The path

Ailment → Element

Start with how you feel. Each entry names the element folk kitchens reached for first, then the plants that lived in that jar.

Earth· sweet

Bloating

A tight, gassy, or swollen belly after eating.

13 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Fire· bitter

Nausea

Queasiness, motion, or a stomach that will not settle.

9 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Fire· bitter

Indigestion

Heaviness, slow digestion, or food that sits.

42 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Earth· sweet

Restless sleep

A mind that will not dim, or a body that will not drop.

10 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Earth· sweet

Frayed nerves

Jittery, thin-skinned, or wound too tight.

18 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Earth· sweet

Worriation

A mind that will not quit chewing.

12 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Fire· bitter

Chill & congestion

A cold settling in the head or chest, with low heat.

31 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Fire· bitter

Cough

A tickle, bark, or stuck chest cough.

19 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Water· salt

Sore throat

Raw, dry, or scratchy swallowing.

26 plants · Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid

Fire· bitter

Closed sinuses

A packed head, no air through the nose, pressure behind the eyes.

11 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Air· sour

Headache

A tight brow, dull pressure, or a head that feels full.

8 plants · Brighten, circulate, and clear

Fire· bitter

Cold hands & sluggish blood

Chilly extremities, a body that will not warm.

10 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Fire· bitter

Stiff joints

Aches that worsen in damp or cold weather.

12 plants · Warm, move, and stimulate

Air· sour

Dull focus

A foggy, heavy, or unmotivated mind.

12 plants · Brighten, circulate, and clear

Air· sour

Feverish & flushed

Hot, restless, or lightly fevered.

21 plants · Brighten, circulate, and clear

Water· salt

Dryness

A parched throat, dry cough, or scraped gut.

9 plants · Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid

Water· salt

Puffiness

A heavy, waterlogged feeling in the body.

12 plants · Mineralize, soothe, and restore fluid

Earth· sweet

Irritable skin

Itchy, angry, or weather-rough skin.

18 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Earth· sweet

Hollow energy

Tired in a deep, undernourished way — not wired-tired.

26 plants · Ground, build, and settle

Earth· sweet

Crampy cycle

Aching, heavy, or tense days of the month.

15 plants · Ground, build, and settle