I am personally very interested in astrology and astronomy. I'm a Scorpio Sun, Aquarius Moon and Gemini Rising (if anyone cares) which means I am constantly looking at and aware of the behind the scenes or underlying reasons of things and people. I like learning and understanding the bigger picture as well as the details to see how things work and influence each other. So my interest in the celestial bodies around us and their influences is no surprise. The average Jane only knows about their sun sign and their horoscope. To me Scorpio's have a bad reputation among the general populace. Most people think (if they care at all) if you're a Scorpio you're dark and scary and/or all about sex. This coupled with the fact that I could never find any connection with any horoscopes means I used to strongly dislike being a Scorpio. Then I learned that the Sun sign is only the beginning, just the tip of the iceberg that is astrology, and I was hooked. It is endlessly fascinating and a field I personally hope to master some day.
Your sign, also known as your sun sign, is where the sun was positioned in the sky the exact moment you were born. Obviously, it was not the only celestial body up there. We all know this thanks to astronomy (remember when Pluto got demoted? Yeah I was upset too!). The names of the planets, stars, moons, comets, etc and their positions in the sky all have various forms of folklore attached to them. Here in the USA we follow the
Western Astrology which was officially created in Ancient Egypt. Thanks to our ancestors, each Zodiac sign has a constellation, animal, herb and more associated with it. The celestial bodies have the same as well. How they came up with these associations varies but its usually because they have something in common. Maybe this flower only blooms at night or this animal is only seen during a certain season when this planet is closest. That kind of thing. Also, as we know that our ancestors expressed their spirituality with many rituals for the deities for which they named the celestial bodies. Whether they deified the planets and stars or used them as archetypes we can never be sure but the connection remains. Thus, we have tons of stories and rituals to draw from as well.
And that is what I did starting with
Libra. I'll be honest, I decided last year around this time to start making the
Zodiac Bath Soaks on a whim. As an herbalist you learn the history of herbs, spices, flowers, roots, barks, and other growing things. From a medical standpoint, that history includes ancient medical preparations and why they were used. I am not a doctor (nor do I play one on tv, as my friend is fond of saying) and I am not looking to cure people with my products. My aim was just to make you feel good and to make a unique product that could be used as a birthday gift.. That being said, the goal of the
Zodiac Bath Soaks is to enhance the properties of each zodiac sign while taking a bath. I did extensive research for each bath soak on each of the 12 signs. Rereading herbals, history, folklore, mythology as well as the current usage and associations for tons of herbs, roots and resins. For each sign there are basic qualities associated such as an element, a planet, a duality, a house and a modality. Each of these have their own associations that I researched as well.
In the end I decided on using only five ingredients in addition to the sea salt and epsom salt base that I use for every bath salt/soak that I make. The salts guarantee that the bath is still cleansing, detoxing and relaxing. Then I added the base oil which would, no matter which I chose, help keep the skin moisturized after bathing. I chose the oils based on their planetary association. Olive oil for example is associated with the Sun because it comes from the olive tree plant. The connection comes from many sources. Olive trees are native to the Mediterranean and need hot, dry climates to prosper. The Hebrew word for olive tree is related to the Hebrew word for Sun, there is also the Greek myth of Theseus who prayed to the Apollo, god of the sun for help and received a sacred olive branch, Homer coined the nickname liquid gold for olive oil, gold being associated with the sun as well. So I used olive oil as a base oil for the
Leo Bath Soak since the sign Leo is ruled by the Sun in astrology. Make sense?
From there I chose four more ingredients that had similar associations, but not the same since I wanted to create a balance. Some of the associated ingredients I picked were due to the traits they had in common with that sign. Then I mixed them all together. As I say in my description for each bath soak, each bath was created to enhance or bring out the traits of that sign in whoever uses it. We all have a little bit of Scorpio, Leo and the other ten signs in us, its just that some are more prominent than others. My original thought when making these was that they would make great birthday gifts. And they do, but I have since grown to acknowledge the fact that for those of us looking to be more in tune with the movements of the stars and planets and their affects on us could use these for magical and/or spiritual purposes. So please do so. Use it in your ritual bath to enhance your own energy, focus more on the current energy around your or to enhance your spells with a little extra oomph.
Let me know in the comments if you have used it and how it worked out. Or if you haven't, how would you use it.
~Lashette
