MOTHERWORT. Its latin name is Leonarus cardiaca. The Lion Hearted.

There is something so stately and calming about this plant. I feel comforted by it. It could be that I had some significant challenges with my own mother and so I tend to seek a matriarchal comfort. And when I read about this plant, I understand why I feel pulled to it. Let me share a little of that with you.

This plant has historically been used to help ground a nervous, worn out body and mind. It helps soothe and ease the frayed nerves of an exhausted woman who puts others needs before her own. So much so that she neither has the time or energy to bother to tend to herself. It helps build courage and confidence for someone feeling a sense of despair. 

Ummmm… relatable?

Motherwort is said to help clear heat from the body and aid in inflammation. It is a calming, cooling and clearing plant and may help ease anxiety. Menopausal symptoms could also benefit from this giving plant. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Motherwort has been used to support circulation and get blood moving which helps alleviate stagnation. We all know how stagnation looks outside in a natural unmoving pool of water. The inactivity. The lack of vitality.. Blah. It has been my mission as a woman in my fifties to keep stagnation at bay. No thanks. I truly believe that this is ONE of the reasons we can get so stuck in our lives. It starts on the inside. 

I digress..

Motherwort is a bitter plant. What this means is that through the taste buds it stimulates the release of digestive secretions. Once again, getting.. things.. moving. 

Nicholas Culpeper said that ‘There is no better herb to take melancholy vapours from the heart, to strengthen it, and make a merry, cheerful, blithe soul than this herb.’

Doesn’t Motherwort sound like a plant you just want to be around..? Like long warm, soft arms wrapping you in close to the sound of a strong, steady, knowing heart and birdsong and love. 

I feel like making cookies now.

Until next time.. 

H&S