>>Ruby's post: Sagittarius herbs

This week (November 22), the Sun enters the sign of Sagittarius--your month, all you Sagittarians out there! Jupiter is your ruler, the planet of good fortune, plenty, and joy. And with six planets in Sagittarius next month, you should have just about all you can handle, and then some!

Herbs of Sagittarius (If you're not familiar with the traditional concepts relating herbs and astrology, you might want to read my earlier post about this.)

The planet Jupiter, named for the Roman god of the sky, is said to rule the hips, thighs, lower spine, and the autonomic nervous system, as well as the process of growth and self-preservation. It also governs the body’s largest glandular organ, the liver. Herbs related to Jupiter have traditionally been used to treat lower back problems, arthritis, and rheumatism, and to deal with liver ailments. Because Jupiter is the largest planet, it was thought to rule large plants, such as trees and plants with long and deep taproots. Herbs of Sagittarius include:

• Willow (Salix sp). A tea made of the bark of the willow reduces the pain and inflammation of rheumatism and arthritis. Its chief constituent, methyl salicylate, is the primary ingredient in aspirin.
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). A useful herb, dandelion has been shown to stimulate the flow of liver bile. The seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper (who assigned this plant to Jupiter) says it is “very effectual for removing obstructions of the liver, gall bladder, and spleen.”
• Sage (Salvia officinalis). Sage has been used for centuries as a powerful preservative; research indicates that it contains antioxidants, which slow spoilage. Sage is used to treat wounds, ease gastrointestinal complaints, and heal sore throat and bleeding gums.
• Other Sagittarius herbs include dock (another traditional liver herb); lime blossom, meadowsweet (also contains methyl salicylate and can be used to treat rheumatism); costmary; chicory.

Whether or not you accept the ancient belief in a connection between the plants and the planets, it's interesting to know how people thought. And these medicinal uses of herbs are still with us today. You don't have to be a Sagittarian to benefit from willow, dandelion, and sage!

O! Mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones and their true qualities;
For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.
—William Shakespeare