Working WITH Herbs and Plants

Just a little realization...

I have always thought of herbs and plants (and rocks and animals and other things I can't think of right now) as my friends. Plant friends, rock friends, animal friends. I think this may be one link to a difference in hoodoo/native american/atrs from "wicca" or "wiccan-type" rituals (okay I am being very general here, and probably too simplified, so please excuse me). In the wiccan flavoured rituals I have seen/studied/performed there always seemed to be a 'hiccup' for me at the empowering/charging part. I would not 'tell' or 'use' a friend to get me something I want using 'mind power'. I would however explain to my friend my situation, and ask for any help, insight or wisdom in aiding me to obtain a resolution for the problem. In the course of such a relationship, I would have done little things to show how much I care about this friend and would most likely take the friend out as a celebration for my freedom from the problem or invite the friend over for a night of listening to music, good food and chillin, as a little sign of how much I appreciate this friendship and their help. So behaving in this same way to my plant and rock friends makes perfect sense and is inline with my other behaviors. If I have been a good friend, my friends will not hesitate to help me and will genuinely want to see me free from strife. If I have not been a particularly good friend and I realize this, I may apologize for my neglect, and commit to a changing in my ways. I would leave the decision up to the friend. And if this friend is especially wise, I would tell them that there is probably more going on here than what I can see and ask for help to see the 'bigger picture' and want only truth from them, no matter how much it may hurt. This would be the expected behavior from a real and true friend.

I also understand the viewpoint that all of this exists within us and the answer lies within, so the answer could lie in my allowing my "inner self" to push out the energy to empower the 'item' to get the job done. I mean they are really all different perspectives on the same activity. I know inside that the rocks and the plants and the animals are all ME. But I think there might be a little difference that is important to me, whereas it might not be so important for others. There is a little subtle shift concerning the ego. As we know, the ego can be a very self aggrandizing entity/program. There is such a fine line to crossing over to the path that leads to egoism or to other side with a false sense of humbleness, leading to fake self-deprecation. In seeing 'all' things as equal and as having meaning and value, for me, this is the balancing pole, the equalizer. I at harmony with life and living things in this life. Like the Buddha said, "walk the razor's edge" (okay I am paraphrasing, here are the actual words"...Rise, awake! having obtained your boons understand them! The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path (to the Self) is hard" from this page at Sacred Texts).

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