Four Steps To Medicine Making

The goal for someone who is practicing the art of medicine making (whether it be making tea, tinctures, salves, oils, etc.) is that we ourselves have our own direct connection and relationship to the archetypal forces of nature.

There are 4 steps every practitioner should know:

1. Centering: You want your mind and heart to be very clear, free of distractions. You don’t want to be in there thinking bad thoughts or stressed out or arguing with your partner or worrying about a bunch of things. Become very present, very here, very now, and solely focused on the medicine that you’re creating. Take some deep breaths and focus on relaxing your muscles and quieting your thinking. 
2. Cleansing: It's always important to cleanse your space before medicine making. This can be done either by smudging or visualizing a magnet powered by the divine floating above your space, ask it to clear any negative energy and feel it as it leaves.
3. Intention Setting: After your space has been cleansed, become clear on your intention and what it is that you want to achieve with your medicine. Perhaps you need it to help you stay focused as you tackle a lengthy task for the day, or perhaps you need it to calm your heart from emotional trauma. Whatever it is, say it out loud and thank the herbs for their assistance. Stir your preparation clockwise as you speak your affirming words into it.

4. Shielding: Put up an energetic shield around you and your medicine. It will look different for everyone, mine is a sparkling gold bright light that radiates love while it surrounds me. This shield protects you from any negative influences, any ill wishes from other people, or any negative entities you may have crossed that day. If you're an empath, you will find this practice especially useful. This ensures that only healing, pure, and good-intentioned energy will come through.

As Above So Below

This is how we affect the medicine that we create and the importance of our intention and of keeping our hearts and minds really pure and really clean when we’re making medicine. 

The path of plant medicine is that we are coming into a greater level of connection to the forces of nature, the forces of life, the forces of creation. Deepening that connection to the elements that exist here on the earth and the planets that exist in the cosmos and in our solar system. There’s intelligence and sentience in the great spiritual overseers of life and of nature. Over time, as we as humans become more scientific, more mechanized, more rational, we’ve really lost touch with the understanding that we can commune with these intelligent, sentient forces. That they can heal us and teach us, and that they hold the keys to our health, well-being, our wholeness, and our spiritual development.