In my recent talk for the Shift Network Plant Medicine Summit, I discussed some of the Spagyrics we recommend the most for meditation and spiritual growth. It was hard to narrow the list down to just a few, and I know there was a lot of information in that talk!
If you want to hear the talk again, you can purchase replays of the entire Summit, including my talk, here.
If you’d like a review of the Spagyrics I discussed, plus a few extras that support this work, read on! And if you’re already excited about working with them, click here to find them in our store, where they are on sale for a limited time.
Tibetan Rhodiola
So many of my talks start with this herb, and it’s the building block of many of our formulas, as well. This tough little succulent plant has a long history of use by the Tibetan monks as a spiritual food, and they rely on it to support them during long cycles of meditation and chanting.
On the sacred level, warrior monks used Rhodiola to see into the future in preparation for battle, and also to plan strategy and see their path to victory.
In modern research, we know that Rhodiola increases endorphins, the body’s own painkiller and happiness chemicals, and it’s a very quick-acting anti-depressant for this reason.
So, just as Rhodiola is the starting point for many formulas, our Rhodiola Initiatic is a great starting point for any practice, creating an uplifted feeling of optimism and energy, and the sense that the goals of your work are already accomplished and manifest.
It’s also a good adjunct to mindfulness meditation, and to give a positive momentum to other herbs in a formula. It combines very well with Ashwagandha for strength on all levels, and with Linden to accentuate its uplifting energy.
Calamus Root
Calamus and I go way back, having been my main plant ally since I was a teenager. It’s a medicinal root that has species on many continents, and it’s known as a powerful tonic to courage and strength wherever it grows.
I rely on Calamus as a liaison plant to help me explore the properties of other plants through dreams and meditation, and to then to find those plants when wildcrafting.
In modern and ancient use, Calamus is an herb of truth, bringing clarity to the mind and courage with compassion to the voice. It is very supportive for speaking one’s higher truths, and for clearing out negativity and blockages that keep us from that wisdom.
Our Calamus Initiatic is an excellent support to chanting, prayer, poetry, and singing, as well as helping move subtle energy for Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and Yoga. For this work, Calamus and Saffron work very well together, and I also enjoy it combined with Tulsi, for a more etheric aspect to its cleansing of energies. Our Calamus Magistery is even more clearing to energy, bringing communication to an almost wordless, purely energetic level that is the essence of the clear energy of Mercury.
Astragalus Seed
Like the more well-known root, but inside out, Astragalus Seed protects your core energy and keeps it from being drained off by negative situations or taxing experiences.
Astragalus Seed was used in ancient Taoist martial arts for people who “leak energy”, and in that practice, or just in daily life, it can really help you hold your center.
To increase vitality, our Astragalus Seed combines well with Ginseng and other adaptogens, and for boosting and magnifying spiritual energy, Astragalus Seed is very powerful when used with our Amber Spagyrics. It’s also useful when combined with Calamus to open energetic flow without resistance, while keeping it contained in one’s own field.
For the rest of the list of Spagyrics from my talk, including the very special healing trees and resins, see part two of this article, here.
