I'm sitting down to write this blog at 3:07 P.M. [MST]. The Final Quarter Moon in Leo began --- 52.5% --- seven hours ago --- 8:07 A.M. [MST] --- & will conclude --- 47.3% --- in four hours --- 7:07 P.M. [MST]. It will be in Leo throughout this entire time.
Last month we spoke about what it looks like to cycle with the moon, so it feels right to follow that with what it looks like to be born during each moon phase. If you were born under a Final Quarter Moon, you're the kind of person I want to be friends with. You see through the bullshit of hierarchal structures. Not only that, you seek to tear them down. You have immense capacity for cognitive dissonance. You can hold space for anger & joy, death & rebirth, the darkness & the light, etc. This makes you attractive to people who are seeking to go to the depths with another person. Those who aren't happy with surface-level only friendships. You're a philosopher, but you wouldn't be caught dead standing around at a dinner party merely discussing one's philosophy; you're a feet-on-the-ground, make-shit-happen type. The downside to this being your archetype is never being fully satisfied with the transformation you inspired. You can't help but see that there may always be a need for destruction & re-construction. This could lead to cynicism or burnout.
I'd argue that those two are the same state of mind.
If you were born during a Final Quarter Moon in Leo, this desire for social justice might be directed towards children. You may feel passionate about changes in the educational system or you may decide to foster/adopt. These passion projects might be fueled by your own wounded inner child. Which is certainly something to think about before taking them on.
I had every intent of imbuing this blog series with a heavy dose of chaos magic. I wanted very little say in which herbs we studied each month. In order to achieve that, I've been using an alphabet randomizer to select the letters, before researching herbs that begin with the random letters I've been given. All that to say, I certainly wouldn't have chosen to study Early Wildrye had I known anything about it. But I'm glad I stuck it out & kept digging for information.
Early Wildrye or Early Green-Up Grass is not a medicinal herb or a psychoactive drug. In fact, it serves humans very little purpose. It's importance in the cycle of life, however, is quite large. It is the first grass to make itself known, well before the dawn of Spring. The wildlife, including deer, rabbits, geese, & elk, appreciate the opportunity to have a nutritious bite to eat after scavenging their way through the darkest parts of Winter. The seeds of this grass are also enjoyed by mice, which doesn't seem beneficial... unless you're a hawk.
Speaking of birds... songbirds, game birds, & bats all feed on insects. Insects feed on rye. And so the cycle goes.
But that's not all! Early Wildrye sprouts early, which means it also seeds early, leading it to die off in the heat of Summer. Being that it is a cool season grass, once the temperatures cool down & the days shorten, it sprouts again. Meaning the wildlife are provided the benefit of green grass twice a year, during times one wouldn't expect there to be green grass.
I find myself violently confronted with how little I think about the portions of the life cycle that don't affect me. And in that confrontation I find gratitude for this chaotic approach to studying herbalism. A wee trick that my deities & ancestors clearly played on my ego.
Touché, guys. Touché.
But, truly... thank you. You're always pushing me towards growth.
Early Wildrye wasn't recognized as a species until 2000. Up until that time there was no differentiation between it & Virginia Wildrye [Elymus Virginicus]. In trying to find any additional information about how a witch could go about utilizing rye grass, I went on a hunt for various uses of Virginia Wildrye. In doing so I found that this rye is no different than most ryes, in that it is susceptible to ergot poisoning.
This discovery took a blog that was woefully lacking in information & opened the door for a fifteen-page paper on how the Salem witch trials were a dramatic reaction to ergotism. I'll do my best to reign it in.
Ergotism is caused by rye that has been infected with a fungus known as Claviceps purpurea. Side effects range from hallucinations to gangrene. Those who've experienced LSD would be semi-familiar with ergot poisoning, as the alkaloids present in ergot are very similar to those present in acid.
Convulsive ergotism caused a person to have muscular convulsions, double vision, & hallucinations. The combination of double vision & hallucinations would naturally manifest in psychosis. Studies have shown that the probability that many who were burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials were experiencing convulsive ergotism not demonic possession. Mary Kilbourne Matossian, historian, stands behind this claim with evidence to prove it.
I'm forever astonished by how often 'sola dosis facit venenum', meaning 'the dose makes the poisoning', shows itself to be true. And it's no different here. Ergot was used as early as 1582 by midwives who had taken note that pregnant cows who were given ergot went into early labor. They deduced that a stalled labor could be encouraged by the ingestion of three intact fresh ergots. Using ergot in this manner continued for quite some time. Doctors in 1808 were still sharing the potential benefits with each other. Unfortunately, no one seemed to pay much attention to the warning that the dose must be minimal. What they once called 'pulvis ad partum', meaning 'the dust of creation', they began referring to as 'pulvis ad mortem', the dust of death.
By 1935, they'd extracted the alkaloid ergometrin, making it much easier to dose the patient efficiently & safely.
Even now the pharmaceutical world is looking at ergot as a potential life-saving medication. There is research being done into how it may be helpful in treating symptoms of Parkinson's & dementia.
Surely the ghosts of those Christian zealots from the 1600s who hung innocent people feel real silly for their actions now. But I know that's not likely. Ha!
Let's see if my deck of plenty has some lyrics, a poem, or a writing prompt to close this blog out, today...
Oh, my. This Venus retrograde has you FUCKED UP.
Honestly, though? Same.
You are reevaluating relationships. You are letting people know that your heart isn't theirs to keep locked in a cage. You have autonomy. They need consent. You may find yourself[ves] focused on what it means to embody HEALTHY aspects of femininity. On the flip-side, you may be examining what UNHEALTHY aspects of femininity you're done tolerating in yourself[ves] & in others.
I don't think it's time to make these feelings known yet. With Mercury still being in retrograde for another twelve days... I'd do my best to wait it out. But do speak on it. Do make plans to set new boundaries & re-shape connections that are struggling. Be ready, however, for them to come to an end if the other person doesn't feel the same. Just as you have free will, they do, as well.
REFERENCES:
https://hamiltonnativeoutpost.com/native-plant-of-the-year/
https://newmoonnursery.com/nursery-plants/elymus-virginicus/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6361114/
https://asm.org/articles/2018/november/from-poisoning-to-pharmacy-a-tale-of-two-ergots
https://jobcannon.io/blog/last-quarter-moon-personality-career-guide
As always,
Be well.
Be you.
A.G.