Tea Anyone? Ten Uses for the Prickly Nettle Plant

Tea....anyone? The nettles here are verdant and bursting from the hedgerows. I've been tenderly harvesting and drying a large batch of nettles for tea and other homeopathic/alchemical goodies.

I was reading through my well-worn copy of "The Way of Herbs" by Michael Tierra and re-discovered the versatility of the stinging nettle, also known as Urtica urens. I am definitely looking forward to exploring its many uses. I have a pot of nettle tea on the stove now that smells incredibly like the scent of steamed, green beans.

Here is a list of ten ways to use stinging nettle: (when harvesting, remember to wear gloves)

1.  Harvest tender, young leaves and steam. The vegetable is tasty and nutritious.
2. One ounce of herbs steeped in a pint of boiled water makes a tea good for asthma. Nettle tea is both an expectorant and an antispasmodic. Michael Tierra recommends taking the tea three to four times a day to see results.
3. Nettle tea is an aid to the "assimilation of important minerals. Nettles are very rich in iron, silicon and potassium."
4. Nettle powder sprinkled on a cut helps stop bleeding.
5. Nettle juice can be rubbed into the scalp to promote hair growth.
6. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, stinging nettle tea has proven effective for treating urinary tract infections.
7. Some people swear that nettle tea is an excellent blood purifier. It's an excellent drink that can help alleviate the symptoms of anaemia.
8. Nettle dye! A beautiful and natural way to add colour to yarn.
9. Fibre taken from the stems of nettles can be used to make sturdy fabric and fishing nets.
10. Diluted nettle juice or tea, used externally, can help eczema, rheumatism and acne. 

(With additional thanks to Peter Van Suijlekom, an alchemist I admire, for reminding me that, "This is the best time to harvest nettles. They shouldn't be too old but also not too young. And the moon is waning.")

There's potent energy in these much-maligned plants. They may be humble, but they are definitely powerful!  

Have you ever tried nettle tea? If not, would you? Please feel free to leave a comment below, you know I love hearing from you.

---

If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of the book by Michael Tierra, please click on the following link:  The Way of Herbs.  The link will take you to Book Depository. This is where I buy my books as their prices are reasonable, they ship internationally, and best of all, shipping is free. :)

How Are You Going To Wake Up Your Daimon?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO WAKE UP YOUR DAIMON?

Great philosophical questions turn on the relations of visible and invisible. Our religious beliefs separate heaven and earth, this life and the afterlife, and our philosophical thinking cuts apart mind and matter, all of which forces a chasm between the visible and invisible. How to bridge the chasm? What means are there for transporting the unseen into the seen? Or the seen into the unseen?”  ~James Hillman, page 94, The Soul’s Code   

What if bridging the chasm was less a feat of bridge building than one of awakening?

Many people believe we come into this world as empty shells to be filled with experiences, always journeying, always seeking the Other. We spend our lifetime building roads and bridges as we try to get to, or away from, somewhere.

Why do we fill our days with things and noise, and other people’s dreams, goals, and expectations, further creating a gap between our Divine and Terrestrial natures? What if we discover we aren’t empty shells but that our vital, living soul actually has an invisible companion?

The Greeks called this companion spirit “Daimon“. Our daimon is the one who whispers to us right before we go to sleep, who protects and guides us when we need to make important decisions. Our daimon is the one who speaks to us about who we really are and what our calling might truly be. When we allow our daimon to slumber, it continues to speak to us through its dreaming and our dreams. The daimon is a hearty spirit; it just won’t go away.

When we ignore our daimon we feel isolated, sick, fretful and even angry, fearful, or frustrated. The chasm becomes an unfathomable abyss and we are left feeling helpless, even hopeless, at times.  This companion spirit, when awakened from its slumber, might well be our link between Heaven and Earth.

I created the painting, “Waking Lunar Mercury”, (see photo above) as a reminder to listen for and recognise the daimon’s call, and try to align with it when possible. I know there is hesitancy and trepidation when rousing the power of such a spirit within us, but can you imagine the possibilities? You would not only be giving yourself permission to follow your bliss but would be writing your life story in ways that can be fully realised and lived.

Guardian Angel, Higher Power, Daimon, Genius, whatever name you may have for it, it’s time to wake it up and start living the life you are supposed to be living. How are you going to wake up your daimon? When it calls you, will you answer?

---

I recommend reading "The Soul's Code" if you've ever asked yourself, 'What is in my heart that I must do, be and have? And why?' If you are interested in adding Mr.Hillman's book to your library, please click on the following link: The Soul's Code : In Search of Character and Calling