Alchemy of Taste Herbal Compass
COPYRIGHT
“ALCHEMY OF TASTE”
By Stephanie Lindhardt
Inspired by the work of Rosalee De La Foret
A map showcasing the correlations between Herbs and
Taste, Action, Ayurvedic Temperature, Zodiacal Correspondence,
and Organ Affinity
Inspired by Rosalee De La Foret's "Herbal Taste Wheel", this map is a visual interpretation of her original textual concepts. Hand drawn and digitally enhanced, this piece is both aesthetically pleasing while equally informative.
“While studying herbs, I came upon Rosalee De La Foret's, "Herbal Taste Wheel". I was blown away by the concept of it all and knew right away that I wanted to turn her textual wheel into visual art. In the process of sketching the layout, I decided to take the liberty of adding a few other concepts I personally use, and integrate them into the wheel. I added the Ayurvedic Tongue Health map in the center, and Zodiacal symbolism where known, from the realm of medical astrology and alchemy. I love how this piece turned out and personally refer to it often! It is my hope that this piece will educate and inspire a sense of wonder and respect for the beautiful correlations between the human body and plants!”
HOW TO READ THE MAP:
The center is a map of the Tongue as told by Chinese Medicine. In Chinese medicine, tongue reading is a diagnostic technique where practitioners examine the characteristics of a patient's tongue to gain insights into their overall health and internal balance. Practitioners observe the tongue's color, shape, size, coating, and moisture to detect imbalances in the body's organs and meridian systems. Different areas of the tongue are believed to correspond to specific organs, and deviations in color, coating, or other features are thought to indicate disharmonies or diseases in the corresponding organ systems. I added this element to the map to highlight how the tongue acts as a diagnostic stick for the inner workings of the body, and how the taste buds are directly linked to this inner process
The pink inner ring shows the 5 Tastes. Each taste creates an action in the body. The best way to understand how each action affects the organ systems is to highlight the taste of Sour. After consuming sour food, the body's response is to produce saliva in order to neutralize the acidity. The physiological response of increased saliva production in response to the sour taste is accomplished by increased muscle contraction and salivary gland activity. This action specifically cleanses and nourishes the liver and encourages the digestion of bile in the gallbladder. In essence, each taste has a unique chemical composition that creates physical actions in the body and organ systems.
The coral ring shows the chemical composition that encompasses each taste.
The black ring shows which organs the Taste & chemical compositions act upon. The symbols above each organ show which astrological sign governs each organ. In medical astrology, the zodiac signs symbolize specific body parts. Medical astrologers can read bodily strength and weaknesses by reading someone’s unique natal chart and looking at which planets are in which zodiac sign.
The teal ring shows the ayurvedic temperature of each section of plants. For example Cayenne is hot and has a drying effect on the body, and it stimulates the colon and lungs particularly.
The white ring displays the herbal action of each plant, and then if you work backwards towards the center you can see the ayurvedic temperature of each herb, which organs they act upon, and which taste activates the entire process.
The outer plant layer has planetary zodiacal symbols. In medical astrology, plants are governed by 1 of 7 planets: Mercury, Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Sun, & Moon. The planets symbolically indicate the temperature, action, and tone of the plants. The body itself is mapped out via the 12 zodiac signs ( as indicated in the black ring), but the planets behave as activating energies. Since the medicine in herbs is activated upon ingestion & digestion, these planetary labels help us to define how the herb is going to interact with the body. Scott Cunningham & Nicolas Culpeper both have books labeling plants according to their governing planets.
SYMBOLS: Sun ☉ Moon ☽ Mercury ☿ Venus ♀ Mars ♂ Jupiter ♃ Saturn ♄