Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and left with your clothes mangled with pesky burs?
If so, there is a good chance you have had an encounter with the hyper-ambitious herb, burdock.
This Th-HERBS-day, we honor burdock (Arcticum lappa).
It is a member of the daisy (Asteraceae) family and has been considered a weedy pest for many years.
Originating in the old world, burdock has made its trek across many continents and is now naturalized almost worldwide.
It is beloved in Asian cuisine and held as a medicinal plant by herbalists.
In witchcraft, it is historically known to be protective and is often carried by practitioners to ward off evil spirits.
Burdock is ruled by the planet Venus and is a helpful ally in balancing the chaotic energy brought on by the Mars season.
Patience, persistence, and focus is what burdock is all about.
If you are having trouble with confidence in your aspirations, burdock is one of the most encouraging herbs to work with.
It is a green spirit that assists in keeping your eye on the prize no matter how much doubt you may have about your efforts.
Burdock’s Historical Use
During World War 1, Europe was cut off from supplies of medicinal plants.
Burdock was among the herbs in the drug-plant shortage list issued by the British Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1914.
It has been an important herb for centuries to treat skin ailments and purify the blood.
The herbs, seeds, and roots are used for their medicinal properties, while the young stalks and leaves are used in cooking.
The use of burdock in Native America is featured in Patricia D. Schaefer’s 1993 thesis titled; “Cherokee Herbal Remedies.”
Schaefer states: “The Cherokees used Common Burdock extensively. Crushed leaves were applied on boils to draw the poison.”
“It was also used for rheumatism, hemorrhoids, swellings, and skin disorders. Root or seed tea was drunk to cleanse the blood, to prevent scurvy and give weakly females strength.”
Aside from its contribution to old herbal medicine treatments, burdock has been added to many culinary dishes.
It is very much part of Japanese cuisine and was often used in early American recipes as colonizers settled in the country and foraged the new environment for food.
The roots are generally peeled and steamed, then added to many soups and sauces for their nutrition and asparagus-like flavor.
Today it is commonly used in herbal facial steams to calm down inflammation brought on by acne and other skin irritations.
1831 2nd Edition Pharmacopeia of the United States, Philadelphia. RARE!!
The Spirit of Burdock
The saying “grow where you are planted” resonates beautifully with the spirit of burdock.
It has an ambitious nature to it much like the characteristics of the sign of Taurus in the zodiac.
Its roots and burs are examples of the herb’s uncanny character of persistence, patience, and trust in its belief in its ability to prosper.
The strong taproot of this plant keeps it tethered in place, growing stronger by the day as it pushes deep into the earth.
All while patiently waiting for the opportunity to latch onto a passerby and expand its reach.
It is an herb that reminds us to hold onto what we believe in, no matter how slow and frustrating things may be going.
During the season of Aries, the planet Mars can easily ignite energy in any area of your life especially if you carry pent-up anger and frustration.
When we allow our energy to flow into these strong negative emotions, it can lead us to feel foggy, chaotic, doubtful, or unmotivated.
Burdock is a master at helping you remain confident in yourself and keeping away energies that may inflame self-sabotaging thoughts.
It is a spirit that helps balance the energies around and throughout the body-leaving you clear in your focus.
It likes to keep you grounded so that you stay pragmatic and approach your goals with a focused mind.
It has been known for its protective properties by many witches over the years and is often worn as charms to keep dense energies at bay.
But it is the balancing and grounding character of burdock’s spirit that attribute to this old idea.
Call upon burdock the next time you feel your own doubts begin to demotivate your focus and lead you off your path.
Rising Venus Aphrodite Zeus Daughter Greek Goddess Gold-Tone Statue Sculpture 9″
Burdock’s Energetic Properties
The herbal properties list is an extremely helpful guide to assist you in spell crafting and rituals.
The energy of the herb is heightened when planned carefully with corresponding days, seasons, zodiacs, etc.
Here are 18 properties associated with burdock:
1. Planet: Venus, Jupiter
2. Zodiac Sign: Taurus, Libra, Sagittarius, Pisces
3. House: 2nd, 7th, 9th, and 12th
4. Element: Earth and Water
5. Gender Energy: Feminine
6. Chakra: Anahata/Heart (Green)
7. Archangel: Anael
8. Deity: Aphrodite (Greek), Frigg, Tyr, Forseti (Norse), Turan (Etruscan)
9. Sabbat: Beltane and Mabon
10. Season: Spring, Early Fall
11. Day: Thursday, Friday
12. Body: Skin, Throat, Veins, Liver, Feet, and Ovaries
13. Rune: Thurisaz, Ansuz, Eihwaz, Perthro
14. Numerology: 3 and 6
15. Fae: Sprite, Gnome
16. Major Arcana: The Empress, The Hierophant, Justice, The Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, The Moon
17. Minor Arcana: Cups, Pentacles
18. Cartomancy: Clubs, Hearts
Cultivating Burdock
Burdock is easily grown directly from the seed when the soil has warmed up.
Starting the seeds indoors is a great way to ensure that they have a good head start.
Once they are in seedling form, transplanting them outside should be easy.
Like most plants, they easily adapt to transplanting when they are still young.
Older plants don’t do as well with transplanting because this could cause shock to the established root systems.
Burdock doesn’t have many pest problems, other than providing food for caterpillars once their leaves mature-but even that won’t make this plant flinch.
Its root can grow up to three feet deep into the earth, which could make it tough to harvest.
You should consider planting its seeds in mounds of loose soil to make harvesting its roots much easier.
Harvesting the root can be done in fall or the following year’s spring.
Happy Th-HERBS-day!
