Nasturtium
Family: Tropaeolaceae or Cruciferae.
Genus: Tropaeolum
87 species in this genus.
Name: Tropaeolum majus
Comes from the Greek tropaion meaning ‘trophy’. The leaves reminded Linnaeus of the shields of soldiers, and the flowers their blood stained helmets. After a victorious battle, Greeks and Romans would set up a pillar on the battlefield where the armour and weapons of those they’d captured and killed was hung, and this was known as a trophy.
Pliny named it Nasturtium, its pungency similar to the Common Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
Nasturtium comes from nasus tortus, which means ‘twisted or distorted nose’ as the smell would make you crinkle your nose, and it came to be a proverb meaning something that would put life into something dull.
Also known as Garden nasturtium; Indian Cress; Cress of Peru; Larkes Heel; Yellow Larks Spurr.
In 16th century England it was called ‘blood flower of Peru’.
Professor Binet called it ‘flower of love’ due to its aphrodisiac properties.
Also called Passionflower, as it rejuvenates and strengthens the whole body.
Ruled by Mars.
Native to South America, especially Peru. Grows from Chile up to Mexico.
Hardy, climbing perennial. In cooler climates grows as an annual. Pale green, round, veined leaves and long stalks. Trumpet shaped flowers that have spurs at the base. Flowers can be single or double – red, orange, russet, yellow, cream, and even blue.
Likes sun, and a moist, light, well drained soil. In warm climates can live for several years, where it self sows freely and flowers all year.
In companion planting, Nasturtium attracts whitefly and aphis away from plants like beans, potatoes, broccoli, squash, cucumber and fruit trees. Planted under apple trees it repels woolly aphis. Benefits radish, potatoes. Soapy dishwater is said to protect the nasturtium itself from aphis.
Nasturtium extract can be used as a spray on plants or trees. Good for fruit trees.
‘Nasturtiums have a strong aromatic essence which passes through the roots into the surrounding soil. Tomato roots take it up into their sap and thereby change it. This doesn’t agree with the insects, who after all have very subtle organs of smell and taste. That is why they keep away. ‘ From Journal of Biodynamic Movement in Germany.
Brought to Europe in 1597 from the Andes by Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadores along with gold from the Incas. Reached England by the end the 16th century. Soon became popular in gardens and used in salads.
Linnaeus’ (botanist) daughter, Elizabeth-Christine was the first to notice that on hot summer days at dusk, the stamens and styles at the heart of nasturtium flowers, emit a spark. Scientists say this is due to a high content of phosphoric acid.
President Thomas Jefferson loved nasturtiums and had an enormous bed (158m sq) of only them in his garden at Monticello.
Plant said to have first grown from the spilled blood of a Trojan warrior, his shield represented by the leaves, and the flower his helmet.
Shield-like Nasturtium, too, confusedly spread,
With intermingling trefoil fills each bed –
Once graceful youths, this last a Grecian swain,
The first an huntsman on the Trojan plain.
Paul de Rapin (1661 – 1725)
In the language of herbs, Nasturtium is ‘conquest’.
The birthday plant of 1 November. Symbol of patriotism. A scarlet flower symbolized splendour.
Patricia Telesco associates nasturtium with Neptune, female, the element of air, with the magical associations of conviction, aspiration and festivity. And speaks of it as for citizenship and community spirit – to get involved and make a difference, not just complain and do nothing.
Uses:
Was used to make a nosegay along with Carnations or Gillowflowers.
Leaves and flowers used in salads, and the buds and seeds were pickled like capers. Peppery taste.
Vitality
Pliny said ‘a sluggish man should eat nasturtium to arouse him from his torpidity.’
Rich in iron, vitamin C, and minerals. Contains glucocyanates (including glycotropeoline), spilanthol, myrosin, oxalic acid.
Good source of iron, so helps fatigue from anaemia.
Said to ‘purge the brain and quicken the spirit’.
Skin and Hair
Used in skin and hair products for antidandruff, teenage acne.
Natural antibiotic, contains lots of sulphur (clears the skin). High sulphur content makes it a great plant for the hair – stops hair loss, promotes hair growth, tones the scalp. Hair lotions made of nasturtium flowers and seeds, along with nettle and box leaves.
For acne: a strong tea of the leaves drunk three times a day and used as wash or facial steam.
Used as an antiscorbutic in place of Watercress sometimes.
Digestion
Ground seeds have purgative properties, but don’t cause colic.
Strong antibiotic that won’t destroy intestinal flora.
Said to help the digestion, appetite and absorption of food. Tonic for weak digestion and stagnation.
Its bitterness helps detoxify, stimulating liver, gallbladder, pancreas and bowels.
Immune
The flowers especially have lots of vitamin C, so help ward off infections. Leaves high in vitamin C if picked before the plant flowers. Used to prevent scurvy.
Good tonic for the run down – nourishes, cleanses and helps immune system.
Whole plant is antibiotic, increases resistance to bacterial infections.
Good antiseptic used externally as a wash.
The juice was used for scrofula – tubercular infection of lymph nodes.
Respiratory
A tea of the leaves or flowers used for chest problems, especially where there is phlegm with hard, yellow lumps. Clears phlegm from chest. Clears catarrh by reducing its formation and stimulating the coughing up of phlegm.
Good for colds, catarrh, chronic bronchitis, bronchial catarrh, emphysema.
Urinary
Tea used for genitourinary infections, cystitis, kidney stones or gravel.
Helps the kidneys and bladder to eliminate properly.
Blood
Being pungent and bitter it is a good blood cleanser, warming and stimulating.
Boosts the circulation so feel strong and healthy.
In the California essences, Nasturtium is for overuse of the intellect, where the emotional and physical realms suffer from lack of attention. Fatigue from mental exertion. Positive sense is warmth and vitality.
The Bailey essences note nasturtium for initiating change. To overcome negative feelings associated with change. For those who know they need to make changes but have trouble taking the first step.
The Harebell remedies from Scotland use Nasturtium for vitality, sensitivity and broadmindedness. To help the eyes, vision and meditation, and to bring aliveness and vitality.
Deva Flower Elixirs also have an essence of Nasturtium, for ‘funny spells’ like before a flu, or after overexertion of work. For overuse of the intellect to detriment of physical wellbeing. Stimulates vitality.
The Flower Essence Society says Nasturtium is for intellectuals, excessive thinking that depletes the life force. It restores vitality, warmth and radiant energy.
Restoration of physical energy when under intense mental focus. = Perelandra Rose and Garden Essences.
Helps balance between intellect, emotional and physical bodies, restores emotional warmth, physical vitality and earthly practicality in those too caught up in mental realm.
Addison, J. & Hillhouse, C., Flower Lore, 1997, Bloomsbury, UK.
Allardice, P., Natural Remedies A-Z, 1995, Harper Collins, Australia.
Chevallier, A., Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants, 1996, Dorling Kindersley, Australia.
Harvey, C. G. & Cochrane, A., The Encyclopaedia of Flower Remedies, 1995, Thorsons, UK.
Hayes, A., It’s so Natural, 1993, Angus and Robertson, Australia.
Kruger, A., Herbs, 1992, Parkgate books, UK.
Mansfield, P., Flower Remedies, 1995, Optima, UK.
McHoy, P., & Westland, P., The Herb Bible, 1994, Quarto, UK.
McIntyre, A., The complete Floral Healer, 1996, Gaia books, UK.
Palaiseul, J., Grandmother’s Secrets, Her Green Guide to Health from Plants, 1973, Penguin.
Perry, F., Plants and Flowers, 1976, Macdonald, Sydney.
Philbrick, H., & Gregg, R., Companion Plants, 1966, Devin Adair.
Smith, K, V., The Illustrated Earth Garden Herbal, 1978, Lothian, Australia.
Telesco, P., The Victorian Flower Oracle, 1994, Llewellyn publications, USA.
Botanica’s Pocket Annuals and Perennials, 1999, Random House, Australia.
Tuesday 28 July 2009, Mars day
Person A
9am meditation:
Absolute first impression when witnessing Nasturtium at site, was remembering times spent as a child in Geelong at my grandmothers house. I remembered the scent and orange colour of the flowers. Stays at the house were very lonely, sad and discomforting times for me. My grandmother was slowly undergoing mental deterioration, which later manifested as full blown dementia. I didn’t know why I was taken out of home and school and deposited interstate with my grandmother. It was only many, many years later that I learnt the reason - there were fears (rational and founded to my understanding) that my natural father may try to kidnap me. My mother and adopted father thus secreted me away. I was hidden from the truth, and I was hidden from my natural father. It was an opaque and foggy experience for me (Neptunian).
Immediately after this experience, I felt the Nasturtium to be very soft, gentle and warm. Very motherly and nurturing. It felt very attractive and safe. It appeared to be sprawling in a light, easy, casual, relaxed, unaffected and nonchalant way. Especially unaffected and nonchalant.
The round leaves seemed very gentle the way they hovered in space.
The way there were lots of individual leaves gathered together represented family and community to me. Clusters of individuals all connected with the same tie.
The symmetry of the lines on the leaf was apparent to me as spokes in a wheel.
3pm Meditation:
A dove cooed in the garden as meditation commenced.
Theme of Neptune in an astrological sense: Ephemeral, nebulous, hard to grasp. Veils covering – things hidden. Also things revealed – veils being pulled away. Opaque and foggy. Dreamlike and enchanting.
Mystery. Hard to recall in a conscious way. This dreamlike, opaque quality was a regular feature of my meditations. Experiences of meditation were often hard to recall upon completion.
The leaves seemed like shields to me. The big leaves seemed to protect the little leaves.
I was reminded of soldiers in ancient Greece forming a cluster holding their shields out, all around to create an impenetrable group that could move as one single entity.
Person B
Morning meditation:
First sound of ‘Om Nama Shivaya’, before any visual a question followed: if Nasturtium has three known colours, which one plant will we choose to make the Spagyric? Then mental picture of the three kinds I grow in my garden, one by one. A great sense of familiarity and joy, like “this is family”, almost euphoric to be working with Nasturtium. Looking at Nasturtium dance in the wind -connection with feelings I have had before: seeing the plant as an earth lily, pads sitting on wind instead of water, and the flowers offering more the intricacies of orchids, but gifted also with a scent and a sweet and hot taste. I then wondered about its smell, being slightly distracted by the human smells around me…longing to smell it, to crush it in my hand and sniff it. I thought about its connection with Mars and the fact I had no idea, nor intimation but it made sense; the peppery taste, the bright orange! Then, just gazing at such a bright orange flower, taking in the sight and a feeling of gratitude- if I had to choose a plant, yes this one!
Observations: I was so excited to find out what the plant was! It was like a burst of joyful feelings hard to contain inside my skin - the answer to any lingering doubt about undertaking this process. Nasturtium is definitely one of my favourite plants.
Feelings: light headed after a while sitting in a confined space- obviously some amount of alcohol vapour escaping, enjoying the watch, feeling at peace with time spent that way, even though I get to do little bits and pieces of housework in between watch-a relief!
Afternoon meditation:
First invaded by bright orange glow sitting in a nasturtium flower, or it felt like it, surrounded by flower textured walls and glow. Then, was distracted by the traffic - once distractions occurred, a bit difficult to come back. Thanks to the guidance I come back to the scene of an inner garden of some religious establishment where nuns are collecting Nasturtium. When I ask what for, the answer is ‘strengthening and supporting the immune system’. Could not tell how it was going to be used or prepared, but I noticed the contrast between the dress of the nuns and the Nasturtiums. When the next guidance asked for the Deva of the plant, something weird like some darkening of inner world first and then whispers I could not understand, until I heard “Sit in it”. It was an order. It felt like a good idea. Then some sandflies started to bite me, taking my ability to focus any further…just a faint wonder; could it be an insect repellent too? Inner laughter finished the meditation.
Person C
First connection with Nasturtium, saw the flower, the back of the flower, like going down the throat, connection with swallowing, the glottis, larynx, epiglottis.
9am Meditation:
Image of a little elf, brightly dressed in red, yellow and blue, with a hat that came to a point over his forehead, like a nasturtium flower. He was extremely chivalrous, respectful, like a knight in his chivalry. Polite, the kind of guy that would open your car door for you, very traditional male. He tipped his hat at me in a mark of respect. Honorable. Chivalry. Then got a picture of a knight lancing, the image of those lances with the cups around the hands, the cup part like the flower.
Balloons come to mind, the leaves remind me of balloons.
Guidance for picking the plant ‘be firm’, get that feeling like Basil or Nettle that it wants to be handled firmly.
Very colourful, bright colours, strong.
Cacophony of birds at end of meditation, makes me smile.
Stems looks so soft and breakable, but get feeling of strength and uprightness.
Umbrella – protection.
Doing Spirit distillation. Excitable, infusion of ideas about Nasturtium, discussing and dripping constant at this stage. Themes of boundaries, shields, family – as many huddled together as one, union of warriors in battle, shields up in a huddle to create a huge shield, protection in numbers. The energy of Arthur’s knights – chivalrous, but warriors, kill for their country/cause, but honour a big important quality for them.
Such a lightness about the plant – watery, soft looking, seems to break easily, thin and light coloured leaves, not weighted down by things, like the knight can cut through crap, can kill the enemy without guilt, kill what’s not needed mercilessly, leaves them purer, lighter. Sense of not weighed down by compassion for others – if strong sense of everyone, can’t kill, can’t do what need to do, can only kill enemy if stay detached, need to protect from feeling the pain of others. Staying strong in selves, in own boundaries, then can do what they need to do without remorse. Honour for their tribe/family, and no feeling for the enemy. Boundary strong enough to allow them to do this. Staccato – following their goal like an arrow to target. This masculine drive to get somewhere and boundary to be self contained enough (selfish?) to go there without getting caught in other. Strong shield against feeling others.
3pm Meditation
Image of red flowers as mouth, lips, pouting, kissing, sexual energy, ‘mwa’ sort of thing, almost smacking lips. Quite a joyful, light energy. Real sense of sensuality, sexuality, kissing.
Connecting to Spirit of Nasturtium – joyful, playful, different side again, though have forgotten when came to write, seems elusive, something about being attractive, how males attract, reds to attract, fertility, virility. That this is another side of Mars – attraction, passion, sex.
Personal guidance – got a sense of being pushed playfully over onto my back, and again these red flower kisses all over me. Circular leaves too, kind of a pummeling by them, that went through me almost to red and blue circular bruises all over me. Circulation. Playful pummeling.
Ideas, lots of ideas. Healing – spine starts twisting around somewhat, saying ‘be more playful, relax, lie down, don’t be so serious’.
Dreamt of getting my hair cut. (did the night before too).
Person D
Morning meditation:
Colours of the flowers: yellow – the mind and intellect; red – energy like potential; orange – body stimulating.
On the form of Nasturtium – trumpet shape, in/out flows well to infinity (all forms spiral/vortex out from ether field).
3pm meditation:
My needs – nerve and muscle calm. ‘Be relaxed but strong, not tense’ (because of my physical conditions).
Wed 29 July 2009
Person A
Meditation:
Trimurti – the Hindu triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Creation, Preservation and Destruction, respectively. The symbol of the car company ‘Mercedes’. I immediately identified this as such, and associated this with the Trimurti.
[The star of the Mercedes logo was used to represent dominance over land, sea and air, and was a symbol of prosperity for the company’s founder ].
A wheel, and spokes of a wheel. Wheels as the chakras.
Image of a fountain pen. Aloe Vera plant, and another unidentified plant (will be able to identify in a couple of days). The Ace of Spades, King of Clubs and King of Spades playing cards.
The tiny vessels covering the leaf to me represented capillaries in the skin.
The leaves appeared to me as umbrellas – protecting what is hidden underneath. This also resonated as being like a family – support and protection comes in togetherness.
The energy of the plant made me feel warm and soft in my stomach, gave me a sense of wellbeing and gentleness. I also felt hypoglycemic.
The straightness and firm nature of the stems and leaves was very apparent to me. They appeared very definite in space, very distinct as a boundary. It was clear where one began and ended.
The contrast between the orange and yellow flower was like a polarity of opposites.
Red, orange and yellow flowers to me represented the colours of the first three chakras respectively.
Themes of self versus other. The polarities of this. The constant tension of the dynamic of self, and what is beyond the self. Relationship with another, or relationship with a group. The needs of the self and the needs of the other being in conflict.
Push – Pull. Expansion and Contraction. Yin and Yang.
3pm Meditation:
Plant gives impression of being fragile but is actually not, upon inspection.
‘Hardiness, warrior energy, and sacrifice’.
The plant that is discarded and dying will grow again. This struck me as being the ultimate resilience – surrendering to death in a nonchalant way and thus being resurrected.
I was advised to become more deeply involved in astrology. I was advised I need to bring more of the number 3000 into my life.
I was advised to “let go, relax, it is all okay, this is a process of refinement”.
This was on par with seeing the bigger picture, riding the current, trusting that this too shall pass. Feeling unattached and nonchalant.
I felt I was spinning my arms at speed around and around in circles, rotating from the shoulder joint. This gave me a feeling of my entire being spinning around and I became lost in a spiral of vertigo.
[Scorpio has a strong relationship with Mars. Scorpio has three animals associated with it, to define levels of evolution of the expression of Scorpionic energy. Scorpion is the base, most unevolved expression. The next is eagle. The most sublime manifestation of Scorpionic energy is the Phoenix.
A story was told of a scorpion being in the desert and surrounded by a ring of fire. Rather than wait for the ring of fire to eventually enclose and subsume the scorpion, it stung itself to death. Choosing to be the master of its own fate and willfully enter death rather than wait for death to come it. When the fire burnt the scorpions body it arose transformed as a phoenix from the ashes.]
Progressively, as course went on, I felt irritation, strong boundaries, and a refusal to share energy with a particular course participant, finding it almost impossible to look at him at any time, and frequently ignoring him. However I still consciously tried to recognize him as a member of the group and be diplomatic and polite when necessary. I experienced him to have a manner of expression that was designed (unconsciously) to suck energy from those present. What I termed parasitic in nature. I felt his energy to be very heavy, leaden, and draining. I felt resentful that my playful and lighthearted sharing with the remainder of the group felt instantly imposed upon when he arrived.
There were brief moments and windows however when I felt compassion and openness for him, when I recognized his heart, and when I wished for him to have a life experience filled with greater lightness and love.
Themes of boundaries and protection: I felt to close down energetically and thus protect myself. I felt a strong sense of desiring to protect participant B from his energy also. I felt a sense of being strong and unable to be imposed upon in the times I had decided to close down.
That night: Dreams of being imposed upon, constricted. This made me feel angry and feel like fighting.
Person B
Morning meditation:
Glow. The awareness of the Nasturtium flower. Then, a stabbing pain in the middle of my back which sends me straight back to a Vipassana experience, with a question ‘what is it about?’ Trying to relax into it, exploring the concept of stabbing in the back? Already explored it seems, something saying ‘no’, relaxing more, breathing and focusing on the breath, visual like being in liquid, seeing through liquid, somehow the thought of blood, is it blood? Then, a feeling of membranes, like inner membranes, veils of flesh in liquid, then a stronger feeling and visual of running liquid, the thought “maybe blood?” again. I realized then the back pain had gone. Sensing my heart beat and a feeling of peace, thinking of heart connections with the word ‘Friendship’ coming to the foreground then shapes itself in a delineated red, Om Nama Shivaya, oh shiva…SNEEZE(from person A) everything is blurred and I am back in the garden with the lingering thought ‘Friendship’, is it make friend with the plant? A bit vague it feels, then more colours red and orange.
Note: I cut my fingernails and could not help noticing how finally, my nail (injured on the 22nd of January), is looking like a normal nail (which it had failed to do for many months now). Relevance with connective tissue finally healing…
A bubble was caught under the flask which needed release every few minutes which created so much stress and tension inside of me at the beginning, became quite entertaining once I relaxed into it. The alcohol level was a bit high to begin with creating another area of concern but once the dripping started I felt a sense of relief and realised how much the pressure had built up inside of me.
Afternoon meditation:
Relaxed, warm sunny feeling, drifting in and out of what needs to be done next, making it difficult to go deep in meditation, feeling at the surface, not stressed by it just aware, not trying hard, just a good warm feeling invaded by logistic thoughts. The colour warm orange/red still very present and a sense that I am still sitting in my heart, centred and contented. Your voice seems very far away and my mind happy to dwell at the surface, just happy to share things like “yeah, Nasturtium’s great!” or “it rocks”!!!! Funny laughing presence all around me.
I took the kids shopping that afternoon and then to visit an astrologer friend. We spoke about the Neptunian qualities of the present moment characterising the fact that things in general would be hard to grasp and nebulous…
Realised after dinner I had a couple of grass ticks on my left hip. Same side as the sandfly bites the previous day, located on my arm, leg and forehead.
I went to bed at 11.30 and found it hard to wake up at 4 (had a tranquinol which contains valerian), tick bites aggravated and my glands are up.
Person C
9am Meditation
Signatures of Nasturtium? Skin, ‘pelo’ (Spanish). Image of the flatness of the leaves, flat across my heart and then wrapping around it - tissue that wraps around, connective tissue, pericardium even. Also the thickness, roundness and flatness like skin cells. Then the flower – the point out the back like a long nose. Then saw it like a balancing thing, like scales, which took me to the spine, top of the spine, atlas?, reminds me of a vertebra, this mechanism of balancing. How? Took me into my atlas and moved it a little, remembered how last night on way to dance had really sore stiff right shoulder and neck, moved through dance. This stuckness up there. Cranio?
Guidance for today? ‘Stand tall and firm’. Got image of standing up very tall with armour on. Again this protective shield to wear. Someone sneezed and felt again confirmation for connection with the nose.
Air bubbles getting under and creating a silence that I found scary, like the calm before the storm. Real tension, could feel myself tensing up each time it went silent, fear of pressure building up and exploding. Like heart stopping each time it went silent before air bubble. Feeling tense, so irritated at mentalness and trying to figure things out mentally. Air bubbles in water disturbing the flow, creating fear, anxiety, heart stopping within me.
Talking of Nasturtiums being good companion plants as you can plant seedling among them and they will never strangle them as so light, companion rather than competition. Arthurs companions, knights of the round table, honorable companions. Round leaves, round table. Friendship.
Also good for the soil, liquid manure.
Somehow talking of being stabbed in the back – B has pain in their back during meditation, relate to this, picture of flowers as blood under the skin – red purple mottling bruising. Feedback to me that when I spoke of knights and having to kill as it’s their job, they got the same sensation that they relate with past lives – heavy, icky feeling.
3pm Meditation
See a wall of Nasturtiums, mainly leaves, the little orange flowers not fully open are like little heads hanging down, reminds me of horse heads the way they’re kind of looking down, like a sea of horses in the waves, but many more leaves.
Sense of anxiety, fear, nerves.
Again, this image of Nasturtiums as a mass of shields coming towards me, almost no hope, the victory thing. Remembered how they’re trophies of war, the flowers like the bits of blood. Feel this anxiety of impending doom as this mass comes towards me.
Last words, something like ‘give up, surrender, fall back, you’ve not hope anyway, no choice, you will fall’ sort of feel.
Come out feeling numb, a deep feeling, no mind, no room for thoughts in a way, as no hope.
Person D
3pm meditation:
Can’t focus on meditation due to constant traffic noise. Need peace and quiet.
“Do less hard work, spend more time in nature”.
Thurs 30 July 2009
Person A
9am Meditation:
Eating flower felt very sexual and sensual, very arousing. Direct implication of female genitalia.
Leaf felt like a mushroom – the texture on outside and underside.
An upright triangle.
A pyramid.
Trident symbol. The trident symbol also appeared in a more curvaceous form which I associated with the Christian iconography of the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove.
During alchemy process: A tortoise walking from the vessel of pure alcohol, back to the crude alcohol, and the sense of this completing the circle (the Eagle flying from the crude mix through to the pure alcohol being the first half of the circle). The tortoise also symbolising patience.
I felt my larynx and throat as being raw or covered with mucus and felt a relationship between this and the plant.
Immense hunger and desire for food, cravings for food. A physical desire but also recognized as being ‘emotional’ eating.
Meditation:
Mushroom cloud. Peacock. Elephant. Dragon.
Astrological glyph of a cross with a crescent moon on top facing upward. Cannot identify although originally thought it was ‘Dark Moon Lilith’. However the crescent moon for the Dark Moon Lilith glyph faces East not upright.
Person B
Morning meditation:
Focus on the leaf, rubbery feeling the veins. Could taste oxalic acid - feeling dry on the surface but the stem is watery stem, tastes a little peppery, chewy, smell a little pungent, very familiar…
Flower: so delicate to touch, feathery. The smell is sweet, but peppery taste, sweet first and then peppery.
Thoughts about colour come back: Yellow, Red, Orange…Would it be a variation on its tonic properties: yellow for intellectual dynamism, orange for spiritual creativity, red for the root chakra, basic dynamism.
Afternoon meditation:
First lotus-like lights all around, and leaves, nasturtium leaves sitting on water like lily pads but waves moving through, in and out of focus, and soon I am aware the waves are reddish and flossy. Sitting on one of those queer pads is Laksmi, I am not so sure it is Laksmi so I ask if it is Laksmi or Parvati? I see then some nasturtium leaves like coins coming out of the deity’s hand. Meditation voice is asking “what’s for me?”, which brings my awareness to the rhythmical movement of some membrane - like substance, reddish in colour, to the rhythm of what I understand is a heart beat. Then, I find myself in the distillation room watching a ball (red) turning round and round. I am looking at the apparatus then and I decide to perforate a small hole in the last little rubber tube to then insert in it a small one inch section of a straw(?). I am feeling then more curious about what voice is now saying while some yellow rays come in to wipe the visuals and I am back to a feeling of wave like rhythmical flowing water…
Person C
9am Meditation.
Nasturtium and the senses
Leaf, very smooth, stretchy, strong in its stretch, like skin, it gives, rougher and veiny on back side, like lines of veins. Smell very fragrant, slightly peppery. Taste is sweetish but then that peppery after. Almost makes me sweat the after feel. Bit slimy to eat too.
Flower – silky smooth petals. The stem at the back is very hard and tough, like steel, surprised me. Very softly fragrant. Taste so sweet to begin with and then, wow, such a strong peppery, bitey sensation, almost stronger than the leaf, but fragrant and sweet too, such a taste sensation, an array of tastes.
After, my belly now feels slightly hotter, stimulated in some way.
Feeling an underhand tension in lab, temperature rising, though stopped boiling. As talking about Neptune vs. Mars, the flask pops it top in a fizz of steam, and thermometer flies onto ground and breaks!
Later, talking of Mars, and the round leaves of Nasturtium like wheels – no chance for stagnation, a rolling stone gathers no moss, mars keeps energy moving.
Since yesterday, have had a few itchy things on skin, maybe bites?
Started burning plant at 1.30pm. Felt calming, good to be outside. Got a splinter in my right thumb.
Feeling slightly more argumentative and competitive than usual.
3pm Meditation
Flowers as trumpets, heralding something. Heraldry? Then image of a dragon (from the nasturtium bud) savagely attacking my throat, biting into it, full on.
How does Nasturtium affect my body? Went into the sounds around me, and then got that “it clears the throat”. Big, open, hollow throat so can sing loud and clear, and resonate well. Open throat.
Feel clearer after.
Defined edge of the leaves a definite boundary, and the perpendicular leaf to stem – very staccato.
Person D
Morning meditation:
See in the plant, need to be calm, focus, unattached. Ultimate aim is not seeing the ‘forms’ of nature (a plant or metal), but seeing (awareness) the invisible energy that gives life to all – creates forms.
3pm meditation:
Sense of tiredness with life.
See a past and recurring vision of future world or time – in white garb, green fields, flowers, friends, clear skies, spiritual master.
Friday 31 July 2009
Person A
9am Meditation:
An upright sword.
Big bright yellow daisy or marigold, as reference to the Sun.
The leaves appeared to hover silently like a sentry.
Polarity between the outside of the plant and the inside of the plant.
Feelings of absolute joy, euphoria, hysteria, excitement, transcendental bliss and connection with all things – connection with God, God awaking within.
Sense that the plant had a lot of secrets or mysteries that it kept hidden – kept behind a boundary. That only those worthy or righteous would be allowed access. A bee was often observed entering the Nasturtium flower when this theme was touched upon. Like the bee had privileged access to the inner sanctum. The bee overall appeared significant. The homeopathic remedy Apis?
Line from song: “I’m falling with you…” Parachute (looks like an umbrella) / Eagle soaring on a down draft / Falling supported.
3pm Meditation:
Relaxing and allow an experience to happen naturally – instead of forcing a guided visualization and actually having no experience as a result. Felt like a metaphor for Nasturtium energy.
Boundaries. Opening them. Closing them.
Concept that imposing will upon something will meet resistance. That to surrender and relax allows an obstacle to open up.
Sense of lots and lots of ‘ideas’ and ‘beliefs’ about Nasturtium – thus feeling the plant relates to the mental and thought realm.
Person B
Morning meditation:
First, swirls of light going round and round of a reddish colour. Then, an eagle, this time unlike the one which came during distillation night wake (I could only see the head of that one, especially the eye), it looks like a sea eagle, flying over a valley, and I see it from above it (aerial view). From this bird’s eye perspective, I can see some carriages being pulled by horses carrying big amounts of nasturtium, as if the nasturtium were planted inside the carriages, and I am focusing on the similarities between the leaves of the nasturtium dancing in the wind and the wheels spinning. Voice is heard, I feel I’m back in my body, aware of my spine - not pain but some tension, my awareness is going around my shoulders to then locate in my throat. Voice once more taking me back to the present surroundings, the sun, the fact that I want a coffee and what a good idea I bought some Bonsoy!
Facts: we chopped and cleared a big area through the lantana to free the kiln in order to incinerate the body of Nasturtium. It felt amazing to engage in this activity, like a bridge between the two spagyric processes. I got then the first glimpse into thinking of the two plants as being so complimentary….
Afternoon meditation:
Started very imbued with Lantana scent…had to consciously bring Nasturtium imagery in - looking from within at the leaf and its slight asymmetry made me think about the heart and its asymmetry and once again the haemoglobin came to mind, red blood cells floating, slightly asymmetrical, as if a signature. Then I saw a friend of A walking down the street with the Alchemy book (the one she lent and I read through the Lantana process) in hand. In my mind, I’m going through the vocabulary. Questions are fired: is this Nigredo? Is this Albedo? Where am I in the process? Feeling like I wanted to tie it down like a helium balloon, then aware of being cold, so distracting - and hungry!...
Person C
Dreams last night of whirlpool in ocean with two beautiful colours of clear blue. Then in Mykonos with old friend.
9am Meditation.
Function of Nasturtium on earth or in body.
Picture of the leaves growing, going up and back, almost like trombones, alternate movement. Again flowers like trumpets. This feeling of pushing upwards. Lily pads – going up to the surface of the water, Nasturtiums going up, pushing up to the surface of water molecules in the air.
Feeling quite heavy, like a sad/depressed sensation in myself. Connection that Nasturtium pushes against these oppressive forces, the dark forces that want to push down on us, it pushes them outward, stops them from consuming us. How? Through laughter and joy, flowers so bright and full of laughter.
Sound of trumpets like a marching band ‘do do do dooo’, pushing forward, pushing outward with blast of horn.
Noticing connections with horse, cranio – dural tube, throat, wheel.
Sitting with Spirit this morning, Eagle 3, thinking about how awareness/heat keeps you burning and purifying, and what happens when too much heat – pressure builds up, the need to let off steam. And then the ways we do this – exercise, dance, sex, fighting, and realised they’re all very Mars activities, the need to move, to let the energy out somewhere. What happens if you don’t? – plutonian explosion like yesterday!
Tight neck at c7 as I sit and watch. Calmness when there’s silence.
2.30 Meditation, while salt in kiln.
Went into the flower today. The dot on the leaves like cells when depicted in books. Sitting in the red flower, feel sleepy, woozy, sweetness envelopes me, want to curl up and sleep. Think of a bee – maybe getting drugged out on pollen. Then funny image of bee flying out really fast (after energizing from pollen) so fast that it knocks into things!
Flowers held secretively behind the leaves, just peek out, hold the secret - but makes you sleepy, woozy to get that close to the divine, to spirit. I go through, deep into the flower and come out into light, the divine light of god, flower leads you through to it.
Deep red of the flowers like blood.
Person D
Morning meditation:
Traffic noise, have to block ears. See Nasturtium plant, but also a taller Cannabis head saying ‘distill me’, more in the sense of using it for proper healing use.
Sat 1 August 2009
Person A
Meditation:
Two dolphins leaping in unison out of waves.
Chalice
Person B
Morning meditation:
Vision of a boat at sea. Someone is at the end of a plank looking like about to jump in the water below. Then, I am that someone (maybe) finding myself at the end of the plank about to jump in. I am feeling fear, but more like a fear of being cold. When I jump, there is a suction feeling and I find myself going up at high speed toward some brightness like starlight. Voice comes in “what’s good for me?” ‘The Sun’. A strong orange light and lava like round ball expanding and contracting over and over. Kids are screaming (in reality) and I can’t help losing my focus. I am negotiating within on that aspect of life: mother versus me. When quiet returns, I see a morning glory rising as from below and heading towards me followed by many more. Voice again, but cannot tell what is said, just thinking how good it feels to have the sun at the back of my head.
Day events: observing a strong emotional response when I got lost on the way to drop my son at his friend’s place. Anger, despair and frustration (no range for the phone, no address book and an inaccurate and misleading local map). After the morning being tainted by a lot of fighting amongst the kids, this is challenging me to feel that ‘everything is too hard’, especially the tears wanting to well up but owing to my role as a mum, I am so aware I cannot let them go, so as not to upset my son anymore than he is by the prospect he might not get to his friend’s house…
Afternoon meditation:
The feeling of hunger permeated the whole meditative experience and might explain the few blanks in recalling material. It started by a Nasturtium flower made of incandescent yellow. Big blank. Then, something about the structure dissolving and a vision of some lab equipment. Then, a ball again of lava substance and a sentence saying that what would help over the next few days is to meditate. Seeing myself white. I then drifted away with the sounds of children and thinking how loud they’ve been today! Another blank. Then the sound of a cow made me think of India. The mantra resonated ‘Om Nama Shivaya’ and followed a quirky thought : has anyone tried to smoke Nasturtium?
Person C
Sore gums last few days. Skin itches in little bites. Pimples too.
Every morning before meditation throat wants to clear, start hm hmmming a lot.
9am Meditation
Felt a bit in my mind. Some resistance to meditating this morning. Wanted to discount the images as nothing, as just the mind.
Going through the flower, through the yellow centre into divine light beyond, and coming out as a naked baby exultant on the other side.
Image of a gnome, pointed hat, dancing with arms up and down in push pull movement (similar to yesterday – growth of the leaves), then kicking a ball with oomph and energy.
Guidance “Eat me”, then the sensation to lie back “allow yourself to be cradled by me”. See myself lying back on a leaf and then it wraps itself around me (again), like a protective sheath or covering, this time goes through me and around spinal cord. Have sore back from dance last night so this feels soothing and comforting.
Children fighting in the background didn’t disturb me at all.
3pm Meditation
Slight frontal headache. See a bright yellow star at my third eye, feels warming and soothing. See it in the white veins of the Nasturtium leaf – this cross with centre slightly higher like Christian cross.
Filled with love and gratitude.
Advice for next few days? These feelings, and joy.
Then see in the centre of the four of us sitting here, a big Nasturtium plant growing, it has a very high vibration, it is big, strong, growing and very forceful. My first thought is ‘uh oh we’ve created a monster’, just because it’s so powerful. There is a bluish glow around it, and the feeling is of so much joy, love and laughter. As I’m feeling it, some cows behind us start singing, chanting alternatively. It’s hilarious, want to laugh. Connection to singing again.
Person D
Morning meditation:
See Nasturtium as soft, velvety, sensual, vaginal, see that all flowers are very feminine – change direction away from hard and dry.
3pm meditation:
Green colour, earth biosphere, the blood of plant life, calming, alive.
General feeling through the alchemy to use my equipment more, start using the things I have, too much intellectual thinking, studying, not enough using, doing.
Sun 2 August
Person A
A Meditation Experience, about 6.30/7pm.
It was a couple of days before the completion of the distillation. I was in the lab, present with the distillation process. I was meditating with eyes closed by listening to the sound of the drop of purified alcohol landing in the flask. I also imagined and felt this as a drop of spirit landing deep in my abdomen, as if my body was the flask, and the drop entered through my crown.
An image of a woman appeared before my eyes. Her face was melted and disfigured, she was a drab grey colour and short in stature. Of perhaps age 40 -45. She was screaming in torment, in agony. I quickly realised that this was not an abstract random image appearing arbitrarily in meditation only to disappear again. For her image remained constant and consistent before me, not flickering, but steady and solid. My reaction was ‘oh here we go again’ – for I feel familiar with entities or lost souls coming to me and I regard this with suspicion or fear. I later realised that I had no judgement or fear around the appearance of this woman, however. When I felt that this woman was ‘real’ I had no sense of a need to protect myself or defend myself – no fear that she wished to steal my energy for example. I simply witnessed.
Suddenly I was outside the house, on the grass. Before this the woman simply appeared before me floating in black space. The woman was talking aloud. But not talking to me, either to a third entity or to herself. “It says I cannot stay, I have to go, it says it constantly does laps of the perimeter of the property to ensure nothing gets in that isn’t supposed to be here.”
I later realised this woman was not communicating with me, that I was an observer or witness on the sideline, because she had been prevented from connecting with me and my energy. I also later realised that standing next to both of us, on my left, was a very, very powerful being of light, very large in size and appeared (I think) to be clutching an upright sword. It appeared nameless, faceless, almost anonymous and without personality. The woman was referring to this being as the one forcing her to move on, and I realised later she spoke in a deferential way as if she had no option. In the same way we would refer to the instructions given by a policeman – they are not questioned.
I later discovered there were suggestions of a ghost on the property.
I also felt this woman may have come to me for help, not to claim my energy in some way. This feels like the first time I’ve consciously been aware of this – a discarnate being needing my help as a guide. While my consciousness was very deeply involved in the meditation process, the entire events and associated feelings and impressions were very distinct and clear and well defined in my memory.
Realised how connected I felt with the needs of my body, with the needs of my stomach…bypasses regular routines and habits based upon the needs of my body in the moment – eg ‘just because I have an empty stomach doesn’t mean I need to put food in there’, just because it is a certain time of the day doesn’t mean I have to drink coffee like I would normally. Tuning into my bodys instinctive wisdom. This occurred quite spontaneously.
Person B
3.30 am. I woke up with a spider bite on Mount of Venus of the left hand, ready for my shift in the distillation room.
Written thoughts: All the driving on Saturday (yesterday) allowed much in terms of the thinking process. For example, the feelings coming from working with the different stages simultaneously and how it is reflected in the mundane reality; when getting lost in the morning trying to read a faulty map and making an assumption that the map is right, then realizing it’s not, realizing I took the right turn instinctively but because it did not coincide with the map and I had decided to trust the map more, I turned around. How that could also happen in the alchemical process…a few times, while driving by myself, I had a surge of elation, like an intense joy about all what is possible from the viewpoint of spirit and how exciting the process of manifestation can be. Also felt elated at times, like on the verge of finding clarity of purpose. And then, a fall, like a slight gloom within. I had then the image that it was like being the drop of alcohol I saw collecting on the marble which then drops back down into the previous lot of alcohol instead of going through the retort, through the cold chamber to join the more refined newly collected alcohol. Thinking further, I could correlate the metaphor to one of the morning meditation: the fear of the cold while on the plank waiting to jump off the boat…
Monday 3 August
Person B
5.39am: It feels like it’s C making me write as my thoughts really feel like this alcohol vapour that only wants to evaporate, as this ink feels like the way they could concentrate, after having gone through me, the retort. Well, I was considering all this since Eagle flight 6 runs an extraordinary course as I run wild with the strength of metaphors, touched always by their beauty. The water temperature is a steady 90C and does not want to leave this exact mark: it’s been going on for hours now, with a steady strong drip but not rushing.
Everything today has been imbued with this process. When I write today, I actually mean Sunday… Visions of Nasturtium came through the meditation. As I was singing I remembered what Person C said about the shape of the flowers reminding her of a mouth singing - and how each time I eat one, it always feel like I go in for a kiss…
Everything is still steady, but I have just noticed it is also silent- the dripping is silent and I had to look to make sure it was still going. I remember the Moon in Capricorn and what Person A said about it being very beneficial. Suddenly I am thinking about the book of knowledge and how I would love to have a look.
I remember what my daughter said to me when in the car from astrologer’s place (we were there to celebrate her birthday and I noticed how she was dressed all in gold and received a gold fairy for a present). Arielle talked about how she saw the alchemy room like the heart of the house - pink blanket on the window, pink floor, green walls - the vapour emanating from the boiling water and the pump going on, pumping cold water in the retort. How all that reminded her of a working heart. I thought of the process of distillation being one of purification. I reminisced about what the two women said in the morning when they heard about the alchemical course I was involved in, how they commented about me turning into gold, and how I replied ‘aren’t we all’, a deep seated belief of mine it seems…
I also considered the components of our team, and how interesting it was that the Capricorn participant had brought to the experience the structure in the form of glass vessels and metal stands, all of a rigid nature but without which nothing could be achieved…
I noted I felt very quiet inside all through this big day out and only felt a little anxious on approaching home- could not put my finger on why…
Person C
Triggered by difficulties with an institution, dissolved into tears. Felt overwhelmed with everything and some doubt about what I’m doing. In a way felt good to come down to emotions though. Feeling again. Realised have been in head realm all through Nasturtium.
Tuesday 4 August
Person A
Image of big bright nondescript yellow flower (quite like a sunflower) representing third Chakra (solar plexus centre).
Person B
Morning meditation:
I was sitting by the fire where the body was turned to ash. Had a strong insight in the nature of Spagyric, the plant philosophical stone, a powerful remedy yes but ultimately with relatively little to do with the plant itself. A strong feeling that somehow, one spagyric is enough and yet each one would be imbued with the colour and some characteristics of the plant chosen. I considered how amazing it was that we found ourselves involved in the process. 2 men 2 women, 4 humans, and the quality of steadiness four resonates with, like four pillars. I made a mental note that I would like to think about it more. Out of that thought came the insight it would be good to have my astrologer friend look at our charts put together just to have a quick glimpse at the energies at play. Excited by the end, and the success of the seventh and last eagle flight we’ll engage in and still, feeling a little sad somewhere that the process should stop…could we go on? I ask, wondering how pure can alcohol get?
Person C
Felt better, calm, peaceful. Had dreams of children.
Eagle 7 finished, and plant in to macerate, felt a connection with this and feeling better.
Wed 5 August
Person C
Triggered again. Seem to be having problems with institutions. Total overreaction though, found myself sobbing uncontrollably at something that wouldn’t normally phase me. Emotionally drained for rest of day.
Thurs 6 August
Person C
Woke with thick head, like getting a cold, sore throat, wanting to clear it (like had every morning before Nasturtium meditation). Slept a lot. Feel have been eating toxic food and has let my barriers down – so getting sick.
Thursday 6 August 2009
Person B
Morning meditation:
Nasturtium first in minds eye: a very orange almost fluoro colour, which then turns into the shape of a triangle with fluoro delineations. Then, I am looking at the retort and the triangle is sitting in the glass vessel but like in space. There is a flame inside and it is sitting on water and the water looks ocean like, I wonder then about the scale of my vision. Suddenly it’s like diving in the water but more like with a camera or something allowing me to follow the water, following rivers like waterways going somewhere but where? Then, I seem to see S, my daughter and thinking about her birth, quickly distracted by thoughts of her coming party. Cars drive past and I am aware of the bees. One bee seeking Nasturtium in my mind’s eye, the whole idea is sweet like honey…the honey colours my vision, then distracted, aware of time, wondering how long we’ve been here…asking to stop.
Fri 7 August 2009
Person A
Meditation:
6 of Wands in Tarot.
Strength Card in Tarot.
Astrological glyph for Uranus.
Key
Whale
Final Meditation after receiving tincture:
Sense of success in battle, and success of the heart. In the process alchemically and also in life in general. Sense of victory, completion and success.
That the plant was happy with me for working with it and refining it to a greater level – for furthering it’s existence spiritually. I had sense that through the alchemical process I had internalized and ‘mastered’ the energy of Nasturtium – even before I had taken first dose of tincture.
Person B
Morning meditation:
Looking for Nasturtium in a Tibetan kind of bag but it’s not there, it doesn’t make sense that it would be missing. Images get really busy and superimposed – S (daughter) is getting nasturtium flowers, A (son) is complaining about his hair, there is someone in the kitchen preparing nasturtium tea. The green of the alcohol steeped comes in my awareness - wondering if it’ll be good for my gums? I am in the garden, looking at the kiln and holding my stickers of cherry blossoms I received as gift on Wednesday, thinking about the process: the burning of the ego in relation to this annoyed feeling I have inside, thinking about what is my agenda and how I would not have an agenda with no ego but then the concept of ‘discrimination’ comes to mind, then a gold light, something in me seeking the peace of the golden glow. Letting go is the thought, letting go more…the remedy seems to be ready now as I look at the dropper and think, ‘finally, it’s ready’. Immense joy I feel.
Afternoon meditation:
Very quiet at first and golden glow: enjoying the warmth and feeling of completion. Then, something about a lady turning into a mermaid on the wind all the way to the sea. Then, something about cooking nasturtium and the yummy smell I remember from it. Then, something about white alcohol turning green, then recommendation of taking a drop a day everyday for seven days. Then something about Dance On and green glow. Heart shaped light and red glow behind eyelids feeling gratitude like in love, with the process and the flower… Hard to harness impressions all merging into feeling of peace and quiet.
Wow, can’t get over that green colour!
Person C
9am Meditation
Warmth, a softness, a melting down like melting on the outside – skin, and its flowing down into the earth, all heaviness flowing down to earth and there’s this little inner light that reaches up. Connected to Nasturtium process. Same feeling as when I was in the flower last week – one of sleepiness, close to divine – that that’s the part that reaches up, while all the heaviness slides down to earth.
At end, little vision of a small boy in khaki overalls and a nasturtium flower cap. He is holding a compass (to draw circles) and is making a quarter circle – one arm above head and other out his arm like a 9’o’clock, and moving between these. Geometrics?
Coughing, clearing throat a lot, light tickle (after eating a flower).
Discrimination – transcended ego uses discrimination.
Finished salt, filtered spirit/soul and burnt remainder.
After marriage feeling quite unsettled, uncomfortable, bit manic.
Tincture is an amazing emerald green.
3pm Meditation
Took 1 drop of the finished spagyric immediately before, and held bottle during meditation.
Could feel the bright, emerald green spiraling up my body in a big swirl, an upwards spiraling, very soft.
Then feel incredibly present, just my breath, felt very centred in my breath, again centred like image of cross on the veins on the leaves. Actually felt slightly off centre to the left, but very centred in my breathing. This is all there is, this moment.
Could feel the burn on my left index finger from doing the Salt this morning.
A slight sense of aloneness, a memory of this ‘we’re all ultimately alone’ feeling that is so familiar, memory that companionship etc is all transient, a myth almost, in reality we’re alone.
Guidance to take with me. To sing, then movement flowed down, dance and feel my body moving, softening, releasing. ‘Soften’.
When saying thanks, got the image of the knight from the very beginning, tipping his hat again. He was also a bit detached, like a polite ‘no worries’, no trouble to him, not even given it a though as it really is nothing to him.
Real sense of timelessness, like at one moment of reality, no ego/in a weird way.
As I’m listening to everyone share, feel quite out there, putting my hands on the earth, feeling a real need to ground.
We finish, wanting to sing, start with omms, but feels too serious for Nasturtium so end up singing and laughing!
Other
Person A
Physical body
Many cuts and wounds down the left side of the body, most not healing quickly or easily.
Premature ejaculation and anxiety or worry around.
Capacity for less sleep - having more energy and awareness with less sleep required.
Sinuses and nose/lungs alternately filled with mucus - then clear and expansive, with easy strong open breathing capacity.
Vitamin C
Cranio sacral membrane
Other Symbols, images that occurred in meditations
Horse. Horse in reins. (Speculating that this indicates harnessing and focus of power, of intent and direction of travel etc).
Ankh symbol. Glyph of Venus. Glyph of Uranus.
Wandjina Spirit. [Spirit of Kimberly in Western Australia, that brings fertility, rain and wealth, bringer of all, the rainbow serpent. Some paintings of the Wandjina represent a comet, one story says a flood started with a comet. Wanjina have no nose or mouth as their knowledge is deeper than what can be spoken and to open their mouth would cause a flood that would drown us all.]
Spiders; Christ; Eagle; Celtic cross (Cross with a circle enclosing the place where the horizontal and vertical bars meet); Cobra; Rose; New baby – eg 6 months old, wearing light blue clothing.