HERBS OF THE MOON
The energies of the Moon effect the activities of the subconscious,
the intuition, dream work and the emotions. The plants attributed to
the Moon act principally on the major fluids of the body and on the
stomach (attributed to Cancer, ruled by the Moon). Their fluidic
action is primarily regulatory and eliminative. Much of the
digestive activity seems also to influence the individual’s moods –
the emotional effect of stomach action being well known so this dual
action of several of the herbs makes a great deal of sense.

Several herbs bear marked resemblances to the Moon in her various
phases, both in color and shape of plant, fruit and flower. The
white fruits of fennel grow in pairs of curved oblong shapes that
seem to represent the waxing and waning lunar crescents. The lily,
long an associate of Lunar Goddesses, has round, bell-shaped flowers
that are frequently bright white and it bears oblong to crescent
shaped leaves. The fruit of the almond generally is also pure white
and oblong to crescent shaped.

Those herbs that deal with fluidity generally act upon water and
blood most specifically even as the Moon herself controls the tides
and the flow of blood. Cucumber helps eliminate excess water from
the body and is an anti-constipatory diuretic, particularly
effective in dissolving uric acid accumulations such as kidney
stones. Fennel and lily are eliminatives, laxatives and diuretics
and while the lily acts as a digestive antispasmodic, fennel is
commonly used to stimulate the flow of milk in nursing mothers.
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is particularly apt in its lunar
attribution in that in addition to its digestive and purgative
qualities, a decoction can be used quite effectively to regulate the
flow of menstrual blood.

Several Lunar herbs act on other fluids of the body (generally to
eliminate excess) as well as acting as digestives. Camphor, by
reducing fluid accumulation in the lungs and pleural sac, is an
excellent remedy for whooping cough and pleurisy. Bitter almond is
used as a cough remedy while sweet almond is used internally as a
soothing syrup and externally as an emollient. Meanwhile, white
sandalwood is used to reduce inflammation of mucosal tissue as well
as being a diuretic – a decoction of the wood can also be used for
indigestion.

Myrrh and Sandalwood share both astringent and stomachic properties,
but along with jasmin and bitter almond, they share qualities
ascribed to the Moon that surpass the simply medicinal. Bitter
almond and jasmin both have sedative effects, calming the nerves and
allowing a more intuitive, psychic lunar mode of brain function to
manifest. It is probably also this aspect that has earned jasmin its
reputation as an erotogen, the resultant intuitive empathy credited
with aphrodisical properties and the ability to overcome inhibition.
Almond, jasmin, sandalwood and myrrh seem when used in incense to
also possess the ability to trigger olfactorily the subtle, lunar
mode of perception that is so effective in work of intuition,
psychism and pathworking.

Magickally speaking, herbs of the Moon affect the subconscious mind.
They are a very good aid in the development of the intuition and of
psychic abilities as well as in remembering dreams. As they have
such a primary effect on the subconscious, they can be used to
successfully influence it to break old habits and to recall past
lives. Traditional Lunar herbs include anise,cabbage, camphor, cucumber,
iris, jasmine ,lettuce, lily, poppy, violet, willow,lotus, moonwort, mugwort , pumpkin and white
sandalwood.

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