Herbs for Sun in Aries: Flowers for the Moon in Libraby Jaysen Paulson

Contrary to what our culture believes, detoxing isn't to be coupled with our New Year's resolutions. In Winter, it's best if we are adding hearty meals to our diet, not sipping on raw cold juices. Leave the detox to Aries time. Some herbalists believe that herbs appear when they are needed. Dandelion greens are a great example of this as they detox the liver and clean the blood. Try drinking the fresh leaf tea, using the leaves in salads, or steaming the leaves and add to stir-fry. Another great example are Stinging Nettles, they aren't just for pesto plates at fancy restaurants, it is a great herb for cleansing and restoring the system, packed with vitamins and minerals. I add fresh nettles to miso soup, or try nettle pesto pizza or fresh leaf tea. Spring Greens recipe ideas here!

In the time of Aries, we have the Full Moon in Libra. This Full Moon brings in the consciousness of the polarity of these two signs sharing the core principle of what my co-teacher Rhea Wolf calls "the True Warrior", asking us what do we fight for? Aries would be more concerned with the self and Libra, more concerned with the other. Flower Essences that help with this are Bleeding Heart: to find balance in relationships that have a tendency for dependency, Goldenrod: seeks to develop a strong sense of self amongst peer pressure or social demands, Scleranthus: the ability to make decisions after weighing and balancing the options and achieving balance through the tension of polarity.

For more internal spring cleaning, check out this month's practice by Renee

Jaysen Paulson is a Portland-based astrologer, herbalist and founder of the Portland School of Astrology. In his work with his practice Cosmophilia, includes the marriage of astrology and herbal medicine with health and wellness. He is currently writing a book titled Plants & Planets: Herbal Medicine, Flower Essences and Astrology.