Workshops
Workshops
Workshops
Workshops
The Five Pillars
Of Medicine
About
"There are only five pillars of medicine.
And all medicine, across all time, fits into these pillars."
Origins
The Five Pillars of Medicine is a body of knowledge that began to emerge shortly after I completed an initiation in a Southern African lineage of traditional medicine. "Twasa", or initiation, can be understood as a "blossoming of the being". It facilitates an opening in perception, allowing the initiate to step more deeply into their natural gifts. These teachings have subsequently come through dreams, plant wisdom, and spontaneous insights in nature, offering a comprehensive understanding of the patterns of life.
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This work is not only about sharing the information received, but also about igniting an ancient remembering—that there are timeless ways of gathering knowledge about the world that differ from conventional methods we’ve been taught.​ The knowledge here is holographic, in that it applies to the tiniest microcosm and the greatest macrocosm at the same time. The same principles that form the foundation of this work are echoed and expanded upon as the knowledge deepens and becomes more sophisticated.
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There are five branches in this tree of knowledge. This website thus far explores the first three:
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Each branch builds upon the foundations of the previous, expanding the understanding and offering insights that enrich our vision and understanding of natural workings, biologically to spiritually. The sacred order guides us deeper into the well of our existence, exposing untapped gifts.​ Explore these teachings and apply them in your own life. Investigate, question, and see how this map works for you...
An overview of the Five Branches in this body of knowledge
Image from The Secret of the Golden Flower; A Chinese Book of Life
The Cedar Teachings
While in training learning about various medicines and plants, I felt overwhelmed. There was an immense amount to absorb and the method of learning was one plant at a time. One day walked into the garden and, speaking directly to the world at large, I said:
“I cannot learn like this. Such an abundance of knowledge and information cannot be absorbed by learning one plant at a time. Please let me understand the principles behind things. Let me understand the properties, qualities and medicines of a plant from underlying principles. Please show me the patterns, so I can recognise them in any plant...” And I left it at that.
Having forgotten I'd made this request, a few years later I received a response - in the form of The Cedar Teachings.​​ One day when I had been working with a shaman and herbalist from Peru we were sitting in the garden in between client sessions discussing the various plants around us. As he was leaving, with a mischievous smile he told me that the three Cedar trees along the driveway had been waiting for me to begin a friendship with them.
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I found it a fascinating invitation, and began engaging them with curiosity from that moment. Each time I returned home I would greet them, leaving small offerings of tobacco or other gifts. I began speaking with them, singing to them, and giving them a hug upon my arrival. One day, as I touched them in greeting, I noticed that one of them had left a sticky kiss of resin on my sleeve. Now, I knew the needles of the this tree were a powerful smudge when burned, but I hadn’t considered what other parts of the same plant might offer. Excited by this new discovery, I was eager to see if the resin shared similar properties and, if so, how it differed from the leaves.
I fired up a piece of coal and dropped the resin onto it, heading outside to stand beneath the trees as the resin began to bubble and smoke. It took a moment for the smoke to rise gently towards me. As it reached me, I was suddenly engulfed with this most exquisite, unexpected aroma. It felt aged and feminine, an ancient scent that carried a warm, wise essence. Caught completely off guard, my heart burst open in delight and I stood in awe at the base of the trees, guiding the smoke between myself and the cedars… And in that moment of gratitude, the tree spoke to me.. It said:
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It gave me a moment to digest this, revealing how these principles largely govern the allocation of qualities across the plant kingdom, giving me examples to illustrate this. It seemed so logical, so simple. Over time these principles came to shape how I navigate the use of herbs and herbal interactions, with this information proving to be consistently impeccable.
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As this teaching unfolded, it became clear how these principles extend across all natural bodies— molecular, biological, human, and the macrocosm of the Earth as a whole. From micro to macro levels, the same principles apply. Understanding this simple, self-evident formula allows us to use it as a guide for growth and evolution.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​This potent insight continues to inspire and inform as understanding deepens. Combinations become formulae, and these ingredients serve as the building blocks of creation. As we arrange the correlating parts of ourselves, we can design our alignment and engage different aspects of what it is to be human in enlightening ways.
After working with The Cedar Teachings herbally for some time, it was revealed that these same principles flow through all the kingdoms, from microcosm to macrocosm. The same pathways of functionality found in plants extend through humans, animals, the planet as a whole, and every cell within it. These correlations of principle are shared in the online course.
This, then, is the doorway to the rest of the teachings, acting as a bedrock for understanding the Five Pillars of Medicine….​
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The Spirit of a plant lives in the sap
Power is in the leaves
Medicine is in the bark
Connectivity is in the roots
And Love is in the fruits
The Five Pillars Of Medicine
The Five Pillars of Medicine describes the five governing principles that move through all of nature. They articulate the sequential and universal stages of life’s unfolding, and how these can be applied as medicinal and therapeutic approaches.
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These teachings came to me after a day of working with powerful Zulu sangoma - a traditional healer - with whom I had worked for many years. Just as I was falling asleep that evening I heard a strong instruction: "Get up and write this down!"
I jumped up and began to notate what was coming through. It said that,
“There are only five pillars of medicine. And all medicine, across all time, fits into these pillars”.
The teaching proceeded to stream through, showing me the five modes of medicine, the ancient and current systems that use them, and how we instinctively draw on them in our daily lives. This body of knowledge serves as a profound medicinal tool, applicable in contexts ranging from personal to universal.
It was shown that there are five domains of being, five essential sequences to evolution. All life is built on this blueprint, the design code behind creation. This knowledge holds both a map of life's terrain, and a navigation tool to travel it with grace.
A brief overview is provided below. To fully immerse yourself in and apply this information, visit the online course.
The First Pillar of Medicine:
Harmonic
medicine
The Roots
Like cures like
Resonance
medicine
Connection
The First Pillar of Medicine involves the use of a 'substance' - be it plant, animal, mineral, time or space - that mirrors our current state. It reflects the exact frequency of our experience, and by holding that frequency it allows us to be freed from holding it ourselves. As a result our energy can be redistributed through our system.
Homeopathy is an excellent example. The term ‘homeo' means "same", and ‘pathy’ means "to suffer with". Meeting the symptom with a resonance that mirrors it is the foundational principle. As Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, famously explained, "Similia similibus cura"—like cures like, or similar heals similar.
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Much like the root, where 'connectivity' resides, this pillar is about resonance, acceptance, rootedness — our anchor, our ground zero. Any form of medicine that uses resonance as its core modality—whether through practice, treatment, nutrition, or sound— can be considered a First Pillar medicine.This lays the foundation for the healthy emergence of Second Pillar Medicine…
Earth Element
Level of the Body
Skeletal System
Cedar Teaching: Root | Connectivity
Qualities of Resonance | Reflection | Acceptance
Archetypes: Like-minded folk | Friends | Mirroring
Places of 'Home': Anchor | Ground | Sameness
Kabbalistic World of Assiyah – World of Action
Chinese element: Earth | Organs: Spleen and Stomach | Taste: Sweet
Tibetan Buddhist Skandha - Aggregate of Consciousness: Form – our physical beings
The Second Pillar of Medicine:
Entrainment
medicine
The Leaves
Potentiality
medicine
Expansion
medicine
Power
The Second Pillar of Medicine is where we utilise a 'substance' - whether plant, animal, mineral, time or space - that represents what we aspire to. It represents the direction in which we wish to expand, the place we are reaching toward. This expansion occurs through learning, and stepping beyond our comfort zone. In moving towards this direction, we give our being orientation and set up a trajectory for growth.
Examples of this are found in any form of entrainment, learning, or evolution that promotes our expansion—embodying our potential. Whether through gaining new knowledge, acquiring new skills, absorbing new energy, or nourishing ourselves in novel ways, all of these are reflective of Second Pillar Medicine.
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Like the leaf, where 'power' lives, and energy is collected for broader growth, this pillar is about expansion, courage, energy, entrainment, and learning. Any medicine that facilitates the movement from our current state to a new and expanded condition, through skill and purpose, is a Second Pillar medicine. This lays the ground for the emergence of Third Pillar Medicine....
Water Element
Level of the Heart
Nervous System
Cedar Teaching: Leaf | Power
Qualities of Expansion | Potential | Energy
Archetypes: Teacher | Guide | Mentor | Guru
Places of 'Learning': Entrainment | Knowledge | Emulating
​Kabbalistic World of Yetzirah – World of Formation
Chinese element: Wood | Organs: Liver and Gall bladder | Taste: Sour
Tibetan Buddhist Skandha - Aggregate of Consciousness: Feeling - sensory realm
The Third Pillar of Medicine:
The Fabric of Spirit is the third of the five branches in this tree of knowledge. It contains the most extensive content of the branches, arranged in five sequences, each with five points.
These sequences express the primal threads of our experience, the core ingredients that structure our perception. When we align these sequences in a simple systemic way, it gives us insight into the details of creation. Weaving these aspects together in different combinations, we find a limitless tapestry of patterns that compose the very essence of existence. Their interplay creates the full spectrum of expression we see in life.
The teachings in entirety are a hologram, each part reflects the whole. Each of the five branches correspond with a Cedar Teaching and a Pillar of Medicine, and correlate with one of the five points in each sequence, which we see illustrated through the graphs below.
The system unfolds from a compact foundation to the interconnected meta-vision. It reveals how every part fits with the other parts, deepening our understanding and insight into each one. It is a fractal system, meaning the template and patterns repeat across different levels and scales, always reflecting the whole in each part.
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​The Cedar Teachings — the first branch, correlates with the Root Teachings on 'Connectivity' and First Pillar of Medicine.
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The Five Pillars of Medicine — the second branch, reflects the Leaf Teachings on 'Power' and Second Pillar of Medicine.
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The Fabric of Spirit - the third branch, aligns with the Bark Teachings on 'Medicine' and Third Pillar of Medicine.
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The Circuitry - the fourth branch, correlates with the Fruit and Flower Teaching on 'Love' and Fourth Pillar of Medicine.
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The Temple - the fifth branch, correlates with the Sap Teachings on 'Spirit' and Fifth Pillar of Medicine
The bark being the part of the plant that provides the container, the structure, shows how The Fabric of Spirit aligns with providing the teachings on the structure of reality - the way that several layers of fibre interweave to make a strong envelope. We explore the finer details and functions of each sequence and its application in our workshops.
An overview of the Five Branches in this body of knowledge
Image from The Secret of the Golden Flower; A Chinese Book of Life
The five sequences in this teaching are these:
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The Five Elements
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The Five Worlds
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The Five Principles of Form
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The Five Senses
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The Five Streams of Reality
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​In harmony with the previous two branches, The Fabric of Spirit aligns as follows:
The initial teaching came through when I entered a room filled with heirloom seeds. As I sat down I felt their wisdom flood me with information of what "seeds" actually are, and this began to transmit the first sequence of this teaching. The teaching came through over several months, and as often is the case, I would receive the skeleton teachings in a compact moment, and have time to "finish the sentence" as it were over the subsequent months. These did not come through in a sequential order but cascaded through in parallel teachings, and below shares the eventual structure that took shape.
Lila Lieberman
I have been working with medicinal plants and indigenous healing practices since 1996. My journey began in the Atacama Desert of Peru at the age of 18, where I first encountered the native plants and teachings of the region. Later, in 2012, I underwent initiation as a sangoma—a traditional healer and seer—in the Shona tradition of South Africa. Over the years, I have immersed myself in cultural wisdom and the medicinal use of plants and practices.
My work focuses on learning from the living library of the mineral, plant, microbial, animal, and spirit kingdoms, exploring how their collaboration creates powerful openings and pathways within us. This deep connection unlocks new and creative ways of perception. What truly excites me is exploring the spectrum of cultural ways, rites of passage, and ceremonies that activate these channels of learning.
This knowledge informs my therapeutic practice, is shared at conferences, and is taught through the body of wisdom known as The Five Pillars of Medicine.
Academically, I hold a BA in Anthropology, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology, with an Honours degree in Transpersonal Psychology and Philosophy, and Diploma in Integral Coaching.
My work is devoted to the upliftment, inspiration, and re-membering of our collective humanity, as well as the natural capacities, powers, and openings that are our birthright.
Conferences, Talks and Festivals
Limmud, Johannesburg, South Africa: 2013
Khanyisa, Johannesburg, South Africa: 2013
Breaking Convention panel, UK: 2015
Plant Consciousness panel, UK: 2015
Somara Conference, Byron bay, Australia: 2016
Plant People presentation, Johannesburg, South Africa: 2016
Presentations in UK - Glastonbury, Manchester, The Wirral: 2016
Rainbow Serpent Festival, Australia: 2016 | 2017
University of Glasgow "Other Psychotherapies - Across time, space, and culture": 2017
Earth Frequency Festival, Australia 2016 | 2019
Rebel Herbal Conference: 2018
Entheogenesis Australis - online presentation: 2021
Entheogenesis Australis Conference, Melbourne Australia: 2022
Embodying Psychedelia Conference - Uki, Australia: 2023
AWE - Ecstatic Mysticism Masterclass - Online - 2023
Through the Goddess Portal - Global Summit online: 2024
Be the Earth Festival - Somerset, UK - 2025
AWE - Ecstatic Mysticism Masterclass - Online - 2025
