WARNING: In its unprocessed form, Fúzǐ (zhi), 附子(製), Aconite is a deadly poison, even though skin contact!
Known as “King of 100 herbs,” Aconite was a highly valued herb in classical Chinese medicine, where the off-shoots of the main tuber of Aconitum carmichaelii were used after careful and thorough preparation. It is less commonly used today, and it is more challenging to find the herb prepared appropriately.
In the West, Aconite, also known as Monk's Hood, is one of the strongest poisons and used primarily as a homeopathic remedy. Homeopathic remedies are highly diluted. For example, a 200c Aconite homeopathic preparation has been diluted from 100% to 1%, 200 times. Historically, it was also used in very diluted preparations only, topically, as even topical exposure to inadequately diluted plant material can be life threatening.
In Chinese medicine, this herb is also considered highly toxic, and there is quite a bit of information on the herb’s use as poison, as well as antidotes in historical Chinese literature. It was first cited for medicinal use in the Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica, c. 100-200 CE (trans Wilms, 2017, p 312). The name indicates the prepared root appendages are used medicinally, not the plant, or a component of the plant, in general. There are around 70 methods of detoxifying aconite described in the Chinese materia medica (Fruehauf: article here). Levels of the main toxin can vary greatly; it is highly sensitive to heat so many processes involve boiling or steaming for hours. Traditional processes can remove the majority of toxins. These days it is rare to find the herb grown and processed by time honored methods. After processing, this herb remains one that needs to be used with conservative or well-researched dosing, such as a skilled and experienced herbalist can provide.
Plant Meditation Club
Expecting a strong impression to be delivered by this plant, we consumed a few sips of lightly steeped tea prior to each meditation. We used prepared Fúzǐ (zhi), Aconitum carmichaelii.
Premeditation/Taste
We experienced this herb to have a slippery and soapy taste; it was a little astringent in feel: like a cleaner. We did consider the possibility of soap in the cup, but we were in different locations, participating in Zoom, so this common experience, that we didn’t notice with other herbs, seemed unique to Aconite.
Meditation 1
• I felt strong metal and fire. This reminded me of a meditation with Devil’s Club, where I felt like I was inside a cone of steel that protected me from the energies of others. Devil’s Club gives a strong sense of boundaries, but when taken in more than drop doses, it can create overreactions and aggressive behavior. In meditation with Aconite, I saw a metal cone filling the inside of my body. This is a strong herb. It said, “Put metal in and pull the sword out.” I interpreted this as meaning if you restore or establish metal/strength in the body, you could wield it intellectually or for combat (yang as weaponized action, metal as death) as needed. In his interview with Bob Quinn, Fruehauf explains that Aconite was used to bring yang to a position of storage when it has been pushed to the exterior during “stress”. In this case stress is referring to a significant level of challenge, such as an intense acute illness or experience or a prolonged intense chronic condition. In Chinese medicine, the element of metal is associated with the air element and the season of autumn/”killing,”and the lungs and large intestines, both of which are associated with discernment, such as being clear about what to retain and what to release. The season of fall is a time where much is harvested and dies, returning the earth to an internal state. Metal nurtures the kidneys/water element, restoring core energy before action comes again in the spring/wood element.
I felt my body as though I was red/hot and sweaty from running, and then stopping to look around and take in the world.
Heat on my face, sharpish traveling pains* moving on the left side of my body, a couple of places over five minutes or so. A mild neck ache. *Moving pains are associated with wind/liver imbalance.
•I felt pulsating pressure in my head, brief pain in my abdomen in general and right of center, prickly back of neck, then cooling.
Overall a very stable feeling.
It feels like a strong herb that can impart some of its strength to you.
•I slept with no dreams or feelings. I feel hungry, tired, feverish, and like the herb is “really making me angry”.
Second Taste
This time the taste is pretty neutral. “It feels like a refreshing stream.”
Meditation 2
•I feel more heat, frustration, anger (liver/wind stuff). I feel the idea of “you get what you want” For example, “You want mental clarity? You get it, not a desk full of lists.” I sense a person trying to stuff yang into me–it is an act of giving, but they are frustrated.
I see/feel I have a wide smile like a frog. A mouth that has a wide flat opening. I don’t understand, but my tongue goes out, like a long uncurl, and I understand it is frog time. I associate frogs with cleansing. They breathe air and water, so the image of frogs brings up interesting ideas with this herb being associated with the metal element/lungs, again bringing to mind the connection between air and water in the body. In this case, a tongue movement is often to catch a bug. The fly eats out of the air and is also able to live and breathe in water.
•I had visions of spiders injecting me with venom and my body being itchy all over.
• I had the opposite experience as last meditation where I felt centered and strong. This time I felt agitated, cool, and itchy.
A tiny amount is good but too much is not.
Summary and Traditional Use
This herb is considered warming and drying. In Western homeopathy it is often used for chills, exposure to cold wind, sudden fever, and the personality that may be sedentary, fearful of going out, fearful of death, anxious, paralyzed by fear. It is also used for both pain (often acute, intense nerve pains) and paralysis (nerve issues). Homeopathy is a subtle science and this is a very brief explanation of possible benefits of homeopathic aconite. Even though this is a highly diluted form of the herb, it should be used with caution and ideally with an experienced guide. This is not because it will cause poisoning, but because the herb is powerful even without its toxins. Historically, the herb was diluted and used topically for numbing and nerve pain. Topical poisonings have occurred. Internal wind often impacts the liver, this imbalance is associated with moving pain, itchiness, and neurological issues, in general. Increasing the element of metal “destroys” wood energies (imbalance of which can be associated with wind disturbance).
Let’s explore a small amount of the use of this herb in Chinese medicine. This herb grounds the yang by bringing it into storage in the Mingmen. The Mingmen (命門) is translated as the gate of vitality, life, destiny, or power. It is an energy center nestled between our core qi reserves, the kidneys. Heiner Fruehauf states that all chronically ill (and some others) will eventually benefit from a formula with fúzǐ (zhi) in it to redirect their energy to the Mingmen, reinforcing the vital energy. Bensky describes it as restorative to devastated yang, an example of a chronic condition that responds well to the warming, drying, and energy shifting properties of fúzǐ (zhi) is congestive heart failure (CHF). In this condition, there is a build up of fluid all over the body, because the heart is not able to function properly. CHF can lead to death because of the failure of the heart, or by other organ failure related to severe internal fluid overload. Note that this is a life threatening condition in need of a very strong energy to correct course. Because this herb is strongly heating, all conditions this herb treats will have a component of coldness. Think of it in cases of hypothermia. Or, a milder example: arthritis that is worse from cold. However, it may be used for hot flashes with low thyroid symptoms, where the cold of the low functioning thyroid is less obvious, but the yang, which is escaping as a hot flash, will benefit from being brought back to the center.
It is important to note, Chinese herbs, especially this one, are not usually used by themselves. This is an intense herb that, when used precisely, can effectively treat many serious and difficult conditions. Aside from a similar low dose plant tasting with well-sourced herbs (see footnote 2), leave recommendations about fúzǐ (zhi) to knowledgeable and experienced herbalists.
Invitation
Have you used aconite yourself or with a client? In what forms and what is your take on the herb? Please share in the comments.
Resources Used
Bensky, D and Gamble, A, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Eastland Press, 1986, p. 430.
Fruehauf, H, The Flagship Remedy of Chinese Medicine: Reflections on the Toxicity and Safety of Aconite, Classical Pearls, published 2012, accessed 3/14/25. https://www.classicalpearls.org/resources/flagship-remedy-chinese-medicine-reflections-toxicity-safety-aconite/
Grieve, M, A Modern Herbal, Aconite, first published in 1931, accessed digitally 3/15/25 https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/aconi007.html
Quinn, B, The Importance of Aconite (Fuzi): an interview with Heiner Fruehauf on 2/19/2009, accessed 3/15/2025 https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fruehauf_fuziinterviewENG.pdf In this interview you can learn about the lengths that Fruehauf’s company, Classical Pearls Herbal Formulas, goes to in order to offer traditionally prepared fúzǐ to their customers in this interview. Inadequately prepared fúzǐ can be toxic, less potent, or not medicinal.