Herbal Alchemy for the Underworld Journey
Originally published in Holistic Fashionista Magazine in Winter 2020:
Many of us come to the spiritual path through a dark night of the soul, arriving during the Saturn return and plunging us into the Underworld. Saturn, AKA Father Time, ushers in life-changing loss—of a loved one, a job, relationship, or health. These major upendings are thrust upon us like wildfire blazing through our very foundation, destroying the path we’ve so carefully plodded and any firmly-held notions of identity we’ve constructed along the way.
This reckoning initially lands around our 29th birthday showing us all aspects of our life that are not in alignment with our soul’s mission and asking that we lay them down as offerings on the pyre. Like Persephone whose cyclical descent into the Underworld brings forth the winter, we usually find ourselves spiraling into the womb of Mother Earth again and again to quest deeper truths. Embarking on this journey with our plant allies potentizes the loss of the programmed mind and reclamation of the ancient soul.
This chaotic process of destruction liberates sparks of energy, with the potential to transform and regenerate. All life is conceived, germinated and nourished in the dark, fertile womb of creation. It is within this womb space laid fallow by profound loss where we are free to dream our higher purpose into being. By grounding into this space with surrender, an alchemical healing process activates the strength and courage we need to carry out our newly illuminated Vision.
Easier said than done, though. The liminal space of the Underworld jars us right out of our comfort zones, demanding that we shed the old, familiar skins that bind us.
Unmoored in the void, not a compass or destination in sight, there is no choice but to surrender and swim with the currents. Fighting to hold onto the status quo summons the Dark Mother, a fierce and passionate archetype, incarnated in the goddesses, Kali, Inana, Hecate, the Morrigan, and Lilith; she feeds on the decay that weighs us down, giving rise to new life in the rich compost. The more we cling to the old, the more forcibly she responds. Ultimately, we must let go.
Faced with this great unknown, a cascade of emotions from depression, and denial, to sleeplessness, anxiety or sheer panic may arise depending on our resources and capacity for uncertainty. Getting thrust beyond our threshold, stirs the unconscious shadows to ease the overwhelm with mindless distraction, addictive behaviors, grasping for comfort. Yet numbing the feelings that arise bypasses the golden opportunity essential to this Journey: to heal and become whole.
As a culture, we have crossed our collective threshold and entered a universal dark night of the soul, activating our personal shadows to expose the internal shifts that are needed to birth the New Earth. We are being called to recognize the power of the ancient feminine goddess and to sit in the murky waters to receive her gifts. Only when we ourselves have walked through the Underworld, can we be a beacon for those bemoaning the this initiation.
Resilience is cultivated by acknowledging Shadow as a sacred protector that awakens when our emotions threaten to devastate us, rather than by fighting against our shadow with sheer willpower. So, to empower ourselves to tread in the discomfort that brings forth our highest evolution, we must befriend Shadow, learn to notice when he starts steering the ship, and begin to renegotiate our existing relationship with him.
Plant medicines can support us in navigating this portal and teach us to become our own healers and conscious creators of our story.
In my holistic healing practice, working with the herbs below has bestowed greater understanding of underlying patterns, fuller embodiment of experiences, and some relief from the heartache.
Devils Club: This is one of the most highly revered sacred plants of the Pacific Northewest coastal tribes. It grows in the depths of the forest in the most dark, stagnant, and moist spots. It also heals stagnant water in the body, particularly when presenting as high levels of sugar in the blood. Devil’s Club is incredibly powerful for protection from dark and dense energies making this herb of Scorpio highly specific for guiding one through the Underworld Journey and assisting to “club your devils.” A relative of ginseng, it also acts strongly on the adrenal glands, warming the body and building up the vital reserve. Adrenal support offers the inner strength required to face intense feelings that arise in this healing work.
Reishi: Its Chinese name translating as “spirit plant,” Reishi is prized for safeguarding our shen or spirit, which resides in the heart, by grounding overactive energy in the mind. Disturbed shen manifests as palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and brain fog. Sitting in the liminal space between vitality and calm, this nervous system tonic nourishes the shen so profoundly that we gain the courage and awareness to interact with the wider Spirit—the Great Cosmic Mother in her many forms of the goddess. Earthy Reishi’s correlation with the Hermit tarot card smooths the solitude of the Underworld as the brilliance of our spirit illuminates the path.
Physically, reishi is also known to boost immunity and promote longevity. As a saprotrophic fungus, reishi feeds on dead or dying trees, nourishing the soil and creating space for new growth. This parallels how releasing outdated beliefs, toxic relationships, and stagnant emotions, transforms them into sources of wisdom and inner strength, and heals us.
Elder: Celts considered Elder a sacred tree, symbolic of birth and death. This Underworld herb’s Latin name, Sambucus, originates from the panflutes made from the easily hollowed stem, associated with Pan, lord of the Underworld. Norse goddess “Elder Mother” was believed to be gatekeeper between this world and the Underworld, much like Elder’s planetary ruler, Saturn, an intermediary between the seen and unseen realms.
Elder connects us with Saturn return and the distillation of insight accumulated from life experiences, compensating for our lack of wisdom-keepers. By embodying the guidance of an elder, this herb initiates us into relationship with our inner wisdom voice. Best known as an antiviral, Elder’s tonic properties restore and strengthen the core immune system and build blood—our life force guardian. These actions nurture a stable inner essence, preventing emotions of anxiety and fear from taking over and increasing self-esteem.
Ghost Pipe: This ghost-like being is recognized as a guardian of the Underworld. Ghost Pipe emerges from the dark forest floor, reminding us that death and rebirth are one in the same. Historically, Ghost Pipe was used as a pain remedy that allowed one to “put the pain beside them” where it could be observed and ultimately transcended. Using the essence of ghost pipe helps one detach from their fears to see from an objective perspective where they are over-attached or haunted by a past ready to be released.
My offerings are designed to support you in this powerful initiation. You can heal yourself but you don’t have to do it alone. Contact me to discuss how I can help or book a complimentary consult below.
ABOUT
DIANA LEAHY WELLNESS
I’m a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach trained at Duke Integrative Medicine, Clinical Herbalist, and Shamanic Reiki Master. Having been a corporate attorney for a decade, my holistic practice is informed by an intimate understanding of modern-day health conditions faced by highly driven professionals such as digestive dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, anxiety, and burnout, and the opportunity for transformation sparked by these issues.
I design bespoke wellness programs to tap into your most heartfelt desires and restore your vitality so you can rise up to your true purpose. By weaving modalities from the cutting edge of nervous system science with the ancient traditions of elemental herbalism and nature-based ritual, we activate your body’s innate wisdom and heal from the roots.