What Strange Brew

We are fascinated by the beautiful and strange plants that have had mythological and spiritual significance attributed to them.

In the Beginning...

Humans and plants have shared the earth since the beginning of time. Humans, being the inquisitive creatures that they are, have tried to understand these everpresent and mostly silent companions.

Many attempts to understand the world included stories and magical or mystical ideas about plants.

Various trees, shrubs, herbs, grains, flowers, and fruit appear in myths and legends as general symbols of rebirth, decay, and immortality. Some plants have acquired much more specific meaning in folklore.

Some plants have been the subject of stories. Some have been eaten, carried or worn to try to access the plant's qualities or its knowledge.

Some are said to increase spiritual insights by ingesting them.

In contrast to our own society, earth-based cultures were and are immersed in a worldview in which the daily affairs and decisions of life were experienced as a seamless part of the sacred natural world. The natural world around them was intimately involved in creation as well as their daily lives.

This page was last modified on Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Fairy (Faerie) Forest - I loved reading fairy tales as a child. It was thrilling when the woodcutter went into the woods and spoke to a strange little person, or children were taken off into the forest to find their way back. What does the forest represent? Certainly a place where we can get lost and maybe find our way. Or meet with odd characters. Or feel a little scared and awed.

The magical plant or herb of immortality sought by Gilgamesh, the hero of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, provides one example of how myths use plants as symbols of life and of the healing power of nature. However, because some plants yield poisons and some die in winter, plants can also represent death and decay.

(more on this myth here)

Mushrooms are full of contrasts. They have always fascinated and frightened people. A mushroom can taste delicious or kill you, can give spiritual insight or make you sick. They grow in the deep forest where the elves and witches live and hide under forest debris.

Some of the plants highlighted on these pages can be purchased or further explored by clicking on links on the plant's page.

Also please check back - we are always learning and will add more plants with mythical or spiritual significance as we learn about them. If you'd like to see a plant added to this website I'd love to hear about it. Send me a message below:

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What Strange Brew

Stories of plants in Folklore and Myth