I'm glad to talk about Calamus, or let him talk through me, Vacha that
he is. Vacha, by the way, is the Vedic name for Calamus, meaning
speech and the power of communication through sound. Vacha also means
truth, vacha is truth in a "not lies" sense, and Vacha is Truth, like
speaking in alignment with the cosmic ultimate Truth. So, speaking of
Calamus, here we go!

Ayurvedic Calamus, Acorus calamus, and American, Calamus americanus
for those of you keeping score at home, are quite similar in action,
both on the yang side of things. Calamus powder is used in massage as
part of Pancha Karma, and a calamus massage makes you feel just zippy
all over. Calamus is also used to facilitate communication, as
mentioned above, but also the communication that the nerves have with
each other and our brains have in their daily work. Calamus is
considered the premiere tonic for the mind and nerves. It is also used
as a counterbalance to marijuana, either to offset the bad effects if
you choose to use it, or as an aid to quitting if you want to.

On a more metaphysical level, Calamus is used to clear the Nadis, or
subtle channels of the body, from energy obstructions, as part of a
treatment if the obstruction is the disease, or to open the way for
other treatment. The way that this Calamus grows has shown me a lot
about this. It thrives in the wettest of gluey muck, and creeps along
with odd rhizomes like ginger made of rubber. Then, it pierces the mud
with sharp and strong leaves (they look something like cattail or
iris) busting through the goo that would dirty it and keep it from the
light.

Calamus doesn't cleanse itself from the mud like a lotus, or stay on
the clean & smooth mirrored surfaces like a lily, it just busts on
through so fast that the mud of its world has no hold on it. Then, it
makes a completely phallic flower cone, impudently poking out of the
side of the leaf bunches in a way that always makes me smile. I just
love this plant, it is my oldest green friend, I have been using it
since I was 15 or so, and I always enjoy my time with it. It's a
little tricksy, a little mischievous, and the reasons and experiences
that have led to my love for this plant are a whole other essay on
their own. For now, let's just say that what's good enough for Walt
Whitman is good enough for me.

Waterfall Calamus, Acorus graminae, is very different. Graminae =
grass-leaved, and it is softer, long thin arching leaves that flow in
soft clumps. I have seen very nice plantings of Waterfall on a dry
bank, very much giving the effect of a green waterfall as the leaves
of each plant flow into the next. Waterfall Calamus grows by
waterfalls, and this is its medicine. Water is a common metaphor for
emotion, and a waterfall is nature's way of suddenly equalizing
unevenness in the river's course. Standing on the edge of the
waterfall, at the edge of your emotional containment, looking over the
precipice and feeling like the dam is going to burst and you might
lose it completely, it is hard to see that drop as a good thing.
Waterfalls move tremendous amounts of force and power, but the
churning they create enshrouds them in mist, water's gentlest and most
etheric state, and brings a deep breath of air to the river below.

In Chinese medicine, we are all enlivened and sustained by three
treasures: Jing, Qi, & Shen. Jing is original energy, given us in the
seed of our parents and living in our creative seeds. It is sexual
energy, but also the base reserve we get a set allotment of and no
more. Qi is more familiar in the West, it is energy, vitality, drive,
our daily life force, which we can deplete or refill by our activities
and nourishments.

Shen is a more esoteric concept. Shen is literally Spirit; it resides
in the heart and is a state of deep even calm which is all power and
strength. The frenetic bursts of Qi that we are all so concerned with
feeding in our culture can power through tasks, and we know through
Ginseng & the like to refill that battery to keep up with suddenly
taxing days. But we rarely think of Shen, which is the force that
sustains us without depleting us; we also need a source well of calm
within to dip into and remain collected and effective. When we are
stressed or sick, the Shen goes first, our energy becomes scattered,
burning with false surface fire that depletes our Qi and eventually
cuts into our finite Jing.

Waterfall Calamus is a supreme Shen tonic, refilling that reservoir so
that the rocks and irregularities on the bottom are smoothed over, far
below us as we ride untroubled deep running water. We may occasionally
have to ride over the cliff, but we will flow like a waterfall, smooth
on the surface even over rough rocks, and collecting ourselves again
at the bottom. It is one of my daily tonics, and has helped me more
that I would have thought possible, in deep ways that I am still
learning about.

Strength & Wisdom,
Al-Qemi
www.al-kemi.com