When you are raised on a path, you are not trained the way someone seeking a path is. I need to make it clear, one doesn’t hold more worth than the other, the approach and training is generally all that varies. That said, when you are raised in a path, you aren’t told, “Today you will be learning about Ayurveda, or Herbology, or Spirit Healing”… it is just a part of your everyday life. I ran into issues trying to explain this to my friends, as things are too often labeled in our ‘Western’ world and I was, and still am, often pressured to ‘define’ what my lineage is. I get it. It helps understand things which may not be in your normal life or practice… but as my grandfather taught me, to label is to limit.
I recently came across a video by a wonderful young pagan with much wisdom to share (gives me hope for our next generations!), SolitaryWitchTracks, where she spoke of ‘Ghost Medicine’. As she defines it, and was taught, it occurs when spirit guides a blend that you are making. You set an intention, and allow the spirit within the herbs to speak to you as you add by guidance, intuition, spirit and heart what is needed to heal, manifest and/or conjure. I remember going, huh, so that’s what they call it?? Nice! I have done this my whole life, but for me it’s just a part of living holistically with my kindred.
It’s a beautiful name, Ghost Medicine. When I sat in contemplation with it, however, it didn’t quite seem to do the process justice. Using the word Ghost… it felt more like ‘residual’ energy within a plant that you are sensing and working with. I realized that for me, on my path, Ghost energy is not the same as Spirit energy…. where you are working with the Spiritual Life Force still within. I think this is why when I have explain this concept in posts and previous videos, I prefer using the term Spirit Teachers for my kindred of all walks: animal, mineral and plant kingdoms. Mainly because it keeps the truth more ‘alive’. The Spirit still resides within them, and guide us.
Essentially, it is the same process, by different views and names. And that in and of itself is a beautiful lesson… the Pagan community is becoming as fractured as the mundane. Focusing on what connects our paths, and holds us within a Global Spiritual Tribe/Community has never been more important, it feels, than right now. Rather than picking apart our differences… But I digress.
Today I was literally ‘taken over’ with an immediate urge to create a spray. I had no control of the process other than my body was creating what spirits deemed necessary for my current situation. This happens often, and I run into the issue of not being able to recreate the same ‘batch’… but generally speaking, I never duplicate Spirit Batches within my own workings. What is needed for the healing, manifestation, or conjure workings will undoubtedly change every time to match the needs of my own energy at the time. Some may say I am being ridden by my Spirit teachers, a mild form of possession, and to be honest, it feels very much like that, thought I need to come up with a word that doesn’t have so many negative connotations attached to it…. Hmmm.
But the control is external…. Like magnets. I am pulled to certain herbs, crystals etc. that demand my attention and to be added. It’s like they are all talking amongst themselves in a secret conclave and then once they are in agreement of what I need, they wake me up and put me into action.
Without fail, it serves a purpose. Beside me right now, as I type this, is just such a mix. It is still speaking to me. And additional medicines are being added as needed. It will tell me when it is finished brewing, and has already informed me why and how it will be used. I also know that this particular spray, while its story can be shared, it cannot and will not allow another to work with it.
When making our workings, we often charge them with our energy and program intentions. In this instance, I am compelled to hold the bottle of brewing spirits as they reach out to me. And that is yet another lesson I have learned over the years when working with Spirit Teachers, and their Medicines. They ARE spirit, and they blend together to manifest what is needed. I will occasionally get a, “please girl, relax, we got this”, feeling. So I wait, and trust. My initial message and lesson decades ago was a little more to the point. I had allowed instinct to guide my creation, but then I over thought the process that had occurred and tried to determine what it was for and add my own intentions. The first message back was a little more along the lines of… “Daughter, do you think you can add to what we are doing? We are doing this FOR you, so just wait… be patient and accept our offerings.” It was a humbling experience, and a valuable lesson, and one I have come to learn to respect and trust.
Spirit MedicineSpirit crafted by Kayla Baboolal (c) 2017
I stir within, awakening to her needs.
I call out to my brothers and sisters of the trees.
I awaken the resins, the blood in our veins,
As we feel her energy beginning to wane.Spirit to Spirit we guide her with care
To conjure the magicks with trust and no fear
For we are her kindred and she is our child
We honour her spirit so carefree and wildWe will protect her, heal her and be,
Evermore ready to conjure her needs.
For she honours our spirits and cares for us well,
Ever grateful to learn from the stories we tell.
THIS, is Spirit Medicine. It is a pure deep connection that you gain from respecting, and building a relationship with the herbs, resins, trees, crystals, minerals, animal parts, etc that you bring into your home, life and spiritual/witchy/healing practices. I stress at all times, do not USE our kindred, work with them, and spent time in communion with them, just as you would crystals, to understand the energies they hold, the healing the can provide and the manifestations they can conjure within your life.
Namaste & Blessed Be,
Kayla B
Your Shakti Shaman
The Video that inspired this post: SolitaryWitchTracks
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