Chastetree
Vitex agnus-castus
Use this herb for:
Actions
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Hormone modulation
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Galactagogue
Uses
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Tenderness or pain in breast tissue
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Premenstrual symptoms
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Irregularities in the menstrual cycle
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Perimenopause
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Balancing to estrogen and progesterone
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Uterine fibroids
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Endometriosis
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Polycystic ovarian syndrome specifically with hyperprolactinemia
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Sleep disorders
Constituents
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Methoxylated flavones (caticin, eupatorine, penduletin)
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Flavonoids (vitexin, orientin)
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Monoterpenes
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Diterpenes (labdane, halimane)
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Sesquiterpenes (sabinene, cineole, beta-carophyllene)
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Iridoid glycosides (aucubin, agnuside)
Energetics
Bitter, Pungent, Warming, Diffusive
For the Constricted and Depressed Tissue State
In “The Spirit of Herbs” by Michael Tierra, Vitex is not directly linked to a specific card in the tarot but is an herbal ally to the 9 of pentacles. This card astrologically is connected with Venus in Virgo and what a beautiful connection!
Venus being a symbol of the Mother Nature, the Divine Feminine & the Mother or the Goddess of love. Venus is represented by the Empress card and is represented by the pregnant mother. Virgo, connected with the Hermit card is the carrier of light in the darkness and gets its name from the symbol of the purity of a virgin. Often the virgin is associated to a woman who has not had sexual intercourse but in this case, it is the purity and innocence of children that carry the light of the Universal Creator. In the Thoth deck it is clearly seen that the light barer is accompanied by the cosmic egg and below it what can be understood as a sperm. What a beautiful association to put the 9 of pentacles with Vitex. This plant is often connected with women at the deepest level to support becoming pregnant. Symbolically this can be seen as the Hermit’s light separating the possibility of birth from Cerberus. This is the 3 headed dog that guards the gate of hades keeping the dead from coming in to the world.
Growing
The berries are where we get the medicine and are harvested when ripe in the Summer. The Chastetree is a Mediterranean plant found in Eurasia. The Chastetree can grow up to 22 feet tall and is started by seed in the spring or autumn.
Cautions
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Vitex should be used with caution in pregnancy and only in the early stages for insufficient corpus luteal function.
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It may aggravate pure spasmodic dysmenorrhea not associated with PMS.
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Vitex is preferably not to be taken in conjunction with progesterone drugs, the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
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It may also interact antagonistically with dopamine receptor antagonists.
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There are reports of rare increases in suicidal tendencies in some women using Vitex. This seem to relate to women experiencing PMS-D, which displays as premenstrual depression related to estrogen deficiency.