In the first paragraph of The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism, author Matthew Wood gives us a good description of what the system of energetics is: ...a vocabulary for describing "energy patterns" or physiological and psychological patterns in the body. The point is to express the activities and configurations of energy, qi, or the vital force - call it what you will. This system of energy patterns is neither new or exclusive to western herbalism, but has been an integral part of healing traditions for centuries. Matt does go so far as to claim that the use of an energetic system is virtually a prerequisite in holistic medicine. While the use of herbs to support healing is not necessarily holistic, to use them well, respectfully, and specifically for reestablishing equilibrium in our systems we need a working understanding of energetics.
The Forgotten Language of Energetics, The Green Tongue, pp. 9-30
LuAnn's thoughts on this section:
I think it's obvious that all living things possess energy and that that energy expresses itself in a variety of ways or patterns. All energy patterns are constantly moving toward equilibrium, indeed life itself is dependent on this ebb and flow of energy. My passion for growing and using herbs includes a desire to recognize these patterns in myself (and others), recognize imbalance, and be able to pair the imbalance with the herb(s) needed to shift toward and support homeostasis/balance. I've also been reading some of Hildegard von Bingen's work and appreciated his reference to her on page 29 regarding her referring to the power of Nature as the viriditas or "green power". I like that reference to "green power" and the healing support we get from our green world.
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One more great comment I want to acknowledge from this section, page 15: A culture that has lost its folk medicine or its ability to heal and cure everyday problems with everyday materials, has lost a part of its soul. I so agree. With our current modern medical system of "take this to fix that", it is easy for folks to look at herbalism as "what herb can I take to fix that (headache, weight gain, high blood pressure, hair loss...). It's time to return to viewing those imbalances in terms of what caused the imbalance and learning more about our local herbs to know how to use them to effect the needed shift to restore balance/health.
The Four Qualities, Energetics of Ancient Western Herbalism, pp. 31-43
This "system of energetics" has been around for centuries and, I would contend, consistent through all healing systems. Hippocrates, ancient Greek physician who lived c. 460 bce- -375 bce and traditionally regarded as the father of medicine, wrote: They would suppose that there is some principle harmful to man, heat or cold, wetness or dryness, and that the right way to bring about cures is to correct cold with warmth, or dryness with moisture and so on... These are the causes of disease and the remedy lies in the application of the opposite principle according to the hypothesis. I've researched some of the ancient and alternative healing systems in the past and appreciate Matthew's explanation of the 4 basic qualities of heat, cold, damp, and dry in this section. He gives a good foundation for his development of the six tissue states in the following section.
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While most herbalists will say that the study and understanding of energetics is important, some think it easy to grasp and will simplify choosing herbal remedies for imbalances. Others view it more of a challenge and lifelong journey, well worth the taking and becoming richer the more you grasp. I'm pretty sure I'm part of the challenge group. I am fortunate to have started my herbal journey with Lise Wolff, who uses energetics throughout her teaching, so it is not a new concept for me, but still seems to take awhile to sink in.
That said, I appreciate Matthew's overview of the ancients' view of the "four qualities" beginning on page 32. Rather than copy it all out here, I'll let you read it in the book. If you are struggling with the whole idea, it just might help.
I'm also intrigued by the concept of classifying herbal remedies according to their quality and degree. I'm thinking I want to pursue that a bit more... Anyone have any tips for where to find information in that regard?