Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants - Juliet Diaz 2020

Burdock Arctium
A Compendium of Plants

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES

feminine energy, healing, protection

Burdock has big, wide leaves and thistle-like, bristly heads that are so sticky that they inspired the invention of Velcro and other hook-and-loop fasteners. She grows just about everywhere, and so is easy to wild-harvest. Her beautiful purple flowers can be seen from late summer into autumn. Burdock is often eaten as a root vegetable, as she has a sweet, mild flavor.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

A tincture or decoction made from the roots or seeds of burdock is an excellent blood purifier, and a poultice made from her leaves can soothe bruises. Burdock can also combat dandruff and other scalp ailments. She holds lots of vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese, and is also an effective prebiotic.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

Burdock’s soothing and wholesome nature makes her a wonderful general healing plant, and seeking her out in the wild is a wonderful way to connect with her energies. These energies are protective in nature, much like a lioness. You can place burdock root on your windowsills to keep bad energy from entering; burying burdock root in a pot by your front door will keep your home protected.

PLANT WISDOM

Burdock is a biannual plant—in the first year, her large leaves seem to be growing straight out of the ground, and by the second year those leaves shoot up into stalks. She teaches that there is healing and strength in growth, in being patient in your craft. Burdock is pure medicine to the body, mind, and soul, as everything about her energy and wisdom sings of self-development and spiritual growth.

Burdock has two spirits, not one. The root is its own spirit and the flower another, so when working with burdock, you will feel a sense of balance, as feminine and masculine energies combine to nurture your spirit. I suggest this plant to those who feel lost or alone and want to own their truth. You can ask burdock to visit you in dreams, or you can sit and meditate with her to bring you a sense of who you really are.