APPLYING THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES IN 2008

The Doctrine of Signatures is, at heart, another term for the Hermetic Law of Correspondence. When talking to a Homeopath or Herbalist they are more likely to refer to the former term because the Doctrine of Signatures relates specifically to the similarity of plants and herbs (and their medicinal uses) to parts of the body i.e by careful observation one can learn the healing properties of a plant from some aspect of its 'nature' or place of growing.

In essence however since time immemorial all healers (and shamans) were herbalists, alchemists and astrologers. The fundamental framework of all three disciplines is anchored in the seven Hermetic Universal Laws, one of which is The Law of Correspondence - a law that was plainly visible to those with a spiritual eye.

Today we call mainstream healers, Medical Doctors. The herbs are combined with chemicals or the herbal properties are mimicked artificially and sold as Pharmaceuticals. Many of our Doctors in 2008 who are not also interested in alternative medicine sadly lack the 'spiritual eye' to notice correspondences.

For example The Doctrine of Signatures and Law of Correspondence philosophies postulate that in order to understand fever one should note the activity (correspondence) to volcanoes. An alternative healer when presented with fever or boils will ask about heat and what is angering the patient and causing them to erupt. Few Medical Doctors will make the immediate connections. The healer using Doctrine of Signatures will find a herb that has the properties of Mars and Pluto and administer either by sympathy (a little of the same will cure) or antipathy (a little of the opposite will cure i.e. find something to cool the body and emotions).

The non 'medical' astrologer, whilst not a healer of the physical body, will today 'treat' by helping the person to understand how they are intricately connected to the Cosmos. They will be advised that their fever is a symptom of Martian type correspondences that will either pass or intensify depending on action taken via free will. With a straightforward Mars/Pluto signature one could aim to 'bring to the surface' anything that has been internalised by talking suppressed emotions through, or by using martian type activities to redirect the energy.

The term Doctrine of Signatures is popularly ascribed to man called Paracelsus (1493-1541). However Paracelsus was a 'nom de plume'. Paracelsus was in fact the Swiss gentleman Phillippus Aureolus who later took the name Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim when he received a Baccalaureate in Medicine from the University of Vienna in 1510. Theophrastus subsequently adopted the surname of ParaCelsus as it breaks down into the words para -Celsus (beyond - Celsus).

Aulus Celsus was an medicinal 'encyclopedist' (25-50BC) and thanks to the tremendous dedication of Bill Thayer we can all read the translated work of Celsus' major treatise called De Medicina here)

As is usual when we look back through history we find that nothing is truly original in thought but simply an expanded or rewritten version of a previously known or perceived truth. It is clear that even prior to the time of Celsus the Law of Correspondence was already in use.

So when we read that in the early 1600's Jakob Bohme was responsible for the introduction of The Doctrine of Signatures via his book "Signatura Rerum; The Signature of all Things" we know that he was simply following Paracelsus and re-presenting esoteric knowledge that had been suppressed in the Dark Ages and was gradually finding it's way back to the light and into the printed word (but was still branded as heretical thought).

So how can The Doctrine help you in 2008? Well Saturn is passing through the sign of Virgo. As such the astrological symbolism (or correspondence) is that we will, as a collective, become more concerned about what we put into our bodies in the form of foodstuffs. We must pay more strict (SA) attention to our diet and daily habits (Virgo). One way to do this is to incorporate the ancient (Capricorn) truths (Pluto) into our lives.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, in Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826:

"Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are].

In an essay entitled Concerning Spiritualism and Materialism, 1863/4, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote:

"Der Mensch ist, was er ißt."

That translates into English as 'man is what he eats'. Neither Brillat-Savarin or Feuerbach meant their quotations to be taken literally. They were stating that that the food one eats has a bearing on what one's state of mind and health.

"Ninety per cent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat."

The following list of correspondences has been doing the rounds via e-mail recently and although I do not know the original source much of the information conforms to the Doctrine of Signatures/Law of Correspondence and you may like to alter your diet accordingly in light of this knowledge.

Foods and their correspondences:

CARROTS
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye; and science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

GRAPES
Many grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

TOMATOES*
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

WALNUTS
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper Cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuro-transmitters for brain function.

KIDNEY BEANS
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the Human kidneys.

CELERY
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough Sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

SWEET POTATOES
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycaemic index of diabetics.

ONIONS
Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

CITRUS FRUITS
Grapefruits, Oranges, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

PEANUTS
Listen up guys....Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church during the middle ages. Most people don't realize that arginine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.

Bananas, Cucumber, Zucchini and more target the size and strength of the male sexual organ.

and finally for the girls.....

OLIVES
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

* * * * *

Disclaimer: Please note this is a copy of information and I can take no responsibility or vouch for the efficiency of these foodstuffs as curative substances.

*I would say that many people do not realise that, along with potatoes, aubergine (eggplant) and chillies, tomatoes are part of the nightshade family. Tibetan Doctors advise against eating anything from the nightshade family!

For an excellent book on this subject of the composite (merging) of The Law of Correspondence and Doctrine of Signatures please read Vitalism - The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy and Flower Essences by Matthew Wood.

* You are what you eat meaning taken from here