Elemental Energy in Plants
We all have that one friend who's really into Astrology, always ready with your birth chart whenever you need advice. I’m not hating either! I often pull up my horoscope when I need a little guidance, and more often than not it's spot on! Just like we humans attune to our astrological energies, so does the natural world, including plants! Yes, even plants have a sign…
These energies, or correspondences, are sorted by their characteristics. There are herbs associated with each of the astrology signs that are much like ours! Some herbs have the fiery energy of Mars or Aries from the zodiac. Others like mugwort heighten our psychic ability having the likeness of the planet Neptune or the sign Pisces.
However, these energies tend to present themselves differently in plants than with us. Where our personalities may be dictated by our sign plants don't necessarily have a personality that is easy to identify. Instead we can look to how and when plants grow and their effects in our bodies to determine their energies! This is more intuitive that you may think, first let's look at the four elements and the energies behind them.
The four elements and their energies
We all know of the four elements, air, earth, fire and water, but they seem abstract to most. They become clearer when you look at the characteristics of each.
Air- Let's start with Air, one that we all have undoubtedly connected with through our breath. Like our breath Air is an element that can have much power behind it. It flows over the Earth shaping rock and stirring up storms. It uplifts, and plants that have Air energy tend to do the same.
The element of Air can also magnify the other elements, in my opinion. Water may be still and calm until Air comes through creating waves, Fire is contained until Air carries it to a new brush.
In our bodies the element air is our blood and the oxygen it carries, the breath of life. Blood transports all within the body connecting our organs together. It is in continuous motion. Our motion as well is the element air expressing itself through us. When the element of air is out of balance in the body we may feel slow or even stretched to thin. Our blood may be moving too slowly or too fast. We can use plants to bring this back into balance!
Earth- The element Earth is the most stable element and because of that it is a grounding element. As all herbs come from the Earth they all have a bit of this energy in them. To be more specific herbs that have Earth energy tend to calm the nervous system and our minds. It is easiest to connect to this element when you connect to the growing cycle of the plants you are using. By getting into the dirt and feeling the earth with your hands you can connect directly to it!
In our bodies the element Earth is an important part of our mindset. It keeps us motivated and when we are unbalanced it helps bring us back into balance.
Too much of this element however can leave you feeling sluggish and slow. As Air opposes Earth you can use herbs of the element Air to uplift you when you are feeling too much Earth energy!
Fire- The element Fire is one of transformation and renewal. In our bodies we see Fire as the acid in our stomachs, that which transforms our food into energy for our bodies and minds.
The energy of Fire is intense and sometimes short lived. It can present itself in bursts of passion and energy that can be hard to maintain long term. For this reason be careful to to bring too much Fire into your life or you may risk burnout! Such an apt name for too much of this element!
Connecting to this element can ignite you when you are feeling sluggish and awaken your passion. Whenever I need a bit of a boost I turn to herbs strong with this element to awaken my senses! Think of cinnamon and cloves, these spicy scents always seem to ignite me when I need it. Or a spicy curry on a cold night, the chili peppers awakening your spirit.
Water- The last element, but certainly not the least, is Water. This element is an intuitive one. When we are fully connected to the Water element we are in a state of flow; thoughts and actions coming naturally with little effort. It brings renewal, refreshes us when we need quenching.
In our bodies Water presents itself as our mucus. We often overlook this substance but it is so essential to the functioning of our body! Without mucus we become stagnant, it is the lubrication that allows flow within us. In our minds Water is our intuition, that which comes naturally with no effort.
Plants allow us to connect to this element to increase the flow in our bodies and within our activities. When you need inspiration turn to herbs of Water to open your mind and connect to your instincts!
How the elements express themselves in plants: growing, fruiting, and harvest
Just as the four elements present themselves within our body, they also exist in the growing cycles of plants. As we talked about earlier, all plants have a bit of the Earth element within them, but depending on when they bloom and fruit the other elements show themselves too.
Witch hazel in bloom
For example, plants like mistletoe and witch hazel are some of the only spots of color in a Winter wonderland. Because of this they often are associated with the element Fire because they burst into bloom when other plants fade out.
Where a plant grows can also tell you much about its characteristics. Think of cattail, a plant that thrives in bogs where water is abundant. Just like the element of Water, cattail brings renewal. It is one of the first species to return to an environment after a disaster. Its roots reach deep, able to pull toxins from the water, cleansing and renewing the earth. See, connecting to these energies is instinctive!
The part of the plant harvested can also indicate its elemental energy. Plants from which we harvest aerial parts only have a lot of Air energy. This intuitively makes sense because we are harvesting the plants that reach up into the air! Other herbs in which the roots are used tend to have an abundance of Earth energy. We are literally harvesting from deep in the earth to find the roots!
How the energies of plants affect us: herbal action
Not only can how a plant grows tell you about its energetic signature, but their action in our bodies can shed even more light! When we ingest a plant or an extract from one, we are taking in the energy that went into the life of that plant. That is what makes them so effective; the energy and the chemical constituents combine to create whole plant medicine.
The way in which a plant affects our bodies is known as its herbal action. These actions affect the different systems in our body. If you want to learn more about the systems of the body and how plants can affect them check out my blog about it!
Some herbs will magnify an element while others will calm it. This becomes a beautiful tool when you are trying to balance our body's system. We all know what it feels like to be out of balance and
As I mentioned before, plants tend to have more than one energy to them, they are as complex as we are! Therefore the way they affect our minds and bodies will differ depending on their own unique combination.
Let's take chili pepper and cinnamon, both of these plants have alot of Fire energy to them! When I think of each of these, Fire is the first element that comes to mind. However, they definitely do not have the same energy.
Chili peppers are intense, when you bite into one all of your senses are brought into immediate focus. It is spicy but can also clear your mind, and sinuses. Chili peppers have both Fire and Air energy to them, hot but clear. Cinnamon on the other hand is entirely warming to me. It is comforting and spicy, and it grounds. Cinnamon has both Fire and Earth energy. You see! The more you start to tune into these energies the more intuitive they become.
Elemental Energy Chart
Air Herbs- Comfrey, Elder, Eyebright, Lavender, Mugwort, Peppermint, Thyme
Earth Herbs- Cedar, Cloves, Ginger, Marshmallow, Pennyroyal, Sage, Slippery Elm, Turmeric
Water Herbs- Chamomile, Echinacea, Lemongrass, Meadowsweet, Mugwort, Peppermint, Poppies
Fire Herbs- Calendula, Cedar, Chili Peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garlic, Ginger, Nettle, Oregano
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this post check out my Introduction to Systematic Herbalism post where I break down the basics of how plants affect our bodies!