An Introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures

 An Introduction to the Doctrine of Signatures   Tamarra S. James 

 

     It is unthinkable that any serious student of herbal 

medicine would be unaware of the existence of a diagnostic system

called, "The Doctrine of Signatures".  Most people have read of 

it in passing with little or no explanation.  In the historical 

perspective, it is one of the most important modes of medical 

thinking to have evolved, and it was expounded in medical texts 

from the middle of the sixteen hundreds right up to the end of 

the nineteenth century. 

      

The Doctrine of Signatures is most notable in that it was not 

originally formulated for the medical profession.  It took shape

as a spiritual philosophy that had as its base the simple concept

that God had marked everything he had created with a sign.  This

sign was a clear indicator of the item's true purpose as intended

by God. 

      

There are allusions to this sort of theory in the writings of 

Galen A.D. 131-200.  But it was not until the publication of 

Jacob Boehme's Book "Signatura Rerum; The Signature of all 

Things" was published in the first half of the seventeenth 

century that it took form as a complete philosophy. 

     

Jacob Boehme was not a learned man, he was in fact, a 

shoemaker from a poor family just outside Goerlitz, Germany.  In

1600, he was visited by a sudden illumination of the mind in 

which was made clear to him the doctrine he espoused for the 

remainder of his life.  He published his revelations in the book,

"Aurora" 1612, and was promptly exiled from his home town by the

city council on the advice of the pastor of Goerlitz.  The city 

council reversed the banishment the next day on the condition 

that he wrote no further books.  He was apparently unable to 

comply with the conditions and left for Prague the next year. He

died in 1624 having authored two books and several treatises on 

the subject of his visions. 

      

The first person to look on Boehme's theories as something more 

secularly useful than a method for spiritual meditations was 

Paracelsus who was writing in the first half of the sixteen 

hundreds.  Paracelsus is considered by modern scholars to be the

father of modern chemistry, and he did much in his lifetime to 

popularise the Doctrine of Signatures in its medical application.

(Put in its simplest terms, the Doctrine states that by 

careful observation one can learn the uses of a plant from some 

aspect of its form or place of growing.)  The level of signature

often got a little far fetched, and it would seem that this was a

case of attempting to make the known facts fit the popular 

theory.  In a period where most of the world was still largely 

illiterate, it is likely that the Doctrine of Signatures was 

useful as a mnemonic aid for the apprentice who was learning by 

observation and rote. 

      

I will give here a series of examples from William Cole who was 

writing in the Seventeenth Century and was greatly influenced by

the teachings of Paracelsus.  They will give you some idea of the

practical application of the Doctrine. These examples are taken 

from notes that were intended to teach the practices of medicine. 

His books are titled, "The Art of Simpling" and "Adam in Eden". 

The distilled water of Hawthorn: "It is found by good experience, 

that if cloathes and spunges be wet in the said water and applyed

to any place whereinto thornes, splinters etc. have entered and 

be there abiding, it will notably draw forth, so that the thorn 

gives a medicine for its own prickling."  The signature is in the

thorn itself in this case. 

Lung wort, due to the spots on its leaves was related to 

Pulmonary complaints. 

Plants with yellow flowers or roots, such as Goldenrod were 

believed to cure conditions of Jaundice by the signature of 

colour. 

Plants with a red signature were used for blood disorders.  

John Gerard states in his herbal when speaking of St. John's 

Wort, "The leaves, flowers and seeds stamped, and put into a 

glass with oile olive, and set in the hot sunne for certaine 

weeks togather and then strained from those herbes, and the like

quantity of new put in, and sunned in like manner, doth make an 

oile of the colour of blood, which is a most precious remedy for

deep wounds..."  In this sort of case, the doctrine goes a little

far in demanding that the preparation be made before the 

signature evidences itself. 

     

The petals of the Iris were commonly used as a poultice for 

bruising because of the signature of colour, the petals 

resembling in hue the bruise they were to alleviate. 

      

Beyond the signature of colour was that of form.  If a portion of

a plant resembled an organ or other part of the Human Anatomy, it

was believed to be beneficial to that part, thus, Cole speaks of

Lily of the Valley in the following terms, " It cureth apoplexy 

by Signature; for as that disease is caused by the dropping of 

humours into the principal ventricles of the brain: so the 

flowers of this Lily hanging on the plants as if they were drops,

are of wonderful use herein." 

     

Poplar or "Quaking Aspen" leaves were used for shaking 

Palsy, and Byrony root, which, with a little imagination could be

said to resemble a swollen human foot, was obviously signed for 

use in cases of Dropsy which caused swelling of the foot. 

There are many more examples of similar types, but this will 

give a sort of general overview to the theory. 

      

The Doctrine of Signatures naturally led to the concept of 

Astrological influence, and this was developed and put forward by

Nicolas Culpeper in his book, "Judgement of Diseases" in the mid

sixteen hundreds.  This was a sort of scientific version of the 

Doctrine of Signatures that set itself up in opposition to the

simpler folk style we have seen previously.  In fact there were a

number of vituperative arguments and clashes between Cole and 

Culpeper over the relative merits of the two systems.   

 

In short, the two systems weren't that far different from each 

other, and their evaluations of the uses of herbs were generally

the same, the means of arriving at the interpretation was the 

thing in dispute.  Culpeper felt that only astrologers were fit 

to study medicine, being an astrologer himself did not, I'm sure

hinder him in the formation of this bias.  Cole was of the 

"College of Physicians in London" whom Culpeper loudly decried 

as, " A company of proud, insulting, domineering doctors, whose 

wits were born about 500 years before themselves."  Cole was also

the most avid proponent of the Doctrine of Signatures. 

      

They carried on a literary battle for supremacy which was 

effectively won in 1649 by Culpeper, when he published, " a 

physicall directory or a translation of the London dispensary 

made by the College of Physicians in London..."  In this book, he

had translated the College's main medical text from the Latin, 

into the vernacular so that the common man could wean himself 

away from dependance on the Doctors by delving into the mysteries

that were formerly known only to the learned physicians.  He also

added his own commentary on the formulas, and included a healthy

dose of his astrological theories, seeming to give them the 

credence of the College.  The College was not amused and 

proceeded to attack Culpeper in broadsides from this time, and 

continued unceasingly, even after his death. 

      

The astrological system of diagnosis and treatment was set forth

in Culpeper's "complete herbal" in the following way: 

 

1. Consider what planet causeth the disease; that thou mayest 

find it in my aforesaid "Judgement of Diseases". (His other 

book). 

2. Consider what part of the body is affected by the disease and

whether it lies in the flesh or blood or bones or ventricles. 

3. Consider by what planet the afflicted part of the body is 

governed; that my "Judgement of Diseases" will inform you also. 

4. You may oppose diseases by herbs of the planet opposite to the

planet that causes them; as diseases of the luminaries by the 

herbs of Saturn and the contrary; diseases of Mars by the herbs 

of Venus and the contrary. 

5. There is a way to cure diseases sometimes by sympathy and so 

every planet cures its own diseases; as the sun and moon by their

herbs cure the eyes, Saturn the spleen, Jupiter the liver, Mars 

the gall and diseases of the choler, and by Venus diseases in the

instruments of generation." 

     

Astrology was consulted for diagnosis, classification of 

medicinal plants and bodily functions, the preparation of 

medicines, and the determination of the most favorable time to 

administer the remedy. 

      

I will briefly set down the basic planetary divisions of the 

botanic kingdom.  One will note how similar the method is to the

broader Doctrine of Signatures, in fact, there is little 

deviation here from the planetary catalogue set down by 

Paracelsus. 

 

SUN: 

   The sun was said to rule the heart, circulation, and the 

vertebral column.  All plants that appeared solar, such as 

Calendula and Sunflower fell under its influence, as did those 

plants that followed the sun in their growth such as Heliotrope. 

Plants that were heat producing, such as Clove and Pepper, and 

all those having a tonic effect on the heart were classified 

under the Sun. 

 

MOON: 

   The moon was held to influence growth, fertility, the breasts,

stomach, womb, and menstrual cycle.  It also exerted control over

the brain and the memory.  All body fluids and secretions were 

believed to be under the lunar sway.  To some extent, the entire

plant world was subject to the Moon, as harvesting and planting 

was performed in accordance with the lunar phases.  Most 

especially lunar were those plants with a diaphoretic action, or

with juicy globular fruits.  Moisturizing, cooling, or soothing 

juices fell in here as well. 

 

MERCURY; 

   Mercury ruled the nervous system, and the organs of speech, 

hearing, and respiration.  Mercuric plants bore finely divided 

leaves such as fennel, dill, and carrot.  The smell was usually 

sharp and distinctive.  The most typical of Mercury's plants had

a mood elevating, slightly tonic effect. 

 

VENUS: 

   Venus ruled the complexion, the sexual organs, and the hidden

inner workings of the body cells. Venusian plants almost all bore

heavily scented, showy blossoms such as the Damascus Rose or the

Apple Blossom.  The medicinal effects were commonly emollient, 

anti-nephritic, and alterative.  Of course, many of the 

aphrodesiac plants were included under the auspice of Venus as 

well. 

 

MARS: 

   Mars ruled the muscles, body vitality, and the libido.  It 

also had influence in the combustion processes of the body and 

the motor nerves.  Its plants generally affected the blood, and 

were stimulating, and in many cases aphrodesiac.  Many were hot 

and acrid in their nature. 

 

JUPITER: 

   Jupiter ruled the liver, the abdomen, the spleen, and the 

kidney.  Digestion was governed by this planet as was body 

growth.  Most of Jupiter's plants are edible, many bearing nuts 

or fruit such as the chestnut and the apricot.  Its medicinal 

traits are antispasmodic, calmative, hepatic, and anthelmintic. 

 

SATURN: 

   Saturn ruled over aging, the bone structure, teeth, and all 

hardening processes.  Many of its plants are poisonous such as 

Hemlock and Belladonna.  The effects of Saturnian plants are 

sedative, pain relieving, coagulant, or bone-forming. 

 

Beyond these seven planets, the proponents of this theory 

had no knowledge of any other heavenly influences. 

      

To many of us, this method seems very arbitrary and unreliable, 

but one must note, that it was more a system of catalogue than a

real formula for discovery.  A budding herbalist may know that 

Mercury has many plants with highly divided leaves like Parsley,

but he also knew, that Jupiter had the Hemlock, also with finely

divided leaves, and so he could not trust that all plants with 

the leaf type would act the same.  Most of the herbal apprentices

could read little and write less, and the Doctrine of Signatures

came to the rescue as a slightly more dignified mnemonic key than

the doggerel verse of the village witch-wife. 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

 

"The Signature of All Things", Jacob Boehme: James Clarke & Co. 

Ltd., Cambridge 1969. 

 

"The Golden Age of Herbs & Herbalists.", Rosetta E. Clarkson: 

Dover Publications Inc., New York 1972. 

 

"Culpeper's Complete Herbal", Nicholas Culpeper; W. Foulsham & 

Co. Ltd. London 

 

"The Herbal of General History of Plants": John Gerard: Dover 

Publications Inc. 1975. 

 

"Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy": Manfred M. Junius: Inner 

Traditions International Ltd., New York 1985.   

THANK YOU TAMARRA JAMES.

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