At present, I need to speak somewhat bit extra concerning the holistic mannequin that I’ve been sharing over the previous few weeks with regard to medical astrology and its connection to natural drugs. Final week, I talked about the way in which that we will use astrology to have a look at an individual and see the connection between what’s happening of their physique and their thoughts and their feelings and their non secular improvement. This week I’ll flip it and orient it round vegetation.
Not lots of people are conscious that astrology is without doubt one of the oldest methods of classification utilized in Western herbalism. This was one of many methods by way of which vegetation have been seen as having their medicinal and therapeutic properties. The essence of a plant and its cures have been understood based mostly on whether or not the herb is linked to Mars or to Venus or to Jupiter or to Saturn as a approach of understanding. Astrology is a holistic system in the way in which that it sees not simply the entire plant or the entire individual however their connection to the entire cosmos, to the wholeness of nature. It’s essentially the most holistic mannequin as a result of it’s trying on the wholeness of life itself and the connections between the assorted expressions of life.
Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt
So in the same approach that we will have a look at an individual on that threefold degree—the way in which that in alchemy we are saying that every thing in nature consists of the three philosophical ideas of sulfur, mercury, and salt, which pertains to the soul, the spirit, and the physique, respectively, of something—we will additionally look that approach at vegetation. After we’re taking a look at a plant, we see that there’s a sulfur, a mercury, and a salt throughout the plant—a soul, a spirit, and a physique of the plant. After we’re trying on the plant by way of this alchemical lens, there are three very particular bodily expressions of these three ideas. The sulfur is the important oils of the plant, essentially the most unstable a part of the plant. The mercury, or the spirit of the plant, is the alcohol- and water-soluble chemistry of the plant, the intelligence, the thoughts of the plant. The salt is within the alkaline mineral salts. Within the spagyric methodology of natural pharmacy, these salts are extracted by way of calcining or burning the vegetation all the way down to an ash. The oils, the alcohol- or water-soluble chemical compounds, after which the alkaline minerals—that’s taking a look at sulfur, mercury, salt from the bodily expressions of these three ideas.
However on a bigger-picture orientation of plant anatomy, so to talk, we might say that the sulfur of the plant is the soul essence of the plant, or what many individuals consult with because the spirit of the plant. It’s the nonphysical portion of that herb. On the mercury degree, we’re trying on the energetics of the plant. We’re taking a look at its temperature qualities, its moisture qualities, its tonal properties, how that herb is an embodiment of its ecosystem, and finally how that ecosystem that’s embodied throughout the plant is then conveyed to our personal physique’s ecosystem. The salt of the plant is the chemistry of the herb. It’s all the bodily properties of the plant: how that herb is structured and its morphology and all of the bodily issues about it. From the attitude of herbalism, it’s trying on the bodily properties of the herb and looking out on the chemistry of the plant.
The efficiency of the astrological perspective is that it permits you to see the connections between the bodily, the energetic, and the non secular properties of the plant in a really related approach that it permits you to see the sample of connection between the soul’s evolution of an individual, their psychological emotional dynamics, and what’s happening of their bodily physique. Astrology is a holistic orientation for seeing that connection within the medicinal properties of vegetation.
The Significance of Seeing Connections
I feel that is vital for us as herbalists. It’s widespread once we’re learning medicinal vegetation to not see these connections. That is one thing I struggled with for a very long time. It all the time bothered me as a result of it appeared like on one facet we’ve obtained all of the chemistry and the natural actions and the organ affinities and what kinds of situations and signs the herb treats, after which on the opposite facet are all of the psychological indications or how the flower essence will work on the emotional physique and the non secular improvement facet of issues. However they have been remoted from each other.
In my perspective of vegetation, there’s a singular medicinal essence throughout the plant. And it’s that singular medicinal essence throughout the plant that works on the physique of the individual, that works on the thoughts of the individual, that works on the soul of the individual. There’s one sample that impacts these totally different ranges of an individual and that’s expressed by all of these totally different ranges within the plant, which actually aren’t totally different—they’re simply totally different features of 1 factor. So we need to have a look at the vegetation by way of this holistic lens. We wish to have the ability to see and perceive the connection and relationship between the psycho-spiritual properties of an herb and the way that’s linked to the bodily properties of an herb.
In alchemy, that is known as the “unstable” and the “mounted” qualities inside a plant, the “mounted” being the bodily newness of the herbs and the “unstable” being the non secular qualities of an herb. We see them as mirror photos of each other, that the chemistry isn’t separate from the spirit of the plant. In alchemy, we are saying that the chemical properties and constituents of an herb are merely a bodily automobile that the intelligence and the consciousness of a plant works by way of. It’s the supply mechanism. In the same approach that now we have a bodily physique that’s composed of our biochemistry and our tissues, and all of that could be a automobile by way of which our spirit and our soul are in a position to be embodied right here on this earth, the identical is true with vegetation.
So there’s this relationship between plant chemistry and plant spirit. In that approach, it’s vital for us as herbalists to have a cohesive system, a cohesive mannequin that enables us to grasp these connections, that now we have one common language that ties collectively the bodily therapeutic properties of a plant and its psycho-spiritual therapeutic properties and permits us to know the way we’re going to place these collectively to heal an individual. As a result of that’s the final word aim of our work as herbalists: to heal somebody, to assist somebody. However the essential factor for us is that we have to perceive our cures, and we have to perceive our cures on this better sample of wholeness that to me is finest understood by way of astrology.
Right here’s an instance of what this seems to be like. Within the outdated form of languaging, they are saying there’s rulerships or correspondences, there’s a plant down right here on earth that corresponds or is sympathetic to one of many planetary archetypes that exists within the cosmos. It’s attention-grabbing trying on the etymology of the phrases plant and planet—they arrive from the identical root phrase. So there’s an innate connection between vegetation and planets, even within the roots of the phrase. Paracelsus, the good alchemist, stated that vegetation that develop right here on earth are terrestrial stars and that the planets out within the cosmos, up within the sky, are celestial vegetation. They’re the identical factor, only one’s up there and one’s down right here, and so they’re linked to 1 one other.
How Nettles Illustrates Medical Astrology
One treatment that I like to make use of for instance as an instance the facility of this connection and relationship between astrology and vegetation is nettles—Urtica dioica. There are a lot of ways in which we see the affect of Mars within the drugs of nettles. Mars, the crimson planet, is classically attributed to qualities in our thoughts and in our psyche equivalent to irritability and frustration and anger and violence, on the detrimental finish of the spectrum. Nevertheless it additionally represents our willpower. It represents our drive, our power. It’s what permits us to behave. Mars is the drive that enables us to maneuver and to behave out into the world. It’s this dynamic, expressive, outward form of power. However when that will get in extra, it may well flip into that irritability and anger and violence and issues like that.
In medical astrology, Mars guidelines the blood. It’s attention-grabbing that Mars is the crimson planet. Our blood is crimson. Mars guidelines iron and is stuffed with iron. Our blood clearly is stuffed with iron as nicely. Mars is classically attributed to medical situations together with poisoning of the blood or anytime blood is spilled like in accidents or damage. Historically Mars is claimed to be consultant of the masculine archetype. So in that approach, it additionally correlates to the male reproductive system.
Mars additionally pertains to immunity. One of many outdated methods of taking a look at Mars is because the warrior archetype. Mars and the solar are linked, the place the solar is the king ruling the dominion, so to talk. Mars is the warrior that goes out to defend and defend the dominion. In the same approach, our immune system is designed to guard our physique from pathogens—from international invasion, so to talk.
Mars is that this scorching, stimulating, irritating high quality energetically. That is the place we additionally see its affiliation with irritation and irritation of the tissues, these hypersensitivities. Patterns of warmth are very a lot related to Mars. In Ayurveda, Mars is sort of a pitta high quality. Within the physio-medical custom, we might say it generates warmth excitation tissue states.
So let’s take that and check out nettles. Nettles is intense. Nettles has a really intense bodily look to it in the way in which that it’s studded with formic acid crystals which can be sharp and needle-like. Nettles is all about sharpness. It’s penetrating. The sides of the leaves are serrated, virtually like a serrated knife. It has an intense look. If you contact the nettles, you get a pointy, scorching, irritated, burning rash. It will get crimson and irritated and provides an intense feeling. These are all Mars correlations. Even on a chemical degree, nettles is stuffed with iron. Mars is stuffed with iron. Our blood is stuffed with iron. One of many primary organ affinities for the leaf of nettle is the blood itself. On the one hand, it’s nutritive and builds and strengthens blood. However alternatively, it additionally cleanses the blood as an alterative. We use it as a detoxifying agent to cleanse the blood and the liver of metabolic waste merchandise. So it cleanses the blood and in addition builds the blood. Mars guidelines the blood. If you contact nettles, it creates irritation on the physique, however whenever you ingest it internally, it’s really very cooling. It’s filled with chlorophyll. It’s very alkaline. So it cools extra warmth and irritation and irritation throughout the physique. It treats an extra of Mars throughout the physique by way of its cooling properties. The foundation of nettle is one in every of our particular cures to deal with the male reproductive system, additionally dominated by Mars.
One other organ correspondence is the adrenal glands. Mars has the standard of safety—defending the physique by way of the immune system. The adrenal glands defend the physique too, by way of our fight-or-flight response. So the outdated instance of a bear chasing you thru the woods—adrenal glands are what stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. Your adrenal glands secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine, that are stimulating hormones. One of many main results of these compounds is that it shifts the circulate of blood. It strikes blood from the core out to the periphery, to your arms and your legs, in an effort to run away or you’ll be able to kick some ass. It’s that safety mechanism. It elevates coronary heart price. It elevates physique temperature. It stimulates you. Stimulation is a core property of Mars and its physiological response.
Curiously sufficient, the seeds of nettle have a selected affinity for the adrenal gland. After I was going to high school at Bastyr College of their natural sciences program, I had pal who had realized about nettle seed and heard that it may give you power and it really works by way of the adrenals. It was finals time, and he or she wanted some power however didn’t need to drink espresso. So she put one thing like a tablespoon of nettle seeds in a smoothie and drank it down—and he or she didn’t sleep for 2 nights! She was up for 2 entire nights as a result of that nettle seed stimulated her a lot, the basic Mars response.
So we see all these totally different ranges of Mars expressing by way of nettles, from its morphology to its organ affinities, to its medicinal actions, to even the totally different components of the medication used. Mars captures the essence of the plant.
Studying to See Patterns
The factor that I actually need to relay to you right here is the significance of patterns. It’s widespread as herbalists to get overwhelmed learning vegetation. There’s lots to be taught. It’s all these actions and energetics and organ affinities and their properties and their botany and their chemistry and the way you extract them and their dosages. It’s lots. To be completely clear, I had a tough time studying about vegetation once I first obtained into herbalism. It was in a single ear, out the opposite. I couldn’t bear in mind what these vegetation did. It wasn’t till I used to be in a position to see patterns within the vegetation—to not see all these totally different features of a plant as separate—that I began to grasp. It’s that compartmentalizing of issues that our Western minds are likely to do the place we are saying now we have the chemistry over right here, and the actions over right here, and the energetics over there, and the situations and signs handled over there. It’s like these totally different packing containers, however they’re all features of 1 plant. There’s an essence in that plant that’s attributed to every of us, that weaves these issues collectively.
Astrology lets you have a system, an overarching blueprint or framework—that every property and high quality and attribute of a plant is related to (usually) a singular planetary ruler or correspondents. When you could have the power to see that sample in a plant by way of its morphology and its properties and the way it works within the physique and its energetics and the situations it treats—when you’ll be able to see that sample and also you perceive the elemental qualities and traits of the planets, often you’ll be able to see that there’s a main planetary archetype that’s woven by way of and stitched into the material, the warp and weft of each side of that herb. When you’ll be able to perceive a plant in that approach, you could have a a lot deeper degree of connection and relationship and information of that herb. That finally results in you having the ability to administer it to somebody way more successfully and way more effectively.
Returning to nettles, it’s particular for individuals who have a tendency towards having a brief fuse. We now have this phrase that individuals are simply nettled. The smallest factor can set off an exaggerated response, often of irritation, frustration, anger. The nettles individual usually feels on edge. You simply barely graze them and so they’re going to sting you. That’s the archetype of the nettles individual. They’ve obtained this Mars extra sample of their physique with an excessive amount of warmth and irritation and irritation but additionally within the thoughts. Medical astrology reveals us that if somebody has an imbalance like that, it finally is Mars attempting to get their consideration: “It’s essential to take my power, my affect, and specific it in a more healthy approach.” Possibly that individual had some form of trauma related to violence, or perhaps they’ve a tough time with their willpower and their power, or perhaps they should discover a better goal that’s price preventing for. A method I like to explain Mars is that Mars wants a better goal: the solar. It wants a better steering from the solar with a view to have one thing to guard, to defend, to battle for, one thing that will get you off the bed within the morning and provides you that power to stay for. If we don’t have that, oftentimes that Mars drive and power must get channeled. That’s often with an extra of Mars. Typically individuals have an issue with a deficiency of Mars: they’re weak and drained and torpid, and so they can’t get off the bed, they don’t have any of that power, that vitality, that energy.
The Astrological Device
So these are a number of the ways in which the astrological software may also help you to grasp your vegetation extra holistically and to have the ability to see that connection between their bodily, their energetic, and their non secular properties in an effort to use the entire plant to heal the entire individual. And that’s the reason I feel medical astrology is superior. I feel it’s one of the stunning, wonderful instruments that we will have in our toolkit as herbalists to grasp the essence of the cures that we love.
And now we have a particular invitation this week!
One of many coolest issues about learning astrology alongside herbalism is that it connects you to a complete totally different layer of the cycles of nature. And that’s the easiest way to be taught it, merely following the 12 indicators of the zodiac all through the seasons, that approach you be taught to see it for your self.
That’s why I’m excited to share Botanical Constellations with you, which is our 12 month course guiding you step-by-step by way of the 12 indicators of the zodiac and their relationship to natural medicines. All through the following 12 months, you’ll be taught:
- How you can combine astrology into your apply of herbalism
- How vegetation replicate planetary attributes of their botany, chemistry, medicinal actions, energetics, and psycho-spiritual properties
- Utilizing astrology to find out somebody’s structure, tissue states, and illness predispositions
- A extremely distinctive strategy to plant classification, holistic evaluation, and natural therapeutics
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