Yarrow
I have been seeing Yarrow everywhere these days which is a sure sign it has something to say to me! Does that every happen to you, that you see the same plant wherever you go?
I love the fact that it is in the Daisy or Aster or Sunflower family. The actual official name of the family is Asteraceae or Compositae yes all these names are interchangeable. And yarrow is native to most regions of North America as well as parts of Europe and Asia.
At a quick glance it looks like it might be in the same family as Fennel, Parsley,or Queen Annes Lace. otherwise known as the Umbelliferae family because if you turned those flower upside down they would look like a little umbrella, well Yarrow would too but then look closer and you will find the head is made up of many many smaller flowers that come from a single point and go outwards. That is known as a ray flower, Sunflowers do this too as do about 23,000 other plants!!
I could go on and on about things you could look up anywhere about the amazing qualities of yarrow or I could just share my experiences and interaction with this most amazing plant.
I invite you to really look at the beauty and complexity of this deeply healing sacred herb. The leaves of yarrow are delicate and wispy, with a very strong aroma. To me this represents the maiden time of a women’s life, growing strong, full of potential and bursting with energy. So it is no mistake that the leaves have many divisions when you look close, again embodying this time of a women’s life as she still plays freely like a child yet intuitively knows that her life is about to change and like any seed or bud, there is an excitement in the idea of blossoming. During the maiden time of a girls life she will find out that indeed her womb is a place inside of her that can nourish and grow new life.
When a woman begins her first menstrual (moon ) cycle it is a time to really learn to nourish herself as well and to gain knowledge to take care of herself.You can not fully take care of another unless you care for yourself. One more reason to LOVE yourself!!
Yarrow can help bring on a delayed moon cycle and well as increase fertility. It is useful for cramps and can stop heavy bleeding.
I was first introduced to drinking yarrow as a tea before a sauna or a sweat because it made you sweat even more, as it had a diaphoretic action.
Yarrow is also used as an astringent which means it can stop bleeding. In my early herbal days every one made a shepherds purse and yarrow tincture to give to someone who needed to stop bleeding especially good for after childbirth or any kind of surgery. Yay for yarrow for the mother!
Yarrow can be very beneficial to menopausal women who have an extra long moontime or flooding ( excessive bleeding over several days) 25 drops of Yarrow tincture every hour can often alleviate this. Yay for yarrow for the crone!! Also in the crone phase of life, yarrow can be used for high blood pressure because it dilates the blood vessels as well as it has a nice action on the liver, so it can assist with both blood sugar and keeping hormones calm by helping the liver to excrete excess estrogen.
I have given yarrow so often in kidney formulas as it is a urinary antiseptic meaning it kills bacteria in the urinary tract, that one may have if they have a bladder or kidney infection.
The formula that I have had much success with is 2 parts yarrow with 1 part marshmallow and I part nettles. Prepare the marshmallow root as decoction then add the yarrow and nettles as an infusion.
Yarrow makes a nice smudge stick, burn it to purify your home and invoke the energy of the Great Mother. And in true keeping with the energy of the Goddess and every woman Yarrow can do so many helpful things in several different ways all while creating beauty wherever she goes. Invite her beauty and wisdom into your life.
I love the fact that it is in the Daisy or Aster or Sunflower family. The actual official name of the family is Asteraceae or Compositae yes all these names are interchangeable. And yarrow is native to most regions of North America as well as parts of Europe and Asia.
At a quick glance it looks like it might be in the same family as Fennel, Parsley,or Queen Annes Lace. otherwise known as the Umbelliferae family because if you turned those flower upside down they would look like a little umbrella, well Yarrow would too but then look closer and you will find the head is made up of many many smaller flowers that come from a single point and go outwards. That is known as a ray flower, Sunflowers do this too as do about 23,000 other plants!!
I could go on and on about things you could look up anywhere about the amazing qualities of yarrow or I could just share my experiences and interaction with this most amazing plant.
I invite you to really look at the beauty and complexity of this deeply healing sacred herb. The leaves of yarrow are delicate and wispy, with a very strong aroma. To me this represents the maiden time of a women’s life, growing strong, full of potential and bursting with energy. So it is no mistake that the leaves have many divisions when you look close, again embodying this time of a women’s life as she still plays freely like a child yet intuitively knows that her life is about to change and like any seed or bud, there is an excitement in the idea of blossoming. During the maiden time of a girls life she will find out that indeed her womb is a place inside of her that can nourish and grow new life.
When a woman begins her first menstrual (moon ) cycle it is a time to really learn to nourish herself as well and to gain knowledge to take care of herself.You can not fully take care of another unless you care for yourself. One more reason to LOVE yourself!!
Yarrow can help bring on a delayed moon cycle and well as increase fertility. It is useful for cramps and can stop heavy bleeding.
I was first introduced to drinking yarrow as a tea before a sauna or a sweat because it made you sweat even more, as it had a diaphoretic action.
Yarrow is also used as an astringent which means it can stop bleeding. In my early herbal days every one made a shepherds purse and yarrow tincture to give to someone who needed to stop bleeding especially good for after childbirth or any kind of surgery. Yay for yarrow for the mother!
Yarrow can be very beneficial to menopausal women who have an extra long moontime or flooding ( excessive bleeding over several days) 25 drops of Yarrow tincture every hour can often alleviate this. Yay for yarrow for the crone!! Also in the crone phase of life, yarrow can be used for high blood pressure because it dilates the blood vessels as well as it has a nice action on the liver, so it can assist with both blood sugar and keeping hormones calm by helping the liver to excrete excess estrogen.
I have given yarrow so often in kidney formulas as it is a urinary antiseptic meaning it kills bacteria in the urinary tract, that one may have if they have a bladder or kidney infection.
The formula that I have had much success with is 2 parts yarrow with 1 part marshmallow and I part nettles. Prepare the marshmallow root as decoction then add the yarrow and nettles as an infusion.
Yarrow makes a nice smudge stick, burn it to purify your home and invoke the energy of the Great Mother. And in true keeping with the energy of the Goddess and every woman Yarrow can do so many helpful things in several different ways all while creating beauty wherever she goes. Invite her beauty and wisdom into your life.
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