Saturn rules over: old age, chronic diseases, and life's lessons, or karma. Often perceived as the Cosmic Bookkeeper, Saturn is the planet of learning. If we have some introspection and self-discipline, Saturn will not be too difficult for us. If we lack these basic qualities, then we will perceive Saturn's influences as hostile, punitive, and even evil at times.
Saturn corresponds to: the bones, teeth, the spine (in conjunction with Leo), the spleen, hair, nails, all minerals in the body, joints and flexibility (especially the knees), and all slow and chronic activities of the body. Saturn governs age's hardening and restricting processes, such as the formation of crystals in the body as well as the hardening of the anterior lobe of the pituitary (restricting growth), hearing, memory, and circulation to the extremities and soft tissue.
Diseases associated with Saturn are: diseases affecting any of the above organs, including depression, melancholy, senility, crankiness, and lethargy; hardenings of the organs, arteries, or any calcification; rheumatism, arthritis, and anything chronic.
Plants associated with Saturn include:
Beta vulgaris-beetroot
Equisetum arvense-horsetail
Trigonella foenum-graecum-fenugreek
Hordeum-barley
Plantago coronopus-plantain
Polygonatum officinale-Solomon's seal
Secale cereale-rye
Sennia-senna
Symphytum officinale-comfrey (sometimes Jupiter)
Vnca minor-periwinkle, myrtle (sometimes lunar)
Viola tricolor-pansy
Zea mays-corn
Jupiter is the largest of the planets, the Sun being first, and bears many similarities to the Sun. Jupiter is in fact a sun that failed to fully ignite, and therefore it actually gives off more energy than it takes in. Jupiter is known as the Greater Benefic, and its placement in a birth chart is studied extensively because of the profound influences this planet has on so many significant areas of daily life. It is advisable to have a copy of your horoscope made so that you can study it in relation to the spagyric products you are making. If a planet is badly aspected, prepare a tincture for it.
Jupiter rules over: good health, wealth, philosophical and religious matters, ceremony, and the enjoyment of life.
Jupiter corresponds to: the liver, the lungs (sometimes with Mercury), arteries of the stomach and abdomen, digestion and assimilation of oxygen and nutrition, fatty tissues and areas of the body that store fat, the spleen (with Saturn), general antibiotic functions of the body, cell growth, general energy levels, and, in the brain, the occipital lobe of the pituitary body.
Diseases associated with Jupiter are: Jupiter does not promote disease but through its configuration with other planets can affect diseases, which include all diseases of excess and immoderation, particularly excessive drinking (Jupiter rules the liver), excessive eating, and even drug and substance abuse; congestion in the lungs, nose, and throat; poor blood (along with Mars); and the stomach. Jupiter has secondary effects on the heart and various cancers.
Plants associated with Jupiter include:
Agrirnonia eupatoria-agrimony
Asparagus officinalis-asparagus
Borago officinalis-borage
Cichoriurn endivia-endive
Fraxinus ornus-manna, flowering ash
Inula helenium-elecampane (sometimes solar)
Melissa officinalis-lemon balm
Panax ginseng-ginseng
Rubus idaeus-raspberry
Salvia officinalis-sage
Symphyturn officinale-comfrey (sometimes Saturn)
Vacciniurn rnyrtillus-bilberry
Mars rules over: intense and often violent energy, bringing dynamic power to all that it encounters. Mars increases psychic ability as well as motion and power in the physical realm.
Mars corresponds to: the muscular system, male sexual organs, marrow, blood formation, the quality of red corpuscles, adrenaline (suprarenal glands), body heat and combustion, the gall bladder, and the purging of the body to maintain health.
Diseases associated with Mars are: swelling and inflammation of tissues, blood pressure (high and low), bleeding or any sudden and rapid onset of a disease, sharp pains, blisters, eruptions, and fevers. Mars also rules head injuries (via Aries) and the polarity between the sexual organs (Scorpio) and the brain (Aries), demonstrating the two terminals of the Secret Fire, or serpent energy.
Plants associated with Mars include:
Allium cepa-common onion
Allium sativum-garlic
Artemisia absinthium-wormwood
Capsicum-red pepper, paprika
Cochlearia armoracia-horseradish
Genista tinctoria-dyer's broom
Gratiola officinalis-hedge hyssop
Nicotiana tabacum-tobacco
Pinus-all kinds of pine
Raphanus sativus-black radish
Smilax utilis-sarsaparilla
Sinapis-all varieties of mustard
The Sun rules over: all life, as we know it. The Sun provides all of the other planets (including the Moon) with energy, which in turn they transform or modify, reflecting it back and thereby creating the impulses that influence the horoscope when they are perceived from the perspective of Earth. The Sun is our sense of self, willpower, total organizing ability (externally), self-integration (internally), total energy levels and vitality, and success.
The Sun corresponds to: the heart, and with it circulation (in relation to Mars and Jupiter); the distribution of heat in the body, as well as psychic energy (via the solar plexus); the spinal column; vision; thymus gland (near the heart); pituitary gland (with Mars and Saturn); and eyes: right in man, left in woman.
Diseases associated with the Sun are: diseases that affect the total health of the body, degrade the structure of the body, or are a result of birth defects or accidents.
Plants associated with the Sun include:
Anthernis nobilis-Roman chamomile
Calendula officinalis-marigold
Cinnarnomurn zeylanicutn-cinnamon
Citrus bergarnia-bergamot
Dictamnus albus-dittany
Euphrasia officinalis-eyebright
Helianthus annuus-sunflower
Hypericurn perforaturn-St. John's wort
Inula heleniurn-elecampane (sometimes Jupiter)
Matricaria charnorilla-German chamomile
Paeonia officinalis-peony
Rosmarinus officinalis-rosemary
Venus rules over: herbalism, spagyrics, talismanic and natural magic, arts, music, poetry, design, theater, harmony, proportion, integration and mediation of opposites into a whole, odors, perfumes, physical love, and celestial love (the Path of Devotion).
Venus corresponds to: the skin, complexion, muscles of the face, kidneys, perspiration, veins, parathyroid glands, tissue selection and formation, transformation and enrichment of substances within the body (or alchemically), internal sexual organs, and smell.
Diseases associated with Venus are: Venus, like Jupiter, does not promote disease but through its configuration with other planets can affect diseases, mainly of the skin, uterus, sexual organs, and kidneys, as well as, like Jupiter, diseases of immoderation and excess.
Plants associated with Venus include:
Achillea millefolium-yarrow
Alchemilla vulgaris-lady's mantle
Althaea officinalis-marshmallow
Cynara scolymus-artichoke
Fragaria vesca-wild strawberry
Leonurus cardiaca-motherwort
Persica vulgaris-peach
Pyrus communis-pear
Rosa damascena-rose
Rubusfructicosus-blackberry
Seneciojacobaea-tansy ragwort
Verbena officinalis-vervain
Mercury rules over communications and commerce, initiation into the Mysteries, alchemy, Qabala, astrology, all forms of magic, writing, transmission of information, the nerves, skills involving manipulations and dexterity, mental skills, and the speedy distribution of energy.
Mercury corresponds to: the nerves, speech, hearing, the arms (fingers), the feet (toes), the brain (with the Moon), coordination between thoughts and speech or actions, the throat and thyroid, the pons in the brain (links the Sun [cerebrum] and Moon [cerebellum] aspects of the brain), spinal fluids, nerve sheaths, fluids related to the brain and nervous system, and in some instances the lungs (along with Jupiter).
Diseases associated with Mercury are: mental disorders, stuttering, and nerve disorders and breakdown, as well as respiration (under stress), metabolism, and metabolic disorders reflected in the thyroid.
Plants associated with Mercury include:
Acacia-all varieties of acacia
Anethurn graveolens-dill
Apiurn graveolens-celery
Calarnintha arvensis-mint, calamint
Carurn carvi-caraway
Foeniculum vulgare-fennel
Marrubium vulgare-horehound
Mercurialis annua-(annual) mercury (and perenis, or perennial)
Pastinaca sativa-parsnip
Petroselinurn hortense-parsley
Solanurn dulcarnara-bittersweet
Tussilago fafara-coltsfoot
The Moon rules over: water, growth, agriculture (with Saturn), fertility, conception, emotions, instincts and unconscious responses, psychic phenomena, family (mother), collective consciousness, rhythm and cycles, and genetic and cultural heritage.
The Moon corresponds to: the brain, memory (with Saturn), the breasts, the womb, the ovaries, menstruation, the stomach (with Jupiter) and esophagus, and all body fluids, including salivation, urination, and lactation.
Diseases associated with the Moon are: disruptions in any of the organs it rules, including dry breasts, infertility, and any glandular secretions (in conjunction with their specific planetary ruler), as well as the eyes: left in man, right in woman.
Plants associated with the Moon include:
Brassica-all varieties of cabbage
Cucurbita pepo-pumpkin gourd
Curcuma longa-turmeric
Hieracium pilosella-mouse-ear hawkweed
Hyssop officinalis-hyssop
Lenticula palustris-duckweed
Lilium album-white lily
Myristica fragrans-nutmeg
Nasturtium officinale-watercress
Stellaria media-chickweed
Veronica officinalis-speedwell
Vinca minor-periwinkle, myrtle (sometimes Saturn)
For a very thorough listing of plants, their Latin names, and their planetary correspondences, see The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy, by Manfred Junius. For a comprehensive listing of plants, their Latin names, their planetary and zodiacal correspondences, and crossname listings for common names, see The Master Book of Herbalism, by Paul Beyerl. Additional suggested reading includes A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. M. Grieve, and Culpeper c Medicine: A Practice of Western Holistic Medicine, by Graeme Tobyn.
• Health is the body's natural state of being.
• Health must be sought not for itself, but as a means to continue our spiritual development and to aid others.
• If one is not a medical professional or under the care of one, diagnosing and treating with spagyric and alchemical products requires extensive experience. As such, we should only treat ourselves and not others if we do not possess the proper professional training. The practice of medicine is regulated by law in most countries.
• The body relies on mineral salts to maintain health.
• Homeopathy uses twelve of these salts in the creation of cell salts.
• Cell salts can also be used in the creation of spagyric products for restoring health.
• Mineral salts are found in the calcined salts of spagyric products and are an important part of the products' healing capacity, in part based on their astrological correspondences.
• Alchemical theory states that every person is born deficient in several cell salts. The degree of deficiency is a result of the length of fetal gestation in the womb. Since nobody develops for twelve months, nobody can be fully sufficient in all twelve salts.
• Plant salts, when calcined, will appear in one of seven crystalline formations. These formations correspond to the planets and the spheres on the Tree of Life in Qabala.
• Each planet affects several areas and functions of our psychic, physical, and mental health. Through correspondences, we can find the right plant and planetary ruler to create a tincture for sustaining health and well-being.
1. Make an Elixir from fresh rainwater and cell salts.
2. Review your notes and see how you can improve on the calcination of your salts.
1. Using planetary hours, meditate on each of the crystalline structures presented. Do this for several weeks. Note the results of your meditations in your notebook.
2. Meditate on the nature of planetary correspondences. Starting on Saturday, sit with some horsetail (fresh or dried), or some other plant under the rulership of Saturn, and visualize yourself inside the plant's structure. What does it feel like to be horsetail? If possible, locate the position of Saturn in an ephemeris and face in its direction. Repeat this for each planet of each day, using the appropriate herb.