Part 2 coincides with the Virgo full moon; a perfect time for a cleansing salt-based bath. Virgo is an Earth sign, which explains why it's associated with cleanliness and health; the practicalities and discrimination of the informational bent of its' ruling planet Mercury. (For the purely intellectual process of gathering information, look to Gemini, which is also ruled by Mercury.) The caduceus we still use as a medical symbol comes from the staff carried by Mercury/ Hermes.

In herbalism, we talk about the flavors of herbs and how they relate to organ systems; which herbs have affinities to particular body parts. The basis of these ideas is experiential data or observation of how the body seems to respond to certain substances through systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Eclectic School of Western Medicine, amongst many other traditions. Today I'm starting a two part talk about salt and it's uses to support health in Winter. (home