Astrology and Wellness

Had a fantastic time at Astrology Day 2011 in SF on this past Saturday. Foe more on that, go to my astrology blog.

One of the speakers, Stephanie Gailing, in addition to being an astrologer, is a wellness consultant. Her presentation, titled: "Uranus in Aries: Taking Charge of Our Well-Being", included suggestions for diet and exercise as well as the herbs and essences. Her book Planetary Apothecary is for sale on my sidebar.

In general, Uranus, the god of rapid change is going into the sign of Aries, ruled by Mars. Impulsive, with child-like energy, naivete and energy, Aries rules the head and is prone to accidents and injuries due to its tendency to act first and think later. Uranus which rules the nervous system, likes to shake things up. Hmmm sounds familiar doesn't it?

So with all that is going on in the world, stress and upset are highly available. We need to focus on calming down, slowing down and acting deliberately. Now after an extremely difficult and long winter, we are all yearning to burst out the door whenever the sun shines. We need to MOVE! True, we do. But let us do so in a manner that will serve our well-being. Stephanie suggests yoga, tai chi, qi gong, ecstatic dance, Sufi dancing - among other ways of moving, so that our energy is channeled in a positive way.

We need to remember to get enough rest and sleep too.

She suggests nutritive herbs, nervines (Skullcap and Valerian) and adaptogens (Ashwaganda and Eleuthro); to help relax, Lavendar and Chamomile essential oils in rubs or bath products; and last but not least, flower essences like Yarrow, Impatiens, and Rescue Remedy. Interestingly, just prior to her mentioning Rescue Remedy, I had just taken a couple of drops of Desert Crisis Formula by Desert Alchemy, which has a similar purpose and is my 'crisis formula of choice.' The energy in the room was challenging to someone who has been sick in bed for nearly two weeks. It helped immediately. I enjoyed the conference immensely, but it was a huge energetic change for me.

Which, by the way, is how we might experience Uranus in Aries. After being in the doldrums for months, even years due to Pluto's ingress into Capricorn and the collapse of the economy, we are going to get a blast of energy that may throw us off kilter for awhile. Our challenge is to not lose our footing while setting our sails so that these winds of change move us forward, not aground.

In addition to the herbs Stephanie mentioned, I suggest Passionflower as a mildly relaxing herb. I make a blend of tinctures called Take It Easy, which is a combination of Nettle, Ashwaganda, Fennel Seed, Motherwort, Vervain, Skullcap, Passionflower, Damiana, Chamomile, Melissa, St.John's Wort, Schizandra, Cleavers, Linden Flower and Red Clover. Honey and Pomegranate Syrup make it taste good. A two ounce bottle is $28.00. For shipping in the U.S.add another 4.95 for a total of $32.95. Pay through the Paypal Keep the Essences Flowing Donation button in the sidebar with the message 'tonic' and send me your shipping address.

Meditation, contemplation and prayer can help settle your mind and give you focus for the energy that will be inside and outside you. I suggested at the conference that sometimes we take flower and gem essences because 'other people' are driving us nuts. We cannot control others, but we CAN take care of ourselves, our emotional states and our responses/reactions. During this time flower essences and especially gem elixirs are useful. Those which address the need to stay grounded, give clarity and help you relax are most helpful.