119: Healing Trauma with Animism: Rachel Weitz on Sacred Herbalism

Our kinship with the natural world can offer a balm for the troubled modern soul, and counsellor, somatic therapist and folk herbalist Rachel Weitz works directly with strengthening this sense of relationships with plants, earth and spirit. After quite an amazing journey of apprenticeships and study that span a counselling degree, a 4-year stint in the Peruvian amazon with the Shipibo peoples, and a 6-year apprenticeship with shamanic healer and herbalist Ann Drucker she has created a healing modality she calls “animistic healing arts” that weaves all these threads together. She works with her clients and to restore the lost sense of kinship with the greater intelligence that is within and round us - the plants, the ancestors, nature herself and guides. Her aim is the support folks in facilitating their own direct healing process in connection with these guides and more-than-human relationships.  In this episode, Stephanie and Rachel explore how plants can be powerful allies in our healing journeys beyond the physical, the spirit properties of hawthorn for opening us to grief, what an old world apprenticeship really looks like, and the wonder of being in the circle of care of the plant world.  SHOW NOTES https://www.instagram.com/rachelweitzhealingarts/ [email protected] https://www.rachelweitz.com/ *BUY ME A CUPPA* If you liked the episode and want more, a cuppa fuels my work and time, which is given for free. Leave a comment and a few bucks here: ⁠buymeacoffee.com/theeldertree⁠ To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theeldertree.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or follow is on socials here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  The intro and outro song is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sing for the Earth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.