Leo/Aquarius, Uranus Retrograde, and Plant Allies

As we feel the ingress of the Sun and Mars into the powerful and potent sign of Leo, we are also reminded of the Nodal Axis shift into Leo, on May 9, of this year.  With the Nodal Axis being a dynamic of back and forth flowing energy of the past and the future, we are feeling the tug of the South Node in Aquarius calling us to deal with erratic, nervous, energy that is accompanied by the manifestation in the body from memories of many past incarnations of social and personal mental traumas. 

Leo the ruler of the 5th house and Sun is the archetypal encompassment of the outer manifestation of ego. The ego that fuels the movement of all life in our Solar System. The heart of our bodies, and the life flow of the liquid fluid utilized by the plant life on our Mother Earth. Leo,  as it will be defined by the emotional ego of the lunar North Node will bring the Solar and Lunar influences together to unite in society to adopt a more balanced expression of our inner and outer emotional bodies.  Since we just passed through Sun in Cancer and Mars in Cancer we as humans were asked to feel and act on the healing of the emotions, those surfaced emotions must now be looked at and acted upon in a heart healing Leonian archetypal way. As Venus will move into Cancer July 31st we will have ample opportunity to continue the work of nurturing our hearts as we prepare for the Lunar eclipse of Aquarius then followed by the total Solar eclipse of Leo which will be able to experience on the American continent. 

The congruence of the cosmos, the patterns of our emulated consciousness will only be furthered by the retrograde motion of Uranus in the very last degrees of Aries further influencing the South and North node Leo/Aquarius axis and the coming eclipses. 

With the influence of the solar active energy with Mars in Leo, and the Uranus retrograde in Aries coming, it is quite typical to feel a deep inner tension and unsettled sense of routine. Uranus in Aries has really taxed the adrenal glands over the last 7 years and Mars in Leo can amplify the heart beat. This energy can be released through physical activity, minding your circadian rhythm and taking in calming herbs and vaporizing essential oils.

A great plant ally is Valerian in these times of contention. Valerian and I have had a deep relationship since I was in high school. Many sleepless nights due to menstrual pain were relieved by her great power of ease. Valerian is an Antispasmodic, Calmative, Stimulating tonic, Nervine.  Skullcap and Peppermint will increase the promptness in its actions when taken in combination. I prefer Valerian in a glycerin tincture or used in my bathing rituals, but she may be used in many ways to assist you in your times of need. 

I also want to mention Spikenard essential oil which is utilized in my Moonlight Circadian Rhythm Balancing Facial Mist. Spikenard is also from the same family as Valerian and the oil I use is from the Himalayas. Spikenard is amazing for skin topically because it helps to heal wounds faster and balance fungus and bacteria. So, if you suffer from break outs this is a great ally.  Internally Spikenard has been shown to treat bacterial infections in the Kidneys, and urinary tract. This plant helps calm and soothe inflammation through out the body and is a proven sedative, assisting the brain in maintaining its GABA levels which will also help assist in melatonin production. 

Spikenards gifts on the etheric level are to help us to let go of fears from the unknown, to have the courage to step forward. It encourages forgiveness, balance, and resolution. During this Uranus retrograde and Uranus/Aquarius transiting the South Node for the next 18 months this will be a very crucial plant friend to adopt into your daily life. Cultivate your relationship with this beauty and allow it to open your Leonian Solar aspects so that you might help rid heart and mental trauma opening yourself to new gifts and talents to express to the collective to be of service to those in need.

By aligning one’s self to their souls desires we are aligning ourself with the cosmos. The truest way to heal is through the assistance of this beautiful Earth and all the gifts she bestows upon us…

The Circadian Rhythm and the Internal Micro-Biome

The Circadian Rhythm and the Internal Micro-biome

The Circadian Rhythm of all species was established in the earliest times of life’s existence on this Earth thought by scientists. The influence of light on a single cell organism and light triggering the activity of replication and multiplication is profound to the evolution of life. Fast forward billions of years to the present and as we humans sit in our living rooms at night plopped down on a couch in front of a television watching the newest episode of Twin Peaks on Showtime, do we really acknowledge the importance of light and dark on the physical body?

Well, it has extremely important affects on every part of our body, from our immune system warding off viruses to the nervous system repairing its self after a near miss fender bender on the 405 freeway in traffic. 

The Circadian Rhythm and its importance to the mind, body, and spirit has also been found to affect the guts micro-biome. In the last few years doctors and scientists have really been amping up the importance of the gut-brain axis as more and more amazing information has come to light. Doctor’s like Mark Hyman, Andrew Weil, Mercola, and Frank Lipman, and Dr. Axe are just a few that have really drove home the importance of the gut’s micro-biome to live a happier, healthier, life. 

Now that we know a high percent of our neuro-chemicals are triggered by our guts micro- biome and that the gut actually has neurons that produce neurotransmitters like serotonin that help us to feel calm and soothed, lowering stress. A couple of easyways to help support our internal micro-biome is a diet that has limited sugar, is high in fermented foods, eating lots of vegetables, and taking a probiotic. Yes, we know that if your into the health and wellness movement, but did you know that altering your Circadian Rhythm will also affect your guts micro-biome and not for the better if your not following the natural cycles of light and dark that the ancients knew were crucial to the mind, body, and spirit. 

The Need for a Healthy Gut Micro-Biome for a Balanced Circadian Rhythm

New findings have shown that the intestines have a circadian rhythm, the microbiota start in one location at a certain part of the day and move to another at another time of day therefor sending metabolic signals to organs such as the liver changing gene expression disturbing diurnal functions like detoxification. If the micro-biome is disturbed by poor diet and stress then metabolic disturbances are happening all over the body, decreasing the bodies capacity to maintain its healing process at night while your sleeping. 

The Body, As Above So Below 

By introducing certain minerals and nutrients at specific times of the day we could support and benefit the guts micro-biome supporting our mind, body, spirit. The old adage, “As above so below,” always comes to mind. Until we see the cosmos, the body, and nature, as a reflection of the external world and the internal world of the body, mind, and spirit we will not perceive the ways we are disturbing the health and wellness of all.  Kosmologically Influenced products are a way of living in parallel with nature and the cosmos. Immersing yourself in the external cycles of nature will align the internal cycles of the body. 

Align yourself with the cosmos…

Serious Self Care For Retrograde Planets

Retrograde Planets call for something more profound then just self care, it calls for something I call Harae from the Shinto word for rituals of purification. These rituals were created to cleanse us of our impurities from pollution or sin, guilt, bad luck, and disease.  Now, to the modern westerner these words might not seem fitting to our lives but I couldn't agree more with the indigenous folk religion of Japan whom worshipped nature and venerated mountains, rocks, and trees with spirits like all other shamanistic beliefs all over the world. 

Since we now have Retrograde Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn to the line up, we are all feeling some pretty intense emotions in all directions. Jupiter, the expansion of ideas and beliefs are being re-born after our re-jection, Venus, our deepest needs wants and desires are being re-evaluated, Mercury, our thoughts and idea patterns are being re-linquished, and Saturn, our foundations and structure of our lives are being re-built. Just like the prefix Re- we are doing it all again but internally.  It’s quite important to take this time to really ponder and purify so that we can move forward in new ways that are more aligned with ourself, nature, and the cosmos.

Harae or purification rituals will help you to find a center amidst all the movement inside and outside you. First is purification by water. This is the most crucial and should be done as much as possible. Two, reasons this is most important is water realigns us to our emotional body and water holds memory. Since water is a container it washes away or holds our energetic makeup for us so that we may eliminate those things that are weighing us down emotionally and spiritually. Water will hold those elements of our emotional and spiritual body as long as we ask it too. The thoughts and feelings that are removed will be replaced with the new thoughts and feelings that need to surface and the water offers us a constant new opportunity to cleanse ourselves at our will as we utilize it with those intentions in mind.

First Harae ritual, is to draw a bath with clean tepid water, if your budget allows add some spring water to your bath, sprinkle Pink Himalayan Salt with an essential oil of choice, I prefer a mixture of (juniper berry, sage, copaiba balsam, hinoki oils), stay in the bath until water is chilled then release water from bath and rinse yourself from the shower in cool water.                           

In Harae it is crucial that the water is moving since the ancient way calls for a river or waterfall , but we will have to make due.

Second ritual, is get a basin or a large bowl fill it with spring water and get your long wooden spoon out. As you lean over the bowl take the wooden spoon and gather water in it, pour the water first over your right hand, then the left, then take the water in your palms held together and rinse your mouth. Not in your mouth, just the outside, then take more water in spoon to cleanse the left hand again. 

The crucial part of these two rituals are focus, concentration, intention. Hold those thoughts in you while you practice these rituals that need to be cleansed away and imagine the water taking them for you as its gift of love to you. After the ritual, cleanse the bath and bowl with the pink Himalayan salt. 

One other suggestion is to practice the Harae water basin ritual as soon as you get home from a long day, to cleanse off the energy of all the other people you came in contact with through out the day to be clear and attuned to yourself. 

Venus Retrograde will end April 15th and since Venus is the least planet to go retrograde I would recommend focusing on those themes first. Those might be what do I value in myself? What do I want to be appreciated for? How can I help support others in their values and actions that are aligned with mine?

As you continually create and act out these rituals you will find clarity and release and to help create a state of balance through out the day I integrate my Kosmologically Influenced mists to help support my space and peace of mind.

Align yourself with the cosmos…