Being A Catalyst

On stepping into Spirit-led herbalism and authenticity as an agent of change

I have been trying to get this thought out for awhile, but April was such a doozy. Originally, intended to share this closer to National Herbalist’s Day (April 17th), but a swollen lymph node was calling for me to slow down and tend to myself a bit better. (Shoutout to cleavers, the sticky prickly ally whose medicine helped me find flow again and get some restful sleep!) How’s your heart these days? I hope you’re treating yourself tenderly and doing some creative things. I’ve been baking a lot of bread, cookies, and cakes, writing poetry and trying my hand at homemade kombucha!

On National Herbalist’s Day, I was connecting with my cohort members (I’ve recently completed Levels 1 & 2 of a Spiritual Herbalism Apprenticeship with Sacred Vibes Apothecary and was invited (and have decided!) to continue to Level 3), when someone asked for clarification on which herbs can serve as catalysts in formulas. In formulary, one type of catalyst (there are a few different ways to think about this, but for the purpose of this conversation I’ll focus on the more physical aspects) is an herb that has a stimulating effect on the body to help “activate” a formula to deliver it where needed to have an intended effect.

More broadly, a catalyst according to Merriam Webster, is “a substance that changes the rate of a chemical reaction but is itself unchanged at the end of the process.” or “a person or event that quickly causes change or action.” This latter definition feels particularly relevant for the times we’re in, as we watch and experience the deeply flawed and unjust structures we’ve found ourselves subjected to for centuries crumble in ways that feel slow, fast, maybe scary, exciting, and even inevitable all at the same time.

I reflect a lot on why I’m stepping into the role and answering the call to be a Spirit-led herbalist now. Throughout the last few years I’ve battled so many doubts like: Do I know enough? Can I really help others? Is it my place to do or be this? Will I be taken seriously? How will I know when I’m ready? I grew up outside all of the time with my grandparents, whether it was helping my grandfather plant caladium bulbs around the giant tree in the backyard, or walking through lush greenhouses with my grandmommy while we pointed at all the flowers. As I got older, I felt distant from the Earth, but she was never really distant from me. Eventually, I started working in the beauty industry and ending up at an herbalist-founded brand, then a few years later I joined my local community garden as a volunteer. I was returning and remembering, cutting through everything that made me feel distant from the Earth and from the Creator.

Underneath all of the fears was an overwhelming desire to just be myself. To live my life and spend my time in ways that felt joyful and exciting, to show up in the world brightly, to bring forth all the things in my head and my heart and make them real. To honor my attitude towards money and work, towards magic, towards goodness and harmony in the midst of a bewilderingly painful and beautiful world. The Earth and the plants helped me see what’s possible; they were catalysts for me and showed me that I, too, am a catalyst. And so are you.

We’re here at this time to usher in profound, positive changes in the world. Every time we honor our hearts, move from our deepest truths, and express ourselves fully and clearly, we heal ourselves, our lineages, along with Mother Earth. We can each be a catalyst for the ways we want the world to look like. Self-honesty and self-expression start within and ripple positively outward to ground the reality we want to live in. We owe it to ourselves to move from our hearts, not worrying about whether it makes sense to others or how it looks from the outside.

I loved this post Catalysts in Herbal Medicine on Guido Masé’s blog A Radicle, where he states, “We [herbalists] are catalysts ourselves, in that we help to bridge the gap between plants and people (like some sort of green mercury)…as it turns out, as herbalists we have a responsibility as go-betweens, as mercurial catalysts, not only in the garden, not only with our clients.” To be a catalyst is a great responsibility, especially when it comes to the realms of plants and Spirit. I know I’m at the beginning of this journey, and look forward to continuing to grow, be guided, and be of service to the collective and greater good.

I offer these reflections and would love to hear what comes up for you. What are you a bridge for? What are you trying to catalyze in the world? How do the ways you show up ground the reality you want to see and feel?

Thanks for reading and supporting as this space takes shape! I’m feeling really excited to see how it evolves 🤩

Ericka