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

The Herbs of Mars—Courage and Motivation
The Herbs and Their Planetary Signatures

Energies: victory, aggression, achievement, energy, action, assertiveness, strength, sexual desire

Colors: scarlet, red, vermillion, orange

Number: 5

Metal: iron

Stones/materials: garnet, ruby, carnelian, bloodstone

Deities: Ares, Hercules, Tiw, Minerva, Maeve, Pallas Athena

Herbs: aloeswood, asafoetida, basil, broom tops, briony, cactus, cayenne, cumin, dragon's blood resin, galangal, garlic, gentian, ginger, hawthorn, horseradish, honeysuckle, mustard, nettle, peppercorn, red sandalwood, rue, safflower, sanicle, tobacco, wormwood

The Planet Mars has a bad reputation, as it is often associated with destruction, impetuous action, strife, and aggression, but these are qualities that Mars expresses when its energies are not in balance. These energies are also those that protect and vitalize. Their catabolic effects destroy and transform—breaking down and clearing away waste or dead tissue. The balanced, positive energies of Mars can be represented in the activities of firemen, police officers, and the military—all professions that can be dangerous yet protect life and, in the case of the police and military, preserve law and justice. The energies of Mars can be intense and uncomfortable at times, yet they are necessary in the protection of life and health.

Red is the color of Mars, which makes the Martian attributions of dragon's blood resin and cayenne obvious. In ritual, dragon's blood resin has its uses in binding, protection, and purgation, all of which fall under the dominion of the powers of Mars. Mars's herbs in general are irritants, purges, and stimulants, and they act to build up body heat, increase energy, and promote an assertive vitality. Rue, for example, is an aromatic stimulant whose energizing qualities have been known to relieve nervous heart problems such as arrhythmia and palpitation. Rue also alleviates colic, eliminates worms, and can provoke menstruation. One quickly learns upon handling fresh rue that its juice is a highly effective, though fortunately local, irritant.

Nettle, another herb of Mars, possesses thorns that act as hypodermics, injecting subcutaneous doses of stinging fluid. It is this same irritating juice, however, that when properly prepared becomes a powerful internal astringent, eliminating infections and blood in the urine, regulating blood pressure and flow, cleansing and relieving hemorrhoids, reducing susceptibility to colds, and by virtue of its heating action, soothing rheumatic conditions.

The mineral sulphur is also attributed to Mars and is an extreme irritant, being hot (in fact, flammable) and explosive—all properties that exemplify that Planet's energy. Peppercorns and cayenne share this quality of producing extreme heat (peppers are classified by the amount of BTUs—British Thermal Units—that they produce), and the efficacy of their use depends largely on the resilience of the individual's constitution. Peppercorn and cayenne are noteworthy digestive catabolics, aiding immeasurably in the aggressive breakdown of food and waste products. Cayenne, in building up body heat, is excellent for maintaining resistance to colds and will increase blood flow to any area that it is applied to when used in a plaster (although watch out for the danger of blistering).

The internal effects of these irritants as well as the olfactory stimulus of sulphur used in Incense are highly effective in the induction of a Mars temperament, especially where aggression is called for and in meditative pathworkings pertaining to the Qabbalistic sphere of Geburah, which is also associated with Mars.

Magically speaking, herbs of Mars give vast amounts of energy to projects and health. They bring protection, independence, assertiveness, and motivation and stimulate the passions. When mixed into an Incense or formula with herbs of other Planets, Martian herbs lend their immense energies to the effects of the other herbs, thereby strengthening and vitalizing the whole. Like Mars, Saturn is another Planet of protection, but there is a difference in how Saturnian and Martian energies protect. You might think of Saturnian protection as the shield, Martian protection as the sword. You might choose to use Mars's energy for protection in instances of real danger to you or those you love. Saturn's energy would be more appropriate in situations where you are shielding from negativity, such as in a Home Blessing.

Since so many of the herbs and oils of Mars are hot in nature, be careful when you choose the ingredients for any of your herbal Magick. Cayenne, chili peppers, nettles, aloeswood, mustard, and peppercorns should never be added to a Mars Incense, because when burned, the smoke from these herbs severely irritates the mucous membranes, throat, and eyes. Adding cayenne, chili peppers, nettles, or aloeswood to an Herbal Philtre or Fluid Condenser is also not recommended, as these mixtures are often ingested, and the above herbs would be very unpleasant and possibly irritating when drunk.

Composing a Magickal Potpourri

Let's explore the effectiveness of Mars energy by making an Herbal Potpourri to use in your workplace. Oftentimes, people feel uncomfortable having to stand up for themselves with co-workers or the boss. Or perhaps you might feel that you are often passed over for promotions or new tasks. Maybe you could use this energy to give you motivation to start or complete an important project. This Potpourri can sit on your desk, lending its strength to your immediate environment and giving you courage and motivation to achieve your goals and stand your ground gracefully yet firmly.

In a Potpourri, the herbal ingredients do not need to be powdered or cut up into very small pieces. In fact, the more whole your ingredients are, the more attractive the end result will be.

Gather together your choice of the following Mars herbs and oils:

safflower

red sandalwood

dragon's blood resin (small chunks will look better than the powdered form, or you can use the oil)

ginger (root and/or essential oil)

honeysuckle (flowers and/or essential oil)

Combine one scoop each of the chosen herb, stirring them together gently so that you don't crush the materials. Distribute each herb thoroughly throughout the mixture. Now add twenty drops of each of the essential oils you've chosen. Toss the herbs together with the oils as you focus on being strong, motivated, courageous, and energetic. This focus will charge your Potpourri with your intention.

Now place your Potpourri in a red or orange bowl—the colors of Mars—and set it on your desk. Whenever you feel the need to add a little “oomph” to your work or your confidence, just fluff the herbs lightly with your fingers. This will release the scent, and you will feel energized and effective. After a month or so, if you feel that you need to reactivate the bowl or that the scent is not as strong as you prefer, just freshen it with a few drops of some of the oils that you originally added to your Potpourri.

Martian herbs are often used for protection or to rid yourself of troublesome people. Traditionally, pieces of chili pepper are strewn across the front doorstep to keep people you don't want away from you and from entering your home. Small pieces of chili pepper can also be placed in the shoes of a person you are trying to remove from your life.

Martian energy is intense, and most of the time Mars's herbs and oils are used in conjunction with the energies of other Planets to intensify their effects, rather than in a “simple”—a formula that uses only one Planet's herbs. Here are some examples of how a touch of a Mars herb can act with and upon other Planetary energies to enhance their effectiveness:

Sun with Mars

Sun is confidence, personal power, health, and self-expression. Add a little Mars and increase your control over your life, enhance your ability to express your interests and goals with even greater success, or enable yourself to stroll through life with energy, health, and personal charisma.

Moon with Mars

Lunar energies keep you in touch with your emotions, your psyche, and your subconscious. Add some Mars to quicken the development of your psychic abilities, motivate yourself to transform bad habits into good ones, or add vitality to your system if you are working on fertility issues.

Mercury with Mars

Eloquence, intelligence, and business endeavors are some of the energies of Mercury. Combining Mercurial herbs and oils with an herb or oil belonging to the dominion of Mars will help you to be more persuasive, have an even quicker mind, and be charmingly assertive enough to get the job you deserve.

Jupiter with Mars

Expansion, honor, authority, and growth all belong to Jupiter. Add a Mars energy to grow and expand faster in an area of your ambition, garner recognition of your accomplishments, intensify your authority in any area of your life, or expand your understanding of the best ways to accomplish your goals.

Venus with Mars

Romance, beauty and the arts—what's not to love? Combining Venusian energy with a touch of Mars will add passion to the romance, help you to express yourself confidently as an artist, and make people look twice when you pass.

Saturn with Mars

Protection, understanding of karma, endurance, self-discipline, and control are the areas where Saturnian herbs are used. Add strength and energy with a Saturn-Mars combination to protect your home if you live in a particularly dangerous area, to work through karmic debt, to vitalize yourself in a situation which requires hard work and endurance, or to accomplish a difficult task requiring much self-control.

Neptune with Mars

Neptune is the Planet of out-of-body experiences, creative genius, and the mystical. Bringing a little Martian energy into the equation will help you to harness and express the creativity residing in your subconscious, master astral projection more quickly, and experience more intensely any meditation, trancework, or altered state.

Uranus with Mars

Intellectual genius, innovative thought, and transformation of thought patterns fall under the dominion of Uranus. Mars will increase the workings of your mind to higher levels, bring action to your original thoughts, and hasten your ability to change the way your brain works, taking you out of any thought doldrums.

Pluto with Mars

Karma, unconscious behavior patterns, letting go, facing fear, and your Shadow Self are all Plutonian in nature. Partnering Pluto's herbs and oils with an herb or oil of Mars will help you open those scary “memory boxes” in the back of your mind that make you so uncomfortable, break through barriers when you are working in psychotherapy, recognize karmic debt, and enable you to actively work to release it. This is not a fun combination, be warned. It is very intense, and if you choose to work with this combination, expect dramatic changes that will rock your life.