Plants as Teachers

Plants can be considered one of the most significant teachers in our lives.

They teach us about our bodies from their use in medicine and food. People have been utilizing plants as wound care, disease fighters, and as a way to strengthen the body’s immune system for centuries. Our modern medicine industry was founded because of plants - the original pharmaceuticals were plant-derived, and many important drugs prescribed today are still. Foxglove is in the heart medication Digitoxin, yew tree is in the Taxol cancer drug, and mint is in menthol. Plants are also responsible for our nutrition. From pulling a carrot out of the ground to eating a bag of chips to becoming food for animals we eat, they teach us about sustenance. 

They teach us about our relationships to this planet, the seasons, and the ecosystem. They not only nourish our bodies as food, but regional food has often been an anchor that cultures are built around. Spices, which are dried flavorings from plants, were valuable enough to be thought of as currency. Plants bring us an understanding of the cyclical nature of the year as we watch them bud in the spring, flower in the summer, drop their leaves in autumn, and go dormant in the winter. They teach us that we can only have things at certain points in the year (or in our lives), which tends to be when we need it the most. They remind us that we have to give if we are going to take. They encourage us to slow down and enjoy the moment, thanks to the fleeting nature of the seasons. 

They teach us about enlightenment as entheogens. Entheogens are psychoactive substances that induce changes in consciousness, perception, and understanding of the world around us. Cannabis, ayahuasca, and peyote are well-known ones, but there are many more. Cultures have revered these plants for their life-changing insights that are used for personal healing and for connecting to spirituality. 

They teach us lessons on tending to life and honoring death. We support their life cycles as we help seeds to sprout and species to relocate. We ensure there are pollinators nearby to help produce fruit. We collect the seeds when the flower or plant has fulfilled its role and died, saving it to assist in raising the next generation of that particular plant. We watch trees fall in the forest and become nurse logs, enriching the overall soil health and providing a habitat for new plants and mushrooms to grow. We learn how the death of one thing becomes a life-saving gift to another, and that the soil itself is just dead things, supporting our every step.

To be a person is to be in relationship with plants. They are enmeshed with our bodies, our lives, and our well-being. They feed us, heal us, humble us, and invite us to understand our place in the world. We learn about ourselves when we work with plants.

You said, "Love is touching souls." Surely you touched mine, 'cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time. Joni Mitchell 

In art and culture, flowers have been used as symbols. A lotus can be a sign of endurance and resilience, growing out of the mud and through the water to open into a powerful sight. A marigold can be a symbol of illumination, with its bright petals layered in the shape of a glowing sun. A rose can be a gentle but powerful heart-opener that is given as a token of love. Flowers as symbols have persisted for centuries - look at historical artifacts from your region or culture and you will probably find them to be carefully adorned with images of nearby plants. 

There is a reason for the reverence of flowers. When a plant blooms, it marks one of the fullest points in its life. It is so brimming with vitality that it can shift its growth to produce a flower, one that will hopefully go to seed and ensure the procreation of the plant species. Its beauty naturally draws in the attention of insects, animals, and even of humans. A flower is an invitation from a plant for connection, one that is often mutually beneficial for pollen, food, continuing the plant’s lineage, and the magic of life itself.  I would also like to invite you to consider another benefit of flowers: as a symbol or talisman that can be applied to your own life, much like in art. 

We are familiar with the idea that people exist on several levels: mind, body, spirit. I have previously spoken about how plants teach us about our bodies and our place in nature, but that only covers how plants impact our minds and bodies. What about our spirits?

When you cultivate a relationship with a specific plant, you are inviting it into your life. Just like with whatever else you choose to give your attention to, a relationship is formed. A pet, a book, a place - when something becomes important to you, it also becomes a part of you. Spending time with a plant is no different. You can grow it in your house or garden, cook with it, draw it, appreciate it when passing by on your morning walk, have a picture of it hanging in your house, or even accept a gift of your favorite cut flowers - these are all building a relationship, even if it is unintentional or unnoticed. 

I urge you to slow down and notice what flowers or plants you are drawn to. What plants are already present in your life? What plants are growing outside your door? Much like your neighbors, plants can subtly influence your day to day, even if you aren’t actively engaging with them. You are already in a relationship with these plants, and that relationship can teach you about your spirit. 

Leaning into this can help you understand the symbolism in your own life, which can ultimately lead to deep shifts in how you show up in the world. If the heart-centered magnolia keeps showing up in your life, what could it say about your personal story? What are the specific points in life that it has shown up? And as you spend more time with magnolias, developing your relationship by watching and learning about them, could it change your own narrative? 

We are constantly being influenced by the natural world. This is true from the weather influencing what clothes we put on, to the moon impacting the tides of the ocean. Consider for a moment how the plants around you can impact your life. Does a certain flower bring beauty and wonder? Does another show you the balance of strength and grace? Plants can also draw attention to our own judgements and conditioned beliefs. Why do people get so annoyed at a dandelion’s resilience? What makes one plant a weed and another a valuable medicinal source? There are some plants that even face you with your own mortality. Poison ivy is one of the first plants that hikers learn to identify, for their own safety. And why do we send lilies as condolences at a funeral? 

All of these examples ask us to dig a little deeper into the stories we tell ourselves, especially about our place in the world. Our blind spots can light up when we look at what the plants are teaching and reflecting back to us. Sometimes we get so enmeshed in the details or particularity of our lives that it’s difficult to see the bigger picture. There is so much complexity. When we are around different friends or family members, different parts of ourselves come out. Humans play so many roles to themselves, to other humans, to pets, to jobs. When we watch movies, look at art, or read a book, parts of us are moved, shaken up, or taught things that we often weren’t anticipating. It’s no different with plants: they can be wonderful teachers that are able to illuminate different aspects of ourselves. 

And the more we become aware of ourselves, the more life seems to have to offer. Something as seemingly simple as flowers can enhance our personal narrative and even take our story in different directions. In examining the things within ourselves that we are afraid to look at, we grow. We take that inward energy and allow it to propel us forward, becoming healthier, fuller, and even spreading seeds for others to do the same. The empowerment eventually lets us feel comfortable looking at bigger blind spots, asking bigger questions, and facing bigger mysteries - the hope of any great teacher.