by Jill Cole
Meeting the archetypal energies of maiden, mother, and crone has been an important aspect of my experience at ArborVitae, and in this class with Olatokunboh Obasi, I felt it immensely. This sense was triggered by the question with which Ola opened the class, which was “how will the bones you carry (personal ancestry/history/biography) inform your practice as an herbalist?” The answers my classmates shared to this question were so deep and poetic that I’m still thinking about their words today.
I found it interesting that it was the relatively older women in the class who instantly articulated a response, easily weaving webs of meaning from memories of their maiden years. They were practiced in mining their past for wisdom and sharing it. I understand that this defines the archetypal ‘mother’ time of life—which also involves a descent of sorts, through which the material from the maiden years is turned into gold. Telling stories is an important part of the alchemical process by which maiden becomes mother—it is how we re-introduce ourselves to the world as one standing firmly in the archetype (whether or not we have children). It is a creative act and where our wisdom blooms. I am curious about how to consciously move through stages of life in a culture that lacks meaningful rites of passage and was struck to find the resonance so strong in this class.
I was so inspired by Ola, her question, and my classmates, that I started to reflect on different chapters of my life through this lens. It is exciting to begin to see contours of what my ‘flavor’ of herbalism could be like. The observation about who spoke up was important to me, as I sometimes wish I had found this course of study sooner. The exercise of looking back on my life to find the throughlines that will bless my future practice has made the herb school endeavor seem more of a continuation and less of a departure, more related to what I’ve already learned and less a totally new area of exploration. In a word: familiar.
Of course, there is the presence of Ola as a healer herself, which is something to behold. Her confidence, unique point of view, trust in her own intuition. The way she can hold heavy themes with perfect humor. The profound wisdom even her jokes reveal. Fully in her power and having come to know herself deeply—all in the service of service. These qualities are not learned in school, but are etched into a person through time and experience engaging with life’s mysteries, so in a big way, her presence served as motivation to continue on my own healing journey, alongside the book and practical learning, and to stay reverent to the spark of life, always.
Which brings me to my last point of appreciation about this class—elemental connection. I loved how the medicine wheel framed both Ola’s perspective on clinical herbalism and her line of questioning as a practitioner. I am inspired to move my connection to the medicine wheel beyond the silo of ‘prayer time’ and into other aspects of life and practice. The simplicity and truth of that structure seems to support a thorough intake process that could be meaningful to all involved. At the same time, Ola follows her intuition (and otherworldly guides, perhaps), and it is the magical confluence of all of the above that makes her such a skilled herbalist (and personal hero of mine). I’m very grateful for her presence on the Arbor Vitae faculty and the opportunity to learn from her.
Jill Cole is a mother, land steward, and second-year student at ArborVitae.