Rhubarb and Duality
Rheum rhabarbarum
Rhubarb is an impressive plant, a perennial vegetable with giant elephant-ear leaves and equally giant flower stalks. Rhubarb leaf stalks are edible and tart. They are often made into pies and jam with added sweetener. The leaf stalks are edible, but the leaves themselves are considered toxic. I first learned this as a child, and as a young gardener, I was fascinated by the dual nature of this plant.
Many plants have inedible parts that are too stringy or tough to eat. But rhubarb leaves are reported to have large amounts of oxalic acid, a naturally occurring substance in plants that can make one sick or even cause death if eaten in large quantities.
From that perspective, rhubarb has always had a correspondence to duality. It is one plant with healthy and toxic parts. Duality reminds us that there is unity in opposites. One cannot exist without the other.
The yin-yang symbol illustrates unity in duality. The circle is divided into two parts that curve in on themselves. One part is white. The other is black. Within each is a tiny dot of the other, reminding us that the seeds of the opposite are present. Even though the two colors appear disconnected, they are part of one whole. If we push away one part, we push away both.
Rhubarb’s correspondence with duality is also about the relationship between myth and fact. Facts and myths appear as opposites, yet they are often intertwined, and each has seeds of the other. The facts that were presented to me as a new gardener were not entirely true; rhubarb leaves do contain oxalic acid, but so do the rhubarb stalks that we make into pies. Other plants that are eaten on a regular basis, like kale, beets, and spinach, also contain oxalic acid. Most people will not eat enough of these plants for oxalic acid to affect them. However, there are some individuals who are sensitive to oxalic acid and should avoid foods that contain it. Thus, there is a kernel of truth in the myth. It’s based on the experience of sensitive individuals. Duality is about seeing the unity even in seemingly contradictory parts. There is an interdependence that makes up the whole.
Morning Attunement Questions
• What connections do I have with rhubarb and duality?
• Where else in the green world or in my life do I observe duality?
• What does this correspondence feel like?
• How can I describe the energetic attribute of duality in words or pictures?
• Where does the attribute of duality resonate most strongly in or around my body or in my life?
Daily Integration Questions
• In what ways is the world reflecting rhubarb or duality back to me?
• What nuances and shades of meaning do I notice with rhubarb and duality?
Evening Reflection Questions
• Where and how did I experience rhubarb or duality today?
• How did I embrace duality today?
• What wisdom does rhubarb’s correspondence of duality bring to my life?