Description
Lecture: Devil’s Club- Sacred Cascadian Medicine
In this talk, Jon will explore working with Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus), a plant that grows from the NorthWest to Alaska and has long been revered as sacred by indigenous communities and as a frustrating “Devil” by settlers here. In this talk he will juxtapose these ideas and explore the plants magical and ceremonial use by numerous coastal native nations. Devil’s Club has not only been used for treating physical ailments such as tuberculosis, ulcers and diabetes, it has also been used for protection, initiation and healing medicine. This is a plant that is deeply armored with thorns and symbolizes both boundary protection and wounds. Often these wounds relate to inner unresolved trauma and Devil’s Club is expert at uncovering those hidden recesses and also bringing deep strength and wisdom. In this talk we will explore this powerful transformative sacred plant.
Biography
Jon is a licensed professional counselor and herbalist who works with plants extensively in his therapeutic practice. Jon often work with people who are neurodiverse, are working through spiritual emergence and are looking for someone who weaves energetic plant medicine into deep work. He has written extensively about herbs, astrology and challenging the medical model of treating those in distress. Jon wrote a book called Guide to Natural Health, Using the horoscope as a key to Ancient Healing Practices and writes for Plant Healer Magazine, the Mountain Astrologer, StarIQ, Beyond Meds and MadinAmerica. He works in the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland and can be found at www.hearthsidehealing.com
