I was flipping through the book Veneficium by Daniel A. Shulke today and came across a quote that really struck me:

"Yet, for those who tread the Poison Path, perhaps the best knowledge of antidotes lies not in any enchanted balm or chemist's preparation, but in the balanced and proper devotion to Fear. In its exaltation, Fear is the simultaneous knowledge and respect of those powers which can annihilate us. Its irrational axis, manifest in action, is cowardice and impulse; its flowering is courage and prudence. Robert Cochran cautioned that the use of the poison sacrament in the hands of the fool was a 'quick way to the underworld of insanity', and this skull and crossbones stands as a waymark on the Path Envenom'd. Other spirit-roads may abide the fool, but not the Dark Lady of Venoms, for mercy is a virtue alien to her dark droplets."

I am intrigued by this idea of Fear as a virtue! It really goes against our societal narratives around fear. 
The plants being relatively dangerous doesn't mean that we shouldn't work with or avoid them, but they do require our utmost respect. This is similar to how we should be approaching our own Underworld/Shadows/Traumas - not avoiding yet still having healthy Fear, which I'm thinking is almost the same thing as respect. Our personal Underworlds exist for a reason.

"Fear" is such an edgy word and I am curious what you all think about this quote and idea!