The connection between the celestial skies above and the growth cycles of plants and vegetation below has long been understood and honored through planting and harvesting rituals and documented by Farmer’s Almanacs. A lesser known fact is that the signs and planets of the zodiac are linked to specific herbs, flowers, plants and trees and have been used therapeutically throughout the ages. Below is an at-a-glance list originated by noted 20th century astrologer Alan Leo. Herbs are classified according to planetary influences as follows:
Sun: Almond, angelica, ash tree, bay tree, celandine, centaury, chamomile, corn hornwort, eyebright, frankincense and other aromatic herbs, heart trefoil, juniper, male peony, poppy, marigold, mistletoe, olive, pimpernel, rice, rosemary, rue, saffron, St. John’s wort, sun dew, tormentil, turnsole, vine, wiper’s bugloss; also bay, citrus, and walnut trees.
Moon: Adder’s tongue, cabbage, chickweed, clary, coral-wort, cuckoo flowers, cucumber, dog-tooth, duck’s meat, gourd, hyssop, iris, lettuce, melon, mercury, moonwort, mouse-car, mushrooms, pearlwort, privet, pumpkin, purslain, rattle grass, rosemary, seaweed, spunk, turnips, wallflowers, water arrowhead, watercress, water lily, water violet, white lily, white poppy, white rose, white saxifrage, whitlow grass, wild wallflower, willow, winter green, and all night blooming plants; also maple, olive, palm, and other trees rich in sap.
Mercury: Azaleas, bitter sweet, calamint, caraway, carrots, cascara, coraline, dill, elecampane, endive, fennel, hare’s foot, hazel, horehound, hound’s tongue, lavender, lily of the valley, liquorice, male fern, mandrake, majoram, mulberry, myrtle, olive spurger parsley, pellitory, southernwood, star-wort, trefoil, valerian, wild carrots, winter savory; also hazel, and filbert trees.
Venus: Apples, archangel, artichoke, beans, bearberry, bishop’s weed, black alder, bubbleholly, burdock, cloves, cock’s head, couch grass, cowslip, cranebill, cudweed, daffodils, elder, featherfew, ferns, foxgloves, goldenrod, gooseberry, grapes and other vines, groundsel, kidneywort, lily, little daisy, marshmallows, mint, pennyroyal, pennywort, peppermint, red cherries, roses, sanicle, sea holly, sorrel, spearmint, tansy, throatwort, vervain, violets, wheat; also almond, apple, apricot, ash, cypress, pecan and pomegranate trees.
Mars: All-heal, aloes, anemone, arsmart, barberry, basil, box tree, broom, butcher’s broom, cactus, capers, catmint, coriander, crowfoot, flax-weed, furze-bush, garden cress, garlic, gentian, ginger, hawthorn, honeysuckle, hops, horse radish, horsetongue, hyssop, leadwort, leeks, madder, masterwort, mousetail, mustard, nettles, onions, peppers, plantain, radish, savin, tobacco, wake-robin, wormwood, and all briars and thistles; also trees with thorns.
Jupiter: Agrimony, aniseed, apricots, asparagus, balm, balsam, betony, bloodwort, borage, chestnut, cinquefoil, cloves, currants, daisy, dandelion, hart’s tongue, house leek, jessamine, liver wort, mint, myrrh, nailwort, nutmeg, polypody, rhubarb, sage, scurvy grass, small samphire swallow wort, strawberry, sugar cane, thorn apple, wild pinks, wild succory; also ash, almond, birch, fig, lime, linden, mulberry and oak trees.
Saturn: Aconite, barley, barren wort, beech, black hellebore, blue bottle, comfrey, crosswort, flaxweed, fleawort, fumitory, gladwin, ground moss, hemlock, hemp, henbane, holly, horsetail, ivy, jew’s ear, knap-weed, knotgrass, mandrake, mangel, medlar, moss, navelwort, nightshade, pansies, parsnips, quince, rue, rupture wort, rushes, rye, sciatica wort, senna, shepherd’s purse, sloes, Solomon’s seal, spinach, tamarisk, vervain, wintergreen. Also cypress, elm, pine, willow and yew trees.
Outer Planets: The second-octave planets, also referred to as the transpersonal planets, have comparatively only recently been discovered when viewed in the larger historical context: Uranus in 1781, Neptune in 1846 and Pluto not until 1930. Because they tend to have larger bearing on generational and collective movements, their influence is still being studied by astrologers and herbalists alike. In general, we can attribute the following qualities to each:
Uranus: Being the planet of sudden change, innovation and unusual or idiosyncratic character, plants that are unique in appearance, are hybrids, possess a quick growing cycle and are easy to transplant all fall under this rulership.
Neptune: As the planet that serves as the connection to the outer planes of consciousness, plants that are of a dreamy, other-worldy nature are fitting this cosmic symbol as well as all botanical life growing in, on or by the sea.
Pluto: Recognized as the ruler of Scorpio, the sign of sexuality, Pluto rules over all forces of procreation and life and death transformations. Botanical life resembling the genitalia are Plutonian as are those with pungent and penetrating flavors.
Biodynamic Gardening
Since the beginning of time, cultures have planted, harvested and celebrated according to the cycles of the solar seasons and the movements of the moon. Today, as we see increasing interest in biodynamic gardening, the slow food movement and a growing demand for organically produced whole foods, we see that we are collectively feeling a need to reconnect with our natural and healthy rhythms of nourishment as tied with the cycles of nature.When planting by the moon, the general rule of thumb is as follows: Plant crops that produce fruit, seed or desired foliage above ground in the period from the new moon to the full moon (waxing or increasing phase) and plant crops that produce fruit, seed or desired foliage below the ground in the period from from full moon to new moon (waning or decreasing phase).
Seeds planted during water and earth sign Moons generally grow more rapidly and produce more fruitfully, especially in and around the New Moon. Air and fire sign Moons are better for pruning and harvesting and clearing.
For more information on the moon cycles and planting by the moon I recommend visiting:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moongrow.htmFor expanded knowledge on how to biodynamically attune your garden to the moon cycles, I recommend Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book.
For Foods and their signs
http://celestiallivingarts.com/recipe-chart.html
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