Matthew Wood, a celebrated herbalist, seamlessly integrates practical herbalism with the spiritual essence of Nature, delving into the teachings of plants, the healing properties of animal medicines, and the fundamental tenets of shamanism.
Wood explains how his life's journey required him to learn a new language in which the patterns and relationships inherent in Nature are emphasized, rather than the linear human perspective. Thanking the precious indigenous culture, he draws an experiential map to the "Green Tongue," the "Language of the Shamans." Based on his experiences as well as case studies from his practice, he examines the alphabet of Nature personified in animals and the spiritual lessons of animal medicines - animals personified in plants. He shares accounts of Turtle Medicine plants for self-examination, Bear Medicine plants to open the imagination, and Wolf Medicine plants for wholeness and magic. He also looks at plants associated with journeying to the spirit world through the medicine of Crane, Dragon, and Bat. Throughout the shamanic adventures he shares, Wood offers profound comparisons between shamanism and the psychology of Freud and Jung, the visions of Carlos Castaneda, and the occult teachings of Rudolf Steiner and G. I. Gurdjieff.
Revealing the shamanic roots of his herbal teachings, Matthew Wood provides not only an inside view of his life-long spiritual path but also an immersive and experiential guide to the shamanic wisdom of countless plant and animal teachers.
