𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒; 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢.. . said to be ruled by leo (and the sun) and to be used for protection of both our spirit & physical bodies. reishi (ganoderma) is used in traditional herbal medicine wherever it naturally grows, from turtle island to asia. here in mi’kma’ki / nova scotia reishi’s latin name is ganoderma lucidum, and it grows on dead or dying hemlock trees, often along creeks and waterways.

i love the smell of reishi---it is a deep, earthy scent that when i close my eyes brings up dark, mossy forests & the paradox & interconnection of life & death, growth & decay---and how that relationship plays out in the woods & mycelium. mushrooms have definitely grown in popularity in the last decade or so, but their deeply rooted medicine is not a fad. traditional cultures in the east have long worked with the potent medicine of reishi, their knowledge passed down through written & oral history, dating back to the ming dynasty. in china they are referred to as spirit mushroom, ‘lingzhi’.

while reishi mushrooms were once said to be reserved for emperors & kings, they are now found wild & widely cultivated, and are showing up in all kinds of health food stores targeted to the masses in beverages, powders & supplements.

said to prolong life, slow aging & increase energy. . .heralded as an adaptogen to support the nervous system, an immune system stimulant, an anti-inflammatory, said to reduce tumour growth, aid mental alertness, support the lungs & respiratory system as well as help with asthma & bronchitis, leaky gut, aid in detoxification, balancing hormones, arthritis & joint inflammation, high blood pressure, the cardiovascular system. .. the list just goes on and on.

reishi is being used in supporting recovery from cancer, as well as in a supportive role alongside chemotherapy and radiation to ease the side effects. reishi is being looked at by the world of science for it’s apparent ability to inhibit the growth of tumours & cancerous cells, as well as helping improve the immune response in patients with cancer.
when i think of reishi i think of how the mushroom looks like lungs. .. and how they tend to grow in moist dark forests, where the air is clean. reishi are said to be supportive to the respiratory system by reducing potential inflammation, as well as nourishing & strengthening lung tissue. it comes to mind to also support the lungs in a more spiritual or emotional sense as well, as in TCM (traditional chinese medicine), the lungs are associated with grief.

traditionally used in a tonic, the reishi mushroom was used in teas & soups, and drank regularly for good health and to support qi (energy) and overall health. thinking that in herbal astrology reishi is ruled by leo (the sun)—it supports vibrant, radiating health . .. the energy of the sun.

reishi tend to grow in the same place every year, so once you find a patch, you can check back each year. as with harvesting any wild plant or mushroom—-be mindful. be sparing with what you take, show gratitude, ask permission (of the plant/mushroom. this is a practise in itself, but sometimes the answer is no!), and share with friends and folks who might not be able bodied enough to access this medicine on their own. this years reishi harvest came from a dear friend who ended up with a bounty to share, and i haven’t been able to get out yet this season, still moving with slowness as i remain immersed in my own healing journey from a back injury. this year has found me in a period of internal winter & slowness to which degree is unprecedented in my young-ish life. it has been a challenge & a journey which i have drawn consistently on my plant allies for support, new (to me) & old (favoured).

i had been thinking of reishi over the last few days, it came up and i was lamenting how i didn’t think i would get any this year, and i am all out of dried stock. . ..less than 24 hours later, i had a message from my friend, asking if i wanted some reishi! thank you deryk.

reishi; the mushroom of immortality.

springtime support.