Today for the first time in the challenge, you’ll be harvesting or purchasing a small amount of your plant to work with.

While I think you’ll get the best results from harvesting a bit of your living plant ally to dream with, I understand sometimes that might not be possible due to the season or accessibility issues. If you need to purchase a bit of dried plant material for this exercise, my first recommendation would be to find a local herb store you can trust. If that isn’t possible for whatever reason, there are two on line herbal suppliers who I personally have had good experiences with, who are also often recommended by people who work with herbs professionally.

Frontier Co-Op is a member-owned herbal supplier with a “mission to put people and planet before profits.”

Mountain Rose Herbs is an independently owned company who “prioritize sustainability, ethical sourcing, quality, and the well-being of our community.” They also offer a variety of free herbal education resources.

If you’ll be collecting parts of your ally now or in the future, it’s important to understand how to harvest mindfully. So before we discuss the methods you might use to dream with your ally, I hope you’ll read my post on harvesting plants for medicine and magick.

If you’re working with a poisonous or toxic plant, I recommend you NOT ingest it or apply it to your skin unless you are experienced and really, REALLY know what you’re doing. 

Now on to my favorite methods of dreaming with a plant, listed in no particular order.

1. The simplest way to dream with a plant is to tuck a bit of it into your pillow case. When you collect a bit of your ally for this exercise, talk to the plant about your intentions. Ask them to join you in your dreams, and ask them if there’s anything they want to show you or tell you. Before you get in bed, put the bit of plant you gathered into your pillowcase close to where you lay your head. As you drift off to sleep, think of your plant friend and once again ask them (out loud OR silently in your head) to communicate with you in your dreams. Similarly, you could also tuck a bit of the plant into a pocket, or hold it in your hand as you fall asleep.
2. If your plant friend is safe to consume, you can make a weak tea from a small amount of the plant and sip it before going to bed. Put a bit of the plant in a cup; a tea infuser is helpful, but you can manage without it if you don’t have one. Pour boiling water over the plant material and let it steep for three to five minutes. Remove the plant material and let the tea cool until it’s drinkable. As you sip the tea, focus on your intention to dream with or about your plant ally. Go to bed as soon as you’ve finished drinking your tea.
3. Steam inhalation can be a very pleasant way to engage the energy of your ally. While it’s more potent with dried plants, for dreaming you can also work with fresh plants. Put some of your plant in a wide, heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the plant and allow to steep for five minutes. Then lean over the bowl to inhale the steam, being careful not to get so close you burn your skin on the steam. Drape a large towel over your head so it creates a sort of tent over you and the bowl, and inhale the steam. Continue the process until the water cools or you can’t stand being under the towel anymore. As you breathe in the steam, focus on your intention to dream with or about your ally.
4. Another way to use inhalation of plants for dreaming is with smoke. I definitely recommend only using dried plants for this method. You can create a small bundle of dried plants, tied together with a natural string or twine. Light one end and allow it to flame for a moment, then extinguish the flame. The end should glow orange and emit a stream of smoke. You may need to light it and extinguish the bundle a few times to get a good, steady amount of smoke. Alternatively, smolder the dried plant on a charcoal disc in a censer or heat proof dish. Waft the smoke around yourself and/or the room you will sleep in, breathe the fragrance, and focus on your intention. Don’t use this method if you suffer from asthma, are experiencing any respiritory issues, or have allergies. Be sure to thoroughly extinguish any smoldering materials before going to sleep.
5. If you can’t harvest any of your plant ally for whatever reason, you could also take just a few drops of a tincture or flower essence made from the plant, purchase a tea made from your plant, or put a little pouch or cloth bag of the dried plant in your pillow. Don’t be afraid to get creative; the challenge is meant to be a learning experience.
6. If you like to sew or feel adventurous, you could create a dream pillow with dried parts of your ally. Either tuck the dream pillow into your regular pillowcase or fall asleep with it draped over your forehead or eyes.

If you don’t experience any dreams that seem significant, or you don’t remember your dreams, that’s okay. You can try again as often as you like, perhaps trying different methods each time. I’ve tried dreaming with a variety of plants in a variety of ways over the years, and it’s different each time. Some plants don’t ever join me in my dreams: some do so enthusiastically right away. And I’ve had plants visit me in a dream without any prompting from me. If your ally doesn’t speak to you in your dreams, it doesn’t mean you have failed or the plant doesn’t want a relationship with you. It might mean  you need to practice. It might also mean your plant doesn’t want to work with you in this particular way, and that’s all right. You’ll find other ways to communicate with and connect to your ally as you spend time with them.

If you DO have dreams that seem significant, I suggest jotting them down in a notebook or recording them in a digital document so you remember them. The information could be helpful when you create your materia magicka at the end of the challenge.

Not sure what the Plant Spirit Ally Challenge is? You can learn more about it here.

Image of a sleeping woman by Clarke Sanders, courtesy of Unsplash.

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