Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis

Cancer, Pisces

Cleansing, Clearing

Lemon Balm is a lemon-scented perennial herb historically used to flavor food and for healing. The herb is also referred to as Melissa, the Greek word for honey bee. Lemon balm flowers attract honey bees.  Leaves of the Lemon Balm plant are used to make Melissa essential oil.

Lemon balm is grown world wide but was native to southern Europe and northern Africa.  It prefers full sunlight or part shade. Plants do not like high humidity.  Lemon Balm has bright green leaves, can grow up to 3 feet tall and blooms from June to August with white or cream colored flowers.  Plants are deer resistant.

Lemon Balm seeds are very fine and need very little dirt covering them. Germination takes place 6 to 8 weeks after planting.  Plants can also be propagated through cuttings rooted in water. 

Lemon Balm has been used to sooth digestive disorders, respiratory issues and to calm anxiety and stress.  It is used as an essential oil and tea.

Lemon Balm can be used to cleanse and clear on all levels by setting the intent that healing can take place at the "source" of the illness or distress within the body by allowing "source" of all that is to do the healing. Lemon Balm has a fragrant scent that works to help relax and uplift.  Using the scent, the essential oil or other form of the Lemon Balm leaves benefits us by assisting with relaxation and letting go that's needed to let in the healing energy.  Set your intention to direct the healing energy to clearing the source of the illness or distress.  In conjunction with clearing symptoms of illness or distress, Lemon Balm can cleanse resident symptoms and work to bring the body and mind back into a natural balance. 

Lemon Balm can be used at regular intervals for its cleansing and clearing effects to maintain general good health and well being. It can also be used in a personal ceremony to cleanse chakras, to celebrate good health and well being or to celebrate other uplifting areas of interest to you.

Common names for Lemon Balm are Sweet Balm, Melissa Balm, Heart's Delight and English Balm.

Bee Balm

Monarda

Cancer

Cleansing, Clairalience (Smell)

Bee Balm is a fragrant perennial that produces red, pink, purple and white flowers in late spring and summer. Flowers bloom for up to 6 weeks. 

The plants like full sun but in areas with very hot summers will tolerate some shade.  They also like well drained soil. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Bee Balm is part of the mint family. The petals of the flower can be used to make tea and are edible.  The leaves can also be eaten.  It is deer and rabbit resistant.

Bee Balm is native to North American woodlands and likes moist soil that is well drained. Grown domestically, the plants grow in clumps from 1.5 to 2.5 feet in width, from 3 to 4 feet tall. Plants can be divided every couple of years in the spring or fall. Bee Balm spreads easily by seed.

Native Americans used Bee Balm as an antiseptic to treat topical infections and as a decongestant.  It is antimicrobial - a natural source of the antiseptic ingredient Thymol which was used historically for mouth infections and is used currently in some mouthwashes. Bee Balm is used for cleansing - both for calming and treating physical infections and for treating mild emotional distress.  Smelling Bee Balm is very soothing. It can also be used to make an herbal tea that has a mild mint taste, which can be calming to physical and mild emotional stresses.

Bee Balm flowers smell of orange and spice, spearmint and peppermint, with some hints of oregano. Because of the strong frangrence of Bee Balm, it is connected to Clairalience, the psychic sense of smell.  Smell connects people strongly to memories, which can be brought to consciousness for healing and story telling.

Alternate names are Scarlet Beebalm, Crimson Beebalm, Horsemint and Bergamot (Bee Balm is not used to make Bergamot tea). Oswego Tea refers to the Oswego Native Americans living near the city of Oswego in upstate New York who taught early settlers from Europe to use the plant leaves to make herbal tea.

Gladiolus

Gladiolus

Gladiolus

Leo, Virgo

Spiritual Growth, Angelic Connection

Gladiolus is a perennial known for tall (2 to 5 feet) flower spikes. The flowers are in a range of colors white, yellow, pink, lavender, rose, burgundy, coral and green. The flowers can be grown in colder regions as annuals. Flowers bloom once a year from March to May.

Gladiolus are grown from bulbs known as corms which are flatter in shape than traditional bulbs. Plants will multiply and spread from corms. Flowers bloom from 70 to 90 days after corms are planted. Plants like well drained soil and full sun.

Hummingbirds are attracted to Gladiolus.

The name Gladiolus is from gladius in Latin which means sword.  Gladiolus means little sword, and for that reason, it was associated historically with strength.

Gladiolus also brings in and emphasizes the energies of spiritual growth or blossoming into the light.  People who are becoming light workers or growing into their own awareness and intuition can find inspiration and reinforcement of their abilities with Gladiolus.  It also bring us the imagery of reaching to the heavens then blossoming, emphasizing our connection to the divine radiating from source and the divine within ourselves.

Gladiolus is also symbolic of connection with Angelic realms.  It grows in clumps of corms, reminding us of a community, and blooms in a variety of colors, reminding us of the variety of angles here to work with us. People wishing to deepen their connection to the energy of angels can use Gladiolus as part of a meditation practice or as a visual inspiration to connect to that energy and a reminder that angel energy is always present.  Specific colors can also be related to specific angels:

• Michael - Blue - tranquility
• Raphael - Green -healing
• Gabriel - White - revelation
• Jophiel - Yellow - loving thought
• Uriel - Red - wisdom
• Chamuel - Pink - relationships
• Zadkiel - Purple - angel of mercy

In Chinese astrology, Gladiolus is associated with people born in the year of the monkey.

 

Iris

Iris

 
 Iris

Cancer, Virgo

Connection to source energy, Healing with color

Iris are perennials that grow from 6 inches to up to 40 inches. Flowers grow on stalks and are in many colors, including blue, purple, yellow, white, pink, red, orange and brown.  Most Iris varieties have flat leaves that fan out around the stalks.

Iris roots are rhizomes, which grow at the soil surface, and produce horizontal roots and new flowering stalks for the plant. The iris plant can easily be propagated by dividing the rhizomes. Some Iris varieties are grown from bulbs. More than 60,000 cultivars (types of iris) are grown. A common name for some types of iris is "flags."

In Japan, Iris is known for its purifying energies and the flower is worn to protect the wearer.

Iris, in Greek mythology, is a goddess of the rainbow and is a messenger of the gods.  She was also known as a goddess of the sea and sky. Iris has unique capabilities related to her goddess status.  The plants receive source energy/divine energy as all living things do but what makes Iris unique is that the purpose of the plants are to to be open to receive source energy or the energy of the heavens. Iris is one of the light workers of the plant family and you can become familiar with Iris to work in partnership with the plant to leverage this unique capability. You can sit near Iris plants and absorb the energy they are receiving.  For those who practice shamanic journey, the stem or leaves of the Iris plant can be used as an energy conduit or focal point to jump into the lower world. Iris can also be used in combination with the wind as a jumping off point to the middle world.

If you are specifically drawn to Iris you can contemplate whether you could benefit from the energy Iris receives from the heavens or whether you need to be more open to receiving source energy.  You can work with the energy Iris brings in your own light worker practice, and to receive high vibration energy that you and others can use with the intent to heal.  As Iris is goddess of the rainbow, Iris will assist with healing with color.

Iris is poisonous if ingested. The plants are deer and rabbit resistant.

Iris is available in many varieties:

• African Iris (Dietes bicolor) - likes full sun and is drought tolerant. Produces white flowers accented with yellow and blue.
• Bearded Iris (Iris germanica) - also known as German Iris.  Many types are available with plants growing from 8 to 38 inches high. Flowers bloom in a variety of colors, depending on variety, from mid-spring to early summer and require good drainage.
• Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica) - grows from bulbs and blooms in spring. Likes full sun and well drained soil. Popular with florists due to long stems and long lasting flowers.
• Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) - grows in part to full shade and blooms in white, purple and blue from March to May. Clusters of leaves grow from 4 to 16 inches high with flowers 2.5 inches wide.
• Japanese Iris (Iris ensata) - will grow in shallow standing water and poorly drained soil. Also known as the Butterfly Iris.
• Louisiana Iris (Iris brevicaulis, Iris fulva, Iris giganticaerulea, Iris hexagona, Iris nelsonii) - five species native to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. These plants tolerate swamp conditions, like full sun and are dormant in August and September. 
• Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) - blooms in late spring and early summer and will grow in poorly drained soil. Plants produce clumps of grassy leaves, and are native to Northern Italy, Turkey and Southeast Russia.
• Walking Iris (Neomarica gracilis) - attracts bees, butterflies and birds. Grows from 10 to 36 inches high and usually has 12 leaves.

Peony

Tree Peony

Paeonia

Scorpio

Vibrancy, Winter

Peony is a perennial known for it's large showy pink, red, white or yellow flowers in spring and summer. Newly planted peonies may take up to three years to produce flowers.  Mature plants may require support as the number of flowers may cause the supporting stems to bend to the ground. Peony plants require little care and can survive winter temperatures to -30 degrees F, with some able to tolerate -50 degrees F.

Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and along the Pacific Coast in North America.  Tree Peony is native to China.

Peonies are available in two types:

• Herbaceous Peony likes full sun.  Plants grow to 4 feet and blooms are up to 6 inches in diameter.  A well established plant may have several dozen flowers. Herbaceous Peony can be divided. At the first frost, these plants die back to the ground and reemerge in the spring. These plants have been known to live in the same place for 50 years or more. They are deer resistant.
• Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) typically grows to 5 feet tall but can grow up to 10 feet tall and are 4 to 5 feet wide. The plants like partial shade and well drained soil. In the fall, the plants loose their leaves but the woody branches remain visible through the winter. Tree Peony is grown from seed or grafts. 

The two energetic aspects of this plant, vibrancy and winter, provide balance for each other. The Peony flowers are bold and are produced in high numbers in spring and summer, showing us the bold aspects of vibrancy.  Peony is for those who like life bold and colorful, who live with vibrancy.  This is the energy that can be used to provide focus and, more importantly, the action needed to create and complete projects, from planning a party to producing a software release. The vibrancy will carry the planner and the project to completion.

One who is familiar with peony energy may also be thankful for the dormancy in winter.  Peony either dies back or loses its leaves, but either way it becomes quiet and is prepared for extremely cold temperatures of winter.  We can learn from this example that winter can be a time of quiet rest. The darkness can be used as a time of contemplation and planning, and the cold a way to slow down and prepare for the action that spring and summer will be sure to bring.

People who chose to work with Peony have the best of all seasons - the vibrancy of the full sun of spring and summer, and the time to contemplate and plan during winter.

Coneflower

Echinacea

Pisces

Knowing, Healing

Coneflower is also called Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), a wildflower native to eastern and central North America that is used to treat bacterial infections. It also refers to Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) which also has a cone center surrounded by yellow droopy petals.  The "paradoxa" references the paradox of this plant having yellow flowers instead of purple. This paradox points out the uniqueness of people who work with Coneflower medicine - they make look like everyone else but have a better sense of knowing, both themselves and through all of their senses, including their connection to spirit.

Coneflower grows from 2 to 4 feet in height and likes full sun. The purple and pink flowers blooms in the summer and often into the fall.  It grows well in many types of well drained soil, including soil with clay. The plant is heat, drought and deer resistant. This suggests resilience and tolerance which are traits of people who know themselves, who know their own resilience and are tolerant of those conditions, places and people who are not like themselves.  This knowing extends to intuition or claircognizance, where people who are attracted to Coneflower were born with strong intuition to see into the dark: to know the truth of others, their true nature and motivations and their true personalities, which may or may not match with what they say. The concept of knowing may be seen in people with a strong sense of purpose, such as professional athletes, painters and others who have a passion for what they do.  To outsiders, these may look like extraordinary abilities.  To the individual, the unique ability feels very comfortable, and they likely see themselves as no different than anyone else. 

Coneflower attracts birds and butterflies which is symbolic of connection to higher realms of intuition and knowing. 

If the flowers are left on the stems, the plants will self seed.  The leaves and flower petals are edible. Roots are used to make echinacea tea. 

The plant was used historically by Native Americans as a medicinal herb. Extracts from the plant roots and leaves are used currently to treat colds and the flu and some have used it to treat other types of infections such as ear aches. It has also been used to reduce inflammation and has been explored for use as an antioxidant. 

Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos meaning sea-urchin in reference to the spiny appearance of the center cone on the flowers. 

Sedum

Sedum

Sedum

Gemini

Strength, Steadfastness

Also called Stonecrop, Sedum refers to a variety of  perennial plants that have thick, succulent leaves that store water along fleshy stems and grow flower clusters in pink, red, white or yellow in summer and fall.  The plants very from 3 inch tall creeping sedums that are frequently used as ground cover to tall sedums that grow up to 3 feet in height.

As flowering plants, Sedum attracts birds and butterflies. The plants are deer and rabbit resistant.  Sedum can be easily divided for propagation into more plants. Once established, Sedum is drought tolerant and requires very little watering. Sedum will grow in rocky soil.

Sedum plants have thick stems and leaves that are symbols of strength.  Sedum bring to us several concepts of strength.  The first is the concept of inner strength.  Call on the energy of sedum when you need to fine tune your inner strength or to shore up the strength you need to carry a project to completion.  These energies can also be used to remind us of our own strength when surrounded life challenges.

Tall sedum plants have many stalks bearing flowers.  Think of these stalks as a group of people who are like minded who are standing together.  They can also represent your family group or friend group.

The strength sedum brings also carries the energy of steadfastness.  If the family of sedum is of interest to you, you likely have beliefs that have evolved over time into a solid base of who you are.  You use this base of beliefs to make sense of the world around you and the world of spirit and can use that base to navigate both easily. Sedum energy also introduces the question of whether your beliefs are too firmly based.  Can you see the perspective of someone else introducing a new idea or are you willing to discard old beliefs that no longer serve you? 

Sedum points out the choices we have in how we progress through life. What do you prefer?  The relative safety of growing close to the earth, safe from the wind, or taller and more visible, yet vulnerable to more risks? Or do you choose a combination of both?

• Creeping Sedum - produce clusters of star-shaped flowers in yellow, pink or white.
• Tall Sedum - grow up to 3 feet with succulent leaves along the stems with flower clusters in summer or fall.