©1999 Lesley Rokjer

Astrology, being all about cycles of growth and experience, reflects the unfolding of our lives on many levels. For me it is an indispensable tool in selecting essences for myself and my clients. Natal astrology -- the study of one's birth chart -- helps to illuminate ongoing issues. Transits and progressions -- the movements of the planets in the heavens at any given time -- provide clues about what we may be experiencing right now.

One of my favorite ways of combining astrology and vibrational essences is the "monthly bouquet."* Together, my client and I take a look at what's going on in her life and how the current movements of the planets reflect this. We discuss what she wants to accomplish. Then we select an essence or mixture of essences to ease rough transitions and help her take advantage of opportunities. This blend or "bouquet" will be used for the next lunar month (approx. 29 days).

All transits are not created equal. When slower moving planets make contact with planets in a natal chart, this can indicate a period of one to several years when we will be dealing with a major issue or cluster of related issues as a kind of "background music" to our lives. Here, we might select one or more relevant essences to use throughout the period. Faster moving transits last only a few days, weeks or months. In these cases, using an essence or blend for a shorter periods works better.

I'll give an example based on the chart of a real client. Lisa was one of my "regulars." We had done an annual update a few months before when she asked for an essence consultation by e-mail around New Year's Day.

For everyone, not just Lisa, the upcoming weeks would be quite energetic astrologically. Saturn and Neptune were transiting in a stressful square aspect to each other (i.e., they wereroughly 90 degrees apart in the sky) for the first several months. Mars would step into the picture from about January 10 to February 5, when it opposed Saturn and squared Neptune.

In a very basic, universal sense, these transiting Saturn-Neptune-Mars aspects have to do with energy and initiative (Mars) meeting with blockage, a need for focus or refinement (Saturn), and possibly confusion or dissolution (Neptune). Anger, frustration, creative block, fizzling or thwarted efforts, and other similar situations tend to manifest for everyone. We may feel others are trying to control or deceive us, or that we must act covertly to get anything done. Or, we may find we're denying or blocking our own assertive or ambitious instincts. The Saturn-Neptune square, which continues long after Mars has moved along, reflects a sweeping mood of disillusionment, confusion and possibly depression.

Lisa had been especially affected by these transits, since they contacted several planets and sensitive points in her birth chart: Neptune in Scorpio in her second house, Mercury in Gemini in her ninth house (closely conjunct and ruling her Gemini Sun and Midheaven), and Saturn in Sagittarius on her fourth cusp opposite the Gemini planets. Lisa was a very capable and creative writer and graphic designer. She's a hard worker and always goes the extra mile to do the job right. But lately her work life had been very frustrating for her. The company she worked for was in turmoil and, perhaps because she is so versatile, she often ended up doing more than her share of the work. She told me her job description was unclear and she was not being paid enough. She said she sometimes felt as though she was being used but she feared changing jobs.

Lisa also mentioned feeling exhausted physically and emotionally by the demands made on her at work, and "out of her depth" when it came to office politics. She felt intimidated by some of her coworkers and was afraid to confront them, but, she said, "Something's got to give."

We looked at her chart and discussed how the current transits relate to her situation. I also pointed out some harmonious aspects she might try to take advantage of: Saturn trining her Pluto, ruler of her third house, perhaps indicating her learning to appreciate her own ideas and insights more, tapping her own power and creativity, not caring so much about what others think. Also, at the same time that Mars joined the stressful configuration with transiting Saturn and Neptune, it trined Lisa's Mercury, Sun and Midheaven from her second house. Maybe she could use this energy to make a stand at work and ask for what she wanted assertively and confidently.

We chose and tested a number of essences, and at last decided on this bouquet of yellow, orange and red blossoms:

• Aloe (orange-pink, Desert Alchemy and others) helps restore vitality during periods of burnout. Often helpful during Saturn transits and for natal Sun-Saturn aspects, like Lisa has.
• Bouvardia (red, Desert Alchemy) is a great remedy during Neptune transits. It fosters directness, positive response and action.
• Desert Marigold (yellow, Desert Alchemy). When we feel out of control, overpowered, victimized or motivated by guilt, this essence can help us tap our own power.
• Scarlet Monkeyflower (bright red, Flower Essence Services). We tested several remedies for assertiveness, and this one gave the strongest positive. Lisa had been keeping a lid on her anger and, perhaps as a result, she often felt tired and tense. Scarlet Monkeyflower may help her face her anger and express it appropriately. Not coincidentally, Mars rules both anger and the color red.

I recommended that she start using the mixture a few days after the new moon. It's possible to begin taking an essence at any time, but for a "bouquet," I prefer to start just after a new moon and continue through the lunar month. Often there is a dawning awareness around the full moon, after the essence has had a couple weeks to work. Then, as the moon wanes, we begin to put the pieces together and make use of what we've discovered. The energies at the dark moon seem perfect for a pause in the cycle. During this time the essence or mixture can be reassessed and either continued, stopped or changed.

The next new moon after Lisa began using her bouquet mixture would be the new moon/solar eclipse falling into Lisa's sixth house of work, health and daily routine and would aspect her natal Moon and Pluto. Perhaps it would bring up new ideas and feelings for her. We decided to get in touch around then to assess how the mixture had worked for her. Also, the transiting Mars-Saturn-Neptune aspects would repeat again in the spring, so she would have an opportunity explore those issues further. I would include an update later on, perhaps with some feedback from Lisa herself.

If you're an astrological novice and want to try a monthly bouquet, you could work with an essence practitioner and an astrologer or computerized transit report to help zero in on the hot issues in a given month. Or, choose the essences yourself and use the moon's cycles to help with the timing. More information is available in our essence FAQ and in our Virtual Booklet on astrology and essences.

(*This idea and the name "monthly bouquet" were devised by astrologer Donna Cunningham, one of Vibration's editors.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lesley Rokjer was one of the contributing editors for this publication in its early issues. She uses vibrational essences in her astrological practice. For more information, visit her Stellalune Astrology web site.

ART CREDITS: Page design created by Donna Cunningham of Word of Mouth Web Design. Photos from Photos.com.

The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.

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