Bitter, Warming, Dry, Pungent, Calming

 

For the Atrophic and Torpid tissue state

 

There are many relationships with this plant and traditional medicines and practice. The Christians in the 16th century thought it appropriate to connect the Angel Raphael to this plant. This is currently where the Latin name derives, Angelica archangeilca.  The shaman of the North in Europe considered this plant sacred and in fact the Greek word arktos means ‘bear’.  This further connects Angelica to other traditions. The First Nations of North America where Angelica is referred to as Bear Medicine.  This is a beautiful connection of the shaman of the North in Europe to the shaman of the New World in the americas

 

One of the most amazing connections of the West Herbal Medicine Tradtion and the First Nations in the New World is the Medicine Wheel. When there was supposedly no contact between the two worlds both the First Nations and the Greek Tradition used the medicine wheel.

 

The Spirit of Herbs, Herbal Tarot by M. Tiera connects Angelica to the Trump card ‘The Sun’.

 

This plant places better with the Price of Pentacles or the Air of the Earth.  The strong connection to such an earthly architype as the Bear is enough to connect this plant to the Earth not to mention the physical characteristics the root takes on that mimic the Bear.  Also, with Angelica having such an affinity for clearing bad energy as a sacred smudging and clearing pathogens and phlegm from the body whether the lungs or the urinary tract implies Air.  The element of Air is also the coming together of the Fire and Water element which can be observed Angelica’s warmth produced but with the love to grow near water. In Tiera’s book Elecampane occupies the Prince of Pentacles which has such a similar application and energetic profile as Angelica.