Astrology of September 2018: Shuffle The Pyramid
The prison bars and barbed wire fences and thick stone walls that run like lace embedded into the landscape glisten with electric current, seeping into the soil via colloidal aqueducts and ambient moisture charging the dirt and grass which clenches stones in the rhizome bundle like jade yoni eggs which quake in the obscurity of topsoil blankets, the static chirp of exoskeletal vibration distributed throughout the cold collections of green blades; at once a world formidable and also volatile; tremendous boulders waiting to change. We look across a property and envision how we’d hard scape it, carve channels through it, push ground into mounds, bank and bay, uproot and plant, sending in pigs to nose at the tenacious grip of stumps in search of concealed corn kernels. Swine push and sculpt the scape with snouts that hew the soil and roll stones, displace rubble; their bristled bodies obsessed and in motion, the maneuver and gesture of woodworkers turn the overgrown grove into root bare stand. What was permaculture now is perpetual transformation; particulates of the process sifting through a pinball sorting system and arranging themselves into efficient articulation, spelling out the instructions hidden in the scrawling script of tree bark scrolls which enwrap the phylum suction straws, pumping ground water to elevation. Laws and edicts, descriptions of limits, locks and hinges, shearing strings and fissure lines, re-assembly protocols, how to rubix cube the territory, transform looming ledge and apply techniques to the wider terrarium.
With our fingers wrapped around the bars or laced within the links of our cages we breath the current into our bones, and perhaps within our own bodies similar renovation is possible; the prison of skeletal assembly and cellular walls infinitum cracks and opens, encodes with blinking curser at ready when we engage in ecstatic embodiment. With the return on regular lunation this has explicit Witchcraft implications. As the grid scan scrolls over us and our volatilized awareness of our terrain we weave into the landscape, scant separation between organism and environment, and thusly, the intelligence of the Genius Loci and our own clinical comprehension. It is here that we find a more primal mind stirred up from deeper waters, and our lust grows deliciously wrathful, with vampiric delight. If we find the Other in the nature around us that which we can count and categorize comes into context with primal drives and the aesthetic rapture of predatory salivation. We can quantify the world as well as understand what hungers drive it and fuel its flux; the perpetual dolphin dipping paperweight upon the desk sprouts sharks teeth and seethes with honey’d venom, holding down stacks of documents detailing the permaculture design proposal and the permits that initiate the action. We may fancy ourselves lounging upon the luxury leather chair leaning back behind our desks of sprawling mahogany, gnawing our pen end as we fantasize our schemes into manifestation. We know there are no promises; this is venture, all hypothetical, the prototype stage; experimentation with real materials and interactions with real persons, flora and fauna. The parameters of the lab expand into the biosphere, where even Crows and Hawklings scrutinize the assemblages of tree plantings, cold cupboards, clay ovens, reclamation pools, and herb terraces. The stars shatter in feedback above and tingle and chirp glassy notes back down to the mud and mortar below, barking like disintegrating dogs, dematerialized beneath the relay where all the roots plug into the sky behind the black background.
Our worlds get deep and detailed and the blocks are likely to shift, or be open for reorganization, the pyramid shuffling its bricks in a much needed update; processes both old and new, perennial and unprecedented, perhaps all at once and somehow the same. We might taste blood for the first time and be driven into an erotic frenzy, and from the intensities of our embraces might rise opportunities for deeper knowing, comprehending deeper structures allowing us to feel how far the caverns can penetrate. This is big, and there is a lot of space to move into, but largely the work happens away from the central station. No one seems to loiter the main drag, but instead be busy out on the frontiers where the home-field meets the hedge. This is where the negotiation happens, this is where the deal is done, and this is where the creatures worth putting under the microscope populate and emerge; the side walks might support a few scattered cockroaches and rodents, but the tangle wood and brush which buffers the wilds teams with intelligence, and we might be served solutions by listening to insect speak and transmit the message back to inform us in how we might transform our own nests.
The Month opens with the Moon in exaltation, which at this juncture in history involves jolts from Uranus and trines to both Saturn and Pluto. Aligning to natural pace and organic rhythm these days might be a revolutionary act within itself and one that forces us to look soberly into the hard limits of nature and face our fears. We might step into such space bodily and sync up to the greening force to begin what comes forth this September as an initiation into a multidirectional, and dimensional process. Be present and feel it. The Sun progresses into Virgo’s second face by Sunday September 2nd, so we will likely be already identifying with the details of ongoing processes at this point, our eyes scanning what we are sorting. Mercury, Virgo’s ruler remains in Leo at this end of the month trailing the Sun, picking up the pace so he can catch up. We might still want to talk about ourselves, or at least those whom personally inspire us as Mercury sextile’s Venus on September 3rd at 9am, a moment when we might want to remind ourselves who our heroes are. Mercury steps under the beams at this point, internalizing these realizations.
On Wednesday the 5th at 8pm Saturn stations direct in Capricorn still trine Uranus in Taurus and the tides of time somewhat turn, as we ready to lay down innovative networks and branch out upon them, connecting old architecture to new systems, anchoring into foundations we may extend experimental arrays off the side of the stacked stone structure. The negation, rationing, and reduction of the past few months has helped us clear away the dirt and loose rubble from the lower layers so we know where we can install radical updates most securely, and not build our additions off rotted walls. Only an hour and a half later Mercury enters rulership in Virgo, and our ability to think, plan, organize, compute and communicate the blueprints and plans that have been put in our hands is efficient and comprehensive. We could not be more ready to get started. Try to find this revolutionary renovation project in your life so that you don’t instead sink into a quicksand of details. Not all ground is equal, so find the secure space and assess what needs to happen to change it for fertilities sake; how can it be more alive and bound for abundance? And then what process needs to occur to carry out this transformation. Draft a detailed plan, and set some serious goals. Mercury steps across Regulus on his way into rulership, so ritual protocol is part and parcel, but also a consideration throughout this stage of how these radical processes can increase your renown, can able you to eminence, can revitalize your status.
Mercury completes trines to both Uranus and Saturn the morning of Friday September 7th and the day rings loud and clear with what resonance his entry into Virgo detailed. Interesting that the Sun opposes Neptune in Pisces at 2:30pm that afternoon, finding the frenetic inspiration born of comprehending this foundational radicalization possibly leading us into swelling seas of intuitively connected details oozing with imaginative vision. This can be both amazing, the moment you can picture the whole complex before its built, able to sketch precise blueprints to an architectural masterpiece upon a paper diner napkin, and maddening, as you duck into a phone booth to get out of the pouring rain and pull the wadded napkins out of your trenchcoat pockets to describe what they detail to your secretary over the phone, emptying your purse of coinage by the minute; both able to see the infinite scope of specifics as well as be lost in oceans of information.
The following afternoon (September 9th) Venus in Libra clashes square against Mars in Capricorn 90 degrees across the zodiac. Mars and Venus in combination can churn up sexual tensions, which of course energize more than our erotic endeavors for better or for worse. This particular square pits strategic actions against balance of grace and accord, power moves in torsion against cultural equilibrium. Maybe our radical renovation plans are not as inspiring to our loved ones or neighbors as they are to us, and some diplomacy needs to be applied. Although, Venus ingresses Scorpio the next morning which brightly highlights the sexual dynamics implied, our libidos more turned toward vampire aesthetics than flowers and harps, we hunger for the hunt and are driven toward primal desires, finding secrets sexy and mysteries romantically motivating, preferring intensity and danger to pleasant poems and sweet inscriptions. The sexual currents awakened by Venus and Mars’ clamorous clash might inspire a taste for more poisonous elixirs. While these stirrings are likely to preoccupy our carnal emotions there is a New Moon in Virgo at 2pm, where we might experience quiet initiation into a subtle cycle of detailed attention. This may be the nuances of sensuality and kink interpreted into more fetishistic outlets in life beside the directly sexual, or it could be an altogether other topic, a dry set of seeds which just happen to get watered in deliciously devious fluids.
On September 10th Jupiter in Scorpio sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, a persistent aspect throughout the month due to both planet’s speeds, and an interesting additional layer connecting construction with seduction. Jupiter’s coherence of intense engagement and total intimacy, what happens when two people mutually surrender, is harmonized with the obsession and immense power of moving beyond fears within the limits of nature and the vastness of enduring structures, such as monuments that stand for millennia, or ancient fortresses forgotten under the rising ocean. There might be mutually born masterpieces here, or subtle understandings of dominance, bondage and servitude between partners, or embracing beyond breeches through unprecedented natures; either way the collaboration of Pluto with Jupiter in Scorpio implies an intense understanding of deep shadows where opportunities walk forth out of vast cavern depths and must be met with surrender to be embraced; the Guru who frightens the student, and overwhelms him with fear so that he might be initiated into greater mysteries.
The Sun checks this Jupiter the following morning via sextile at 8am (September 11th), glancing to our Fearsome Guru we nod and in our rapid scrutiny agree we will collaborate with his teachings. Simultaneously Mercury moves into the 2nd face of Virgo, now able to tie together all phases of the process, and think his way through while up to his elbows in splayed parts; what Jupiter instructs we do in Scorpio, the ordeals and ritual procedures communicate and make sense. Then it’s the Sun’s turn to see Pluto, and the cavern depths appear to be a perfect place to perform the rite as darkness becomes its own form of vision, we may understand what it is that the blind see that we normally do not.
Wednesday, the 12th sees Venus in Scorpio oppose Uranus in Taurus. Our lusty vampire sights the hybrid of Prometheus and Pan across the ecliptic, and Dark Aphrodite finds herself polarized with the Torch Bearing Satyr-Faun. One salivates, seethes, yearns and desires with such carnal depth it is a joy of pain, while the other leaps and flickers, and sprouts wildly, sprays seeds, explodes with blooms then suddenly stops silent, falls dormant then once more springs alive again. These two natures must be put into balance, expressed or embraced in equal amounts simultaneously, or in equal portions in alternating, but not jolting, rather a sensual oscillation of brooding and wild play. This moment sees Venus engage into a hanging T-square throughout the month of her opposition to Uranus, and Mars’ return to the nodal axis. This brings new elements, and new erotic emotions especially to lingering or returning themes of the Mars retrograde, Lunar Eclipse and Uranus ingress which took place across the spring and summer. The Moon passes over Venus at 6:30 pm and we are able to feel this tense array viscerally and encode it into our bodies and complex of needs, commanding us to nurture various divergent needs in life. The Sun progresses into the third decan of Virgo in the afternoon and we look towards the realities of completion, of resolving and finishing that which is ongoing or up in the air. There is a general and nonspecific urgency creeping in to most likely bring closure to what transpired between spring and fall, to begin the integration of what surgeries and hot-rod modifications went down over mid 2018. By midnight the urgency gains some weight, hopefully contextualizing it in a set of limits when Venus sextiles Saturn. Emotional lust willing to play nice with material limits; we hunger for the whole menu but only a few morsels are within reach, the rest are currently prohibited, so we pursue what’s available now; with our considerable appetites wetted the most defined possibilities begin to look attractive like ham hocks and turkey legs hanging in the branches, or prime rib walking around on pairs of legs.
Mercury opposes Neptune on the 13th, trines Pluto on the 15th and then sextile’s Jupiter on the 16th. Our logical sequences careen into intuitive and imaginative abandon, at which point the plan might swell to encompass massive herb spirals, hyper-color wind mill generators, and cold fusion; daydreams between which important papers slip like oars that melt into the phosphorescent brine. Although, the stretch of imagination out into the beyond and forgotten corners of things seems to be an initiatory experience; we may find here our next obsession, and we are likely to obtain it, or at least the opportunity to realize such dreams means only an intensification of our engagement, a serious getting serious, a understated rolling up of the sleeves, and linking arm in arm (and legs and whatever other body parts) with partners and collaborators along the way. It can be done, but could require teaming up and getting in close quarters with others, whether this is lovers, co-conspirators or enemies. By the 16th Mercury has dashed into Virgo 3, and tying things up becomes the culmination of his number crunching and rapid research. Venus squares both nodes on this day, so our insatiable desires for red wine, black fabric, candelabras and blood rattles the eclipse cycle cage places a pivot point on the journey from outcast innovator to household name, dipping the new character in dark chocolate. The Moon reaches its 2nd quarter phase by 7pm the same day, bumping the pace of manifestation and general energy up a notch.
On 6pm Tuesday morning (the 17th, Mars day, Mars hour), Mars squares Uranus for the final time in this set of squares which occurred on May 16th and August 1st. The first one was filled with exhilarating surprises and frustrating disruptions, the second, and seemingly more violent, saw some lightening bolts strike some towers, and the third is hopefully going to be about what change ultimately occurs in the space that got re-arranged or disturbed by the successive surges. Because of the speed of these planets the aspect will stretch over the course of a few days, offering a sustained state of volatility, a long window to work with the energy in the lab and see what kind of radical update is to be installed. We must think on what we experimented with over the course of the past few months and what seemed to get the best results as we start considering and conceptualizing new modes of action. We must also be extremely careful, as what we hold here and throughout much of the month is a dangerous substance we are just getting used to working with. We must channel all the Virgo energy to pay it close attention and the Capricorn energy to not under estimate its power, and all the Scorpio energy to push ourselves further into our experiments and be fearless. Jupiter moves into Scorpio 3 the next morning and our understandings of addiction, depravity and perpetual satiation blossom. We can flip over and look underneath the buggy and see what kind of problems infest it, poke and peel at the rust, check its sex is intact etc. Its then we really know exactly what we’re dealing with, after turning the bowels inside out and see exactly what the beast eats, compare the color of its bile, examine its spleen.
This Haruspexi has ancient roots, and is likely what will preoccupy us as the Moon conjoins Mars where he returns to the eclipse degree on September 20th. What happened, and now what happens, and what will happen because of it? Mercury completes a Superior Conjunction with the Sun between 9 and 10pm and detailed messages concerning completion and resolution are handed down from a higher source. The next night He ingresses Libra at 11:30pm September 21st, and having received the heavenly word on closing all open cases moves into an air sign where he puts his logical and communications skills toward justice, fairness, unity, and culture; speaking on others behalf and social justice expressions, as well as the careful weighing of options. The Sun follows him in by 10pm on September 22nd, marking the Autumn Equinox, and as the balance of light and of darkness, of day and of night perfects, we become most acutely aware of the Other, or others, in every sense.
This puts Mercury in position to square Saturn and trine Mars on Sunday the 23rd. The logic of fairness and justice often clashes directly with how society is structured, and often how nature itself is ordered. This is likely to put stress on our thinking on this day, which might be heavily internalized, seeing us somehow tongue tied, as Mercury is here heavily combust. These ideals of social accord and equilibrium are in harmony with Mars’ intentions toward freedom and escape from conventions of action in Aquarius, so this might also be an instance of processing and setting right the parameters of what was worked out through the retrograde and eclipse; making sure the new mode is calibrated in balance and communicating correctly, making social sense. Indeed, Mars is passing over the exact eclipse degree as the Moon becomes full in aries on September 25th, displaying the culminations of our manifest impulses and independence now in the context of the eclipse season; how do we feel and function now post op? The Sun squares Saturn that night and echoes Mercury’s sentiments from the couple days prior; with the Sun here we might identify with these issues even more strongly, and as this is the Sun’s fall, we are susceptible to identifying more with someone else's situation than our own, which can use the reality check that this Saturn square implies, even if it comes as an abrupt run in with a dead end. On the 27th Mercury moves on into Libra’s second face and becomes quickly more adept at negotiation and agreement discourse, and can hopefully mediate whatever problems the Sun encounters. The Sun then trines Mars, and harmonizes with these fringe activities, these visions of new conceptualizations, abstract tactics, theoretical actions. Again, this heavily highlights the situation of trying out our new equipment, what the eclipse season, the retrograde and the Uranus ingress all altered and updated, and how it works in the context of culture and other people, in the social sphere, what people think of the new us and how we react to their reactions.
As an interesting cherry placed atop the social Sunday here, we get Venus progressing into the depths of Scorpio on Venus day September 28th. Venus in Scorpio really is the context we should remember colors the Libra activities, and in the second face of Scorpio she goes from deriving pleasure from hunting and chasing after her prey to being in the lock of primal embrace, in the midst of mating, or at least the intensity of the ritual dance. What she wants here is prolonged intimacy, eternal pleasure, the ultimate gratification everlasting. This could easily be for the more generally indulgent overdose and nymphomania, but will for most be extreme overdoing it, and the seduction of darkness. This is what the Devil whispers to you that you want, and it is that very Devil that whispers to Mercury and the Sun, informing their ideas of justice and cultural accord, defining which culture we might be interested in particular around autumn equinox, as darkness rises to equal light, and what or who lurks there on the other side comes into view.
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Suzanne Stone, Moon Of Hyldemoer Herbals presents:
September 2018 Herbal Forecast for Liminal Light
These notes are suggestions for herbal allies to assist with the effects of the cosmic influences of this week. Before imbibing any of the herbs recommended, research what is a recommended dosage, & ask yourself & research such questions as, Does this herb interfere with any medications I am taking?, Does this herb match with my constitution?, Do I really need to take this herb into my body? Be wise: listen to your own body, intuition, guiding spirits & the plants themselves.
Imbibing the herbs recommended is of course only one way of meeting the herbs. There are multitudinous manners of developing relationships with our herbal allies including sitting with the fresh or dry herbs, or a picture/drawing of the herb, making an amulet to wear or have on your altar (adhering to planetary hours/days is important here), visioning or meditating with the plant, & taking an herbal body or foot bath (In this case remember your skin is the largest organ of your body). Use your imagination & listen to the plants, they have been on this planet much longer than we have, are our Elders & have great wisdom to offer.
By September 2, the Sun advances into the second decan of Virgo, while Mercury stays in Leo, ruled by the Sun, sextiling Venus in rulership in Libra on September 3 at 9 am EST. The Sun being in Virgo 2 is an area of deep analysis & organization combined with a tendency towards tension in the body & possibly constricted way of seeing process. Until the Sun ingresses into Libra on the Autumnal Equinox, one may wish to once again call upon our tension relieving herbal allies like Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) & Virgo affiliated Lavender (Lavendula officinalis). Vervain was talked about extensively last month & is a specific for those that hold tension in the nape of the neck & shoulders, often found there when one is hard on oneself & desiring a form a perfection that may be impossible to attain, a common Virgo trait. Taking 3-5 drops of Vervain tincture when this tension is felt will help to relax ones body & way of being in the world.
Motherwort is probably talked about every month as this I such an amazing ally for allowing one to see the possibilities that are before us & to envision ideas to move through or around the obstacles. Being the Lionhearted herb, Motherwort is also great to call upon here as Mercury is in Leo, allowing the communication channels to be open as well as to come from the heart of a person or the matter.
Passionflower quiets a mind that can be too self or outwardly criticizing, allows for restful slumber & eases the nervous system, especially as we are recovering from a summer of Mars in retrograde & an intense eclipse season. The leaves & flowers of Passionflower have been used for millennia by native peoples of the Americas as a nervine, one that soothes the nervous system. 10-20 drops of Passionflower tincture, or 1-2 C tea assists those with anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, & irritability. 10 drops of Passionflower tincture taken before sleeping helps to quiet the chattering mind & allow for restful sleep to come. It also helps those with spasms, convulsions & tremors due to nervous overstimulation. Passionflower allays menstrual cramps, congestion, & facial neuralgia. The stunning flowering of Passionflower is mesmerizing & placing a picture of this on ones altar will remind us to allow breath in all we do.
In the British Parmacopoeia pre-1746, it is said of Lavender, “[Lavender can be used] against the Falling-sickness, and all cold Distempers of the Head, Womb, Stomach and Nerves; against the Apoplexy, Palsy, Convulsions, Megrim, Veritgo, Loss of Memory, Dimness of Sight, Melancholy, Swooning Fits and Barrenness in Women.” Lavender is a plant to call upon when grieving or feeling depressed or anxious. Lavender lifts our spirits. Drying sprigs of Lavender around the home, sipping Lavender tea often, & rubbing infused Lavender oil on ones body will all relieve the stresses of our modern lives. The purple color of the flowers tell of its relaxing, soothing qualities to the brow & crown.
Lavender is a strong ally for the stomach. A tea of Lavender will quell nausea, prevent flatulence, relieve bloating & stop spasms of the digestive tract. Hildegard von Bingen, 14th century Abbess & herbalist, boiled Lavender flowers in wine to be sipped throughout the day for six to eight weeks to strengthen the liver. She says this Lavender infused wine stops pain in the lungs, clears excess mucous in the chest & offers “pure knowledge & clear understanding.”
The Virgo constitution, where the Sun is residing, tend can towards indigestion because of tension, anxiety & stress, as well often is in need of supporting liver health. Aromatic bitters like Lavender, as well as Sun ruled Angelica (Angelica archangelica) & Mercury ruled Elecampane (Inula helenium) support the digestive system & the liver by moving stagnant energy & stimulating the digestive juices & bile for assuring the food we are eating is being processed & nourishes us.
Angelica, as a warming bitter (most bitters are cooling), stimulates the digestive system & is a prominent ingredient in the world famous Maria Treben’s Swedish Bitters. As a daily tonic, Angelica is nourishing for the elderly & those with weakened constitutions. Angelica can promote appetite in those in need of this. Angelica helps to stimulate & increase the appetite and absorption & hence is nutritional building for the Vata constitutions. Yet also since Angelica is bear medicine, being one of the roots harvested by bears in the early spring after waking up from hibernation, it is also suited to assist a heavier, slower metabolism, like the Kapha constitution.
Angelica also helps the liver by increasing circulation through the portal vein & the hepatic artery so that more food & toxins are brought into the liver for metabolism. This helps the liver to do its work in a supreme manner.
Angelica is high in B vitamins, even B12 that is not common in herbs. The Vitamin B complex as well as the calcium & magnesium in Angelica strengthen & soothe the nervous system & promote sound sleep. The Vitamin E adds to healthy skin & tissues.
“Hardly any plant has more virtues,” Sir John Hill wrote of Elecampane in 1740. The warming, aromatic bitter properties of Elecampane stimulate the appetite, overall digestive function and help increase the flow of bile from the liver to the small intestine. Traditionally Elecampane was called upon for all sorts of digestive upsets from intestinal parasites to stagnant digestion to imbalanced intestinal flora. Elecampane root contains inulin, (where Inula gets its name), a prebiotic fiber that feeds probiotic gut flora. As we know, healthy gut flora leads to overall emotional health as well. The inulin of Elecampane is assimilated best when the root is eaten or decocted into a strong tea. One can get used to & desire the warming, peppery, aromatic taste of Elecampane root over time. This root offers nourishment & strength to old, worn-out, exhausted & low energy states with poor nutrition & assimilation.
Wednesay, September 5, at 8 pm EST, Saturn stations direct in Capricorn & is still trining Uranus in Taurus. At 8:30 pm, Mercury progresses into rulership in Virgo. At this time we are searching for solid ground to work upon, amidst the rubble, & with Mercury’s & the fixed star Regulus’ help, we seek to set up a detailed plan to accomplish our goals that have been impossible throughout this murky summer. Calling upon Mercurial herbs Fennel (Foeniculum officianale) & Fenugreek (Trigonella fonum-graecum) can aid with a strong, clear focus. Moistening Fennel & Fenugreek seeds, full of vitamins & minerals, added to ones tea, soothes the digestive & nervous systems as well as offer clarity & thoughtfulness to ones being. Having a cup of Uranus ruled Coffee, or Uranus Chicory, Saturn Barely & Jupiter Dandelion tea or Coffee substitute, would bring inspiration to ones planning. Mercurial Elecampane can be added here in tincture form as well as laying a leaf of Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) on or near ones strategies will aid in bringing clear visions.
Continue with these allies as Mercury completes its trine to Uranus & Saturn on Friday morning, September 7th. This afternoon at 2:30 EST, as the Sun in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces, keep the Sun energy strong with a few drops of Angelica tincture, or a piece of the root in ones pocket, so to allow in the much needed imaginative & reaching Neptunian but to not allow it to take over.
On September 9th, Venus in Libra squares Mars in Capricorn. & then the next morning, Venus ingresses into Scorpio. Both of these occurrences stir our carnal desires, the erotic love of conflicts & the heated depths of intensity. Bitter, otherworldly Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), ruled by both Venus & Mars, as well as by Mercury, is good to call upon this day. A few drops of the bitter tincture of Wormwood or a bit of Absinthe may be what this day needs to allow the deep churnings to flow. Adding any of the previous nervine herbs that assisted one with Virgo time at the beginning of the month for the New Moon in this sign is recommended.
As Jupiter in Scorpio sextiles Pluto in Capricorn, beginning on September 10 & carrying us through much of the month, we can continue calling upon Wormwood, also ruled by Pluto, as well as look to our Jupiterian root plants like Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) & Pluto ruled Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). Jupiter while in Scorpio, expanding into the Underworld & Pluto’s main focus being this, we are called upon with this sextile to explore these areas we may not be used to or feel ready for. To assist with this, the first two herbs, Dandelion & Yellow Dock, have long tap roots that gather from the depths & bring to the surface what has been hidden. Black Cohosh is deeply tapped into the Underworld with its dark roots which in the Summer send up a glorious, pollinator attracting creamy white flowering spire. Once again the ability to bring the depths to the Middle World. Black Cohosh is on the At-Risk Medicinal Plant List with United Plant Savers, so either grow your own to develop relationship, procure medicine from someone with thoughtful ways, or use a picture/drawing of Black Cohosh for conncecting.
The Sun in Virgo sextiling Jupiter in Scorpio at 8 am on September 11th & then the depths of Pluto in Capricorn plus Mercury moving into the second decan of Virgo leads us to call upon the aromatic volatile oils of the plants, the ethereal parts of plants that expand & surround without physical form. We must access this type of knowing when journeying into the dark depths. Jupiter ruled aromatic plants like Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), Juniper (Juniperus communis), & Lavender can be burned or sat with in the dark, using ones sense of smell to elucidate the messages of the Underworld.
On Wednesday, the 12th, as Venus in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus, plan to alternate during the day & night between Damiana (Turnera diffusa) tea & Spilanthes (Acmella oleracea) tincture or vinegar to feed both planets’ yearnings. Damiana’s aphrodisiac qualities will enhance the scorpion & Spilanthes, also called Toothache Plant, has a tingly diffusive quality that will bring electric like physicality to the Uranus opposition.
As Venus sextiles Saturn, continue to work with your chosen Saturn herb from last month, Mullein, Solomon’s Seal or Boneset. The steady, moistening, structured flexibility is the kind of paradox we are needing.
As Mercury opposes Neptune on September 13th, trines Pluto on the 15th & sextiles Jupiter on the 16th, we are continued to be called to open & to remain moist. Venus squaring the nodes on the 16th as well calls for this. Two of our most prominent moisteners & openers, as well as dissolvers of that which does not serve, are Violet (Viola odorata) & Marshmallow (Althea officinalis). Violet’s mucilaginous & discutient properties make it a strong ally along with Dandelion for breast health. Violet has shown over & over again the ability to dissolve hardness in the body when used over a long period of time. Violet dissolves reproductive cysts & tumors that are expelled through the lymphatic system of
our body while at the same time strengthening these systems. Violet tincture & infusions can be taken 4-5x daily for this & then the leaves & flowers left over from infusing can be used externally as fomentations. Violet also has been known to dissolve cancerous cells in our bodies & help to create a strong immune system & environment where these cancers cannot thrive.
Malvaceae, the family Marshamallow resides in, comes from the Greek word ‘malake’ meaning soft, referring to the leaves as well as the mucilaginous, moistening qualities of the herb. The word Althea comes from the Greek ‘altho’ meaning to cure. The soft, fuzzy leaves of the 3-4’ tall Marshmallow plant are a Doctrine of Signatures telling of the soft, nourishing healing of the Mallow. Just touching the soft leaves of the Marshmallow plant is calming. Marshmallow medicine soothes the body’s mucous membranes, especially the digestive & respiratory tracts. Marshmallow offers relief to asthma, bronchitis, colds, dry coughs, irritated bowels, ulcers & for general wound healing. Marshmallow assists those with dry, hardened & heat conditions.
If one has been enjoying the forays into Damiana & Wormwood, then these could be continued here.
At 6 pm, September 18th, (Mars day/Mars hour), Mars squares Uranus for the final of the trilogy. We must be very wise, thoughtful & courageous here, so let us call upon wise Sage (Salvia officinalis) by placing a leaf on ones tongue & laying the leaves in ones workspace as well as placing some Borage (Borago officinalis) flowers in ones water, on ones altar or taking the tincture of this courage bringing ally. These along with the opening herbs Violet & Marshmallow & ones Saturnine herb, will allow one to be ready for new understandings.
As Mercury & then the Sun ingress into Libra portaling the Autumnal Equinox of the 22nd, the mighty Oak (Quercus spp.) is important to call upon or sit underneath with ones back resting on the solidity. The Oak tree is renowned for having roots below the ground that match the above ground branches, as above, so below. This tannic ally will assist one with holding the balance of night/day through this transition.
The Full Moon in Aries on the 25th with Mars passing over the exact eclipse degree in Aquarius, will be an important time to check in post summer & eclipse season, & see how we can integrate what we have learned. Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis) taken as tincture, tea, or flower essence, or placed on ones altar, will help to ground & integrate that which we have lived.
Near the end of the month when Venus progresses into Scorpio on Venus day, let us continue to open, be moist, & ready for what the depths have to offer. Damiana, Wormwood, & Black Cohosh will all assist with Underworld journeying, as well as burning Myrrh & Frankincense to welcome the messengers.
Moon of Hyldemoer, Suzanne Stone, Community Herbalist.
This information is not a substitute for a health care practitioner. Not to be reproduced without