Aquarius Fever Tea Mandala and an Exploration into the Aquarian Archetype

Classic Fever Tea 

Combine equal parts fresh or dried:
Peppermint Mentha x piperita
Elder Flower Sambucus spp.
Yarrow Achillea millefolium

This classic remedy opens the pores and promotes sweating, aiding in the breaking of a fever.  Drink hot for best results.  

Prepare as an infusion: Place herb mix in a glass jar, boil water, pour over herbs, cover and steep for 20 minutes.  
For every cup of water use approximately 1-2 TB of herb mix.  
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FDA Disclaimer:  This formula has not been evaluated by the FDA, is not intended to substitute advise from a physician, and is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.  If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications, please consult with your physician before starting new supplements or herbs.   

I am passionate about fevers and educating folks on the importance of supporting the fever process vs. suppressing it.   I'm not talking about dangerously high fevers that require medical attention!  I AM speaking of fevers that are uncomfortable and miserable,  but that have a very important role to play in raising your body temperature to kill the pathogens that are making you sick in the first place.  Over the counter fever reducers work by suppressing the inflammation response of the body, thereby cooling you down.  This helps us feel better in the short term but meanwhile, the virus or bacteria are replicating inside our body!  No bueno!  

Enter the brilliance and reliability of herbal medicine.  This classic fever tea actually supports the vital force of your body, which is trying to stop the spread of disease inside your body and bring you back to equilibrium.  When the body's immune system registers an invading pathogen, the hypothalamus closes the pores of the skin and cranks up the heat inside the body to kill the invader.  This classic European fever remedy basically helps speed up this process so that your fever can do its job and then "break", so you can then rest and sleep.  This formula works so well for fevers because it contains both relaxant and stimulant diaphoretics.  Diaphoretics help release internal heat from the body by opening up the pores, thereby promoting sweating.  Relaxant diaphoretics do this by releasing tension, and stimulant diaphoretics do this by increasing blood flow from the core to the periphery.   There is much more depth to this amazing process, but that is it in a nutshell!  This formula helps you feel better during a fever, but without suppressing your body's natural intelligence.  Hooray for herbs!      

The Aquarius Archetype

Think of the last time you sat or laid beneath a blanket of stars.  How did you feel?  What thoughts passed through your mind?  These feelings and thoughts point us in the direction of beginning to understand the archetype of Aquarius.  

Before I begin to delve into the sign of the water-bearer, let me emphasize a few things that are important to keep in mind when exploring astrology.  The 12 signs of the zodiac are archetypes and each and every person's natal chart contains ALL 12. (Just in case you need clarification, a natal chart shows the location of the 10 planets at the moment of our birth, plus the chart is oriented to the specific place on earth you were born).  Most of us know our Sun sign, which is a great start since our Sun sign represents a central and vital part of our psyche.  However, just like there is much more to us than our names or jobs, there is also much more to our personal astrology than our sun sign.  The 9 other planets occupy places within our charts, and also form aspects (or angles) with each other.  For a simple example, I could have a Capricorn Sun, but if I have 6 planets in Aquarius, then Aquarian themes will be prominent in my life.  To say the least, reading a natal chart well requires both a scientific understanding and an artistic integration of this ancient practice.  Understanding each sign is a great first step!       

Aquarius is the Fixed Air sign of the zodiac (Fixed signs occupy the middle of each season).   Fixed Air:  Space, the great expanse of the sky, a starry night.  Each sign evolves and responds to the sign before, and the circle goes round.  After Earthy Capricorn's long hard climb to the top of the mountain, Aquarius now stands alone under the expansive sky and stars and realizes how much wisdom and insight s(he) has gained.  Knowing that this knowledge can be shared to help others, Aquarius walks back down the mountain and back into society to spread that wisdom to their community and/or the world.  Hence the symbol of the water-bearer: one who pours water (wisdom) into the world.  The wavy lines that make up the glyph for Aquarius are often mistaken for water, but actually represent the serpents of knowledge.   

Perhaps when you have heard or read about Aquarius, words such as eccentric, genius, innovator, or rebel stick out.  For some these words may raise an eyebrow, or arise suspicion.  In the evolutionary model of astrology that I study, there are no judgements or good vs. bad.  Each sign is seen to hold a unique signature that contributes to the evolutionary journey of being human, and each of us carry signatures of that sign uniquely.  The evolutionary goal of Aquarius is, quite simply, the freedom of individuality and the loyalty to truth.  No small matter in a world of cultures that encourage conformity!  Not to mention the traditions and structures of family, religion, or any belief system for that matter.  No wonder Aquarius is associated with the innovator and the genius.  For what is a genius but one who thinks in ways they have not been taught?  Where would we be without folks who stood up against the outdated beliefs of their culture?  Who demanded freedom?  Who envisioned a better world?  Whose intelligence brought life changing breakthroughs?  Who dared to not only think outside the box, but live and act outside the box within the confines of culture?  Life as we know it has been and is constantly shaped by the change and disruption that comes with scientific and social breakthroughs.  The struggle between tradition and change is what history books are made of.  

2020 brought much change for us all, collectively and individually.  A lot of us humans naturally resist change, and that's ok.  But perhaps if we took the time every once in a while to stare up at the sky on a clear night, we could suddenly gain the perspective we need to trust the process as life unfolds in miraculous, unexpected ways. 

My deepest thanks to Steven Forrest and his astrological teachings, including his book "The Inner Sky."  Also to Tyler Pernor (www.thechironium.com) whose free astrology course taught me the elemental correspondences of each zodiac sign.