New Moon in Aquarius, Spotlight on Chaparral (Larrea tridentata)

If you have ever been in the Phoenix, Arizona, area right after a rainfall, you will remember the intoxicating, delightful smell in the air, unique to this region. The amazing post-rain smell in Arizona comes from the desert plant called Chaparral. The scientific name is Larrea tridentata. (I used to live in Arizona, and we called it Creosote Bush… but everyone else seems to call it Chaparral.) There is nothing like the smell of Creosote! It is truly exhilarating!

If I need an emotional boost, I love to open my jar of dried Chaparral and take a deep whiff. It is like getting a hug from a good friend—one of those firm, serious hugs where they squeeze you long and hard, making you feel secure and safe.

Astrological Rulership of Chaparral / Creosote

Most of our traditional astrological literature comes from the Middle Eastern or European parts of the world, where Chaparral does not grow. Thus, we do not have any literature giving it a rulership. In my opinion, Chaparral is ruled by Saturn, and has an affinity with the sign of Aquarius. Assigning a rulership to a plant is complex, and it is not meant to put the plant into a box. Rather, rulership can help astrologers form connections and build meaning into their practice.

Here is my logic for believing Chaparral to be in Saturn’s realm:

• Chaparral has a strong healing power for sunburns and radiation poisoning. You can apply a Chaparral infusion to a sunburn for relief and rapid healing, and you can take the tincture or tea internally when dealing with radiation issues, such as after chemotherapy. Indigenous peoples actually used chaparral infusions as a sunscreen, to prevent sunburns in the first place! Because of Chaparral’s antipathy to the harmful effects of the Sun and radiation (which can come from the Sun), Saturn seems a natural fit. Saturn is opposed to the Sun, and Saturn’s sign of Aquarius is opposed to the Sun’s sign of Leo.

• Chaparral is excellent for the skin. She heals wounds, has antiseptic properties, and opens pores. She is particularly talented at combating skin fungus, such as athlete’s foot or staph. Saturn rules the skin, so we would suspect that a plant with a strong affinity for the skin may be ruled by Saturn.

• Chaparral blooms during Aquarius season. I used to love going for hikes in February when the Creosote Bushes were in bloom. Such a wonderful scent! Bloom season doesn’t necessarily correlate to sign affinity, but it’s one data point that can point an astrologer in one direction or another.

• Chaparral is extremely bitter and difficult to drink. Again, this is not necessarily an indicator of an affinity with Saturn—there are many bitter herbs given to other planets, and there are Saturnian herbs with delightful tastes. But this is, again, just one more data point. Saturn is notorious for her “tough love” approaches to life. She gives you the truth, whether you want it or not (and usually you don’t.) Saturn is infamous for dispensing “bitter medicine.” (Myself, I am quite Saturnian in nature, and I enjoy bitter tastes. I kinda like Chaparral tea. But not for long periods, for sure!)

• Creosote bushes / Chaparral bushes grow in a ring formation. As the bush ages, the center part dies, and the edges expand outward. They look like separate bushes growing in a circle, but they are actually all “clones” connected to the same central root. Eventually the clones end up taking a ring formation. And which planet is famous for its rings??!!

• Creosote bushes live a long time. Like, a LONNNNNGGGGGG time! One of Earth’s oldest known living plants is named “King Clone,” and he is a Creosote bush living in the Mojave desert in California. King Clone is 11,700 years old! Wow! This is another clue that points to Saturn, since Saturn rules old age and longevity.

• Chaparall has an affinity for the respiratory system, and many of her constituents are delivered aromatically. Aquarius is an air sign ruled by Saturn. Although Aquarius does not rule the lungs per se, all air signs have affinity with respiration in general.

Because of Chaparral’s affinity with Saturn and Aquarius, this New Moon is an excellent time to begin an infusion of this wonderful plant! I am starting an oil infusion and a tincture today. If you tincture Chaparral, you need to use a very high alcohol content, since she contains a lot of resins. I am using Everclear with a 75% alcohol content, the highest I could find.

What are Chaparral’s talents?

Energetics: Cold. Dry. Tonifying.

Properties: vulnerary, antimicrobial, antioxidant, vermifuge, anti-inflammatory, alterative, diuretic, immune tonic, digestive bitter, analgesic

Ailments: Chaparral is wonderful topically, for burns and skin fungal infections. Many herbalists keep Chaparral salve on hand in their first-aid kits, because she has three properties that help with wounds: 1) Strong antimicrobial action can disinfect the area. 2) Vulnerary action promotes skin healing. 3) Anti-inflammatory action helps relieve pain and swelling.

Chaparral can also be infused into water instead of a salve, to make a wound wash. An open wound should not have an oil-based application on it, so a water-based infusion is best at first. Water infusions can also be helpful orally, for disinfecting mouth lesions, thrush, or strep throat. You can also put chaparral into a bath, if your whole body is in pain (for example from arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, etc.) and let the anti-inflammatory pain relief just wash and cover you. (Just remember, Chaparral is a cold herb, so she works best against “hot” pains— if you describe your pain as stabby, sharp, fiery, or burning, for example, Chaparral may help. If your pain is “cold,” such as achey, bruising, creaky, foggy, etc, then a warmer analgesic may be better.)

You could also put Chaparral into a steam, and breathe in the germ-fighting, pain-reducing goodness, if you are struggling with respiratory infection, asthma, or sinus pain. (Remember, this is a dry herb, so she works best against boggy, phlegmy infections. She may be less effective against dry, raspy infections.)

Internally, some herbalists have worked with Chaparall for parasites. Some also claim success in various auto-immune conditions, noting that she seems to behave as an immune tonic: supporting and nourishing the immune system without triggering a flare up or stimulating it to go too far. This immune support also seems to be helpful for allergies.

Chaparall can be added to oil blends to extend their shelf life. Normally oil infusions are good for about a year, but because Chaparral is such a strong antioxidant, her presence in the oil blend slows down the rancidity process, allowing the oil infusion to last longer.

Precautions: These days, Chaparral is most commonly used externally. She can be taken internally, but she is very potent, and should not be ingested for longer than 2 weeks, to avoid liver damage. And anyway, most people dislike the taste and wouldn’t be able to tolerate it longer than that! (Nature is so wise!) People with known liver damage should not ingest Chaparral.

Because she is so potent, it is probably wise to avoid internal ingestion of Chaparral during pregnancy.

If taking tincture internally, small doses are plenty powerful. Even just 1-3 drops can have an effect, depending on what you are working on.

Emotional Energies: I have mentioned several times that the smell of Creosote is delightful. I do not see Chaparral listed as a euphoric aromatic herb in my materia medica, but I think she should be considered such! The smell is definitely uplifting. It imparts a cleansing, fresh feeling.

I call on Chaparral when I feel like I have “seen too much,” when I’m world-weary, and when my emotional entanglement with whatever I’m going through is clouding my judgment. She helps me clear the fog and feel fresh again, like after a good rain. Aquarius, the water-bearer, carries their pitcher of water on their head. What this represents is that Aquarians are known for being able to separate the mental mind from the emotional mind. Aquarians can be hyper rational. This can be a strength! When you need to keep your emotions separate from your work at hand, Chaparral can definitely assist with this process. You can smell her, drink her, or smoke her, if you need the emotional effects.

I love Creosote Bush / Chaparral so much. I have called on her for wisdom and support many times. I’m delighted to introduce this friend to you, and I hope you love her as much as I do!