HERBS FOR EVERY SIGN

Herbs can be mixed and combined to produce a "recipe" that's just right for each of us. Since the Sun sign you were born under has such an amazing influence on your health and well-being, using the herbs that correspond with that sign alone can be a tremendous help in times of stress or illness. Here's a short list of herbs that seem to be tailor-made for each of the signs, due to their associations with both the planetary ruler and the positive qualities of that sign. Aries - Mars Allspice, basil, cayenne, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, pepper. It's no secret that Aries is the astrological equivalent of a bullet. It's a red-hot burst of energy that's capable of overcoming any obstacle by charging straight for it. The ruler of Aries is Mars, the "red" planet, the ancient god of war who was known for his equally fiery temperament. No wonder, then, the herbs that correspond with your sign are also a bit "hot" to the taste. Use them in cooking to raise your endorphins, the substance Mars loves best. Taurus - Venus Apple, apricot, blackberry, cherry, heather, hibiscus, raspberry, rose. Taurus is the sign that's fondest of the pleasures that life inside these bodies can provide. Whether it's a blazing sunset, a symphony by Mozart, or a delicious meal, you folks are experts at enjoying the physical delights of the senses. It's no surprise that the herbs you'll enjoy most are the sweet ones, since your planet, Venus, is the purveyor of sweetness. Use each of them to satisfy that sweet tooth. Gemini - Mercury Clover, eyebright, fennel, lemongrass, lemon verbena, marjoram, parsley. Your quick-witted, fleet-footed energy just loves variety - in fact, the expression "variety is the spice of life" was written with you in mind. Each of these herbs provide a different type of taste, and most can be combined in a light, aromatic tea you can sip on the run. Use clove or slippery elm to protect against gossip and to keep your thoughts and actions grounded. Cancer - Moon Aloe, lemon balm, chamomile, mimosa, lavender, lilac. Nurturing is your business, Cancer, and you distribute your soothing touch to one and all. There's nothing you like better than a home that smells good, too, whether it's because there's something wonderful simmering on the stove, a vase of fresh flowers on the dining room table, or a warm, fragrant bubble bath waiting for you upstairs. Each of the herbs listed above are known for their ability to calm, heal, or bring a wonderful aroma to the environment. Use aloe to soothe burns and scrapes and chamomile for a wonderful bedtime tea. Leo - Sun Chicory, cinnamon, goldenseal, rosemary, St. John's Wort, sandalwood. Your planet is the Sun, Leo, the source of life and warmth that keeps us all alive and provides us with the energy we need to keep pursuing our life's quest. It makes perfect sense, then, that the bright, cheerful sunflower would be the perfect representation of your equally bright and happy sign. Herbs like goldenseal and St. John's Wort are tailor-made for you, too, since their ability to keep the body resistant to illness and depression are well known. Mix a bit of chicory with your morning coffee to help remove any obstacles that come up. Virgo - Mercury Caraway, dill, eyebright, horehound, lily of the valley, marjoram, savory. Your quick-thinking meticulous sign likes nothing better than a mental challenge, Virgo, whether it's organizing a pile of papers at the office, solving a puzzle, or learning a new skill. The herbs listed above are all well known for their subtle abilities to strengthen the mind, and many can be mixed together in teas to give you a boost you often need at the end of a long day. The lily of the valley seems perfect for you, too, with its subtle, clean" scent and delicate flowers. Libra - Venus Catnip, passion flower, persimmon, rose, sugar cane, violet. There's no sign as fond of pleasing others as yours, Libra, whether it's by saying just the right thing to bring warring factions together, or by using your polite charm to draw the object of your desires closer. Of course, catnip is famous for its effects on our feline friends, but its also traditionally used in conjunction with rose petals to bring loving relationships that last forever. Since you're ruled by Venus, you're capable of being every bit as sweet as the sugar cane - but if you need a bit of help to attract a beloved, use this potent plant (sugar cane) that's long been used to conjure love - sweetly. Scorpio - Pluto/Mars Ginseng, dill, patchouli, pomegranate, saffron, vanilla. As fond as you are of intensity and intimacy, Scorpio, it's no wonder the herbs you'll love best are famous for their use in stirring up passion. Drink ginseng tea (or offer some to your beloved) to induce a magnetic physical attraction. Wear patchouli to arouse lust and silently conjure the magic of the Beltane rituals. Present the object of your desire with a pomegranate, the fruit traditionally associated with seductive Pluto, your ruling planet. Sagittarius - Jupiter Anise, clove, fig, hyssop, mugwort, myrtle, nutmeg, rosemary, sage. There's no sign that hangs on to youth with more fervency and determination than yours Sagittarius. To keep that youthful appearance and disposition going as you travel the world in search of yet another experience, drink a tea made of anise, rosemary, and Vervain. To aid in making your dreams more prophetic than they already are, use mugwort. Burn clove incense to attract the wealth you'll need to pay for your travels. Capricorn - Saturn Comfrey, horsetail, mint, poppy, sassafras, woodruff. You've always been described as a very "focused" sign, Capricorn, intent on self-sufficiency and material success. The influence of your planet, Saturn, gives you the ambition and self-discipline to attain those goals, and to ensure success and prosperity in business matters, too. Each of the herbs mentioned above are known for their ability to attract that success, and most can be mixed together in a tea. Aquarius - Uranus/Saturn Anise, bittersweet, citron, dandelion, lemon verbena, rosemary, sage. Your sign is a cerebral one, Aquarius, and your ability to turn "odd" or eccentric ideas into strokes of genius is well known. Since communication (and mass communication in particular) is your  specialty, the herbs above are all associated with the air principle, which rules the intellectual side of life. To increase your already powerful intuition, use citron, clover, or rosemary. Above all else, listen to that intuition. It will seldom prove to be wrong. Pisces - Neptune/Jupiter Aloe, bay, cotton, eucalyptus, lavender, Norfolk Island pine, rue. As the most sensitive and psychic of all signs, Pisces, yours is the one that requires help to ward off the adverse thoughts and intentions of others. Since you have no boundaries to keep you separate from others, you also need protection against negative influences. To that end, use rue, a powerful herb known to ward off ills of every kind. To stay positive and healthy keep a lavender plant growing either outside or inside your home.

Blessed Thistle
Carduus Benedictus
Mars
Aries
Aphrodisiacal Herbe...Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe
Invocatory: Pan
LORE:
Blessed thistle may be used today in rituals to invoke the god principle, particularly embodied by Pan.
USAGE:
An herbe which holds the ability to help a priest move into the more positive aspects of men's mysteries, blessed thistle is known for its exceptional taste yet serves well in the ritual cup. It may be powdered and added to an incense mixture, or tossed into the fire as an offering. When working with sexual magick, blessed thistle assists in bringing the potent sexuality of Pan to manifestation within the priest. It may be also be used in general when invoking any of the fertility gods.

This sacred member of the thistle family is sometimes associated with Yule, used to invoke the newly born Sun. In the tarot, blessed thistle may be corresponded with the Emperor card, either to learn more about the major arcana or to bring those qualities into one's life. Blessed thistle is also used when studying the Page card of any suit within the minor arcana.

Catnip -Nepeta Cataria
Planetary: Venus and Libra
Fertility Herbe... Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe...Visionary Herbe
Invocatory: Bast, Sekhmet
Also called: catmint
USAGE:
Although there is little documented magickal history, the magickal properties of catnip have brought it into contemporary prominence, It has some history as a charm to cure barrenness and may yet be used to bring fertility either to one's magick or to one's womb. Catnip is also corresponded with all four Nine cards in tarot's minor arcana. A tea of this herbe can enhance your ability to interpret these archetypes.

Catnip may be used when working with the Egyptian Bubastis, more commonly known as Bast. She is a daughter of Isis with human body and feline head and instinct. As does the cat, she loves the aspect of the Sun which is warm and loving. One might also use catnip to invoke Sekhmet, sister of Bubastis who is part human and part lion. This goddess works with the ferocious aspect of solar energy which can be both dangerous and fierce. Either of these divine feline goddesses would surely love this herbe. As one would guess, this favorite herbe of cats is corresponded with the Strength card in the tarot.

The Master Book of Herbalism cites a mixture of catnip with dragon's blood as an incense to be used to rid one's self of a behavioral problem or other bad habits.

There are many today who use catnip to enhance their skills as shape-shifting or journeying into the night in the guise of a cat. Catnip is an herbe which promotes a loving and healing energy for your feline familiars.

History - The plant has an aromatic, characteristic odor, which bears a certain resemblance to that of both Mint and Pennyroyal. It is owing to this scent that it has a strange fascination for cats, who will destroy any plant of it that may happen to be bruised. There is an old saying about this plant: 'If you set it, the cats will eat it, If you sow it, the cats don't know it.'

And it seems to be a fact that plants transplanted are always destroyed by cats unless protected, but they never meddle with the plants raised from seed, being only attracted to it when it is in a withering state, or when the peculiar scent of the plant is excited by being bruised in gathering or transplanting. In France the leaves and young shoots are used for seasoning, and it is regularly grown amongst kitchen herbs for the purpose. Both there and in this country, it has an old reputation for its value as a medicinal herb. Miss Bardswell, in The Herb Garden, writes of Catmint: 'Before the use of tea from China, our English peasantry were in the habit of brewing Catmint Tea, which they said was quite as pleasant and a good deal more wholesome. Ellen Montgomery in The Wide, Wide World made Catmint Tea for Miss Fortune when she was ill. It is stimulating. The root when chewed is said to make the most gentle person fierce and quarrelsome, and there is a legend of a certain hangman who could never screw up his courage to the point of hanging anybody till he had partaken of it. Rats dislike the plant particularly, and will not approach it even when driven by hunger.'

This dislike of rats for Catmint might well be utilized by growing it round other valuable crops as a protective screen. Closely allied to the Catmint is the Ground Ivy (Nepeta glechoma, Benth.), named Glechoma hederacea By Linnaeus

Chamomile
Anthemis Noblis ~Sun~Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe

LORE:
Chamomile is a venerable herbe with a well-established reputation as a healer. It was believed that it brought health to one's gardens and promoted healing energies which were good for all plant species. Whereas centaury is a patron herbe for herbalists, chamomile is a patron herbe for the gardens.
Usage:
The strong association chamomile has with the Sun is an underlying indication of its modern usage. Through incense or ritual drink it is used to assist a priest's call upon a Sun God (working with any of the solar deities). Some traditions have also used chamomile at Midsummer to give honor to the Father of Nature.

Useful in solar holidays, chamomile has been incorporated into Yule traditions. The options are endless, ranging from using it as a bathing herbe for the male chosen to represent the newly born Sun to powdering it and spooning onto burning coals to cense the temple area and prepare it for a celebration of solar magick. Chamomile, though not commonly recognized for it's magick, carries the magick of success and may be included in most recipes.

Cedar
Thuja Occidentalis
Mercury, Uranus Virgo
Herbe of Consecration...Magickal Herbe...Religious Herbe...Visionary Herbe
Invocatory: Odin

LORE:
The religious history of cedar may be contemplated when reading Grieve's study of the word Thuja, as "a latinized form of a Greek word meaning 'to fumigate,' or thuo (to sacrifice), for the fragrant wood was burned by the ancients with sacrifices." Cedars are revered in many cultures. The oldest cedars in Lebanon are held to be very sacred and the cedar may be considered a Tree of Life. Frazer describes a Hindu practice in which an oracle is invoked when the seer breathes in the smoke of burning cedar until she is overtaken with prophecy.

DILL (Anethum graveolens)

Description: Dill is cultivated as a spice, and also grows wild in many parts of the Americas and Europe. an annual reaching two to three feet in height, it has blue-green, narrow, spreading leaflets and puts out umbels of yellow flowers in late summer and early fall. An essential oil is extracted from the seeds.
Temperature: Fiery -- warm and dry in the third degree.
Astrology: Mercury in Cancer
Lore: A strong protective herb, dill was used to break hostile enchantments and obsessions, and was also often used in blessings of places, especially homes and kitchens. Bundles of dill placed over windows and doors will keep hostile entities out.
Safety Issues: None
Parts Used: Seeds, essential oil.
How Used: Amulets, sachets, seasoning for food, baths, washes, oils and scents.
Magical Uses: Dill may be used for protection, banishing, and blessing. It is especially useful when mental clarity and the ability to think rationally are what is most needed.