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Thick-Lip Spider Orchid by Boobook48
The 'first blush' has hit here in Naarm / Melbourne, a name I use once the days start to lengthen, warm, and the first of the trees begin to bloom in earnest. Local to me are often Prunus spp. and magnolias. The days often now have sun, temperature can be up into the 20's, and I've started heading out for little hikes and walks again. The start of Leo season (approx. 23rd July) lines up neatly with the start of the indigenous season of Larneuk, from the Gariwerd region of Victoria. Larneuk approximately covers late July, August, and early September, which equates to Leo and part of Virgo season. Larneuk started this year with the sun finally giving us some proper warm sunlight, as the days start to get longer. We no longer have weeks of bleak cloudy skies, and although it rains less often, the rain we do get it often heavier in short bursts. Larneuk is often the wettest season of the year, and is marked by dramatic weather changes (hi leo). I write this just after getting 50km/h winds last night, and sudden hail about 10 minutes ago (on finishing it is now bright and sunny!). It's truly classic temperamental Melbourne weather season. Birds continue to nest, and those who nested in chunnup may now have young to feed. Migratory cuckoos arrive and begin mating calls. The last of the lyrebird courtship displays end at this time. More wattles begin and continue to flower, while many orchids and sundews start blooming. This was also originally a time to head out and stock up on food after the harshness of winter being (mostly) over, and murnong, orchid, and other starchy roots were dug up and baked. Baskets were also often woven at this time. It is a time of mating, nesting, raising young, and of labour; pretty well suited to Leo and Virgo season.
Larneuk begins with Leo season. Ruled by fire and the Sun, Leo starts to warm up the weather, bring us sunshine, and some dramatic weather patterns. Leo is a fixed sign, and I see this in how the flora and fauna really start to take off at this time. Leo isn't hot, but gentle and warm. In medical astrology, Leo tends towards over stimulation and dryness. Thankfully at this time is also when many of our moist and cooling herbs are at their happiest, many being common 'weeds' such as violet, chickweed, and mallows. It is time to start getting our blood moving again!
The start of Virgo season also overlaps with Larneuk. Ruled by earth, we see her in the bounty of herbaceous plants at this time, a sign often connected to a giving nature. Get into the dirt and garden (or weed) now that the frosts are over. Although Virgo is of the earth, she is also a mutable sign, flexible, but prone to tension and stress. Virgo rules our digestive and assimilation of nutrients and experiences. After the possible comfort food of winter, it's the perfect time to give our gut a spring clean with the green herbs bountiful at this time such as dandelion, cleavers, and nettles (in addition to the herbs mentioned in Leo). Due to Virgo's tendency to physical and emotional tension, aromatic digestive nervines are fantastic, these may include: lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, chamomile, and catnip. Together these two signs rule our cardiac and enteric nervous systems, likened to our emotional heart and gut feelings. Many people experience seasonal depression in winter, and combined these signs tell us to get out of our head and let or heart and gut lead for a while. Get back outside and reconnect with nature and community, (re)start some of those healthy habits and get your body moving.
As always I'd like to thank the traditional owners of this land and this wisdom. The Jardwadjali, Djab Wurrung, Gunditjmara, Winda Mara (Kerrup Jamara), Goolum Goolum, Kirrae Whurrong, Framlingham and Kulin peoples.
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