Materia Medica of Achillea millefolium
Spirit medicine and Science blended together perfectly through yarrow as a spiritual herb.
It is so hard for an herbalist, because ALL OF THE HERBS are my favorite herbs, they have saved me physically over and over again, and when it comes to healing of the heart, this, is where the real healing happens. Yarrow and I have a very special connection, in the herb farmacy gardens, I work with the spirit of yarrow and grow patches of this powerful plant along the edges of the farmacy gardens. The spiritual components of yarrow are blended perfectly with the science of the chemical components contained within this plant. Making this herb such a wonderful, and reliable healer. One of the biggest contributions this plant has made to my healing journey, and I know that many other healers, body workers, and empathetic humans can understand, is how important borders within our energetic bodies are, this is the teaching of yarrow.
Finding the Perfect Herbalist Path
Those of you who are also healers, know that boundaries of our energetic bodies are incredibly important. For me, I can sense so much of other people’s energies, and their intensity, along with animals, and plants . this creates a lot of ‘noise’ energetically. Not that I am special, as I truly believe we are ALL energetic beings, our bodies conduct so much electricity and frequency, which is all scientifically proven at this point. AND we have to hone this comprehension as our modern world is not set up to hold space for this knowing. Energy flows to you, through you and around, picking up on it is quite easy once you are attuned to it and that, without proper self care and tending, can lead to a massive drain.
I ran a private practice in Portland, OR for 5 years. Based around working with problematic skin conditions through nutrition, holistic skin care and herbalism. Each and every day, I would see clients, and take on everything that was brought to me. I also adored each and every one of these humans, at that time of my life, I would take all of their energetic issues, gladly. While then also, feeling the biggest urge to help them in any way I could, which would go above and beyond my work with their skin care and nutritional regimens. This would leave me absolutely drained at the end of a day, and by the end of 5 years in practice, I didn’t think I could ever work with people again, I knew I needed a drastic shift.
Those of you who have already tapped into these experiences of being human, holding consciousness in this physical body, know that it is a glorious gift to offer in service of the river of LOVE that holds this energy, AND massive gifts take large amounts of responsibility. Aiming that responsibility toward our own hearts, our own bodies, is a big part of that, resonance. IF we are not fully healthy ourselves, how can we fully help others in return? When this isn’t honed in, the results are draining of lifeforce, drive, even ambition to work with the gifts of the subtle realms.
I look back and am grateful, that like most of the hard lessons I have learned in life, I have learned them early. because I found myself in a place, back then, where I had to walk away for a time. I closed my practice, and went to be with the plants in farms, the woodlands, and apothecaries this work, not only had me diving into growing medicinal herbs, making medicine, and knowing every component I could about the plants found in our woodlands, but it grounded me in ways that I am still attempting to understand. One of the plants that helped me hone and be in this space of grounding, was yarrow and her spiritual messages…
Achillea and Energetic Boundaries
Our beloved yarrow holds many spiritual and healing potentials. Achillea millefolium was and has been a massive force of teaching for me that emotional and energetic boundaries are OK. They are healthy and have assisted me in helping others that much more. Walking the herbalist path means knowing the herbs in scientific and spiritual capacity as all of nature is both. Harnessing the seen and unseen forces is truly where all body; mind, spirit and physical come to heal.
I was inspired by Yarrow to make a medicine pouch, I wove a necklace and pouch that carried rose quartz, thuja, and a big umbel of yarrow. This powerful tool keeps your ethereal body in resonance with the plants, or stones that are sewn into the pouch, it is very interesting too, as when your time is up with a certain medicine necklace, it will usually break. I have held the practice of then offering these natural fibers and the plants back to the earth, the cycle of healing completing this way.
Yarrow looks like an Umbelliferae, but this herb truly isn’t one, yarrow is actually an aster, much more common and easy to identify. These flower buds, so tiny and sweet create the yarrow blossom or flower head, the buds are practically on top of each other, tiny and so tightly woven together. This is the teaching of yarrow too, to hold the body of your energy field close, tightly woven, and yet somewhat permeable. This permeability of your ethereal body, isn’t woven too tightly, so that you are not completely cut off from others. A perfect weave for your own vitality while still offering the gifts that you have for the collective, or your clients.
Going deeper into the lesson of this yarrow weave, yarrow is truly for spiritual healing, looking at the shadows of a leaky energetic body, beings who are not worthy of your healing energies, will suck them from you. Yarrow teaches discernment in who is deserving your energy and deeper love, and recognizing more clearly, who and what to keep at arms distance, or even further from your life. Yarrow spiritual meanings and teachings for an empathetic person own the power to know and implement these energetic boundaries.
I see and sense, that a lot of healers struggle with the feeling of guilt when they say No. When they keep someone at a distance. The habit of helping others all of the time, is not only a drain on your field and physical body, the spiritual meanings of yarrow remind that not everyone is meant for you, they need to continue on their path and find the person that can most help them. Yarrow shows you that you don’t have to heal EVERY person who crosses your path. With these boundaries in-tact you will still be compassionate and empathetic, sweet, and mindful, welcoming and supportive, as you in your ESSENCE will not change.
Yarrow is the Spiritual Lifesaver
With these boundaries you will be able to stay vital yourself. This will be sure that you CAN help others to heal. In my life this realization, and education from Yarrow has been a huge gift. Yarrow has saved my spiritual body, and my heart. I know yarrows spiritual healing will greatly benefit you if this is indeed an area of struggle for you.
Astringency
Because I love to blend the spirit and the science of herbalism, covering the physical benefits this plant has to offer, not only encourages more diverse use in your home apothecary, but I notice how much the spiritual healing yarrow has to offer AND the physical match in energetic forms. This word, astringent can be a confusing one. We are mostly familiar with tannins from Wine, or an under ripe Banana. Tannins, and astringency, are flavors that make you pucker as your mouth tissues tighten and feel dry. But astringent herbs are not drying per-sea. They are components of plants that tighten tissues. This truly is an absorbent effect to cell membranes where they appear to be loosing water.
When astringents are applied correctly, like times of profuse bleeding, chronic diarrhea, drippy orifices of the body; astringents are very nourishing, strengthening and tonifying to our systems. They stop bleeding, relieve diarrhea and overly productive mucous membranes. This action will stop the threat of dehydration in the body, and help to strengthen these weak tissues. Doesn’t this correlate perfectly with a leaky energetic body too? I love this so much!
Bodily Benefits of Astringency
Yarrow is also incredibly powerful to calming overly productive menstruation. My meaning of this is that your cycle may be producing heavy blood flow., and/or may last too long. A word of caution is that this issue is something that I would like to see you working with a very well trained herbalist. When working with your menstrual cycle you can easily throw yourself too far on the other side of an issue. I have seen yarrow completely stop a mensural cycle. Even to the point of when I’ve harvested her, she has started or stopped my own cycle, again, I am very sensitive energetically, especially to plants, AND she has this power.
Astringent herbs are ones who strengthen tissues that are too loose. And help to balance the over production of mucous membranes. This in a sense creates a tonic effect to these tissues. helping them to come back to a state of homeostasis where they are producing enough, and not too much. Creating a relaxing effect for a membrane that may be over worked. Or in-fact working a tissue that is under productive. Astringents and other herbal actions create very interesting dynamics. I recommend looking up Jim McDonald’s article on herbal actions. He discusses in great detail the back-and-forth healing modalities of these dynamic herbs.
Blood Flow in Wounds
So that’s a little bit of science, and here is some that crosses the threshold of folk herbalism. I also use a powder of yarrow flower and the leaf together and keep it in my backpack. This is easy to make and an excellent addition to Herbal First Aid Kits. Since I am in the backcountry a lot. Yarrow comes in great use, when dry as well as fresh. With her astringency and slightly antimicrobial effects. She is safe and effective to pack wounds with the powder or fresh herb. If you or your hiking partner find yourselves in a situation where one of you is bleeding profusely from a wound. Go to your jar of Yarrow powder and pack it into the wound. You can wrap that up with gauze, and the bleeding will stop, QUICKLY too!
With a little help from our nervine friends, like Poplar Buds, or Pedicularis, or some Arnica. You should be able to address the pain, and walk out of your emergency situation. I have read of a man who cut himself severely with a chain saw. He was alone in the forest gathering wood for his stove. And he found himself in a solo survival situation. He had read of yarrow being effective in stopping blood flow, and in the forest, Yarrow is usually close by, this man, packed his wound with the leaves. He wrapped his leg in his shirt, and was able to WALK out of the situation to get to the Emergency Room.
These stories are amazing to me. Lots of times, they come from people who just read a tid-bit, have no formal training in herbalism, and then are able to relieve themselves from sometimes deadly situations with a little help from our herbal friends. For the sake of preparedness. The yarrow flower and leaf powder is simple to make. Strip the leaves and the flower head after you have dried a bundle. Discard the main flower stalk, and put the leaves and flower head into your coffee grinder, or a coarse pestle and mortar, save a skin care jar, or the like, and put the powder into it. Keep it in your First Aid Kit in your backpack, and go to it when needed.
BITTERS are Better
Yup. Surprise, surprise here, right?! Yarrow is also a prime bitter herb. Continuing my path of Bitters are Better! Yarrow is very bitter to the taste receptors. A strong tea of the fresh or dried herb will encourage healthy digestion. Along with her astringency yarrow will calm diarrhea, and encourage a healthy production of enzymes, acids and assimilation of nutrients. When working with diarrhea, be sure to let it happen for a couple of days or so. There is usually a pathogen that the body is working on eliminating. B UT we do not want this issue to go on. Diarrhea can be incredibly dehydrating, and taxing on the gut’s immune and microbiome health.
Yarrow will help to dry up excess diarrhea, and her astringency will tighten the mucous membrane tissues of the gut. Remember the key component of drinking lots of water in cases of acute diarrhea. If you are working on a situation of Chronic diarrhea, tea is incredibly healing. However, I would rather you be drinking an enormous amount of water. Then applying the tea as an enema straight to the colon, this is a powerful tool, and to be used mindfully, sometimes, if you are receiving colonics, bring the tea prepared for your practitioner. I do love these therapies as we are bringing the herb direct to the injury site, while also helping to regain a balanced gut.
Yarrow, being incredibly bitter and astringent to diarrhea, she isn’t lovely to the palate. BUT is a great remedy for kids who are having cases of diarrhea. Simply make the tea, and mash up some Raspberries with Maple syrup. Add the RICH Yarrow tea to this paste and you won’t have an issue with your child eating it right up.
Enjoy the bountiful, and diverse actions of Yarrow, and remember, we are nature, our bodies benefit most from the spirit and science of herbalism, here’s to the medicine that is FOR the people and that is for you!
