The Leo Wound — Plant Medicine for the South Node in Leo

Introducing Rooted in the Stars: Astrology, Herbal Wisdom, and Embodied Practice

This opening segment introduces the new weekly series "Rooted in the Stars" on the Nightlight Astrology podcast, hosted by Ashley Marie Ellenbost, a clinical herbalist and director of the Sky House Herb School. Adam Ellen Boss, her husband and co-host, frames the series as a bridge between celestial movements and earth-based healing, emphasizing the ancient animistic worldview where the cosmos, body, and plants are seen as interconnected living systems. Ashley explains her vision for the series: to make astrology more tangible and embodied by pairing planetary transits with plant medicine, seasonal rhythms, and accessible rituals. She emphasizes inclusivity, offering multiple plant options and preparation methods (like teas and plant admiration) to accommodate different needs and preferences, ensuring everyone can participate regardless of dietary restrictions or personal sensitivities.

• "Rooted in the Stars" is a new weekly series blending astrology with herbal medicine and earth-based wisdom.
• The series aims to make astrology more embodied by connecting celestial events with physical practices, plants, and rituals.
• Ashley Marie Ellenbost is a clinical herbalist with a master’s degree and a deep background in herbal medicine and spiritual practice.
• The show will use plants to support the nervous system during intense transits (e.g., calming herbs) and to energize during sluggish periods.
• Seasonal and local plant availability will be considered, with multiple plant options offered per episode to ensure accessibility.
• Alternatives to alcohol-based tinctures (like teas or simply being in the presence of plants) are emphasized for inclusivity.
• The series draws from ancient traditions like Ayurveda and the doctrine of correspondences, where planets, bodies, and plants are seen as living, intelligent systems.
• The goal is to reawaken a sense of the cosmos as enchanted, with sacred plants, rivers, and temples as living expressions of divine presence.

The South Node in Leo: Reclaiming Inner Worth Beyond Performance

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Ashley Ellen Boss reflects on her personal experience of closing her yoga studio during a period of burnout, linking it to the current astrological placement of the south node in Leo. She describes how her identity had become tied to public performance and external validation, mirroring the collective theme of Leo’s need for recognition. Now, with the nodes flipped from their 2018–2019 configuration, she emphasizes that the south node in Leo represents a past lesson: the exhaustion of seeking approval and the performative self. The current moment invites a return to authenticity, quiet inner work, and self-validation beyond external praise.

• Ashley shares her personal story of closing her yoga studio in 2018–2019 after reaching burnout, tied to her identity as a public performer.
• She identifies the core theme of the south node in Leo: the exhaustion of performing for external validation and seeking approval.
• The current placement of the south node in Leo signals that this pattern of over-identification with public image and recognition is a past lesson already learned.
• The shift now is toward inner validation, quiet self-reaffirmation, and reconnecting with one’s true self beyond social performance.
• Social media is presented as a modern mirror reflecting the struggle to find worth through external feedback.

Reclaiming Authentic Visibility: Healing Leo's Performance Wound with Chamomile and Rose

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This window explores the emotional and energetic shift tied to the nodal axis shift, particularly focusing on the South Node in Leo and its implications for self-worth, visibility, and authenticity. The creator reflects on how the need for external validation—especially through performance, social media, and public presence—can lead to inner emptiness when it replaces deeper, intrinsic self-acceptance. Using the tarot Sun card and astrological symbolism, they contrast Leo’s radiant outer expression with its shadow: the wound of conditional self-worth rooted in childhood performance. To heal this, two herbs are introduced—chamomile and rose—as metaphors and medicines for restoring inner light and emotional repair. Chamomile represents the nurturing, warm, sun-like inner self that affirms worth without performance. Rose symbolizes the healing of deep emotional wounds, offering comfort, cooling the reactive heat of past betrayals, and supporting a courageous return to authenticity with protective boundaries.

• The South Node in Leo highlights a karmic pattern of seeking validation through performance and external visibility.
• Many experience a hollow feeling despite public exposure, indicating a need for deeper, internal fulfillment beyond external recognition.
• The Sun card in the Rider-Waite tarot symbolizes Leo’s radiant essence, but also points to the shadow of childhood wounding tied to conditional self-worth.
• Chamomile is a solar herb that nourishes the solar plexus, symbolizing inner warmth, self-worth, and the mother’s unconditional love.
• Chamomile is especially healing for children and those whose emotional needs were dismissed, representing the “you are enough” message.
• Rose acts as a healing balm for the wounded heart, soothing grief, betrayal, and emotional exhaustion.
• Rose cools emotional heat, reduces reactivity, and helps rebuild emotional resilience after trauma.
• The thorns of the rose symbolize healthy boundaries and protection, not aggression—enabling safe re-entry into life and expression.
• True authenticity emerges not from performance, but from being present and connected for the sake of connection itself.

Rituals with Chamomile and Rose for Inner Reconnection and Authenticity

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This window explores the use of chamomile and rose as ritual allies for reconnecting with inner authenticity, particularly in the context of the North Node in Aquarius and the Leonic (Leo) energy of the heart. The speaker guides listeners through two daily rituals—one with chamomile tea to ground and strengthen the inner solar fire, and another with rose (tea, cold infusion, or rose water spray) to nurture emotional resilience and create a protective, sacred space. These practices are framed as ways to move beyond performance and external validation, embracing a quieter, more genuine self. A personal story about a breaking point during a yoga class illustrates the importance of recognizing inner exhaustion and reclaiming one’s true self.

• Chamomile can be used in a ritual tea to reconnect with the inner solar energy of Leo and reinforce self-worth without performance.
• The chamomile ritual involves holding the warm mug, breathing in the aroma, and sipping slowly to anchor the body and heart in authenticity.
• Rose can be consumed as tea, infused in cold water overnight, or used as a rose water spray to create a protective, nurturing field around the self.
• Rose water spray is recommended as a daily practice to shield and center oneself, especially before public appearances or vulnerable moments.
• The speaker shares a personal story of emotional collapse during a class—realizing she was exhausted, unwell, and performing a role that no longer served her—leading to the closure of her yoga studio.
• This moment of reckoning became a catalyst for reclaiming her true self and rebuilding her nervous system, health, and identity with the help of herbs.
• Herbs are not just remedies but conscious allies with unique personalities that teach about nature, self, and transformation.

Plant Allies and Nodal Energy: Rose, Chamomile, and Zenia in Practice

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This final window emphasizes the use of specific plants—rose, chamomile, and zenia—as spiritual allies during the current nodal energy phase. The creator invites listeners to engage with rose and chamomile through rituals like baths and intentional consumption, highlighting the importance of organic or homegrown petals to avoid chemical exposure. She shares her personal connection to zenia, describing them as joyful and symbolic of celebration, and encourages openness to how these plants can guide and support individuals through the next 18 to 19 months of astrological transformation.

• Use organic or homegrown rose petals to avoid chemical exposure when using them in rituals or baths.
• Engage with rose and chamomile as plant allies to embody qualities like blossoming with protection, rest, and emotional cooling.
• Try incorporating rose and chamomile into daily rituals as an entry point to deeper plant-based spiritual practice.
• Zenia flowers are personally cherished for their beauty and joy; they are described as the "birthday cake of flowers."
• The current nodal energy in Leo calls for authenticity and heart-centered living, with plant allies supporting this journey over the next 18–19 months.