The bark of a plant is responsible for keeping a separation between the inner and outer worlds. In the body of a human this correlates to the skin, microbiome layer of the lungs & gut (inner skin) and immune system. Whilst the bark’s edges are sharp and defined, its function reaches out into the space around itself transceiving information just like our own immune systems do; working through the bioelectric field around 30cm outside our body interacting with the landscape we live in. It is called the Wei Chi in traditional Chinese medicine, and would be compared to the element of the Metal.
Rather than growing like the leaves, or connecting like the roots, the function of the bark is around protecting. The image of a fierce warrior with a shield protecting his village, or the barrier that the edge of a great forest creates as a wall of trees meets the grasslands. These landscapes conjure up imagery and feelings that can help to understand the role of the Metal element and the bark.
Metal has a conductivity to it, a magnetism that can feel, smell and sense. This is how we can quickly discern threat from ally,through sensing which is a necessary skill when pursuing the mastery of Metal.
To master the “I feel”, requires a clean and clear system, constantly letting go and returning to a sate of emptiness. An empty state, free from the past and expectation, is the clearest state to digest the outside world and intimately understand the space one finds themself in. This allows one to then make a clear and concise choice about how to respond to life.
Herbal medicine is original medicine :)