Turn your phone side ways for best viewing!
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Native American Ethnobotany
Ezekiel 47:12 "And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
Note: If you don't know what any medical terms are, look them up on wikipedia for now. I will put together a page on here dedicated to that type of terminology. This is an excellent amateur academic project. If you want to take a quiz on this page, you can do so here: Quiz One On Yarrow(A. millefolium) Enjoy!
Nicknames: Common Yarrow;[1] Yarrow is also called milfoil.[9]
Yarrow Safety: Academic sources repeatedly confirm that Yarrow is considered a very safe herb. Here's a quote from one such source: "Animal studies have also shown that yarrow is generally safe and well tolerated."[16] I have observed this myself.
Ethnobotany: Native Americans used Yarrow medicinally for: Cataracts, cankers, hemorrhaging, breast health(cancer, cracked/sore), eye sight, sunburn, colds and flu, appetite, gallstones, gall bladder ailments, bursitis, as an astringent, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, blood coagulant, blood purifier, for swelling, for toothe aches, and for eczema, to name a few.[1] One scholarly source list the following benefits of Yarrow: "primarily for wounds, digestive problems, respiratory infections, and skin conditions, and secondarily, among other uses, for liver disease and as a mild sedative."[15] For the eyes, the Natives would rub it around the eye directly, and usually combined it with other plants such as Bayberry bark, and Eyebright.[1] It's considered an antidote for poison ivy/oak by them as well.[1] You don't hear enough about Native American ethnobotany today in the west. OG's like Bouncing Bear Botanicals back in the day made shamanism popular, but no one is doing any Native themed shops. I am glad to be focusing on that specifically, and on that note I will do more research on how they(the American indians) specifically used plants, and which ones they used. In fact, my next blogs will be specifically targeted towards the Native American pharmacopeia(a encyclopedia of medicinal plants).
The occult use Yarrow for divination(predicting the future), although it is a bit out of place when compared with most of the others that are used for this purpose, because it is non-psychoactive.[14] O.G. Observation: Usually wiccans use psychoactive plants(psychedelics/poisons) for divination, but this one is different being non-narcotic. I believe it is Yarrow's detoxifying and immune boosting properties that benefit the pineal gland and mind, and that is why the occult uses it for divination(because it helps protect the brain from poisons and detoxes the body!). Divination is listed in Deuteronomy 18. It's similar to prophecy except that it is a satanic practice rather than Jewish phenomena(prophecy), that's utilized in order to try to invoke "supernaturally obtained knowledge", by force. Jewish text state that: "desire that ye may prophesy" The Native Americans believe in prophecy/divination as well.[1]
My own experiences with yarrow. Yarrow is one of my favorite plants of all time. I view it as an alternative to Echinacea, being one of many plants that provides practically the same benefits, in my experiences with it. It's good for general cold and flu I have observed, as well as prevention of headaches. Other botanicals of a similar nature include: Pau'darco, Yucca, Goldenseal, Echinacea, Coltsfoot, White Willow, and Mullein. Yarrow is like a natural-version of Aspirin, thanks to the salyasilic acid it produces, which is the same component that is found in White Willow Bark, and used in the mass production of
Classification: Classifications: Diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant, analgesic, mild aromatic, blood purifier, anesthetic, immune-stimulant.[1]
Plant Family: Asteraceae;[2] Genus: Achillea;[2] Species: A. millefolium;[2]
Natural Habitat: Yarrow is an herb that grows in the wild near the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and North America.[2] It's used to feed animals in New Zealand and Australia.[2]
Is it psychoactive? Is it legal?: It's non-psychoactive and it is legal.
What is Phytochemistry? What are Phytochemicals?
Phytochemistry is an important branch of science that examines the pharmacology of various phytochemicals produced by plants.[6] The process of the production of these phytochemicals is fueled by phytosynthesis, hints the "phyto" in the name. A lot of the first pharmaceutical drugs were merely isolates or extracts made from plants like the Opium poppy[7][8][9] Even the pharma's that don't exist naturally(like Fentanyl) came into existence from the result of studying how natural phytochemicals(like morphine) interact with human biology, and how they interact with our cells and the receptor systems in our bodies.[10] The bottom line is, natural supplements are much safer(but not always) than synthetic drugs(especially pharmaceuticals). These are facts.Phytochemicals:
Cineoline, tannins[1] sabinene, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, linalool, α-thujone, β-thujone, camphor, borneol, fenchyl acetate, bornyl acetate, (E)-β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, caryophyllene oxide, β-bisabolol, δ-cadinol, chamazulene, and monoterpenes.[3] Interesting observation(coupled with an academic source to confirm legitimacy), is that Chamazulene is also present in Chamomile, and is actually named after Chamomile itself.[11] I've studied these ethnobotanicals and their phytochemical content and pharmacology from books, and online scholarly sources for so long, and so much, that I tend to pick up on things like that. I love to point these things out and share my observations, as well as academic facts with sources cited. What's interesting is that Chamazulene is actually what gives the oil its blue color![9] This reminds me a lot of Psilocybin mushrooms, and how they bruise blue. In fact, my intuition and the doctrine of signatures confirm that the two go together great![12]Pharmacological / Medicinal Properties:
Yarrow is anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, antispasmodic and a cholagogue.[1] To learn about medical terms see a blog I dedicated to the subject, as I just linked to it in this very sentence(just click it). One academic source states that Yarrow is used by herbalist to treat: "wounds, digestive problems, respiratory infections, and skin conditions, and secondarily, among other uses, for liver disease and as a mild sedative."[5] Preclinical studies show use as an anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, anxiolytic, and for its antipathogenic activities"[5][15]Mixes well with: Based on my own personal observation coupled with scientific research via scholarly sources: Echinacea, Mullein, Coltsfoot, Yucca root, Pau'darco, Goldenseal, frankincense. According to a great book by an academic that I own on Pharmacognosy, Chamomile and Yarrow share nearly the same exact medical profile, being interchangable with one another. [9]
OG Observations: I can see the truth in the Native American belief that Yarrow is an anti-dote to poisons, as I have observed the same thing. I learned a lot about ethnobotanicals when I worked with Bouncing Bear Botanicals as an affiliate marketer. I did a lot of experimentation with Yarrow during that time especially, and it always made me feel better. It's a non-psychoactive anti-dote to poison, and I observed them when I would feel ill from smoking too many store bought cigarettes(due to the pharmakei(poison) being put into the product by serpent tobacco(big tobacco companies)), that Yarrow would predictibly detox me and make me feel well again(it restores health). It's always reliably made me feel better when I was coming down with the initial stages of a cold or flu, and I consider it a must have, right along side Echinacea purpurea. Claud Rifat, a researcher who was into studying ethnobotanicals for their potential oneirogenic effects(dream stimulating qualities), typically breaks oneirogens down into two categories, true oneirogens, and pre-oneirogens.[13] Me personally, I consider Yarrow and related botanicals to be a type of oneirogen, but I would add a third category to the classifications, and those would be plants that protect, or help the pineal gland in anyway... and plants that detox, and boost the immune system, and clean the body out, protect that gland, and thus that makes them a bit of an oneirogen in my opinion. I've observed good results when adding in Yarrow and similar botanicals to supplement preparations that were designed for sleep and dreams. This is from decades of experience too.
How to grow Yarrow: When cultivating or sowing the seeds of yarrow, it is best to gently cover them with an extremely thin layer of dirt, and then just forget about them. Don't even water them, and just leave them in a shady place and forget about them. They will popup a long time down the road after you've given up on them completely. Sometimes seeds that I plant popup the next year mysteriously, but not the same year I planted them. Remember this. Always look up photos of what the seedlings of something new that you've never planted before, so you won't think that it's a weed and pull it by mistake. Yarrow very much looks like a weed when it is young, so beware. It's a beautiful plant with a unique set of leaves on it, and the flowers are flat and really cool looking.
Related Ethnobotanicals: Echinacea, Mullein, Coltsfoot, Yucca root, Pau'darco, Goldenseal, frankincense.
Buy Organic Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Academic citations:
[3] Orav, Anne, Elmar Arak, and Ain Raal. "Phytochemical analysis of the essential oil of Achillea millefolium L. from various European Countries." Natural product research 20.12 (2006): 1082-1088.
[4] Gorni, Pedro Henrique, and Ana Cláudia Pacheco. "Growth promotion and elicitor activity of salicylic acid in Achillea millefolium L." African Journal of Biotechnology 15.16 (2016): 657-665.
[5] Applequist, Wendy L., and Daniel E. Moerman. "Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.): a neglected panacea? A review of ethnobotany, bioactivity, and biomedical research." Economic Botany 65 (2011): 209-225.
[6] Burrell, R. C. "Phytochemistry. What it is and how it has developed." Journal of Chemical Education 14.11 (1937): 520.
[10] Sinha, Dwaipayan, et al. "Phytochemistry, history, and progress in drug discovery." Phytochemistry, computational tools and databases in drug discovery. Elsevier, 2023. 1-26.
[11] Askari-Khorasgani, Omid, et al. "Differential responses of three chamomile genotypes to salinity stress with respect to physiological, morphological, and phytochemical characteristics." Journal of Plant Nutrition 40.18 (2017): 2619-2630.
[12] Bennett, Bradley C. "Doctrine of signatures: an explanation of medicinal plant discovery or dissemination of knowledge?." Economic Botany 61.3 (2007): 246-255.
[15] Applequist, Wendy L., and Daniel E. Moerman. "Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.): a neglected panacea? A review of ethnobotany, bioactivity, and biomedical research." Economic Botany 65 (2011): 209-225.
[1] Rain, Mary Summer. Earthway: A Native American Visionary's Path to Total Mind, Body, and Spirit Health. Simon and Schuster, 1992.
[7] Swerdlow, Joel L. Nature's Medicine : Plants That Heal. Washingon, D.C., National Geographic Society, 2020.
[8] Balick, Michael J., and Paul Alan Cox. Plants, People, and Culture: The Science Of Ethnobotany. Garland Science, 2020.
[9] Tyler, Varro E, et al. Pharmacognosy. 1988 (9th Edition)
[13] Toro, G., & Thomas, B. (2007). Drugs of the dreaming: oneirogens: Salvia divinorum and other dream-enhancing plants. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.
[14] Kynes, Sandra. The Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants: History, Folklore, Correspondences, and Spells. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2024.
Encyclopedia Sources:
[2] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, October 26). Achillea millefolium. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:03, December 4, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Achillea_millefolium&oldid=1253484136
Other resources:
M.A.P.S. Ethnobotanical Studies By Scholars
PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Contact: ScottTheWarrior@Juno.com