Welcome to Taurus season.

As we journey with each mushroom, think about the qualities and healing effects they have and how can we integrate them more into our lives. Whether that be through ritual, ingestion or just learning and building more awareness about their incredible capabilities and role they play in our world.

When we time the embodiment of each mushroom with the energies of the sky, this alchemizes a deeper connection and understanding of the earth and our physical vessels.

Mushrooms are nature's alchemists and we get to dive deep into our next fungi below. Also, refer to the Astrological Planner as your navigational tool where you will find an intro to each and fungi archetype for each zodiac season.

Shiitake (Letinula edodes)

Shiitake is known as the ‘Elixir of life’ and has been consumed in East Asia for thousands of years, not only for its culinary earthiness and nutrition but for its medicinal magic. It is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms, and it's a powerhouse staple around the world today. It is adaptogenic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumoral, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-viral, anti-aging, cholesterol reducing, qi replenishing, sexual potentiator, kidney and liver tonic.

It can prevent cellular breakdown, stimulate collagen, aid in detoxification improving skin, helping with hyperpigmentation and irritation. It enlivens blood, improves circulation and is great for cardiovascular health, reducing cholesterol, regulating blood pressure and blood sugar.

Approved as a cancer treatment and preventative in Japan, it also supports defence against viruses such as HIV, hepatitis, and herpes. An all-round strengthening and restorative staple for immune system regulation and optimal health.

Main modern use:

Immune & cellular support, cardiovascular health, cholesterol, skin health, liver support.

PLANET:

VENUS - Governs balance in the body, skin, ovaries, renal system, hormones, circulation.

SIGN: 

TAURUS - Slow, abundant, life affirming, and steady. Taurus is strong, solid, sensual, and delicious.

It rules the taste buds, salivary glands, ears, neck, nose, tongue, throat, lower jaw. It is grounding and reliable.

Pairing notes:

Skin, cells, fortification, and balance. Venus governs the skin and homeostasis of the body. Taurus as a fixed earth sign is the foundation for longevity. This shroom can also be paired with Leo (governs heart/cardiovascular system), Sagittarius (rules arterial circulation/arteries), Scorpio (governs reproductive system and elimination), Capricorn (governs skin and bones). 

If you are interested in medicinal mushrooms to deepen your relationship with Taurus this season check out Turkey Tail, Maitake and Oyster from Feral Fungi. Use code MAGICOFI for 20% off at check-out!

Alchemist, Ethnobotanist, Mycologist & Spagyricist, Jason Scott, shares his wisdom of Shiitake and Taurus below.

Shiitake in Taurus

Abundance & Beauty

Common Name: Shiitake
Latin Name: Letinula edodes
Family: Omphalotaceae
Tastes: Salty/Sweet
Affinities: Digestion, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Immune
Energetics: Warm and Moist
Planetary Rulership: Jupiter, Venus

Nourishing Abundance

Almost none of the fungi that have made themselves known to us and woven their way into our daily experience are as infamous as the humble Shiitake mushroom. Lentinula edodes imbues abundance on every level of its being, from morphology to cultural relationship, in the way it grows to the numerous health benefits it imparts.

Traditionally Shiitake grows on a group of deciduous trees, including a specific type of oak, from which this mushroom draws its name. Shiitake translate from Japanese to English as shii, describing a type of oak & take which means ‘mushroom.’ Letinula edodes is native to the mountainous regions of Japan, Korea, and China.

Shiitake was one of the first mushrooms we had a relationship with through cultivation. Records dating to 1209 from the Song Dynasty in China describe early Shiitake Cultivation, making it the first known cultivated mushroom. Cultivation later spread to Japan, where Samurai warriors would produce them for the aristocracy.

In Japan, shiitake was cultivated by taking harvested shii wood and placing them against trees that were producing the fruiting body of this fungus. The mushrooms growing would inoculate the wood placed beneath them, inoculating them with shiitake spores.

Commercial production of shiitake can be traced as far back as the 1930s; the mushrooms were grown on hardwood logs, eventually to be grown on sterilized sawdust and other mediums. Shiitake are still commercially cultivated and among the most desirable mushrooms available. Beyond its viability on the edible market, shiitake is a powerhouse of medicinal mushrooms.

Shiitake is naturally rich in minerals, including copper. A half cup of shiitake can provide up to 72% of the daily recommended value of copper. Shiitake are also rich in selenium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and many other vital vitamins and minerals.

Shiitake is rich in ergosterol, a compound present in mushrooms and other fungal organisms that exists within the cell membrane and helps maintain that cell's integrity. That converts to vitamin D2 when irradiated with ultraviolet light. It is important to note here that vitamin D2 primarily comes from plants, and it is unclear whether it functions the same as vitamin D3, though it does show some promising benefits.

Shiitake and all fungi are also rich in polysaccharides, which have many health benefits, including immune support, cellular integrity, anti-inflammatory, histamine regulation, and antioxidant. Most notable among the polysaccharides in mushrooms is a compound called Lentinan which has been used clinically to boost the effects of medications used in cancer and HIV treatments.

Lentinan has also been shown to lower cholesterol, stimulate the immune system, and treat infections. Shiitake and Maitake, in my practice, have proven to have outstanding effects on helping to lower cholesterol to healthy levels. This is likely due to a compound called eritadenine, along with polysaccharides.

With its delicious umami flavor, shiitake is excellent to consume as an additive in meals or as an extract that tastes so rich it almost tastes like soup. Since we’ve had a long-standing relationship with this mushroom, we’ve seen its efficacy in supporting our health. But, as with most mushrooms, we are only beginning to understand the multitude of benefits and applications.

The Doctrine of Signatures in Shiitake

Shiitake is the embodiment of abundance. When I started working with fungi through the lens of Alchemy and Astrology, it was one of the first I pondered when considering planetary correspondences. Initially, I attributed Jupiter to this mushroom, but it is also well suited under the rulership of Venus.

In Jupiter, these mushrooms exude abundance, plump mushrooms like gifts from the fungi gods. Some research even shows that fruiting is stimulated by electrical impulses, an observation made by witnessing lighting stimulating shiitake growth.

Shiitake in Venus is nurturing, nourishing, and foundational. Taurus is the stoic bull, embodying strength and endurance. Taurus is rooted deep into the earth and entwined in all the natural earthly beauty exuded by its Venusian rulership. The relationship formed in cultivating these mushrooms illuminates a relationship with the beauty of the earth.

Venus and Taurus indulge in beautiful things, and shiitake is one of the most beautiful mushrooms in flavor and scent. Rich in both, they overtake the senses and impart a deep warmth and comfort. As previously mentioned, an extract of this mushroom tastes like a vibrant, salty, and garlicky soup, an explosion of flavor that can sometimes overwhelm the taste.

This mushroom is nothing short of beautiful in the way it revealed itself to the people, in the way it shared its abundance through the ability to cultivate it out of the wild and offer foundational food security, through the way that it serves the body and health. Shiitake provides balance in the body, skin, genitourinary tract, and the waters of the body..

Shiitake is sensual and rich in the most comforting ways, making it a superb mushroom under the planet Venus and the sign of Taurus.

Nurturing Taurus

Venus at its root is nourishing, and Taurus is strong and steady as it is relished in the delights of the earth. In indulgent beauty and sensuality, Shiitake nurtures the earthly wisdom and beauty of Taurus and Venus. With its abundance in sheer numbers and bountiful scent and flavor, Shiitake feeds the desire and yearning of Taurus.

The medicinal virtues of Shiitake are longstanding and address the profoundly latent illness that takes hold in the body, as well as providing the strength and resilience to avoid and overcome that illness. The power of digestion and the immune system are at the root of health. Shiitake stimulates both.

Taurus challenges the world with its stoic strength and endurance. It pays close attention to the virtues of earthly life, and it delights in its pleasures. In balance, it is down-to-earth, reliable, and loyal. Out of balance, it is hard-headed, over-indulgent, and selfish. To remain in its positive aspects, Taurus must find balance and stability in its pursuit of Venusian delights.

This mushroom gives the immune system the building blocks it needs to construct a dynamic immune system; its aromas and flavours stimulate digestion by promoting healthy liver function. Shiitake supports overall health and balance for the Taurus, which out of balance, can suffer from illness related to indulgence.

Taurus yearns to be nurtured by the delights of the earth, and from the fungal realm, shiitake is amongst the warmest and most nourishing that mushrooms have to offer. From flavor to scent to health, shiitake supports the whole being from the roots up into daily life. In this way, shiitake is the perfect ally to nurture Taurus as it moves through and challenges the world.

Other Taurus-Supporting Fungi

Turkey Tail, Maitake, Tremella & Oyster

If you are interested in medicinal mushrooms to deepen your relationship with Taurus this season check out Turkey Tail, Maitake and Oyster from Feral Fungi. Use code MAGICOFI for 20% off at check-out!

 Resources:

1. https://cascadiamushrooms.com/blogs/cm/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shiitake-mushrooms
2. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-shiitake-mushrooms
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/ergosterol