The Four Elements and Traditional Western Herbalism

The four elements are the base fabrics and energetic forms with which many holistic herbal healing traditions enrooted their systems and methods including Traditional Western Herbalism.  There are many variations of elemental theory to be found throughout history within almost all healing traditions across the world. Ayurveda in India, Chinese traditional medicine, Greek medicine and the European alchemical tradition are just some of the ancient methodologies that incorporate these elemental energies in various arrangements.  In ancient Europe, the definition, identification and origin of the four element theory is attributed to Greek philosopher from Sicily, Empedocles about 440 B.C. and was later expounded upon by Aristotle.   Modern herbalism was most notable influenced by elemental philosophy by the Swiss physician Paracelsus who based his medical theory on this canon.