Yearning for Yarrow
- Yarrow "soothes the digestive system by relieving muscle spasms in the intestines, promotes the flow of digestive bile, fights bacterial invasion and firms and tightens tissues."
- Chewing the fresh leaves is said to cure toothache.
Yarrow is also listed as a good remedy for:
- Appetite Loss
- Gallbladder Disorders
- Kidney Disorders
- Indigestion
- Liver disorders
- As an anti-inflammatory
- For cramps
- The bruised herb or leaf can be used as a styptic
Yarrow has a twofold reputation in regard to bleeding and nosebleeds in particular: 1) it's ability to staunch bleeding of the nose, and 2) it's ability to cause copious bleeding if a rolled up leaf is applied to the nostrils, which apparently was once thought to relieve headaches. The same principle was actually used for divination in the East with the proverb: "Yarroway, Yarroway, bear a white blow, If my love loves me, my nose will bleed now". Surely there must have been an easier way to tell!
Other Uses:
- Can be included in salads, or used to flavor beer.
- Yarrow is good for cleansing and toning of the skin, and makes a good addition to natural shampoos for fair hair.
- Washing with a Yarrow rinse is said to prevent baldness (but will not to stop it once it has started).
GARDENING WITH YARROW: Yarrow grows as a wild weed here, and is common in grass pastures and meadows. It's a creeper that multiplies prolifically by seed. It is an exceptionally hardy plant, and grows about 5' tall with finely divided leaves which have a feathery appearance. White, pink, yellow or pale purple flowers bloom from June through September . It will take almost any soil and amount of light, but prefers sun.
An excellent companion plant, Yarrow is said to increase the health and fragrance of surrounding plants. When planted in the herb garden, Yarrow is said to increase the production of essential oils in surrounding plants, thereby increasing their potency. For vegetable gardening, Yarrow offers protection and resistance to insects for nearby vegetables.
Yarrow should be harvested (the whole plant: stems, leaves and flowers) in approximately August, or when in full flower. Don't be afraid to gather the entire plant above ground, leaving the root. It will be back!
MAGICAL USES:
GENDER: FEMININE
DIETIES: VENUS
PLANET: LIBRA/Venus
ELEMENT: WATER
The associations with love divination and other forms of 'spellcasting' earned Yarrow its additional names of Devil's Nettle and Devil's Plaything. Another form of love divination involved sewing an ounce of Yarrow in flannel an
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