Herbology Deck Guide
Welcome to the Herbology Deck Guide
Instead of memorizing long lists of herb names and formulas, this deck teaches you how herbs and formulas are organized, compared, and applied within Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Each card represents a single herb, formula and highlights:
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What the herb/formula does
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How it behaves energetically
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Where it acts in the body
The Herbology Deck is not meant to replace formulas or clinical training.
It is meant to help you understand herbs as functional tools so that formulas, patterns, and treatment strategies become easier to learn later.
You can use this deck on its own, or alongside your Foundations, Diagnosis, and Acupuncture decks to build a complete study system.
There is no required order.
There is no “right pace.”
This deck is meant to be explored, compared, revisited, and combined with the rest of your Boncho cards over time.
How to Study the Boncho Herbology Deck
The Herbology Deck is not meant to be memorized. It is meant to train how you think when choosing herbs.
This entry explains the correct way to study the Herbology Cards so that later formula study feels natural rather than overwhelming.
Start With Action, Not the Herb Name
When you draw a Herb Card, do not begin with the herb’s name or category.
Instead, look first at:
- the primary action
- the direction of movement
- the substance affected (Qi, Blood, Fluids, Yin, Yang)
- the organ tendency
Ask yourself:
“What problem in the body does this herb correct?”
Herbs are tools.
Tools are chosen by function, not by reputation.
Think in Verbs, Not Nouns
A common beginner mistake is thinking:
- “This herb treats X disease.”
The Herbology Deck trains you to think:
- “This herb moves, lifts, anchors, builds, clears, or transforms.”
Symptoms come later.
First understand the movement being corrected.
Use Foundation Logic as Your Base
The Herbology Deck assumes you already understand:
- deficiency vs excess
- rebellious vs sinking
- stagnation vs free flow
- cold vs heat
- internal vs external
Herbs do not exist in isolation.
They respond to these foundational behaviors.
If a pattern feels unclear, return briefly to the Foundation Deck, then come back to Herbology.
Study One Herb at a Time, Then Compare
For focused study:
- Pull one Herb Card
- Identify its primary action
- Ask where it would fail to work
For deeper study:
- Pull two herbs with similar actions
- Compare:
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- strength
- direction
- organ preference
- Ask:
“In what situation would one be chosen over the other?”
This builds real clinical discrimination.
Avoid Formula Thinking Too Early
At this stage, do not worry about:
- famous formulas
- dosage
- exact combinations
The goal here is clarity, not completeness.
Formula logic will be introduced later, once herb actions feel intuitive.
A Simple Daily Practice
Spend 10–15 minutes:
- pull one Pattern or Action Card (from Foundations)
- pull one Herb Card
- explain out loud how the herb corrects the pattern
If you can explain it simply, you understand it.
Why This Method Works
This approach:
- reduces memorization fatigue
- prevents rigid thinking
- prepares you for formula study naturally
- mirrors how experienced clinicians reason
The Herbology Deck is where treatment thinking begins.
What the Herbology Deck is (and Is Not)
The Herbology Deck is a learning tool, not a prescription guide.
This deck is:
- A way to understand what individual herbs and formulas do
- A reference for how herbs and formula are grouped by function
- A bridge between theory and diagnosis
This deck is not:
- A list of cures
- A substitute for diagnosis or clinical judgment
- Each herb card shows how one medicinal substance behaves inside the logic of Chinese medicine.
You are learning how herbs think, not what they “treat.”
When used correctly, this deck helps you ask better questions:
- Why this herb instead of another?
- What pattern would accept this herb?
- When would this herb be inappropriate?
How the Herb and Formula Cards Are Organized
Herbs and Formulas in this deck are organized by therapeutic category.
These categories reflect what the herb/formula does clinically, not how the plant looks or where it comes from.
Examples include:
- Clear Heat
- Tonify Qi
- Transform Phlegm
- Regulate Qi
- Move Blood
Each category contains multiple herbs/formulas because there are many ways to achieve the same therapeutic goal.
A useful way to study:
- Spread one category out
- Compare herbs/formulas side by side
- Notice differences in components, temperature, taste, and channels
This comparison is where real understanding begins.
A Simple Tip
Start by:
- noticing the icons you see most often
- linking one icon to one key function
- letting repetition do the work
As your eyes become familiar with the symbols, your understanding deepens naturally.
Temperature Is Your First Filter
Temperature tells you what kind of internal environment the herb acts on.
Cold herbs are not automatically better for heat.
Warm herbs are not automatically stimulating.
Temperature helps answer:
- Is this pattern hot or cold?
- Is the body strong enough to handle this herb?
- Would this herb worsen the condition?
A simple exercise:
- Pull several Cold herbs
- Pull several Warm herbs
- Ask which patterns would reject them
This prevents misuse and builds clinical awareness early.
Taste Explains How the Herb Works
Taste gives clues about direction and function.
For example:
- Bitter often clears or drains
- Sweet often tonifies or harmonizes
- Acrid often moves or disperses
- Salty often softens or guides downward
Compare herbs with the same temperature but different tastes.
Notice how their actions change even when their category is similar.
Taste helps you predict behavior, not memorize facts.
Meridians Show Where the Herb Acts
Meridians show functional influence, not anatomy.
An herb entering the Lung behaves differently than one entering the Liver, even if their temperature is the same.
Study method:
- Pull all herbs that enter one organ system
- Compare how each supports or regulates that system
This builds strong connections between herbology and pattern diagnosis.
Using the Herbology Deck With Formula Cards
Formula cards provide the clinical framework.
A simple workflow:
- Identify a pattern using the Diagnosis Deck
- Pull herb categories that match the treatment principle
- Compare herbs by temperature and channel
- Narrow your choices
This is how the decks are designed to work together.
Preparing for Formula Learning
Formulas are structured combinations of individual herbs.
Each herb in a formula:
- Has a role
- Contributes a specific action
- Supports the overall strategy
If you understand single herbs, formulas become readable instead of intimidating.
Try this:
- Take a familiar formula name
- Pull the key herb cards
- Ask why those herbs belong together
This deck prepares you for deeper study without forcing it.
How to Study the Herbology Deck Over Time
You do not need to master this deck.
Recommended approach:
- Short study sessions
- Category-based comparison
- Repeated exposure
- No memorization pressure
This deck is meant to grow with you as your understanding deepens.
Common Mistakes New Users Make
Common early mistakes include:
- Treating herbs like cures
- Ignoring temperature
- Studying herbs without pattern context
- Memorizing names instead of comparing functions
These mistakes are normal.
The goal is not speed — it is clarity.