Yarrow is a pretty white flowering plant that is found far and wide all over the temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. Even at this time of year, its low lying feathery leaves can be seen at the base of last years brown and decaying flowering stalk.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves Jan ’23, UK
Its Latin name derives from the ancient Greek story of Achilles which shows just how long this plants curative powers have been acknowledged.
According to the legend, the immortal sea goddes Thetis concieved the child with the mortal King Peleus, thereby ensuring that her son would be born mortal. As part of her efforts to render him immortal, Thetis dipped Achilles into a water bath of Yarrow in order to make him as invulnerable as possible. But – the heel she held him by never quite made it in to the Yarrow water. His heel remained his only vulneralbe point and he went on to be killed in the Trojan wars when an enemy arrow struck his heel.
It is little wonder Thetis chose Yarrow as her herb protector of choice for her beloved son as it is an all round healing superstar. It has a tonic effect on pretty much every system and organ in the body in some way, being particularly adept at wound healing and stopping blood loss and putrefaction.
Yarrow flowering in a grass meadow
In magical work it is seen as having very strong powers of protection and this can also be applied to the body where it acts as a protector against all sorts of infectious diseases and protecting the heart and circulaory system.
Yarrow has so many medicinal uses applicable to a very wide range of health issues. Have a read of what else this easy to find little plant can help you with here on the main Wild Pharma website.
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