Our last installation of our "Herbs of the Enneagram" series ends appropriately with Tulsi, our Herbstalk plant-of-the-year. This herb matches with the final personality type of the Enneagram, the harmonizing and peace-loving 9. Learn more about all 9 types and the herbs that balance them at Herb Pearce's class on Sunday, June 3rd at 9am. View the full class schedule here! by Herb Pearce Enneagram Type 9 is called the Peacemaker and there’s nothing more peaceful than having a cup of holy basil tea, what I consider a Type 9 herb. The Peacemaker/Harmonizer likes to make harmony with everyone and everything and tends to avoid conflict. 9s love balance, inclusion, tolerance and acceptance and holy basil has those qualities. Holy basil also has foundation and strength, exactly what 9s need to balance out their sweetness, innocence and going-along-with nature. Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), is often called holy basil, an herb that has been used for thousands of years in India treating colds, coughs and flu. It cleanses the respiratory system, relieves gas and is a rich source of an essential oil that eliminates bacteria, fungi and parasites. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is considered holy because the plant is an incarnation of the goddess Tulsi who offers divine protection. Many Indians have a home alter with worship ceremonies dedicated to holy basil, using tulsi with reverence and making meditation beads from the woody stalks. Tulsi is an essential element of the worship of Vishnu, Krishna, Rama and Lakshmi. It is often planted in the middle of the central courtyard of Hindu houses. Now found growing worldwide, holy basil is a woody shrub about 18 inches high with oval, serrated leaves and colors ranging from light green to dark purple, depending on the variety. The flowers are lavender and the fruit is composed of rust colored nuts. In traditional systems of medicine, different parts of tulsi — the leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds and even the whole plant — have been recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, malaria, diarrhea, dysentery, skin diseases, arthritis, painful eye diseases, chronic fever, snake bites and scorpion stings. It’s also an adaptogenic herb that balances stress and many herbalists recommend it for daily consumption. In India it is often used as a substitute for coffee. Tulsi can be used to garnish food and sauces, as a tea, powder, supplement, juice, or essential oil. Its leaves are used in many food recipes. It may slow blood clotting as a possible side effect. I just had a cup of fragrant holy basil tea and it makes me feel wholesome. Why not take a break now and have a cup to relax yourself? Learn what’s it like to be a peacemaker with strength! References: https://chopra.com/articles/what-is-holy-basil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocimum_tenuiflorum https://draxe.com/holy-basil-benefits/ Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. Herb will be teaching his class, Herbs of the Enneagram, at Herbstalk on Sunday, June 3rd! View the full class schedule here. by Herb Pearce Nettle is often considered a weed but don’t overlook it as one of the most nutrient rich plants in the world! Type 8 in the Enneagram is called the Director, who tends to be bossy, in charge and strong in willpower. They tend to speak up, act on instinct and like things direct. Indirectness, roundabout statements and hinting can drive them crazy. I chose nettles as my Type 8 herb – with its strong flavor, richness in color and stinging hairs. Roman soldiers once rubbed stinging nettle on their skin to stay warm and be tough! 8s are strong but sensitive underneath their tough exterior. With their flat-out honesty they can hurt people without wanting to, as their directness can be abrasive and stinging. However, 8s are also nurturing like nettle and will take the shirt off their backs to help those in need. Nettle is both a food and medicine. It has a widely spreading rhizome and stolon underground (like the underground strength of an 8). The roots and underground parts are bright yellow, contrasted with the dark green of the leaves, abundant in Northern Europe, America and much of Asia. It grows especially in the Pacific Northwest but also in moist climates throughout much of the world. There are many literary allusions to nettle. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, part 1, Act II Scene 3). The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters quotes Aesop "Gently touch a nettle and it'll sting you for your pains/Grasp it as a lad of mettle and soft as silk remains". The metaphor may refer to the fact that if a nettle plant is grasped firmly rather than brushed against, it does not sting so readily, because the hairs are crushed down flat. In German, to sit in nettles means to get into trouble (as 8s can do without meaning to because they are outspoken and impulse action oriented). In French there’s an idiom that means “don’t push grandma into the nettles,” which means be careful not to abuse a situation. Nettles when cooked tastes like spinach and is rich in Vitamin A, C, potassium, manganese and calcium. It has plenty of amino acids and is rich in antioxidants. Soaking or cooking removes the stinging hairs. At peak time, the leaves can be 25% protein which is high for a leafy vegetable. Nettle recipes often are used in polenta, pesto and soups. There’s even a World Nettle Eating Championship (8s tend to love eating and competition)! Nettles has been used to treat just about everything. As a tea, tincture, extract or capsule, it can help to detoxify the body through its diuretic action. It also can promote healthy blood circulation and cardiovascular health. Nettle is also well known for helping to alleviate allergic reactions due to environmental irritants. So gather your nettle (with gloves) and go into action. Don’t be shy. Nettles can be great for 8s to remember their vulnerability and that stinging can hurt themselves or others. This is also a great plant for non-8s to remember to be strong and direct. Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. Herb will be teaching his class, Herbs of the Enneagram, at Herbstalk on Sunday, June 3rd! View the full class schedule here. by Herb Pearce Calendula is our pick for Enneagram Type 7, called the Optimist. This personality type is sunny, bright, positive and a best-case-scenario type of person. The yellow and orange, sunny-petaled calendula is a perfect match for the qualities of The Optimist. Type 7s like to be positive and optimistic above else, and criticize others for being “negative.” Be positive or else! They shy away from pain and problems and only like rosy perspectives on life. In warm climates, calendula can grow all 12 months and in cooler climates it’s often the last flower to bloom, even through to December. Calendula officinalis has been recognized for centuries as a miracle plant which can cure just about anything. It’s in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae) and is an edible flower. It’s native to southern Europe but resides also in North America and North Africa. Planted in our climate in mid-spring, it grows easily. It’s a sun lover but can tolerate some partial shade. Besides yellow and orange some calendula petals are russet colored and even multi-petaled. Some varieties are grown to produce extra sticky resin on the sepals, which is where a lot of the medicinal value lies. Pick flowers every few days to brighten up your home, foods, or freeze into ice cubes. The outer ray flowers of calendula improve the immune system and brighten up one's disposition -– perfect for Type 7s in the Enneagram who already have these tendencies, as well as would-be 7s who are wanting to be more positive. Secretly, 7s stay over-positive to protect themselves from feeling fearful or depressed so calendula can help with more of a natural balanced high. Sometimes The Optimist will hit the skids when grief or anxiety can’t be assuaged by their overly-positive minds and actions. In Roman gardens calendula was a symbol for happiness and was regularly used for cooking and medicine. The Germans used it in soups and stews, as well as a saffron substitute in hearty large pot dishes, thus the nickname “pot marigold.” Pick the flower petals and dry them in airy containers or baskets in warm dry areas so that you’ll have them available later — especially in winter to brighten up grayer days. Add them to quiches, salads, soups, relishes or any dish. Traditional people put them in breads, syrups or conserves. Modern herbalists use calendula for a wide range of issues: from treating skin conditions such as eczema, rashes, sunburn and wounds to soothing intestinal inflammation. The flowers are also an important herb for lymphatic health and poor immunity. They can be made into a yellow-hued tea, taken as a tincture, or added to food. 7s love options and want to make sure calendula can be taken in many forms or used simply as a visual brightener. Nicholas Culpeper, a famous English herbalist in the 1600s wrote, “The flowers, either green or dried, are much used in possets, broths, and drink, as a comforter of the heart and spirits, and to expel any malignant or pestilential quality which might annoy them.” Another account, written in 1699, states “The yellow leaves of the flowers are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against winter to put into broths, physicall potions and for divers other purposes, in such quantity that in some Grocers or Spicesellers are to be found barrels filled with them and retailed by the penny or less, insomuch that no broths are well made without dried Marigold" (another name for Calendula). Old time texts used it as an uplifting herb particularly in the winter, along with rose, mimosa, lavender, lemon verbena or lemon balm. The only caution is that some people are allergic to the Asteraceae family. If you’re down in the dumps, anxious or need cheering up, don’t forgot about calendula! Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. Herb will be teaching his class, Herbs of the Enneagram, at Herbstalk on Sunday, June 3rd! View the full class schedule here. by Herb Pearce Have you eaten your oatmeal today? If not, you can drink your oats and lessen your anxiety at the same time. I’ve chosen oatstraw as the remedy for Enneagram Type 6 — the Questioner — who tends to ask a lot of questions in order to relieve their anxiety of worst case scenario thinking. 6s tend to react to their fears and concerns and forget about what is secure or positive. Many of us have fear and anxiety in today’s world and we can turn to oats to feel more even tempered, secure and calm. Oats, both a nervine and nutritive, have been eaten for thousands of years and have been used for many generations to promote healthy growth of skin, hair & nails, strengthen the blood, and support nervous system balance. Oatstraw helps with headaches, migraines, fatigue, MS, shingles, rheumatism, epilepsy, depression, anxiety and moods. Drug or alcohol withdrawal accompanied by oatstraw is a documented wonder. Other people claim it helps with heart health, sexual performance and increased energy. It other words, oats are a cure-all herb. The tea is as soothing and wholesome as our breakfast food. The leaves and stalk (called oatstraw) are used for tea but even more flavorful and nutritious are the seed tops (milky oats). It can be a stabilizing nutritious daily drink. There are no known side effects or cautions. Oatstraw combines well with motherwort, valerian, skullcap and chamomile, each of which is calming separately. Experiment and see what works best for you. Anxious, nervous personality types can turn to these herbs to calm down. Especially for 6s, some fears actually are worse than the reality they are worrying about! Type 6, also called the Worry Wort or the Security Seeker, is looking for stability, security, and something they can rely on and trust. Oats can help with focusing on what’s relatively secure and safe. 6s have issues with trust and need to test people to make sure they are reliable. If you’re relating to a 6 what you say and do need to match up. Don’t say you’re going to do something unless you plan to act on it, or if plans change, let them know immediately and explain your change. Oats are believed to have been domesticated between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 3000 years ago. Ancient Romans fed it to their horses. Scotland is believed to be the place where the porridge of oatmeal began. Hildegard of Bingen, a nun and herbalist around 1100 AD considered oats to be an herb of happiness and good health. Oats are a cereal crop but can be found today in garden beds and the stalks and cereal are usually gathered in August. It’s best to gather the seeds in its immature stage (milky oats) and tincture it the same day but gather the stalks while still green, then dry them. The oat seeds carry antispasmodic, cardiac, diuretic, emollient, nervine and stimulant properties. The straw (dried stems) and the grain have also been prescribed for the treatment of a wide range of nervous conditions. If you’re looking for balance, calmness, evenness and relaxation, be sure to drink or eat your oats. References: https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/oat-straw.html https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/oatstraw/profile http://kivasenchantments.com/sweet-cream-the-medicine-of-milky-oats.html Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. Rosemary is a favorite culinary herb around the world and has been for thousands of years. It’s best used fresh and uncooked to add at the end of cooking to preserve its healing properties, but heating it enhances your favorite meats and vegetables with the special flavor that so many love. Among its many uses, rosemary improves memory and sharpens the mind. Brain research shows that it helps with mind activity and aids in mental retention and focus; it is prescribed for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients but it’s a good brain tonic for all of us. Next time you lose your keys or forget something, eat some rosemary! Rosemary boosts immunity; soothes the stomach by relieving gas and helping with both constipation or diarrhea; and is a diuretic which helps flush out toxins. It is also used as an analgesic to dampen headaches and migraines and even the smell of rosemary can help relieve moodiness and stress. It’s often used in aromatherapy. Rosemary is the herb that matches with Type 5 of the Enneagram, called the Knowledge Seeker or Observer. 5s tend to have good memories and are always thinking about their current mental project or invention. 5s are great at word games, puzzles and mental solutions so you’ll likely lose to them in Scrabble or Boggle! 5s analyze, systematize, theorize and wed different informational systems to add to the knowledge of the world. They’re often on their smartphones looking up the latest question you are asking. The likes of Thomas Jefferson — a major inventor and a political genius — and Thomas Edison, were both 5s who added much knowledge and genius to the world. Many people think Rosemary not only helps with the mind but also with emotional balance, groundedness and heightened physical vitality, perfect for 5s and most of us in New England who are too heady. Rosemary was considered sacred by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Shakespeare, in his well-known Hamlet, said, “There’s rosemary, known for remembrance.” Rosemary was grown into graves for remembrance for the dead. Rosemary is a perennial woody plant native to the Mediterranean that can grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall and even be used as a hedge in warm climates! It’s hardy and often planted outdoors much earlier than other herbs as it can grow in frosty ground and it can even flower into early December. It’s an aromatic evergreen with beautiful blue flowers that sometimes can be white or pink. Don’t miss their beauty if you let it flower. Rosemary is drought resistant, pest resistant, ornamental and easy to grow. What else do you need, to start planting it? It can be pruned and made into a topiary plant, as well as groundcover if trimmed. It has some exciting phytochemicals in its makeup including rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and camphor. While it’s somewhat of a miracle drug, it can have side effects. It’s not recommended for children and not recommended to be taken if you are on blood pressure medicine or have ulcers, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. It may alter blood sugar levels. Consult your doctor if you are taking blood thinners. Whether you are a Type 5 or not, consider making rosemary a staple in your herbal repertoire to sharpen your mind, memory and analytical thinking. As you enjoy its smell and flavor you’ll join the millions who have, like me, a bit of obsession around it. Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. by Herb Pearce In the driest whitest stretch of pain’s infinite desert, I lost my sanity and found this rose. — Rumi Roses have been loved and cherished for millennia. They are a favorite subject of art, used for health and beauty, and symbolize romance. Valentine’s Day and roses go hand in hand. The beauty of roses is universally cherished and if there is one plant that everyone is familiar with it is the rose in all her glory. Roses belong to the genus Rosa and originate from Asia, though smaller numbers come from Northwestern Africa, Europe and North America. The beautiful multi-layered flowers and smooth, erect, woody green stems are accompanied by prickles, the official name of the extended layer of sharp outgrowths. The leaves are alternate and even the stems of the leaves can have slight prickles. Be careful. Like Type 4s in the Enneagram -- called the Romantic or Depth Seeker -- roses are accompanied by allure and mystery. They tend to be showy but also can have a thorny nature – come close but not too close. I want you but on my terms. Be attracted to me if you dare but a little blood may be drawn if your fingers touch the wrong spot. Type 4s are romantic, deep and multi-layered, searching for profound meaning and symbolism; this type is not satisfied with surface knowledge or experience. 4s search for soul depth and long for intense, in-the-moment feelings; they are masters of longing for the unreached. They feel loss and suffering acutely, unlike many others who try to avoid pain. However, they can also attract joy, intensity and excitement to themselves. They are drawn to the world of art and beauty and adorn themselves with care. Type 4s feel that they are missing out on what others seem to have. They often envy others who appear to have more love. They are attracted to the highs and lows of experience and tend to wither if things are too mundane. 4s are idealistic and everyday life is often too dull from what they imagine it could be. Rose -- the symbolic match for type 4 -- is a nervine herb which can lift the mood, help with depression, and also has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and sedative qualities. Rose petals are made into teas, tinctures, essences, mists and fragrances and are the cure for just about any bodily ailment... but it’s also a remedy for the heart, particularly for loss and grief. Rose helps emotions to flow – tears of joy and tears of loss, nostalgia and the past. Herbalist Kiva Rose writes about the deeper uses of rose on the human psyche: "I consider it to be an emotional modulator, balancing out both intense feelings and intense apathy, and provides a solid foundation from which to sense and connect to the world we are a part of. Rose is very calming and balancing, assisting us in finding a ground level state from which we can access our real emotions rather than just react." Rose is also a food. Rose hips can be made into a jam, jelly or marmalade and rose hip seed oil is used in skin products and makeup. Rose water is often added to sweets such as baklava, halva, nougat and Turkish delights. Need I mention that rose is also an aphrodisiac! Like 4s, for a rose to flourish it needs special care. Rose gardens throughout the world are valued and tended to carefully, and endless varieties are prized. I’m from Shreveport, Louisiana, the headquarters of The American Rose Society with its 118 acre botanical garden of mostly roses, the largest rose collection in the United States. Like pampered rose gardens, 4s value uniqueness and refuse to blend into the crowds. Mood, nuance, individuality and subtlety are all important 4 qualities. The 5-petalled rose flowers develop into the nourishing, vitamin C enriched rose hips, which contain anywhere from 5 to 160 seeds in each fruit. Mostly red, rosehips can also be purple or even black on some varieties! There are many complex botanical parts to a rose, just as there are many complex parts to a 4. Rose perfumes are made from rose oil (also called attar of roses) obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. Its oil is precious, similar to 4s who often want to be seen as special in order to compensate for feeling less than. It’s not unusual to feel less than when you are aiming for the sky and feeling like you’re in the underworld. The open and vulnerable beauty of rose is contrasted by its sharp, fierce thorns. Using the flower essence of the plant can help 4s to feel emotionally strong and support their equilibrium in day-to-day life. Rose helps 4s know when to open their beautiful and vulnerable hearts and when to protect them. Rose’s gift for Type 4s -- and for all of us -- is to heal the pain of the heart, increase joy and self-acceptance, and circulate love throughout the body. Herb Pearce is an expert on the Enneagram with 28+ years experience. He has authored four books on the Enneagram including his most recent work, Presidential Profiles: Washington to Trump - Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Perspectives. Herb has taught over 2000 Enneagram workshops and has worked with hundreds of organizations, individuals and couples using the Enneagram in his counseling practice. Herb resides in Arlington, Massachusetts where he is a practicing psychotherapist and life coach. He emphasizes developing the strengths of all 9 Enneagram types and is known for his exacting insights, moderated by gentleness, humor and compassion. You can learn more at www.herbpearce.com or email him directly at [email protected]. by Herb Pearce Type 3 in the Enneagram is The Achiever. 3's target achievement as their primary focus in life and the herb Schisandra has a similar winning combination of qualities which support the driven work of a 3. Achievers focus on goals and action steps and they don’t mind being in the number 1 spotlight. Their focus is on speed and efficiency. Likewise, the color of Schisandra’s bright red berries connotes action and high energy similar to 3's. Shine, glitz and glitter, give it to me! It’s a fountain-of-youth herb that lowers stress hormones, boosts liver function, prevents adrenaline fatigue, lowers inflammation, benefits digestion, and protects skin from sun, wind and allergic reactions. What doesn’t it do?! Schisandra is a seemingly miraculous remedy; as an adaptogen it helps the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes. It also improves mental performance, is a sexual tonic, reverses heavy metal toxicity, soothes coughs and helps the heart. The list goes on and on. Many athletes use Schisandra for optimal performance. The plant is a vigorously growing vine that can reach up to 30 feet in length. Symbolically a vine represents striving for something higher (reaching for the sun!) and likewise, Type 3's are vigorous achievers, striving for the next goal and climbing the ladder. Schisandra is a unique berry since it has all five flavors (salty, sweet, sour, bitter and pungent). It comes in any form you want – fresh fruit, dried fruit, mixed in health drinks, capsules, pill, powder, tea, tincture and alcoholic drinks. Schisandra tastes predominantly sour or pungent to many people so it often needs sweeteners. Similar to 3's who don’t mind hard work, they overcome sour or bitter challenges by the sweet reward that comes with the results. The satisfaction comes with the end goal complete so the hard work is worth it in the end for the Achiever. The process is less important than the results. For over 4,700 years Schisandra has been a traditional Chinese herb used by the royalty and Daoist Masters, connotating its association with longevity. It grows in bunches of vibrant bright berries, like hanging grapes but with smaller berries. It’s native to -- and particularly cultivated in -- Northeast China and Russia, although it is now being grown in the United States. It’s cultivated in long rows and harvested in late July and August. The berries are mostly dried in the sun. Some are refrigerated for health drinks, particularly sent to Korea. It’s even grown in the progressive state of Massachusetts! If you’re feeling down and need a boost, go with Schisandra. It provides your body with an energizing lift to move and be on the go, and helps normalize and support the fluids of the body. 3's may need help going with the flow more evenly as they tend to push and overwork themselves. As a flower essence Schisandra berry is said to teach “moderation to those committed to a path of growth who tend to overextend themselves.” Try working with the intense energy of these unique berries -- you may be surprised at how well they help you cope with challenging or stressful situations. Like Schisandra, you may be inspired to reach for something higher. REFERENCES: https://www.mdidea.com/products/herbextract/schisandra/data03.html http://www.medicinehunter.com/schisandra https://draxe.com/schisandra/ https://floraofasia.com/shop/flower-essence/schisandra/ http://www.flowerfolkherbs.com/blog/schisandra-the-berry-that-does-it-all
Welcome back to our ongoing series of Herbs of the Enneagram! If you missed the first post on Type 1 for Blue Vervain you can read it here. Violet for Type 2, The Helper The common Violet (Viola sororia) is delicate but strong, abundant, casting a deep purple carpet upon springtime lawns and gardens. With its heart-shaped leaves this is the plant that represents Type 2 in the Enneagram — the Helper/Giver who needs to give to thrive, but also needs appreciation to flower themselves. They tend to hide their inner selves while giving their maternal wealth to others. The violet is unique as it has two flowering stages, the more obvious showy flowers of early spring and the small hidden flowers of fall (these latter flowers are the ones that actually produce the seed of the plant.) This two-stage process is botanically unique and few flowers claim this special distinction. Violets also have runners that spread easily, as our lawns attest to. It’s hard not to notice them! Likewise, Type 2’s can be quite assertive when it comes to giving and spreading their abundance. They are excellent hosts & hostesses and their honey personalities sweeten whatever they touch. 2’s, however, cloak their own needs and do everything possible to not show their “neediness,” not realizing that everyone is needy. We are all interdependent upon others and the earth, water and air that nurtures us. 2’s protect themselves by over-giving to others, sometimes without welcome. Being the giver can be a controlling position, while the receiver might be more connected to their vulnerability, risking being hurt or mis-given to while in a “need” position. 2’s would rather be givers who manage the situation, but they equally need to learn to be on the receiving end and be more defenseless. They need help and support, too, like all of us. Type 2’s certainly are beautiful, adorning themselves with color and attractive scents. They can be like seductive goddesses and gods, wanting their allure to magnetize others to their offerings and gifts. 2’s can tune into what you need and offer your wildest desires to be met. However, if you reject or don’t receive their gifts, they can get angry! Sometimes your independence can be squelched with a 2. Shakespeare gives us many references to Violet. Here are the opening lines of Sonnet 99: The forward violet thus did I chide: Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells, If not from my love’s breath? Shakespeare named the leading lady of Twelfth Night after this herb, and like the flower, Viola hides her beauty in plain sight, posing as a boy and falling in love with the Duke she serves. Violet is a bridge between the world of the 2’s outer sweetness and their inner shyness, risking whether to reveal their needs or not. The Giver is strong in generosity to others but not always to themselves. Violet shows 2’s how to balance their inner and outer worlds and gives strength to support time alone to nurture one’s self and discover their own self-love. Herbalist Asia Suler writes of the flower essence: “Violet essence opens a space of deep self-acceptance, contentment, and individual wellbeing. Calming, steadying, and maternal, this unassuming, yet sweetly robust flower helps you to feel comfortable and supportive of yourself as an individual. Letting go of negative attachments and patterns of relating (especially to oneself) Violet helps you to foster good connections that come from a deep recognition of self-importance.” Violet is associated with the skin, breasts and glands, all elements of nurturing and giving. Drinking or taking Violet in its many forms, balances over-giving to others. Eating its beautifully contrasting dark green, heart-shaped leaves and its richly delicate saturated flowers, is also a remedy. The plant is traditionally used for soothing coughs and sore throats — with this affinity for the throat & voice it can help 2’s speak up about their own true needs. Violet symbolizes both the giver and the receiver, showing us that at its core giving and receiving are exactly the same -- for we are all in relationship with -- and interdependent upon -- one another. References: https://feedingthemuse.net/botanical-lore/violet/ https://onewillowapothecaries.com/product/violet/
by Herb Pearce An introductory note from the Herbstalk team: Welcome to our new series The Herbs of the Enneagram! The Enneagram is a fascinating and insightful way of describing personality patterns. In this blog series Enneagram expert Herb Pearce will explain each of the 9 personality types and a plant that corresponds with each. (And yes, his name is really Herb!) We are delighted to welcome Herb, a faithful Herbstalk participant, to share his wisdom and insight of the Enneagram and connect it back to some of the beloved plants that we talk about at Herbstalk. Read on to learn how the patterns of the Enneagram match up with the patterns of various herbs. You will also learn how the plant itself can help to bring balance and harmony within each personality type. Enjoy and stay tuned for more Herbs of the Enneagram each month!... A Brief Intro to the Enneagram The star-shaped Enneagram (Ennea is Greek for "nine" and gram for “type”) is an amazingly accurate system of understanding personality that groups human motivations and patterns of feeling, thought and body experience into nine personality types. Everyone has elements of all nine types, but one is almost always dominant and is a stronger perceptual lens. This lens flavors how you see the world and therefore, to a large degree, how you think, feel, and act automatically. The nine types are: The Perfectionist, Helper, Achiever, Romantic, Observer, Questioner, Optimist, Boss and Peacemaker. Each style or type has amazing strengths and also limitations. Knowing this information is wonderful for personal clarity, relationship building, and team development. Blue Vervain For Type 1, The Perfectionist Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) is such a “perfect” plant for Type 1, The Perfectionist. Perfectionists, sometimes called Reformers, tend to see the world from how it should be. They want to improve, reform, correct and fix things to the ideal of how it “ought” to be. They can be rigid, overzealous and black and white in their thinking, and can have a hard time with gray tones, mistakes, and the imperfection of things and people, including themselves. They tend to notice what’s missing instead of the perfection of what’s here with its limitations, flaws and quirks as part of the package. They can push people to a point of view that doesn’t offer the flexibility of personal choice and nuance. 1s can’t handle crooked pictures or dead leaves on plants without fixing them. They may clean up the forest when the dead, fallen down trees are exactly what the insects, birds and soil need for nourishment. Blue vervain is tall with an erect stem, like 1s who tend to hold an erect posture. 1s are the headmasters at right posture and proper etiquette schools. It’s about propriety, good manners, polish, and doing what’s right, following the customs and traditions of what’s worked before. They are responsible, reliable and steady. Blue vervain flowers bloom from the bottom of each flower stem to the top in a steady sequence, as 1s tend to be steady, reliable, consistent and loyal. Blue vervain is a strong plant and a favorite among garden lovers. The bluish flower heads are beautiful and bright yet small in comparison to the stems. No drooping flowers here! The unique square stems fit the Type 1 personality, sharp angled with exact edges. The root, being a perennial, is deep and strong. Enneagram 1s make lists and tend to work hard to accomplish their tasks. Things need to be defined and acted on. No idle hands here! My grandmother was a 1 and I didn’t always look forward to visiting her as she “encouraged” me to work in her garden pulling weeds when I was a child. For 1s work and accomplishment tends to be more important than play. Blue vervain is a bitter herb which helps to support the liver (and release pent-up anger) and it also acts as a supreme anti-spasmodic, releasing tension in the muscles, especially the neck. As herbalist Lisa Fazio says: “I choose Blue Vervain to be second to none when it comes to muscle constriction caused by nervous tension especially in people who are intense by nature and overdriven. It's cool blue medicine eases and relaxes not just the musculature, but the soul… Blue Vervain is considered an antispasmodic and relieves spasm caused by overwork that is not so much physical in nature, but that is intellectual or mental activity with a perfectionist tendency. This high intensity is more than the individual’s body can maintain and so it produces a tension throughout the viscera causing the muscles to tense and knot. I see this plant as being appropriate for those of us who don't have the physical container or constitution to hold the nervous and mental energy we are inclined to create.” Lisa Fazio, Earth, Root & Flower: An Herbal Blog 1s tend to face reality head-on with responsibility and hard work, handling the toughness of life so taking bitter medicine is in alignment with their personality. Blue vervain can filter out some of the anger that 1s have with the imperfection and irritation of others not doing what’s right. Taken as a flower essence, Blue Vervain can help Type 1s learn “tolerance, patience and broadmindedness…and that the big things of life are done gently and quietly without strain or stress.” Blue Vervain balances the Perfectionist who tends to over-work, over-effort and over-think the right thing to say or do. Blue Vervain adds flexibility, being in the moment, ease, acceptance of imperfection, allowing for the world and individuals to be as they are without forcing anything to live up to a pressured idealism. REFERENCES: https://www.hawthornehillherbs.com/node/158 http://www.flowersociety.org/vervain.html https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
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