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©1998 by the Editors of Vibration Magazine

STINKY ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE Skunk Cabbage: A Deodorizer for the Mental Body? by Gretchen Lawlor A Really Stinky Plant: Sauromatum by Deborah Bier Case Notes: Sauromatum also by Deborah Bier

When we think of flowers, we generally think of those beautiful plant structures which are much the subject of poetry. Reminders of romance. Harbingers of the warm days of spring and summer. Metaphors of all that is innocent, gentle and lovely. Flowers are the embodiment of delightful scent: sweet or spicy...pungent or dainty, they tickle the senses and make the world seem, well, rosy.

But there are other plants with flowers not conventionally beautiful either to the eye or nose, but which are no less fascinating or beneficial in essence form. The subject of this suite of articles is just such a type: flowers which smell bad. Really bad. In fact, horrible, putrid, even disgusting.

We feature essences made from two of these stinkers here (links below). On the less nauseating end of the scale we have skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum), which smells of decaying meat and is pollinated by insects that are attracted by this scent. A much more grotesquely scented flower is the so-called Voodoo Lily (Sauromatum guttatum or S. venosum), so disgusting it is a blessing the flower is very short-lived. (We can also be thankful that vibrational essences really DON'T have any flavor or scent!) And there are other flowers yet more putrid, but we know of no essence maker who has attempted them, perhaps for understandable reasons.

Gretchen Lawlor and Deborah Bier, who made the two "stinky" essences featured in this issue, discuss them in detail in their articles. But, first, let's examine the characteristics the plants--and essences--have in common.

Apart from their smell, skunk cabbage and sauromatum share several other interesting features botanically. Both are aroids--members of the arum family, which also includes jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). So they exhibit variations of that lily-like appearance: the protruding spadix--the finger-shaped part that bears the flowers and seeds--and the hood-like covering or spathe.

"Arum" comes from the Arabic word for "fire." This is not at all surprising to anyone who has accidentally tasted one of these plants as they contain a compound that burns the skin. However the "fire" goes further than that: These plants actually generate their own heat. For example, skunk cabbage shoots emerging in the early spring have been known to melt the surrounding snow.

Gretchen Lawlor describes her skunk cabbage essence as "piercing the shell of stagnant mental attitudes...allowing a fresh circulation of inspiration." Deborah Bier says that part of her sauromatum essence's focus is to support momentum and focus, to become more aware of where we feel restricted and to keep things in motion. So, maybe these essences help "light a fire" under us to get us moving in the right direction.

They may also help us understand where we've become bogged down emotionally, where we habitually seek to control and over-analyze, and where we recycle the same stale reasoning and beliefs, blocking out potential sources of inspiration. In the language of addiction recovery, this type of mental process is called "stinkin' thinkin'." An apt analogy, it seems. In other words, when life smells as bad as these flowers, we are mobilized and motivated to assess the situation and make changes. These essences let in a little fresh air.

OTHER STINKY LINKS:

Hawk Mountain Naturalist - The transcript of a National Public Radio program about skunk cabbage.

Plant of the Week: Skunk Cabbage - More information from Vassar College Farm. Includes a section on ethnobotany, that is, traditional medicinal and food uses.

International Aroid Society - An organization of aroid enthusiasts sharing botanical info, photos and links. Also an e-mail discussion list devoted entirely to these unusual plants.

Additional Photos: Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum, the Western U.S. variety whose essence featured here, and its Eastern cousin, Symplocarpus foetidus) and jack-in-the-pulpit.

DESIGN CREDITS: Skunk Cabbage photo by Jim Popenoe, reproduced with permission. Background by The Lady Diana Dru. Divider bar by Jelane Johnson.

The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to the quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.

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