The Medicine of Corn

Finding Light Within a Dark World

Corn has been speaking to me lately. I confess that it has actually taken me a while to come into deeper relationship with this sacred plant.

While I have long understood the value and spiritual significance of Corn in my mind, it has never truly spoken to me in a spiritual capacity before. I always felt like I was missing a key piece of information that would someday unlock its meaning to me.

I didn't "get" Corn until recently, it started to speak to me.

The Mayans speak of our current civilization as People of Corn and in almost all of Indigenous traditions of the Americas corn is held in sacred reverence. In the fire ceremonies I have had the honor of experiencing, Corn is always offered and held sacred. I have reciprocated the same in my own fire ceremonies, trusting that while I did not fully understand, I would someday discover more to its meaning. The spiritual connection was not yet met for me, but the intention and openness to understanding was.

I have been aware for some time of the quite profound journey and evolution Corn has undergone over thousands of years.

The profound transformation beginning from a small wild grass into the immense symbol of sustenance and nourishment that it has become today is magical to reflect upon. So much food and abundance and life, has come from what began as a humble plant called Teosinte, or God/Sacred Corn.

Our world lives on corn and many of us are unaware.

Over thousands of years humans and Teosinte have been in deep relationship. The ancient indigenous peoples cared for and cultivated this sacred plant into so many profound varieties and sizes and shapes. It has sustained countless generations of peoples to survive and thrive on our planet. Even today, when many of us are operating in our busy modern world, Corn continues to weave its way through so many aspects and products of our life all the way from food ingredients, to cosmetics, to fuel and plastics, and so much more. Our world lives on Corn and many of us are unaware.

And to be honest, this is true for so many sacred plants and medicines of the world. So much of the products and lifestyles we consume come from wild plants and resources of the Earth that were once held in reverence and respect. We have become so far removed from the land that we don't even understand our very physical relationship with it, not to mention the deeper spiritual connections.

I have found for myself, the journey of returning home to my heart, with intention and practice, has also been a slow journey of returning home to the lands that I live on.

This is not an immediate overnight sensation, but one that has delicately unfolded in my path of remembering. It most notably took place with Cacao. Later, other plants began to speak to me such as the sacred maple tree in my backyard, the roses I use in ceremony, the sweetgrass I tended to over the summer. And yet, Corn still mystified me.

What was it about Corn that I was missing?

I must have unknowingly sent this question out into the universe for I have begun to receive answers.

When I reflect, I realize Corn has been speaking to me for some time. And it is only recently that I have started listening.

It started with a gift of blue Corn from a special and dear friend. We had not seen each other for some time and we met over a cup of Cacao this past Fall. We had learned together in Guatemala about the significance of Corn in ceremony, and how the living Mayans today have sacred Corn beverages, and Atoles, and some will even add Corn to their Cacao.

I had not yet experienced Corn in this way and when I shared this with my friend, she decided to gift me with some of her sacred ground Corn so I may experience for myself in my own private rituals. Suddenly, this quiet question, I have long held in my heart and mind, began to awaken.

I started to incorporate a small pinch of Corn into my Cacao and meditate and journey with its medicine.

Slowly the medicine began to whisper soft remembering into my awareness. It did not happen immediately, but I continued to add a pinch of Corn to my Cacao and remained open to receiving deeper understanding when I would be ready.

One morning I was drawing in my journal and suddenly began to understand -- really understand. I was sitting with my sacred Cacao and a pinch of Corn and it felt like all the little spiritual puzzle pieces clicked in my mind and heart, and the magic of Corn began to speak.

And it wasn't just Corn. I began to understand Corn and Cacao -- Together.

At first, it was the profound heart felt remembrance of how similar corn and Cacao actually are in appearance. Then it was a deeper recognition of how Cacao thrives in the shade and darkness of the jungle, and meanwhile Corn seeks out and flourishes in light.

I have worked extensively with Cacao now and have come to deeply understand and love its ability to support me in navigating the hidden emotions, shadows, and stories hiding in my heart and inner world. Cacao holds the deep feminine motherly energy helping me to honor my feelings and to come into profound relationship with the intuitive and often mystical aspects of my human nature.

And now Corn has arrived to help me bring those deeper hidden gifts and gems out into the light of the day in my physical world. Corn gives us the structure and foundation to support and hold space for our deeper intuitive natures. Corn holds the medicine of the sacred masculine. The energy of doing, of action.

I think for many of us, we have been navigating our inner psyches and hearts more actively and now the invitation is here to bring all of this inner healing work and discovery into our lived reality.

How is Corn inviting you to show up in your world?

How can Corn support you in holding space for your soul journey in this life?

As I started to explore this profound relationship between Corn and Cacao, I knew that I needed to incorporate this collaborative medicine into my Solstice Gathering held this past December.

Once again I meditated on this solstice offering and asked what was for me to share in this sacred space. I journeyed with Cacao and Corn and received a vision of the two marrying each other. Corn shared the message with me that it is here to support us at this time on our planet.

And then I was guided very poignantly to offer a kernel of corn to each person at this solstice gathering.

Each beautiful kernel of Corn holds the magical potential and master plan to create more life.

Each seed holds the light of a new day.

But the seed of Corn does not germinate or take root in the light.

It must first begin in the darkness.

Only within the rich dark soils of the Earth does the seed germinate and roots sprout. Somehow, magically, this little seed holds the blueprint of light within its very DNA and it knows how to reach through the darkness and find the light. And so too can we remember this medicine and message.

In a world of darkness, our light is called to be seen and grow.

Just before the end of this year, my sister came to visit me. She often will come with unusual gifts and baked goods. And this time, among the homemade sourdough bread and trinkets, she brought me Corn. Not just any Corn, but heirloom Corn she had grown herself on special land.

She doesn't always grow Corn, in fact, this was the first time she had grown Corn on this land. Many had told her that Corn couldn't grow there, and yet it did! Following traditional guidance, she grew the Corn in a circle utilizing the three sisters approach. And the Corn blossomed and grew.

It felt like she too, in her own way, was listening and responding to this call and invitation of Corn.

I believe that Corn is speaking to us now, profoundly, at this time on our planet. Asking us to embody and live in very real tangible ways, in alignment with our soul and our light within. And with everything happening now on our planet at this time, the invitation could not be more prominent.

It may feel defeating to embody your light in world that feels so heavy and dark.

To make your light known in real and visible ways can feel uncomfortable and scary. But if not now, then when?

I invite you to sit with your own kernel of light within or maybe even with the medicine of Corn in some way that speaks to you, and allow it to take root in this world. Let it grow... big and bold and beautiful.

Will you join me?