Nettles, Nettles, Nettles...
All his stinging glory! If you don't treat him with respect, he will let you know he is not pleased.
My first attempt with working with this beautiful herbal deva was back in the late 90's. I knew very little about him. Frankly, I did not know who he even was. I was at my home (the one I lived in at the time anyways) and was set out to start my first herbal garden. Little did I know that the "weed" I was getting ready to pull would make a huge impact on my life.
There I was kneeling at the sides of my garden's bed getting ready to pull all those nasty weeds. There were a few tall ones that were just so stubborn! Stubborn to make themselves known to me. You see, I had no clue what Nettles were much less their name included the word "Stinging" in it.
I began with every ounce of my being trying to pull this "weed" from the soil trying to up root it. The more and more I began to pull, the more and more I began to not have any breath. My skin began to feel as if it were on fire slowly burning its way from my palms towards my elbows. I was alone at the time and began to worry about not being able to breathe. I called my mother in law and she instantly guessed that I got into a patch of Nettles. Off I went to the Emergency Room....luckily I am not "allergic" as some people are, but I was in it so much that my body could not keep up with the reaction. I will be fine if I wear long sleeves and gloves next time I plan on handling him.
A few weeks later I was invited to join my sister in law at a women's retreat called "Blessing of the Lake". Here is where I would find my first herbal Mentor. J.R. is a pleasant woman and so full of knowledge! During the course of the weekend we went on several herb walks and she educated me alot upon Nettles. She taught me about Nettle's insight and lifeforce. I learned not only is he more than a weed, but a great herbal Ally! He is very nourishing and protecting. Jacki introduced me to what I drink almost every day, the "Herbal Infusion". I was first addicted to her Comfrey and Peppermint infusion and everytime I see her to this day, Jacki will tell me to go and take in our ally Nettles. She knows I am not a great fan of Nettles. But as my sister Annette has told me more than once in the past, "What you want and WANT you NEED are two completely different things. The Goddess knows what is best for you." I have learned that Nettles is great for nourishing the kidneys, something that taken a forefront in my life right now. I am still not a fan of his strong earthy, grassy, pungent and bitter taste. However I am getting along with him much better these days. Jacki would be please to know I drink a small cup (but a cup no less) of Nettles infusion each and every morning. It is apart of my morning meditations when I wake up.
My morning routine is that I wake up. I go into the kitchen. I strike a match (or lighter) and light the candle on my stove. I turn to the mason jar that has been brewing the night before and strain its contents thru a coffee filter (or cheesecloth pending what I have in my pantry). Then I warm it slightly on the stove and add raw honey to it until its able to meld into the brew. The combination of the Nettles and Honey is very palatable to me. While I drink this infusion I conduct my morning meditations for the day and watch the sun rise.
The following is from my BOS. I started this BOS before I knew the importance of citing sources. If you are the original author of any of this content, please let me know. Much of it was copying from the internet as well as notes from books. Some of it is my writing, that of a friend or research. I am sorry I can not provide any sources for where I got this information.
What is an infusion?
INFUSION: The original form of a potion, an infusion is not unlike a tea in
quality. Pour boiling water over the herb in the proportions of one ounce herb
to one pint water (although you may need much less for herbs that infuse quickly
in water). Steep for fifteen to thirty minutes until a tea is formed.
Correspondence of Nettle:
G/P/E: Masculine, Mars, Fire.
Family: Urticaceae Genus: Urtica Species:
Dioica
Also Known As: Stinging Nettle, Common Nettle,
Greater Nettle
Diety: Thor (Norse), Loki (Norse), Agni (Hindu), Anansi (African), Milarepa (Buddhist Saint and Yogi aka The Green God),
Magical Attributes: To advert danger, protection,
healing. Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Lust
Magical uses can include: Using the herb as a green dye, using its pulp to make a magical protection scroll, Soup, or infusion. It can be braided into something for cord magic and intwinted into besoms for protection.
Health Benefits | |
Nettles contain vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (panothenic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin E. chlorophyll, potassium, calcium, mangaan, acetycholine, serotonine, sulphur, iron, selenium, magnesium, chromium and zinc.
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The following are some of my favorite recipes on how I use Nettle besides drinking it daily.
By clicking here you will find a few recipes on a Stinging Nettle Hair Tonic, Nettle Hair Lotion, and a Nettle Hair rescue. Any of these items can be used on a daily basis and turned into something Magical. By infusing your intent into the product you choose to create, why not protect yourself with one of these items the same way that Thetis dipped Achilles into the waters of Styx for protection but this time let the water from your shower cover every inch of your body? LOL
My favorite form of using Nettles magically is that of protection spells. Protection Tonics, Mojo Bags, amulets, etc.
I hope you get to know and respect this wonderful Herbal Ally
Sincerely,
Crystal
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