the cold rock pondering what just took place and noticed right in front of me were some trees with vines climbing them. Words suddenly filled my head. I scribbled as fast as I could into my notebook, not thinking, just writing and staying with the flow…

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

We’re reaching out to you, don’t be afraid, listen to us, open up to us. We are all here to help you. You know you can hear us, why do you doubt? Believe, take/make time – relax, refresh, renew. Learn to accept. We will guide you, just ask. Some in life have thorns, some gentle arms but you have something to learn from all.

See, we can live side by side.

The thorns and vines also protect, not just hurt. The strong trees offer guidance and embrace. They provide strength and support. Trust us, listen to us – hear what we have to say – we will keep repeating this until you begin to really hear us and believe. See how much easier it is to write when you open yourself up to what we have to tell you. You must relax, spend time with us. We can give you the strength and direction you seek but you must ask and then truly believe what we have to tell you. You distract easily – stay focused. Stay in the present. We will nourish your spirit and body. Believe and listen to all of us, we have so much to share with you. All our knowledge can be yours if you spend time with us, work with us, respect us.

Still sitting at the same spot, I looked up and noticed that just about all the trees in the woods had been snapped off and remembered Vermont had been hit with a severe ice storm with high winds the winter before. At the broken tops, new growth had started to branch out. This new growth is called tree water sprouts, fast growing new branches.

The freezing rain had stopped and the sun started breaking through the clouds. And more writing started to flow…

Large Birch Trees That Have Been Topped (ArboristNow Urban Forestry)

We’ve been broken but see us reaching out from our hurt. You just noticed the lightness around – you’re seeing things differently now. Stay with it, practice, practice, practice. Don’t be frustrated. You are you. You are the one to judge yourself, not others. Words will come to you. You are experiencing quickly now new experiences, unknown. You will learn to express yourself as time goes. Writing will help. Take that class in writing. Express yourself on paper, that’s enough. You are on the right path, you will experience/learn as rapidly as you wish. Take time to feel your experiences, imprint them, live them. Always seek and question more, it’s all falling into place. Always look, what you seek is all around you. Don’t forget we are your friends, don’t forget us. Work with us, share with us. We’ll share with you, and you share that with others. Make an impact. Help with the changes taking place. Show others to respect us. Show them our strengths and possibilities. Thank you.

I don’t think I did it right…

Stephan rang the bell and called us all back to the yurt. Once settled into our large circle, it was time to share. NO, not that! Flashbacks of standing in front of class and being so struck with fear that nothing came out ran through my head. My stomach tightened. There were a lot of people to share their experiences before me so I had time. Time for my insecurities to grow even stronger. Remember, almost all these people had already attended one of his workshops and were all familiar with each other. My comfort level was at an all time low.

One participant after the other read off these beautiful poems, sang songs, and healing properties that their plant gave them. And then it was my turn.

“Okay, it’s time for you to share.”

“I don’t want to share, I don’t think I did it right”.

And the usual… “There is no right or wrong”.

I started reading what I wrote. Of course I was asked to speak louder. Could it get any worse?

When I finished, Stephan got up from his stool in the center of the group and approached me. I was asked to stand up. I thought I was being asked to leave the group. Talk about childhood conditioning!

He hugged me! And said “You did it right!”

* this was in reference to the shape of the flower head.

This post is why I started Sacred Environment:

How It All Began

If something I wrote sparked some inspiration or brightened your day a little… I’d be very grateful to hear about it in the comments or click the little heart for a “like”. Tip Jar uses Stripe.