Herbal Medicine and Magic Notes
Achillae millefolium, Yarrow
A perennial that’s slightly hairy, fragrant, and grows about 24” tall. Its leaves are lacy and finely dissected, and a deep green. The flowers are in tight, clustered umbels and usually white, though there are some coloured varieties in cultivation. Each tiny flower in the cluster has five petals that are slightly wider than they are long.
Medicinal Properties:
Herbal Energetically it’s warming
Bitter and slightly spicy taste
Affects primarilt the lungs and liver
It is most well known as a hemostatic and styptic. (reduce or stop internal and external bleeding respectively.)
Anticatarral + help prevent and eliminate excessive catarrhal (mucus) build up in the body.
Diaphoretic = induces sweating by stimulating the kidneys. Must be taken as hot tea to act in this way. If it’s taken cold, it may act as a diuretic.
Emmenagogue = helps promote menstruation
Reduces inflammation and fever and is good for treating colds and flu.
Speeds cell turnover of skin cells.
This is a must-have herb in an herbal first aid kit.
Great as a poultice (used fresh) or wash (use the fresh infusion) on external woulds to stop bleeding and speed healing.
Drinking an infusion of the leaf and/or flower can reduce fever, act as an anti-inflammatory, induce sweating, act as an expectorant and more to reduce the symptoms of cold and flus.
Yarrow seeds require stratification (a period of consistent cold) to trigger germination.
Use a take-out container, ziplock baggie, or other air-tight plastic or glass container. Line it with damp paper towel, sprinkle on the yarrow seeds and then put it in your fridge for a few weeks.
Take out the container about 4-6 weeks before the last frost and put it under a grow light or shop light or in a south facing window somewhere at room-temperature.
Once the seeds germinate, you can very carefully tear the paper towel into pieces that each hold 2-3 sprouts, and then set those into seed starting mix in cell trays. Barely covering them with the seed starting mix. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.
Transplant into a partial to full sun spot (soil quality isn’t too important, but they do best in loamy or sandy soil, and not so well in clay.)
They may not flower in their first year, but will grow a lovely thick layer of their gorgeous leaves. In the second year, they grow flower stalks that are about 2’ tall.
Direct sowing seeds outdoors:
If you don’t want to start the seeds indoors, you can alternatively sprinkle the seeds in your garden about 8 weeks before the last frost in a spot that you’ve prepared the previous autumn. The upside is this is much less work. The downside is that if you have a bunch of temperature fluctuations or too much wetness, you could end up with very few or no seeds germinated. Personally I prefer the greater control and the higher chance of success that starting the seeds indoors gives me.
Magical correspondences and uses:
Aphrodite, Hermes The Horned God
Healing fresh, emotional wounds
Healing deep emotional wounds that don’t seem to want to stop bleeding
Encouraging prophetic dreams or other forms of divination
Long-lasting and happy marriage when used in wedding bouquets, garlands or other decoration
Can help loved ones see things from each other’s point of view
Cautions and other notes:
Some evidence says that it’s potentially harmful if taken internally consistently for a long period of time or if taken in large doses.
Some people are sensitive to it when used topically, and it may cause dermatitis. Do a test-patch on your inner forearm before using it on a wound or other external applications.
Do not use any herb if pregnant unless directed to by your herbalist or doctor.
I grow an heirloom variety called Colorado mix mix (purchased here or here other heirloom seed suppliers) which has many different coloured flowers. And I have a variety called Polish Pastels to plant next year! (Purchased here) While there is some evidence that cultivated varieties are not as potent as it’s wild relative, these are the same species and I prefer growing my own herbs whenever possible rather than diminish wild populations.
* This info is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat or diagnose any disorder. Always talk to an herbalist before using any herb! This is also just from my herbal medicine study notes and is not exhaustive.
More Posts in this Herbal Study Series:
Calendula
Marshmallow
Cannabis
Stinging Nettle
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