A hundred years ago, metaphysically-minded herbalists spoke about how the individual herbs "give up their virtues" in service to healing and nourishing man. Yes, man was not the only being in the universe expected to have virtues; the "character" of a plant also had certain "virtues" or healing attributes, which were discovered mostly by intuition and spiritual attunement, then confirmed by experimentation. God's gift of herbs to man for food and medicine was viewed as part of the larger cosmic harmony, plan, and purpose.

Esoterically, the vegetable kingdom relates to the principle of abundance and prosperity. Have you ever had a home vegetable garden or fruit trees that yielded far more produce than your family could use? You got to experience the joy of admiring the abundance of nature, having so much lavished upon you, then giving it away -- and how happy others were to receive your gifts from Nature? Most of all, did you notice how everyone's spirits soared? How their hearts were expanded and spirits fulfilled?

Plants balance and support man with an reverse exchange of gases, showing the principle of reciprocal maintenance.

Earth is the garden of this solar system, an exceptionally beautiful planet, lush with the emerald greens of Nature. God gave man dominion over the other kingdoms in nature, not to dominate them in a selfish way, but to guard the Earth, to be good stewards of the Earth. Man as creative spirit can bring even more beauty to bear on the Earth with artful and judicious use of plants for landscape, flowers, shelter, food, and medicine.

Earth itself is not normally placed in the astrological chart, as astrologers assume that a person is embodied now on Earth and looks outward to view the rest of the universe. The birthchart places you the spirit into a context of time and space as you incarnate into a body. Earth forms part of your spatial context and that context is assumed by astrologers.

Gardens are represented in the astrological chart by the 4th house of home and domestic environments, emotional security, and the foundations of life. Growing a garden is great therapy or an adjunct to other work-on-self. Involvement in a garden helps develop your intuition, aids grounding, and helps you feel more secure and connected in the world. And since the signature of God is on all the Creation, the Life within Nature can both be perceived by us as spirit and nurtures us as spirit.

Gardens are also represented by the Moon, the asteroid Ceres, and the signs of Cancer and Taurus. Flowers are represented by Venus and Libra, indicators of beauty. Herbs are represented by the sign Virgo, Pisces and the planets Mercury and Neptune. The vegetable kingdom as a whole is represented by Jupiter and Neptune.

---------------------- CAROL WILLIS, M.A., has been a professional astrologer, expert intuitive, and educator in Silicon Valley since 1970. Specialties include career transitions, business, professional growth, relationship compatibility, and relocation astrology. She writes for the Psychic Reader every other month, alternating with Carol Cilliers, Director of BPI-Mountain View. Carol Willis may be reached for consultations at (408) 720-9441, or email cbwillis@netcom.com.