Astrologicalmind

The magic of astrology explored

Tag: flower essences

  • The Moon and Related Flower Essences

    The Moon represents our past, it is that from which we have come. It is the unconscious feeling life that informs us from within, through dreams, memories, symbols, bodily sensations and emotions. The Moon relates to intuitive thinking and the non-rational part of the brain.

     

    The Moon represents our instinctual nature and is the planet most closely connected to our physical body. The body as a container for the Soul is like the crescent Moon that combines the spirit with matter. The Moon exhorts a pull on us back into our past, into the familiar haunts of our childhood, filled with the smells, sights and tastes we associate with mother. The Moon seeks security, warmth and the nurturing hand of the great mother.

     

    As a symbol for mother, the Moon connects us to our own nurturing capacity. How we give and receive love and affection is shown by the state of our astrological Moon. When the Moon is out of balance we experience insecurity and an inability to feel worthy of love. The lack of love in our life is manifested by overcompensation in the material realm either through the self-restriction or over indulgence in sensual pleasure. Eating disorders, materialistic obsession and body distortions are some common lunar imbalances.

     

    Mariposa Lily (Calochortus leichtlinii) is one of the most lunar essences. Mariposa Lily grows out of the barren, rocky, mountainous terrain. Her shallow roots indicating the harsh beginnings and limitations from which she emerges. Though not a true member of the lily family, her name tells us that this flower relates to the feminine, specifically the feminine role of mother.

    The Moon has often been called the great mother and Mariposa Lily is the ultimate mothering essence. Any issue around nurturing and mothering can be balanced with Mariposa Lily. This essence helps to repair the mothering bond in both mother and child and will help heal wounds associated with our experience of mother. The grief and trauma associated with the loss of either mother or child can be helped by the balancing qualities of Mariposa Lily.

     

    Other essences that relate to Moon issues:

    Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi) for those who do not like being touched, are uncomfortable with intimacy and have trouble in creating and maintaining their personal boundaries.

    Milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia) is an essence that helps those who are extremely dependent and desire to stay in a childlike emotional regression to become independent and self-reliant.

    Goddess Grasstree (Kingia argenta) is for those who find it difficult to bring out their nurturing, compassionate side, use guilt to maintain control of other and will not allow them to develop independence. This essence helps to heal and bring out the feminine principle.

  • Planets and Related Flower Essences

    Mercury and Related Essences

     Mercury represents our ability to think, communicate and learn. Mercury is related to language and words and indicates how we form relationships to things and how we exchange ideas. He is related to how we acquire skills and learn. Mercury rules the rational part of the brain and through our ability to reason we gain the freedom to choose.

     

    Mercury is related to Hermes the messenger of the gods and has the ability to travel into the underworld, the unconscious and bring up into the conscious light information and wisdom from within. Mercury guides us into the mysterious inner realms of the mind. He informs us through the thinking capacity, but it is important to remember that he is also the trickster. This aspect of Mercury is evident when logical arguments lead us astray.

     

    A Mercurial imbalance occurs when the logic of the mind and the knowing of the heart are not working together. This can manifest as becoming lost in the details losing sight of the overall picture or becoming overwhelmed with the big picture and being unable to focus on the details. All difficulties with verbal communication have at their root Mercury: not being able to find the words or lots of words with no meaning, having your words misunderstood. Over or under intellectualising are both symptoms of Mercury out of balance.

     

    Hibbertia (Hibbertia pendunculata), is a great essence to help the mercurial imbalance of head and heart separation. Its yellow heart shaped petals remind us to bring the heart into the intellect. This essence is especially recommended for those whose drive to acquire knowledge and improve themselves borders on fanaticism. They may read widely and learn a myriad of philosophies, but their focus on self-improvement is hindered because they are incapable of integrating what they learn. Hibbertia can help to bring the heart into the intellectual understanding engendering more acceptance and practical use of ones knowledge and limitations.

     

    Other essences that can assist with Mercury imbalances are:

    Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) will come to our rescue when we are so overwhelmed by our ideas that we cannot coordinate our speech to express them.

    Madia (Madia elegans) for those who have difficulty in keeping focus, are unable to concentrate and are easily distracted, Madia essence brings about precise thinking and disciplined focus.

    Isopogen (Isopogon anethifolius) is for those who live too much in their head and are dominated by their intellect. They may become very stubborn and controlling and have an inability to learn from past experience.

    Brown Boronia (Boronia megastigma) essence frees the mind of obsessive worry, anxiety and repeating unpleasant thoughts that stop one from enjoying the moment. Frees one from constant thinking and brings about acceptance that solutions to life’s dilemmas will be found.

     

    Venus and Related Essences 

     

    After the Sun and Moon, Venus is the brightest and most beautiful light in the sky. Traditionally she was understood as a moist and warm planet that promoted growth and fertility. Venus is the embodiment of the feminine, balancing and harmonising function of the psyche. As one of the principle archetypes, she is the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Venus is the lover who will not sacrifice herself for love, but rather enter into relationship through seduction to fulfill her own desire. In our astrological chart she stands for what we values and what is important to us, she is about what we want and desire.

    Venus seeks to create beauty and harmony in the world and is associated with art, music and dance. She wants to conciliate, to unite and bring balance between opposites. She represents the urge to relate to another and defines how we are in relationship. It is through Venus that we come to know the pleasures of this world. She is about sensual, erotic desire and the artistic creative urge.

    The dark side of Venus is sexual deviance or dysfunction, an inability to enjoy being loved or difficulty with intimacy. Venus imbalances are common in woman during times of transition: adolescence, pregnancy, after the birth of children and menopause. Self-esteem and self-obsession problems all stem from a lack of self-value, which can be directly attributed to Venus issues.

    Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) one of the most Venus essences comes from this beautiful white flower, long connected to the sacred feminine through her association with the Madonna. Easter lily is symbolically the pure white of the virgin mother. This essence will help with all imbalances of our sexual nature and inner conflicts regarding our sexuality. It helps both promiscuity and prudishness and helps relieve the tension that can occur between our sexual/physical desires and our spiritual aspirations.

    Other essences that can aid with Venus issues are:

    She Oak (Casuarina glauca) is another essence that has strong connections with the feminine encouraging a softening of the emotions and has been found to be particularly good for woman in menopause.

    Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a particularly good essence for the confusion that so often arises out of feminine creativity and procreativity. The sense of ambivalence between the values of home versus career can often be resolved with Pomegranate.

    Tiger Lily (Lilium humboldtii) for those who are overly aggressive and competitive having a hostile attitude. This essence helps bring in balanced feminine strength instilling co-operative service with others and extending feminine force into social situation. When there’s too much Mars and not enough Venus, think Tiger Lily.

    Alpine Lily (Lilium parvum) helps women whose abstract sense of femininity is disembodied and alienated from their female body. Brings about an acceptance grounded in a deepened experience of their female body.

     

    Mars and Related Essences

     

    Mars is red hot and very dry, he is about focused and direct action. Mars is the ultimate masculine archetype, the warrior of the cosmos; he embodies courage, energy and fighting spirit. Mars carries the sword of discernment and in his purest manifestation he is the sacred warrior, righteous defender and protector of whatever needs protecting. Thinking is not Mars’s forte; he has little conscience and can behave like a brute. He is all action not complicated by emotion, opinions, morals or mindset.

     

    Mars is pure energy with no judgement, attachment or thought. In many regards he is like a soldier enlisted to do the Sun’s fighting. When Mars is truly integrated and in balance there is no need for fighting, no need for arguments or conflict, but out of balance Mars will rage and attack.

     

    True to Mars’s simple nature his shadow is the most easily recognised; anger, aggression and fury. Other signs of Mars out of balance are the inability to express angry, to assert oneself, to defend and fight for what is rightfully yours..

     

    Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa) is an essence that helps those who are incapable of expressing feelings of love because they are blacked by the lower emotions of jealousy, hatred and anger. They tend to be profoundly suspicious of others and their motives and will hold grudges. Mountain Devil helps these individuals to set healthy boundaries and express anger constructively. They can then develop an ability to forgive and learn to love unconditionally.

     

    Other essences that can help with Mars issues are:

     

    Mountain Pride (Penstemon newberryi) helps those who lack the ability to assert themselves and stand up for their convictions. Mountain Pride brings in the warrior energy that can be used to confront a situation and take a stand. This essence is about positive action and activity.

    Mountain Mahogany (Cercopcarpus breviflorus) helps those who have become stuck in their development and who push to make things happen and believe that assertion means aggression, Mountain Mahogany helps one to accept direction from the sacred rather then from the ego.

    Mountain Wormwood (Artemisia tilesii) for unresolved anger, resentment and the holding of grudges against those believed to have caused one hurt or pain. Such held in emotions erodes ones peace of mind. This essence encourages one to let their judgement dissolve and allow true forgiveness to enter their heart.

     

    Jupiter and Related Essences

    If it weren’t for the Sun, Jupiter would surely be the king of our cosmos. Everything about Jupiter is big and as the largest planet in our solar system he struts his stuff bringing new growth, good fortune and luck wherever he goes. In traditional astrology Jupiter was understood to be the great benefic, the God of fertility and rain and was said to bestow good fortune, riches and plentiful bounties on all who honored him.

    Jupiter has long been associated with higher learning, philosophy and religion. He is keeper of the universal laws and sits in judgement, not condemning but rather as a compassionate spirit encouraging us onto the right choice. The rule of Jupiter is our conscience and moral stand. Jupiter can tempt us out of our limited everyday experience into the bigger more glamorous world of spirit through learning, knowledge, travel, dreams and prayer.

    Jupiter is the eternal optimist of the chart and can lead us down unrealistic and foolhardy paths. The downside of Jupiter is over doing it. Jupiter has problems with emotional issues particularly those of a darker nature. We see the imbalance of Jupiter manifested in over the top happiness hiding unacknowledged depression, in reckless spending of non-existent money, in gluttonous over eating or the inability of accepting limitations leading to all types of addictions. Jupiter imbalances can conversely express themselves as an unwillingness to grow beyond the safe and familiar.

    Oak (Quercus robur) is a good essence for one type of Jupiter imbalance, that of overdoing things. Oak people can be inflexible and have a cast iron will that stops them from knowing when to give up. This essence helps those who take on challenges in life and persevere through exhaustion, depression and discouragement with no complaint and a smile on their face. Life becomes a struggle and they lose the ideal with which they began. Oak helps one to balance their strengths and accept personal limitations allowing them to surrender when the going gets too tough.

    Other essences for Jupiter imbalances are:

    Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) For those whose cheerful exterior hides anxiety and the denial of emotional pain possibly leading to addictive behaviour. This essence allows one to work with their painful emotion and engenders emotional honesty.

    Forsythia (Forsythia suspensa) helps motivate one towards transforming old, useless patterns of behaviour such as addiction, habits and thoughts.

    Golden Waitsia (Waitsia aurea) is for contrary Jupiter imbalances, when one’s petty worries about details stops them from having a positive outlook. Golden Waitsia frees the mind from small perspective, allowing for a more expansive and adaptable attitude.

    Saturn and Related Essences

    As the most distant visible planet, Saturn up until the last few centuries, thought to be the outer limit or boundary of our solar system. Beyond him laid the divine realm of the fixed stars, he set the perimeters of our imperfect world. He was considered the greatest malefic in the cosmos and was portrayed as father time and the grim reaper. His extreme cold and dry nature restricted growth and life and was associated with endings, old age and death.

    Saturn is the stern, hard taskmaster whose authority defines the reality of the material world. He is the judge and lawmaker who condemn all who transgress the man made laws of the land. He is connected to the continuum of time and generations and as such is related to our ancestry and the inheritance or karma that binds us. Boundaries of all types are under the rule of Saturn.

    Fear emerges when Saturn has gone out of balance. Ultimately all fear has at its root the fear of death and death is one of Saturn’s roles, for he defines the limits of life: birth and death. When there are issues with authority or father you will find an out of balance Saturn.

    Boab (Adansonia gregorii) is a powerful essence that works on Saturnian issues of inheritance. Found in the Kimberly regions of Australia the Boab tree stores water in its bloated body. It is common for the Boab to have younger trees growing around it in a circular pattern eventually merging to form one giant tree. Very large Boab trees were often hollow inside and used by whites as holding prison for aboriginal, illustrating one of Boab’s messages: racism, prejudice and the imprisoning effect of our inherited patterns.

    Boab essence clears ancestral patterns that are passed on from generation to generation and deal specifically with the negative energy and core beliefs that are inherited from our forefathers. Boab allows us to gain wisdom from our inheritance with out becoming victim to its darkness.

    Other essences that deal with Saturn issues are:

    Saguaro Cactus (Cereus giganteus) is an essence that helps deal with any issue of power struggle with parental or authority figures. Brings about an awareness of the ancient wisdom and sacred knowledge of our elders and instill a respect for our lineage.

    Menzies Banksia (Banksia menziesii) deals with the fear of pain and expectation of repeating painful experiences, which limits our ability to move forward. Clears the hesitation and pessimism that blocks joyful new beginnings.

    Aspen (Populus tremula) helps with fear, anxiety and apprehension of the unknown, bringing about an inner trust and confidence to meet new circumstances. Aspen remedy is associated with feelings of guilt that have no logical reason for being.

  • The Modern Planets: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and their related Essences

    Uranus

    Uranus is the first of the so-called transpersonal planets. After escaping the boundaries of Saturn we encounter the chaos of Uranus, the great awakener. His role is to awaken us to the greater reality of human consciousness by shattering the old reality. Uranus is associated with eccentricity and all avant-garde, revolutionary thoughts and ideas.

     

    A Uranus experience can be likened to looking at life through glass; there is always a sense of separation and being different. The unexpected and shattering appearance of Uranus in ones life can be liken to the sound of shattering glass energetically cutting through like a sword.

     

    None of the outer planets can ever be said to be in balance, for their role is to throw us off balance in order that we see the ego illusion for what it is; that which keeps us from fulfilling our true purpose and knowing who we are. There is one disharmonious state that has an association with Uranus and that is the sense of being a stranger in the world, of not belonging, of finding yourself alienated from the rest of society.

     

    Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) is a very Uranian essence. It is for those who feel profoundly alienated from their bodies, family and the rest of society. These people often feel that they are not from planet earth. Shooting Star helps them to overcome their sense of alienation and to perceive the purpose of their incarnation in human form. This essence gives the ability to find earthly connection and to be warmed by the caring for all that is human and earthly.

     

    Neptune 

    The next planet to challenge us out of material complacency is Neptune who is associated with illusion. While Uranus may suddenly shatter our reality Neptune almost imperceptibly dissolves it. A Neptunian experience can be almost impossible to describe as it has dreamlike quality. Neptune can inspire deep within us the sense of divinity and our connection with God, urging us towards mystical experiences.

    As such it takes us out of ourselves, dissolving the boundaries that define our identity so that we are no longer sure where we end and the world begins. There is something very seductive yet dangerously deceptive about Neptune. This is clearly illustrated in the stories of those who slipped into the realm of the faeries, only to return years later without any awareness of how long they were gone. This powerful Neptunian pull to transcend earthly bounds can lead to substance abuse and addiction.

     

    Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a profoundly powerful essence that primarily works to balance the crown chakra with the other energy centres particularly the heart. It helps to harmonise and integrate higher consciousness and spirituality with the rest of the being. Lotus can help an individual expand their spirituality in an equitable manner. Lotus is very useful in helping those who tend towards spiritually arrogant, harbouring illusions that their brand of spiritual practice is correct and superior to others.

     

    Pluto

    Pluto is the ruler of the underworld and having recently been reclassified as a “minor planet” has not lessened his power. Pluto is deeply connected to the unconscious and the forces of planet earth. His power is akin to volcanoes and earthquakes over which we have no control. Pluto appearance in ones life brings with it the same unavoidable powerlessness that these disasters do. Pluto is the force that takes us deep into the underworld, exposing the often times painful truths we hide from ourselves. Our tools and skills are of no use in this realm.

    Death is the ultimate manifestation of Plutonic power over which we have no defence. After plutonic periods such as mourning, depression or journeys through “dark night of the soul” we are left forever transformed. Pluto demands authenticity and truth; nothing less is left standing in Pluto’s wake.

    Fig (Ficus carica) is an essence related to Plutonic issues. Of the many myth and ancient association of the Fig tree, one describes the wild fig tree as a gateway to the underworld. Pluto is himself the Lord of the underworld. Fig is an unusual essence for the fig tree doesn’t actually flower. Usually fruits grow out of the flower, but in the fig tree the flower grows inside the fruit, it is invisible from the outside.

    The essence of fig will help bring to the surface blockages and fears that are held deep in the subconscious and bring to light that which is hidden. Insight into conscious and hidden fears allows us to overcome problems that would seem insurmountable. Fig is associated with memory and helps the conscious and unconscious minds communicate. Its greatest gift is that of revealing what is hidden and thereby empowering the individual.

     

  • Astrology and Flower Essences

     

    Each of us possesses a totally unique natal horoscope which is our personal map to our soul’s journey in this incarnation. Inherent within this map of our psyche is our past, our present and our future. Like all maps it shows you where you are and where you want to go. It shows you the various roads you could take to get to your destination. It may also show you the detours or side trips you may choose to make and indicate some of the things you may encounter along the way, but what the map does not and can not show you is how you will experience your journey.

     

    When you look at your astrological natal chart, your personal map, you see a mandala of symbols, which is in fact an imagined snapshot of the cosmos from the particular point in time and space. Your natal chart illustrates the unique facet of cosmic intelligence that is imprinted on your body, soul and psyche as you inhaled your first breath. Each planet in the chart represents an aspect or core urge of your psyche. The zodiac signs the planets are in represent how you express those urges. The study of your chart can tell you where you are likely to go out of balance and fall into dis-ease and how you can reharmonise your life in order to regain health.

     

    What are Flower Essences?

     

    Flower essences are a form of vibrational medicines that bring together the four elemental building blocks of life: earth, water, fire and air. They are made from the flowers of plants bound to the earth, releasing oxygen into the air, fed by the fire of the Sun and the water of the atmosphere. Flowers are the ultimate and most creative expression of a plant and carry the positive patterns of conscious living energy of that plant. These patterns are captured in a liquid medium, water and potensized by the Sun. They derive their beneficial powers from the inherent life force within the plant and convey its distinct imprint or etheric pattern.

     

    Flower essences address directly the subtle realm of the human psyche where thoughts and feeling emanate. They are one of the few direct methods of therapy that directly work of the soul. Flower essences connect us directly with the balancing wisdom of nature, the same balancing wisdom of the soul.

     

    When you contemplate a flower, you see its physical composition; experience its scent and beauty that may trigger a feeling or sense of knowing within you. This is when you are connecting on the level of creation, because the same energy that runs through you, runs through that flower. All life is in constant motion looking for balance. There maybe something about your unique connection to that energy that vibrates in synch or in sympathy with that particular flower.

     

     

     

     

    How are Astrology and Flower Essences related?

     

    Astrology is a symbolic language that describes a living energy pattern, which is manifested in the bodies and movement of our Solar System (star system). This living energy permeates everything in our universe; it is the living force, the creator’s will, the quintessence, God consciousness, Divine law. It is called many names and has been recognized by mystics throughout the ages. It is that which binds the Universe and connects all things seen and unseen.

     

    All roads lead to this mysterious and all encompassing power. Everything in the Universe is a reflection of this living force that is constant and yet never expresses the same way. The patterns in the sand, the shape, colour and growing habits of plants, the movement of the planets, the cycles of life and the human psyche as well as the symbols and archetypes we have conjured. Our creative power comes from the same source as that of the Creator.

     

    An oak tree is composed of thousands of leaves each carrying the basic form we recognize as oak-leave. Yet no two oak leaves are the same, each is a unique expression of oak-leaf, which in turn is an expression of oak tree, of vegetation, of earth, of solar system, of universe, and so on till we get back to the Divine source.

     

    Similarly, each human being is a unique expression of the Divine life force. This is evident in our physical form, as well as our relationships, experiences, thoughts, emotions, imagination and dream life. This is what can be seen and reflected back to us in our astrological birth chart. The symbols held within a chart are powerful expressions of life energies to which we are personally influenced and connected.

     

    Like with the oak-leaf, all astrological charts have recognizable similarities: the same planets, signs and house will appear, yet no two will be exactly the same. And because we exist on multi-levels the combination of influences shown in the natal chart is endless.

     

    The chart, as a representation of our unique connection to the living force, works whether we are aware of it or not. We are like small and yet infinitely complex cogs in a larger wheel. The cycles continue to move and influence us; it is only our personal ego that stays unaware of the part the bigger picture plays in our life.

     

    By working with astrology we gain an awareness of the energies with which we are personally made and connected to. A conscious knowing enables us to avoid certain ego tendencies or at least lessen their hold over us. But we exist on many levels, most being unconscious. Flower essences can come to the rescue as they function on that purely energetic level there is no need for the thinking mind to be involved.

     

    Living with certain plants will also gives us a harmonizing boost of which we may never be aware. Like astrology, plants work with or without our conscious awareness and like astrology they are in a constant state of motion, through their growth and death cycles. This is why different essences are needed at different times. Flower essences work whether we are aware of them or not, but we empower both flower essences and astrology by choosing to consciously work with them.