menu
By Mama Xanadu
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
Mama Xanadu is the experimental botanical studio led by Jemma Foster, who is the author of Wild Alchemy Lab: An Astro-Botanical Remedy Deck (Laurence King, 2023)
By Mama Xanadu
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
Mama Xanadu is the experimental botanical studio led by Jemma Foster, who is the author of Wild Alchemy Lab: An Astro-Botanical Remedy Deck (Laurence King, 2023)
By Mama Xanadu
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
Mama Xanadu is the experimental botanical studio led by Jemma Foster, who is the author of Wild Alchemy Lab: An Astro-Botanical Remedy Deck (Laurence King, 2023)
By Mama Xanadu
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.”― Hildegard von Bingen
This full Wolf Moon in Leo is the first of the year, asking that we courageously howl into the winds of change. With warrior Mars square the wounded healer Chiron, it is time to address our egoic wounds and the stories we cling to of our past. As we approach Imbolc we are nearing the birth canal, ready to emerge from the liminal space we have been held in since the winter solstice, to greet the promise of spring.
In esoteric law and in modern astronomy, it is thought that the Moon came from the Earth, expelled by another body such as a planet or asteroid, so there is a particular type of shared resonance between the Earth and Moon. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, and the near side of the Moon always faces the Earth, so we never see the dark side fully. Lunar forces are represented in our hidden, shadow side, our subconscious and our memories. Mention the glyph for the Moon here?
The Moon is receptive and reflective. It has no light itself, only reflecting the light of the Sun out into the cosmos, which in itself is an alchemical process. It takes the raw external conscious energy of the Sun, internalizes it, and dissolves and distils it into a more refined expression. As the closest celestial body to the Earth, it receives the rays of all the planets and filters these to Earth. The Moon is the crescent cup that holds our inner waters and like a still, mirror-like lake, holds them up to us. Where the Sun is an outwards expression, the Moon is magnetic, pulling down and in in an inward expression of cosmic consciousness.
In astrology, the position of the Moon in a chart represents the inner waters, the emotional and the subconscious influences, the shadow self and the mother archetype. The sign of the zodiac the Moon is in when you are born reflects the areas that might be sensitive to external influences and how we might adapt to change. The Moon rules the waters of the body, the flow of fluids and electromagnetic currents, it guides the tides of the sea and the inner tides of the female menstruation cycle. Cold and moist by nature, it governs the fluids of the brain, the lymphatic system and the stomach. Sympathetic plants are ruled by the Moon, Venus and Neptune, correlating to the waters of the body, with milky saps and soothing mucilages such as poppy (Jemma to confirm Latin) and aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller). If there are excess lunar forces, causing swelling or leaking of the fluids in the body, or damp stagnation these can be channelled with lunar lymphatics or remedied with the drying heat of Sun and Mars plants, or given boundaries via Saturn.
The lunar nodes describe the relationship between the path of the Sun and Moon. The line that the Sun draws in the sky from the position of the Earth is called the ecliptic. The Moon follows a separate path and where this path crosses that of the solar ecliptic are called the north and south nodes, which are key points in astrology. The north node represents those qualities that we are drawn towards, entangled with our soul’s purpose and growth. It causes an excess of energy, associated with growths, abscesses and accumulation of toxins. The south node has a draining, diffusive nature and its position in the chart can indicate areas where energy leaks out, causing weakness and fatigue. It causes a decrease in energy, weakening the vital force associated with malnourishment, addiction, mental illness and psychic attack.
The Moon takes on average 28 days to orbit Earth, so governs the germination of seeds. Lunar plants are often water-dwelling, oily with succulent leaves and white or purple in colour. Lunaria (Lunaria annua) or moonwort, meaning ‘moon-shaped’, gets its name from its silicles (pods) that appear as translucent silvery disks. For this reason it is also called honesty, silver dollar, and money plant. In modern medicine, it has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis due to high levels of nervonic acid (mono-unsaturated Omega 9) which nourishes the brain. Willow (Salix alba) grows by water and once gave its name to Helicon, the abode of nine muses who were orgiastic priestesses of the moon goddess. It reflects back the cold and moist conditions of the phlegmatic lunar forces through its cold and dry astringent action. The cooling and moisturizing properties of chickweed (Stellaria media) have solidified its use externally for skin conditions and inflammation. Its petals fold up when rain is coming and at night.
Other plants with lunar signatures include birch, camphor, chasteberry, chickweed, cleavers, datura, lady’s mantle, lady’s smock, lotus, mallow, milky oats, moonflower, mugwort, purslane, rockrose, watercress, water lily, white poppies (opium), white roses, wild lettuce.
Mama Xanadu is the experimental botanical studio led by Jemma Foster, who is the author of Wild Alchemy Lab: An Astro-Botanical Remedy Deck (Laurence King, 2023)