This week, on 5/11/26, we had blind meditations with two forms of the same herb: Peony. We meditated with Bái Sháo Chǎo (白芍炒) and Chì Sháo Chǎo (赤芍炒). Note: Though they are considered red and white, the herbs do not look different to me. They are the same plant, one with its very thin peel intack.

The same plant can be prepared in different ways to bring out select properties. In Chinese medicine, Peony is recognized in two primary ways: as Bái Sháo (white peony root) and Chì Sháo (red peony root). Red peony is dried and cut. White peony is boiled and peeled. We did a previous meditation with Bái Sháo, which you can read here. The herbs in the meditation experiences below were both dry stir-fried (chǎo). Dry frying at high temperatures counters some cooling and moist properties and is sometimes used to reduce toxicity.

This was a fun experiment. I was not expecting such clear differences in experience. Taking the herbs created greater clarity on how much preparation (and perhaps intent) impacts the herb’s ability to transform the human condition.

Bái Sháo Chǎo

Initial Impressions:

The smell is light with a fairly neutral flavor. It has a sweet aftertaste. It is not drying. Warming (x2). It tastes a bit like toasted barley (x1). A little lemony. (X1) Some peacefulness comes in.

Meditation 1

•Energy goes from my third eye to my skull/brain, to left ear to my mouth. “The mouth is important too.” Then my feet. I ask about my feet, what’s the herb meaning or thinking with this? “They will go pat, pat, pat, all the time.” This may be the sound of feet walking from a root perspective (I love it).

•I felt my third eye.

•I am hot and sweaty. I feel a thin layer of sweat from my hips up to below my crown (ear level).

•I ask if the roots support the unfolding of the brain. “That is what people have been saying for a long time.”

•I have thoughts about anger (relationship conflict), followed by thoughts of enduring, supportive love. These thoughts involve the same person.

•I feel warm and cozy. It was really cold today, and it felt great to warm up.

•I heard the song “Don’t throw your love away,” which I took as don’t waste time on insincere love, you want warm and supportive people.

Visions

•I saw a beach scene. There was golden light and I felt warm and supported.

•I was looking at a coastal village from a 3/4 bird’s eye view (or 8 o’clock). It’s dawn, the pink sky fades into gold. The waves were lapping at the golden beach. The village was nestled inside a semicircle of mountains. A large castle in the center at the top of a hill. Out of nowhere, in front of the sun a large golden dragon flies up from the horizon, in front of the sun. As it rose, a wave of happiness and golden light shook the village. The golden dragon came to perch on the tip of the castle, turned into a statue (still gold), and remained there forever to watch over the village and to wish them happiness, prosperity, and abundance. It was a fisherman’s village, and each day, at daybreak, a golden wave of riches and happiness washed over the village. The golden waves came from under the village, where there were millions of gold coins—it was the essence of the gold that was washing over the village.

Chì Sháo Chǎo

Initial Impressions: This brought a lot of saliva to our mouths (all). Tastes coffee-like (x1). Also tastes lemony (x1).

Meditation 2

•Hot, dry, red/black, left sinus. I hear I do not need to be in my ears so much; this is drawing me to the center of my face.

•A felt, heavy, denser, death.

•Gangrene on feet came to mind.

•Heavier feeling, really relaxed, but sleepy. I wanted to go to sleep.

•I felt really, really warm.

•I briefly felt agitated, that passed, and then I felt peaceful and alert.

•I feel like I am having a fever right now (leaves discussion briefly to cool down).

Visions

•Lots of black, dry, hot-looking images, but I didn’t personally feel hot.

•I opened my eyes, and I was in a black cavern with a green, hooded cobra. It lashed out and bit my eyelid closed. I managed to get my eye open again, and then it slithered away. It said, ‘She is not supposed to see this.’ Light came through from above, and I sat there for the rest of the meditation.

Summary and Traditional Use

Please see the blog post on Bái Sháo here and the Freedom Quilt teachings on Peony here. Both forms of Peony are considered bitter and sour, perhaps accounting for the lemony taste. The frying brought a roasted flavor.

Bái Sháo (summary of white peony root) is used for calming the liver and is supportive to women's health, it supports yin and various neurological issues. It is used for stopping sweating--this makes sense in terms of supporting yin--yin is needed for containment and support of the physical, a lack of containment could lead to problematic releasing through sweating. Bái Sháo Chǎo (Meditation 1)--some common themes: emotional support, physical support, comfort, warmth, sun, and kindness. In the meditation, temperature and sweat came up. Because Bái Sháo Chǎo is dry fried it becomes less cooling and moistening. This can be helpful if someone has indications for Bái Sháo but has signs of dampness like yeast infections or cold diarrhea, or develops either taking Bái Sháo. 

Chì Sháo (red peony summary--not Chǎo) is also cooling and supportive to the liver. It is considered bitter and is used for clearing blood stasis (including clots associated with menstruation). Chì Sháo Chǎo (red peony stir-fried) meditation suggested a more intense health disharmony--with black color, gangrene, and snake bites, all of which in Chinese medicine are signs of extreme blood stasis. Due to the red skin and heating of the root (without the boiling the white peony undergoes), this herb seems like it could be a good part of adjunct therapy for dealing with fever related to infection or toxicity associated with blood stasis. If you have gangrene or a snake bite, I urge you to go straight to the doctor! Or, directly to a hyperbaric chamber for the gangrene--even then I it's helpful to have an experienced healer involved (wound care specialist etc). If you can drink a cup of Chì Sháo Chǎo on the way, or as you are healing, I bet that will help. Please share your experiences with me if that happens! 

Invitation

Have you worked with or studied peony root in any form? Please share your experiences and observations in the comments below!