The Doctrine of Signatures

Most of us remember the stories told of the honor that American Indians placed on the food they ate. They believed that when they killed and ate a deer, they would take on the essence or some of the qualities of the animal. So they hunted and ate with an attitude of thankfulness and reverence for that which they killed. Even herbs and vegetation were ingested with that attitude because they were familiar with some version of what we now call the Doctrine of Signatures. They somehow understood that there was an essence about all things, including the plant life. By eating a particular plant, they believed that the qualities of that plant would become part of them or be instilled in them. While most of the civilized world views this as nothing more than nonsense, a silly wives’ tale, there is a certain amount of truth in what they believed and actively participated in. Let’s look beyond the superstition and see where the line of truth is.

The Doctrine of Signatures

The Doctrine of Signatures is a systematic viewpoint of nature wherein the structure or function of any living organism can be transformed into its essence by ingesting that organism. For example, there are certain plants that grow out of the small cracks in stones and rocks. The properties of these plants would be to enhance breaks or cracks in hard elements. Thus these kinds of plants would be wonderful to eat if a person had a broken bone. These plants would tend to have a high calcium content with mending properties for hard elements. You can take the action and function of any organism, and you will find some individual action or function that it will enhance in the human body. This is the law of signatures. The shape and color is very often related to the qualities available in that item as well; kidney beans are good for the kidneys, walnuts are good for the brain (the walnut closely represents the brain and cranium) and cayenne peppers are good for the heart and circulation because they are red and stringy like an artery.

One must move outside of the belief that food has no real meaning other than that needed to keep us alive and remove hunger pangs. When viewed in its deepest realms, foods are very important and will reveal a host of information. I think it is important to remember that we as humans are part of nature, not above it. When we can embrace this, we will begin to understand the connection that holds all things in balance. We are often referred to as consumers, but we are life forms that choose, eat, digest, assimilate and absorb the cells of the foods we have eaten. You cannot believe that with all of this you have not in some ways become one with that which you have eaten. You become it, and it becomes you. This includes the qualities of the organism you have eaten, good or bad. Chemicals, preservatives, hormones, toxins, fears, strengths and weaknesses all become part of you if they were part of the plant or animal you ate.

When you go to Mexico and drink contaminated water, the stomach pains and diarrhea that follow are clear signs that we are not above nature but that the parasites now in our intestine have become part of us. It is no different with any other food. The only difference is the pace at which the food will affect us. Most foods have a gradual effect, unlike the parasite in the water. Let’s not be so dense that we ignore the gradual effects because they do not create instant sickness that forces action. Let us instead show ourselves approved and realize the truth and know that our habits have created the illness, degeneration or aging process that is with us now or is on its way if you are not following the GWSW method of health and healing.

In Part 2 of this installment we will continue this discussion.  Click here to read Part 2!

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