DANDELION DREAM

Latin Name: Taraxacum officinalis

Commom Names.

Piss-en-lit, Wet the bed.

Parts used: Roots, Leaf & Flower

History and Folklore

When you come to look at the Dandelion you may think to laugh and dismiss this plant as a nuisance, but please don’t pass it by, as Gareth H. BROWNING wrote in his book, The Children’s book of wild flowers:

I do not want you to ever despise a flower merely because it is easy to find almost anywhere and at any season.

We can see the stars in their thousands on a clear night, but we should none the less ever forget that they, like the dandelions are none the less wonderful and beautiful because they are always there for us to see.

As with Browning the herbalist must always value the Dandelion too.

I think that Dandelions love people as they follow us everywhere, and every part has medicinal value as well a very beautiful flower, that shines brightly into our lives if we stop to look and appreciate.

Herbal medicine

The leaf has a diuretic effect hence it’s old name ‘wet the bed’ and the French name of ‘Pissenlit’, where the spring leaf was consumed as a spring green. The leaf is high in potassium, so where diuretic drugs deplete potassium in the body the Dandelion leaf replaces potassium.

Dandelion not only is a diuretic but as mentioned the root is a bitter tonic, pancreatic regulator, anti-rheumatic, bile duct stimulator, it stimulates portal circulation, mild laxative, anti-eczema, it contains vitamins A, B and C, rich in nutrients minerals, helps to reduce cholesterol.

Some people add the flowers to salads, but the Dande-flower, can be macerated in vegetable oil, producing a beautiful yellow massage oil used for aching joints. Flowers providing early food for bees.

The seed heads before opening are a wonderful food source for Gold finches, Field Mice and probably more.

If you are a person who makes nutri-juices why not add some Dandelion leaves (always make sure they are organic, (good excuse to grow them in your own garden)), with your regular ingredients….

Energetic:

Culpepper’s Government and virtues: states that Dandelion is under the dominion of Jupiter. It is of an opening and cleansing quality, and therefore very effectual for the obstructions of the liver, gall and spleen, and the diseases that arise from them,.

It opens the passages of the urine both in young and old, powerfully cleanses inward ulcers in the urinary passages.

We all remember blowing the seed heads to tell the time with. They also make a lovely addition to wish making, collect the whole seed heads and them in a jar. If requiring to make a wish remove a seed head and within a ceremony release the seed head to carry you wish into the either. Plants can e carries for healing so again working with Dandelion ask the seed head to carry your healing prayer. This healing prayer can be for a fellow human, sick animal or to carry your prayer for healing the earth, which ever your cause, send your wish, prayer, love or kind thoughts out on the wind carried by the dandelion clock.

Rudolf Steiner , describes the Dandelion as

“A MESSENGER FROM HEAVEN”

When s child brings,

A bouquet of Dandelions

Do you know

How much they are worth?

All the Stars in Heaven

And all the Jewels on Earth.

When a heart is feeling lonely,

Or a soul is in despair.

A child’s bouquet

Of Dandelions

Can bless and fill the Air……

Ellen Evert Hopman, writes, that Dandelion tea is said to increase psychic abilities.

She also suggests using the seed heads for wishing…. She writes, pick a puff ball on the night of the full moon , (or maybe try to collect your jar of seed heads on the night of a full moon). Call the sacred directions, and blow your wish on the wind.

To greet and Meet the Dandelion spirit

Dandelion Dream Tea

Collect on a dry day a whole Dandelion plant, chose one that may be in the way in your garden, introduce yourself to the Dandelion and say what your intention is, ask the Dandelion to share it’s DNA and introduce you to it’s plant spirit

Remove the root and give it a wash

Chop it up and place in a pan with about 1 pint water, simmer (decoct) for about 10mins,

Rinse the remaining plant including, flower and seeds if possible, chop

When the root decoction is ready, poor into a teapot and add the rest of the chopped plant to the teapot

Infuse for about 5-10mins.

The best way to take this tea is to sit with the Dandelions

Make sure your warmly dressed

Sit with Dandelions

Introduce yourself and ask to be friends

Look at the Flowers

Shape of the leaf

Where the plant likes to grow