Alchemical herbal medicine is a comprehensive approach to herbal medicine that works equally with the physical, energetic and spiritual elements of both humans and plants. While typical herbal medicine focuses on the symptomatic treatment of physical ailments with herbs, alchemical herbal medicine treats the body as a manifestation of the spirit and in this way uses plants to support the evolution of the soul.
Alchemy comes from the word ancient Egyptian words, Alreadymeaning holyAnd Khemia— the title given to a sacred science of healing, initiation and spiritual understanding of the mysteries of life. As this sacred science spread to Europe, it gradually became known by the name alchemythe forerunner of modern chemistry science.
Nature is unity
The basis of alchemy is one of the most famous axioms: “As above, so below.” The central principle of this philosophy is a natural correspondence between the natural world and the invisible, spiritual world, or the earth and the cosmos. Everything that happens on earth is a reflection of something that happens in heaven; if we want to change something on Earth, we do not take action on this level of reality, but on the higher level.
This also applies at the level of the body. Alchemical herbalism does not view any medical problem as primarily physical; for example, if the liver is dysfunctional, this is considered to be a manifestation of a blockage or disturbance occurring at a higher level, that is, at the level of the soul.
Any purely materialistic treatment of the liver can temporarily reduce the problem, but without addressing the energetic problem, the problem will simply return. An alchemical herbalist therefore diagnoses what is going on “above” and prescribes remedies at that level.
This is a fundamentally unified view of the universe. Alchemy views nature as unity, as interconnected, as a constant state of interconnectedness. There are no parts of the body that act “on their own,” nor is the body in any way separate from the mind or soul.
In the same way, we humans are not separate from nature, but exist within it. Matter and spirit are one, and inner and outer are also one. The Cosmos (the macrocosm) is reflected in every living being (the microcosm). So when we study nature externally, we also study ourselves internally, for they are only a reflection of each other.
As the great physician and alchemist Paracelsus wrote: ‘What is philosophy but invisible nature? That’s what philosophy is. Things are in man just as they are outside, intangible, as if you look at yourself in a mirror.”
The basis of alchemy, like so many esoteric traditions, is based on a direct observation of the natural world – specifically the cycles of transformation. The alchemist claims that these processes of nature are also the processes of the body, and therefore strives to replicate these processes in all his laboratory work.
From the growth cycles of plants, the process of human digestion and the water cycle, to the movement of celestial bodies across the sky and the changing of the seasons, the ancient alchemists studied how nature transforms itself, and from these processes they discerned the keys to evolution .
The drugs that are the product of these studies not only heal the body, but are distilled essences of nature’s transformational processes. When ingested, they catalyze the transformation cycles within us.
The alchemist creates a species living medicine of the earth that enables rejuvenation and healing for the body, clarity and inspiration for the mind, openness of the heart and the evolution of consciousness. In this way, it is a healing modality that appeals to both the material and spiritual aspects of the patient, as well as the material and spiritual essence of the plant.
Cosmic Correspondences
In the alchemical conception of medicine, it is the spirit of the plant that cures the disease spiritual illness of the individual. It is thought that every plant resonates at a certain frequency on the energetic plane. A common way to understand these frequencies is through the zodiac. Each plant is thought to correspond to the energy of a particular planet, and when ingested or applied will bring the frequency of this planet into the body.
Since the human body is a microcosm of the universe, each organ is also believed to be in a special relationship with certain planets. If a particular organ is overactive or underactive, we can take this as a sign that our relationship with this planetary energy is not right.
An alchemical herbalist will map all physical symptoms, but he will also look for emotional and mental manifestations of this imbalance. Since the body, mind, heart and soul are not separate, each will manifest the planetary dysfunction in its own way.
For example, if there is a liver or gallbladder problem, it is an indication that the patient is having trouble integrating the energy of Mars. Mars is associated with warmth, self-awareness, aggression and personal strength. We can then look at the emotional life to discern how the Mars energy is dysfunctional.
It could be that someone holds an excessive amount of anger or approaches life in the spirit of struggle and strife. Conversely, a person may be apathetic, fatigued, or avoidant, and unable to stand up for themselves or stand up for themselves in pursuit of an important goal. One way or another, the spiritual or emotional cause of the liver problem can be seen in the personality.
The alchemical herbalist will prescribe a tincture or spagyric that has the most appropriate energy to bring the entire energy system back into balance. The treatment not only restores the liver; it restores our relationship with the Martian energy in general. When we take this energy into our heart, mind and soul, over time it will manifest in the body as the clearing of symptoms. Because, as we know, as above, so below.
