Language of Nature pt 2: Introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures; Color & Leaf Shape

This post is an introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures, which is the language of nature. 

There are many different layers to the Doctrine of Signatures & I am going to attempt to share them with you over the series of the next few posts. This is shared with the intention to assist you in building a foundation which you are invited & encouraged to build off of.  Keep in mind no one part is more important than the next.   

Introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures; Color & Leaf Shape

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Before we begin I would like to tell you that this is a bit of a lesson in using your imagination as each of the portions of the Doctrine of Signatures I will be covering is actually open to your own personal interpretation.  It’s time to truly learn how to communicate with the plant kingdom around us & one way is by learning to read the signs that are in plain sight.

If I could offer some advice & a lesson I’ve learned since walking this plant path is you must approach it equally from the mind, the heart & the gut.  

I’m not sure if you noticed we live in a society with a “this is good for that” mentality.  I know I’ve certainly fallen into that trap, but it’s time to forgive that & move on.  Assigning meaning based on I’m not even sure what.  However, is that the way we want to continue to approach nature?

We can get caught up on the “this plant is good for that” mentality but that is simply the surface of the information we could be getting from the plants around us.  We don’t need another allopathic approach in my opinion & that is what the “this plant is good for” mentality is.  I’m not saying this to discredit herbal books but what if you don’t have an herbal book handy & you need to make a medicine, what are you going to do? 

It’s as if we approach a plant and ask “what can you do for me?” rather than asking, “how is this plant reflecting me?”  This is what the Doctrine of Signatures can teach you, as this is what it’s been teaching me & we are but a reflection of each other.  However since we do live in a world of paradox I will be sharing what the signatures of these plants are used for in hopes of it making more sense.

Through learning to read the Doctrine of Signatures you will be able to go into any forest or anywhere plants are growing really, in any part of the world & find the remedies you are looking for.  A really good book is “the Language of Plants; a guide to the doctrine of signatures” by Julia Graves. You can grab a copy for yourself HERE.

Let’s instead of assigning tasks & jobs to the natural world we learn to listen to the messages that the plants are already giving us.  When Source created this world he stamped each plant with a signature to inform us of their purpose.  

There is a quote from the book I would like to share before we begin that I feel really explains what the Doctrine of Signatures is.  As with anything there are exceptions to the rules & we aren’t trying to put Nature into some handy little box, but they are guidelines that we can follow that start to connect the pieces.

“Like colors, shapes and characteristics in the plant cure those same or corresponding colors, shapes and characteristics in the body.  That which looks like a body part or disease in the plant cures that body part of disease in animals or humans.”

What’s interesting is that many of our cultures & traditions knew about this secret language but they may not have called it by the name I am using today.

Let’s begin with exploring color.  Keep in mind this is only one portion of the signatures color is giving us.

One way we can read color signatures is to correlate them to the chakra systems which govern parts of our body.  With this theory if you are having a hard time in the root chakra & aren’t feeling very grounded, keeping in mind this is the chakra that is directly tied to our feelings of survival, perhaps you will find a red flower calling your name that is wanting to help you with just that.

Chakra, color it represents & part of body it governs.

Another way to read the signatures of a plant is to notice any color that is present.  These are qualities we can feel subjectively. 

Red: The root chakra governs the blood & plants with reddish flowers like rose, are blood purifiers.  This color also suggests astringency which tones the tissues. An example is the poppy.

Orange: These flowers energize the sacral chakra & sexual energy.  An example is the tiger lily which is a gynecological remedy.

Orange-yellow: signals that they target the liver & gallbladder area.  An example is Safflower

Yellow: this color energizes the solar plexus & organs of the upper abdomen, particularly the liver & gallbladder.  An example is dandelion.  

Light green/yellowish green: Being that these are a mix of yellow & green it is said they target the diaphragm area energizing the area between the solar plexus & heart.  An example is Linden which can help calm the nerves that innervate the heart, diaphragm as well as the solar plexus.

Green: Being in the middle of the color spectrum between light & dark, they have an ability to balance & heal the heart opening it for compassion, awareness & sensitivity for the earth.  An example is Lady’s mantle.

Introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures; Color & Leaf Shape

Pink: This color signifies a heart remedy such as the bleeding heart.  Even the names at times hold clues to the signatures we have available to us.

Blue: The throat chakra governs breath & breathing.  An example is balloon flower can heal asthma.  A bright blue color indicates the plant is spasmolytic (antispasmodic) such as lobelia.

Purple, lavender, violet & indigo: these are the colors that energize the third eye chakra which is connected to the functioning of the hypothalamus.  Pasqueflower is our example of an excellent balancing agent. 

White: It is the only color that contains all other colors & is the color of pale flowers growing in the shade. In order to classify these plants in the correct category, we would need to have another crown signature such as the white lotus.  White lotus looks like a crown after all.  Some white flowers are associated with mother’s milk such as milkthistle.

Yet another way to interpret color signature is by corresponding conditions.

Color correspondence between body & plant.

That was a few different ways to interpret colors in a plant.  This is not all the different ways colors become signatures but it’s a good start.

Next let’s talk about leaf shape.  

I’m going to go over some commonly found leaf shapes & share some possible signatures.  Remember this is up to personal interpretation.  Allow your imagination to help you.  Look at these plants with the eyes behind your eyes.

Lush, abundant greenery suggests the plant has a strong vital or etheric force.  It can be shaped like a parasol-like canopy such as horse chestnut trees, which is an illustration of the plant’s ability to create its own energetic space & protect itself from the drying-out forces of wind & sun. Now take that energy & apply it to how it might feel in the body or what type of person would benefit from what these plants truly have to offer.

Invasive growth is seen as a signature for its cancer fighting properties such as we see in Periwinkle.  

The overall shape of the plant can also point to a few different signatures.  An example is the Linden tree which resembles when full grown, the shape of an upside down heart.  The leaves are also heart shaped.  This is a great heart calming plant.

Heavy large leaves signify a predominance of the Earth element & this is commonly found in tropical plants.  Large leaves stand for surface area & gas exchange or breathing.  An example of this is Elecampane

Round broad leaves that are shaped like water drops point to a predominance of the water element within the plant. Water lilies are our example here.  The water lily is a good candida remedy which requires an internal sogginess to the tissues in order to thrive.

Blades are the thin narrow leaves that are typical of grasses.  The shape is pointing to a signature of being silica-rich.  Silica has many benefits to the body such as  promoting healthy skin, nails & hair.  An example would be horsetail

Contracted narrow or needle-like leaves generally point to highly aromatic plants which is a signature for a high predominance of air & fire pointing to a high essential oil content.  An example is yarrow which is an excellent remedy for stopping bleeding. 

Succulent leaves share a plant's ability to store & withhold water.  Let’s look to aloe, which can moisten dried or burned tissues & is helpful in preventing heat stroke.

Leaves covered with a mealy white substance that comes off at the slightest touch is a signature for sores & ulcers such as those found on white goosefoot .

Sharply toothed leaves indicate a pain relieving effect as found in sweet chestnut.

Visibly veined leaves point to a nerve remedy & when pulled apart the white nerve strands emerge.  Plantain is an excellent example.

Two-lobed leaves resemble bilaterally lobed organs such as the brain & lungs making ginkgo biloba a go to remedy.

Sets of three leaves point to gynecological remedies.  The triangle does stand for the female sexual organ.  Our example here is wild ginger which is being uterine shaped.

Palmate or hand-shaped leaves signify remedies for arthritis pain such as Devil’s Claw which if you ask me certainly resembles a hand crippled with arthritis.

While this is only a portion of the leaf shapes we will encounter, my goal is that this provides you with a good starting point in your studies.  

Join me next week as I begin to explore the sensory experience & environment.

To watch the video & presentation HERE.