Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera

Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Scorpio, Virgo

Healing, Soothe Emotions

Aloe Vera are flowering succulent plants that grow wild in tropical climates around the world. Plants have prickly leaves that provide defense against animals and grow to two feet tall. The plants enjoy direct sunlight and bloom in summer with orange, pink, red or yellow flowers. Aloe Vera, also called Barbados Aloe, First Aid Plant and Medicinal Aloe, is commonly grown indoors.

The gel in Aloe Vera leaves has been used for centuries for agricultural and medicinal uses. Known for their antiviral and antibacterial properties, aloe vera gel is used for skin and hair care. It is effective with healing mild burn wounds and is a common remedy for sunburn relief. 

The gel consists of 96% water and has vitamins A, B, C and E which are important for skin care and weight loss.  If ingested, the gel will cause sickness in people and pets. 

Mature aloe vera plants produce offsets or pups that can be removed and placed in soil to grow.

A leaf of a mature aloe plant can be cut and the gel used topically immediately.  This plant is prickly on the outside but has soothing properties on the inside.  It teaches us to stay neutral and curious about all things – those things that we perceive as something to fear may be those that give us great strength.   

The offsets or pups contain the energy for those who move locations and who like to or are interested in changing careers.  This energy grows from the existing energy to start new. If you want a new job or career that is very different, for example changing from a teacher to a real estate agent, use aloe to pave the way for a graceful transition.  The same applies when changing homes - aloe can soothe the emotions related to letting go and starting fresh.   

Aloe is a pure gift from the plant kingdom to the human kingdom – it is easy for everyone to grow and use for healing.

Again, the energy and essence of this plant show the importance of avoiding assumptions based on appearances. This somewhat small plant (grows up to two feet) gives back significantly in topical healing power. 

In use, aloe vera is soothing. Keep it on hand to soothe emotions during trying times, to sooth the more difficult emotions such as grief and to sooth people during life transitions. It will work to absorb the difficult emotions around it. And if, during these times, you have a small cut or burn, use the gel from a leaf to sooth the physical wound too.

Sunflower

Helianthus

Sunflower

Leo

Happiness, Far Sight

Native to North America, Sunflowers need full sun and enjoy hot summers for flowering. The plants can grow up to 12 feet tall but the tallest require support. The flowers attract bees, birds and butterflies, as well as deer and squirrels who feed on the seeds. 

 

Helianthus comes from the Greek helios anthos, meaning “sun flower.” In popular culture, sunflowers symbolize happiness.

Sunflowers are commonly yellow with a brown center but are also grown in orange, red, brown and bi-color.

Sunflower seeds are harvested for food; the seeds can be eaten or pressed into sunflower oil.  The first use of sunflowers for cooking and for healing was by the Native Americans about 3000 BC in the American Southwest. Today it is a commercial crop grown all over the world. Sunflowers will grow in soil ranging from sand to clay; good soil drainage is required.

Sunflowers follow the sun.  The blooms track the progress of the sun across the sky.  Those drawn to sunflowers also track the light, or we can say they attract the light.  The essence and energy of the sunflower can be seen in people with optimistic personalities– those who can pay more attention to the positive things in their experience.  

The very long stems reach for the sky, showing us that we too can grow above those around us to see the knowledge and wisdom that may otherwise be lost in the complex detail of life.  We can stretch our heads above our everyday experiences to see into spiritual depths with ease.

Sunflowers are often planted in rows so that they protect each other from the rain and wind. You can see the benefit of being surrounded by people who live with the knowledge and wisdom that we are more than our physical selves, and who value the spiritual along with the physical experience. 

Sunflowers have been used throughout history as food, for oil, for ceremony, for commercial and artistic purposes.  They represent longevity in our lives – look at the variety of uses as symbolism of all that sunflower brings to us to support us in longevity.