Rethinking Weeds
Beauty That Has Been There All Along
As I prepared for my talks at the Harvard Ecological Spiritualities Conference, I meditated on my relationship with nature and I took a walk in the woods of Western Massachusetts where I played as a child. I circled back to my six-year-old self who knew the land beneath me pulsed with life, that nature was alive. That young me would be so proud to know that I now speak on behalf of the plants she loved so much.
As I walked, I saw mugwort, ground ivy, violet, dandelion, mullein, and other healers — so-called weeds — I’ve worked deeply with. I reflected on the fact that my work often consists of helping people see the beauty and support that has been there all along.
"Rethinking Weeds: The Spiritual, Cultural, and Medicinal Significance of Common Plants" was the topic of yesterday’s talk. I asked attendees to look at plants like dandelion, mugwort, goldenrod and Japanese knotweed as though for the first time, so that together, we might reframe and remember their cultural, medicinal and significance as well as their role in greater ecosystems.
With the increase of deforestation for agricultural purposes, suburban sprawl, and mass consumption of unsustainable food sources, the presence of invasive species and so-called ‘weeds’ simultaneously increases. The negative perception of these plants and the ‘war on invasive species’ contributes to more ecological damage and increases an adversarial relationship with the living Earth. For example, the carcinogenic chemical, Glyphosate, is sprayed hundreds of times a year onto public green spaces in an attempt to eradicate plants that might otherwise be food and medicine, attract and support beneficial insects, bring up minerals from the subsoil, detoxify the soil, and sow fertility.
The talk explored ways to engage with these ubiquitous healers through a discussion of wildcrafting, medicine making, and foraging to show how awareness of the plants that share our ecosystem can have implications for ecological restoration, regenerative living, and environmental justice.
I talk about this in some recent podcasts I’ve been meaning to share with you too:
The Revelation Project Episode 120 - Awakening Artemis, The Revelation Project
“Vanessa Chakour with Amanda Carter Gomes - How Nature Guides Us Toward Healing”, Town Hall Seattle
The recorded talk will be available on the Harvard website soon. I’ll let you know when.
In the meantime, I hope you’re able to get outside and explore the wonder of nature.