Fitomisteria. Zielarska praktyka spekulatywna

Phytomystery. A Herbal Speculative Practice

This article describes the practice of entering mindfully into a relationship with plants, formulated by the Warsaw-based herbal studio Chwaściarnia [Weedshop]. It presents a several-stage herbal speculative method, developed with reference to the assumptions guiding contemporary posthu-manism. In the first part, the article addresses the practice of conscious breathing with plants, challenging the traditional anthropocentric paradigm of herbalism. It then discusses the successive stages of the method: sensory familiarization with the plant, the role of voice (including call and response), and the importance of performative incantations and murmurs. The problem of the rela-tionship between people and plants in contaminated areas is also addressed. An important part of the method described is speculation, which involves weaving a narrative about the plant and col-lectively creating its imaginative depiction. The practice ends with collating speculation with bo-tanical facts. This method combines mindfulness practices with the development of an approach based on knowledge and care.

Keywords: herbal practice, postsecularism, mindfulness, relationality, knowledge and care