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Behold! A plant of community, the Kava root has been used ceremonially for as far as time can tell in Polynesian culture. As I was searching for a picture that depicted the Polynesian culture, gathered in community, around a sacred plant– I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the cacao circles that have come to flourish into today’s modern times. In the Tongan language, the word Kava means “bitter”. In the Hawaiian tongue, it’s not called Kava, but ‘awa. It is believed that Kava originates from Vanuatu, a volcanic archipelago located about 1000 miles east of Australia and arrived on the Polynesian islands through ships and trade after making initial contact.
Three thousand years ago, the plant that they were using was actually the wild pepper plant, Piper wichmannii. This plant possesses psychoactive compounds known now as kavalactones. The sensation described by many after drinking Kava is a combination of analgesic and relaxing. Today, there are many different variations of Kava.
In terms of how this plant has been prepared ceremonially, if you’ve been to the Amazon jungle or ever tried a drink called chicha, the process is very similar. George Forster, a naturalist, journalist, and revolutionary, who accompanied his father, also a renowned naturalist, on many scientific adventures, including the second Pacific voyage of Captain James Cook, provided an in-depth description of the preparation of the kava drink for ceremonies: “the kava juice is extracted from the roots of a kind of pepper-tree. The roots are first made into pieces and then are chewed by people who later spew out the pulp into a bowl containing coconut or cold water. After this, the mix is filtered through the coconut fibers and then emptied into a separate bowl for consumption.”
From New Zealand Geographic “Pacific peoples believe kava is intimately linked with mana, or spiritual power. When kava is mixed, it becomes a conduit through which mana can be ingested and diffused into a situation. For example, a parent may drink kava to bless their newborn child, transferring the mana through their intent and belief. Similarly, a chief will not rise to power until they have consumed kava, the mana transmuted through the brew, affirming their position. In community circles, commonly, the first person to receive the cup will be the Chief or highest-ranking individual from the visiting tribe, followed by the chief of the local tribe. Then, the cup will pass through the groups in descending order based on rank.
Kava is highly valued by islanders for its ability to calm, relax, and even sedate individuals struggling with stress, fretfulness, troublesome thoughts, or an inability to sleep and rest. It is also used as a muscle relaxant and, in certain varieties, as a diuretic. The interesting thing about Kava, is that even though it sedates the physical body, it stimulates the central nervous system. This can help increase thoughts, mental clarity, ease depression, confusion, sorrow and sharpen a person’s intuition.
From Adriana Ayales Herbal Astrology oracle, “Kava directly affects the limbic system, the control center of our emotions, just as the moon does. Plutonian herbs like Kava cause deep transformation in our emotional mind. The energy of Pluto is that of regeneration, allowing us to decompress from accumulated emotions through the volcanic power of catharsis”.
So what’s my takeaway from the magic of Kava? Working with Kava as a plant ally can help a person transmute or alchemize their cyclical thought patterns, quiet anxious thoughts and calm the monkey mind, so that we can create clarity and become more deeply attuned with our intuition. Kava helps us continue to work on the practice of surrendering– releasing tension from the muscles, relaxing the body and decreasing any pain we are feeling. Kava, similar to cacao, reminds us of the power of community. The power of finding our purpose within a community. The power of connecting with others, being fully present and listening to their thoughts, reflections and processes, as often this is where we will find the greatest medicine. And, when we sit in communities of like-minded individuals, we realize that even in our darkest moments, we are never truly alone.
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