Herbal Divination
“To become a true herbalist…means to become a seer.”
-David Frawley & Vasant Lad, The Yoga of Herbs
When I was a kid, my mom taught me how to test for flower essences using a pendulum. We would turn the bottles to obscure their labels and hold the pendulum over each one, asking the simple question, “Do I need this essence now?” Once we narrowed it down to 2-4 essences, we’d flip them over to discover their identities. Then we’d turn to the books to read about the uses of each essence before crafting them into a blend.
To this day, this process turns up the soil of my psyche to unearth previously unknown tendencies and issues that need healing, or at the very least, recognition. It releases the mind’s iron grip on what we think we need at a given moment while inviting Spirit to weigh in on our healing journey. At times, this method can offer some unpleasant surprises (“Do I really talk too much?”) or even denials (“I’m not manipulative!”) as the ego tries to argue its way out of being wrong. Yet, especially after some time taking the flower essences, this process acts as a kind of spiritual Windex, cleaning the ego’s murky mirror so that we can see ourselves more clearly.
Projection
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
-Carl Jung
Let’s face it: we all have blind spots. I once attended a class on flower essences and listened as the teacher outlined Bach’s 38 remedies. As she spoke about the qualities of vine (Vitus vinifera), which eases overbearing types, one student began to visibly squirm in her seat. This classmate perfectly exemplified the vine personality type, the one who knows what’s best for everyone else and isn’t afraid to say so. Seeing her discomfort, I thought she was having a major moment of self-realization. Then she exclaimed, “That’s my sister! I have to get this remedy for my sister!”
The rest of the class smiled. Not only was our classmate blind to her vine tendencies, but ironically, she was exhibiting the “I know what’s best for you” attitude toward her sister in that very moment. In psychological terms, it was a classic case of projection, whereby our more unsavory attributes are ascribed onto others but not understood in ourselves.
Please understand that by telling this story, I don’t mean to adopt an air of condescension. I certainly have my own blind spots--plenty to last several lifetimes, I’d wager. Within this experience, I’m sensible of yet another layer of projection. The rest of the students, who exchanged knowing glances with one another, were all exhibiting a vine tendency in that moment. We all thought we knew what was best for our classmate.
Projection occurs not only the personal level, but also on the communal level. As Jung (1973) pointed out, those of us who cannot detect projection in our personal lives need only study the rhetoric of the media during times of war to understand how this occurs on the collective level. We project our own fears and weaknesses onto a perceived enemy. Thus, to avoid war on any scale, it is essential to examine our unconscious material on the personal and communal levels.
Defining Divination
Stepping back from Jungian psychology for the moment, let’s have a closer look at divination. This ancient art form is defined as “the art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or alleged supernatural agency” (Morris, 1969, p. 385). Essentially, it is the act of gaining insight into the hidden dynamics of life through metaphysical means. To “divine,” then, is both a means of gathering knowledge through divination, and alternately, “to know by inspiration, intuition, or reflection” (Morris, 1969, p. 385).
Exactly where this knowledge comes from is a matter of debate. Does it truly emanate from a divine source? Or, are we simply tapping into our own intuition? In the case of herbal divination, might the messages come from the plants themselves? Could it be a combination of these things?
We tend to think of divination as a means of prophecy; even magical thinkers often embrace a stereotype of fortune tellers (think Professor Trelawney in Harry Potter). Yet divination can also be used to better understand the undercurrents of a past or present situation. Often, when we seek guidance through divination, what we’re really seeking is healing on some level. When I ask for insight into a broken relationship, what I’m really asking for is a higher level of understanding that will help to mend my broken heart. Even when I seek guidance for the future, I’m attempting to brace myself for upcoming challenges to bring forth a sense of preparedness in facing them. Divination, then, can be understood as an attempt to remain whole and healthy in spite of life circumstances that cause distress or drain our energy.
Sometimes, logic alone is not enough to heal our lives; sometimes, we must ask for help from that which usually remains invisible. By actively seeking guidance, we humbly admit to ourselves that we’re not operating from the highest vantage point. We are, after all, only human. Nevertheless, each of us must weave our way through the complex maze of life, making decisions, often blindly, that we hope will lead us toward wellness and happiness. Why not reach for any extra help we can get?
The I Ching and Synchronicity
“The I Ching does not offer itself with proofs and results; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it easy to approach. Like a part of nature, it waits until it is discovered.” -Carl Jung
One of the oldest books in the world, the I Ching is a classic Chinese text that was first recorded around 1000 B.C.E (O’Brien, 2013). Also called the Book of Changes, the I Ching has been used for millennia as a means of intuitive decision making while navigating change. In other words, it’s a form of divination. Nowadays, most of us who work with the I Ching cast hexagrams using coins; originally, this was done with yarrow stalks. This makes me smile, as I perceive yarrow to be a great boundary-definer. It makes sense that the plant can be used to help us define the boundaries of our reality and see which particular patterns are up for review.
As a fun fact, Carl Jung was well-versed in the I Ching and even used it to aid in psychoanalysis (Merritt, 1998). In his foreword to the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I Ching, Jung references synchronicity as the means by which the system works so effectively to elucidate the archetypal forces of one’s life. Jung described synchronicity as a meaningful coincidence of events, both internal (subjective) and external (objective), which come together with no logical evidence of cause and effect.
Plant-related synchronicities are common among herbalists. It’s the magic that draws you toward the name or image of an unknown plant, only to discover it is exactly the medicine you’ve been searching for. It’s what causes someone to spontaneously ask you about hawthorn, when you’ve been thinking about hawthorn all day. There is no logical causality there, but it’s clear that the moment holds meaning.
Since our experience of the inner world is intimately connected with our outward experience of the world, it follows that bringing to light what Jung called “the obscurities of our own natures” (1950, p. xxviii) could effect change within a person’s life circumstances as well. Modern psychoanalysts report good results with using the I Ching for clients who are stuck circling the same issue over and over. One therapist reports that the readings “speak uncannily to the issues that are plaguing the petitioner” (Rako, 2016, para. 11). Another particularly enjoys using yarrow stalks with his clients. He explains, “The yarrow stalk method is therapeutic in and of itself: it involves a sense of ritual and reassuring repetition, of participating in something very ancient” (Merritt, 1998, para. 10).
Thus, divination in general is a nice way to uncover hidden truths about oneself and to guide clients into doing the same. The addition of plant-related divination techniques can be especially appealing to herbalists and their clients, as they connect us with something that feels deeply primal, ritualistic, and natural. I believe that herbal divination also invokes the spirits of the plants themselves, who share their medicine in mysterious and wonderful ways.
Reading Teas and Trees
Let’s turn our gaze toward other historical uses of plants in divination. Tasseomancy is a practice that involves reading the remnants of tea leaves (or coffee, or other herbal materials) left in the bottom of a cup after the beverage is drunk. The shapes created by the leftover leaves, along with their location in the cup, determine the message for the tea drinker.
The exact origins of tasseomancy are unknown. Some sources claim it originated in Europe with the Romani, others say it was first practiced in China, while some hold that the first records of tasseomancy come from ancient Sumeria, where women would read the remnants of unfiltered beer left in the bottom of patrons’ cups (Conroy & Conroy, 2006). I especially enjoy the latter explanation, given Stephen Buhner’s (1998) account of women being intimately involved since ancient times in the process of fermentation, which was itself often considered a gift from the divine feminine. I love the idea of the women who brewed these blessed beverages taking their sacred role a step further and using the remnants of their divinely inspired brews as a means of divination.
Meanwhile, the Ogham is an ancient alphabet that was used by the Irish and other Celts as a means of communication. Medieval scholars believed that Ogham letters represented different trees, an idea which has held over time. I’m no Celtic scholar, but this is my understanding: while the ancient druids were practitioners of many forms of nature-based divination, we don’t have any evidence that they used the Ogham as an oracle.
However, modern folks have adapted the Ogham into a divination system, which has become quite popular. While ancient forms of divination are nicely rooted in a spiritual lineage, I am not one to discount modern systems. To my mind, the most important factor is the quality of intention behind a reading. Is the seeker sincere and open to the messages that come? If so, this will more likely produce an illuminating experience, no matter the age of the oracle.
Shamanic Divination
Finally, let’s broaden the concept of divination a bit. Shamanic cultures from all over the world have a fascinating history of practices that employ entheogens as well as oneirogens for divinatory purposes. A healer or shaman might ingest a plant to aid in the process of gathering information, whether in an altered waking state (as in the case of entheogens) or in a dream state (as with oneirogens, dream-enhancing plants). Christian Rätsch (2005) reports that many psychoactive plants have been used for this purpose within the context of traditional cultures. Morning glory seeds have reportedly been used for finding lost objects in Central America, for example, while Peruvian shamans employ the San Pedro cactus to divine the cause of illness in patients (Rätsch, 2005).
Even non-shamanic folks have had similar experiences with the use of psychoactive plants, especially in ceremonial contexts. Ayahuasca is famous for helping people understand the root cause of physical illness, emotional turmoil, and troubling circumstances. Likewise, I once heard a beautiful story from an academic friend who got his PhD studying the effects of psychoactive plants. There was a young woman who struggled with anorexia, and she described her first cannabis experience as a major healing event. She went into a kind of trance and spontaneously recalled her mother force-feeding her to quiet her cries when she was a baby. This memory allowed for a deeper understanding of her troubled relationship with food and paved the way for her eventual recovery. This type of experience may not be what we typically think of as divination, but it certainly allowed for the divining of previously obscured information.
The same can be said of oneirogens like dream root (Silene capensis) or Calea zacatechichi, which can promote vivid, lucid, or prophetic dreams. Of course, like any form of divination, oneirogens can bring up uncomfortable truths like destructive tendencies and deep fears. Last year, I imbibed a brew that contained Calea zacatechichi and proceeded to have a nightmare in which I lost most of my teeth. Personally, I associate teeth with the ability to nourish myself and dental work with financial expense, so I interpreted this dream as an indicator of fears related to money. At the time, I had quit my full-time job to do lesser-paying (but more fulfilling) freelance work, so it made plenty of sense. The dream uncovered my deep-seated anxiety so that afterwards, I was able to face my fears more consciously.
Divination for Healing
“Everything has a meaning, if only we can read it.” -Philip Pullman, Lyra’s Oxford
As we’ve seen, divination can take a variety of forms. Herbal divination can be as simple as paying attention to life circumstances when a particular plant shows up and watching for any patterns that form over time. For example, violets (Viola spp.) tend to show up for me when I’m considering taking a job that doesn’t suit me. I’m not saying this is a universal meaning of the plant, but it’s happened often enough that I’ve learned to pay attention and heed the warning. Another form of herbal divination might be simply connecting with a plant in a meditative state to receive any messages it may offer.
Likewise, the applications of divination in healing are just as varied. By inviting the divine to take part in the process of personal growth, we can more easily get out of our own way and allow the healing to happen. If we follow the metaphysical bread crumbs of synchronicity and intuition, we can begin to deal with our unconscious material rather than chronically projecting it outward. This allows for more conscious relationships with the self, others, and the human community.
As healers know, there is often a connection between mental/emotional patterns and physical ailments. That being said, I would not recommend choosing tinctures or other material dosages of plants using a pendulum. This may go without saying, but just to be clear: choosing a plant with divination doesn’t necessarily indicate the need to physically ingest that plant. Sometimes, our plant allies simply have a message to share—and often, the message itself is a healing agent, bringing the light of awareness into darkened corners of the psyche.
This awareness can pave the way for a course of action inspired by both logic and intuition. For example, following my dream about lost teeth, I began to incorporate nourishing and nervine herbs into my daily regimen to deal with the underlying anxiety that oneirogens brought into the light. I also took drop doses of white oak (Quercus alba) bark to honor my teeth (why not?) and release my workaholic tendencies that might have eventually led me into nervous breakdown.
So, I’m not suggesting that we throw out our books and practice herbalism solely with intuition. What I am suggesting is that divination can complement a healing practice beautifully. It can help us get unstuck from difficult situations; it can show us our blind spots. Of equal value, divination can invoke a sense of magic in the healing process, a sense of hidden helping hands that are only waiting for us to ask.
Note: A version of this article first appeared in Plant Healer Magazine’s Herbaria.
References
Buhner, S.H. (1998). Sacred and herbal healing beers. Siris Books.
Conroy, J., & Conroy, E. (2006). The world in your cup: A handbook in the ancient art of tea leaf reading. DNA Press.
Cowan, E. (1995). Plant spirit medicine. Swan•Raven & Co.
Jung, C.G. (1950). Foreword. In Wilhelm, R. & Baynes, C. F. (Trans.). The I Ching, or book of changes (xxi-xxxix). Bollingen Foundation.
Jung, C.G. (1973). Collected works of C. G. Jung: The first complete English edition of the works of C. G. Jung (G. Adler, M. Fordham, & H. Read, Eds.). Routledge.
O’Brien, P. (2013). Visionary I Ching: A book of changes for intuitive decision making. Divination Foundation Press.
Merritt, D. (1998). Use of the I Ching in the analytic setting. Retrieved from http://www.dennismerrittjungiananalyst.com/China_paper.htm
Morris, W. (Ed.). (1969). The American heritage dictionary of the English language. American Heritage Publishing Co.
Rako, S. (2016). The I Ching as facilitator in psychotherapy. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/more-light/201611/the-i-ching-facilitator-in-psychotherapy
Rätsch, C. (2005). The encyclopedia of psychoactive plants. Park Street Press.