荷索博士专栏 | 叶片，绿色的奥秘

作者：Dr. Malte Hozzel

如果没有叶片，世界将会怎样？如果没有叶片，植物将会怎样？

一无所有。

我们无法想象地球缺少了空气、人失去了肺、火没有热……绿色的叶片就是地球的肺，它们的一呼一吸为地球上的生命提供了能量。

我们也可以称叶片为自然界的“太阳能电池”，它们吸收、存储、转化并利用太阳能，除了吸收二氧化碳释放氧气，还用于植物自身的结构。因此，来自叶片的精油有着强大的转换能力也不足为奇。

自然界的三重结构

古代先贤把植物分成三个层次：

首先，根。根与大地相连，它们从大地吸收水分及矿物质，矿物质在被称为“菌根”的微小真菌的帮助下构建了所谓“土壤食物网”的地下网络，在那里，植物与真菌共生。菌根在植物营养学、土壤生物学、土壤化学中发挥了重要作用。

相比于其它部位，根远离光照，一旦长时间暴露于阳光下就将死亡。根部萃取的精油带着土元素的能量，让我们向下扎根并协调能量，这也体现在精油的成分上，它们含更多的倍半萜烯和倍半萜醇。

其次，花。花除了与光相连，还以微妙的方式与看不见的星体环境相连，“星体环境”与生命能量、色彩、香气等有关。德国著名诗人、自然科学家歌德曾说，“花只不过是叶片的变形”。

当然，在花朵丰沛的能量和转换技能之下，它也承载着传粉、结籽、繁殖的使命，这意味着它的生命周期更短，也更能体现自然界的创造性——丰富而美丽，这要归功于花朵多样的香气、颜色和形状。同样的，这也反应到花朵类精油上，花朵类精油成分繁多香气馥郁，对心理层面有巨大影响。

最后，叶。叶片多位于根部和花朵之间，这并非巧合。大自然很喜欢三重模式，在相互对立的花朵和根部之间，必然需要一个中间媒介传递讯息。

在古代炼金术中，叶片相当于中间起连接作用的汞元素，根代表盐元素或矿物质世界，花朵代表硫元素，它可延伸到星体层面，甚至是植物进化的更高层次，如动物世界。

植物的根与大自然的物质领域（矿物质、土地等）相连，花朵更接近星体层面（意识），即转换的能量场，叶片，在根部和花朵之间摇摆，代表了“此时此刻”，它们最具创造性的智慧是利用光吸收二氧化碳释放氧气。

是的。叶片是光的使者，是地心引力（根部）与反地心引力（花朵）规则的沟通者，但叶片同样渴望与更精细的宇宙能量相连。

“通过叶片，植物吸收、储存了宇宙及星体的能量，再将能量传递给其它物种。”

Wolf-Dieter Storl, Pflanzendevas

Wolf-Dieter Storl在《植物之神》中描述道，我们常无法充分意识到来自叶片类精油的力量，以及它们与“气”或创造性“生命智慧”的微妙联系。

“植物传递了宇宙的原始声音，给予人类生命，并能连结现在和未来。在吠陀语中，植物被称为Oshadhi，OSA意为燃烧的转变，DHI意为容器。由此，植物可理解为宇宙之火转化的容器。”

参看，Vasant Lad / David Frawley, “The Yoga of Herbs”

叶片&叶片类精油

万物都需要阳光，阳光也是地球能量的源泉，光孕育了生命。叶片是精油的重要来源，精油成分也受到不同地区光照的影响。

如果没有植物吸收阳光二氧化碳的光合作用，我们将如何生存？

阳光无处不在，带着亘古不变的记忆在植物的每一根神经、每一个纤维中振动。

光合作用离不开叶片，叶绿素是这一过程的绿色总工程师，它吸收太阳能并将其转换为生化能量。第一阶段，叶绿素捕捉光粒子分解水释放氧气，第二阶段，叶片吸收二氧化碳，并在水中剩余氢原子的帮助下合成葡萄糖和淀粉，这些碳水化合物是建构生命的基石。

通过光合作用，叶片将无机分子转化成有机分子，这就是个奇迹！通过叶片产生碳水化合物的植物工厂是地球上所有生命过程的中心。

正如Wolf-Dieter Storl所说，“光合作用每年可产生1000-2000亿吨有机物。”

综上，植物根据其特定的基因密码，从碳、氢、氧中孕育生命，但只有在某些情况下，其产生的葡萄糖或淀粉才会转化成精油。植物将精油存储在部分腺体中，当气候突然变化而缺乏光照时，也会消耗这些精油。

当我们品尝沙拉或蔬菜水果时，谁又会想到这些呢？当我们吸闻快乐鼠尾草精油时，谁又会想到，在某种意义上，我们正通过自然的炼金术及转化力与宇宙能量融合在一起。

来自自然的馈赠源源不断的给予我们力量。这种特殊的力量，在印度古代文献中是如何描述的呢？

“这种力量在出生时就已显现，可通过植物、曼陀罗、三摩地获得。”（帕坦伽利，《瑜伽经》）

呼吸&保护

提及叶片类精油时，我们马上会联系到呼吸系统。很多来自叶片的精油都有益于肺和支气管，如香桃木、尤加利、绿花白千层、白千层、迷迭香、茶树、月桂及针叶类等。毫无疑问，叶片是呼吸系统的天然标识，大部分芳香精油也来自叶片。

叶片也有其它特性。植物的水分主要来自根系，叶片也吸收一部分降雨、露珠及潮湿空气中的水分，但并非一直如此。

岩玫瑰是个特例。岩玫瑰叶片表面的劳丹脂能减少失水，而失水是地中海地区炎热气候的主要威胁。

蒸馏叶片可得到珍贵的岩玫瑰精油。在芳香疗法中，岩玫瑰是极佳的创伤用油，在抑菌及伤口愈合方面效果不错。岩玫瑰叶片上的油脂不仅可调节水分平衡、减少脱水，也能起到抑菌防御的作用。

“特征阅读”让我们了解了岩玫瑰精油的强大伤口愈合能力以及对皮肤细菌和真菌感染的屏障效用。

莲花也是如此。莲花以“莲花效应”而闻名，这是植物的自洁或保护作用。

这是莲花的花朵、叶片所展示出的超疏水性的结果。由于表面的微观纳米结构，污垢被水滴带走，最大限度的减少了水滴与植物的接触。

其它植物及部分昆虫翅膀也具超疏水性及自洁特性。

在古印度，莲花是战无不胜的象征。莲花的叶片很难被穿透，即便长时间浸泡在污水中，也能起到保护作用，即吠陀理论中的“无形天然防御盔甲”，或许莲花精油也有类似效用。

总结

在丰富的药用植物世界里，叶片类精油是很特殊的。叶片清除有毒气体、为呼吸过程创造条件，让地球在生命伊始就适宜居住。生命的进程是上升、成长、相互连接的。不同于根部的下降力、花朵的上升力，叶片介于二者之间，是螺旋式的，是宇宙和地球能量交换的媒介。

叶片一般较大且多呈二维结构，可最大限度的暴露在日月星辰之下，通过光合作用产生碳水化合物。

我们可以多种方式将自己与叶片类精油联系到一起，欣赏其多样性的同时也相信，精油一定会给我们答案。

（ 注：译文仅供学术交流，健康问题请咨询专业医师）

英文原文：

Leaves – the Green Mystery

Posted by DR. MALTE HOZZEL  

What would the world be without leaves of plants? And what would the plant be without leaves? Simply to say: NOTHING – impossible to think otherwise as much as we cannot think of the Earth without air, a human being without lungs or a fire without heat. The Green Leaves are the global lungs of our planet – their breath bestows the most vital energy to all living beings on Earth.

We can also call the leaves “solar batteries” of Mother Nature, because they drink, store and transform Sun light in the most fascinating way and use this light – not only for photosynthesis to breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, but also for multiple pathways inside the plant’s own living structures. No wonder that numerous essential oils stem from the leaves and their incredible dynamics of transformation.

The threefold structure of Nature – a universal principle

The ancient wisdom of humanity divided the plants into three different levels

First: The roots – naturally connected to the earth. From there they absorb water and minerals, the latter with the help of tiny little fungi called “mycorrhizae” which form the underground network of the so called “soil food web”. They are a “symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. Mycorrhizae play important roles in plant nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza

And important: contrary to the other organs of the plant, the roots hide away from light. Most of them would die if exposed to light for too long. Essential oils from the roots naturally carry the earth element in them and thereby help us to ground and harmonize our energies. This expresses itself also in their biochemistry showing richer presence of denser compounds such as sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenols for example.

Second: The blossoms – they are naturally connected to the light – and not only to the light but also in a very subtle way to the invisible “astral environment”, the realm of “pranic” energies, of colours, fragrances etc. Actually, the famous German poet and Nature scientist J.W. von Goethe was not wrong when he said that the blossom is nothing else than a metamorphosis of the leaf.

Of course, in its effulgent energy and transformational skill the blossom is the one which carries the burden and joy of attraction, seed production, procreation… which means also shorter lived in its existence, but also much more capable of expressing the creative skills of Mother Nature: Infinite playfulness and richness of elements of beauty – thanks to endless varieties of perfume, shape and colour. Also, this finds its echo in the essential oils of the blossoms which are amazingly abundant in biochemical richness and fragrance – often highly seductive and even aphrodisiac for the human psyche.

Coming to the third: The leaves – are mostly “right in the middle” between the root and the blossom. They do not occupy this place by coincidence of course. Nature loves to play with the threefold pattern of the Universe – and where there is an opposition, as between the roots and the blossoms, there must naturally be an intermediate agent who passes the informational flow from one to the other, imbibing itself with both of the opposite values.

In the ancient knowledge of Alchemy the leaves are understood as an element of “Mercurius” the mediator, the one which is in the middle and knows how to connect. Whereas the roots represent the value of “Sal” or the mineral world, and the blossoms the element of “Sulfur”, the one which stretches out to the “other realm”, understood as the “astral” level – which can also extend to a higher level of plant evolution, for example to the animal kingdom (insects etc.).

To summarize:

The root of the plant is striving to get nearer to the matter fields (minerals, earth) of Nature. The blossom of the plant can be understood as nearer to the astral (consciousness) fields of Nature – nearer to its transformational energy fields. And the leaves, fluctuating between the two, are the main initiators and organizers of the “here and now” in their creative intelligence of opening up with their wide “fans” to the light and “metabolizing” the light in rhythms of vital inhalation and exhalation.

Yes, leaves are the light givers, and they are the connectors between the gravitational (root) and anti-gravitational (blossom) principle in Nature. But they are not less “desirous” to link themselves to the finer strata of energies, let it be environmental or cosmic.

“Plants ‘eat’ so to say cosmic and stellar energies. It is with their leaves that they suck in the vital forces hidden in the waves of light, store them in their tissues and – by allowing themselves to be ‘eaten’ – transmit these vital forces to other creatures.”
Wolf-Dieter Storl, Pflanzendevas

We are often not fully aware of the power of essential oils stemming from this inherent vital dynamism of the leaves and their subtle connection with “Prana” or the “intelligent life force” of creation. Wolf-Dieter Storl describes it in his beautiful book on Plant Devas:

“Plants transmit to us the primordial sound or mantra of the Universe and thus offer life to us. Plants are able to connect the here and now with the beyond. In the sacred language of the Vedas, plants are called Oshadhi (Aushadhi). The meaning of this word is “OSA” (burning transformation) and DHI (vessel). In this sense plants are considered vessels for creating a metamorphosis of the cosmic fire.”
Wolf-Dieter Storl, Pflanzendevas –
cf. also Vasant Lad / David Frawley, “The Yoga of Herbs”

Glory to the Leaves and their essential oils

Everything absorbs light on Earth – and of course sunlight is the most important energy charger on our planet – visible and invisible waves which foster life in their unique mixture of frequency bands. Also, the chemical composition of essential oils is influenced by the various qualities of light available in different geographic zones of the Earth. Leaves are major agents for making the enormous richness and varieties of essential oils available.

What would we do with our own existence without the magic of plant photosynthesis allowing the leaves to absorb sunlight and carbondioxide, combining this with water from the roots and sending out an infinity of energy and biochemical impulses of growth to the inner realm of the plants’ existence? Yes, truly: Sunlight is the universal „mitochondria“ of the worlds – vibrating in every nerve, every fibre of the plant with memories of the first impulses of creation through all eternities!

And photosynthesis, the „synthesis or combined transformation through light“ is only possible thanks to the leaves! Chlorophyll is the “green master engineer“ in this process – capturing the energy of the Sun and transforming his light into biochemical energy. Chlorophyll, this enigmatic “sorcerer of transformation” captures light particles and thereby gets into such a high state of energy that the molecules of water (H2O) are split. Only through this process oxygen can be released into the atmosphere. In a second reaction, carbon dioxide (CO2) is then absorbed from the air and synthesized into glucose and starch – with the help of the remaining hydrogen atoms from the water – creating the famous carbohydrates that are the basic building blocks of life.

Through this process, the leaves of the plants – at the atomic and particle level – are able to transform inorganic molecules into organic ones. Quite a miracle indeed! And this “plant factory” of carbohydrates through the leaves is the basic centre for all life processes on Earth.

As Wolf-Dieter Storl says:

“Photosynthesis builds up between 100-200 billion tons of organic matter every year.“

Wolf-Dieter Storl, Pflanzendevas

To summarize: From oxygen, hydrogen and carbon the plant will create its “skeleton” or hardware, according to its specific genetic code. But only in certain cases, the glucose or starches etc., which it has created with the help of the sun, will be transformed into essential oils. The plant will store these in specific glands – and even „consumes“ them to a certain degree if it lacks sunlight due to sudden climatic changes.

And who would think of all this when we eat a salad or any part of a plant? And who would think of this when we are inhaling a Clary Sage oil that in a sense we fuse with cosmic energies via Nature’s alchemy and power of transformation?

We can empower ourselves endlessly by allying ourselves with Nature and her wonderful gifts in the plant kingdom. What is written in the ancient texts of India on the “Siddhis”, about the special powers that humans can acquire?

The powers are revealed at birth, or acquired through plants (‚oshadhi‘), repeating sacred words, austerities or Samadhi (Janma osadhi mantra tapah samadhi jah siddhya-yah)
Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Chapter 4 4.1

Leaves not only breathe – but they can also protect

Of course, when we think of leaf oils, we immediately associate ourselves with the respiratory system. So many essential oils stemming from leaves are wonderful helpers for our bronchi and lungs. Myrtle, Eucalyptus, Niaouli, Cajeput, Rosemary, all the Conifers, Tea Tree, Bay Laurel etc. Leaves are natural signature givers for our breathing system, with no doubt. And as already mentioned, most of the aromatic treasures of essential oils are stemming from leaves.

But leaves can also include other features. Normally, most of the water for a plant is provided by the roots. But also the leaves absorb water to a certain degree from rainfall, dew, and atmospheric humidity. This is not always the case…

The Cistus plant, for example, is special in this context. Breathing is one thing, and Cistus does it perfectly well. But with its labdanum resin-like substance on the surface of its leaves, Cistus protects itself against dehydration – a major threat under the hot sun around the Mediterranean regions.

It is these leaves which are distilled to yield the precious Cistus ladaniferus essential oil – a powerful wound healer in aromatherapy. It is not surprizing to understand the antiseptic and wound-healing effects of Cistus ladaniferus leaf oil. The “epicuticular leaf wax“ on Cistus not only functions as a modulator for water balance in the plant and thereby protecting the plant against dehydration, but the essential oil (linked to the plant wax) further adds an important anti-microbial defence to this.

In terms of „signature reading“ this capacity makes us understand the strong protective “screening capacity” of Cistus oil for wound healing including its efficiency to build up a shield against bacterial or fungal infections on the human epidermis.

Another example of leaf protection is the Lotus. The “Nelumbo” is famous for the so-called “Lotus effect”. This is nothing else than a self-cleaning or surface protective effect of the very special leaves of the plant,

“a result of ultrahydrophobicity as exhibited by the leaves of Nelumbo or lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architecture on the surface, which minimizes the droplet’s adhesion to that surface.
Ultrahydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties are also found in other plants… and also on the wings of certain insects.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_effect

In ancient India the sacred Lotus was always considered to symbolize “invincibility”. The large leaves exposed to constant water and its impurities are protecting the plant due to its impenetrable leaves – a natural “kavach” as the Vedic philosophy describes it. Meaning: an invisible armour for natural defence. Maybe it is not too far-fetched to consider the Lotus blossom oil also in this context as a powerful protective plant oil – stemming from the intrinsic shielding energy of Lotus as such…

To summarize:

The essential oils of leaves represent very special dynamics within the rich world of plant medicine. The evolutionary pattern of the leaves was to help make our planet inhabitable in the beginning of life on Earth by clearing the atmosphere from toxic gases and creating a condition for all respiratory processes of life. Meaning also: for all “spirit-processes” of life, namely allowing to rise, encouraging to grow, helping to connect etc. In their ascending and horizontal dynamics – opposite to the descending force of the roots and the ascending force of the blossoms – the dynamics of the leaves in itself serve as a natural vortex or energizer allowing the interchange of polarities to happen and thereby functioning as a mediator and receptor of cosmic and earthbound energies.

Leaves, with their mainly 2-dimensional structures, often large and “receptive”, allow maximum exposure to solar, lunar and stellar forces. As „eaters“ of sunlight and as the carbohydrate transformers via photosynthesis.

Considering all this, we may associate ourselves in so many different ways with the numerous essential oils from leaves and on the one hand observe (or admire) their immense variety and on the other hand also learn to trust – on a common basis of understanding – that the leaf oils will never leave us without an answer.:)