Hi all,

I am interested to know what all you traditional astrologers think about marijuana, which planet and/or planets rule it, and so on. I am interested for a number of reasons. I noticed that it is not mentioned as an "herb" in Lilly's "Christian Astrology," which kind of surprised me, for historical evidence suggests that it has been around a long time, and I thought for sure it would have been used or introduced in his day.
I am also interested in all of your opinions because it is an extremely hotly debated topic in America, especially in Sacramento, California, where I currently live right now. One of the local free weekly papers just dedicated an entire issue to the topic a few weeks ago.
Now of course there are two different "strains" of marijuana, which some or many of you may know, by "strains" I mean the sativa and indica type.
The sativa strain apparently increases energy and the indica type gives more of a "body high", also called "couch lock," and also makes one more prone to desire sleep. The latter apparently is the one most often cultivated for people who use it for medical purposes.
Although I personally do not smoke it very much anymore, my experience in the past is that the sativa kind would be ruled by Venus. I always had the desire to socialize with people, which is unusual for me since I'm a bit of an introverted type to begin with. It also seemed to give me patience to tolerate people I would have no interest in spending time with. Another part of me thinks it may be ruled by Mercury though, because it does stimulate thinking in a non-linear fashion and makes things kind of funny. Anyhow, I'm just throwing ideas out there without thinking too deeply about the connections, though I promise I'm not under the influence now!
Now the indica type seems like it would be possibly under the influence of the moon, for it makes one more lethargic, lazy, and tired.
Anyway, I'd love to hear all your thoughts, for it is a very controversial drug in America right now. I have personally been for legalization for years, meaning I would like to see it have the same legal status as that of Holland. Other people are fighting just to see it become legal for medical purposes.
So what do you guys all think? I look forward to getting all your thoughts on this issue.

Peter

Here are some more questions/thoughts while I'm at it. Some people claim that it is a natural anti-depressant (at least the sativa strain), so could it be a solar and/or Jupiterian herb, used in order to balance out Saturn and melancholy? Also, I have at least one friend who has a medical presciption for it for anxiety. She has Mars, Venus and Jupiter all in Gemini (though she doesn't know this), so it seems like it may be helpful to those with overstrung nerves (being related to gemini). I'm just throwing these ideas out. Extreme anxiety to me seems to be mostly a mental problem, and although I don't recommend drug use or abuse as a necessary solution, this particular woman has trouble functioning around people without it, even working. She does hold down a job and is currently raising a kid, so it does not seem to pose the problem some proponents against marijuana claim that it would have on society at large, for example making people lazy, unproductive and causing severe brain damage.
Anyhow, I'm just throwing more ideas out while I'm here at the computer and on the topic.

Peter

I regret at the moment that I do not have access to my copy of Lehman's "Rulerships"; I'm currently between moves.

As I recall, marijuana (hemp) has a traditional rulership of Moon.

I always take into consideration the intended purpose of the use of the herb; if it is for social purposes, I could understand the use of Venus. Moon (shift in the humours) for medical would be my best guess.

Regards,

Spirhelix

Good old Culpeper!

He gives hemp to Saturn. Makes sense, because it was often used for making rope. Binding=Saturn. But there is more. . . below

Oh, by the way, "Consumes wind" means it eases pain.

http://www.dcbuzz.us/culpeper2/hemp.htm

"Hemp

* Time
* Government and Virtues


This is so well known to every good housewife in the country, that I shall not need to write any description of it.

Time : It is sown in the very end of March, or beginning of April, and is ripe in August or September.



Government and virtues : It is a plant of Saturn, and good for something else, you see, than to make halters only. The seed of Hemp consumes wind, and by too much use thereof disperses it so much that it dries up the natural seed for procreation; yet, being boiled in milk and taken, helps such as have a hot dry cough. The Dutch make an emulsion out of the seed, and give it with good success to those that have the jaundice, especially in the beginning of the disease, if there be no ague accompanying it, for it opens obstructions of the gall, and causes digestion of choler. The emulsion or decoction of the seed stays lasks and continual fluxes, eases the cholic, and allays the troublesome humours in the bowels, and stays bleeding at the mouth, nose, or other places, some of the leaves, being fried with the blood of them that bleed, and so given them to eat. It is held very good to kill the worms in men or beasts; and the juice dropped into the ears kills worms in them; and draws forth earwigs, or other living creatures gotten into them. The decoction of the root allays inflammations of the head, or any other parts: the herb itself, or the distilled water thereof doth the like. The decoction of the root eases the pains of the gout, the hard humours of knots in the joints, the pains and shrinking of the sinews, and the pains of the hips. The fresh juice mixed with a little oil and butter, is good for any place that hath been burnt with fire, being thereto applied."

Hope this is useful.

Spirlhelix

Hi,

Thanks for all that info. I'm the same guy as the PBrown just under a different name, and I forgot my password and can't access my hotmail account because my labtop computer is slowly breaking down.

Peter

Over here, in colombia, marijuana is considered a "hot" plant, so it is used to cure diseases like arthritis.
In colombian green magic, there is four principles to the plants: hot, cold, sour and sweet.

Hi again,

Thanks Yuzuru. One thing I realized that Spirlhelix didn't mention in his quoting of Culpeper, is that Culpeper did not mention its effect when smoked, which is interesting. Does that mean nobody smoked the herb in Culpeper's day?
Nevertheless, I forgot to mention that the part of the marijuana plant that is used for smoking is the "feminine" part and another effect it has on some people is increasing the appetite (also called "munchies" by those who do.) I've also noticed that people whose charts I've done who do smoke have a lack of earth and water in their charts, though I don't know why that is. I wonder if it makes one more "cold and moist", thus its connection to the moon with the appetite increasing and helping people relax.
Anyway, if there are any more insights into this mysterious and controversial plant, I'd love to hear more, and Thanks Yuzuru and Spirlhelix for sharing your knowledge.

Peter

The Scythians of Herodotus' time used it as a sacred plant -- apparently the Scythian tribe ruled by a Queen/Priestess who used the plant in her rites. There's a passage how a Scythian tribe taught its uses to Thracians. We're talking 5-600 BC.