Witnessed by: TCM
Magnetite, of the oxide mineral (spinel group; iron oxide) family. A heavy, iron-black, granular or octahedral crystalline ore, strongly magnetic; native range: magmatic and metamorphic iron ore bodies and the black sands weathered from them. Globally recognized as 磁石 ci shi in Chinese, and magnetite, lodestone in English. The part used is the crushed ore, raw or quenched-calcined. Iron-black with a metallic to dull lustre, very heavy in the hand, leaving a black streak, and lifting iron filings to itself.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
MAGNETITE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- magnetite
- Scientific name
- Magnetite (Fe₃O₄, iron oxide)
- Family
- oxide mineral (spinel group; iron oxide)
Form
- Part used
- the crushed ore, raw or quenched-calcined
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · salty
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Heart · Kidney
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- settles and calms the spirit, anchors floating yang and subdues what rises, aids the Kidney in grasping the qi so the breath returns to its root, and brightens the eyes and sharpens the hearing
Cautions
- Contraindications
- weak digestion and deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach; not for long-continued use
- Toxicity
- a heavy mineral, hard to digest and slow to leave the gut — prolonged or large use burdens the stomach
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