Shamans worldwide have traditionally used hallucinogenic plants that grow where they are living. Steve Andrews, the Bard of Ely, claims that this is the best way of tuning into elemental forces and nature spirits. Just as in macrobiotic philosophy it is believed that locally produced foods are tailored for the needs of people living in an area, so too is it with herbal foods for the mind.

Andrews’ book Herbs of the Northern Shaman – A Guide to the Mind-altering Plants of the Northern Hemisphere was originally published by Loompanics Unlimited in 2000, but has now come out again with updated text, additional plant species, and now features over 80 colour photographs by Katrinia Rindsberg, to allow for a better identification of the plants in the field. Described by Howard Marks (best-selling author of Mr Nice) as “excellent”, and as “a mine of useful information for Cosmonauts of Inner Space” by CJ Stone (author of Fierce Dancing and Last of the Hippies), the book is meant to equip the modern shaman with all the tools of his craft.

The book details the entheogens and psychoactive plants found in the northern hemisphere such as Calamus or Sweet Flag that can be used as a stimulant or, in higher doses, as a herb that can produce altered states of mind. Also included is Vervain, which is known as Wizard’s Plant and Herb of Enchantment, and which was one of the herbs most sacred to the Druids. It is said to be a herb of the visionary and to enhance clairvoyant abilities, as well as being a herbal remedy for insomnia and anxiety states. Vervain can inspire poets, and as a herb of Venus, it has its uses in ritual magic.

Andrews feels that many people in Western Europe opt for exotic hallucinogenic substances – such as the ayahuasca of the Amazon rainforest – but that native plants are either ignored or deemed to be inferior. The role of the shaman, nevertheless, was to contact the spirit of the place, to seek its guidance and advance for the good of the individual and the group, and for this, local substances would clearly have to be preferred over foreign substances with no grounding in the local habitat. Though more and more favour a return to such traditional rituals and belief systems, Andrews underlines that the use of such substances should never been seen as a licence to use drugs as such, but that usage comes with a responsibility, a discipline that few are applying to their explorations. He also underlines that the “shamanic substances”.

reside within the plants and that being able to acquire these plants locally, must surely augment the vitality of both plant and substance, over other substances that were cultivated thousands of miles away, or in artificial environments. For Andrews, it is a call to arms for northern shamans to return to the source.

To order the book

The book can be ordered here.

Bio

Steve Andrews, the Bard of Ely, was born in Cardiff, Wales, but now lives in Tenerife where he has been writing for Tenerife News and other publications. He has also had a column in Big Issue Cymru and contributed to Prediction and Permaculture magazines, as well as having performed as a singer-songwriter at Glastonbury and the Green Man festivals.