Notes from the Congo (Brazzaville)
Réka Komáromi, a freelance ethnobotanist based in Berlin, Germany recounts her time spent with a traditional practitioner from Sounda Village, Congo (Brazzaville).
Reka Komaromi /
July 14, 2017
Ayahuasca
Over the last 20 odd years, interest towards the medicinal and spiritual properties of ayahuasca has grown immensely outside its area of origin, leading to increased consumption of raw materials which in turn has raised concerns that B. caapi and its admixtures are not being harvested sustainably.
Dalton Smith, Tanja Gaehwiler, Curtis Spoelstra /
July 14, 2017
FernHouse
Jaideep Mathur explores the artistic process behind his fernhouse painting.
Jaideep Mathur /
July 14, 2017
First Snow
Katharine Reszetnik explores the ambiance of a first frost through poetry.
Katharine Reszetnik /
July 14, 2017
Emotion and Plants: A Traditional Healing Potion for Success
Jessie McFadden shares her experience learning about indigenous uses of plants while visiting the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre (Thunder Bay, Ontario).
Jessie McFadden /
July 14, 2017
Welcome to the First Issue of Spiritual Botany Magazine!
Spiritual Botany is an interdisciplinary, on-line, open access magazine that was created to envision, explore, and appreciate the role plants and plant-based practices play in connecting us to our environment, health, consciousness, and spirituality.
Spiritual Botany Magazine /
November 3, 2016
Greetings From the Editor
Warm greetings from Dr. Praveen Saxena, editor of Spiritual Botany Magazine.
Praveen Saxena /
November 3, 2016
How Is Botany Connected to Spirituality and Human Health?
In honour of our first issue, we have asked experts from fields related to spiritual botany to send us their thoughts on how botany (the science of plants) is connected to spirituality, consciousness, and human health”.
Praveen Saxena and Christina Turi /
November 3, 2016
The Effects of Experiencing Green Spaces on Health and Well-being: Insights Into a New Research Domain
There is increased interest in multidisciplinary studies that relate human health and well-being with environmental factors. One of the new frontiers relates to the effects that experiencing green spaces have on mental and physical health. The shinrin-yoku research model is presented here as an example of this captivating enterprise.
Verena Kulak /
November 3, 2016
Spiritual Uses of the Buttercup Family in North America
Classic ethnobotany describes a strong connection between plants used to treat neurological diseases and those associated with ceremonial and/or ritualistic practices. This article examines current phytochemical and pharmacological understanding for several spiritual species belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) which have previously been employed as medicines during ceremony
Christina E. Turi /
November 3, 2016
Where’s Your Head at? Plant Intelligence and Medicinal Plants as a New Window Into This Complex Case
Can plants think? It is a controversial question that inspires both skepticism and interest. This article will highlight instances in which plants (though not in the same manner as animals), demonstrate kinship and altruism, the presence of reasoning or control centers, and the capacity to communicate with the surrounding environment.
Lauren A E Erland and Praveen K Saxena /
November 3, 2016
Trees ‘N’ Traits: Cedars and “Resilience”
Neil Baldwin explores the extent to which our temperament might embody characteristics of certain tree species.
Neil Baldwin /
November 3, 2016
Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)
Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of India and Vietnam and is widely employed for religious or spiritual purposes around the world. In honour of our first issue, the plant profile is dedicated to the ethereal sacred lotus, the flower which graces our spiritual botany logo.
Christina E. Turi and Praveen K. Saxena /
November 3, 2016
Mycomagicians
Maya Goel marvels the world of saprophytes through poetry
Maya Goel /
November 3, 2016
Peony Nascent
Sylvia Woods a visual artist based in Guelph, Ontario presents her painting of the European peony (Paeonia officinalis L.), a plant once regarded as a healing symbol during the Renaissance.
Sylvia D. Woods /
November 3, 2016
What We Don’t See in Light’s Dark Reactions
An excerpt from a book of poetry entitled "A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes" by Madhur Anand
Madhur Anand /
November 3, 2016
Plants: Nature’s Treasure Chests
Did you know that in the last 30 odd years approximately 73% of all small molecule antibacterial drugs are from or derived from natural sources including plants? Devanshi Shukla a high school student from Guelph, ON shares her experience while investigating plant antimicrobials during a recent visit to the Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation.
Devanshi Shukla /
November 3, 2016
Seeing Plants as Persons
The notion that plants are intelligent beings capable of responding to their environment in a strategic and planned manner is a controversial topic amongst members of the scientific community. Sonnet L’Abbé questions how our intellectual embarrassment to accept plants as persons might hinder scientific advancements in plant science.