The Culture of Plant Medicine
Beauty and Reckoning, Reverence (and Often Unexamined) Privilege.
Happy 2025 friends, I just put out the FINAL podcast of the year- a deeply researched episode on the evolution of yoga in the west which provides a lot of context for how we hace the yoga we have- and how we might reclaim it’s liberatory power. Also THANK you for the pod growth this year- 50% increase in listeners, and some truly great reviews, I am very honored. If you’re looking for year-end inspiration, this New Year’s Eve episode is often shared. My wish for all of us is that we shift off of any frequencies of judgment, exclusion, or separation and onto radical acceptance and unconditional love. That we wave a look at what we reject, shy away from, or exclude in the self or in others- and soften, approach it with spaciousness and non-judgment. That we stop problematizing or finding fault, and begin magic-finding and uplifting. That we are each a field of welcome for others. This quality of presence is the medicine the world needs. You are the light in your family and the change in your community. This is how the world is restored. Wishing you a magnificent turn of the year, peace, power, and joy. XOXO Christine
The Culture of Plant Medicine
(Excerpt from Mantra, Tantra, Ayahuasca)
Actual incoming text, to a maxed-out thread: “Hello Family! I have an exciting invitation for you to join us for a daytime Ceremony of singing and prayer with the sacrament of Grandmother. Two local medicine carriers and musicians are offering this work. Their tradition runs deep and their ceremony offers a lot of space for movement and flow. And I had the honor of getting to harvest and prepare this medicine with them this last weekend. The requested donation is $150 to $300 for those able to be generous in these times when ceremonies are smaller and fewer. This can be handled digitally or in cash on that day. This is a most potent time to seed our intentions deep into the Astral. And I have such a sweet longing to share in this medicine together.”
The man who sent this text is an over-educated, super-fit white guy in his late 30s. He looks you directly in the eye when he speaks, his voice earnest and steady with intention. He communicates like this often — in the coded and protective language of the psychedelic (barely) underground, where words like this are both invitation and invocation.
Subcultures form as shared spaces of meaning. They arise from a mix of shared symbols, language, attire, and rituals. In the plant medicine community, the markers are unmistakable. From the clothing of the journeyer — think Huichol jewelry, signifying amulets, brimmed felt hats, bodycon goddess wear, woven ponchos — to the language that infuses the space, every element is an indicator of belonging. Ayahuasca is “Grandmother.” Peyote is “Grandfather.” “Medicine” replaces “drugs,” (always!). Words like “ceremony,” “sacred container,” “guardians,” “shamans,” “spirit guides,” and “prayer” flow naturally, forming a lexicon that signals an intricate web of reverence, lineage, and ritual.
These gatherings rarely happen in everyday spaces. Rather, remote lodges, luxurious Airbnbs, or wealthy homes temporarily transformed into temples are the common settings. In some cases, these ceremonies are held in official churches within the U.S., or often abroad in neo-gaian hotspots like Costa Rica or Peru, where the sacred is a bit of an industry. People who are passionate about serving and experiencing these medicines need somewhere legal to do it.
Participants approach these ceremonies as if preparing for a divine date. They arrive clean, anointed, and reverent, often wearing white. You are invited to bring your full presence, to leave distractions behind.
Preparation often involves purification diets (dietas), abstaining from alcohol or other substances, refraining from sexual relations, and sometimes even avoiding eye contact. These rituals extend the ceremony’s container far beyond the designated hours, enveloping participants in a liminal state of intention and openness.
So yes, this is a subculture with its own rules, its own ecosystem, its own economy. The healing power of these rituals is undeniable. The insights gained can be profound, the personal transformations life-changing. And yet, we have to name the obvious: access to these ceremonies and spaces is often steeped in financial or social capital and shaped by privilege. Ceremonies often require significant financial resources, with requested donations ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. This financial barrier excludes many who could benefit deeply from these healing experiences but lack the means to participate.
Beyond money, access is also cultural; knowing the “right” people and understanding the unspoken codes of this subculture are often prerequisites. The cost isn’t just monetary; it’s also about who gets to shape the narrative of these practices and who is left on the margins of this psychedelic-spiritual renaissance.
On the other hand, the transfer of eco-spititual insight that often accompanies these experiences can and does bring a new kind od awareness to people, about who they want to be in the world, about how they are related to the rest of nature and each other, and how they want to structure their lives and organizations. The rise of indigenous plant medicines in the West is often framed by indigenous leaders within the context of spiritual prophecies, astrological alignments, and the broader evolution of collective consciousness- they point to this moment in time as pivotal, imbued with a sense of readiness for humanity to reconnect with ancient wisdom and restore balance with the Earth. The resurgence of plant medicine reflects a broader awakening. It is a call to heal and to restore balance in ourselves and the world.
We might approach the whole inquiry on multiple levels: zooming out and understanding the prophecies and big picture timing of this movement, looking at the structural questions of economies and extraction, and being curious about how we place individual and communal experiences into a more inclusive context.
It’s easy to be enchanted by the potential for transformation while missing the ethical questions simmering in the mix. These ceremonies often come from communities that have faced colonization, exploitation, and marginalization. If you’re going to engage, it’s an important energetic motion to support indigenous-led initiatives, donate to the communities that hold this wisdom, and ensure that the facilitators and participants approach these ceremonies with humility and respect.
Reconciling the commodification of these practices asks for transparency and accountability. Luckily many facilitators and participants have learned to ask questions that can support indigenous wellbeing: where the medicine comes from, how it is sourced, and whether its use respects the traditions and communities it originates from. A healthy renaissance includes a commitment to systemic change, challenging the structures that perpetuate inequity and creating spaces that are truly inclusive- we want to celebrate and amplify the wisdom of these ancient practices.
The cultures of plant medicine are evolving with each of our actions. Let it be a sanctuary for healing of the both the individual, and a counterweight to the larger systemic imbalances of the world outside the circle.
Once you’ve sat in ceremony, you’re in. Invitations begin to flow like an underground stream. “Do you want to sit in prayer?” “What questions are you bringing?” The language is warm, enticing, and deeply communal. Perhaps the invitation to inquiry can include: How will we we honor these traditions in this ceremony? Healing, in its truest form, demands that we look not only within but also around us, questioning the systems that shape our experiences and being the change that will transform them.
As humanity navigates this pivotal moment, the integration of plant medicines offers an opportunity to heal the divisions between the material and the spiritual, the intellect and the heart, and individuals and the Earth. But this path requires humility, respect, and deep listening to the wisdom of Indigenous leaders and their traditions. It calls for reciprocity, not only in material terms but in the spiritual and cultural realms—an acknowledgment of the profound gifts these practices offer and the responsibilities they entail.
We seed the right intentions, we imagine the highest outcome, we sit together, and then we act to make that reality manifest.
-CMM
Are you thinking about studying with me in 2025?
The next cohort of Living Tantra will run again April 1, 2025. If you’re interested, check out this montage of what participants said about the course that just ended. Registration is here, and capped to make sure we have intimate connective time together. You can take $200 off with the code “COMMITTED: prior to January 15, 2025.
