HERBAL ALCHEMY FOR THE UNDERWORLD JOURNEY

Many of us come to the spiritual path through a dark night of the soul, arriving during the Saturn return and plunging us into the Underworld. Saturn, a/k/a Father Time, ushers in life-changing loss—loss of a loved one, job, relationship, or health. These major upendings are thrust upon us like wildfire blazing through our very foundation, destroying any notions of identity and life path.

This reckoning initially lands around our 29th birthday showing us all aspects of our life that are not in alignment with our soul’s mission and asking that we lay them down as offerings on the pyre. Like Persephone whose descent into the Underworld brings forth the winter, we usually find ourselves spiraling into the womb of Mother Earth again and again to quest deeper truths. Embarking on this journey with our plant allies potentizes the loss of the programmed mind and reclamation of the ancient soul.

This chaotic process of destruction liberates sparks of energy, with the potential to transform and regenerate. All life is conceived, germinated and nourished in the dark, fertile womb of creation. It is within this womb space laid fallow by profound loss where we are free to dream our higher purpose into being. By grounding in this space with trust, an alchemical healing process activates the strength and courage we need to carry out our newly illuminated Vision.

Although unquestionably alluring, the liminal space of the Underworld can be jarring, especially without surrender.

Unmoored in the void, not a compass or destination in sight, there is no choice but to learn to swim with the currents. Resistance to releasing the existing paradigm summons the Dark Mother, a fierce and passionate archetype, incarnated in the goddesses, Kali, Inana, Hecate, the Morrigan, and Lilith; she feeds on the decay, giving rise to new life in the rich compost. The more we cling to the old, the more forcibly she responds. Ultimately, we must let go.

Faced with this great unknown, a cascade of emotions from depression, and denial, to sleeplessness, anxiety or sheer panic may arise depending on our innate tolerance for uncertainty. Getting thrust beyond this uncertainty threshold, stirs our unconscious shadows to defeat the overwhelm with mindless distraction, addictive behaviors, grasping for comfort, or numbing the feelings that arise. Suppressing them would bypass a fundamental purpose of life: to heal and become whole. Yet the feelings remain, burrowed deep within until eventually they re-emerge even louder than before.

As a culture, we have crossed our collective threshold and entered a universal dark night of the soul, activating our personal shadows to expose the internal shifts that are needed to birth the New Earth. We are being called to recognize the power of the ancient feminine goddess wisdom and to wait in the murky waters that have flowed our way to receive her gifts. Only when we ourselves have walked through the Underworld, can we be a beacon for those bemoaning the this initiation.

Unwavering presence is cultivated by acknowledging shadow as a sacred protector that awakens when our emotions threaten to devastate us, rather than by fighting against our shadow with sheer willpower. So, to empower ourselves to tread in the discomfort that brings forth our highest evolution, we must befriend shadow, learn to notice when he starts steering the ship, and begin to renegotiate our existing relationship with him.

Plant medicines can support us in navigating this portal and teach us to become our own healers and conscious creators of our story.

In my holistic healing practice, working with the herbs below has bestowed greater understanding of underlying patterns, fuller embodiment of experiences, and some relief from the heartache.

Devils Club: This is one of the most highly revered sacred plants of the Pacific Northewest coastal tribes. It grows in the depths of the forest in the most dark, stagnant, and moist spots. It also heals stagnant water in the body, particularly when presenting as high levels of sugar in the blood. Devil’s Club is incredibly powerful for protection from dark and dense energies making this herb of Scorpio highly specific for guiding one through the Underworld Journey and assisting to “club your devils.” A relative of ginseng, it also acts strongly on the adrenal glands, warming the body and building up the vital reserve. Adrenal support offers the inner strength required to face intense feelings that arise in this healing work.

Reishi: Its Chinese name translating as “spirit plant,” Reishi is prized for safeguarding our shen or spirit, which resides in the heart, by grounding overactive energy in the mind. Disturbed shen manifests as palpitations, insomnia, and brain fog. Sitting in the liminal space between vitality and calm, nervous system tonic, nourishes the shen so profoundly that we gain the courage and awareness to interact with the wider Spirit—the Great Cosmic Mother. Earthy Reishi’s correlation with the Hermit tarot card smooths the solitude of the Underworld as the brilliance of our spirit illuminates the path.

Elder: Celts considered Elder a sacred tree, symbolic of birth and death. This Underworld herb’s Latin name, Sambucus, originates from the panflutes made from the easily hollowed stem, associated with Pan, lord of the Underworld. Norse goddess “Elder Mother” was believed to be gatekeeper between this world and the Underworld, much like Elder’s planetary ruler, Saturn, an intermediary between the seen and unseen realms.

Elder connects us with Saturn return and the distillation of insight accumulated from life experiences, compensating for our lack of wisdom-keepers. By embodying the guidance of an elder, this herb initiates us into relationship with our inner wisdom voice. Best known as an antiviral, Elder’s tonic properties restore and strengthen the core immune system and build blood—our life force guardian. These actions nurture a stable inner essence, preventing emotions of anxiety and fear from taking over and increasing self-esteem.

Ghost Pipe: This ghost-like being is recognized as a guardian of the Underworld. Ghost Pipe emerges from the dark forest floor, reminding us that death and rebirth are one in the same. Historically, Ghost Pipe was used as a pain remedy that allowed one to “put the pain beside them” where it could be observed and ultimately transcended. Using the essence of ghost pipe helps one detach from their fears to see from an objective perspective where they are over-attached or haunted by a past ready to be released.