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www.shamansociety.org29SHAMANICPRACTICEInmyendeavortosharemyworkandmybookLoveandSpiritMedicinewhichchroniclesmyprooundunoldingthroughtheshamanicuseothesacredmushroomIhavenot-edthelackowomensvoicesintheareaoentheogenicplantmedicineresearch.Tesubjectoentheogenicplantmedicinehaslongbeentabooinourculture.Tesesubstanceshavebeenegregiouslyabusedandresulantlymisunderstood.Teyarealsoillegalwhichurtherstigmatizestheirusemakingitverydifcultormedicinewomentocomeorwardandsharetheirwisdomonthesubject.Troughtheagesnumerouscultureshaveworkedwithplantandungiteachersinasacredmanner.Plantmedicineitselhaslongbeenthedomainowomenandcertainwomenwerenostrangerstothehealingpowersothevisionaryselections.Itistimetowelcomebackthewomanasvisionaryplantmedicineshaman.Wehavemuchtolearnromtheeminineperspectiveregardingthespiritualapplicationothesemedicines.Womenthroughouttimehavehadanintimaterelation-shipwiththeplantkingdom.Teysoughtplantsnotonlyorsustenancebutalsoortheirspecichealingpropertieswhichincludedtheeasingochildbirth.Inadditionplantswereusedorritual.Specicplantsorresinssuchassageorcopalwereusedtoclearspaceandremovenegativeorces.Otherplantswereandstillareusedspecicallyasaportaltothespiritrealms.Manyawomanshamanhasusedtheseplantscalledentheogenstoaccessextra-dimensionalintelligencesknownasplantteachers.Tesewomenotentookontheshamanicroleooracleortheircommunityallowingthespiritstotemporar-ilypossessthemenablingwisdomsecretknowledgeandheal-ingtopourthrough.TiswasonceahighlyrespectedpracticeamongculturesliketheancientGreeksandtheNorsewhotreasuredthesewomen.Sadlytheemalevisionaryshamanshavebeenhistori-callyignoredormarginalizedlargelyduetotheactthatthemajorityoarcheologistsandanthropologistsrompre-1950havebeenpredominantlymale.Tesemenhadtheirreligiousandculturalbiaseswhichinuencedtheirstudiesosha-maniccultures.TepriestsbeorethemwhoaccompaniedtheSpanishandEnglishconquerorstotheAmericasviewedtheshamanswithsuspicionandrevulsionparticularlythewomen.Tenotoriouslycruelbishopromthe1500sDiegodeLandareerredtotheMayamedicinewomenoCozumelasthoseinamousidolaters.BarbaraedlockPh.D.speakstothisinherbookTeWomanintheShamansBody.1ShesaysTatresponseowedromtheirreligiousheritage.Peoplewhoworkedwithspiritshadlongbeeninterpretedaswitchesshamansmagicianssorcerersanddivinersinleaguewiththedevil.AnypersonwhoinvokedspiritswascallingupontheservantsoSatan.Tisprooundmisunderstandingoshamanicspiritualityledtotheinamoussixteenth-centuryEuropeanwitchhuntsthatresultedinthedeathsothousandsoinnocentpeopleespeciallywomen.Dr.edlockexplainsthatthewordwitchstemsromtheoldEnglishwordwitanwhichisthepluralowitamean-ingonewhoknows.Shamansthroughtheageshavealwaysknownthattheingestionosacredvisionaryplantsgivesaccesstoathousandyearsolivingrolledintoasingleday.Womenvisionaryshamanshavebeenespeciallyadeptasoraclesinadditiontotheirskillsindiagnosisandhealing.Otenthesewomenwereolderinyearstheirlieexperiencecontributingtotheirstatusasseerhealers.Inadditionitwasunderstoodinmatrilinealcirclesthatthewomenwhowerenolongermenstruatingwerenowholdingthewisdombloodinsideoeringyetmorepotencytotheirmedicine.Itwastheoldermedicinewomenwhoweretargetedbythechurchduringthemadnessothewitch-huntspreciselybecauseotheency-clopedicknowledgemanyothesewomenpossessed.WomanAsVisionaryPlantShamanByShonaghHomeDreamoftheShamanPhotoAlicePopkorn