Your Body is Nature
The Plant Path: Herbalism, Medical Astrology & Spagyric Alchemy
Sajah Popham
4.8 • 570 Ratings
🗓️ 22 January 2019
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Central to traditional systems of medicine is the understanding that the human organism is a reflection of Nature- that our bodies are not machines or composed merely of "biochemical gears," but rather that we are composed of natural forces that exist all around us. That we are a part of the ecological context of the Earth.
This perceptual orientation switches not only how we understand a human being, but how we perceive and treat disease, study a medicinal plant, compound formulas, and literally every other facet of herbal. For it anchors our entire understanding and practice of herbalism back into the foundation patterns of Nature itself.
In terms of assessing a person, when we Nature within their bodies, we don't just see a symptom or a disease, we see a deeper level of imbalance within the ecosystem of the body on a vital, or energetic level. Traditionally this is seen in terms of a tissues temperature and moisture qualities (hot, cold, wet, dry). These temperature and moisture patterns are at the root of natural systems, ecosystems, the weather and seasonal dynamics.
These are the forces that plants are submitted to in Nature that develops their unique medicinal properties, as well as imbuing them with their own energetic qualities of hot, cold, wet and dry.
Ultimately, this perceptual shift of seeing the human as an embodiment of Nature is a foundational premise of the vitalist traditions all across the globe throughout the history. I believe it's critically important in our modern world, where so many of us feel so disconnected from Nature and herbalism is becoming more scientifically studied, for us to not forget that we are first, foremost and forever students of Nature.
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CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY
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ABOUT SAJAH
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Sajah Popham, founder of Organic Unity and The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, is committed to creating a new paradigm of plant medicine anchored in herbal, medical, and spiritual traditions from around the world. His work integrates the science and spirit of herbal medicine, creating a system that is equally holistic, healing and transformational. His unique synthesis bridges herbalism not only east and west, but north & south, above & below, into a universal philosophy that encompasses indigenous wisdom, Ayurveda, western Alchemy and Spagyrics, Astrology, clinical herbalism, and modern pharmacology.
Sajah's vitalist approach utilizes plants not only for physical healing and rejuvenation, but for the evolution of consciousness. He never allopathicallyl focuses on just what a plant is "good for" but rather who the plants are as sentient beings. Sajah's teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves. He lives in southern Oregon with his wife where he teaches at his school, makes spagyric medicines, and practices his healing art. For more information about his products and programs, visit www.organic-unity.com & www.evolutionaryherbalism.com
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ABOUT THE PLANT PATH
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The Plant Path provides unique perspectives for the modern practitioner of herbalism that doesn't just want to "fix what's broken" in the body, but seeks to serve others with deeper levels of healing and transformation with herbal medicines.
A unique synergy of clinical herbalism, alchemy, medical astrology, and herbal traditions from around the world, The Plant Path focuses on giving you a truly "wholistic" perspective on herbal medicine so you never fall into the trap of allopathic herbalism.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there everybody, Sagea Popham here, founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. |
| 0:05.6 | And I want to talk about a critically important kind of perceptual orientation for us as herbalists to maintain that I think is critical for us to hold in order to have a really a holistic orientation towards our work with plants. |
| 0:23.6 | And this is really, I was about to say the concept, but it's really to me the truth that we are |
| 0:30.1 | in nature, right? |
| 0:31.2 | Our bodies are of nature and the plants that we work with are of nature too. And I know that sounds really simplistic, but when we really take into consideration the fact that our whole body, the way our organs and our systems and our tissues, and the whole way that our being is put together is actually a mirror image |
| 0:57.0 | of the natural world. It has a profound influence on how you approach working with a client, |
| 1:04.0 | how you understand the way an herbal medicine works, and the healing process that ensues when you incorporate a medicinal plant into |
| 1:13.5 | someone's body. And this is really the kind of opposite orientation that we see in a lot of a more |
| 1:22.3 | conventional approach to medicine, which is kind of this polarity in the way we see the human being, whereas |
| 1:30.5 | in kind of more of our modern conventional approach, we see the body as a machine. We see it |
| 1:36.2 | on this very mechanistic, scientific, biochemical level. And, you know, it's like, well, |
| 1:43.3 | if it's part's broken, you just take it out and replace it |
| 1:46.2 | with a new one right whereas in the older systems of medicine that have been practiced all across the |
| 1:52.5 | world for thousands of years very successfully was more of this holistic understanding that |
| 2:00.2 | our being is a microcosm of nature, a reflection of nature, |
| 2:04.5 | that our body is of the earth, is of the water, is of the fire, is of the air, that our body is like |
| 2:12.5 | a garden, right? And it's an ecosystem. and this perceptual orientation is really the difference between |
| 2:20.6 | looking at a person kind of through the linear mind versus seeing it more through the holistic |
| 2:27.7 | heart and in terms of the way this perceptual shift kind of adjust how we see the way medicinal plants work, |
| 2:37.0 | it's really that difference between a biochemical understanding of plants, |
| 2:41.0 | of really looking at an herb and saying, you know, |
| 2:44.0 | oh, well, this herb has its medicinal influence because it has these constituents |
... |
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