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Moondala
The Moondala is a map that connects and contextualizes the cycles of the moon and your personal cycle, so that you can comprehend the patterns of each phase of the lunation and how you can work together with the forces of the universe.
A lunar calendar is a calendar based upon cycles of the Moon’s phases. Each lunation is a little less than 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds.
Month after month, the moon cycle mirrors a woman’s menstrual cycle, which coincidently has an average length of 29.5 days as well. And similar to the moon cycle, a woman’s menstrual cycle changes from the menstruation of new growth, to the ovulation of full power and blossom, to the pre-menstrual phase of harvest and degeneration, and back to menstruation of renewal again.
All life forms have cycles of birth, growth, death, and renewal that are mirrored in the progressive phases of the moon cycle.
The Phases of the Moon
The moon has four phases or quarters lasting about seven days each. The first two quarters are during the waxing or increasing light, between the new and the full moon. The third and fourth quarters are after the full moon when the light is waning, or decreasing.
Gravitational pull influences moisture in soil. Human beings consits largely of water.
Planting by the moon is an idea as old as agriculture, based both in folklore and magic, but there are scientific ideas to back it up. The Earth is in a large gravitational field, influenced by both the sun and moon. The tides are highest at the time of the new and the full moon, when sun and moon are lined up with earth. Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls upon the subtle bodies of water, causing moisture to rise in the earth, which encourages growth. The highest amount of moisture is in the soil at this time, and tests have proven that seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon.
After three months mapping your moon, you will star to notice the patterns in your cycles that you were maybe never aware of; patterns that will give you keys on how you flow and how you are connected to the universe.
The first day of bleeding is counted as the first day of the cycle, and the cycle ends in the last day before the next period. If you do not bleed, you can start mapping on the new moon.
As above – So below
As within – So without
This moondala was created by Lisa Jeannin for the Alchemist´s Kitchen and the Travelling Medicine Show at Het Bos in Antwerpen during the Alchemical spring and sign of Aries.
Printed by Risiko Press.
Shatavari
“Hundred Husbands”
Shatavari is one of the famous ayurvedic herbs. It is a main building tonic for women. It is rejuvenative for the female reproductive tract and builds the blood.
This herb is used as a moisturizer for the membranes of the lungs, digestive tract, the kidney and the urinary tract.
Shatavari reduces stress. It attunes us with our inner goddess.
This herb increases fertility , increases immunesystem, increase milk and sexual secretions and is an aphrodisiac. It is helpful in menopause, hormonal symptoms such as PMS, menstrual cramps, mood changes, hot flashes.
Southernwood
The sweet glistening core inside the black stone of sorrow
Southernwood is a strongly aromatic bitter herb that improves digestion and liver function by increasing secretions in the stomach and intestines, it stimulates the uterus and encourages menstrual flow, lowers fevers, relaxes spasms and destroys intestinal worms. The main use of this herb is as an emmenagogue, though it is also a good stimulant tonic and has some nervine principle.
Southernwood open the pores, liquify thick fluids, and raise the inner heat to drive obstructions and chills to the surface and out through the pores. Thus, it fights putrefaction and was used against the plague, and can induce fever in order to cleanse the body. Southernwood is antiseptic and stimulant.
The goddess Artemis is the protector of the mother and infant, the animals and the wilderness.
On an energetic level Southernwood helps to purge and release the old to leave space for the new. It has the ability to transform bitter memories, to move past them, release and no longer attach to them in order to bring back the sweetness to life.
Personally I connect Southernwood to the balsamic moon-phase, the ending of a cycle, the crone-aspect of the divine femenine. After a whole cycle of distilling out the essence , the sweet core can be found in the bitterness. Strong intuition, lunar qualities, the hunter transmuted to alchemist.
As Kolavippen, Death, a character created and interpretated by Hasse Alfredsson in the childrens book and film “Jim and the Pirates Blom”, smashes the black stone of sorrow and reveales a diamond he explains: “This is the core of sorrow. See how it glistens! This is the finest part of sorrow , never get rid of that, because you need it to understand others. It lightens you up from within!”
Tiger-Lily
“ O Tiger-lily” said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, “I wish you could talk!”
“We can talk”, said the Tiger-lily, “when there´s anybody worth talking to.”
Alice was so astonished that she couldn´t speak for a minute… At length, as the Tiger-lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice – almost in a whisper.
“And can all the flowers talk?”
“As well as you can,” said the Tiger-lily. “And a great deal louder.”
– Lewis Carroll , Through the Looking Glass.
It is a tigress of a plant and suitable for vibrant , wild and rowdy women! ( or men who identify with this flower and character)
Tiger-lily may be a helpful ally in case of IBS, painful periods, characterised by cramping pain and an intense dragging down or bearing down sensation.Haemorrhoids, with a dragging down sensation described above, are quite common. Rapid pulse. In Traditiona Chineese Medicine tigerlily is used for infertility and cysts in the womb, eggholders etc.
Good for acne.
Rapid mood swings ,easily provoked, so that they dip into irritability with the greatest of ease. While they are often easy-going, generous and sincere, they can flick into nastiness, anger and outright rage. This can be to the point of wanting to hurt, to hit out or slap. And they can be extremely over-sensitive, taking offence at the slightest perceived slight.
There are several remedies which have the characteristic of hurriedness. Tiger-lily is suited for those who feel pressured to do things quickly. They want things done at speed by themselves and by others. They become irritated if events are slower than they feel they should be. They hate people dithering in front of them. This sense of hurridness can have the effect of becoming inefficient. They try to do too many things at once, begin to get irritable, then fail to achieve any of the tasks.
As a result of the hurriedness they often feel this wild and crazy feeling at the top of the head. The thoughts come too fast, get jumbled and they feel confused. And when this happens they feel even more irritable. They can, accordingly, become quite hysterical in their reactions.
A characteristic conflict often centres around sex. They may feel torn in two directions, wanting to be a saint one moment and a sinner the next. Conflict between intellect and instinct, innocence and experience. Tiger-Lily has to do with accepting ones shadow , reconciling the opposites that resides within us.
Craving meat is quite common and attempts to go vegetarian, for whatever reason, often fail. And that isn´t surprising, being a tiger!
This georgeous orange plant transformed into an equally georgeous orange spagyric tincture. Orange is the color of the sacral chakra, the second, Svadhisthana. It has to do with creativity, sensuality and emotions.
Yarrow
The Wounded Warrior/The Wounded Healer
Yarrow is a fever remedy, It is also a bitter tonic that promotes digestion. The application as a wound remedy is prehistoric.
Because yarrow has such a strong affinity to the blood and bleeding, it is an important female remedy. It works both ways, to staunch excessive bleeding and to break up stagnant blood. Yarrow is a menstrual regulator. It is useful for irregular menstruation, mental restlessness in menopausal women and inflammation of the ovaries.
Yarrow is indicated for bleeding hemorrhoids. Use a compress with an infusion or hydrosol of yarrow topically and the spagyric tincture internally.
Yarrow both dulls pain and heightens consciousness. In a similar manner, it causes bleeding, stops bleeding, and breaks up stagnant, coagulated blood. Paradox is common in herbal medicine.
It is a warrior remedy. Named after the immortal Greek warrior, with the exception of his weak spot on his ankle (the Achilles tendon), it gives us the strength to face our weakness. Yarrow goes to this spot and strengthens it, turning our weaknesses into strengths and talents.
This is also reflected in the myth of Chiron, the wounded healer. The union of paradox and the union of the feminine and the masculine. (venus: female reproductive system and kidneys , mars: blood, fever, immune system) The transmutation from the warrior into the healer.
The teaching of yarrow is that it is a healer of the sacred wound. It is the sacred wounds that heal us on a deeper level.