What Are the Best Plants for a First-Time Master Plant Dieta?
Perhaps you saw it on social media, heard it at a retreat, or chatted with a friend who has been doing master plant dietas and has had major shifts in their life, but in some way the plants have made their way to you. Whatever lit the spark, it has now become a fire, and you feel like you want to do your first master plant dieta but don’t know where to begin.
When you feel this call to deeply and more consciously work with the plants, it can be both exciting and overwhelming to figure out where to start and to come to understand the process in a way that makes you feel ready to begin. There are master plants all over the world, each with their own wisdom, teaching, and levels of intensity. My goal with this blog is to welcome those who are new to this path and offer some guidance on understanding what the process of a master plant dieta involves, how to be prepared, and some suggestions for selecting your first master plant ally as you begin your path through this ancient door of healing and relationship.
What Makes a Plant Suitable for First-Time Dieters?
There are a number of factors that can make a plant one that is a safe and supportive ally to begin this journey.
First, many of the traditional master plants from the jungle as well as others can be very intense, sometimes demanding on the body and mind, or otherwise deeply challenging. There are some that we would generally only recommend working with while in the presence of a safe guide who can monitor the process. There are some that in the wrong dose can have potential for being less safe for the body and need to be handled with care. They are powerful teachers, but not suited for beginners. So, you will want to choose a plant that is gentle but effective (though this does not necessarily mean easy!), and there are tons of these plants out there as well. Many of them are known in herbalism for helping to gently support the body like Chamomile. Often, plants that are very safe for the body and have supportive effects are a good place to start.
Plants that are emotionally supportive are another beneficial thing to look for when making your selection. Often the plants that we like to start with help to process and clear emotions like grief or lack of self-worth which are necessary before going deeper. I often recommend heart opening plants as a great starting point because all things really start from learning to open our hearts and connecting to the world safely in that space.
Learning to Hear a Plant’s Voice
Learning plant communication can also take some time and practice. Each one communicates in their own way and even differently with each individual. They will utilize not only direct speaking, but all of the senses, dreams, the activities and interactions in our lives, seeming coincidences, and many other pathways to bring information to us. Therefore, when starting out, it is helpful to begin with a plant known for communicating clearly and who teach in a more direct way.
Of course, this can vary from person to person, and I have known people who had embarked on their first dieta with intermediate plants. While that is not completely off the table if you feel a strong call and readiness to give what is required by that plant, working with plants like the ones described above can set you up for a solid foundation in this work before diving into more challenging journeys with advanced plants.
Gentle Yet Powerful Allies for Your First Journey
Rose: The Gentle Teacher of the Heart
The first plant that I recommend for first time dieters is Rose. I will admit my bias here as she is my main ally, and I could not love this incredible being more. At least until I diet her again and discover more to love about her. She is very safe for the body, nourishing and soothing, and absolutely amazing for opening the heart in all types of relationship but especially with ourselves. She is a mystical genius connected to scads of mystery schools and traditions, her thorns teach us boundaries and protection, and she can help us to discover and embody all aspects of the feminine. There’s loads more she can access and support someone with, and while she can be soft and gentle, she can also push you to your edges if that is what you need. The thing I recognize in her here is that you always know that whatever she is bringing up or through, she is doing it out of complete love.
Bobinsana: The Cheerleader of the Plant World
My personal first dieta was with Bobinsana, and I believe that she is another great plant to begin your journey with. Again, she is a heart opening plant that can open us up to deeper self-love and acceptance. If you look at the actual plant, she has pink pompoms for flowers, which many of us believe signify that she is the cheerleader of the plant world, cheering you on as you embark on this healing journey. She is also amazing for healing grief and similar emotions especially when that heaviness is weighing us down. Also known as sirenita, the little mermaid, she is absolutely water energy, helping stuck energies flow so you can also be more fluid as you move through life.
White Sage: Protector and Purifier
White Sage is another incredible being to choose as your first master plant ally. As we begin to do this work, having strong boundaries and protection is absolutely essential, and Sage is a powerhouse for both of those necessities. She is also great for purification and clearing, which when we are beginning we often benefit from that purifying quality of Sage to help us create a clear vessel and energy to move forward. Another thing that I learned from her is how to be in alignment with what is for us and what we are calling into our lives, and this demonstrates a part of why she is also a wonderful plant for manifestation. I have found that for me at least, she is a bit more strict with the food portion of the protocol, but that makes sense when she is trying to help us purify including our physical vessel!
Mullein: The Tender Strength of the Masculine
If you feel called to a more masculine energy, I cannot recommend Mullein more. He is not one that is often dieted, but he is an absolute master. He brings some of the sweetest and most tender masculine energy even though he is immensely powerful, and I don’t have words for how soothing it feels to be energetically wrapped in his big velvety leaves. Being held in this way allows you to feel safe to release deep grief and trauma, and he is incredibly for those looking to discover more vitality within themselves and rediscover their light. On a physical level, he is wonderful for soothing achy muscles and ligaments, and he can lubricate the joints particularly in the spine. He grows a staff of flowers in the plant’s second year which demonstrates his ability to support not only the spine, but to open the flow of kundalini/life force energy. More people are beginning to work with him in this context, and I am certainly am happy to see this. He’s another one that is very safe for the body as well, and his comforting presence makes him a great beginner ally.
How to Know Which Plant Is Right for You
So how do you know that it is time and which plant is for you? Well, there are lots of ways!
Sometimes there is a very clear call to a particular plant. If there is one plant that you just keep seeing everywhere or that is mentioned in conversations that could be a sign. They may come into your dreams, drop little hints through symbols, images, or something that represents them to you. Often this is consistent enough that it gets your attention and makes it clear that they are trying to communicate with you. It might even be surprising the ways that they come into your consciousness.
When the Call Isn’t Clear Yet
Other times, you know that you want to begin a master plant dieta and join a plant being in unison, but you do not have an idea who might be coming in. In this case, I would invite you to really sit with what is going on in your life, what things you have been wanting to heal, or is there something emotional that feels like it could really be addressed. Have you been contemplating ancestral work, need grounding and protection support, or have a physical ailment that you would like to heal? In short, begin by really sitting with what you would like the plant ally you connect with to support you in healing or transforming.
As facilitators, we can help you sift through these kinds of questions, and then give you some options of potential plants that could address what you are working with. Generally, we might offer around 3 suggestions that might be a good fit for where you are and what you want to gain from the dieta process. You can then decide if any of those feels most aligned for you, and of course if you don’t feel called to any of the ones we suggest, we can continue to discuss other allies until we find the one that fits. The important part is that in your heart it feels like the right decision. I can also tell you from experience that you will know when you find them.
Honoring the Path: Preparing for Your First Dieta
So, you have decided on your first ally. YAY! But what next? How do you begin to prepare?
One of the most important things is to begin really honing in on your intentions and getting really clear on what you want to get from this experience. This plant has ancient wisdom and medicine to share, so what is it you most desire from this relationship with them. On that note, it is important here to remember that this is a relationship, so I like to also get clear on what I would like to give back to the plant.
It could be as simple as time joined together, a bit more understanding of the human experience, or just gratitude. Maybe you want to blow some smoke or sprinkle some mapacho on the earth for them. Or if possible put an actual plant in the ground. Regardless of what you choose, being in reciprocity with this plant in your heart will exponentially help your journey. The plants also want us to know that while they are teachers, so are we, so it is important to be gracious to them for all that they share but also to offer of ourselves in return.
Preparing Mind, Body, and Spirit
As the opening date gets closer, spending time turning inward, being in nature, meditation, and other mindful activities can be supportive of the process. Anything that helps you to emotionally and energetically start to sink into a mindful space. Beginning to cut out dark media, social media, and any of our regular daily distractions can be helpful as you prepare for your plant union.
The actual food protocol for the dieta is typically pretty strict, so while it’s not absolutely necessary, it can be incredibly supportive to start cutting things out ahead of time and cleaning up your diet. Especially things like sugar and caffeine which many people have a dependency on may take a bit of weening off time. Of course, you can always go “cold turkey”, but it is usually gentler on the body to do this more gradually and avoids spending the first few days of the dieta sluggish and possibly with headaches etc. The more you are able to start removing things from your diet in the week or so ahead of time, it can also help your body to be a clearer vessel for your new friend.
Of course, again this is a place where we as facilitators can support you. We can make suggestions for things that you can eat, what kind of snacks you may be able to take with you to work or places you may not have access to clean food, or ways that you can meal prep so you are not constantly cooking, etc. A good facilitator will be there to support you as you prepare for this experience, during it, and through into integration. We may also receive messages from the plant, be there to help decipher what is coming through, and support you as the teachings ground in after we close the container.
Closing Reflection – The First Step Is Sacred
If you have read this far and feel like it is clear that you are ready to embark on this plant journey, then congratulations for already taking a huge step. That choice is the spark for the rest to unfold. Once we say yes and welcome the plants to work with us, the rest begins to flow in. You do not need to worry about choosing a “beginner” plant for something more powerful as even these plants are not even necessarily less powerful so much as they tend to be easier for people new to the process to work with. Often these become the plants that we return to time and again as we continue down this path! Be open, humble, and curious and come with an open heart ready to welcome them, and the plants will not disappoint. I will joyfully say that many of them are some of my very best friends and teachers.
Are you feeling the call? If so, I would be happy to support you. Please feel free to reach out to explore which plant might be right for your first sacred journey, and I would be honored to hold the container for your union together.
About the Author
Lindsay Calliandra Rose is a Medicine Carrier, an accomplished herbalist, Plant Medicine integration specialist, and a woman with a profoundly sacred relationship with nature. She began her Plant Medicine journey many years ago with Ayahuasca and Huachuma, and she has completed multiple Master Plant Diets with beings like Rose, Bobinsana, Juniper, Jurema, Cacao, Oak, and Blue Water Lily. Lindsay is an initiated server and carrier of Hapéh. She now works as a preparation and integration guide for those answering the call to work with sacred medicines, and she is apprenticing in the art of guiding Master Plant Diets as well. She is a passionate advocate of safe and transformative experiences with the plants, and she loves helping people navigate these mysterious spaces with grace, love, and support.
