I begin with my plant ally, cannabis. Thank you for all the ways you have helped me to be a better human. Thank you for your generous gifts that allow me to be here, sharing your magic with others. I hope I have represented you in ways that are helpful and respectful.
Next, I come to the human plant-loving clan I call family, the herbalists. My first visit to this world was at the New England Women’s Herbal Conference in the late 1990s. Although I initially felt like a tree among the flowers, with my basketball shorts and jock attitude, I soon knew these were my people. It was here that my understanding of “right relationship” blossomed and was nourished. Elders honored for the accumulated wisdom that comes from living a full life held council and told stories under an old oak while the line of budding herbalists brought their gifts and gratitude. We understand our abundant life is made possible by the life-giving generosity of our ancestors, the green world. We would not be here without their offering of the oxygen we breathe, food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Rosemary Gladstar, my beloved first herbal teacher, exemplifies right relationship as she walks the world spreading fairy dust over those who come close enough to listen. One of her many gifts is her ability to see potential leaders and teachers and offer them a place at the table. Her request for me to teach at Sage Mountain began my path to this book. Pam Montgomery continued my education on the subtle nature of plant spirits and how we must step into our rightful place as healthy co-creators with the plant world. Again, this book would not be here without her mentoring, exploring, and tracking the places of plant relationship and her generosity of spirit to share what she found. Tom Brown Jr., the master mapmaker of the spirit world, thank you for showing me ways for deep connection with spirit.
It takes a village to write a book. Life carries on while I sit in my “Tam cave” researching, learning, and writing. The garden continues to thrive and be nourished, the medicine continues to be made, and chores on the land continue to get done. Thank you, Suzanne, for taking the lead on nourishing me and our land and Kim and Milo and all the interns who kept all the chores rolling. Thank you to Kim for being my personal article retriever and Endnote manager.
Finally, my beloved companion on this wild ride, my wife, Kris. Thank you for holding all the “beta-chirps,” all the details of our very full life so I could go and write. For the counseling sessions as I cried about all the animal experiments I needed to sift through in researching this book, for the kind listening to my ideas, for your insightful editing, and for the fun paths you sent me down in exploring new ideas. I wouldn’t be here without your solid, gentle, and wise companionship.
Thank you.