Connecting with a plant ally is an intentional way of getting to know a plant, as well as being open to being supported by it in different ways. Learn how to choose and work with a plant ally. From the Prisoner’s Herbal book.
Links & resources from this episode
- Prisoner’s Herbal Book
- The Medicinal Herb Colouring Book
- Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners
- Donate to the PayPal Pool to help print the Prisoner’s Herbal in Italian
- 30 Day Plant Ally Project
- Request a copy of the Prisoner’s Herbal book for people in prison
- Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress Course
Find them all at solidarityapothecary.org/podcast/
Music from Sole & DJ Pain – Battle of Humans | Plant illustrations by @amani_writes | In solidarity, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast wherever you listen.
Transcript
Welcome to the Frontline Herbalism podcast with your host, Nicole Rose from the Solidarity Apothecary.
Nicole Rose:This is your place for all things plants and liberation.
Nicole Rose:Let's get started.
Nicole Rose:Hello, welcome back to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.
Nicole Rose:This episode is the very last chapter of the prisoner's herbal book.
Nicole Rose:I feel very sad to have finished this little series about the prisoner's herbal.
Nicole Rose:This chapter is all about connecting with a plant ally.
Nicole Rose:So this is a kind of intentional relationship with the plant is absolutely foundational to my herbal practice and how I've been learning herbalism.
Nicole Rose:For the last, oh God, 15 years.
Nicole Rose:Yeah.
Nicole Rose:I think it's a really beautiful way of, yeah.
Nicole Rose:Kind of, you know, like how you would make a friend, right?
Nicole Rose:Like you would make a friend by spending time with them and getting to know them and learning all about them and sharing yourself with them and Yeah, like I think it's exactly the same with plants.
Nicole Rose:So I hope you find that useful.
Nicole Rose:It's a very special chapter for me.
Nicole Rose:Just in terms of call-outs, I wanted to read, , something about the international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners, which is coming up in August, August 23rd to the 30th.
Nicole Rose:It's like a kind of global week of action and events and encouraging people to write to anarchist prisoners.
Nicole Rose:And yeah, I would really.
Nicole Rose:I would really appreciate it if people, , visit the website and yeah, organize events in their cities and things.
Nicole Rose:But before I read that, I'm just gonna play a little jingle from someone from the Channel zero network of.
Nicole Rose:That's from Embers, anarchist Perspectives from The Territory currently occupied by the Canadian state.
Nicole Rose:Find us wherever you get your podcasts or on the Channel Zero Network.
Nicole Rose:All right.
Nicole Rose:That was awesome.
Nicole Rose:Definitely check out that show.
Nicole Rose:Okay, so I'm just gonna read this little call out about the International Week of Solidarity with anarchist prisoners.
Nicole Rose:You can find it at solidarity.international I'll put the link in the show notes too.
Nicole Rose:The world is on fire.
Nicole Rose:The climate crisis is getting worse and worse.
Nicole Rose:Instead of masks against covid 19, people now have to wear masks against smoke from forest fires.
Nicole Rose:At the same time, huge areas are getting flooded due to heavy rain caused by the ongoing pollution of the environment.
Nicole Rose:Nothing of that is caused by individual decisions of the people.
Nicole Rose:It's not caused by buying the wrong product in the supermarket.
Nicole Rose:It is caused by the systemic exploitation of nature and humanity.
Nicole Rose:Governments and big corporations are the ones steering us into a climate catastrophe that at this point seems to be unstoppable governments and big corporations that created a world where wealthy people are more important than others.
Nicole Rose:This was especially visible while the global media had nothing better to do than talking for five days about a missing submarine filled with five rich people, while hundreds of others are dying in the Mediterranean Sea during their try to get chances for a better life.
Nicole Rose:Extreme right, conservative and authoritarian politics are increasing all around the world.
Nicole Rose:Some music to start wars and kill thousands of people.
Nicole Rose:Some build fences and guard what they think is their property and others use it to arm up in the digital world.
Nicole Rose:Surveillance has increased and the states are leaping more and more into our private spaces, analyzing our private conversations and collecting data about us with a depth of detail.
Nicole Rose:We could have never imagined the tools of the states to crush resistance crush even the idea of fighting the system are sharpened with every minute.
Nicole Rose:Many anarchists, anti-authoritarian environmental activists and anti-fascists around the world face repression because acting anonymous in a digitized world is as difficult as never before.
Nicole Rose:All the obstacles put into our way during the struggle for a better world, anarchist ideas and values remain important.
Nicole Rose:In times of crisis, methods of collective organizing, mutual aid, and the principle of solidarity start to shine, the system will fall apart and we should get ready to take back a world that was stolen by companies, your owners, in the war industry, a world that was meant for everyone.
Nicole Rose:And while our friends are put behind bars and states, try to hide them in the darkest corners of their prisons, we will not hold still, but fight till they're free again.
Nicole Rose:Let's break out together.
Nicole Rose:This is why we are calling again for the International Week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners.
Nicole Rose:Do some action of solidarity.
Nicole Rose:Write letters, organize speeches or film screenings.
Nicole Rose:Make our comrades visible on the streets with a banner drop or a graffiti, and let them show that they're in our hearts and that we are fighting together.
Nicole Rose:Let's remember those who fought against this injustice and paid with their lives.
Nicole Rose:No one is free till all are free.
Nicole Rose:All right.
Nicole Rose:That just gave me goosebumps.
Nicole Rose:, so yeah, check out the website, solidarity.international.
Nicole Rose:There's some really beautiful posters this year with , bunny rabbits on them, so please, yeah, please share those And yeah, enjoy learning about plant and yeah, just let, I would love, also, I would love to hear how you found this episode and if there's like a particular plant that's jumped out to you.
Nicole Rose:Cuz I talk about plants choosing you, not just you choosing them, but I would, yeah, it'd mean a lot to me if you.
Nicole Rose:Drop me an email or a message saying that you've started developing a relationship with the plant.
Nicole Rose:, that would be awesome.
Nicole Rose:Okay, thanks.
Nicole Rose:Making herbal remedies in prison was very empowering, but what stood out the most from my experience was a more deep relationship I had built with certain plants on an emotional and spiritual level.
Nicole Rose:In this section, I want to introduce the idea of plant allies and the diverse ways you can connect with plants even in a prison courtyard.
Nicole Rose:Connecting with a plant ally is an intentional way of getting to know a plant as well as being open to being supported by it in different ways.
Nicole Rose:All right.
Nicole Rose:Choosing your plant or letting it choose you.
Nicole Rose:Generally, but not always.
Nicole Rose:People choose their plant allies and connect deeply with one plant at a time.
Nicole Rose:However, it's sometimes more than one.
Nicole Rose:When I was in prison, there were definitely different periods where I felt deeply connected to a certain plant, and other times where it felt more like there was a whole crew of them that I loved.
Nicole Rose:There are different ways to find a plant to partner with.
Nicole Rose:It might be that you just keep seeing a particular plant, maybe even the same one in the same place for many months.
Nicole Rose:Or it might be that everywhere you go you find yourself coming across stand lines or plantain plants.
Nicole Rose:Maybe you keep seeing certain plants in books or on tv, or you find references to a plant in a Bible or even in a tarot card.
Nicole Rose:Either way, it is great to work with a plant that you feel drawn towards.
Nicole Rose:Alternatively, you might have a desire to find a particular plant and you search for it.
Nicole Rose:Maybe you've read a description of it in a book and you're like, that's all one for me.
Nicole Rose:And then you keep your eyes peeled trying to find it, or maybe you hear that yarrow is associated with warriors and battle, and you decide that you want to connect with that particular energy.
Nicole Rose:Or perhaps your heart is heavy with grief and you want to be close to roses right now because they help you to feel better.
Nicole Rose:Maybe there is a plant that your ancestors use.
Nicole Rose:I know for lots of women I was inside with who were from the Caribbean, that certain meals in prison reminded them of home In the same way, it might be possible to feel connection and comfort from a, from a particular spice, from a home region.
Nicole Rose:Perhaps you have nice memories of making a daisy chain when you're a kid.
Nicole Rose:It could even be that a plant has been mentioned in popular cultures, like in films about witches and magic.
Nicole Rose:The options are endless.
Nicole Rose:There is no right or wrong way.
Nicole Rose:Simply choose the plant and make an intention to get to know it on a deeper level.
Nicole Rose:Hanging out with your plant ally.
Nicole Rose:The main point I'd like to make is that you really do not have to do anything.
Nicole Rose:Yes, it is great to harvest, taste and research your plant, but you can also do well.
Nicole Rose:Nothing.
Nicole Rose:You can just sit and watch your plant, or you can look at it from your window or walk past it while you're walking around.
Nicole Rose:The courtyard even needs to know what you are looking at or thinking.
Nicole Rose:You'd be surprised at what happens simply when you hang out with a plant on a regular basis.
Nicole Rose:Maybe you end up dreaming about it or when you were sat there, you get revelation about something you'd really like to do or something you were undecided about.
Nicole Rose:Maybe you feel a rush of strength.
Nicole Rose:Anything could happen.
Nicole Rose:Generally, it's not a big dramatic moment.
Nicole Rose:Plants don't move around in exciting fast ways like birds or animals.
Nicole Rose:But if you can tap into that quiet aside and really listen, you'll be amazed at what you can begin to hear.
Nicole Rose:If this can even become a kind of meditation, these subtle emotional qualities can play a big role in bringing something to your life when you're inside.
Nicole Rose:Whenever I felt powerless or somehow humiliated in the HMP prison environment, like from an officer shouting at me, et cetera, whenever I saw dandelions, they just ignited this sense of defiance in me.
Nicole Rose:Or I remember seeing them when I was being taken from court to the prison in the sweat box, which is like the prison ban, and we pulled up to a junction and I could see this whole patch of dandelion leaves, and once again, I just felt stronger.
Nicole Rose:Plants can also remind us of certain people maybe smelling roses.
Nicole Rose:Makes you think of your grandmother.
Nicole Rose:My ex-girlfriend Anna, who was killed often used the name Daisy to protect her anonymity in anarchist projects.
Nicole Rose:Now, every time I see daisies, my heart just goes to her.
Nicole Rose:Sometimes we might also not get a good feeling around a plant.
Nicole Rose:There might be this sense of bad energy every time we see it.
Nicole Rose:Or maybe when we go go near it, we get stung or cut by thorns.
Nicole Rose:Listen to this too.
Nicole Rose:Maybe it's not the right time to connect with this plan.
Nicole Rose:Or maybe there is wisdom in that message too.
Nicole Rose:Honestly, I cannot emphasize enough that there is no right way.
Nicole Rose:Just take a dive and see what happens.
Nicole Rose:Engage in your senses.
Nicole Rose:We learn about plants not only in books, but also via our own senses of sight, smell, taste, and touch while there are some poisonous plants.
Nicole Rose:If you have properly identified your plan and researched it safety, then you can for sure start experimenting.
Nicole Rose:This might include making and tasting teas or nibbling a bit of leaf or room.
Nicole Rose:You might like to smell the plan at different times of day or season.
Nicole Rose:You can even keep a journal of how it tastes or how your body feels after sipping the tea.
Nicole Rose:You might try to notice how does it make your tongue feel?
Nicole Rose:Does it feel warmer or colder?
Nicole Rose:But to produce more saliva or get more thirsty?
Nicole Rose:If you've been stung by nettles, you might think, how does it feel?
Nicole Rose:Drawing plants is a great way to engage your sense of sight.
Nicole Rose:Even if you've seen the same plant a hundred times, looking at it more closely or from a different angle can show a whole new world.
Nicole Rose:You might like to draw your plant where, where it's growing.
Nicole Rose:Obviously this is not always possible.
Nicole Rose:When I was in a downstairs cell, I remember my window looked out onto this neglected patch of land, and I could see all these amazing plants growing.
Nicole Rose:I would sit and look out between the bars, drawing them the best I could, helped me pay attention to the different flower and leaf shapes, and I could see how plants like Daisy closed up when the sun went down.
Nicole Rose:You might also pick a piece of your plant and bring it inside and spend some time drawing it in your cell, or if you're unable to do that, maybe you can copy a picture from a book And just a side note.
Nicole Rose:On that, like we've also got the medicinal herb coloring book, which is like an amazing resource for people.
Nicole Rose:Kind of like practicing those like observation skills.
Nicole Rose:And we also send it for free to people in prison.
Nicole Rose:So feel free to request one of those researching your plant Ally.
Nicole Rose:It could be that you've chosen one of the plants listed in this book for your plant ally, in which case you have a good starting point for information.
Nicole Rose:However, there is always so much to learn about every plant.
Nicole Rose:Perhaps books from the prison library, contain more info.
Nicole Rose:Do all that you can to research a plant.
Nicole Rose:You might like to learn its Latin name and the different folk names for it around the world could learn about its habitat and how it is migrated.
Nicole Rose:You might like to read about its traditional uses or its chemical constituents.
Nicole Rose:You might really enjoy learning about the folklore of the plan or the magical or astrological symbolism associated with it.
Nicole Rose:Maybe you like to hear ancient myths or legends involving the plant, wherever you can keep reading and making notes to learn more.
Nicole Rose:Get creative.
Nicole Rose:Write a poem or song about your plan.
Nicole Rose:Paint it, make a pressing and put it in a frame of made of matchsticks.
Nicole Rose:Obviously this is like prison context where everything's made of matchsticks.
Nicole Rose:, when I was inside, I just saw absolute endless creativity from folks.
Nicole Rose:And no doubt people will create amazing things from their relationships with plants.
Nicole Rose:Get to know plants and personalities.
Nicole Rose:In some herbal books, you will read a description of the sort of person that herb is perfect for.
Nicole Rose:Maybe there is someone super, highly strong and tense who needs mellowing out with meow, maybe a heartbroken and grief struck lover who needs to move on, but just can't open up their heart again, finds rose and is exactly what they need.
Nicole Rose:It can be fun to experiment with getting to know plants and figuring out the kinds of personalities and situations they seem to fit, fit best with.
Nicole Rose:This might be a lot easier when you know more about the plant itself.
Nicole Rose:You can also get to know the personalities of the plants themselves.
Nicole Rose:A fun exercise is to imagine if that plant were a human, who would it be?
Nicole Rose:Like for example, with yarrow, I always imagine this rugged soldier placing yarrow on his bleeding arm as he looks across the battlefield at the wounded.
Nicole Rose:Or dandelion is this tough fucker that no one who can kill, who is just like, yeah.
Nicole Rose:What Alexis j.
Nicole Rose:Cunning folk who put together the 30 day plant ally project asked folks to think about who in your life is most like your plant?
Nicole Rose:Maybe Rose is like a fierce ex-girlfriend who was soppy and romantic, but also had these piercing defensive thorns.
Nicole Rose:Maybe plantain reminds you of someone on your wing who seems to get walked over by everyone.
Nicole Rose:Making up plant personalities can be super silly and fun, letting your imagination run wild, and it is actually a really good way to get to know plants and to remember their properties.
Nicole Rose:Alexis also suggests making up your own names for plants do some magical shit.
Nicole Rose:Nervous about going to court.
Nicole Rose:Put some dried root in your bra.
Nicole Rose:Want to feel stronger when you wake up in the morning.
Nicole Rose:Put a picture or drawing of your plant ally on your cell wall, worried about your prison visit, say a prior to your plant ally, asking them to have your back.
Nicole Rose:Don't feel beautiful.
Nicole Rose:Create a drawing of a rose and right.
Nicole Rose:I am beautiful on the back And look at it each morning.
Nicole Rose:Feel like you need some added protection during your adjudication.
Nicole Rose:Put some yellow in your shoe.
Nicole Rose:I keep saying the options are endless, but honestly they are.
Nicole Rose:These suggestions might sound daft, but people have been making charms and carrying plants since time began.
Nicole Rose:The ancient dead around the world are all found buried with plants.
Nicole Rose:People have worn jewelry for millennia.
Nicole Rose:People have adorned themselves with certain plant fragrances to help seduce lovers for thousands of years.
Nicole Rose:We can work with plants in all these ways.
Nicole Rose:We can bring their magic into our everyday lives and connect with them to help us survive our sentences and experience joy and connection.
Nicole Rose:Whatever you do, I hope you find strength in connecting with a plant or several of them.
Nicole Rose:And just before I finish this section, , the very last piece of the book is actually a poem that I wrote while I was in prison, which is, , inspired by my dandelion plan ally.
Nicole Rose:, so I'm just gonna read that outlaw just for a moment.
Nicole Rose:I lose myself.
Nicole Rose:And all that I am is the plant in my hand, my heart engaged in a language older than words.
Nicole Rose:I ask your permission, take in your bitter of healing.
Nicole Rose:I am no longer VM 93 85.
Nicole Rose:Tasting the wild.
Nicole Rose:I am alive just for a moment.
Nicole Rose:No prisoner, no criminal.
Nicole Rose:A wise woman who talks with plants like ancestors who heard their whispers, thousands of generations before alive in the wilderness.
Nicole Rose:A wild outlaw.
Nicole Rose:All right, so that is the section all about plant allies and in my herbalism, P T S D and Traumatic Traumatic Stress course, , I have like a whole video all about kind of plant allyship and yeah, just the million and one things you can do to connect with plants like the different.
Nicole Rose:, ways you can learn about plants and their names and their histories and their kind of political dynamics, if that makes sense.
Nicole Rose:And how to prepare medicine with your plant and yeah, different research like folklore, things like that.
Nicole Rose:And yeah, it's, it's, you know, it's an important part of the course.
Nicole Rose:Like I have used this plant ally process.
Nicole Rose:Throughout my kind of herbal journey I think loads of people have.
Nicole Rose:And it's always amazing which herb kind of strikes you at which moment, and then you have that relationship with that plant, , indefinitely, which is really special.
Nicole Rose:Okay, so that was the end of the prison's herbal book.
Nicole Rose:You can find a copy of the book on my website.
Nicole Rose:The physical copies are only five pounds right now.
Nicole Rose:, and the eBooks are just three pounds.
Nicole Rose:, and yeah, we've got translated editions in Spanish and soon to be Italian.
Nicole Rose:And yeah, just thank you so much for listening.
Nicole Rose:Thanks so much for listening to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.