Perfumes, Planets & Plants

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Perfumes, Planets & Plantsby Wanda SellarPlanets & AromasAromatics may play a part in perfumes and even aromatherapy, but istheir involvement in astrology a mere fancy? Not according to William

Lilly (1602-1681) who in 'Christian Astrology' designates an aroma toeach of the planets. He actually calls the 'aromas' - savours but shouldwe quibble about a word?Offering aromatics to various deities, usually in the form of incense,

was a tradition common to many religions. Most early societies thoughtthat disease was the gods' punishment for wrongdoing. The Egyptiansburned Myrrh and Frankincense to their Sun god Re encouraging hisre-appearance the following morning. The Greeks and Romans were

convinced that perfumes were of a celestial nature and who but Venusshould be the goddess of perfume? Though it was actually Aeon, one ofher nymphs, who revealed the secret of perfumery to man. No doubt she

was punished for this!Aromatic woods and incense were thrown on hot coals and the perfumedsmoke ascended heavenwards as if greeting the gods. The word 'Perfume'is derived from the Latin 'Per Fumin' meaning 'through smoke'. Perfumes

were also extracted from plants, which in ancient times was carried outby a form of maceration, that is placing plant material in animal fatand later in fixed oils such as olive, sesame or moringa. The resultant

oil was pleasantly aromatic producing a natural marriage between health,aesthetics and mysticism.Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654), the herbalist and astrology was guided inhis successful healing practice by the planetary rulers of plants, but

it was Lilly, as mentioned earlier who assigned an aroma to each ofthem. The Sun for instance, has 'a mixture of sour and sweet together,or the aromatical flavour, being a little bitter and stiptical(contracting) but withall confortative and a little sharp,. In short the

Sun gives us a sweet yet piquant aroma. Just smell the zest of an Orangeand see how it mirrors the scent of the Sun - sweet and piquant.Rosemary is also a Sun ruled plant, totally different to Orange, yet

still fulfilling the Sun's aromatic description, sweet and piquant, asdo Juniper and Aniseed. Not so Camomile, whose aroma does not conform tothe properties of the Sun, its ruler.The Sun rules the heart and circulation: Aniseed has been used in

cardiac fatigue, Juniper purifies the blood. Rosemary raises low bloodpressure and Orange has a reputation for bringing down high levels ofcholesterol in the blood.The Moon gives us no aromatic delights, for as Lilly says the Moon is

'fresh or without any savour'. Such watery plants as Cucumber, cabbage,Melon and Gourds typify the Moon's smell or lack of it. Could the Moon'sdeficiency in smell have anything to do with it being a 'dead' planet,

having no light of its own? The Moon rules the fluids in the body.On the other hand, Mercury, according to Lilly, doth ' quicken thespirits,' is 'subtle and penetrative'. Obviously, the scent is piercing,

clear and refreshing, stimulating the brain cells. Lavender and Marjoramseem typical of that pervasive aroma and are known to be very calming onthe nervous system. Another well-known Mercury ruled planet, Valerian,

has been used as a nerve sedative for centuries. The aroma is repugnantbut since it has a camphoraceious top note may also typify the aroma ofMercury.Venus, of course, is 'pleasant and toothsome (delicious smell)'

according to Lilly, 'usually moist and sweet, or that is verydelectable; in smells what is unctuous (oily charm) and aromatical, andincites to wantonness.' Venus therefore, has a sweetly, seductive,almost cloying aroma. Do we see this in Rose, Geranium, Narcissus and

Violet? Perhaps we do, but it is not so evident in Birch, Myrtle andYarrow. Yet all these plants, to a greater or lesser extent, have aneffect on the glands, hormones and the womb - the province of Venus.

What else can we expect from mars but to be 'bitter and sharp', or soLilly tells us. No wonder we are seduced by the oily charm of Venus andoften repelled by the astringency of Mars. Beware the bite then of

Pepper, Garlic and Onion. Other Mars ruled plants like Basil and Broomstill have the bounce but less of the bite. Mars rules muscles and theblood stream and these plants are helpful in this regard.The greater benefic, Jupiter, is very much like the smaller benefic,

that is sweet. We certainly find this in Linden Blossom and Jasmine andto some extent in Nutmeg and Clove, though the latter two seem toincline more to the forceful Mars with his more 'spicy' note. The sweet

aroma of Jupiter is a little more 'ethereal' than that of Venus andperhaps not so inclined to wantonness. Jupiter rules the liver and thelungs and Clove and Linden Blossom have always been helpful forbronchial problems.

Lilly makes no bones about Saturn's aroma: 'Sour, bitter and sharp'.Unfortunately, Cypress and Cumin are just that. Interestingly, Cypressrestricts- a good old Saturnine word - the water in the body. In other

words it controls haemorrhages, oedema, heavy menstruation and copioussweating. Cumin seems to warm an aroma really for Saturn, but since theGreeks and Romans put it in the graves of their dead, it might have some

connection to the traditional Lord of Death.DecumbituresPlanetary rulership of plants is most useful in Decumbiture charts whichgive an indication of possible medicines, as shown by the 10th House.

Decumbiture charts are erected for the time the patient takes to his orher bed. If that time is not available, the chart is set up for the timethe patient takes his urine to the doctor. Ultimately, a consultation

decumbiture is just as useful, set for the meeting of patient and physician.

http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/astro/quarterly/perfume.html-- Diana Gonzalez

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. -Unknown