The Magic of Chickweed
Chances are, if you’ve seen weeds, you’ve seen chickweed. There is no country on this planet where chickweed does not exist, and where it grows, it grows in overwhelming abundance, so it’s hard to miss.
Chickweed is Voracious
Many gardeners consider chickweed a nuisance. She is voracious, hard to eliminate, and will dominate any landscape she finds balanced and suitable for her growth.
The Secret Bounty of Chickweed
But one person’s nuisance is another one’s bounty because to find a field of chickweed to find a treasure trove of an herb that has potent magical and medicinal qualities.
There Are Many Ways to Use Chickweed
From a chickweed salve that can soothe burns and clear skin disorders to a chickweed pesto recipe that can help with weight loss, it only takes a little resourcefulness and creativity to realize the power, magic, and healing that lies within chickweed.
Chickweed and the Magic of Balance
Chickweed seeks soil that has balanced conditions. It does not like soil that is too acidic or too dry. However, if the conditions are right, chickweed can grow anywhere, from compost heaps to cracks in the sidewalk, as long as the conditions are balanced enough for it to thrive.
What Chickweed Tells us about Relationships and Community
Chickweed prefers to grow in groups and clusters. Still, even within these clusters, each flower maintains its individuality and survives and thrives in balance with every other sprig of chickweed it shares its space with.
Chickweed Teaches Us Balance Within Our Relationships
Chickweed teaches us a valuable lesson regarding our relationships in that it teaches us how to live in balance with ourselves and those around us.
How Chickweed Demonstrates Both Individuality and Unity
Chickweed expresses the magic of balance within a group. Each sprig of chickweed has the individuality that it expresses, yet it still lives in union and harmony within the cluster where it grows.
How Chickweed Teaches us the Power of Persistence
Chickweed is very difficult to get rid of. Removing it from an environment can require repeated tilling during dry weather, completely burying the herb, or plowing it under just as Winter arrives. Even then, there are no guarantees you will have to rid yourself of her.
The Remarkable Endurance of Chickweed
In chickweed’s persistence and stubbornness, you can see it express its enduring and persevering energy. Her seeds can remain fertile and germinate for up to 40 years, and even under the thickest blanket of snow, she can still survive and thrive. Only the harshest frost is enough to take her down.
Chickweed’s Protective Power
Chickweed has a characteristic thin strip of fur that can only be found along one side of the stem. This fur strip provides a modicum of protection for this very strong plant. Her white petals also express the protective energies laden within the plant.
Magical Ways to Use Chickweed
Chickweed is connected to Lunar energies. It is connected to women’s cycles and is even used as an herbal remedy for menstrual aches and pains. Chickweed’s scientific name is Stellaria media, which means “mid-sized star,” due to its star-shaped petals.
Love and Chickweed
It is believed that carrying a sprig of chickweed can attract love. To attract love, consider mixing chickweed, roses, and orange blossoms into your bath water.
Chickweed Encourages Fidelity
As per European folklore, carrying a sprig of chickweed is said to help promote the loyalty and faithfulness of a loved one. Putting a little chickweed in your partner’s dish can strengthen fidelity and help maintain a good marriage.
The Fertile Power of Chickweed
Chickweed has a copious amount of seeds, which is often associated with fertility and abundance. A chickweed plant typically carries a minimum of 10 seeds, although they have been known to carry up to an impressive 2,000 seeds! Likewise, because of Chickweed’s fertile energy, growing it nearby attracts abundance to the home.
Chickweed’s Connection to Birds
Chickweed is connected to animal energies, specifically birds. It gets its name because it is often fed to baby chickens. Its seeds also rely on animals and birds to travel from place to place, and it is commonly provided to poultry and farm animals as food.
Chickweed’s Uncanny Ability to Travel
Although chickweed is Native to Europe, its seeds have traveled far and wide to every corner of the planet. There is not a country on Earth you can go where chickweed cannot be found.
Chickweed Travels with Relative Ease
Chickweed employs many modes of travel. The seeds are carried underfoot by the wind, ants, and animals to travel throughout the world with relative ease.
The Sailor’s Medicine
Chickweed was also familiar amongst sailors, who would use chickweed vinegar to stave off scurvy when fresh citrus was not available.
Chickweed and Nanakusa-no-sekku (Festival of the Seven Herbs)
Chickweed is a lucky plant. It is one of the seven herbs in a symbolic porridge dish for a Japanese festival called Nanakusa-no-sekku. This symbolic dish includes seven different herbs, including shepherd’s purse, nipplewort, and radishes.
Cutting the Nanakusa for Good Luck
Moreover, during preparation, it is tradition to petition the energies of good fortune while cutting the nanakusa (seven grasses or herbs).
The Healing Power of Chickweed
Chickweed is a surprisingly potent medicinal herb. It has been used to heal inflammation, boost metabolism, treat skin disorders and bruises, and poison ivy irritation and burns.*
FDA Disclaimer
The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not render medical or psychological advice, opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. The information provided through this website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a medical or psychological problem, you should consult your appropriate health care provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Links on this website are provided only as an informational resource, and it should not be implied that we recommend, endorse or approve of any of the content at the linked sites, nor are we responsible for their availability, accuracy or content.
