When you look at your favorite food, you may always notice a resemblance to certain part of our body. The doctrine of signature is the concept of foods being the most beneficial to the organs they resembles. Thus the Doctrine of Signature is an ancient concept with roots in folk herbalism, mysticism, and esoteric teachings on the healing arts. It’s fascinating and rather mystical approach to plant medicine that stands in stark contrast to modern, conventional medicine. Rather than recognizing spirits, archetypes, or signatures within plants, science reduces them to their component parts based on a strictly materialistic view of reality.
The doctrine of signature, was developed in 16th and 17th centuries though, its traces are spread until the present day in different traditional medicine culture. In particular between our world and god’s will, the signatures are the visible marks of the purpose of divine creation. In therapeutic practices they indicate the virtues of plants by their resemblance to specific organs they are supposed to be able to cure.
Plants show their creativity with different aspects of signature which offers you the therapy to treat the mankind by not only through physical appearance but also by the area they grow, scent and sound they produce. Plotting example for this is worthy like Nettle is plant that likes to grow in wet areas, and it has an affinity for the water ways of the body, such as blood and urinary tract, of the smell of Eucalyptus, and your nose will recall an intense opening experience. Highly aromatic herbs contain large amounts of essentials oils, which exit the body via the breath, helping to open the lungs and nasal passages; Wood cites the rattling sound of black cohosh seedpods as a signature of the plant’s use among Native Americans for snakebites.
Signatures can go beyond physical uses for plants medicines and into the realm of energetic uses, messages and lessons. One example is of hawthron’s throns being a signature for its ability to relive emotional pain. Another example is the yellow color of the daffodil blooms, which can be made into flower essence for boosting the solar-plexus related issues such as self-worth, confidence, and the recognition of one’s gifts and talents.
Although modern medicinerejects the doctrine of signatures, scientific research tends to validate it unintentionally. Modern science picks apart herbs and classifies them down to each chemical component present in the plant and has starts making their medicines in the form of tablets, capsules, syrups, pastes, etc.
Of course, it takes patience to work with plants—their signs, signature, and spirits.Working with plant signatures are much like a hike through the forest. It’s such an enjoyable experience of exercise and expansion unto itself; does it even matter where you end up.