Qualities of Chickweed

Chickweed is part of the pink family which contains the species of stitchworts, pinks and campions. Beautiful flowers which are often on brittle stems relying on the grass to hold them up and yet they appear in abundance year after year undaunted by whatever is thrown at them.
The chickweed therefore amongst its healing uses has a quality of gentleness. In our fast-paced often extrovert society it is gentleness that can caress and hold us steady, being gentle in an angry world takes great strength and relying on those around us as these plants rely on the grass enables us to experience our vulnerability and tenderness. I invite you as you explore our next plant to take off the cloak of protection and dare to feel gentleness and the support of your community. Shine with gentleness as though you too were a little star in the pink family.

Latin : Stellaria  Family: Caryophyllaceae
History and/or use:  Eat as a salad, helps skin irritations and swellings. 
Wildlife Value: Valuable seeds for birds.


​I am brittle-stemmed and slender,
But the grass is my defender.
On the banks where grass is long,
I can stand erect and strong.
All my mass of starry faces
Looking up from wayside places,
From the thick and tangled grass,
Gives you greeting as you pass.

​Cicely Mary Barker

The Stellaria genus are a selection of starry-faced flowers that brighten up our waysides.
Stellaria means ‘little star’ and the white mass of flowers produced by these plants cannot fail to cheer you up unless you're too pre-occupied with calling them weeds and digging them up!

If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is!

Chickweed can be harvested as a pleasant salad crop or added to oil to make a superb ointment. This ointment made with olive oil and beeswax is a must for all those suffering with any skin complaint such as eczema and psoriasis.  You can also use it for wounds as well as for swollen and inflamed tissues- a must for any home herbal kit!

Chickweed drunk as a tea can help relief bronchitis, pleurisy and rheumatism. The leaves will help cleanse the system and the plant is especially good for swellings, sprains and mumps.

Chickweed traditionally is a herb well known for its use as a poultice (a dressing for wounds) along with groundsel ( Senecio vulgaris- prized as a poultice since Saxon times!). Both herbs will help wash and soothe wounds when applied directly to them.

Chickweed is an annual, a bright green lush plant growing on cultivated rich soils. A single line of hair (good ID point) runs the full length of the stem where it acts as a gulley to collect dew for times of drought. The name chickweed comes from the fact it can be used as food for chickens, goslings and other caged birds.

The stitchworts which are related to chickweed are perennial and are more striking than chickweed as they grow more upright with larger flowers. As the name suggests they are an old remedy for stitches and other similar muscular pains.

The latin word ‘holostea’ which is applied to greater stitchwort actually means ‘whole bone’ and the plant is brittle stemmed it may be interpreted as a cure for brittle bones according to the doctrine of signatures ( a very old  belief system that a plant has signature – a way of displaying its medicinal use often through a physical characteristic). However there is no evidence to confirm this is true.

Greater stitchwort’s Welsh name tells us its used as a herb for shingles. The plant is especially used for this complaint when mixed with wood sage and navelwort.

If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Wishing you all well.
 

It is likely, at one time the first action we carried out when we woke was to enliven the fire, connect to the deity of the land and make offerings. This ensured our day started with gratitude, love and kindness. This to me seems a beautiful way to start the day? Why should it remain a relic of our distant past? 

In a Celtic fire ceremony we are using the tinders, wood, herbs and foods available to us in the immediate environment. This means we experience a world where food is not from the supermarket, medicine is not in pills, wildlife is not on farms and zoos and entertainment is not on a screen. Connecting with ancient tradition is not recreating a bygone past but feeling that excitement again for the trees, plants and animals of wild Britain and understanding our origins, a spirituality that makes us at the forefront of being caretakers of our world outside our own doorsteps. An exciting journey opens into the heart of the landscape and ultimately into the heart of our true nature. 

This ceremony can be recreated in your home by lighting a candle instead of a fire. When using a candle never leave it untended and make sure it is in a secure safe place where it will not be knocked over or cause any damage.

Invocation of fire.

‘Through stone and metal I invoke the memory of earth. Through spark and cloth I invoke the fire of life . Through tinder and wood I set my heart ablaze . Through ember and ash I sustain the essence of life.’

The ceremony starts with an invocation of fire which represents the awakening of our soul, a spiritual connection to ourselves. We can then light the candle or a fire.

When I conduct a fire ceremony the fire is lit with local tinders such as clematis and birch bark using a flint and steel. Traditional methods of lighting a fire connect us directly with the elements and the land. Once the fire is lit offerings can be made from the surrounding area, I use hazelnuts and nine sacred herbs.

To make offerings is to feel that sense of giving back what we have received, and as our heart opens it instantly takes us into a more giving, generous place. In Christian tradition we pray, sing hymns and partake in the giving of bread and wine which are the key components of a blessing or thanksgiving ritual.

In paganism we also have the opportunity to carry out this practice enabling us to start each day honouring ourselves, the earth and all life-forms. I feel this is just as important and relevant today as it has ever been. Imagine everyone going to work filled with gratitude and love for each other and all we receive from the world e.g. our food, drink, petrol, car, bicycle etc..... When you have this awareness you realise just how much you do have no matter how simple your life.

Here is a suggested ritual from the Woodland Bard Course:

“We bathe your palms In the showers of wine    - the wine ( or a herbal drink if preferred) can be sipped.
In the crook of the kindling,  - the kindling  can be briefly held.
 
In the seven elements:
 
The blessing of air- wave a feather gently around your head to receive the blessing of air.
The blessing of fire- move your hands from the candle/fire to your head as if taking a shower of fire. ( do not touch the flame)
The blessing of water-  dip your fingers into a chalice/cauldron and sprinkle the water gently over your head.
The blessing of earth-  sprinkle ash or soil lightly on your palms and rub it in as a blessing of the earth.
The blessing of wood- hold a wand in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of metal- hold a steel/knife in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of spirit- spend a moment in silence.
In the sap of the tree,  -hold fresh bark/ sap or offer to the fire/alter
In the milk of honey, - eat or offer honey to the fire or alter.
 
We place nine pure, choice gifts upon your clear beloved face: as each gift is spoken a gift of a hazelnut can be eaten or offered to the fire representing the nine hazel trees of Connla’sWell which bestow wisdom.
 
The gift of form, The gift of voice, The gift of fortune,
The gift of goodness, The gift of eminence,
The gift of charity, The gift of integrity,
The gift of true nobility, The gift of apt speech.
 
Dark is yonder town, Dark are those within.
You are the brown swan, Going within fearlessly. - visualise yourself as the brown swan going within fearlessly.
Their hearts beneath your hand, Their tongues beneath your foot.
No word will they utter to do you ill.
 
You are a shade in the heat, You are a shelter in the cold,  - really imagine embodying these qualities as you speak them individually with awareness.
You are the eyes to the blind, You are a staff to the pilgrim,
You are an island in the sea, You are a stronghold upon land,
You are a well in the wasteland, You are healing to the sick.
 
You are the luck of every joy, You are the light of the sun's beams,
You are the door of lordly welcome, You are the pole star of guidance,
You are the step of the roe of the height , You are the step of the white-faced mare,
You are the grace of the swimming swan,
You are the jewel in each mystery.”
adapted from a Traditional Gaelic blessing sourced by Caitlin Matthews in her book Celtic Blessings.
 
“You are wind of sea, You are ocean wave, - really visualise and become these aspects.
You are roar of sea, You are bull of seven fights,
You are vulture on cliff, You are dew-drop,
You are fairest of flowers, You are bull for boldest,
You are salmon in pool, You are lake in plain,
You are a mountain in a man, You are a word of skill.”
adapted from the book of the invasions of Ireland translation provided by Irish texts society.
 
The ritual ends with a meditation, many blessings of peace for all people and all life-forms upon the earth. This one ceremony brings together so many aspects of connecting and working with nature and soul. It is an earthy practical spirituality which teaches us to live in harmony with the earth. 

For a more detailed exploration of Ritual you may wish to explore our Woodland Bard Course or
Subscibe to our monthly Newsletter.

                                Primrose Primula vulgaris                                                                         Cowslip Primula verris

This is the first article for our course on 'Soul- Making' which will be exploring the spiritual practices of the West through nature enabling the reader to explore the nature of the soul and connect with their indigenous roots here in Britain. Please feel free to leave your comments and thoughts.

​Meditation is a dynamic active pursuit of the soul, allowing us to connect with our natural state. The mind when shown a place of rest is serene and at peace with itself allowing us to tap into our true nature. 
This state in the modern western world is often only harnessed when we find ourselves in extreme circumstances such as dangerous pursuits or accidents. The mind in these circumstances is in a flow, all of life slows down allowing us to stretch out every second, giving us time to react to the given situation.

We experience a state of timelessness which William Blake may be alluding to when he says ‘to hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour’.
Imagine being in that state constantly being able to react to any given situation with the perfect response, this is the state meditation masters have achieved and all of us can experience. Given time and practice this state can become more and more our own natural state.

Meditation is often associated with the East and often the western culture is more familiar with the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness or the Hindu system of Yoga.

However the Celtic tradition is alive with instruction on the nature of the soul brought to light through the stories, poems and Bardic knowledge especially preserved in Ireland.
Although the traditions have suffered great oppression from political and religious elites and finally a modern disconnection from spirituality, the knowledge is still there waiting for us to delve into.

Meditation Practice.

Set aside an area in your living space you can use just for meditating and ritual. In the same way we recognise a place of power in nature such as Stone Henge or Avebury, this is our own place of power where many memories will be created.
Use the same seat/cushion each day and have a set of clothes to wear for this process to instantly put you in a certain mind-set conducive for meditation, in much the same way you wear different clothes for work or for sport for instance.
Light a candle, go within, draw your senses inside. Once that spark is ignited within you, you can experience it in all the elements and you can take your senses out to the world filling it with joy.

A suggestion is to meditate by visualising the Birch grove which signals the start of your Otherworld (Inner realms) journey. Visualise the light airy birch grove teeming with melodious birds, a myriad of fungi and the sounds of wild animals stalking prey or making shelter. Make it as real as possible, try to touch the barks, smell the scents and hear the sounds. Go deep into the feeling of being immersed in nature, remembering it is the feeling rather than the visions that is most important. Be still and at peace for as long as you have time for; bringing love, gratitude and acceptance into your day or evening.

Meditation is more effective practiced regularly every day as you would with any discipline, in the same way an athlete or musician practices every day to reach their goals.

To make time, allowing say twenty minutes each morning and evening to cleanse the mind by using ritual or meditation is no different from having a wash morning and evening. A constant practice will enable you to imbibe these qualities throughout your day and life and you may find prolonged practices of meditation naturally follow on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Bathing in water enables your physical body to be clean but true cleanliness comes from within.

To explore these themes in more depth you may wish to subscribe to our Home Study Courses HERE