Leaves Of Life - - - Botanicals

The doctrine of signatures further gives an examination of the ethnobotanical practices of these Obeah traditional healers and how they classify diseases and herbs. They have unique perspectives on the causes of diseases and how the human body functions. All this is interwoven into an underlying cognitive and symbolic system that holds together the diversity of the beliefs, techniques and practices.

According to the doctrine of signatures, a holistic approach to classifying herbs, nature has provided a plant for every disease and has indicated by an obvious sign for which disease or which part of the body each drug plant is to be used. Thus the shape of a plant or of one of its components may suggest a cure.  If the herb has an appearance of an eye, brain, arm, head, foot or hand, this would serve as a reference to gain further insight into the actual action of the herb.  For example, a walnut, which has the shape of a brain, is used for diseases affecting the brain. Plants with red flowers are used in blood disorders and those with yellow flowers are used in jaundice like the Dandelion and Agrimony.  Saxifrages, which grow on rocks and break them up, would be useful for stones in the bladder.  Plants with white latex are used to increase milk production and those with big swollen fruits to favor fertility. For instance, the flower of the Scullcap used for insomnia resembles the shape of the human skull. The blue flower of the Eyebright with its yellow center suggests the human eye and is used to treat tired eyes. The flowers of many of the herbs which purify the blood are red in color, e.g. the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Burdock and  the Red Clover. The medicinal value of Nettles is indicated by its sting and is used to stimulate the circulation. Plants with a particularly unpleasant smell like the stinking Arrach is used for foul ulcers. The bark of the Willow cures rheumatism brought on by damp  and the tree grows in wet places. Lungwort, because of its spotted leaves, is used for diseased lungs. 

However, the most important concept of the doctrine of signatures is the integration of magical properties of herbs in effecting the mind, body and spirit. The same herb that removes physical toxins from the body, also removes psychic toxins from the spirit.

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