The Queen of Pentacles with Herbal Pairing Yarrow
The picturesque scene in the Queen of Pentacles shows us a lovely ruler gazing at a large golden pentacle that lays resting in her lap. She sits complacently on a stone carved throne in a field filled with blossoming flowers, with hazy blue mountains rising in the distance. Her throne indeed, is ornately carved, with the head of a goat showing at the arm of her chair, indicating the practical and wise astrological sign of Capricorn. A wild hare scampers across the foot of the card, signaling fertility, renewal, rejuvenation, and fortunate opportunities. Spring blossoms in a dozen ways in this image. It hangs in the air like the scent of warm roses. Makes us wonder if perhaps we too, could surround ourselves in magic we manifested ourselves with our own two hands. The Queen gazes at her pentacle adoringly – her awareness of her own magic is keen. Like the fellow Tarot card the Magician, she wears a red robe over a white shirt and similarly, flowers frame both of these cards behind dreamy yellow skies. She could be the Magician’s ally, his muse, his feminine counterpart. Like him, the Queen of Pentacle’s power, influence, success, and financial security have come from her own manifestations. Her contentment and gratitude in life are born from a deep love of Life’s amazing riches but also of knowing how to ask the Divine Universe for exactly what she wants. Not more. Not less.
This is the essential message of the Queen of Pentacles. To trust and know ourselves and then to ask the Divine Universe for exactly what we want. Not from a place of Ego. Nor from a place of revenge or spite. Not so that we may move up in society or so that we become powerful just for the sake of it. But instead, so that like the Queen, we may create more beauty, more love, so that we may start a family, make our dreams come true, and out of simple elements – Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, that we may create something more. Some fifth element. Magic. When this card shows itself in a reading, luck is on our side, golden opportunities, like the Pentacle, are about to roll into our lap. It’s time to draw the elements together, and more importantly, to trust ourselves enough to begin the process of sacred manifestation.
When the time is ripe for magic, perhaps one of the most powerful plant allies we can call upon for such a task is Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) as it has a long history of use in witchcraft. The Chinese used the stalks for divining the I Ching, an ancient oracle that describes laws of change and natural cycles. Much later during Roman times, lovesick Romans would use it in dream pillows while reciting romantic poems to the Goddess Venus, in which they would ask to dream of their future mate. Yarrow’s Latin name comes from the Greek demigod Achilles, who used yarrow poultices to treat his soldier’s wounds as it was said to lessen bleeding and speed wound healing. Current research concurs, with studies showing that the leaves of this herb exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, both of which increase the cells responsible for regenerating connective tissue and helping the body recover from injury. This makes it an excellent remedy for burns, cuts, bruises, hemorrhoids, and even internal injuries such as ulcers, hemorrhages, uterine fibroids, and excessive menstrual bleeding. Recent studies in 2019 have also uncovered an alkaloid in yarrow tea that reduces the secretion of corticosterone, a hormone that becomes elevated during times of chronic stress, and yarrow essential oils administered orally to rats reduced their anxiety and encouraged daily mental and physical activity.
Will Yarrow’s wonders never cease? It’s obvious it is the perfect pairing with the Queen of Pentacles, a wand we can use to manifest our most beautiful, most fruitful garden yet.
*Tarot reading is based on the Rider-Waite Tarot Card deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith
References
Bantilan, Cheri MS, RD. “5 Emerging Benefits and Uses of Yarrow Tea.” Healthline, 12 December 2019. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/yarrow-tea
Majnooni, M.B., Mohammadi-Farani, A, Gholivand, M.B., et al. “Chemical Composition and Anxiolytic Evaluation of Achillea Wilhelmsii C. Koch Essential Oil in Rats.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, 8 October 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24082896/
Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. San Francisco, Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 2007. P236
Tierra, Lesley Lac. Healing with the Herbs of Life. Berkeley, The Crossing Press, 2003. P129-130
