Dark Waters — Venus Retrograde in Scorpio — Practices and Plants

What do you actually want-and what might you discover if you give yourself time to listen beneath the surface?

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In this episode of Rooted in the Stars, I explore Venus retrograde in Scorpio through the image of a dark ocean: the depths of desire, intimacy, and the feelings we haven't fully named. Building on last week's conversation about Pluto stationing direct and trusting the composting process, I turn toward what those depths might reveal about what we love and value.

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Through personal reflection, the story of Psyche's descent into the underworld, and a fragrant herbal footbath, I share ways to approach this inquiry with patience, discernment, and attention to the body.

In this episode, I explore:

- Venus's eight-year cycle and the threads connecting our experiences of love, desire, and self-worth

- The difference between performing what we think we should want and honestly feeling our desires

- Psyche's journey and the practice of moving through darkness without becoming consumed by it

- A dark herbal foot bath as a ritual for slowing down and listening

- Damiana as a traditional herbal ally associated with sensuality and desire

Herbs in the footbath:

- Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) for its rich red color

- Rose (Rosa spp.) for fragrance and the symbolism of tenderness with boundaries

- Damiana (Turnera diffusa) for its aromatic connection to sensuality

- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) for its traditional associations with dreams and thresholds

- Optional cloves for a little spice

What have you learned about what you love since the last Venus retrograde in Scorpio? What are you ready to name more honestly now?

Do not use mugwort during pregnancy. Herbal information is shared for educational purposes.

ASHLEY ELENBAAS

Website: https://www.skyhouseherbs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkyHouseHerbs

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About the Herbs:

Damiana (Turnera diffusa) - The Herb of Desire

Damiana is a warm, aromatic, slightly bitter shrub from Mexico and Central America. It has long been used as an aphrodisiac that helps us come home to the body. Damiana connects to Venus energy, beauty, sensuality, the pleasure of being embodied. But in Scorpio's waters, it goes deeper. It helps us access the desire that has gone underground.

Rose (Rosa spp.) - Tenderness with Thorns

Rose is a Venusian herb in the truest sense. Roes is beautiful, fragrant, both soft and thorned. In the foot soak, rose brings warmth, beauty, and a gentle opening of the heart. Rose has a particular affinity for grief, for love that is complicated, for the tender wounded places that Venus in Scorpio tends to uncover.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) - The Deep Red

Hibiscus is the herb that turns your water that magnificent deep red-pink. It is cooling, tart, and beautiful, associated with feminine vitality, with the blood, with passion. In the foot soak, it is the visual signature of the whole practice, the dark, blood-red waters you are descending into.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) - The Threshold Herb

Mugwort is the herb of dreams, of liminal spaces, of the journey between worlds. It is associated with Artemis - the woman who belongs to herself, who moves between the wild and the domestic, who is not bound by convention. In the foot soak, mugwort is the doorway herb. It says: you are crossing a threshold. You are entering the dark waters with intention. Let the dream-space open. Mugwort also has a long traditional use for women's health, menstruation, womb health, emotional states connected to the cycle.

Safety note:

Mugwort is contraindicated in pregnancy. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, omit mugwort from the blend and enjoy the rose-hibiscus-damiana combination instead.