Herb-Based Healing

Are you a herb lover? No, I don’t mean herbs that you smoke… I really mean the most simple and most naïve kind going. Garden Herbs!

It strikes me as intriguing that any given tube of medicinal cream a doctor prescribes, found its origins in botany, not all that long ago.

At Dhana, we keep adding to our repertoire of knowledge. Just like plants, if you’re not growing, you’re dying! It’s a law of nature! So earlier this year I finalized a herb-based healing programme. This builds on top of a lifetime spent playing in the garden, +18 years of formulating skincare and gaining knowledge from other reputable sources. And now, there’s even more I want to share with you!!… 

Of course, there’s no way I’ll be able to share all the juicy details with you in one blog post. Looking at herb-based healing, is to observe the intersection of botany, astrology, sacred geometry, our physical bodies, emotions, energy bodies and souls. That’s to say nothing of history, early chemists or the pioneers of medicine, as we know it today. 

The MYTHOLOGical base of medicine

The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind. – Paracelsus

Archaeology indicates that early ancient societies held advanced knowledge of the herbs in their backyards. Particular herbs enabled them to heal and ease suffering of those sent to the grave. 

Folklore

Each traditional culture was gifted with a landscape of herbs at the ready to be put into use for healing individuals. The wisest among them obtained, carried and transferred this knowledge. Each group of people has its own story connecting the nature to its ability to heal.

Celtic folklore tells a story of a woman who buried her brother after his tragic death. She lay her cloak on his grave as a sign of mourning. Through it grew plants, each in the location where it could help heal. For example, the dandelion grew up in the place of his head. It is said to enhance intuition and give clarity. Upon hearing of his daughter’s actions, the enraged ruler, Dian Cecht, kicked the plants from her cloak. Their connections to deep healing was lost before she could memorize each one.

Intrinsic in this story and others, traditional civilizations honoured nature first and foremost. Pagan stone circles, temples and pyramids the world over, indicate that societies interacted with the solar system and seasonal patterns. It should be no surprise, then, that traditional herbalists identified a connection between body parts and planetary groupings.

We’ve included just three of these below: the sun, the moon and Mars. Others exist and are easily identified, should you be interested. As stated above, this is simply the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to herb-based healing. 

Solar-Ruled Plants

The sun uplifts and therefore plants under this sign hold this quality. Solar-ruled plants are typically bright in colour, ranging from yellows, reddish-oranges and pinks.

Body structures herbalists believe to be ruled by the sun are the heart, circulation, eyes, spine, body heat and thymus gland. When we are depleted emotionally we experience symptoms around our solar plexus chakra or tummy area.

Diseases often associated with needing sun plant remedies would be emotional depletion, structural and circulatory issues. The sunny disposition of people is gently returned with the use of sun-ruled plants.

Lunar-Ruled Plants 

Pale in colour and living near water, lunar-ruled plants are a connection to the emotions and the electromagnetic pull of the tides. For the earth as a whole, water herbs work for the purification of water for all life that relies on it.

Many religions and cultural societies relate water to femininity, nurturing and flow, the healing properties of lunar herbs are about bringing balance and order. The moon rules bodily secretions associated with the organs of the blood, urine, pancreatic fluids, tears, hormones, womb, bladder, brain, pancreas, glands, stomach, eyes and nose.

Mars-Ruled Plants 

God of war, Mars represents the fire element. It should, therefore, be no surprise that herbs found under its sign are fiery, sour, bitter and/or spicy. They hold destructive energy, generally with prickles, thorns or giving off irritants. These plants can be harnessed for their good, or achieve destruction, depending on their use. 

Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy. – Paracelsus

‘You’ve got some gall!’ as they say, in reference to the gallbladder!

Physiologically, mars-ruled plants affect the muscles, blood, arteries, bile, gallbladder, adrenal glands, genitals, head and left brain. Unsurprisingly, Mars, to traditional healers, is said to represent physical strength. It aids in vitality with the prevention of injuries and to provide support for the immune system. 

More To LEarn

As you know, there are nine planets in our solar system. When you subtract the earth, but add the sun and the earth’s moon, there are 10 aspects that rule plant life. Should you be interested in more of these, I recommend you seek further information. Please contact Dhana Self-Care directly for more details on recommended classes, (although we have no direct affiliation with them). 

This is just a quick survey of the connection between the energies of the universe, our emotions and physical health. There are still deeper levels of herb-based healing that we have not touched upon here. 

If this topic fascinates you, a herbalists course would go far!

More Plant & Herb Love!

Call me crazy, but since taking this course, I’m talking to my houseplants. I have an newfound appreciation for the botanicals I’ve been working with for many years.

Whether you love rosemary, lavender, boreal heather, lemongrass or rooibos tea, Dhana has something for you. Here are some of our favourite and best-selling herbal products for your consideration:

Align-mint Shampoo Bar – highlights the gentle antiseptic qualities of rosemary, tea tree and peppermint oil alongside moisture-rich tropical oils and soothing smooth lather. 

Deep Sleep Pillow Spray – soft floral ylang-ylang pairs with woodsy lavender for calming, sleep-inducing restful nights. 

Pure & Pretty Unscented Baby Bar – soothing chamomile combines with the understated, but powerful flowers of boreal heather known for being antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.