The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook: A Complete Guide to Magickal Herbs and How to Use Them - Karen Harrison 2020

Advanced Herbal Alchemical Work with an Astrological Chart
Combining the Planetary and Elemental Influences

The Natal Chart is circular, and all circles are composed of 360 degrees. This 360-degree circle is divided into twelve parts, or “Houses,” each composed of 30 degrees. Each House is associated with or “ruled” by a specific Astrological Sign. All twelve Astrological Houses are present in a chart, but not every House will contain a Sign and a Planet. Many times this is not a problem, as a person's chart will indicate the Astrological Houses with which she came into this lifetime to work, and you will see what Houses are active.

The Houses where there are Planets in Signs show a person's primary types of activities for that lifetime and therefore where an individual will be expending her energies and thought processes during that incarnation. For example, if most of the Houses in the upper half of a chart (Seventh through Twelfth Houses) are active, but the bottom half of the chart has no Planets placed there, this indicates that the individual tends to express all her energy and aspirations through the intellectual and spiritual parts of the personality without much emotional understanding or practical grounding. This can lead to frustration and potential failure. Conversely, if a person has all her Planets active in the bottom Houses of her Natal Chart with none or only one active in the top two quadrants, this indicates that she can be shortsighted and unable to view the “big picture” in her life—she needs to balance her overly self-oriented and self-focused tendencies with which she was born by activating the top quadrants with herbs or oils that help her to strive toward a greater understanding of the world around her and her own larger philosophical perspective.

Here is a description of the twelve Astrological Houses for incorporation into your analysis of a Natal Chart:

First House: This house shows your Ascendant, the Planet that was rising over the horizon at the time that you were born. The Ascendant indicates your primary way of expressing your personality and how people tend to view you. The First House is also your physical self—your body style (thin, tall, round), your general health, and how you present yourself to the world. Aries rules this House.

Second House: This is the house of material possessions and how you deal with them. This House expresses how you take care of your possessions and the health of your self-esteem. Taurus rules this House.

Third House: This House is your community and how you interact within it. The Third House is your communication style, your attitude toward change, and how you conduct your mundane life. Gemini rules this House.

Fourth House: This is the House where you are nurtured or feel deprived. It represents your childhood foundation, your family, and the subconscious emotions from which you interpret your world. Cancer rules this House.

Fifth House: This is the House of creativity, romance, and play. The Fifth House is the place of personal interests, how you express yourself in a creative way, your hobbies, the type of partner to whom you are attracted, and where you find joy in life. Leo rules this House.

Sixth House: This is the House of health, work, and your daily routine. It represents how you structure your life and how important routine and responsibility are to you. This House shows where you find it easiest to apply perseverance and where you are willing to spend energy and time. Virgo rules this House.

Seventh House: This is the House of marriage and partnerships. It shows how you relate to other people and how you partner with others for success. Libra rules this House.

Eighth House: This is the House of the hidden side of yourself and how you deal with important issues in your life. The Eighth House holds the key to how you recuperate and survive and the tools you use to do so. Scorpio rules this House.

Ninth House: This House is your area of openness to new experience, higher learning, and your relationship to the world at large via religion, philosophy, and politics. Sagittarius rules this House.

Tenth House: This is the House of reputation, status, and worldly success. It is here that you show your interests in a profession, your overall ambitions, and how you deal with authority—your own or that of others. Capricorn rules this House.

Eleventh House: This House represents the kind of groups you will join or shun, the causes that are important to you, and whether you tend to be social or solitary. This is the House of your hopes, wishes, and dreams. Aquarius rules this House.

Twelfth House: This is the House of solitude, your Inner Self that you show only to those you trust. This House represents areas of your personality that you are not always comfortable expressing in public. It is also known as the House of Karma, and it is here that you find clues about what you are willing to give in the service of the greater good. The Twelfth House is also known as the House of Self-Undoing and can indicate where you tend to get in your own way. Pisces rules this House.

Using my Birth Chart as an example, we now analyze what challenges are present by noting which Elements are missing or out of balance, which Houses need some help in expression, and what strengths can be bolstered to allow full and successful manifestation.

In analyzing this chart, first we note that I have almost all my Planets associated with Signs in the upper two quadrants of the chart. This indicates that I could have trouble grounding my energy and expressing my goals in the physical world. We need to add some Earth to my formula to achieve a grounding/manifestation effect. In looking at the distribution of Elements in my chart, I have six Planets in Water Signs, two Planets in Fire Signs, three Planets in Air Signs, and one Planet in an Earth Sign. This would again indicate that more Earth would benefit my personal formula. In my Twelfth House, I have Mars in Aquarius. Mars is a Planet of Fire and action; Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, is a Planet of the innovator, the humanitarian, and also the eccentric. As this is the House of Self-Undoing, I could have the tendency to rebel for the sake of rebellion, or to be so humanitarian that I allow people too much latitude in their actions toward myself and my goals. I will want to balance that Mars Fire with more Earth so that I can take all the energy of Mars in Aquarius and ground it into positive, practical manifestation for the good of all.

My basic formula before balancing would incorporate an herb or oil of Aquarius for my Ascendant; an herb or oil of Water for Scorpio, my Sun Sign; and an herb or oil of Earth for my Moon Sign, Capricorn. I would take a look at the Planets that naturally rule those Signs—Aquarius/Uranus, Scorpio/Pluto, and Capricorn/Saturn—so I might choose elemi, black copal, and cypress, respectively. I want to bolster Earth in my chart, so I would look at the Earth Signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn and choose another herb or oil corresponding to the Element Earth. And, because I want to balance that Aquarian Mars in the Twelfth House, I will need to incorporate yet another herb or oil associated with the Element Earth as well. I have the choices of Taurus/Venus, Virgo/Mercury, and Capricorn/Saturn. As Capricorn/Saturn is the earthiest of the Earth signs, I will choose another Saturn herb, patchouli, to add grounded Earth, and I'll pick an herb associated with the Earth Sign Virgo for intelligent discrimination and a clear mind, lemon verbena. This formula would represent and balance my natural Birth Chart.

If I elected to add to my formula the plant energy that is associated with a current goal, I would determine what my goal is and analyze which Sign and/or Planet carries that signature of energy. Let's say that my current goal is to allow others to help me in achieving my goals. Partnerships and working with others is ruled by the Seventh House with its association of Libra. Libra is an Air Sign, and Venus is Libra's Planet. I would choose an herb or oil associated with Air and one associated with Venus. For this formula, I'll go with lavender/Air and rose/Venus.

Thus, my formula is composed of elemi, black copal, cypress, patchouli, lemon verbena, lavender, and rose.

If I were working to resolve a perceived difficulty in my Birth Chart caused by the placement of a particular Planet or its aspect in my chart, I would determine the herb and/or oil that would free the energetic expression of that placement or aspect and include that in my formula according to the Astrological Sign and the Planet's energy that was expressing it.

As you are analyzing a chart, you may see difficult aspects such as squares (two Planets 90 degrees apart) or oppositions (two or more Planets 180 degrees apart). These types of aspects can show you energies that can be working at cross-purposes. For example, in my chart, you can see that Mars is in Aquarius in my Twelfth House of Service, Karma, and Self-Undoing. Mars in Aquarius in this House gives me impetus to use my energies to serve humankind, but I need to be careful not to impair my personal goals while doing so. It is in opposition to my Jupiter in Cancer occupying my Sixth House of Health, Work, and Daily Routine. Jupiter in Cancer in this House inclines me to be successful at work and to enjoy working but also to be a bit naïve as to the real motivations of others, particularly those with whom I work. Mars is a very active Planet working in the Sign of Aquarius—ideals, original thought, and rebelliousness. Jupiter is the Planet of expansion working in Cancer, a Water Sign of emotions.

The opposition of Mars/Aquarius/Twelfth House to Jupiter/Cancer/Sixth House could cause me to refuse any guidance from others, particularly if the guidance was a warning about the character of another person with whom I work closely. I could have the tendency to lack forethought and to act impulsively and sometimes imprudently, which can cause problems. That Mars in Aquarius with this particular opposition could make me very impatient, wanting everything yesterday and throwing caution to the winds to obtain my goal in my work or routine. Therefore, I would want to ground this energy a bit by injecting an herb to balance Aquarius, making its expression one where I would think clearly before acting. I would want to use another herb to balance Cancer by helping Jupiter in that Sign not become emotionally embroiled. To balance Aquarius, I will choose rosemary; and for balancing Cancer, myrrh.

As you work with any chart, numbers, or Astrological information, always listen to your intuition. If you get a psychic impression that a specific herb, resin, or oil should be included in the formula, listen. Your psychic senses are tuned in to the work you are doing and can give you very helpful directives to make your formula even more effective.