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Friday 22 July 2011

Planetary Rulers of Herbs


When choosing plants for a spell or amulet it can be very useful to take note of the planetary rulers of the plants or plant parts you are using.

To get the most potency from the planetary influence harvest your plant at the time when its ruling planet is in a position of strength.

However this is not always possible if that specific plant doesn’t grow in a location that is accessible to you.

This should not be a problem as each planet rules over a huge variety of herbs and plants so it should be quite simple to find an alternative

When deciding on what plant to use consider the appearance of the plant, whether you are using its leaves, fruit or roots and where it grows naturally.

leaves
Different parts of the plant have different rulerships and uses. Roots are thought to influence the brain, stems the bones, flowers the lower belly and genitals. Each part of the plant are also ruled by different planets:
Fruit – Jupiter
Flowers – Venus
Seeds or Bark – Mercury
Wood – Mars
Roots - Saturn
Leaves – Moon
roots
The planetary ruler of the plant part being used is thought to be the secondary ruler. Most of the rulerships now used survive from lists written in the seventeenth century, and these lists were often simplified from earlier sources. If you want to study the subject of herb associations a good book to get is Culpeper’s Herbal, originally called The English Physician.
Below is a list of Planets and the way they influence the herbs.
Sun
Herbs ruled by the Sun promote personal success and self-confidence. They help develop a sense of willpower and identity and impart a sense of purpose. Sun herbs bring vitality, health, creativity and dignity. They are plants that love the Sun, smell pleasant and grow majestically and are usually red or yellow. Some Sun plants are ash, cedar and frankincense.
Moon
These herbs affect the subconscious mind and aid in the development of intuition. All Moon plants are juicy and full of sap; they include all herbs that turn toward the Moon. These herbs have leaves that are thick, soft, round and juicy. Moon herbs are often pale and white in colour. Examples of Moon plants are lily, mugwort, mushroom and willow.
fruit
Mercury
These herbs facilitate good communication through eloquence and clear thinking. They help in business and trading and all situations where clear thinking is essential. They also help in recovery from illness. Herbs ruled by Mercury are useful for learning and to stimulate the central nervous system and brain. They are often of mixed colours. Some plants ruled by Mercury are lavender, liquorice and parsley.
Venus
These herbs bring joy, beauty, artistry, sensitivity and compassion. Venus herbs attract love; they include all scented plants and herbs that smell pleasant and sweet. All fragrant and sweet spices are ruled by Venus too. Some plants ruled by Venus are apricot, apple tree, daffodil and elder.
Mars
These herbs give energy they promote independence and assertiveness and stimulate the passions. Mars plants can be used for protection and to promote motivation. When used with plants of other planetary rule, they strengthen them. Examples of these are basil, garlic, onion and pepper.
Jupiter
These herbs expand consciousness and opportunity. They expand the body ability to heal itself. They expand the mind allowing for greater understanding and aid in success. Herbs and other plants of Jupiter tend to be large, examples of these are almond, bay, birch and oak.
Saturn
These herbs give grounding and stability. They teach that success comes from patience and perseverance. Saturn herbs are binding herbs and protect in a non-aggressive manner. Examples of herbs ruled by this planet are angelica, hemlock, pine and sage.
Neptune
Herbs ruled by Neptune are useful in dream working, trance and hypnosis; they are plants of the mystic. They intensify the imagination and lead to visions and ideas. These herbs can be useful for developing telepathy and astral projection. Some of these herbs are poppies, lobelia and lotus.
Uranus
These herbs excite, stimulate and energize; for example this planet rules guarana, used in energy drinks. They lend themselves to practical idealism genius and the development of telekinesis. They also bring change and sometimes unforseen results.
Pluto
Herbs and plants that are ruled by Pluto can transform and illuminate the shadow side of ourselves. They can promote growth and insight. They can also help in cases of sexuality impotency. Examples of plants ruled by this planet are damiana, rye and amaranth.
Herbs are such a useful tool in magick, knowing more about herbs and other plants help you in making the right choice of herb for your spells and charms. Think about the planetary rulers for every herb you use, this will help you in making a decision on which herb is the best one for your purpose.



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