When most are settling into the dark evenings and colder days and starting to withdraw, I always feel the need to be more connected to people and Mother Earth. This is the time I call on the magic of Plantain.

My love for Plantain is partly because it is so unassuming. It has no flashy bright flower to attract the eye, in fact you need to turn your gaze towards the earth to find her. Her name in latin means ‘Sole of the Foot’ and this is exactly how I like to connect with her and Mother Earth by gently placing the sole of my foot on her and feeling the pulse of Mother Earth connect to me.

One of her true powers medicinally is as drawing agent, so a few years ago, around this time of the year, I started to work with her to draw me out, out of the darkness I found myself slowly slipping into. Then, it is so easy for me to follow the darkness and keep going until I cut myself off, all throughout the Winter months, waiting and craving the spring light. Making the choice to work with plantain at those moments draws me out of myself, not in a crazy, wild way, but in a very gentle, unassuming way. She takes my hand and slowly, at my own pace, moves me out of my comfort zone and moves me safely to the edge of the wild, where she stays cheering me, protecting and supporting me to take the next step to rewild myself.

A rewilding in which i am still connected to the people and places around me and still connected to the darkness. It allows me to have a great balance of the light and dark over the Winter months.

The fact that she is available all year aroound in most places, for me means she is trying to fulfil her plant purpose to get us humankind to accept her healing.

She can be used freshly picked, straight which is how I mostly connect with her. I use fresh plantain in a tea and slowly and purposely sip, letting her gently work her magic on my body and soul by drawing out what no londer serves me and with each sip and each outward breath, we work together as a team, her finding and me removing. I know she will protect me on this journey through the dark months and will keep the right of light within me so I can’t possibly get lost.

To find this amazing plant, your won’t have to look too far: she can as easily be found in a country field as a city pavement.

I invite you to sit with her, invite her into your home and your body. Above anything else, please ask the plants for help, for they tell me ” We can do nothing unless we are asked”

Love Laura & the plants x