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For thousands of years, wise women andshamans have cultivated the lore of medici-nal plants, based on their intuitive innerperception, their observation of the plants inthe wild, and their experiences with plantsas healers. The ancient herbal traditionfocused primarily on physical healing, withsome relatively rudimentary and genericpotions for mental and emotional conditions.

Homeopathy, developed 200 years ago,is a relative newcomer in the field of naturalmedicine. Yet its founder, the Germanphysician Samuel Hahnemann, translatedtexts of herbal medicine from around theworld and used medicinal herbs as theprimary source of his newly formulatedpharmacy. From the very beginning homeo-pathy was deeply rooted in the rich lore ofherbal knowledge from the ancient past.

The refinement process of the homeo-pathic pharmacy brought out the subtlepower of plants to heal a range of issuesincluding mental, emotional, behavioral andenergetic imbalances. Yet homeopathic remedies maintained the strengths of theirherbal predecessors in addressing physicalconditions as well.

Still more recently, the flower essencesystem of healing has taken the medicinaluses of plants to yet another level of refine-ment. Developed first by English physicianEdward Bach, the flower essence systemfocuses entirely on emotional healing, based

Integral

Homeopathy

Integral Homeopathy is a

newly evolved form of

homeopathy with even

closer ties to ESM,

since it is based on three

principles:

stimulating healing

within ourselves, our

patients and our community

on all levels: body, mind,

heart, and spirit;

fostering cooperation

between practitioners and the

broader community of

professional healers;

affirming interdependence

with our natural environment

through ecologically

sustainable practices.

on the principle that healing on the soullevel will heal ailments on the physical level.

Integral Homeopathy

Integral Homeopathy bridges ancient herballore, classical homeopathy and the modernpractice of flower essences therapy. IntegralHomeopathy offers a more complex use ofmedicines, by considering a variety of per-spectives.

All three traditions—herbs, homeo-pathy, flower essences—use medicinal plantsin ways that overlap, yet each maintains itsown perceptual lens. This article examineshow each of the three healing modalitiesviews plants and their powers to heal, usingas a model the common pot-herb borage.Borage will first be introduced through theobjective lens of botany, as Borago officinalis.

Traditional Botany

Thought to originate in Syria, borage is nownaturalized throughout most of Europe andthe United States. It flourishes as a weednear houses and on rubbish heaps. Whilemany modern gardeners consider it a nui-sance, it was traditionally grown in gardensto use as an herb, for its edible flowers, andfor its ability to increase the yields of honey.

The plant is easily recognized by itswhite prickly hairs and its bright blue star-shaped flowers. It grows to about 1-2’ high,

The previous publication of the Teleosis Foundation, Integral Homeopathy,

has now been incorporated into Symbiosis as a regular column.

Three Faces of Borage:Medicinal Herb, Homeopathic Remedy, Flower Essence

By Joel Kreisberg, dc, cch

Integral Homeopathy

S Y M B I O S I S 1 7J O U R N A L O F E C O L O G I C A L L Y S U S T A I N A B L E M E D I C I N E

with many hollow, almost succulent branch-ing stems. The ovate to lanceolate leaves are3” long and 1-1 /2” wide, growing in an alter-nate pattern up the stems. The lower leavesare stalked, with stiff one-celled hairs on theupper surface as well as on the veins below.

The deep green leaves have sinuous, wavymargins. The inch-wide bright blue star-shaped flowers have prominent blackanthers forming a cone in the center. Thefruits consist of brownish-black nutlets ingroups of four.

Borage does well in ordinary soil. It canbe propagated by division of rootstocks,however, it is easily grown from seed, whichit does quite successfully on its own yearafter year. The seeds often grow in the sameplace. (Hoffman 1995)

Constituents

According to the US Department ofAgricultural, borage contains:• macronutrients such as carbohydrates,

protein, fats, fiber, glucose and galactose,and gamma-linolenic acid (an essentialfatty acid)

• vitamins such as ascorbic acid (vitaminC), beta carotene (pro-vitamin A), andcholine, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine(elements of the B complex)

• minerals including calcium, cobalt, iron,magnesium, phosphorus, potassium,sodium and zinc

• other plant compounds including allan-toin, lactic acid, malic acid, mucilage,rosmarinic acid, and tannin (Warkinton2002)

Origins of the Common Name

While there are many popular theories as tothe origin of the name ‘borage,’ it is believedthat the Latin borago is a corruption of theword corrago, having the root cor, ‘heart’,and ago, ‘I lead.’ The plant was said to havea ‘cordial’ effect, i.e. to have a tonic andstrengthening effect on the heart.

The herbalist

Henslow

suggested that the

Celtic barrach,

meaning ‘a man of

courage’ relates

to the borage plant

as well.

The Italian borra and French bourra,signifying ‘hair’ or ‘wool,’ are derived fromthe Latin burra, ‘a flock of wool.’ Thesenames for the plant apparently refer to itsthick covering of short hairs.

Interestingly, the herbalist Henslowsuggested that the Celtic barrach, meaning ‘aman of courage’ relates to the borage plantas well. (Grieve 1971)

Historical Herbal Use

The French herbalist Gerard discussedborage by referring to the ancient Greeknaturalist Pliny, who said that the plant‘maketh a man merry and joyful.’ (Hoffman1995) Dioscorides, the first century Greekphysician, mentioned the use of borage to‘comfort the heart, purge melancholy andquiet the lunatic person.’ Both Pliny andDioscorides believed borage was the famousnepenthe of Homer, which when steeped inwine brought about forgetfulness.

John Evelyn, the seventeenth centuryEnglish herbalist, spoke of borage ‘to revivethe hypochondriac and cheer the hard stu-dent’, while his contemporary Culpepperused the plant for ‘putrid and pestilentialfever, the venom of serpents, jaundice, con-sumption, sore throat and rheumatism.’(Hoffman 1995)

The tops of borage were used through-out Europe as a pot-herb for making soupsand stews, and the young leaves were oftenadded to salads. With a faint cucumber-likeflavor, the leaves can impart coolness tosweetened drinks. It has been added to vine-gars and wine to enhance flavor, and theflowers were traditionally made into candies.

Modern herbals consider this plant adiuretic, promoting the activity of the kid-neys; a demulcent, soothing raspy sorethroats; and an emollient. (Grieve 1971)It is also used for fevers and pulmonarycomplaints. Other modern herbalists useborage as a restorative for the adrenal cortexfor people who are overworked, exhaustedand burned out. The leaves stimulate

Courtesy of the Flower Essence Society

S Y M B I O S I S1 8 J O U R N A L O F E C O L O G I C A L L Y S U S T A I N A B L E M E D I C I N E

production of milk in nursing mothers.(Hoffman 1995)

Modern clinical trials have shown thatborage seed oil “reduces cardiovascular reac-tivity to stress by reducing the systolic bloodpressure and heart rate and by increasedtask performance .” (Haughton 2001) Ithelps prevent inflammation of the gastroin-testinal mucosa in cases of allergy andinfection, and it may also assist in ironabsorption. It has also been useful as aneyewash to relieve irritation. It has anexpectorant action, promoting the looseningof phlegm in a cough.

The oil is rich in gammalinolenic andlinoleic acid, used as a source of prosta-glandins to treat menstrual problems andchronic skin conditions. Combined withevening primrose oil, it helps reduce bloodcholesterol levels. (Haughton 2001)

Homeopathic Medicine and Empiricism

As Samuel Hahnemann established the prin-ciples of homeopathic medicine between1796 and 1804, one of the key tenets wasthat the action of a medicinal substance is‘discovered’ through an empirical process or‘proving.’ This process involves healthypeople ingesting the substance and empiri-cally noting, by self-observation, all theresulting physiological and psychologicalchanges.

Borage has recently been added to thehomeopathic pharmacopeia through such aproving, conducted by four provers underthe supervision of Stephen Olsen. Theresulting proving journals were published(Olsen 1997) and will be briefly summarizedhere. The combined experience of theseprovers point to a remedy type of a strong-minded person who has difficulty compromising. This type of person becomeshard and abrasive or even angry to thepoint of rage if not listened to and froman inability to listen to others and to seedifferent points of view.

A person needing Borage fears failure.They feel that it is their duty to take on all

Two thousand years

ago Dioscorides

noted that Borage

‘cheers the

heart and helps

drooping spirits.’

the responsibility in a given situation, result-ing in resenting their role in life. Somaticallythis attitude can be expressed as stiffness inthe joints, high blood pressure, tensionheadaches and flaring eczema. People needingthe remedy borage tend to be warmer thanothers and to feel worse in the heat.

It seems this ‘borage type’ may have ahistory of taking on the role of parent in theirfamily at young age. If a parent was missing orsick they take on heavy family responsibilitiessuch as looking after younger siblings. Sincethey are often not ready for this task, they maycompensate for their anxiety by taking on amore exaggerated parental nature, becomingoverly protective, strict and authoritarian. Theyare argumentative, forceful, and angry, tendingto create tension and to lack flexibility. (Olsen1997)

There is a sense that they must attend toevery detail or a catastrophe will befall thefamily. By saving others, they are limiting thepossibility that they themselves will be aban-doned. Gradually they lose any playful, care-free, and spontaneous aspects, because theyfeel that everything has to be right. They maybecome very disagreeable and easily offended,resenting the choices of other people.

Flower Essence and Goethean Science

Flower Essence Therapy was discovered byEdward Bach in the early 20th century(Barnard 2002) Richard Katz and PatriciaKaminsky (1996) in the development of theFlower Essence Society, have taken the work ofBach and further developed its principles,using Goethean science. Borage is one of theremedies developed by the Flower EssenceSociety.

Borage, as a flower essence, is for heavyheartedness and lack of confidence when fac-ing challenges. The remedy is said to bringcourage to the taker, providing a condition of“buoyancy of the soul”. (Katz and Kaminski1994) Borage is said to bring “lightness andebullience to the soul, filling it with optimismand enthusiasm.”

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The use of Goethean science allows theflower essence approach to consider the‘gesture’ of the flower and the plant as awhole. The practitioner first observes theplant carefully, then meditates upon theflower, trying to bring a mental image of theplant into the mind. This active or ‘exact’imagination allows one to “see the essentialgesture of the plant” (Katz & Kaminsky).As we tend to our perceptions, our under-standing becomes richer.

When I did this with the borage grow-ing in my front yard, I first began to noticethe contrast between heaviness and light-ness. The stems are thick and the flowersdrop back down towards the earth, yet thetiny hairs are light and almost translucent.The leaves have a heavy mucilaginous, wateryquality, while the light blue flowers have arichness and lightness of color. The starflower radiates outward, with well definedsymmetry. The newly blossomed flowers lookup toward the sun before nodding down-ward with age. This uplifting form bestowslightness and speaks of spiritual harmony.

I chose to meditate with the borageplant when I was feeling heavyheartedmyself, and I could feel my inner stateresonating with the drooping of the olderflowers. Yet the longer I meditated, the moreI could feel the lightness and upliftment ofthe newer flowers soothing my heart.

The full vitality of the plant in springbecomes quiet and calm in the summermonths, dying back in the full summer sun.The heavy nodding of the flowers down toearth links borage to usage for venousblood such as phlebitis, where gravity playsa part in the action of the blood stream.(Pelikan 1997)

Borage: a Remedy for

An Integral Homeopathy

Each healing modality which uses borage—medical herbalism, classical homeopathy andflower essence therapy—illumines differentaspects of this plant. In Integral

Homeopathy, the practitioner uses any ofthese forms of the remedy, depending onwhich aspect of the plant is needed.

As an herb, it comforts the heart, bring-ing cheer, restoring adrenal functioning,promoting lactation in nursing mothers andhealing fevers of pulmonary origin. As well,it reduces cholesterol and soothes the gastricmucosa and respiratory tract.

As a homeopathic remedy, it bringsplayfulness and spontaneity to persons whohave been burdened by family responsibility,becoming hardened and resentful. Theirargumentativeness stems from their protec-tive nature due to their anxiety about thefamily’s welfare.

The flower essence promotes optimismand enthusiasm in a person who has suf-fered burdens experienced in the heart.

A central theme emerges: borage is aremedy for heaviness of the heart, bringinglightness and flexibility. Dioscorides’remarkable observation of two thousandyears ago is consistent with all three modernperspectives: he said that borage ‘cheers theheart and helps drooping spirits.’

May the reader find borage, as aremedy or flower essence or even a livingplant to meditate with, as a healing balm fora heaviness of the heart.

R e f e r e n c e s

Barnard, J. (2002) Bach flower remedies: form &

function. Bodmin, Cornwall: MPG Books Ltd.Grieve, M, (1971) A Modern Herbal.

http: //www.botanical.com /botanical /mgmh/b/borage66.html

Haughton, C. (2001) www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/borage.htm

Hoffman, D. (1995) http://www.healthy.net /asp/templates/article.asp? borage

Katz, R. & Kaminsky, P. The twelve windows of

perception. www. floweressence.org.Olsen, S. (1997) Trees and plants that heal. Maple

Ridge, British Columbia: Legacy Publications.Pelikan, W. (1997) Healing plants: insights

through spiritual science. Spring Valley, NY:Mercury Press.

Warkinton, D. (2002) Reference Works

San Rafael, CA, Kent Associates.

Modern clinical

trials have

shown that borage

seed oil “reduces

cardiovascular

reactivity to stress

by reducing the

systolic blood

pressure and heart

rate and by

increased task

performance.”