My Experience With Spiritually Meeting the Herb Damiana

I just had an experience so wonderful I needed to journal about it.

One of the reasons I was nudged toward taking my specific herbalism class is because my teacher takes an animist perspective with the herbs. Although I have had brief conversations with rosemary—and have some clear affinity for certain other herbs such as cinnamon and cacao—I hadn't actually taken her advice to sit down and converse with an herb. That is, until a couple days ago.

Directly after my class last week, I went directly to a market that was happening next door and purchased a bag of damiana. Looking back on it, I found this decision quizzical. I didn't know anything about damiana other than I have found her mixed in some herbal products before. So I started to look her up and then was like, you know. This is a perfect opportunity for an introduction.

So I took a seat and put about a palmful of her into my hand and talked directly to her. "Hi! I'm Phoebs. I'm a very solar person and I am starting to learn about herbs like you. I like writing and the beach. What are you like?"

Damiana was amazingly receptive! I could feel her "glowing" in my hand as she responded. "I am like the presence of a group of people smiling around a fire. I am the hot drinks in their hands. I am dancing and friendship. I make people laugh and have good cheer. I am within the beauty of young women." She also reminded me that we had met before when I had her in a cup of hot chocolate a few weeks ago. "I like being with cacao," she told me, "and my other friends (rose, maca, etc.) who are like me!"

"Do you know Venus?" I asked because I was, of course, getting a lot of Venus understanding from what Damiana was saying (she is also commonly categorized as an "aphrodesiac"). She responded that she was associated with goddesses in Mexico and Central America who had overlap with Venus. With her focus on unity, friendship, love, and overall bringing people together, she did not consider herself dissimilar from Venus. I loved this as a person who wants to bring different people, plant, and animal spirits together!

I then told her I was going to have her as a tea, which made her happy. "I look forward to merging with you again!"

And oh, merge she did. Her energy was indeed very warm and I had never felt an herb's presence so spiritually strong within me before, like our act of conversation and consent had enhanced our connection after I had ingested her. I had never thought of drinking herbal tea as an act of theurgy, but after that my entire conception of relations was changed.

Imagine being a spirit whose nature involves being within and part of other living beings all the time in different ways? I wish I could ask herbs what that was like, but it is so of their natural experience I'm not sure they would be able to describe it to me.

I had been feeling down that day I met her. Really down. But Damiana was so warm, collaborative, and kind, making me so as well after I drank of her. She made good of her nature to lift spirits and bring cheer.

Thank you, Damiana, for introducing yourself to me. I am so happy to have met you formally.