Reclaiming Feminine Wisdom and HealinG In The Psychedelic Renaissance

As the “psychedelic renaissance” continues to grow and gain mainstream acceptance, it is essential to acknowledge the need for a more feminine perspective.

Western society has long been dominated by a patriarchal medical model that attempts to compartmentalize and control the human experience. While the unprecedented surge of interest in sacred Earth medicines and traditional healing practices. has the potential to offer profound healing and transformation, it has also become increasingly psychologized, with the discourse and practices of Western psychology dominating the conversation. Converging with this psychologized model of psychedelic therapy, filled with psychological modalities and vernacular, is the big Pharma industry ready to synthesis and encapsulate Earth medicines into pill bottles. “Clinical trials,” "shadow work,” “psychedelic integration work,” and endless “processing of personal traumas,” is taking the place of indigenous community circles drinking sacramental medicines together to journey with the great Mystery of Spirit for an initiation into deeper wisdom collectively. Earth wisdom, and collective initiations and transformation, may just bedeviled by a psychiatrist in a pill to be taken at home alone.

The reintegration of sacred Earth medicines into the Western modern medicine model offers a unique opportunity for women to reclaim their roles as healers, ritualists, wise women and community leaders. But there the patriarchy model seems to be swelling in the United States.

As Maria Sabina, a Mazatec curandera, once said: "I am a woman who has seen much suffering, and I have learned much from the plants."

Psychologist James Hillman once spoke of Anima, the breath of life, the soul of the world, as something that had to be rescued by psychologists from theologians. Now, it seems that the breath of life needs rescuing again. Philosopher Bayo Akomolafe writes of the need to "decenter Western psychology," and many traditional healers and medicine women echo this sentiment.

Plant medicines and traditional healing practices are not just about psychological healing.. They are about connecting to the spirit world and to our ancestors. They are about healing the body, mind, and soul, not just the mind.

Many medicine women circles and healers, are calling fore new awareness in the and for plant medicines and traditional healing practices to be deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom and cultural traditions.

As a modern medicine woman, I have felt the call to reclaim my own indigenous roots and to draw on the ceremonial traditions of the ancient Celtics and Druids like drumming, chanting, calling on the guidance of the fire, water, earth, and air, and a community of sisters to gather in with interconnect web of live.

As a Western women it can feel a bit strange to allow oneself to be called back to honorng the elements, and purifying ourselves with smoke and water, and drumming to connect with the spirit world. The more I drum, dance and find the rhythm of the Spirit returning back in my blood, I feel the years lost in concrete buildings and heeled shoes.

As Maria Sabina said, "as indigenous medicine women, we are not just working with individuals, but with entire communities and even the planet," says Maria. "We cannot heal the world through individual healing alone. We need to recognize our interconnectedness and work together for collective healing and transformation."

While the discourse and practices of Western psychology have much to offer, and I have found them vital in my work my clients, and doing my own healing, I can also recognize the limitations of these approaching more and more and feel need to incorporate the deep wisdom and practices of traditional healers and medicine women, as vital.

We cannot neglect the importance of spirit and anamus in healing. We need to recognize the soul of the world and the wisdom of our ancestors. The psychedelic renaissance has the potential to be a powerful tool for healing and transformation, but we must approach it with respect for the wisdom and traditions of our ancestors and with a commitment to collective healing and transformation.

Psychedelic medicines have the power to unlock the deepest aspects of the psyche and offer profound insights into the interconnectedness of all things. However, the tendency to over-psychologize this experience can limit its healing potential. As women, we understand that the psyche is not just a product of individual experience but also a reflection of the collective. It is essential to remember that the healing power of psychedelics is not just for the individual but for the collective as well.

In this time of crisis, it is more important than ever to remember our interconnectedness with each other and with the planet. The need for healing extends beyond the individual and into our cultural systems at large. We must honor the deep wisdom of indigenous traditions that have long known the healing power of plant medicines, ritual, and community.

As a medicine woman rooted in my Celtic and Druid ancestry and the host of the Psychedelic Mom Podcast, my hope is to bring more women’s voices to the sacred medicine conversations,

As women, we bring a unique perspective to the psychedelic experience. We have a deep connection to the cycles of nature and the rhythms of the earth. Our bodies are intimately connected to the cycles of the moon, and our innate wisdom as mothers and caretakers makes us natural healers. As we reconnect with the wisdom of our bodies and the spirit of motherhood, we can bring a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things to the psychedelic experience.

Motherhood is a sacred and transformative experience that has the power to awaken us to our deepest selves. As women, we are often taught to suppress our natural instincts and emotions, but motherhood allows us to reconnect with our intuition and our innate wisdom. The psychedelic experience can offer a similar awakening, allowing us to access our innermost truths and connect with the wisdom of the natural world.

To bring the feminine and the sacred wisdom of mother earth into the psychedelic renaissance, we must move away from the patriarchal model that has dominated modern medicine. We must honor the wisdom of indigenous cultures and recognize the deep connection between our bodies, our spirits, and the natural world.