Laws of the Traditional Herbalist
I. The Traditional Herbalist is aware of all four elements: there is no facet of his work which does not invoke the power of earth and water, air and fire. Indeed, the wise practitioner of the Craft of Herbs knows that each facet of his Work is always a balance of the four.
II. The more wise the practitioner, the better the balance he will keep, knowing always the Hermetic Principle, “As it is above, so it is below,” or the law of cause and effect, or as Jesus of Nazareth said, “As a man soweth, so shall he reap.”
III. All creation is a balance of the four: air, water, earth and fire, and a remedy of the herb must be in balance.
IV. The wise practitioner will only work good: the portions, decoctions, infusions, will only be made to restore health and well being, letting the reward being in that creation of good.
V. The poisons of the trade must only be used to suffocate and dispel that which causes harm to a fellow creature: disease, illness and that which keeps him form seeking his peace and happiness within the Universe.
VI. There must never be employed any concoction which would impair, injure, or interfere with anyone or anything; for the creation of harm is not your realm.
VII. The Traditional Herbalist will always find a way to work with the Universe. No matter what his religion, his Gods and Universe are the same, and wherever he looks, he sees them both.
VIII. And so he practices conservation in all that he does: Never taking more than is to be used; Never taking anything without something being left behind, rewarding the earth with a gift or a blessing.
IX. Because he follows the Universal Laws of Conservation. the Traditional Herbalist will never bring harm to plant, person; not to earth and water and will stir the fires of creation only to work good.
X. Becaue he practices his Craft within both the smallest laws of the Universe and the greatest laws, even to gaze at the stars is to be aware.
XI. The practitioner finds himself following the patterns of the moon, the patterns of astrology, the patterns of the Universe even before he is completely able to comprehend.
XII. And he knows from doing: Everything that happens affects everything else.
XIII. The Traditional Herbalist learns from his Craft, for the act of doing will bring about even greater knowledge, even if it is difficult to put into words.
Published in:
Paul Beyerl
The Master Book of Herbalism
© 1984
